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Chevron in Ecuador
For over three decades, Chevron chose profit over people in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Courts Deep-Six Details of Chevron's Relationship to Shady Characters in Cover-Up of Ecuador Environmental Disaster
Reposted from The Huffington Post
After more than two decades of litigation, Chevron continues to protect a series of shady characters who have been instrumental in trying to sabotage a legal case brought by indigenous groups over environmental damage in Ecuador's rainforest.
No wonder. In the case, Chevron admitted that its predecessor Texaco dumped billions of gallons of toxic oil waste into rivers and streams relied on by local indigenous groups for their drinking water, bathing, and fishing. Several peer-reviewed studies have documented dramatically higher rates of cancer in the region ravaged by the oil company.
Chevron wants the case to disappear and has paid big bucks to those willing to try to make it happen.
Chevron has paid an Ecuadorian judge, who admitted to taking 14 bribes while on the bench, $2 million so far to testify against the Ecuadorians and their lawyers, falsely accusing them of bribery; (See my earlier blog about him.)
Chevron is paying an unknown fortune to a group of corporate arbitration lawyers who are suppressing a forensic report that appears to prove wrong Chevron's charge that the Ecuadorians' lawyers wrote the Ecuador judgment.
Chevron re-located to Peru a convicted American drug dealer who tried to entrap an Ecuadorian judge in a video scandal to help the oil giant kill off the case; (See this investigative report about Wayne Hansen, the drug dealer.)
Chevron also has paid at least $2 million to a husband-wife team who tried to deceive the Ecuador court by secretly switching out dirty soil samples for clean ones.
Pressing questions about these individuals and the issues associated with them remain unanswered largely because U.S. courts and a corporate arbitration panel haven't pushed Chevron to address them. That's too bad given that the answers obviously could be critical to the various ongoing legal proceedings that are part of Chevron's avowed "lifetime of litigation" strategy.
Among those proceedings:
Enforcement actions where the villagers are trying to collect Chevron assets in Canada and Brazil to force compliance with their winning a $9.5 billion judgment that the oil company - in an illustration of its arrogance - now simply refuses to pay, even though it insisted the trial take place in Ecuador.
An extraordinarily important appeal by the villagers and their counsel before a New York federal appellate court. The villagers are seeking to reverse a non-jury decision by a controversial U.S. trial judge that condemned Ecuador's entire judicial system as unworthy of respect based largely on Chevron's corrupt evidence.
Here are just a few of the questions that, if answered, would tell us a great deal more about the lengths to which Chevron has gone to evade accountability for its toxic dumping in Ecuador:
Is Chevron renegotiating its two-year, $2 million contract with the self-admitted corrupt Ecuador judge (Alberto Guerra) whose testimony that a "bribe" occurred has unraveled completely?
What is in a 2014 expert forensic report that appears to prove that Guerra lied and that Ecuador Judge Nicholas Zambrano testified truthfully when he said he and he alone wrote the judgment? Why are Chevron and a group of corporate arbitration lawyers so scared to release the report?
Is Chevron still paying Diego Borja, an Ecuadorian, who worked for the company during the trial and admitted on tape that he had evidence that would prove Chevron's guilt?
Is Chevron still employing or paying Borja's wife, Sara Portilla? At one point, Chevron paid her 5,000 per month even though Borja admitted in a deposition he didn't know what his own wife did for the oil giant. (See pages 119-121.)
Where is Wayne Hansen, the American drug felon caught lying to and secretly videotaping an Ecuador judge for Chevron? Hansen fled the country with Chevron's apparent assistance to avoid a subpoena. He was last seen living in a beach town in Peru. See this Courthouse News article.
Let's take a closer look at each of these individuals for an explanation of why they are important to the company's campaign to sabotage the legal claims of the indigenous communities that held it accountable.
Alberto Guerra
Guerra is Chevron's star witness. He is also undeniably corrupt. Even Guerra admits it, as this legal brief explains.
Chevron needs to disclose all the details of the package of cash and benefits it has paid to Guerra and his family in exchange for the corrupt testimony. Chevron moved his family and his son's family to the U.S., paying for all of their daily expenses. Chevron should disclose whether it's renegotiating the two-year, $2 million contract (signed in 2013) with Guerra. Company executives may be forced eventually to reveal how much they have paid Guerra in any asset seizure trial, but that is not likely to occur until late 2015 or 2016.
Before testifying for Chevron in U.S. court in October 2014, Guerra admitted to having taken bribes in 14 unrelated court cases in Ecuador. He also changed his "bribery" story about the Ecuador judgment at least three times during monetary negotiations with Chevron as new forensic evidence emerged to disprove his prior claims. Each time Guerra changed his story, he negotiated more money from Chevron. His personal diary and emails - which he said corroborated his testimony - mysteriously went missing.
U.S. Judge Lewis Kaplan allowed Guerra's testimony to blight New York's federal courthouse. But Judge Kaplan did not require Chevron to answer any questions about the tainted relationship, including details of a recording between Guerra and a Chevron attorney who paid him $20,000 out of a suitcase to begin the negotiations for his testimony. It is a violation of the ethical rules to allow a fact witness to be paid in this manner.
Corporate Arbitration Lawyers
J. Christopher Racich is a forensic expert hired by the Government of Ecuador to review the evidence regarding the oil giant's erroneous allegation that someone other than the Ecuador judge wrote the judgment. It appears from legal filings in a related international arbitration claim that this expert's findings disprove Chevron's allegations. See pages 1 & 32-40.
However, Chevron and the corporate arbitration lawyers hearing the case have blocked the release of the actual report.
In 2009, Chevron filed an arbitration claim against the Government of Ecuador to try to shift its clean-up liability to Ecuadorian taxpayers. The arbitration panel's proceedings are completely private, a fact that is most disturbing to the Ecuadorians, as well as to Public Citizen in the U.S., a good government advocacy group that has been urging for reform of corporate arbitration because arbitration generally favors corporations versus the governments sued.
The villagers whose claims are supposedly being "re-litigated" by the panel (which consists of three private lawyers who have been paid millions in fees by the parties) have no ability to pry information or legal documents from the panel. However, Chevron and/or the corporate arbitration lawyers could easily agree to the report's release. But both have a hard time exhibiting such candor.
The attorneys for Ecuador's government have claimed publicly that Chevron's charge "has now been shown to be false" by the contents of this critical expert report that is still being hidden from the public and from other courts.
Diego Borja
Chevron also should address questions about its exorbitant payments to Diego Borja and his wife Sara Portilla. Both worked for Chevron in Ecuador in various capacities during the eight-year trial there.
A 2010 discovery motion submitted by the villagers seeking the sordid details about Chevron's relationship with Borja and Portilla is pending before a California federal court. Curiously, more than three years after oral argument on the motion,the court has yet to rule. There is no conceivable explanation for such a long delay.
Borja has admitted on tape to having evidence of Chevron's corruption, its creation of dummy laboratories in Ecuador to dupe the court, and other malfeasance that he said would result in Chevron losing the case if released publicly. To deceive the court, he also admitted that on behalf of Chevron he switched out toxic soil samples from the company's former well sites and exchanged them for clean ones during the trial.
Portilla submitted the fake samples to the Ecuador court as an "employee" of what should have been an independent lab but was in fact an entity created and controlled by Chevron.
In mid-2009, Chevron negotiated with Borja a similar payout as the one it later negotiated with the crooked judge Guerra. Earlier that year, Chevron met with Borja and Hansen (the American drug dealer who was working with Borja in Ecuador) about secretly filming the presiding Ecuador judge. The two surreptitiously taped the trial judge with a spy watch and pen during a meeting arranged under false pretenses. Chevron later released the videos to the news media, claiming they showed the judge agreeing to take bribes.
In return for the videotapes, Chevron paid to relocate the Borja family to Houston. The company paid their income taxes, fees for the lawyer who obtained them political asylum under false pretenses, and covering their housing and living costs. By September 2010, Borja and his wife had been paid $2 million. Chevron should disclose how much more they have been paid as it absolutely bears on their credibility and that of the company.
Sara Portilla
Part of the $2 million income to the Borja family was a $5,000 monthly "retainer" for Portilla. In a deposition, Borja could not describe what his wife Portilla was doing for Chevron to justify her $5,000 retainer. See here and here.
What we do know is that Portilla, along with her husband Borja, were key to Chevron's efforts to falsify evidence. This press release reveals more about how Chevron manipulated evidence.
This "chain of custody" record submitted to the Ecuador court dated March 15, 2006, clearly shows that Borja turned over contamination samples to Portilla, a representative of Severn Trent Labs, the U.S. laboratory Chevron used to test contamination samples. Portilla's title is listed as Project Manager and her contact information is listed as a Severn Trent Labs company email address.
This handoff to Portilla, who also worked for Chevron in Ecuador at the same time, compromises the "chain of custody" of the soil and water samples, providing one piece of evidence that Chevron's labs were not independent.
Other evidence also points to the lack of independence of Chevron's labs. See here.
Wayne Hansen
No one knows the whereabouts of the mysterious Wayne Hansen, the convicted American felon and drug dealer who pretended to be a "businessman" interested in cleaning up the contamination. He partnered with Borja to secretly videotape the Ecuador judge under false pretenses.
Last we heard he had fled to Peru months after the New York Times blew up the scheme by reporting that Hansen was a convicted felon and con artist. Also, after closer examination of the videotapes, several news outlets wrote that the videos did not show any bribe, despite Chevron's incendiary charges to the contrary. See here.
The little we do know is from a few emails obtained during court discovery. Chevron's investigators tracked down Hansen in a Los Angeles hospital after he had sent them an email complaining that Borja, his partner, had been paid handsomely for his espionage efforts but he, Hansen, had not. See this Courthouse News story.
The emails link Hansen to a private investigative firm hired by Chevron. Hansen sent the first message, bearing the subject line "dooped ?????", weeks before Chevron released the videos in late August 2009.
"I have been waiting for your call, you said you would call me .... It seems that the oil co has cut a deal with Diego [Borja] and I have not heard a word from anyone but Diego. What am I to think? ...
"As I can see the window of life coming to a close I will not hold back. I need to hear from a real player with a plan for Wayne [Hansen]. If I do not hear from the oil co. by July 17, 09 I must think I have been left out and I am to do what and think what ... I have been duped."
In late 2010, about two months after the Government of Ecuador obtained a subpoena for Hansen, he sent a similarly enigmatic email to the Mason Group, a private investigative firm based in the San Francisco area.
"I am in a nice place where you guys from SF might like to visit or just hang it up and live like a king for 1,200 a month. ... The little beach town is Moncora in northern Peru and the waves are the best I have ever seen. ... come on down. [L]ots of fish to cook up. ... Best Regards and GOD Bless you Wayne Hansen." [Ellipses and brackets in original.]
None of the questions about Borja, Portilla and Hansen's relationship to Chevron have been answered in part because California Federal Magistrate Judge Nathanial Cousins has yet to rule on a 2010 discovery motion. We are not sure what Judge Cousins is up to, but he did take the time to attend a party with Chevron's and Borja's attorneys the night before the motion hearing. We know this because he joked with them about the party as the hearing began.
From the court transcript:
