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rabble blogs are the personal pages of some of Canada's most insightful progressive activists and commentators. All opinions belong to the writer; however, writers are expected to adhere to our guidelines. We welcome new bloggers -- contact us for details.
Ottawa residents reject Energy East pipeline
Ben Powless
Press release and photos from today's action:
Over 200 people joined in a rally held at City Hall today calling for a rejection of the proposed Energy East pipeline. Over 60 people were involved earlier in a 12 kilometre walk and paddle along the Rideau River from Vincent Massey Park to City Hall. The event was organized to send a strong message of concern and opposition by residents of Ottawa.
"We're very much concerned about the local impacts, which could poison our waterways with a spill, including the Rideau River. But we're also opposed to this pipeline because it facilitates the reckless expansion of Alberta's Tar Sands, when we must instead do everything possible to stop climate change. This is really an Energy Waste pipeline," stated Ben Powless, Community Organizer for Ecology Ottawa.
"The Energy East pipeline is not about solving Canada's energy needs. It's about getting tar sands bitumen to ships in New Brunswick, and shipping it to the highest bidder. The only reason TransCanada wants to build this pipeline is because of the fierce opposition to pipelines through B.C. and the U.S., opposition that will only grow to match the size of this proposed pipeline," said Andrea Harden, Energy and Climate Campaigner for the Council of Canadians.
"Over 100 First Nations communities could be impacted by this pipeline, from frontline communities in Alberta to coastal First Nations in New Brunswick. The government must respect the international rights to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent when First Nations communities reject this and any other pipeline from their communities," said Clayton Thomas-Muller, National Campaigner for Idle No More.
"If this pipeline is built, any minute spill could irrevocably poison our waterways and aquifers. Those of us who live near the pipeline are being asked to bear all the risk, with no benefit. We must not allow this pipeline to be approved," stated Ian Angus, a member of Sustainable North Grenville who lives near the proposed pipeline's path.
The event organizers also called for participants at the rally to continue to sign Ecology Ottawa's petition, which has gathered nearly 2,400 signatures, and for people to attend TransCanada's open hearing on October 10th in Stittsville to send their message directly to the company.
tarsands
Energy East
Ecology Ottawa


Phone Number in Tionesta. Find a Phone Number, Address or other Contact Detail, like Email Address and Profiles of people or friends who live in Tionesta, Pennsylvania, USA. Results of Phone Numbers and Addresses in any Street.


STAYING FIT THE MALLAKHAMB WAY!!!
Home > Social > STAYING FIT THE MALLAKHAMB WAY!!!
The boys of the Bosco Boys Home, Borivali were introduced to Mallakhamb, a traditional Indian sport as a way to stay fit and healthy on October 21. It is a sport, in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga postures and wrestling grips in concert with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane, or hanging rope. The word Mallakhamb itself refers to the pole used in the sport.
The session was planned for every Saturdays and Sundays for two hours, in which the boys would be introduced to basics ofMalkhamb. The focus of this initiative was to make the boys healthy and also to inculcate in them the habit of doing regular exercises.
"I really enjoyed the exercises. First I thought it will be difficult to climb on the rope but then after three rounds it was a cake walk for me." shared Aryan Yadav one of the boy.


This was the official website for the 2008 Salento Fear Fest. This was the second annual Salento Fear Fest, a celebration of horror, thriller, sci-fi films. It was the only film festival in South Italy dedicated to getting horror filmmakers the recognition they deserve. The festival accepted features, videos, shorts, and documentaries based on the horror/thriller/sci-fi film genres.
Content is from the site's 2007 -2008 archived pages and other sources.
THE SALENTO FEAR FEST HAS BEEN POSTPONED! THE NEW DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON BY JUNE 20.
Welcome to the Salento Fear Fest 2008 (SFF2008) website. An annual Film Festival dedicated to horror genre.
The Salento Fear Fest is a celebration of Horror, Thriller, Sci-Fi films. We are the only film festival in South Italy dedicated to getting Horror filmmakers the recognition they deserve The festival wants to be a guiding light to all horror movies fans in Italy and all over the world.
The Fear Fest is an initiative of the Cinesalento a non profit Cultural Association with the support of the Apulia Region, the Province of Lecce and the City of Tricase.
Filmmakers worldwide are encouraged to submit their project for consideration. All selected films are eligible to be included in the competition for "Salento Fear Award" in the following categories: Features, and Short-Films. The competitive part of the film festival is available in the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Short-Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effect, Best Actor and Best Actress along with other awards.
The Fear Fest is located in one of Italy's most desirable location: Tricase in the heart of Salento land of art, culture and nature, welcomes you and invites you to discover the places of this wonderful land, located in middle of Mediterranean Sea in front of the Eastern countries.
An aside: My cousin told me about going to the Salento Fear Fest 2008 when she spent her junior year of college abroad in Italy. She traveled from Rome with several classmates to the town of Tricase way down at the heel of Italy. I was so envious. The closest I ever got to a Fear Fest is the annual Colorado Fear Fest, presented by The Haunted Mines, in Colorado Springs last fall when I was in Denver visiting my folks. It is one of the best haunts in the area for sure! and the actors really do a great job of making it over the top fun! I was very impressed with the structure, location, props, and actors. It was a pretty long haunt with a lot of cool features like tunnels, hanging obstacles, and a maze. I've been told that the Haunted Mines is a more complete experience akin to a profession al amusement park. But I haven't been to any other. It's obviously different from the Fear Film festival since there were no films and you get to experience the "fear" by climbing walls, crawling through tunnels and getting lost in a maze. When I got back to the East coast I was telling my co workers at the progressive IT company where I work. My specialty there is as a Salesforce implementation service team member. We help businesses customize their user interface, train new users and give admin training, implement data and security modeling, and code apps. Everyone was intrigued by my tales about the Colorado Fear Fest, but when I said I really would like to attend a Fear Film Fest like my cousin did in Italy, someone mentioned the annual staple of every Halloween season, AMC's FearFest marathon, which celebrated its 21st anniversary in 2017. I had stopped watching their film fear fest once they started airing movies with commercials and really shortened the length of fest itself I keep hoping that Cinesalento will once again host another Salento Fear Fest in the near future. I would definitely take time off to go.
Opening Film FINGERPRINTS - USA 2006 - Italian Prem.
Competition THE OTHER SIDECanada 2006 - Italian Prem.
Art. 1 All films will be presented in original version, preferably with English subtitles (in case of non English-spoken films). The Italian movies will screen with English subtitles. All costs of the selected features pertaining to the subtitling operations into Italian will be covered by the Festival. All the selected short films need to be subtitled in Italian and the cost will be covered by the participants; Italian films must have English subtitles.
Preview tapes and DVDs will not be returned. All costs incurred for the dispatch of the materials are at the expense of the participants. For customs purposes, international shipments must be marked as 'FOR CULTURAL USE ONLY - NO COMMERCIAL VALUE'. Shipments that cannot be cleared without fees will be rejected. Cassettes and DVDs sent to the above address must involve no expense for the recipients.
Art. 3 The directors of the films selected will receive an official confirmation of the selection of the film. By signing the official entry form, the film representatives officially communicate their acceptance to screen their films at the Salento Fear Fest. The format accepted for the screenings is 35mm and video. Any other standard will not be accepted.
Art. 4 Films submitted will not be copied, modified, broadcast or screened outside the Festival without prior consent of the producers.
Art. 5 The festival is authorized to use excerpts of the selected works (3 minutes maximum), made available by the producers, for promotional purposes.
Art. 6 The screening prints of the selected films must be sent in order to arrive no later than May 30, 2007.
Art. 7 Shipping charges round-trip of the selected copies will be paid by the participants.
Art. 8 By signing the entry form, the candidates accept the above rules in full. Any controversy not solvable by the above rules and regulations will be submitted to the Festival Director, whose decision will be final and binding.
The SALENTOFEARFILMFEST provides an exclusive environment well appreciated by sponsors and advertisers of products & services, who prefer targeting to very specific customers.
The SALENTOFEARFILMFEST is able to respond to the particular needs of each potential sponsor. There are five different levels of sponsorship available.
We managed to spark your interest in the SALENTOFEARFILMFEST and you would like to receive a partnership proposition corresponding to your marketing needs?


