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Future Work Places and Changing Office Design Concepts
Sunday, 04 May 2014 00:22	Babu S, Ankur Bhatia, Rashida Khilawala and Dhanya Menon
Change is inevitable. It is a universal law. Like the way it changed our lifestyle, businesses and technology, our work places too are going to be very much different from what it is today. Antique ledger systems, paper piles and boring office interiors are already a thing of the past. Technology, innovation, team work, collaboration, work on move, virtual offices, all these are the buzzwords of the young generation of India who wish to be less formal and try to create a new work culture. Futurists have several zany pictures about the future of work places.
According to recent survey conducted by PwC, about 80% of the workforce will be millennials by 2016. So colourful and funky office spaces filled with gadgets, where working is fun and teamwork with a new definition will be the offices in India by 2020. The future work places will pamper you in a way that you never want to leave it.
Before going in to the trends in office designs, let us see the trends that are catching up in the concept of workplaces.
Office spaces have changed. Of the ones that haven't, it should!
Just like the way we work changes, so is our work spaces. An increased need for informal spaces, comfort at work, interactive spaces and innovative designs rule the offices of tomorrow. However small the office space is, entrepreneurs would love to get it designed with vibrant colours and aesthetic interiors for an increased positive energy for work.
Till recently, closed cabins, clearly marked hierarchy in seating, cramped interiors all were the hallmarks of offices. The hiking real estate prices, scarcity of spaces at prime locations, shoe strings budgets of start-ups, all have taken a toll on the office spaces of SMEs. But however small the place is, decorated with a vibrant and aesthetic design seems to be the mantra of the new age entrepreneurs.
Comfort Conferencing:
Gone are the days when round tables were a conferencing compulsion. Lets face it, they were boring, uncomfortable and dreadful for many. The new age conferencing happens on comfi couches over a cup of chai or coffee. The introduction of thiskind of conferencing basically happened in the artistic field. However on seeing the boost in productivity it caused, companies in many other industries have also adopted it.
Comfort conferencing avoid employees feeling trapped and helps them open up. Prospective clients feel comfortable and more connected, increasing the chances of better business.TasneemKhilawala, interior designer with insight says, "comfort is the way to go. If your employees like coming in for a team meet, or feel motivated topo bring prospective clients to the office because its comfortable, its only good for your business."
The concept of comfort conferencing also increases the niche appeal of the office. Accompanying the couch with a coffee table and a few bean bags can help increase usability, seating space and also a certain formality. For internal core team meetings, things can be more comfortable and conducive
Transparent Door Policy:
New age office spaces havegone a step ahead. The closed door policy is a thing of the past. Entrepreneurs now believein connecting with their work force through a glass door.
Thisnot only helps them to keep an eye on the work force while in his or her cabin, but also ensures that they stay motivated. Because the work forcecan constantly see them working too, a beautiful two-way accountability can come into place. Increase in productivity is a given. Khushboo Sharma, co-founder at The Big Bang Elements opines, "this design helps me keep an eye on my team without taking a round every now and then. It also allows me to share asmile with some of them at a challenging time. It gives them a motivational boost."
The concept of transparent doors also bodes well for the beauty of the office. While is restricts the privacy, the option of keeping shades, curtains or sliders can solvethe problem. It would be best to keep the material light and in line with the color palate of the company's branding.
Zero Cabins:
Coming from the school of thought that believes that every human being in an enterprise is equal, this office space format completely eliminates the visual hierarchy.While the work process and flow follows the stipulated hierarchy, it isn't visible in the seating arrangements. Boss, management and executives, all sit together. Nocabins.
While thisformat does take away a certain R&R appeal, motivation does remain. It also boosts the team spirit as everyone works closelytogether. It is however, a format for an enterprise with a small work force. It may prove to be impractical for a large work force team.Kinnar Shah, partner at AllEvents.in suggests this design for all small team enterprises. "Brainstorming, taking opinions and even sharing a joke is really easy with this design. We all work together, that's why we work so well", says he.
Zero cabins is not a new concept. For smaller enterprises, such office spaces are often how things start up. However, continuing with such a format even later can bode well for the sense of belongingness in the workforce. "It is true that many companies build open spaces, but an open culture is still to reach" says Vijay Bhaskar, an online entrepreneur from Bangalore. It needs to be noted that at the office of the corporate giant Sapient, even the Managing Director sits with his huge team.
Lifestyle Spaces