Judge Cousins: "I regret to inform that there are no Mai Tais or ice cream left over from Judge Chen's party last night, but we'll do our best to accommodate you."
Chevron-paid attorney: "You made it here, your Honor."
Judge Cousins: "Yes. Yes, despite long odds. We've got two motions pending, as well as some follow-up on the protocol that we discussed last week, by telephone .... I suggest we start with that. So if we could, start there. And everyone speak slowly, because we are still recovering from yesterday."
Partying aside, all of our questions could be answered if U.S. courts and the corporate arbitration panel would force Chevron to turn over documents, as Judge Kaplan forced the Ecuadorians and their lawyers to do four years ago in the company's retaliatory racketeering case. Judge Kaplan even ordered an Ecuadorian to immediately turn over his laptop when he admitted to having one in his possession during the U.S. trial. The laptop produced no evidence, only photographs of the man's children.
It did, however, show the power of a single corporation to get what it wants from the federal judiciary.
Apparently, helping impoverished villagers who have been decimated by an American oil company in faraway lands is not a priority for the federal judiciary in the world's greatest democracy.
Posted: Wednesday, January 21, 2015
For over three decades, Chevron chose profit over people in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The cold and calculated decision to save $3 per barrel and yet poison entire communities is compounded daily as Chevron continues its PR campaign to suppress the truth and barrage the media with lies about its actions and responsibility. This blog is part of an ever-growing campaign to counter Chevron's misinformation tactics and speak frankly about their attempts to hide their role in the world's worst oil-related disaster.
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By the Numbers: How Bad Was the 49ers Offense on Thursday Night?
Nov 28, 2014 at 3:07 PM • 11
Over the course of the past two weeks, the San Francisco 49ers won ugly against some really bad defenses. On Thanksgiving night, the team left little for fans to be thankful for as the team lost ugly to a really good defense.
The 49ers defense itself has been devastated by injuries this season. However, they have somehow kept things together and played well over the course of the season. The 49ers offense is another story. Loaded with talent at nearly every position, they have been the unit that has floundered. When you look at this team on paper, you would think that it would be the offense carrying this injury depleted defense, but it has been the opposite.
How bad was the 49ers offense in their loss to the hated Seattle Seahawks on Thursday? So bad that team CEO Jed York took to Twitter and apologized to fans, leaving many to believe that changes may be on their way.
Thank you #49ersfaithful for coming out strong tonight. This performance wasn't acceptable. I apologize for that
— Jed York (@JedYork) November 28, 2014
What kind of changes? Well, Cassie Baalke, the daughter of 49ers general manager Trent Baalke, had some thoughts and tweeted out the following after the team's 19-3 loss at Levi's Stadium.
"Greg Roman can take a hike..the 49ers don't want you no more"
She later deleted her tweet and added, "Everyone's entitled to an opinion..sorry mine doesn't favor you or agree with yours."
Trent Baalke released a statement on Friday apologizing for his daughter's comments.
Just how bad was the 49ers offense in their horrendous showing against their division rival? Anyone that saw the game can answer that. However, if you look at the numbers, you will see that the offense was epically bad when compared to the rest of the season.
49ers Drives
Drive 1: SF 13 to the SF 29 (16 net yards)
Drive 2: SF 31 to the SF 29 (-2 net yards)
Drive 3: SF 28 to the SF 30 (2 net yards - INT by Sherman)
Drive 4: SF 20 to the SF 24 (4 net yards)
Drive 8: SF 19 to the SEA 22 (59 net yards)
Drive 9: SF 21 to the SEA 46 (33 net yards - INT by Sherman)
Drive 10: SF 13 to the SF 30 (18 net yards)
Yards-per-game prior to week 13: 340
Yards against the Seahawks: 164
Passing yards-per-game prior to week 13: 220.5
Passing yards against the Seahawks: 100
Rushing yards-per-game prior to week 13: 119.5
Rushing yards against the Seahawks: 64
Kaepernick's passer rating prior to week 13: 92.1
Kaepernick's lowest single-week passer rating prior to week 13: 57
Kaepernick's passer rating against the Seahawks: 36.7
Gore's rushing yards-per-game prior to week 13: 62.2
Gore's rushing yards against the Seahawks: 28
Gore's rushing yards-per-attempt prior to week 13: 4
Gore's rushing yards-per-attempt against the Seahawks: 2.8
Boldin's receiving yards-per-game prior to week 13: 75
Boldin's receiving yards-per-game against the Seahawks: 18
Compare those numbers to the defense's performance. Despite their -5.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the defense played as well as they have been playing, allowing more yards than usual to the Seahawks, but sticking to their average points allowed per game.
Yards allowed per game prior to week 13: 300.1
Yards allowed against the Seahawks: 379
Points allowed per game prior to week 13: 20.5
Points allowed against the Seahawks: 19
RishikeshA
Thanks as always David, After watching the game a second time I see Kap as the main problem. He's a great athlete, but a thrower not a passer. That feel or intuition is just not there. This is a quality that can't be taught. The team was a step behind. The Hawks fumbled the ball 3 times and the Niners let each get through their grasp. The game was not as bad watching the second time around, if Kap produced we could have pulled it off.
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Dallas Niner Fan
I think Jed York has no class. Apologize? for what? He doesn't play and he doesn't coach. If he has something to say to the fans then have a press conference don't tweet it. That tweet was a huge slap in the face to his coaching staff, players and an insult to the fans. That's not the way a true leader motivates his people. If you don't like your coach, staff or players than fire them, don't whine about it. Pathetic.
Roman only needs to go back to Kap's first year to see what worked. He should have kept that system going with modifications depending on which team they were to play. Kap is not a pocket passer but he is good when he scrambles to give himself time to find a receiver or run it himself. A better offensive line would also help. Bill Walsh knew how to use a player's strength to make him a better player. Roman and Harbaugh should learn to do the same.
Eric Arana
I just think our offense is playing horrible to say the least. The 49ers offensive coordinator has forgotten what has worked for this team in the years past. With all the talent on the offensive side of the ball, we still struggle and at times it's just hard to watch. I personally believe that Kap is overpaid and is horrific at reading his receiving corp
@Joe Simien. That will never happen. You are talking about re-creating a system that was build during a non salary cap era.
Bill Collins
The smartest move the Santa Clara Sluicers can make at this point of the season would be to relocate to their home, Candlestick Park. The spirits are friendlier there, and more forgiving than at the Levi's venue.
Monsterniner
I see that some fans are still impressed with Kaep´s cannon arm and fast legs and they say that he has all the skills and he only lacks the mental aspect of the game. Wait what? For a QB the mental aspect of the game is the most important aspect!! Joe Montana didn´t have a cannon arm or fast legs but he was the smartest QB ever and that´s why he is the GOAT. Kaepernick isn´t smart and he isn´t showing that he can be smart on the field. His arms and his legs aren´t helping him right now because he.....well......lacks the mental aspect of the game.
People need to chill out about Kaep. Yes, he has flaws, but they are more related to the system that the coaching staff wants played. He has shown he can be a pocket passer and a very good QB. If you go back and watch some of his highlights from 2012-13 when he first started, this team was lethal with the weapons he had and the systems that were suited to his skill set. The coaching staff has gotten away from what he was great at and tried to limit him primarily into just a pocket passer. If you watch the highlights from the 2012-13 post season, you will see that he can throw from the pocket and go through all of his progressions and hit receivers on the move. Watch this link I found on YouTube and see for yourself how good and skilled Kaepernick really is and what the coaching staff needs to go back to to get Kaep and this teams confidence back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXs63dQai2M
No backup qb threat
Phil magana
Looked like the offense was not in to the game , very little effort. And some defensive players were not giving their all. poor performance.
Joe Simien
I been a 9ers fan since 1978 n love them ever since through the good n bad times. We need change up on our offense go back to what got us 5 championship the west coast offense. Coach Bill Walsh invented n we can't make Kap a pocket passer let him use his legs.
49ers vs. Cowboys offensive grades: Why did the offense struggle?
The San Francisco 49ers eliminated the Dallas Cowboys for the second consecutive postseason, this time by a score of 19-12 to advance to the NFC Championship Game, where they'll face off against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The 49ers faced their share of offensive struggles, but ultimately gained enough momentum in the second half to defeat the Cowboys, who only led for just under six total minutes in the entire game. Here are the offensive grades for the 49ers against the Cowboys. [video][/video] Quarterback:
49ers vs. Eagles: Offense position-by-position breakdown
The San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles will face off in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, with the winner heading to Glendale, Arizona for the Super Bowl, where they'll face the winner of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals matchup. The 49ers and Eagles were the two best teams in the NFC this season, as well as the two most complete rosters, which is why it only makes sense that we do a position-by-position breakdown to evaluate the state of each team. Quarterback: Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles have an MVP candidate in Jalen Hurts
Podcast: Evaluating Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense's film against the Cowboys
Rohan Chakravarthi breaks down the offensive film from the 49ers vs Cowboys game, including Brock Purdy's performance on the latest episode of "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show". The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below. You can listen to the Rohan Chakravarthi Show
More by David Bonilla
Why the Brady-to-49ers speculation makes zero sense
Would the 49ers trade for Trent Williams or Jalen Ramsey? Don't get your hopes up
Book review: "Letters to 87" a fitting tribute to the legacy of 49ers legend Dwight Clark
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Australian Government Admits to Holding 153 Sri Lankan Refugees at Sea
The Australian government admitted Monday that they are currently holding 153 Sri Lankan refugees at sea as part of "Operation Sovereign Borders," a program instituted last year to stem the flow of illegal immigrants coming into the country.
The Australian government admitted Monday that they are holding 153 Sri Lankan refugees at sea as part of "Operation Sovereign Borders," a program instituted last year to stem the flow of illegal immigrants coming into the country.
The announcement has provoked outrage from human rights groups, as the government had refused to comment on the status or whereabouts of the refugees. The asylum seekers reportedly left Pondicherry mid-June and family members were desperate for news of their status.
"The ugly truth is that the government has been keeping dozens of children detained out on the high seas," opposition Greens Party Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said. "(Prime Minister) Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison's nasty secret is out."
The refugee crisis comes five years after the end of Sri Lanka's bloody civil war, which saw widespread oppression of Tamils, a minority ethnic separatist group. Although the Sri Lankan government maintains that those seeking asylum are doing so to increase economic opportunity, human rights groups insist that many Tamils are seeking refuge to prevent a continued brutal crackdown by the military.
Australian Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison has repeatedly defended the program as necessary for border protection and the reduction of human trafficking. "The Australian government will continue to act in accordance with our international obligations, including applicable international conventions and to protect the safety of life at sea. At the same time we will not allow people-smugglers to try and exploit and manipulate Australia's support of these conventions as a tool to undermine Australia's strong border-protection regime that is stopping the boats and the deaths at sea," he said.
The ultimate fate of the refugees could take weeks, as the Australian High Court reviews a legal challenge to the government's attempt to return them to Sri Lanka.
David Ludwig is a former editorial fellow with The Atlantic.