A high quality physician is one who is skilled in all areas and can diagnose and set up treatment for any sort of illness or at the least refer you to the suitable specialist. There is no better solution to get treated in an emergency medical situation then to find the Medical Center in Fort Raleigh City near you and paying them a visit immediately. There isn't a healthcare center in Fort Raleigh City which is not licensed or accredited, we are lucky to live in one of the countries with the very best healthcare systems.
A Fort Raleigh City physician is going to be able to properly diagnose and treat you in most cases and once they can't they are going to have the ability to direct you towards the proper specialist. A premium quality Medical Center in Fort Raleigh City will employ a full staff or physicians, physicians, surgeons, nurses, radiologists and any other number of people to help give the right therapy readily available. There are quite a few physicians at the healthcare facilities in your region where you can get treated for everything from a sore throat or get tested if you suspect a pregnancy.


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Dr. Dean Hamer é um geneticista que, no momento dessa edição, em 2005, ocupa o cargo de diretor da unidade de estrutura e regulação genética no Instituto Nacional do Câncer americano. Nascido em 1951, ele obteve o título de Bacharel no Trinity College, em Connecticut, nos EUA, e seu PhD na Harvard Medical School.

Está envolvido em duas grandes controvérsias científicas. Junto com Simon LeVay, em 1993, postulou a existência de um gene X que predispõe à homossexualidade, e, mais recentemente a existência de um Gene divino, responsável pela percepção de experiências religiosas ou místicas.

Além de seu trabalho científico, publicou vários livros de ciência destinados a um público geral, em geral bem vendidos, e tem propriedade sobre várias patentes.

Publicações
 The Science of Desire (Simon and Schuster, 1994) ISBN 0684804468
 Living with Our Genes: Why They Matter More Than You Think - with Peter Copeland (Anchor, 1999) ISBN 0385485840
 The God Gene : How Faith is Hardwired into our Genes (Doubleday, 2004) ISBN 0385500580

Ver também
Genética e orientação sexual
Gene divino

Ligações externas
Site de Dean Hamer (em inglês)
Notícia referente ao gene da homossexualidade (em inglês)

Geneticistas dos Estados Unidos
Alunos da Escola de Medicina Harvard
Cientistas LGBT

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


>> Should You Have A Hub For Your Various Niche Sites?
Should You Have A Hub For Your Various Niche Sites?
I write on several different blogs and I try to stay niche specific when I write. I am toying with the idea of turning one of my websites/blogs into a hub type blog that I "curate" myself. I was thinking of running a portion of each blog from multiple sites on one hub. My niche topics include business, marketing, website design, relationships, romance, gift giving, chocolate, motivation, lifestyle design, inspiration, teenagers, and travel. I am seeing more and more multi-topic blogs especially those that are "hot" on Pinterest. So I am curious if this seems like a good or bad idea to you two?
Let's start by saying that there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to creating a hub or keeping the different niches separate. There are valid reasons for each approach. At the end of the day it's figuring out what makes most sense for you. With that said, we think that it can be quite beneficial to have a hub and introduce your audiences to everything you do online.
The biggest benefit of a hub site is that it gives you one spot to direct people to who are interested in everything you do. It makes social media marketing a lot simpler because you have one main site to focus on when you're filling out profiles. People come across your main hub and then are free to browse and see where else they want to follow you.
Having this one big site can also help you build authority. The site will grow quickly and should have a lot of posts and pages that link out and link back into the hub site. Mix it up by having some original "hub only" content in addition to the content curation you mentioned.
To answer your question specifically, we like the idea of a hub page that curates the content from the other blogs. It will make it easy for people to find you and everything you do. We wouldn't stop there though. Whenever and wherever applicable, don't be afraid to cross promote directly from the sits. For example, when you talk about marketing your business online, you may mention that you need a well-designed and maintained website. That gives you a natural segue to your web design site (should it be a different one). Relationships, romance, gift giving, chocolate, and even teenagers have a lot of natural overlap. You could also intentionally make connections by blogging about productivity tips when traveling for business for example. Some of this overlap content could live on your Hub page, or you could create posts on one of the blogs that also link to content on the other blog. Not all sites have to have overlap and interlink, but they all share the connection to the hub. Here's an illustration of what we're talking about. Think of it as a mental image to keep in the back of your mind as you build out your network of sites going forward.
All that being said, there are some cases in which it makes sense to keep your niche sites separate. We don't think any of these apply in Kim's scenario, but wanted to make you aware of them.
If you're planning on selling one or more niche sites in the near future, you may not want them to be part of your personal brand and your network. It would make breaking things apart at the time of sale more work.
If you are playing in niches that are very opposed, and where one target audience may be offended by the content on a different niche site, it would be best to keep them completely separate and possibly use different pen names for each niche.
If you're going into a completely new niche and business model that you don't know much about, you may choose to keep it apart from the rest until you get your feet wet. For example, Susanne has been toying with the idea of writing fiction and would do so under a pen name.
Overall there aren't a whole lot of reasons why you wouldn't create a hub page and let your readers know about everything you do online. Whenever we do, we are pleasantly surprised by how much overlap there is. For example, Internet Marketing and Frugal Homemaking don't seem to have too much in common at first glance, but when we started to connect our sites in both niches, we had plenty of readers who enjoyed both. The readers who were only interested in homemaking, stayed on those sites, but the ones who were also interested in making a little extra cash from home, came over to PMB with us.
Last but not least, don't forget that just about anything can be undone. You can share what you're doing across multiple niches and set up a Hub site, and then take some of the properties out of the "loop" when you sell them or even when you find that it is confusing to your potential customers.
The bottom line is this… the more you share and cross promote the bigger the chances of people finding what they need. That's always a good thing in our book. We say go for it and get that hub page up and running.
This post was inspired by the idea of Topic Tables at Beach Camp – an annual conference for women in Daytona Beach. We'd love to meet you in person at the next one. Or head on over to Exposure & Profit in Atlanta (E&P is co-ed).
What Could You Get Done If You Didn't Have To Blog For An Entire Month?


7/07/2015�� As the BoundColumn property is 1 the Value property of the control is that of the hidden column. To return the value in the visible second column reference the control's Column property: comboage.Column(1) The Column property is zero-based so Column(1) is the second column.... Binding a ComboBox to an Enum values Enum provide a convenient way in which to create a group of related constants that can be viewed as strings or integer values. When these values are bind to a ComboBox, the end user can select an option directly from a list of the Enum strings.
28/07/2013�� I'm looking to get the string from a combo box selection. I was hoping it would work similarly to getting the string from a list box selection but it doesn't look to be that simple.... We make one table and bind that data to our ComboBox. Initial chamber Step 1: Open Your Visual Studio 2010, Go to File, New, Projects and under Visual C#, go to Windows.
17/11/2005�� You'll get that "value" being returned because you're data binding to the ComboBox. Cast the SelectedValue to a DataRowView and then you can get the how to get rid of roaches in an apartment building I am trying to get an ID that I have in a combobox as membervalue but combo.SelectedValue does not have the value I need. I filled my combo from a datatable. I am working on VS 2008 Windows Forms... I filled my combo from a datatable.
Download source files - 18.1 Kb; Download demo project - 14.4 Kb; Introduction. I am a beginner in C# for 2 months. And recently, I had a hard time to find out how to set values into ComboBox items. how to get an uber from yyz The following code example demonstrates how to initialize a ComboBox control by setting the Text property and using the AddRange method to populate the ComboBox. It also demonstrates handling the DropDown event.
The specified index is greater than or equal to the number of items in the combo box. Examples The following code example show how to use the FindString method and SelectedIndex property.
We make one table and bind that data to our ComboBox. Initial chamber Step 1: Open Your Visual Studio 2010, Go to File, New, Projects and under Visual C#, go to Windows.
SelectedValue will return the value of the property defined in ValueMember, SelectedItem will return the entire object that is selected, if you want to get another value other than your SelectedValue you will have to cast as the object in your ComboBox then you can access your Name property.