The corporate follow several trends as set by the giants like Google, Facebook, Yahoo etc. It is true that SMEs with limited budget cannot afford going behind all trends, but they can explore options in a more business oriented way. Hashim who runs a software business in Kochi rented out two rooms of the fairly large office space for a canteen space as well as a small gym. "In a way I am supporting another entrepreneur and I earn rental income for these spaces" saysHashim. This enhances the experiences of his employees as they can plan their work out after office hours and make discussions over a cup of coffee.
"If you have atleast 100+ employees working in your office, why don't you have a mess and a work out space or a hangout place for them?" asks Hashim. With the increasing number of woman workers, a space for crèche is also something that can be explored.
Your Office, Your Space
A concept of our own space among the employees creates a work from home feel as well as more attachment to one's work place. Simple things like keeping a microwave in the pantry to have food hot, a hang out zone with a bean bag or a balcony work space, can create a great difference even in small offices.
Comfort of the employees not only means leisure and informal spaces. Corporate giants like Google says right posture too have a great impact on work. Moreover, the health of stressed out and sedentary staff becoming a concern, firms have started to invest in gyms and change in postures. While the big names are innovating and trying to discourage the sedentary habits of workers, small entrepreneurs can think about investing in comfortable and ergonomic furniture for the right posture and comfort of the workers.
Go Green being the buzz word of today, it won't take you much to create a soothing green touch in your office. It can be a wall turned vertical garden, some greenery in and around or just ample day light peeping into your rooms which would bring in fresh air and save you from electrical expenses.
Arch Lijo Jos had to choose their office in the middle of the city, but still an opening to a green patch – a bamboo grove created by them on the side of their complex, according to them have a great impact on their work. Their compact office space in just 58.8 sq m, is laid in multi levels. "The site itself was in two levels. So we planned it in such a way that, the entry is through the mid-level and the lower end, which is actually below the ground level is the studio space. It gives a feel of sitting under the shade of a large tree" says Lijo.The large openings not only give a relaxed mood, but also save energy as they hardly have to use the lights during daytime.
Shared work spaces are now getting very common with start-up companies. Companies like 91Springboard, ShareDesk, Regus, Share your Office, Corworkable, etc are offering shared spaced not only in cramped Tier 1 and 2 spaces, but in upcoming destinations like Kochi also. Companies like Imperial Sevicorp offer premium serviced office spaces with fully-furnished spaces including board rooms, information technology (IT) and telecommunication facilities etc which can be used on "pay-per-use, only basisin the metros.
There are many other office space ideas surfacing these days. Breaking barriers of the traditional, these schools of thought are bringing about a revolution in the very concept of office spaces. While many formats are only suitable for a certain niche, the ones listed above can be applied to enterprises of all industries.
Harsh Vardhan G, Executive Vice President, Ramco Systems
"Open work spaces are in today. Cubicle culture has been transformed into more open work space approach, not just for transparency but to help employees get the out of box feel. Businesses are hoping to stimulate productivity and innovation in a communicative environment where spontaneous interactions can happen across disciplines and teams. There is no fixed place, the flexibility helps them work wherever enabling them to be more productive based on their minds at the very moment."
Anju Kumar, artist and interior designer
"According to me office should be contemporary designed. This will give the feeling of a zen so that people working there should be able to connect and the productive level would increase. Even in a tiny space with right kind of accessories and furniture one can deliver creativity and increase the positive vibration. On a whole, the place should look cheerful and happy".
Advitiya Sharma, Co-founder, Housing.com
"Housing is all about the people it has. And the ideas they bring. The company is led by a bunch of dynamic youngsters. And their spirit is infectious. The ambience in the office is fun and energetic. It's a friendly environment- one that puts you at ease.The office decor has been done up in vibrant colours and funky furniture. It's an informal atmosphere, and this has helped in the building of a strong team".
SriramSatuluri,MD/CEO atUnusDynam Group
"I would like to see the open office architecture, with not many cubicles. I prefer seating function wise, as it would help to grow productivity. Also would like to see the work tables with LED lightings symbolising 6 thinking hats…AS and when the management want to speak to the employees, the situational lights will be lit and employees would react in that way. I would like to see the management theorirs implemented in day today life and the office interiors and seating must make help this possible".
KarthikRaichura Founder and CEO Management Paradise
"We have a 7 seated office right now- 4 outside and 3 inside the cabin. As our team expands we will create a mezzanine floor which can accommodate 6 people on it – all this just 225 sq ft! Still it should be such that its lets people work independently without bumping each other".