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home / new releases
les presses du réel - series
Criticism, theory & documents
Artists' Writings
Avant-gardes
Music & Sound Arts
History, Criticism and Theory
The Contemporary Condition – The Contemporary Composition
Terry Smith [see all titles]
A visionary essay on the notion of artistic composition in a world spinning into a confused chaos.
Can we speak of composition when we are in a state of unfathomable decomposition? Art being made today defies coherent categorization, and the world presents itself, day after day, as spinning into confused chaos, structural disintegration, and violent disorder. Revising his well-known histories of contemporary art, Terry Smith argues that we must respond to the compelling need for coeval composition at a time defined by the contemporaneity of divisive difference. This book traces how—despite many obstacles—visual artists across the globe are rising to this challenge.
This book is the volume 2 of "The Contemporary Condition" series, edited by Geoff Cox and Jacob Lund and published with Aarhus University, and ARoS Art Museum (Denmark). The aim of the series is to question the formation of subjectivity and concept of temporality in the world now. It begins from the assumption that art, with its ability to investigate the present and make meaning from it, can lead to an understanding of wider developments within culture and society. Addressing a perceived gap in existing literature on the subject, the series focuses on three broad strands: the issue of temporality, the role of contemporary media and computational technologies, and how artistic practice makes epistemic claims.
Terry Smith (born 1944 in Geelong, Victoria) is Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Contemporary Art History and Theory in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of Pittsburgh, and Professor in the Division of Philosophy, Art and Critical Thought at the European Graduate School. He is Faculty at Large in the Curatorial Program of the School of Visual Arts, New York. From 2011 to 2014 he was Distinguished Visiting Professor at the National Institute for Experimental Arts, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Sydney. He was the 2010 winner of the Franklin Jewett Mather Award for art criticism conferred by the College Art Association (USA), and in 2011 received the Australia Council Visual Arts Laureate Award. In 2014 he was a Clark Fellow at the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 2007-8 the GlaxoSmithKlein Senior Fellow at the National Humanities Research Centre, Raleigh-Durham, and in 2001-2002 he was a Getty Scholar at the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles. From 1994 to 2001 he was Power Professor of Contemporary Art and Director of the Power Institute, Foundation for Art and Visual Culture, University of Sydney. He was a member of the Art & Language group (New York) and a founder of Union Media Services (Sydney). During the 1970s he was art critic at these Australian newspapers: Weekend Australian, Nation Review, Times on Sunday; he continues to write for art journals and magazines throughout the world. A foundation Board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, and from 2004 to 2014 Board member of the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, he is currently a member of the Board of the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh.
Edited by Geoff Cox and Jacob Lund.
Published with Aarhus University and ARoS Art Museum, Denmark.
Graphic design: Dexter Sinister.
published in January 2017
12 x 19 cm (softcover)