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Q: iAd is killing the performance of my app I've developed an app for iOS with Swift and now I'd like to add an ADBannerView in my tableviewcontroller just to show some iAd banners.
This is what I did :

*

*I linked the iAd framework

*In the ViewDidLoad of my tableviewcontroller I have added the following code :
self.canDisplayBannerAds = true
Quite easy! Perhaps too easy, because everything seemed to work fine, the view displayed the ad correctly but... performance was really bad!! My tableview scrolls smooth if I don't show the ad and keeps lagging while the ad is displayed... how come? What have I missed?
Thanks a lot
D.

A: thanks for your help, I was totally wrong, iAd wasn't the cause of slowness of my app.
I've found the problem (I was setting the font of a textbox inside the cellforrowatindexpath method).
I've upvoted your comments because they were the correct way to find the issue.
thanks again
All the best
D.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Following in the footsteps of the Pro Filt'r Foundation is this skin-savvy concealer. Legit the closest thing to retouching your skin in reality, it fades pesky pigmentation, obliterates dark circles and doesn't sink into crease lines. And in true Fenty style, it comes in 50 easy-to-shop shades.
Becca products are famous for their #glowgiving goals, so it's no surprise that their latest concealer harnesses 'Light Filling Technology' to illuminate and colour correct the skin's surface. Super reflective and soft-focus pigments take skin from grey to gorgeous in seconds. The glistening factor is so epic that it practically renders your followon foundation useless.
This clever concealer helps fight the smallest particles of pollution so that your skin looks and stays healthier in city hustle and bustle. Urban Shield technology prevents tiny pollutant particles from sticking to your skin while a potent blend of antioxidants and vitamins also helps to neutralise the free radicals that can be caused by pollution - providing a second line of defence.
If you suffer from really dry skin this creamy concealer has got you covered - literally. It's a multi-tasking hero that brightens and perfects while also keeping dry skin at bay. Its super blendable formula means it also comes in handy as a contour stick and the shade range means there's one for all complexions. Plus, it costs just under a tenner. We'll take two, please!
It's tempting to go one shade lighter with your concealer to hide imperfections. The trouble is that it's then much more noticeable under natural light and can make your base look patchy. Estée Lauder's concealer sorts all that with a double-ended wand. One acts as a primer, blanketing the skin with hyaluronic acid to create a smooth surface. Meanwhile, the other blends jet-milled optic fused pigments to match your natural undertone as well as detecting changes in the light and adapting accordingly. Clever stuff!
What's your favourite concealer? Let us know on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter!