Talk: Should You Bring That Package in Your House?
Is this a security talk? Anytime there is something good on the internet, there are bad actors looking to exploit it. This talk covers some of the threats that package managers and the packages they host bring to developers. It also highlights some existing mitigations and whether they are effective. And to cap it off, the talk proposes some ideas for better security in the future. While the talk focuses mostly on the NuGet package manager, the principles apply to nearly every package manager.


Tweezers, spring hooks and magnetic pick-up devices are among our most popular positioners and retrieval tools. These essential bits of kit give you the ability to easily collect or retrieve objects that would otherwise be too small or inaccessible. Positioners and retrieval tools are handy lightweight devices, ideal for tool bags and equipment boxes across a huge range of applications.
What types of pick-up tools are available, and how do they work?
We keep several types of positioning and retrieval tools in stock, with the ideal choice depending on the kind of objects you work with.
Spring hooks help engineers, jewellers and model-makers lever springs into position, as well as directing/retrieving wiring and O-rings. They can be light-duty or heavy-duty, depending on the spring gauge.


Growing plants in containers can add a whole new dimension to your landscape. Container growing is similar to growing houseplants except that the plants are outdoors in the summer sun and heat. Here are some basics for great containers in your home landscape.
Drainage is a Must - Anything may be used as a container as long as it will hold the growing media and has a drainage hole. Containers that lack proper drainage will hold water at the saturation point for longer than most plants can stand. This will result in poor vigor and ultimately, root rots and death.
Use Potting Media and Not Garden Soil - Garden soil is too heavy, poorly drained and may contain insects, diseases and weed seeds. Potting media comes sterile from the bag and usually has great drainage. It is also relatively light weight which will minimize the possibility of a hanging basket dropping on your head!
Overplant a Little - Generally, we place plants closer to each other in a container than we would in a bed or border. In a container, we want that crowded, overhanging effect to accentuate the planting.
Water Frequently - Containers have a small volume of potting soil and we want good drainage so they may be need to be watered frequently during hot, dry weather. Sun-loving plants in a well drained situation may need to be watered two or three times a day.
Fertilizer Options - To form lush, cascading growth in the containers, the plants need to put on a lot of foliage. To do that, they need plenty of nutrients in the soil which may be provided in several ways.


The increase in global temperature often reveals shocking and sometimes strange consequences. This summer, Norway has experienced its hottest summer yet, with temperatures exceeding 22 degrees Celsius. Various animals have been hit hard by the heat.
Recently Norway has had to close off one of its major highways in the Arctic due to reindeer having invaded the tunnel in order to get away from the abnormally high temperatures outside. Although the maintenance team that arrived on the scene tried to cajole the reindeer out of the tunnel, the poor animals would return within a few hours to get some more much-required shade. Motorists were informed to take a detour because the tunnel could not be used by them.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has been thinking of ways to prevent this from occurring again. Although cattle grids at tunnel openings can help to keep animals away, this can become an obstacle to road operations. However, it is equally important to consider what can be done for the animals in such a situation!
It's not just the reindeer that have been suffering from the extreme heat. According to Digital Journal, penguins in Norway's zoos have been battling with the increase in temperature. Zoo keepers have had to take measures to try to keep the birds cool and prevent them from falling sick or getting heatstroke. This included pumping sea water from approximately 100 meters below the surface from the city fjord. As this water maintains a temperature of about eight or 10 degrees, it helps to prevent the penguins from overheating.
A huge problem with global warming is that it affects the animals on the planet, capable of disrupting their lives and harming their health. News reports such as the above should be a warning to people about the negative effects of global warming and motivate us all to adopt practices that prevent further temperature increases.