Ryan Myers, director of Cornerstone Advisors, presented in great detail the results of the regulatory burden cost study CUNA performed with the company last year. On average, small CUs must dedicate one in four staff members to regulatory tasks, Mathis said. And for all CUs, the amount of time spent grappling with compliance has doubled over the past four years.


Spraying is adaptable to either large-volume or low-volume production. Applications may be limited because of solvent emissions, possible fire hazards, or potential damage from overspray. Spraying methods include conventional air spraying, in which the paint is atomized and propelled against the work by means of compressed air, hot spraying, hydraulic airless spraying, and air and airless electrostatic spraying.
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• The purchase and operation of the heating unit add to the overall cost of painting.
• Spraying with paint containing a greater solids content can result in higher overspray losses if improper spraying techniques are used.
Airless spraying, with either heated or unheated paint, uses hydraulic (pumping) pressure to propel the paint through the hoses and atomizing nozzle. The main advantages of airless spray painting stem from the elimination of air as the force for atomizing and propelling the paint. Airless spraying requires the release of considerably less energy at the nozzle, and overspray is minimized. Heavier film thickness without runs or sags can be obtained when more viscous material is sprayed. As in air atomized spraying, however, airless spraying requires an increase in pressure as the paint increases in viscosity.
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The chief disadvantage of airless spraying is that, unlike air spray guns, airless spray guns cannot be throttled. Because a full flow of paint comes constantly from the airless gun, greater operator skill is required for controlling coating application in difficult-to-reach areas.
Electrostatic Spraying. In electrostatic spray painting, electrically charged atomized particles of paint are attracted to the grounded part. Paint for electrostatic application can be atomized by conventional air, airless, or rotational techniques.
One of the chief advantages of electrostatic spraying is the small loss of paint from overspray. Whereas in conventional spray painting as much as 70% of the paint sprayed may be lost because of overspray, as little as 10% may be lost in electrostatic spraying. Another advantage is the ability of this method to produce a consistent paint film over a long production run.
The main disadvantage of electrostatic spraying is that the electrostatic attraction of the part for the paint draws the paint to the nearest edge or surface of the part, and it is difficult or impossible to get paint into deep recesses, corners, and shielded areas. Another disadvantage is that the necessity for grounding the surfaces to be coated makes it impossible to paint assemblies in which parts are insulated from other parts by a dielectric component.
Basic equipment for air atomized spray painting consists of a spray gun, a container for the paint, an air compressor, an air regulator or transformer, connecting pipes and hoses, a spray booth, and an air filter and moisture trap.
Spray guns are available commercially to fit virtually any requirement. An air cap at the front of the gun atomizes the paint and forms the desired spray pattern. Air caps may be interchanged to meet the requirements of different applications.
A fluid tip or nozzle, located directly behind the air cap, directs and meters the paint into the air stream. These tips vary in material and size according to the type and viscosity of the paint being applied and with the speed and volume requirements of the application. Larger orificed nozzles are required for heavy, coarse, or fibrous paints. Smaller orificed nozzles are used for thin paints. Because atomization of the paint improves as the nozzle size decreases, the smallest orifice that permits proper passage of the paint should be selected. Small nozzle sizes also permit more effective control of fluid pressures, a necessity when applying thin paints that have a tendency to sag. Abrasive or corrosive paints require tips made of materials with resistance to wear or corrosion.
Air compressors provide the force for air atomized spray painting. Air compressors may supply compressed air throughout the shop or only to the paint line. A fluctuating air pressure at the gun, usually caused by inadequate compressor capacity or an inadequate distribution system, can result in improper atomization of the paint and defective paint films.
Air regulators or transformers regulate air pressure as required. Air filters and the moisture trap remove oil, dirt, and moisture from the compressed air. Air regulators, filters, and the moisture trap are installed in the air-supply lines between the compressor and the paint container and between the compressor and the spray gun. The regulators and filters should be as close to the tanks and guns as possible.
Pipes and hoses that distribute the compressed air or paint must be of adequate size to handle peak loads without starving any station and must be able to withstand any abrasive or chemical effects of the paint.
Spray booths are fire-resistant enclosures that confine overspray and fumes and use ventilating systems to draw in fresh air and exhaust the contaminated air after filtering out the solids. A booth face air velocity of 0.559 to 0.635 m/s (110 to 125 ft/min) is required. Dry or water-wash filters may be used. In most installations, spray booth and exhaust stack are protected with automatic sprinklers.
In dry spray booths, fumes and overspray are forced through special filters that remove solids before exhausting the air and fumes. Dry spray booths with replaceable filters are usually less costly to install than water-wash booths, because no water or drain lines are required.
In water-wash spray booths, contaminated air is drawn through a series of water curtains and baffles to remove solids from overspray before air and fumes are exhausted. These booths also reduce fire hazards by collecting overspray in water. However, water-wash spray booths are usually more costly to install, operate, and maintain than dry booths. Some localities prohibit discharging spray booth water into sewers, and adequate recirculation systems and controls must be installed.
Spray booths exhaust large volumes of air, and to ensure a sufficient quantity of replacement air without creating drafts or heating problems in other areas of a plant, air replacement units must be installed. These units, which are placed next to the spray booths, draw in air from the outside, filter it, heat it, and deliver it to the spray booth. This permits proper functioning of spray booth exhaust systems and maintains the desired booth temperature for suitable spraying conditions. Few manufacturing operations are dust free, and air replacement units greatly reduce the possibility that airborne contaminants will be drawn into the paint area and deposited on wet paint surfaces.
Table 5 lists and describes the equipment required for air atomized spray painting of two production parts: a fire extinguisher shell 355 mm (14 in.) long by 75 mm (3 in.) in diameter, constructed from 1.0 mm (0.040 in.) thick steel; and an enclosure panel 915 mm (36 in.) long by 760 mm (30 in.) wide, produced from 0.268 mm (0.105 in.) thick sheet.
(a) Shell, 75 mm (3 in.) in diameter and 355 mm (14 in.) long, of 1.0 mm (0.040 in.) steel.
(b) Panel 915 by 760 mm (36 by 30 in.), of 12-gage (2.657 mm, or 0.1046 in.) sheet steel.
(c) Proprietary phosphate cleaner coater used; 2-min immersion in solution and rinse tanks, followed by drying.
(f) Drying of prime coat may be forced by brief infrared heating.
Basic equipment for electrostatic spray painting consists of a paint supply system, an atomizer (or gun), a source of electrical power, a spray booth with a ventilating system, a conveyor, and properly designed racks.
Paint supply systems deliver paint under pressure to one or more atomizers. In such systems, paint is prepared and stored in a central tank, from which it is distributed to the atomizers by air or variable-speed positive-displacement pumps.
Atomizers (guns) can be either air or airless. An air gun uses compressed air to atomize the paint delivered to it. In one air gun, the nozzle is insulated from the metal atomizer body by a plastic sleeve. The fluid tip and needle are charged to a high negative electrical potential that is imparted to the atomized paint particles as they leave the nozzle.
Another air electrostatic spray painting system uses ordinary air spray painting guns for atomization. Parts on the conveyor are surrounded by a grid of fine wires charged to a high negative potential. The paint is sprayed between the grid wires and the parts, where it picks up the negative charge and is repelled by the grid wires and attracted by the grounded parts on the conveyor.
Guns that are operated automatically may be mounted in a fixed, but adjustable position, or they may be attached to a mechanism that causes them to reciprocate vertically or horizontally as required by the size and shape of the part being painted.
Airless atomizers use a rotating component, either disk-shaped or bell-shaped, charged to a high negative electrical potential. Paint, forced up through the center of the rotating member, is charged with this same high negative potential. The centrifugal force of the spinning component moves the paint to the outer edge, where the combination of centrifugal and electrostatic forces atomizes the paint and disperses it. The paint is attracted electrostatically to the grounded parts on the conveyor.
Bell-shaped atomizers generally have the plane of the opening of the bell parallel to the surface being coated, and the work is carried past on a straight-line conveyor. The bell may be fixed or may reciprocate and can be used in any position. Hand-operated portable guns with bell-shaped atomizers are available.
Disk atomizers are operated as automatic or manual units. The disks operate in an essentially horizontal plane; however, in nonreciprocating installations, the disk may be positioned at up to a 35° angle to produce a greater vertical spray area. Because the paint is dispersed around the entire periphery of the disk, conveyors usually carry the part in a circular path around the atomizer. For long parts, the disk may be reciprocated up and down to facilitate coating the entire length of the parts as they are conveyed around the loop.
Power supply units must be capable of providing the high static potential required for each atomizer. These units can operate on 110, 220, or 440 V at 60 cycles. The power output is usually 90,000 to 120,000 V and 5 mA. One power supply unit can handle up to ten atomizers. Units produce a very small current to eliminate any serious hazard to the operator. Usually, an automatic cutoff control is incorporated for added safety.
Spray booths and ventilating systems are used to confine and collect the overspray and to exhaust the fumes from the vaporizing solvents. Minimum velocity of air through the booth is desired to avoid interference with deposition of paint on the part. However, velocity must be adequate to maintain the solvent concentration below its lower explosive level and toxic concentrations. Air velocities of 0.25 to 0.5 m/s (50 to 100 ft/min) are usually adequate for electrostatic spraying applications.
Racks and conveyors used in electrostatic spray painting, in addition to holding and moving the parts, must provide the electrical ground necessary to develop the electrostatic attraction. Parts should be mounted as close to one another as possible on the conveyor to minimize overspraying. Some parts require rotation as they pass the atomizer to ensure coating of all surfaces.


Metal Supermarkets Charlotte offers instant access to any metal, any size, cut and ready fast!
Metal Supermarkets Charlotte has been providing surrounding businesses, municipalities and residents with quality metal products and services since 1995.
We are your total metal solutions provider focused on providing fast and easy access to all metal types, shapes and grades. Whether it's hot-rolled steel, cold-rolled steel, aluminum, stainless steel, alloy steel, carbon steel or tool steel, Metal Supermarkets Charlotte has you covered.
We also offer several value-added services including Production Cutting, Sourcing Hard-to-Find Metals and Miter Cutting. We also have aluminum plate sawing capabilities up to 6" thick! At Metal Supermarkets Charlotte, we have recently added new in-house shearing capabilities to ensure faster turnaround time on your orders.
Call, visit or send us an email. Our friendly staff will be happy to assist you.
We service the Greater Charlotte Metropolitan Area.
Metal Supermarkets Charlotte – Nobody Cuts It Like We Do.
Metal Supermarkets Charlotte now offers in-house shearing.
Come meet the Metal Supermarkets Charlotte team!
Metal Supermarkets Charlotte is owned and operated by Warner Metals, Inc. Warner Metals, Inc is an independent franchised operator of the Metal Supermarkets store located at 6601-G Northpark Blvd., Charlotte, NC, 28216.


text:
title: Digit cancelling fractions
localeTitle: Frações de cancelamento de dígitos
---
## Problema 33: Frações de cancelamento de dígitos

Este é um esboço. [Ajude nossa comunidade a expandi-lo](https://github.com/freecodecamp/guides/tree/master/src/pages/certifications/coding-interview-prep/project-euler/problem-33-digit-cancelling-fractions/index.md) .