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BIG BIRDBRAIN
CO Pastor Wants Kermit, Miss Piggy On Chick-Fil-A Menu For Taking "Sodomy Route"
By Dan Avery July 31, 2012 at 1:07pm · 25 comments
Colorado Springs pastor Kevin Swanson is preaching against the Muppets because the Jim Henson Company broke with Chick-fil-A over the company's anti-gay philosophy.
During Friday's broadcast of his radio show, Generations with Vision, Swanson and co-host Dave Buehner encouraged the death penalty for homosexuality and suggested Chick-fil-A add a frog-filet sandwich and pig-on-a-bun to its menu.
"A Christian perspective ultimately brought the death penalty upon homosexuality between roughly 350 AD and roughly 1850 or so," Swanson said. "For about 1,500 years that form of life had pretty much been eliminated except here and there." Of course, now you have a massive, massive increase in this kind of thing."
Swanson (left) also attacked Bert and Ernie's home address, saying "Sesame Street and the Muppets are going to take the sodomy route," and suggesting Kermit, Fozzie and the rest may also support NAMBLA.
Buehner, meanwhile, lamented that "tolerance only runs one direction—you only can tolerate gays, you can't tolerate those who don't support gays."
Moving onto food, Swanson joked Chick-fil-A "should consider doing a frog filet for one of the sandwiches," Swanson suggested. Buehner piped in that "Miss Piggy on a bun" may be a bigger seller.
If Christian zealots like Swanson and Buehner are so gung-ho about adhering to Old Testament proscriptions, they probably should avoid pork, too.
chick-fil-a Christianity fundamentalists Muppets Radio Religion
Subscribe to Queerty for a daily dose of #chick-fil-a #christianity #fundamentalists stories and more
"Buehner, meanwhile, lamented that 'tolerance only runs one direction—you only can tolerate gays, you can't tolerate those who don't support gays.'"
Bullshit. There is a difference between "not supporting gays" and "actively opposing gays." Chick-fil-A is the latter, having donated millions to anti-equality groups and events, hence why marriage equality advocates do not tolerate them.
GreatGatsby2011
Hogwash.
This no mere difference of opinion similar to prefering mayo over the tangy zip of miracle whip. These people are actively working to violate my 14th amendment right to equal protection under the law. If the fundamentalists were simply calling me a sodomite and telling me that I was going to burn for all eternity in their fictional Hell, then I'd simply roll my eyes, toss my loose change in their styrofoam cup, and keep on living my life.
Don't speak to me of tolerance when you show absolutely no inclination toward tolerating me and mine first. Oh wait that's right, their version of tolerance is not immediately stoning me to death when they see me and husband holding hands in public. My bad.
This is despicable. The death penalty for gays? I don't ever recall reading that in the Bible. These people are not Christians, and they are a MUCH bigger detriment to our country than gays could ever pretend to be, spreading this kind of hate. Shame on him.
Umm maybe the title of this post should be changed to CO pastor want death penalty for gays! How is this kind of hate speech tolerated in america. This man should be arrested for those words, sounds like a death threat to me.
I hope Miss Piggy gives him a karate chop!
dvlaries
To paraphrase and steal from Seinfeld, "just when you think they can't take willful, unabashed stupidity any lower, they manage to drain a little more out of the pool."
Ugly old pastor
This is why I don't understand why any gay person would want to be a part of religion. If you want to believe in a god, fine. But to be a part of hateful organized religion I just don't get.
Scribe37
@Ogre Magi: She should knock the hell out of him!
darkmoonman`
Actually, I'm all for Chick-Hates-Gays offering food "made" from Ms. Piggy and Kermit. Such a nasty stunt should alienate more of their client base even faster.
@Ruby: The Bible plays very little real part in Christians' hateful treatment of others except as an excuse.
"tolerance only runs one direction—you only can tolerate gays, you can't tolerate those who don't support gays."
That's kind of the idea there chico.
another bizarre fundamentalist preacher really isn't newsworthy — like striking out the pitcher.
Daez
@Steve: Really, for me it is not a huge deal that they donate to anti-marriage initiatives. That sucks, but it is not big enough to extremely piss me off.
What extremely pisses me off is that Chick-fil-A donates to Exodus International and that organization has been proven to destroy people with "ex-gay" therapy that even they admit does not actually work, but they sure have fun destroying people's lives in the process often leading to suicide or mental disorders where none existed before hand.
Also, someone probably should point out that Roman Empire fell around 350 AD because of the introduction of Christianity and that the next 1500 years was an absolute detriment to scientific study and cultural advancement. If it wasn't for those 1500 years we would be so much more advanced now as a society we would have already thrown off religious superstitions.
@Ruby: It most definitely is there, but so are a lot of other things. If we put everyone to death the way the Torah demands, I'm not sure we would still have anyone alive in this nation…
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/says_about/capital.html
@Daez: Seems to me they were falling already and grasped at a new religion in an attempt to stop what was already happening.
Neither the Sesame Street characters nor the Muppet Show characters have anything to do anymore with the company that recently announced it would no longer make toys for Chick-fil-A. Not that their current owners aren't friendly too, so it doesn't matter as much…
calypso63
What the Bible tells us, I thought, God and Jesus are about LOVE and not hate. Did I miss something?
@Ruby: Does anyone else have a feeling of hitler and the cleansing that brought about WWII????????
Unless I'm mistaken, the part of the Bible that these folks use to back up their claim against gay sex is real close to the part that says you can't eat pig. And of course Miss Piggy isn't even pig, she's made of cloth. Most likely a blend of fabrics which is also against Biblical law. What a hypocrite.
So if you use his justification for the death penalty for homosexuals, we should also remember even before that, they used to crucify Christians or feed them to the lions. If he advocates his historical practice, we should too.
Bellerophon69
"A Christian perspective ultimately brought the death penalty upon homosexuality between roughly 350 AD and roughly 1850 or so," Swanson said. "For about 1,500 years that form of life had pretty much been eliminated except here and there." I'm sure the Romans thought the "christian perspective" had been eliminated by the death penalty and crucifixion in the 300 years after Christ. What a hypocrite, just like the ones that Christ rails against dozens of times in the Scriptures. Buehner, meanwhile, lamented that "tolerance only runs one direction—you only can tolerate gays, you can't tolerate those who don't support gays." No one asked Chik Fil A to give gays free food or turn their restaurants into bathhouses, but if you actively support discrimination and those who discriminate against any group of people, don't be a pussy and whine when you reap the criticism for doing so that you so richly deserve.And although I don't like what comes out of it, I do have to say that Swanson guy does have a real purty mouth. Too bad he's such a whiny little bitch!
JayHobeSound
Another repressed allegedly-hetero self-described 'pastor' obsessed with sodomy.
What a self-righteous psychopath – sodomy and cannibalism are his ideas – sick ticket.
@calypso63: You really need to take another look Jesus was repackaged awhile back to be about love and peace, but here's a few things to check out.
http://www.evilbible.com/what_would_jesus_do.htm
vklortho
@jj: I agree. I was opening this expecting something more light hearted from the religious crazies only to see talk of the death penalty for homosexuality.
repair computers
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Malteser International successfully closes Vietnam office after decades of engagement
Cologne/Da Nang. Malteser International has closed its Vietnam office after a decades-long engagement in the country. "The achievements of the Malteser teams in Vietnam over the past decades has been nothing short of impressive. Since 1966, we have implemented more than 60 humanitarian aid projects and development programs," said Cordula Wasser, Head of the Asia department at Malteser International.
Most recently, the focus of Malteser International's work in Vietnam has been on disaster preparedness, as Vietnam is one of the most disaster-stricken countries in the world. Malteser International was the first organisation in Vietnam to actively involve people with disabilities in the preparation of disaster preparedness plans. The aim was to better protect people with disabilities in the event of a natural disaster. These plans have since been incorporated into national disaster prevention plans.
"In many areas, our employees in Vietnam laid the ground work for other country offices in the region. In 2003, for example, we began to actively involve local people and communities in the planning, implementation and monitoring of our humanitarian projects. Local actors and institutions have also been empowered throughout these years. And since 1999, we have supporting communities, especially women, by providing literacy courses, income-generating measures and business development courses," says Cordula Wasser.
Vietnam is one of the most disaster-stricken countries in the world. Malteser International was the first organisation in Vietnam to directly involve people with disabilities in disaster preparedness. Photo: Guilhem Alandry/Malteser International
Malteser International's first major engagement overseas
Malteser International's work in Vietnam goes all the way back to the engagement of the Foreign Aid Service of the German Malteser Hilfsdienst between September 1966 and March 1975. At the request of the German government, Malteser International sent its first staff to provide much needed medical emergency aid in Da Nang and Quang Nang during the war between the Communist North and American-supported South. Malteser International also trained medical personnel so that medical care could later be handed over to Vietnamese personnel. In 1975, however, the security situation became so dangerous for the employees that they were flown back to Germany
Malteser International was one of the first international aid organisations to resume work in Vietnam in 1989. The following years saw Malteser International go on to provide people with health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene support, , especially in central Vietnam. Over the years, Malteser International's work has contributed to the reduction in maternal and child mortality. It soon became the trademark of Malteser International in Vietnam to involve the communities directly in the projects.
The work continues, carried out by former Malteser International employees
"Today, our former employees have founded their own aid organization to continue the good work in the area of inclusive disaster preparedness and other sectors of humanitarian relief. We will of course continue to maintain contact with them and will be happy to provide support if need be. They are now one of our many local partner organizations worldwide," says Wasser.
However, Malteser will not fully withdraw from Vietnam. The Malteser diocese in Stuttgart is planning a cooperation with the Catholic diocese in Da Nang.
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Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory's mission is leading the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces.
Air Force Research Laboratory, with headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, was created in October 1997. The laboratory was formed through the consolidation of four former Air Force laboratories and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
AFRL's mission is leading the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces.
Personnel and Resources
The laboratory employs approximately 10,000 military and civilian personnel. It is responsible for managing and annual $4.4 billion (Fiscal Year 2014) science and technology program that includes both Air Force and customer funded research and development. AFRL investment includes basic research, applied research and advanced technology development in air, space and cyber mission areas.
AFRL accomplishes its mission through eight component Technology Directorates, the 711Human Performance Wing, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and a central staff.
AFRL Headquarters
Headquarters AFRL operates the Major Shared Resource Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, one of four high-performance computing centers in the Department of Defense. The center is tackling large-scale problems previously beyond the reach of processing platforms and providing a vast array of services in a collaborative environment which includes government, industry and academia. The directorates:
711th Human Performance Wing -- With headquarters at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the 711th Human Performance Wing (711 HPW), is the first human-centric warfare wing to consolidate research, education and consultation under a single organization. Established in March 2008 under the Air Force Research Laboratory, the 711 HPW is comprised of the Human Effectiveness Directorate (RH), the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM) and the Human Performance Integration Directorate (HP). The Wing's primary mission areas are aerospace medicine, science and technology, and human systems integration.
Aerospace Systems Directorate -- With headquarters at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and an additional research facility at Edwards AFB, Calif., the Aerospace Systems Directorate leads the effort to develop and transition superior technology solutions that enable dominant military aerospace vehicles. Areas of focus include vehicle aerodynamics, flight controls, aerospace propulsion, power, rocket propulsion, aerospace structures, and turbine engines. Programs advance a wide variety of aerospace technologies including unmanned vehicles, space access, advanced fuels, hypersonic vehicles, future strike, and energy management.
Air Force Office of Scientific Research -- With a worldwide exchange program for scientists and engineers, AFOSR is the basic research manager for AFRL at its headquarters in Arlington, Va. AFOSR invests in long-term, broad-based research into aerospace-related science and engineering. To accomplish this mission, AFOSR has formed a strong, productive alliance with other government agencies, U.S. industry and the academic community. Nearly 80 percent of the research is conducted in academia and industry and the remaining 20 percent is conducted within AFRL. AFOSR's investment in basic research programs is distributed to about 300 academic institutions, 145 contracts with industry and more than 150 internal AFRL research efforts.
Directed Energy Directorate -- With headquarters at Kirtland AFB, N.M., the Directed Energy Directorate is the Air Force's center of expertise for directed energy and optical technologies. The Directed Energy Directorate focuses in four core technical competencies: Lasers Systems, High Power Electromagnetics, Weapons Modeling and Simulation, and Directed Energy and Electro-Optics for Space Superiority.
AFRL pioneered the first and only megawatt class airborne laser and is a leader in ground-based space imagining using adaptive optics with our 3.5 meter telescope in New Mexico and a 3.6 meter telescope in Hawaii. The lab is transitioning game-changing counter-electronics weapon technologies that can degrade damage or destroy electronic systems with minimum collateral damage.
Information Directorate -- With headquarters at Rome, N.Y., the Information Directorate develops information technologies for aerospace command and control, and its transition to air, space and ground systems. Its focus areas include a broad spectrum of technologies including information fusion and exploitation, communications and networking, collaborative environments, modeling and simulation, defensive information warfare and intelligent information systems technologies. Directorate scientists and engineers develop systems, concepts and technologies to enhance the Air Force's capability to successfully meet the challenges of the information age. In addition to its primary mission, the directorate has partnered with other elements of the federal government, national intelligence agencies, numerous allied nations, state and local governments, and more than 50 major universities to work problems of common interest.
Materials and Manufacturing Directorate -- With headquarters at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and an additional research facility at Tyndall AFB, Fla., the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate develops new materials, processes and manufacturing technologies for use in aerospace applications. This includes aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets and ground-based systems and their structural, electronic and optical components. With a host of modern materials and analysis laboratories, the directorate also provides quick reaction support and real time solutions to Air Force weapon system acquisition offices, field organizations and maintenance depots to solve materials related concerns and problems. The directorate plans, executes and integrates advanced manufacturing technology programs and affordability initiatives addressing manufacturing process technologies, computer integrated manufacturing and excellence through design for military needs. The directorate is also responsible for the Air Force technology programs that address environmental issues and provides materials expertise for airbase assets such as runways and infrastructures and technologies for aerospace expeditionary forces.
Munitions Directorate -- With headquarters at Eglin AFB, Fla., The Munitions Directorate develops, demonstrates and transitions science and technology for air-launched munitions for defeating ground fixed, mobile/relocatable, air and space targets to assure pre-eminence of U.S. air and space forces. The directorate conducts basic research, exploratory development, and advanced development and demonstrations. It also participates in programs focused on technology transfer, dual-use technology and small business development. The directorate is dedicated to providing the Air Force with a strong revolutionary and evolutionary technology base upon which future air-delivered munitions can be developed to neutralize potential threats to the United States.
Sensors Directorate -- With headquarters at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the Sensors Directorate leads the discovery, development, and integration of affordable sensor and countermeasure technologies for our warfighters. In collaboration with other AFRL directorates and DOD organizations, the directorate develops sensors for air and space reconnaissance, surveillance, precision engagement and electronic warfare systems. The directorate's vision is to provide robust sensors and adaptive countermeasures that
guarantee complete freedom of air, space, and cyber operations for our forces, and deny these capabilities to our adversaries. Its core technology areas include: radio frequency and electro-optical sensing, sensor fusion and exploitation, network enabled spectrum warfare, and revolutionary
devices and components.
Space Vehicles Directorate -- With headquarters at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., the Space Vehicles Directorate serves as the Air Force's "Center of Excellence" for space research and development. The Directorate develops and transitions space technologies for more effective, more affordable warfighter missions. Primary mission thrusts include Space-Based Surveillance (space to space and space to ground) and Space Capability Protection (protecting space assets from man-made and natural effects). The directorate also leverages commercial, civil and other government resources that ensure America's defense advantage. Primary focus areas include: radiation-hardened electronics, space power, space structures and control, space-based sensing, space environmental effects, autonomous maneuvering and balloon and satellite flight experiments. The directorate also operates an additional research site near Gakona, Alaska. Leading the nation in space supremacy research and development, the Space Vehicles Directorate consists of an integrated team of 900-plus military, civilian, and on-site contractors.
The laboratory and its predecessors have overseen more than 80 years of critical research efforts for the Air Force and DOD. Its technology breakthroughs can be found in all of today's modern aircraft and weapons systems, including the F-117 stealth fighter, B-2 bomber, C-17 airlifter and the F-22 fighter. It was contributed to significant advancements in modern communications, electronics, manufacturing, and medical research and products.
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Home Addiction and Substance Abuse Drugs and Alcohol
7 Signs You Might Be Binge Drinking (Without Realizing It)
Alyssa JungUpdated: Apr. 22, 2021
If you knock back four to five drinks in two hours, you just engaged in binge drinking. Here are the other signs you may be binge drinking
The signs of binge drinking
The occasional glass of wine or cold beer is OK, but it's possible to overdo it without even realizing it—especially when you're home all day. In fact, one in six American adults binge drink about four times a month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If any of the following signs sound familiar, you may also be dealing with binge drinking. Here's what you need to know.
urbazon/Getty Images
You think it's OK to overdo it every so often
"There's a notion that everybody drinks too much sometimes, but that's not true. Many people never binge drink, period," says Peter Hendricks, PhD, associate professor at the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Public Health. Women, if you find yourself knocking back four drinks in two hours, you just engaged in binge drinking, according to the (CDC). For men, downing five drinks in two hours is considered a binge-drinking episode.
You're tired or moody after a night of drinking
Got eight hours of rest but still woke up tired and groggy? If you drank the night before, that's probably why. "Alcohol suppresses the REM cycle and results in poor sleep. That's a big sign you're drinking too much," says Hendricks. Hangovers don't just come in the form of a pounding headache or queasy stomach; people who wake up feeling overly tired, anxious, sad, or irritable might actually be experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, he says. These factors could affect how quickly you get drunk.
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You let responsibilities slip
If you've never missed a deadline but suddenly struggle to finish big projects at work, or if you're a dedicated gym rat but begin skipping your workouts, it might mean drinking has become a priority. Neglecting your obligations because of alcohol use is one sign that your drinking is a larger problem, according to the American Addiction Centers.
eclipse_images/Getty Images
You slur or feel off balance
A glass of wine or mug of beer should give you a subtle feeling of relaxation; but if you begin slurring your words or wobbling when you walk, that's a sign you're drinking too much, says Hendricks. A good way to avoid accidental bingeing: Eat while you drink, he says, so it's more of an experience and all the emphasis isn't on drinking. Another trick is to follow up each drink with a glass of water, which makes you feel fuller, hydrates you, and slows down your drinking pace.
You embarrass yourself in social situations
"Some degree of social anxiety is a good thing; you shouldn't just say whatever you're thinking. So if you find yourself with no filter, that can be a sign you've had too much to drink," says Hendricks. Laughing too loudly or at inappropriate times, sharing embarrassing stories, or generally being obnoxious and drawing attention to yourself are other common signs that you've had one too many, he says. This is how your genes influence your drinking habits.
FORGEM/Getty Images
You find yourself in risky situations
Alcohol impairs judgment and lowers inhibitions, so excessive drinking can cause you to make risky sexual decisions (putting you at greater risk for assault or sexually transmitted diseases), increase the chance of injuring yourself, and even lead to alcohol poisoning. "As blood alcohol content increases, so does alcohol's effects and the risk for harm," says Megan McMurray, PhD, assistant professor of clinical psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; nearly 700,000 students between ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted every year by another student who has been drinking, and almost 2,000 die from alcohol-related injuries each year.
hsyncoban/Getty Images
Your friends are worried about you
If family, friends, or co-workers tell you that they're concerned alcohol is becoming a problem for you, that's a red flag. According to the American Addiction Centers, ignoring the concerns of others is one of the signs that you may be binge drinking. Here's why some experts think AA doesn't work as well for women.
Peter Hendricks, PhD, associate professor at the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Public Health.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Binge Drinking"
American Addiction Centers: "When Does Binge Drinking Become a Problem?"
Megan McMurray, PhD, assistant professor of clinical psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Originally Published: March 23, 2020
Alyssa Jung
Alyssa Jung is a writer and editor with extensive experience creating health and wellness content that resonates with readers and performs well on social platforms. She freelanced for several local publications in Upstate New York and spent three years as a newspaper reporter before moving to New York City to pursue a career in magazines.She spent five years writing, editing, and fact-checking for Reader's Digest and rd.com before moving on to Rodale's Prevention magazine, where she is a Senior Associate Editor for print and a contributor to Prevention.com.