The Complainant is Metabolife International, Inc. a California corporation located and doing business at 5070 Santa Fe Street, San Diego, California, U.S.A.
The Respondent is Robert Williams, with an address in Southgate, California, U.S.A.
The dispute concerns the domain name "metabolive.com" (the said Domain Name) registered with Network Solutions, Inc. (the Registrar) of 505 Huntmar Park Drive, Herndon, Virginia, U.S.A.
On July 5, 2000, the Complainant submitted a Complaint electronically to the World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration and Mediation Center (the WIPO Center) for a decision in accordance with the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the Policy), the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the Rules), and the WIPO Supplemental Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the Supplemental Rules). On June 19, 2000 it submitted the hardcopy of the same to the WIPO Center.
On June 28, 2000, the WIPO Center sent a Request for Registrar Verification to the Registrar. On July 4, 2000, the Registrar confirmed by e-mail to the WIPO Center that it was the Registrar of the said Domain Name and also that the current registrant of the said Domain Name was the Respondent.
On July 14, 2000, having found that the Complainant had satisfied the formal requirements of the Policy, the Rules, and the Supplementary Rules, the WIPO Center sent the Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding (the Notification) by post/courier, facsimile, and e-mail to the Respondent and transmitted electronically copies of said documents to the Complainant, ICANN, and the Registrar. The said Notification particularized the formal date of the commencement of this administrative proceeding as July 14, 2000, and required the Respondent to submit a Response to the Complaint within 20 calendar days from the date of receipt of the Notification, failing which the Respondent would be considered to be in default.
The Respondent failed to file the Response with the WIPO Center by the last date, i.e. August 3, 2000. On August 14, 2000, the WIPO Center sent the Notification of Respondent Default to the Respondent and copied it to the Complainant via e-mail. The Complainant elected to have the dispute decided by a single-member panel (the Panel). On August 24, 2000, the WIPO Center appointed Mr. Terrell C. Birch to be the panelist after receiving a Statement of Acceptance and Declaration of Impartiality and Independence from him and sent a Notification of Appointment of Administrative Panel and Projected Decision Date to the Complainant and the Respondent and copied it to the Panel by e-mail. On the same day, the WIPO Center sent a Transmission of Case File to the Panel, with an electronic version of a Model Form of Administrative Panel Decision.
The Panel finds that the WIPO Center has discharged its obligations and responsibility under the Rules. The Panel will hereby issue its Decision based on the Complaint, the Policy, the Rules, and the Supplementary Rules, without the benefit of any Response from the Respondent.
Metabolife owns numerous U.S. and international trademark registrations and applications for the mark METABOLIFE® (the "Mark") (and for related designs, derivations and logos) for a wide variety of goods and services, including herbal dietary supplements, vitamins and minerals, other nutritional supplements, and related promotional merchandise. The mark METABOLIFE® was first used by Diet Fitness Weight Loss Centers, Inc. ("DFWLC") in April 1993. On March 22, 1994, the Mark was registered to DFWLC in the principal register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("PTO") for use with "vitamin and mineral supplements" as Trademark No. 1,827,188. On August 25, 1998, Complainant and DFWLC entered into an agreement whereby Complainant purchased and was assigned all rights and good will in the Mark. This assignment was filed with the PTO on or before September 24, 1998. Additionally, on October 5, 1999, the Mark was registered to Complainant on the Principal Register of the PTO for use with "herbal dietary supplements" as Trademark No. 2,282,986. Complainant has provided evidence of its U.S. registration and ownership together with evidence of its international registrations of the Mark. These U.S. and international registrations are hereinafter referred to as the "Complainant's Trademarks." Complainant itself has used the Mark in interstate commerce since July 1995. Accordingly, Complainant is the owner and prior user of the Mark. The Complainant's Trademarks predate any use or registration of the domain name metabolive.com (hereinafter "the domain name"), are in full force and effect, and have not been abandoned. Complainant therefore has the prima facie exclusive prior right to use the trademark METABOLIFE® throughout the world, in connection with its registered goods and services, and in connection with its associated marketing and promotional activities, such as in Internet domain names. Complainant has provided a chart showing the current Internet domain names owned by Metabolife to protect its identity from cyber piracy.