[Este guia de estilo rápido ajudará a garantir que sua solicitação de recebimento seja aceita](https://github.com/freecodecamp/guides/blob/master/README.md) .

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
STS-115 foi uma missão da NASA realizada entre 9 e 21 de Setembro de 2006 com o ônibus espacial Atlantis. Esta seria a primeira viagem após o desastre com o Columbia mas acabou acontecendo após dois voos bem sucedidos, o STS-114 e o STS-121.

A missão serviu para levar materiais usados na construção da Estação Espacial Internacional. A data prevista para o lançamento era fevereiro de 2003 mas teve que ser adiada por causa do desastre com o Columbia, e também esteve ameaçada pelo furacão Ernesto.

Tripulação

Objetivos da Missão
Levar e instalar os segmentos dos painéis solares P3/P4 Truss da ISS, instalar dois novos painéis solares (4A e 2A), realizar 3 Caminhadas Espaciais para execução das tarefas e fazer os preparativos para a próxima viagem, a STS-116.

Ligações externas

Site da missão STS-115

STS-115
3
2006 nos Estados Unidos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Lone Oak Goldens welcomes you to our website! We believe that you will find exactly what you are looking for when you get a glimpse of our furry family members, our babies, and how we go about our lives raising these beautiful, intelligent, devoted, people loving animals!
Get on our waiting list.
See what puppies are currently available for purchase.
Learn about our dogs and their histories & personalities.
Learn about Lone Oak Goldens story and philosophy.
Having the highest quality breeding standards is a must at Lone Oak Goldens with a strong commitment to our dog's health and well-being. We strive to have healthy, happy, very socialized puppies. All our dogs are registered with the AKC and have all OFA clearances in hips, elbows heart and eyes. Our puppies are sold as pets, with limited registration, and have a 2-year guarantee.
From the moment our babies are born, we spend countless hours with them. The importance of social development with people and the early stages of learning are the first steps towards happy puppies and owners. Our puppies will be able to go to their forever homes once they have turned 8 weeks of age. We believe that puppies are not socially ready to be without their mother until then.
Giving our goldens the best possible start in life, so they can live a full and wonderful life with you.
Lori was fantastic to work with! She gladly answered all of our questions and was quick to respond. It was very obvious she loves her dogs and the puppies, taking such good care of them their first 8 weeks.
Our boy Sawyer has just the best personality and disposition. He's sweet, loving, curious, energetic and playful (exactly what you want from a healthy/happy puppy in my opinion). He took to his big brother, our 5 year old Golden Auggie, day one and they've been inseparable since. He's also smart, eager to learn/please, has great eye contact and loves people. Couldn't ask for a better pup!
We purchased a golden retriever puppy from Lori who we never met aside from online and phone conversations. I'm very pleased with our experience and purchase from Lori. She was honest and very caring and concerned for our purchase of one of her puppies.
Hank the retriever has become a very vital part of our lives as we have four children and two other dogs in our home. The quality of Hank's demeanor and attitude is unlike anything we have experienced with our other dogs. Hank is very smart and healthy 8 month old now. Potty training was relatively easy and fast with minimal accidents. We currently work with obedience training and off leash training for Hank. It is very rewarding to start with a quality and healthy puppy that has endless possibilities for our family. The only regret I have is not buying Hank's brother when I had the opportunity.
Our newest family member is what we were in search of when looking to replace our beloved family dog. Like most golden owners we knew that when it comes to a companion dog, there is simply not a better breed.
After communicating with a variety of people that had puppies for sale, we linked up with Lori McCoy. From the start we felt that she was the type of breeder we were comfortable working with for such an important life changing decision.
We have had our newest family member, Fin, now for about 6 months and couldn't be happier. He is a beautiful mix of the red American and white English variety of golden. He is very confident, very trainable and highly intelligent. Our sincerest appreciation to Lori for helping connect us with Fin.
Lone Oak Goldens is a quality breeder of European and American Golden Retrievers located in Nebraska. We are dedicated to providing the healthiest and happiest Golden Retrievers possible and are determined to give back to the breed that we love so much!
Copyright 2019 Lone Oak Goldens.
Website by Atomic Number Web Design.
error: This content is copyrighted.


text:
ملفات اخبار العرب24-كندا:
Canadian Olympic bobsleigh hopefuls de Bruin, Bujnowski unfazed by China's Omicron surge
ملفات ساخنة ملفات اخبار العرب24-كندا: الجمعة 14 يناير 2022 10:38 صباحاً
اخبارالعرب 24-كندا:الجمعة 14 يناير 2022 10:38 صباحاً Christine de Bruin can't wait for the chance to travel to Beijing and compete at her second Olympics. The veteran bobsleigh pilot wants to show the world she and brakewoman Kristen Bujnowski are serious medal contenders for Canada.
De Bruin also wants to be in a city where she isn't not concerned about contracting coronavirus.
"We did our [Olympic] test event in Beijing [in October] and it's the safest I've felt all season because we got tested constantly and there was a bubble [environment] there," de Bruin told CBC Sports over the phone this week from St. Moritz, Switzerland, site of this weekend's final Olympic qualifier and season-ending World Cup event.
"They're doing everything they can [to contain the virus]."
Beijing reportedly will not adjust its COVID-19 prevention measures for the Olympics unless there are numerous cases inside the closed-loop bubble, in which participants can only leave if they are leaving China or undergo quarantine.
The emergence of the Omicron variant has resulted in some citywide lockdowns in a bid to limit outbreaks and prevent them from spreading to other parts of China.
WATCH | Canadian officials focused on health of potential Olympians:
Team Canada focusing on keeping athletes healthy ahead of Winter Games
Dr. Michael Wilkinson, chief medical officer for the Canadian Olympic Committee, says organizers have learned a lot about preventing the spread of COVID-19 from the Tokyo Games and are using that knowledge in planning the Beijing Winter Olympics starting Feb. 4. 9:30
For Bujnowski, who sat out last season because of COVID-19 restrictions after straining her right calf, this is her first time dealing with weekly testing in the bubble.
"It's very easy for it to become a distraction," she said of the virus. "The nicest thing about training and being at the track is I don't think about it. Being present in your sport takes you away from the worry."
De Bruin and Bujnowski managed to avoid illness during their Christmas break when a COVID-19 outbreak within the Canadian team led to 11 athletes and three staff members having to quarantine for 10 days starting on Boxing Day in Latvia ahead of a World Cup event in Sigulda.
However, there were some restless nights for the Canadian duo, who awaited a PCR test result after they were exposed to a teammate that tested positive.
"We think we lucked out a little because we did have some dinners together, but me and Kristen decided to go away [for the break] with our significant others," said de Bruin, who placed seventh with Melissa Lotholz at her first Olympics in 2018.
"We went to a different hotel and I think [when the others] were the most contagious we weren't there."
WATCH l De Bruin, Bujnowski earn World Cup bronze in Latvia:
Christine de Bruin, Kristen Bujnowski capture bronze in World Cup 2-woman bobsleigh
Canadian duo Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski placed 3rd in the 2-woman bobsleigh competition during the IBSF World Cup in Sigulda, Latvia. 2:36
With the Olympic opening ceremony in three weeks, de Bruin and Bujnowski no longer interact with other squads while team alternate Janine McCue is their lone dinner guest.
'We're taking the appropriate measures," said de Bruin, who is also hopeful of being in the field for women's monobob, which makes its Winter Games debut in China. "We're double masking now in airports, have hand sanitizer everywhere we go and getting tested [regularly]. That's helped ease my mind.
"As athletes we're always put in very high stress situations so I feel we can cope. We don't want [the virus] to overtake us and our performance."
WATCH l De Bruin captures monobob gold in Latvia:
Christine de Bruin captures gold in World Cup monobob
Stony Plain, Alta.'s Christine de Bruin placed 1st in the women's monobob competition during the IBSF Women's Monobob World Series in Sigulda, Latvia. 3:20
Bujnowski, who served as an alternate at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, has found it difficult being separated from her boyfriend Josh Williamson, a brakeman with the United States team preparing for his Olympic debut.
Getting to Games top priority
"He's a five-minute drive away but I can't go hang out because I don't want to expose him to potentially anything I've been exposed to or expose my team to anything," said the 29-year-old from Mount Brydges, Ont. "The next couple of weeks it's important we prioritize getting to the Games. We have our whole lives together after this."
Unlike previous seasons on tour, the free-spirited de Bruin has limited her travel to see husband and pilot Ivo de Bruin, who is attempting to become the first Dutch bobsledder at the Olympics in eight years.
Graham Richardson, team manager and technical driver coach for Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, noted some of the pre-pandemic distractions, including socializing with others, have disappeared this season.
"These girls have worked hard to make sure that as the balance has tipped towards being a bit more private," he said, "they've spent more time in the gym and thinking about training to fit the circumstances, and it definitely looks like it's paying dividends."
De Bruin and Bujnowski enter the weekend with a top-three Crystal Globe finish to the season in their grasp. They trail only American Elana Meyers Taylor and Laura Nolte of Germany in the two-woman world standings, while two-time Olympic champion and former Canadian teammate Kaillie Humphries is 127 points behind in fifth.
We're trying to have consistency in our races we can be proud of that I'm pretty sure will result in [an Olympic] medal. — Canadian brakeman Kristen Bujnowski on her and pilot Christine de Bruin
The two-time world bronze medallists have earned four bronze in seven events on the World Cup this season since placing third at the Beijing test event.
"We understand some weeks we're not going to be the best and some weeks we're going to be great. It's one of the things that makes us a good team," said Bujnowski, who had a breakthrough 2018-19 campaign with de Bruin winning two World Cup silver medals before capturing world bronze.
"We're trying to have consistency in our races we can be proud of that I'm pretty sure will result in [an Olympic] medal.
"We get along and have a lot of respect for each other's abilities."
Richardson has noticed improved physical ability from the pair this season, including faster start times, while Bujnowski lowered the women's ice house push record in Calgary to 5.36 seconds from 5.39 before the Beijing test event.
"Christine had a tendency when running fast behind the sled to have a shorter stride length that would kill her velocity," Richardson said of the 32-year-old native of Stony Plain, Alta. "In her general training, she's worked at making sure the steps are more powerful. Her start times are getting better but, more importantly, the velocity's getting better.
"Christine knows when to get in the sled to let Buj accelerate. It's so technically difficult to get into the sled [to] add velocity, but working with Jamie McCartney, our push coach, they have improved a great deal.
"There's nobody they haven't beaten," continued Richardson, "so they're not going to have stage fright [at the Olympics]. Hopefully we can get into a secure, COVID-free bubble [in Beijing] and put that worry on the shelf so we can concentrate on performing and bringing [a medal] back to Canada."
Canada's Olympic bobsleigh team is scheduled to be announced Jan. 20.
الكلمات الدلائليه اخبار العرب 24- كندا امريكا اخبار اخبار
السابق Canadian imprisoned in Egypt for years safely back in Toronto
التالى 1 dead, 5 missing and presumed dead in Ottawa explosion and fire
ملفات اخبار العرب24-كندا: الأربعاء 19 يناير 2022 04:02 صباحاً
They're known for having sheltered Edward Snowden. Now settled in Montreal, this family looks to the future
This Ontario student waited years for justice. Now, the accused in her sex assault case won't face trial
This journalist says Canada saved him. Now he's saving a 136-year-old Ontario newspaper