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Lord Luke: My Lords, I also should like to thank the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig, for initiating this debate, on an issue which, judging by the press it is constantly receiving, can indeed be considered topical. It has been a most interesting and exceedingly well informed discussion covering a range of points which are most pertinent to the subject. I will not try to reiterate too many of those already made today, especially considering the transcendent expertise of the noble Lords who have just spoken.
The operational arrival of the Eurofighter Typhoon—a really excellent aircraft, I have heard from all sources—is critical to bringing the RAF's capabilities into line with those required in an air force in the 21st century. Once fully operational, it will have replaced the F3 Tornado in the air defence role and, when the ground-attack variant of the Typhoon is developed, also the Jaguar and its ground attack and reconnaissance role. It will therefore become the RAF's premier swing-role strike fighter.
Could the Minister please tell us more about the planned retirement of the F3 Tornados? When deliveries of the first tranche of Typhoon are complete, will the F3s be offered for sale to allies not involved in the Typhoon programme or will they be scrapped? Could he also tell the House when he expects to conclude a contract with the manufacturers on the ground-attack variant? Is this likely to cost more over and above the Typhoon budget as it is at present?
We on these Benches recognise that the Typhoon will play an increasingly important role in our air defence over the next 30 years. To those who suggest—as it has been suggested really rather a lot in the media—that the aircraft is obsolete and irrelevant, I say that without command of the air, ground and sea based forces are placed at serious risk. Of course we recognise that this four-nation project has been over budget and behind schedule, and that is putting it pretty mildly, but that is partly attributable to the collaborative nature of the project and partly to the
13 Jan 2005 : Column 404
advances in technology incorporated in it. In terms of upgrades, can the Minister tell me whether there are likely to be any significant advances in software between the first and second tranche?
There is no doubt that these planes are prime examples of a new military technology and that the contracts to build them are providing significant employment both here and abroad and will continue to do so for a number of years. In fact, as I understand it, we are now at a point where cancellation of tranche three would, as far as the United Kingdom is concerned, be almost as expensive as going ahead. Could the Minister please confirm whether that is the case?
Much has been said about the Typhoon itself; however, these aircraft will not be of much use without sufficient trained pilots to fly them and indeed technicians to maintain them. Like the noble Lord, Lord Garden, I am a little worried whether there are enough trained pilots and technicians for the first tranche and indeed whether there will be enough coming along for the second and possibly the third tranche later on.
My eye was caught by a piece in the Times last week, with which I am sure that most of your Lordships will be familiar, concerning an alleged dispute at a senior level within the MoD that it is no longer feasible or affordable for the Government to go ahead with both the Typhoon and the planned aircraft carriers. What is the Minister's response to the article? Is his department indeed considering axing or curtailing one or other of these extremely expensive projects?
I should also like to ask the Minister what effect the cost overruns such as that seen with the Typhoon will have on other parts of the defence budget. I understand that the 20 largest major procurement projects which were originally intended to cost £44 billion have now risen to £50 billion, an increase of 14 per cent. From where will the money come to pay for those costs?
It seems that the Government are unable to manage their major procurements efficiently enough, and that means that our frontline forces have had to suffer under-funding. Our defence budget is already seriously overstretched, and as we are quite rightly committed to numerous major defence projects vital to delivering our future security at the same time as more of our Armed Forces are deployed than at any time in recent years, we simply cannot afford these endless cost overruns and interminable delays. Can the Minister inform the House what contingency arrangements the Government have made to cover any increase in costs that the next two tranches of Typhoon may incur?
The strategic value of this impressive swing-role aircraft will undoubtedly and unquestionably benefit our Armed Forces immeasurably, but the delay and overspend on a project that is far from completed, and the commitment of funds during a period of extremely sensitive defence cuts elsewhere in the Armed Forces, casts a distinct shadow over the political handling of this project. Nevertheless, I look forward very much, as always, to listening to the response of the Minister.
2.8 p.m.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): My Lords, I too congratulate the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig, on securing this debate. I should like to thank him and the other noble Lords who have spoken for their contributions and particularly for their support, well expressed in every case, for this project. This project is an extremely important programme for the future.
The noble Lord, Lord Luke, and I stand out as the only two speakers who have not had the experience of the RAF at the very senior level that both the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig, and the noble Lord, Lord Garden, have enjoyed. I know that the noble Lord, Lord Luke, will forgive me if I say that the two of them spoke with obviously much more experience and expertise than perhaps he and certainly I can manage on this occasion. I am very grateful for what they have said. It is good that both were young enough to have been around at the start of this project.
A view that I am sure will be common to all Members of the House is that no matter how technologically advanced our equipment is or may become, we rely first and foremost on the quality of those who fly these aircraft and those who prepare them for flight. I am sure that the House will agree that in the RAF, as in all our Armed Forces, frankly we have the very best.
However, the dedication and professionalism of our service personnel must be supported by provision of the equipment that they need to do their job effectively. The order placed last month for the second tranche of Typhoon is solid evidence of our commitment to provide our people with the best equipment.
Typhoon will provide the RAF and our partners' airforces with an outstanding combat aircraft that, with its multi-role capability—and I break off now to say that there will not be some kind of multi-role variant, this is a multi-role aircraft now—its flexibility and its adaptability will provide the cornerstone of their fighting capability well into the 21st century. Recent operations, most recently in Iraq, have demonstrated the vital role of air power on the modern battlefield. In Typhoon we have an aircraft capable of extending this capability and meeting the threats of the future, which will enable our RAF to deliver its effects within a wider, network-enabled capability, both with our own armed services and with our allies.
It is right to say that Typhoon started out as an air superiority fighter with a secondary ground-attack capability, and commentators—both distinguished and yet still uninformed—still criticise it as a Cold War relic. I was particularly glad to hear what the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig of Radley, and the noble Lord, Lord Garden, said in dismissing that criticism. However, as we all know, today's operational environment demands much greater emphasis on all-weather precision and stand-off attack, while retaining the air superiority role. The Typhoon of today has been developed to meet this requirement and we will continue to adapt it throughout its life to maintain both its effectiveness and its superiority.
The measures being taken to ensure an early air-to-surface capability for the tranche one aircraft provide a good example of how we are adapting Typhoon to the needs of today's and tomorrow's RAF. That will be achieved through the provision of a laser designation pod and precision-guided bombs—in this case, Enhanced Paveway II. The flexibility to equip the aircraft to meet the weapon requirements of individual partner nations is an important feature of the aircraft, which we will be exploiting. But the majority of the aircraft is common to all partner nations, including the airframe structure, engines, avionics, flight and utility controls. We are intending, as are all nations involved, to operate our own aircraft. I hope that the noble Lord, Lord Garden, will be pleased to be reminded that the partner nations have developed the integrated weapon support system in order to maximise the commonality of support requirements. I take on board the points he made about that.
In due course, the tranche one aircraft will be brought up to tranche two standards. To answer the noble Lord, Lord Luke, tranche two has increased and better software. That will create a truly multi-role fleet, equipped to complement other air and land forces in a wide variety of theatres worldwide.
Perhaps I may refer briefly to tranche three. Under the four nation Memorandum of Understanding that underpins the Typhoon joint programme, the UK has undertaken to procure 232 aircraft out of a total production of 620; 55 were ordered in tranche one, with an additional 89 aircraft being purchased in the second tranche. Decisions on tranche three are not required before 2007.
I have so far spoken about capability. I turn to the significant progress we have made with Typhoon's introduction to service with the RAF, which has already taken delivery of 10 tranche one aircraft. We expect to continue delivering aircraft at a rate of approximately 13 per year. Industry does, however, have the capacity to increase production to cope with export orders.
Typhoon has now flown over 650 sorties, equating to over 900 flying hours, and is supported by BAE Systems under the very successful Case White industrial partnering arrangements. Under Case White, Typhoon is matching, and indeed exceeding, expectations, not only in its flying performance but also in terms of its reliability and availability. Since the RAF flying started, only about 3 per cent of planned flights have had to be aborted due to aircraft issues. Such a record of reliability is particularly impressive in an aircraft of this sophistication so recently introduced into service. The best example of this excellent reliability was demonstrated last year by the deployment of two brand-new aircraft to Singapore to take part in the Republic of Singapore Air Force evaluations. That is a testament to the quality of the product and to the effective working relations developed between the Royal Air Force and BAE Systems.
Consequently, it is no surprise that interest in the aircraft has been shown by a number of other nations, and we are actively supporting industry in seeking
export orders. We have a special four nation committee dealing with exports alone. Others clearly recognise the aircraft's merits. Mention has been made of Austria, which has ordered 18. That is excellent news both for the Government, because it spreads the costs, and for our economy by providing high-quality work for a skilled workforce.
We are now moving towards the next major milestone in the programme—the move of the RAF Typhoon squadrons to RAF Coningsby and the build-up of the Typhoon fleet. That embraces a wide range of military planning, including the standing down of the existing systems—such as Jaguar and Tornado F3—that it will replace, the very significant personnel implications of introducing a new aircraft into service, and the preparation of infrastructure at the RAF stations from which Typhoon will operate. F3s will be put into our normal disposal system, which may include onward sale to third parties or—and I hope not—sale for scrap, as appropriate.
Preparations are almost complete following a large programme of renovation and new-build projects that will provide a modern state-of-the-art base for this state-of-the-art aircraft. Much of the RAF's current focus is on bringing Typhoon into service at Coningsby.
We will see the Typhoon Operational Conversion Unit and the Operational Evaluation Unit move to Coningsby later this year and the build-up of the unit's operational Typhoon force during 2006 and the year following. I can assure the House that we will have sufficient pilots to operate our fast jet fleet.
The Typhoon squadrons—and I hope that this will please the noble Lord, Lord Garden—will be multi-role and will replace the current single-role Tornado F3 and Jaguar squadrons. The transfer of squadrons to Coningsby kicks off Typhoon's role as a central part of Britain's fighting capability—a role that will last a very long time into this century.
A vital part of establishing our multi-role squadrons is having properly trained pilots to fly and operate the aircraft. We will provide a balanced mix of simulators and live training and have invested a significant effort to ensure that the balance is right. The balance between simulator and in-training is kept under constant review and we are confident that we have the right balance. Before proceeding with ASTA—the training programme connected with this project—the investment decision process included a full training needs analysis and investment appraisal that ensured a cost-effective balance between simulator and on-aircraft training.
Defence investments do not get much larger than Typhoon. Some might say that we should have signed up to tranche two earlier, but, on such an important investment, it was essential that we got the contract right. I am delighted that we have been able to work with our partner nations and industry to conclude tranche two negotiations. I thank all those involved for their sterling efforts in achieving that.
The tranche two order is worth some £4.3 billion. That is a huge investment in front-line capability that will provide the RAF with 89 aircraft in addition to the 55 already on order under tranche one. Typhoon is not in competition with any other large project. The noble Lord, Lord Luke, asked me about that with regard to an article in the Times last week. There is no competition between the projects, and both are essential parts of our future programme.
The order forms part of a larger contract shared with our three partner nations—Germany, Italy and Spain—for 236 aircraft. It represents one of the largest European defence investments ever. The order is obviously good news for British industry as well as for the Royal Air Force. It has been estimated by BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce that, during peak production, the tranche two order will help sustain 16,000 jobs with defence manufacturers and their suppliers. As importantly, it keeps alive key skills and capabilities—including system integration, specialist software, crew and escape systems and sensors—that are vital to the future prosperity of the UK's aerospace industry.
As has been rightly pointed out, however, Typhoon has not always had the smoothest of rides. That is not all that surprising for a programme of such size, complexity and importance. There have been challenges. As was pointed out, we carefully considered our planned future capabilities after the Cold War. Eurofighter was not exempt. We concluded, along with our partners—we know about the delay in the early 1990s through one of our partners—that Typhoon still had an important role to play in the less predictable post-Cold War strategic environment. That point was made clearly in this short debate.
We should also remember that Typhoon was initiated long before the Government's Smart acquisition initiatives were introduced. I believe that, if we were starting today, we would have negotiated some of the earlier challenges more deftly under Smart acquisition. Nevertheless, we are still finding ways, we hope, of improving the way in which we conduct business, by taking steps with fellow partner nations, NETMA and industry to improve the delivery and management of the project as we move forward to tranche two. We have adopted Smart acquisition policies where appropriate. For instance—this is significant—the capability of Typhoon will progressively increase as part of the Future Capabilities programme that will commence in 2005. Future weapon systems will be integrated on to the platform as and when they become available.
Typhoon will provide our Air Force with an exceptional weapons system that will be the cornerstone of the RAF's future fighting capability. The words of the RAF pilots who have flown it speak for themselves. Indeed, the words of the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig of Radley, who has flown it, speak for themselves. I shall quote some current pilots. One said:
"Typhoon is a fantastic aeroplane".
Another said:
"It is absolutely tremendous to fly".
The word "awesome" was, I think, the last word in the noble and gallant Lord's speech this afternoon.
Lest it be thought that those of us speaking today are biased in some way, either because of having served in the Royal Air Force or for any other reason, I must refer to the senior United States Air Force general who, fresh from an exhilarating first flight in Typhoon and, naturally, quite excited, was heard to say, "This is the best fast jet in the world". We agree. What more can be said, beyond thanking the noble and gallant Lord once again for the opportunity to commend Typhoon to the House?
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The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) is an annual event which draws some of the world's literary leading lights to our island. Mark Gevisser, a well-decorated South African journalist, was invited as a panelist the festival this year. We sat down with the man from Jo'burg for a conversation.
In his memoir, Mark recounts the flights of fantasy in his childhood. He remembers playing a game he invented called, "Dispatcher". The game went as such: Mark would peruse a phone book and settle on a name at random. This chosen person would be the recipient of his imaginary courier once he found a route from his house to theirs. His fascination with map-reading unravelled his creativity and he was soon thinking of new suburbs in undeveloped spaces, designing floor plans of various houses. Every dead end or unfinished road was a leap for the imagination.
This was how maps fuelled his imagination. It would later lead to his political awakening, growing up in the apartheid, the African word for the state being apart, literally "apart-hood". Under the apartheid, which lasted for more than four decades, White and Black South Africans lived separately. He made this discovery when he encountered a Black African living in an unfamiliar yet nearby township near him while playing Dispatcher.
The memoir continues to share the other poignant phases in Mark's life, growing up in South Africa.
Mark embarked a project in 2002 to help co-curate the permanent exhibitions at Constitution Hill. Constitution Hill was previously an old fort built by the Dutch to prevent a British invasion. The fort later became a prison complex, mainly for white males, except for one special inmate named Nelson Mandela. Mark was tasked with converting the dilapidated site in the city centre into a space that encapsulated the essence of the South African story.
Mark's generation is poised between the difficulties of the past and the possibilities of the future. Standing on the wall between Old Fort and the Constitutional Court was a stark reminder.
Constitution Hill gives visitors an unparalleled view of the city. It is located at 11 Kotze Street in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
When you visit the 'rainbow nation', do not be taken aback by the "loud friendliness" of South African hospitality.
An often underrated tour destination, Mark finds, is Johannesburg. Johannesburg is the economic heart of the country but beyond its American-esque skyscrapers, you might witness something greater – a working class of Black South African professionals. It is a pulsing Afropolitan city – a term that has emerged to refer to the increase in black working professionals.
Another city which gets passed over by its Capetonian cousin is Durban. The coastal city of Durban adds cultural diversity to South Africa. It is home to a burgeoning Asian community, which has settled there since colonial times, when South Africa was a Dutch possession.
Durban has the largest concentration of Indian descendants outside of India. The local Asian community also includes the Javanese.
South Africa's diversity is also evident in its constitution, with over 11 official languages. That is just 5 official languages short than the world record held by Zimbabwe.
Another place that shows South Africa's diversity is Cape Town, Mark's current hometown. His favourite haunt is a tidal pool called Dale Brook. Locals gather to swim there. It is particularly crowded on weekends since it sits along the train line.
The best time Mark advises to visit is in the summer months of December and January.