In an effort to promote the goods and services provided under the brand name METABOLIFE®, Complainant has invested in excess of 100 million dollars in extensive advertising and media campaigns including: radio, television, print publications, the Internet and word of mouth. Its official Internet web site at www.metabolife.com makes extensive use of the Complainant's Trademarks. As a result of these efforts, and its extensive network of authorized distributors providing the highest quality service under the Complainant's Trademarks, Complainant has created enormous monetary value, reputation and goodwill in the Complainant's Trademarks. These trademarks are symbols of the Complainant's high quality reputation and valuable goodwill, and have become, through extensive use and advertising, famous and well-known trademarks throughout the U.S. Complainant has provided sample sales material and promotional merchandise containing the METABOLIFE® brand name and evidencing the widespread fame and use thereof.
Metabolife is not related to Respondent, has no contracts or agreements with Respondent, has no business relationship or transactions with Respondent, and has no privity with Respondent whatsoever. It has not granted its permission or consent to the use and appropriation of METABOLIFE® or any colorable imitations thereof in Respondent's domain name, or in any manner whatsoever.
On or about February 17, 2000, Complainant sent a certified letter to Respondent at the contact address listed by the Registrar. Complainant also attempted to contact Respondent via phone and fax at the numbers listed by the Registrar, which were disconnected. Complainant later discovered that Respondent is no longer associated with S.P.I.N. Inc., but has retained ownership of the subject domain name. Finally, on June 2, 2000, Complainant sent a certified letter to a Mr. Robert Williams at 9609 Kauffman Avenue, Southgate, CA 90280. In response to this letter, Complainant received an email from Respondent on June 6, 2000 from the email address: ROBTT@METABOLIVE.COM inquiring about the June 2, 2000 letter. The email address robtt@metabolive.com is the only known method of contacting Respondent. On or about June 8, 2000, Complainant resent the June 2 letter to Respondent at the above email address, which Respondent acknowledged receiving.
On or about June 13, 2000, Respondent contacted Complainant via telephone and notified Complainant that he received the June 2, 2000, letter notifying Respondent that the domain name violated the U.S. intellectual property rights of Complainant, and requesting that Respondent cease and desist this conduct and transfer the name. During this conversation, Respondent stated that he was interested in selling the domain name to a company in the Cayman Islands (which, Complainant was informed, is a competitor of Complainant) for $12,000 and unless Complainant made a reasonable offer, Respondent would sell the domain name to this competitor. Complainant offered to pay Respondent the reasonable costs associated with the domain name, which Respondent refused.
Essentially the contentions of the Complainant are that METABOLIFE® is its trademark and trade name, and the Respondent has adopted a substantially identical word for the said Domain Name that is confusingly similar to Complainant's trademark; that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the said Domain Name and that the said Domain Name has been registered and is being used by the Respondent in bad faith.
In the instant administrative proceeding, the Respondent's default entitles the Panel to conclude that the Respondent has no evidence to rebut the assertions of the Complainant. It enables the Panel to proceed to make a finding in favor of the Complainant.
ii) the Respondent's domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.