Today's post is another card I finished back in September, and just never got around to posting.
This is Quilted Santa from Penny Black stamps, that I colored with Copic markers, then matted and mounted on to the card front. The tree die is an older Marianne Designs Creatable, the sentiment is from Crafters Companion and then I added jute twine accents.


Of the books I've picked up about street photography, there are a couple that sticks out. These are my favorites books about street photography.
Have you ever wondered how professional documentary and street photographers work a scene?
It's for good reasons this book is on every "best street photography books list. Get Magnum Contact Sheets on Amazon.
Magnum Contact sheets give you an inside look into how some of the world greatest street and documentary photographers, like Henri Cartier- Bresson, Inge Morath, Alec Soth and Elliott Erwitt work a scene.
If you want to buy one book about street photography, this would be my recommendation.
Read all the crazy positive reviews on Magnum Contact Sheets on Amazon.
Bystander: A History of Street Photography by Joel Meyerowitz.
Trent Parke: Minutes to Midnight by Trent Parke.
Bruce Davidson: Subway by Bruce Davidson.
Street Photography Now by Sophie Howarth.
I was immediately drawn to this book when I found it. The title, the beautiful layout and the thickness.
It's a 696 pages book that will take you through Dan Winters' journey on how we became the photographer he is today, starting in his teenage years as an enthusiastic photographer and fighting his way up the ladder, as a photo assistant.
This book is not really a 'How to take better photos' book, but more like a 'how to become a professional photographer", through the eyes of one Dan Winters, who is best known for his portrait photography, but also has a lot of street photography.
If you haven't read it, you should get 'Road to Seeing' on Amazon.com.
Dan has had a very interesting life and the 696 pages are gone before you know it.
This book is photography 101. Michael Freeman goes in depth about how to do composition in photography and if you have ever read one of Michael Freeman's books, you know they are packed with how-to's & practical example on how to take better pictures. It's difficult to find a better teacher in photography than him. Michael Freeman takes you through the overview of lighting, ISO, aperture, and some of the tricks on how to get better composition on your photographs. This is not about street photography, but about how to understanding light, exposure, and composition.
Just read the reviews on Amazon.com.
Understanding Exposure, Fourth Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera.
The topic of this book is not street photography, but how to take better pictures. But for me, as a street photographer, this is one of the books that I've learned more from, in terms of general photography tips. I can't recommend this enough.
Understanding Exposure is one of the best-reviewed photography books on Amazon and for good reasons.
Bryan Peterson does an amazing job at explaining complex concepts of exposure in photography, that allows the reader to take a lot better photos.
See the reviews for yourself.
Vivian Maier – Street Photographer.
By now, most of us have heard about Vivian Maier through the Netflix documentary Finding Vivian Maier. In her book about street photography, you'll see how a lot of example of how to do great composition and how to capture moments. Vivian Maier is mostly known for shooting with her Rolleiflex camera, which is an interesting choice of camera for street photography because you naturally will shoot from the hip.
Get the Vivian Maier – Street Photographer on Amazon.com.
These books I'm recommending are a mix of photo stories, essays, how to's, biographies and contact sheets from some of the most accomplished street photographers, documentary photographers, portrait photographers, photojournalists and portrait photographers, and fashion photographers.
This list is compiled by my personal preferences of which book that left the biggest impression on me and from conversations with other street photographers and documentary photographers.
Besides using books as a tool to become a better photographer, I can highly recommend you to check out Skillshare. This Street Photography Class for example and really talented photographers who can teach you about composition, editing, and lighting. They have a free trial.
I hope you found out which street photography book you want to pick up next. And that fact that you made it through the list, tells me you are on the right track to improve your photography skills. Even if you just want to take better photographs as a hobby, for the family or professionally.
Gear can only get you so far. But you already know that.
Since I started doing street photography, I only bought two cameras. The Ricoh GR II at first, and then the Amazing Fujifilm X100f. Since then, the rest of my budget for street photography has gone to photo books, essays, journals and photo travels.
Read about the two cameras I'm using for street photography; The Ricoh GR 2 and my Fuji x100f.
Read about my 365 days of street photography and check out my street portraits in black & white and in colors.
I also share guides and tips on how to use photo sharing websites like Instagram, Flickr, 500px, Ello & Tumblr.


text:
Q: iOS BugSense Integration Issue The BugSense SDK integrated in my APp is latest & is 3.6. Here is the sample code to initialize bugsense in application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions method.
[BugSenseController sharedControllerWithBugSenseAPIKey:@"YOUR-API-KEY"
                    userDictionary:nil
                    sendImmediately:YES];

The BugSense dashboard indicates that new sessions are being created in the 'insights' section.

However, sessions & unique users indicated in the header do not increase, neither are crashes being reported.

I have added a manual crash in app, by calling a method after 20 seconds.
 NSArray *myArray = @[[NSNull null], [NSNull null], [NSNull null],
                      [NSNull null], [NSNull null]];
NSLog(@"%@", myArray[98]);

I am testing by archiving the build & using iTunes to sync the build instead of running directly on device.

A: Are you using free version of the bugsense?
I am using paid version of the bugsense (Indie). Free version only has 7-days data retention while Indie version has 30-days data retention. I just checked my bugsense and I calculated the number. Both the header and also the dashboard have almost equal number of sessions.
I believe that the number of session on header (on your account) is based on sessions within the last 7 days. But the number of my session is based on the last 30 days.
But, the session under the dashboard is based on 30 days period. Therefore, your number of session does not add up. But, my app sessions is almost the same. I can not 100% confirm on this. If you want to confirm 100%, I think you may ask the bugsense support on the number.