The Lego Movie - When I saw The Lego Movie trailer, I'll have to admit I was a bit skeptical that it was going to be a huge letdown. Boy was I wrong. I absolutely loved it. And I really want to go back and see it again, because Everything is Awesome!
Airplane! - After seeing all the quotes on the Internet about referencing Airplane!, I finally sat down to watch it. Not disappointed. Funny.
Brita water filter - I got tired of drinking the crap water in the dorm, so I broke down and bought a water pitcher. I should have bought this much sooner. Water tastes good again!
Rainjacket - I've started developing my senior software engineering project. It takes data from Forecast.io and turns it into plain-English sentences. I've got a pre-alpha running at therainjacket.com if you want to check it out.


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Many people are considering their personal goals or resolutions for the new year. For families of children with special needs, inclusion in the wider community is usually on that list of goals.
Here's a list of 10 ways to include a child with special needs in the new year.
Whatever the activity is, make sure there is space for sensory seeking, such as water play and banging on a drum, as well as sensory aversion, such as a personal hiding spot behind a shrub or a quiet, dark corner. The same person may be both sensory-seeking and sensory-averse at different times on the same day!
Some families are reluctant to attend concerts, plays or musicals because their children have unpredictable behavior. But attending the theater can be an effective way to develop an awareness of community, learn new social skills and enjoy the arts. At a family concert, kids with special needs blend right in as the whole audience bounces in their seats throughout the performance.
The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra offers free KinderConcerts for children age 2 to 6 and family concerts for all ages. The Marquis Theatre in Northville, Michigan features children's musicals all year round.
As a mother, I worry about the unstructured time at school, such as the time between classes and lunchtime, when most bullying tends to occur. Lunchtime is when my son needs inclusion the most! Be a friend at lunchtime in 2013.
Students who get extra support during the school day often find that they are not welcome at after-school activities. One friend of ours was advised by the school principal not to sign up for an after-school science enrichment class because of his special needs, and the following year he was cut from the school's Lego team without explanation.
Rather than creating an exclusive environment, extracurricular groups can recruit additional volunteers to assist children who need extra attention. Many parents of children with special needs are willing to volunteer if it means their children can participate. High school groups such as the National Honor Society are another good source of volunteers.
one of our most successful inclusion experiments in 2012 was our son's birthday party at a bowling alley with typical kids and kids with special needs. We're going to repeat that in 2013.
If you're not sure if you should invite a classmate or friend with special needs to a birthday party or family get-together, err on the side of generosity by inviting the child to attend with his or her parent. At least then the parent can decide whether to decline graciously or accept your invitation.
the next time you're planning a day at the zoo or a picnic at the park, consider inviting friends with and without special needs. This has been very successful for us during school vacations.
Life skills and employment skills can be major obstacles for children with special needs. So give your time to teach a specific skill such as counting money to buy a cup of hot chocolate, doing a load of laundry, finding and checking out books at the library or using the telephone.
I am deeply saddened every time I hear about a family feeling unwelcome in any type of religious community because of a child's disability. It is not enough merely to tolerate the presence of such a family during worship – the child with a disability has an equal right to become a full member of the religious community and participate in leadership roles, such as greeter, usher, server, lector or cantor. I know it's possible because my 11 year old son has a leadership role when he attends services.
Susan Senator writes about the sense of completion and joy she experienced when her son, who has autism, had his bar mitzvah. The Friendship Circle offers the Efshar Circle, a Hebrew School for children with special needs, to encourage participation and to nurture a sense of religious identity.
Always respect the child's wishes regarding how, where and when to be included. By building trust in the your relationship, the child will become more confident and more interested in community participation.
How are you going to include children with special needs this year?