A: Well, I tried everything I could, compared configurations to another project, tried custom exception handlers but nothing worked. In the end, I had to recreate the whole project and add files again.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Jorge Taufua is as laid back and relaxed as they come, even when talking about playing through the pain of a collarbone injury.
The less fuss, the better, for the popular Manly Warringah winger. In his mind, the team comes first.
Taufua underwent surgery on his right collarbone following the round seven loss to Parramatta Eels at Brookvale Oval.
He spent four weeks on the sidelines before undergoing a clean-up procedure on a post-surgery infection.
However, the injury continues to cause the winger plenty of discomfort. Each week, the Sea Eagles medical staff assess him, but in Taufua's mind, it is a case of playing through the physical pain.
"I have to get the plate out but if I get it out now, then I miss the rest of the year. At the moment, it is a game by game thing,'' Taufua said.
"The surgeon keeps ringing me to get it done, but I just keep brushing it off.
"Against the Warriors, it just started pouring out blood at half-time and I had to change my jersey.
Taufua said although players don't like using injuries as excuses, he admitted it was 'hard to deal with at times'. He has regular discussions with Coach Trent Barrett about delaying the inevitable surgery.
"I can't even lift weights. Everything has to be done with one arm,'' he revealed.
"Trent says it is totally up to me. If I need it done, I have to get it done. Trent has put the trust in me.
Pain or no pain, there is plenty to gain with the finals on the line. It's the Taufua way.


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The latest trailer for Batman: Arkham City reveals none other than the notorious Mr. Freeze. This is the first we've seen of the villain on the official front, although it was rumored that the character would be making an appearance when a voice actor for the game revealed that he had done voice work for the character.
Dr. Victor Fries, aka Mr. Freeze looks like he's going to be a serious thorn in Batman's side come October if the video below is anything to go on.
Batman: Arkham City will be available October 18th for Xbox 360, PC, and PS3.


President Muhammadu Buhari says those who felt he had died during his medical vacation in the United Kingdom in 2017 asked Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to make them his deputy.
The President made this comment on Sunday in Krakow, Poland, during an interactive session with the Nigerian community in the country.
Osinbajo took over in an acting capacity when the President was away for over 100 days.
Speaking on the development on Sunday, Buhari said Osinbajo "received a lot of embarrassment".
Buhari said he and Osinbajo discussed the issue when the acting president at the time visited him in London.
His words: "One of the questions that came up today in my meeting with Nigerians in Poland was on the issue of whether I've been cloned or not.
Those against the reelection of President have asked him to step down in 2019 but the president has insisted that he is fit.


Para-athlete Abdullah Hayayei died after a metal throwing cage fell on him during training.
The United Arab Emirates thrower was training at Newham Leisure Centre for the World Para-athletics Championships in London.
Majid Rashed, vice president of the UAE International Paralympic Committee, confirmed "the throwing cage collapsed on the athlete's head".
Hayayei, 36, was pronounced dead at the scene at 17:20 BST on Tuesday.
The Health and Safety Executive and police are investigating the incident, which was witnessed by some of Hayayei's team-mates and UAE staff.
"I can say the throwing cage collapsed on the athlete's head - but how that happened, we can not say," Rashed said on Wednesday.
The IPC said two of the athlete's personal coaches were present but were not involved.
Hayayei, a father of five, was preparing to compete in the F34 class at the Championships.
"He was ambitious, he wanted to win medals for his country and for his family. He had a lot of dreams within the para-sports movement, " Rashed said, adding that the UAE team will still compete in London.
"The athletes were very close to Abdullah, they trained in the same centre in the UAE. It's really very difficult for all of us but we promised ourselves that we are going to continue and we are going to win something for Abdullah, bringing the best performance from the athletes.
"We are working with the athletes to get them in a better situation, obviously today will be better than yesterday, tomorrow we believe will be even better for them."
The Metropolitan Police said emergency services "were called shortly after 17:00hrs on Tuesday... to reports of a seriously injured man at Newham Leisure Centre".
It added: "At this early stage, it is believed the man was struck by a metal pole which formed part of training facilities at the centre."
IPC president Sir Philip Craven said: "We are all truly devastated by this tragic news and the passing of Abdullah."
Hayayei made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, finishing sixth in the javelin F34 and seventh in shot put F34.
London 2017, which starts on Friday, was to be Hayayei's second World Championships. At the 2015 event in Doha, Qatar, he finished fifth in the discus F34 and eighth in shot put F34.
He was set to compete in the shot put, discus and javelin F34 events.
A moment of silence will be held in honour of Hayayei during Friday's opening ceremony at London Stadium.


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Home > English > Witchcraft in Japan: The Roots of Magical Girls
Witchcraft in Japan: The Roots of Magical Girls
When most people think of witches, they think of women in black cloaks with pointy hats, maybe a broomstick. And of course, no witch is complete without her familiar – an animal guide which assists them while they practice magic or witchcraft. In western mythology, witches are thought to gain their power through worshipping malevolent spirits like the Devil. But in Japan, the concept of familiars defines witchcraft, because they the source of the witches' power.
Just like in the West, people in pre-modern Japan often explained phenomena like illness, floods and other misfortunes with evil spirits. In Japan's case, these evil spirits were thought to take the shape of animals: dogs, badgers, and especially foxes. These tsukimono (憑き物, "possessing beings") took possession of people in their search for food or other creature comforts. When they did so, bad luck, illness, and other misfortunes befell the possessed and those around them.
Witch and tsukimono on an old card game.
Alternatively, some people weren't possessed by tsukimono but kept them as pets or familiars. It is these people who are considered witches. Having tsukimono was usually a family affair. Families who owned tsukimono were known as tsukimono-suji (憑き物筋) or tsukimono-zukai (憑 き物使い). In these cases, the tsukimono could have a beneficial impact on their handlers, bringing wealth and prosperity. And on the flip side, they were thought to bring illness and bad luck to anyone the owners dislike. This resulted in the families being feared and respected, but also ostracized.
People were hesitant to do business with such a family, and they had trouble selling property. In addition, the tsukimono were inheritable through the female line, making it nearly impossible for these women to find husbands. Tsukimono could not be disinherited or disowned, but one could attempt exorcisms with a Shinto priest, female medium or other spirit specialists. In Tohoku and Kyushu prefectures, religious practitioners and not families were thought to wield tsukimono. So these people could not only cure you of tsukimono possession but curse you with it, too.
Tsukimono and their masters.
Often these tsukimono-suji were simply wealthier than their neighbors. When jealous tongues started wagging and the rumors stuck, the family would be marked forever. As in Europe and America, being accused of this sort of witchcraft had a negative impact on the families' lives. Nevertheless, belief in these tsukimono was widespread. Cases of spirit possession as late as 1997 have been recorded.
In Japan, witchcraft wasn't exclusive to women, although it's interesting to note that the tsukimono are passed down generation to generation through the female line. This seems to affirm a widespread global belief that women are more capable of – and likely to be involved in – witchcraft.
Perhaps predictably, cats also feature in Japanese witch stories. Hundreds of years ago, it was a common belief that girls who visited a temple after the sun went down risked being targeted by a witch. The witch, disguised as a kindly old woman, would lure the girl to her house with the promise of a warm bed for the night. Once inside, the witch would resume her ordinary, frightening form and promptly devour the girl. And because cats often hung around temples, it was believed that they were witches in disguise, waiting for their next victim.
A cat witch as they appear at temples.
Today, a witch can be good or evil, and not always as self-serving as our ancestors believed. Japan's magical girls have come a long way from their spirit-wielding roots and are hardly seen as evildoers but rather as guardians and protectors. Looking at certain prominent anime and manga that feature magical girls, one will notice that there's always some sort of familiar either bestowing the magical gift upon the protagonists or, at least, helping out with it.
Luna from Pretty Guardian Sailor moon is an excellent example for a pop culture tsukimono. It is the cat who gives the Sailor Senshi their powers in the form of brooches, scepters, and other magical items. While the girls come into their own as the story progresses and learn to wield their powers by themselves, the initial source was Luna, their familiar.
A not-so-friendly example is, of course, the notorious Kyubei from Puella Magi Madoka Magica. With promises of wish-fulfillment, this creature also fits the description of a tsukimono that is the source of magical powers – without Kyubei, magical girls wouldn't exist.
Examples of Japanese witchcraft are manifold, whether they're found in legends of old or on the afternoon's TV program. Don't be fooled into believing that witchcraft is generally a source of evil and wickedness – it all depends on how the witches and wizards choose to use their powers.
Source: http://japanistas.com/en/archives/65500
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ten weekly random thoughts: week 24 September 10-16
We are entering the final two weeks of the season. Lots has happened in the past 24 weeks. The Yankees and Red Sox continue to be a cut above the rest of the AL East. The TB Rays have done remarkable despite really having only one viable starting pitcher. By the way, don't expect bullpen days to become a trend in the MLB. Most teams will still have five traditional starters that pitch 5-7 innings. The Orioles... not much to do here but laugh at their ineptitude. At the moment, the Blue Jays are kind of between the Rays and Orioles talent wise. A couple of years down the road, Toronto might be able to compete with Boston and NY. Last week, I started looking at each position and the depth the Blue Jays have with catcher, third base and first base. This week, I will take a look at SS, 2B and CF. Here are 10 random thoughts from week 24 of the MLB.
1. Not much in the way of injury updates this week. John Gibbons all but confirmed that Marcus Stroman is done for the year. Without rehashing my rant from last week too much, I will say it is the right decision. Of course Stroman hates missing starts, especially with the frustrating year he's had and knowing that he has to go through arbitration again for a new contract. However, there is no point in running him out there when he has maybe a start or two left and he's already missed a month and would need to build back up again. It's better to shut him down now, get that blister healed fully as they did with Aaron Sanchez.
2. Another pitcher who should be shut down is Marco Estrada. It is no secret that Estrada, who admitted this himself, is not healthy. He missed a month with a glut injury in July and came back pitched well in a couple of games but more often than not struggled and got knocked around. It's time to shut him down and get him healthy for next year. Estrada is a free agent after this season. I think he would be interested in coming back, but the team has Sean Reid-Foley, Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and Thomas Pannone and already and presumably they will kick the tires on a couple of the free agents.
3. OK, let's get right into analyzing some positions this week shall we? I will start at SS where things definitely did not go according to plan. Going into training camp, it was expected that Troy Tulowitzki would resume being the starting SS after missing the final 2 months of 2017 with a badly sprained ankle. However, Tulo came into camp with sore heels that would require season-ending surgery to remove bone spurs. In Tulo's absence, the Blue Jays have used Aledmys Diaz, Gift Ngoepe, Gio Urshela, Russell Martin, Brandon Drury, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Richard Urena and Yangervis Solarte for at least one inning at SS. Diaz has started the most games (93) and Martin played the least (3 games, 10 innings). None of the aforementioned players are a natural SS. As far as next year goes, there is a ton up in the air with respect to Tulowitzki's health. He tried to make it back this year but he effectively ran out of time with the minor league seasons ending. Tulo had progressed to running on flat ground after a few months on the anti-gravity treadmill. Assuming he can get back to full health, I suspect the team would like him back as the starting SS, but he may not be able to play everyday. Solarte will likely not be back with the team next year so playing time will likely be split between Tulo (if healthy), Diaz, Gurriel Jr. and Urshela.
4. Moving onto second base where the Blue Jays got some good news on the injury front. Devon Traavis was able to come back after a frustrating two seasons where he missed significant chunks of time with shoulder and knee injuries. The Blue Jays had him on a two days on, one day off schedule for the first couple of months. He struggled out of the gate, batting .148 in his first 18 games. He was demoted to Buffalo to work on his swing. Travis has managed to bring his average up to .236 after Sunday's game. Other Blue Jays who got starts/innings at second base this year were Yangervis Solarte, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Richard Urena, and Brandon Drury. Assuming he is healthy, Devon Travis will get the bulk of the starts at second again next year with Gurriel Jr. or Urena backing him up.
5. Over in center field, Kevin Pillar started most of the games this year with Randal Grichuk playing as backup (Jonathan Davis also played three games at CF; Curtis Granderson started 1 game and played 2 in CF). Pillar's playing style puts him more at risk to hurt himself, as he did right before the all-star break diving for a ball and injuring his SC joint. Offensively, Pillar can be really hit or miss at the plate. While he doesn't strike out a ton (89 on the season) he is batting .246, which isn't a great average. Grichuk is more suited as a right fielder but he has done fine when filling in at center field. Pillar will be the starting CF next year with Grichuk likely backing him up again.
6. As expected, the Cleveland Indians were the first team to clinch their division. The Indians are the only team in their division that is above .500. However, Cleveland is far from a lock to win the world series. In intra-league games (no including interleague game) they are 28-35. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Indians would be facing Houston and starting on the road. Their bullpen is not what it used to be and closer Cody Allen has been a shadow of himself. Health-wise, they have concerns with Andrew Miller's knee, Josh Donaldson's calves, Trevor Bauer's shin, Edwin Encarnacion's ankle, and Lonnie Chisenhall's calf. The one thing they have going for them, is having clinched a playoff spot they can rest key players and should be fairly healthy by October. Here is another reason not to put money on the Indians ending their world series draught. Only three teams have won the world series after clinching their division first. The Indians actually made it to the world series before losing in 1995, but that was a different team.
7. Here's some other stories to watch as we head down the stretch in the final 2 weeks of the season. Chris Sale pitched three innings today and threw some more in the bullpen Sunday. Assuming all goes according to plan, he should get 2 more starts and be able to go deeper each time so that by October he should be pretty close to where the team needs him to be to pitch deep in a game. As far as the Yankees go, I think they will be playing in the wild card game. Seattle or Tampa Bay would have to pretty much win out to catch the Yankees and have the Yankees lose a few games down the stretch. However, the Yankees having home field advantage in the wild card game is far from guaranteed. Currently, the Yankees hold a 1.5 game lead over the A's with both teams losing 2 of 3 on the weekend. NY has a massive series against the Red Sox starting Tuesday. Should Boston win 2 of 3, the AL East title will pretty much be theirs. Oakland has an easier schedule than the Bronx Bombers the next 2 weeks facing the Angels 6 times and Seattle and Minnesota three games each. The Yankees have to face the Red Sox 6 games, Baltimore three games and Tampa Bay 3 games. Tampa Bay faces Toronto 6 games, NY and Texas three games each. The wild card teams might be known after this week, but it will likely be the final weekend before we know where that game will be played. Do it Chicago Cubs, trade for a reliever. You only have a 2.5 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the division lead and you don't want to face a wild card game. The LA Dodgers will be fine. They have too many good hitters not to overcome the offensive woes they are facing. Maybe Oakland should worry about clinching the wild card game before worrying about who will start that game. Crazier finishes have happened and Oakland could still miss the postseason. Carlos Martinez closing for the Cardinals would be absolute vindication for him after an injury riddled season. However, if the playoffs started today, the Cardinals would miss out by half a game.
8. Atlanta is looking like it will clinch the NL East and they have the potential to do some damage. The Braves have a younger team led by rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. Ozzie Albies and 25 year old ace Mike Foltynewicz. One major question mark is the struggles of veteran Julio Tehran who is 9-8 with a 3.97ERA, He could get left off the playoff roster if the Braves don't think he can win in a short series. If the playoffs started today, Atlanta would be hosting the Dodgers.
9. Hailey Dawson threw out the final first pitch today to complete her journey of throwing out a first pitch at every MLB ballpark. She threw out the first pitch in Toronto back on August 8th. It was really cool that former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott, who was missing his right hand, was on hand today to witness and celebrate this cool feat that began in Baltimore August 17, 2015. Kudos to the other 28 teams for arranging for Hailey to throw out the first pitch at their ballpark.
10. Blue Jay of the week: Aledmys Diaz who had a huge 3-5 effort vs. the Yankees Saturday, driving in 3 runs and scoring 2 more.
Labels: ten random thoughts, Toronto Blue Jays
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The Jazz Edition of MMS is a 3-day event which will be held in the heart of the historic French Quarter, in New Orleans at the Hotel Monteleone. Arrive in time for the welcome reception on Sunday, November 10th at 5pm to mix and mingle and drink and enjoy apps. We start sessions the next morning at 8am. Sessions end Wednesday at 7pm.
All 4 nights (Sunday/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday) at the Hotel Monteleone. If you wish to extend your stay at your own cost, simply call the hotel or add it on their website. Use our code for our secured rate.
Jazz Edition will offer a dozen conference rooms and 60+ sessions concentrating on CM\Intune, Reporting, PowerShell, Azure, and Automation. We also plan to build on our past success of Cabana Sessions! Sign up for 15 minutes private time to talk to an MVP or Microsoft.
Detailed information about MMS Jazz Edition can be found here. Please that page carefully before registering.
- MMS 2019 Jazz Edition Eventbrite.


The well-trained biologist, whether amateur or professional, needs to understand the principles and scope of biology as a whole. This book is an attempt to synthesize some of the widely scattered information primarily concerned with the nonlaboratory aspects of biology and to indicate the importance of this information against the background of the whole field.
Applied ecology is a framework for a better balance between people and nature in order to reduce human impact. This textbook provides a review of important areas of applied ecological knowledge for advanced university students and site managers.
This book calls attention to a most urgent global problem: the rapidly accelerating loss of plant and animal species to increasing human population pressure. Biodiversity creates a framework for analyzing the problem and searching for solutions.
Written for an introductory course on wildlife conservation. These chapters provide an introduction to the history of wildlife in North America, biodiversity, natural selection, conservation biology, ecology, conservation legislation, etc.