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This is a problem I encountered while building a WordPress website RedTwig This is what shows at the top of my website: Warning: session_start() expects parameter 1 to be array, string given in /home/swydell20/public_html/RedTwig/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php on line 286. Here is the file: class-wp-hook.php I've asked for help on several forums such as stacks overflow, dreamin code, and phphelp but so far nobody seems to know how I can fix it. I would appreciate any help here. Thank you in advance.
Somewhere you have something that is trying to add session_start as a hook. It should not be doing that. Or maybe it should but it's doing so for the wrong hook. Or maybe whatever it's coming from is the wrong version for your WordPress.
Search your site for "session_start" to identify where that's happening.
Thank you for your response and suggestion. I'm going to try it.
I've tried checking the php code but couldn't find any issues with the code.
So there's no issues with the code? That must mean it's working correctly.


text:
Deporting Love
Inseparable couple, Enrique and Harlon were married June 2014. While pursuing their passion of developing affordable homes and revitalizing a community, the two worked towards a green card. After two successful Stay of Deportations and an immigration approved marriage, the couple is being deported! Under Trump, the recent Stay was denied. ICE has requested travel arrangements to the dangers of El Salvador. The couple must plan for the worst. This is their story!
KNOW THE FACTS: DATA
Deporting Love: A Married Couple's Journey to Stay in the United States
On November 28, 2005, Enrique Gonzalez walked across the border to pursue a safe and prosperous life in the U.S. Afraid of gang recruitment in El Salvador and seeking to escape to a safe place with opportunities to work to help himself and his family, after two days of processing and detention, he was taken (by immigration officials) to a Texas bus station where he was left to find his way in what would become his new home, the United States of America. Thirteen years later, with a U.S. Immigration approved marriage to a citizen, Enrique is being deported.
In the January 2017 Executive Order, Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, the Trump administration laid out a much wider dragnet authorizing and empowering ICE in the deportation of undocumented. Unlike the discretion of the Obama Administration, as evidenced in the 2011 Memo, which exercised a great deal of flexibility the Trump Administration's laser-sharp focus is on the numbers! Every undocumented …
Music: John Legend - Preach
Don't Just Preach
This song says it all! If you are disgusted with the Trump administration's inhumane policies on immigration, don't just "preach". Get up, get out, get activated! Call or email your senators and congressmen and women, start a blog of love, acceptance, welcome and good news. Seek out and support those in your community who are suffering! Please don't disengage!
"I Can't just sit at home. Cant just sit and pray. When I can't find the love and all I see is pain - falling to my knee, though I do believe is I cant just preach!"
Subscribe to http://Deportinglove.com and share, like, comment to refute the negativity. Vote! And, whatever you do...don't let them wear you down or beaten into a position of complacency - the worst thing you can do! Until all immigrants are welcome, until we restore morals, dignity, equality, and respect, we must RISE UP!
Labels: Inspiration music
Harlon J Wilson - Personal Blog
Immigration Impact
Deporting Love News Feed
All About Undocumented Tax
Presentation: Clare Corado - Immigration Attorney ...
Photos: "What About Us? Peaceful Resistance Rally ...
Recognition: City County Council & Indiana General...
News: We Need More Empowered and Compassionate Imm...
Immigration Attorney Angela Adams Presents @ "What...
Rev. Stephen Carlsen Presents @ "What About Us? Pe...
Harlon J. Wilson & Enrique Gonzalez Kick Off The "...
7/22/2018 - Sunday Morning Coffee: Reflection on K...
Kathy Suchet-Downey - Represents Congressman Andre...
IMPD Officer Candi Perry - Immigrant Outreach Spec...
MUSIC: Joshua Allen and Valerie Phelps Perform Don...
State of Indiana Recognizes "What About Us?" A Pea...
City County Councilman - Zach Adamson - Recognizes...
Carolina Castorano-Santana Presents at "What About...
NEWS: What About Us? Peaceful Resistance Rally for...
EVENT: WHAT ABOUT US: A PEACEFUL RESISTANCE RALLY ...
NEWS: AN OPEN LETTER TO EAST SIDE NEIGHBORHOODS
NEWS: WHO REALLY LAUNCHED THE DEPORTATION DRAGNET?...
NEWS: INDY STAR - SARAH BURROW TO SPEAK AT RALLY R...
"What About Us? Peaceful Resistance Rally" Lands ...
MUSIC: Indy's Perfect Mix Studios Sponsors the Gab...
MUSIC: Cathy Morris - Contemporary Violinist to Pe...
MUSIC: ENIGMA AMEN
NEWS: Trump's Zero Tolerance Policy Could Lead to ...
DATA: Proposed Limits on Green Card Issuance By th...
INSPIRATION: WILD HEARTS CANT BE BROKEN - PINK
NEWS: DETAINED MOTHERS DESCRIBE THEIR ANGUISH
NEWS: Harlon Wilson - One of Many Rally Speakers F...
KIDS IN EL SALVADOR SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: DET...
Presentation at MoveOn.org's "Families Belong Toge...
ACTION ALERT! SIGN OUR PETITION!
Sign the petition: Stop Unjust Deportation of Luis Enrique Gonzalez-Ortiz
I just signed a petition to Governor Eric Holcomb, The United States House of Representatives, President Donald Trump, The United States Senate, The Indiana State House, and The Indiana State Senate: Stop the unjust deportation of Luis Enrique Gonzalez-Ortiz. http://www.deportinglove.com/2018/05/in-news-local-station-shares-our-story.html Stop tearing apart families with unjust deportations.
HELP FUND OUR FIGHT!


Terrence Robinson is the Green Party challenger to incumbent Byron W. Brown in next month's general election for mayor.
Robinson laid out his five-point agenda for his long shot chances of becoming the next mayor. Brown won the primary election last month, which essentially put him on the road to his fourth term.
"It's not rocket science. Just do the right thing the right way, and things will work out," Robinson said.
"And wise stewardship of the environment both built and natural environments," he said.
"Making them good places to work, live and play," Robinson said.
"We need that in order to return some measure of political power to the people," he said.