The Complainant claims rights in METABOLIFE®. It has received a number of trademark registrations in the U.S.A. and a substantial number of other countries. Complainant has established first use of the invented word METABOLIFE. It has also shown long and substantial use. Through such use, the Complainant has become the owner of the common law trademark. Ownership of the trademark is international in scope. Under the Policy, all that is required of the Complainant is to establish its rights in the trademark, and the extent of the geographical area in which the rights accrue does not matter. The Panel has compared the said Domain Name with the Complainant's trademark METABOLIFE® and finds that the second level domain (the SLD) METABOLIVE is substantially identical letter-by-letter to the Complainant's trademark and merely embodies the syllable "LIVE" instead of "LIFE." The Panel finds that there is such similarity in sound, appearance, and connotation between METABOLIFE® and the said Domain Name (Metabolive) as to render said Domain Name confusingly similar to Complainant's trademark.
The Panel also notes that the SLD is also substantially identical with the word METABOLIFE, which is a component of the Complainant's trade name. The Complainant's domain name is "metabolife.com", and the Respondent has a confusingly similar prominent part of this domain name in the said Domain Name.
iii) he is making a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the said Domain Name, without intent for commercial gain to misleadingly divert consumers or to tarnish the trademark at issue.
There is no evidence of use or demonstrable preparation to use the said Domain Name on goods or services on the part of the Respondent. His web site is passive/dormant and makes no reference to any business activity, which may reasonably be a base for his rights in the said Domain Name. The Complainant has not licensed or otherwise permitted the Respondent to use the word Metabolive.
Metabolive is not the Respondent's legal name. The Respondent, a natural person, is not commonly known as Metabolive. He is not carrying on any business under the said name. The Respondent cannot have a legitimate claim to the said Domain Name because the SLD "metabolive" used with the top level domain (the TLD) ".com" suggests a commercial enterprise which utilizes the said Domain Name for its business activities.
The evidence available contains nothing that may justify a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the said Domain Name by Respondent.
By paragraph 4(b) of the Policy, the circumstances indicating registration and use of a domain name in bad faith include the registration or acquisition of the domain name primarily for the purpose of selling or transferring the domain name registration to the Complainant, the owner of the trademark, for valuable consideration. There will also be bad faith registration and use if the domain name has been registered to prevent the owner of the trademark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name, provided that the registrant has engaged in a pattern of such conduct.
The registration of the said Domain Name and the subsequent offer to sell the same to the Complainant or one of Complainant's competitors for a consideration are indicative of registration and use of the said Domain Name by Respondent in bad faith.
For all the foregoing reasons, the Panel finds that the Complainant has proved each of the three elements of paragraph 4(a) of the Policy. The Panel requires that the said Domain Name be transferred to the Complainant. Complainant's NIC tracking number at NSI for this domain name for transfer purposes is NIC-000614.a67f.


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Q: Paperclip.interpolates randomly not returning a value I have the following paperclip setup in my model:
  #Paperclip for photo
  has_attached_file :photo,
                    :styles => {
                      :large => '1024x758>',
                      :medium => "200x150#",
                      :small => "50x50>"
                    },
                    :default_style => :original,
                    :default_url => '/images/:attachment/default_:style.png',
                    :path => ":instance_id/:attachment/:id/:version/:style/:basename.:extension",
                    :storage => :s3,
                    :s3_credentials => File.join(Rails.root, 'config', 's3.yml'),
                    :s3_protocol => 'https'

for instance_id I have the following:
Paperclip.interpolates :instance_id do |attachment, style|

  def instance_id(attachment, style)
    attachment.instance.instance_id
  end

end

What's happening is when I first fire up the server, I'm noticing 404s with my images. I had thought that was Amazon S3, but then I looked into the URLs, and noticed that sometimes instance_id is not being returned by Paperclip.interpolates.
Any idea why? Have you experienced anything like this?
Thanks

A: If I understand correctly what you're trying to achieve, then the following should work:
Paperclip.interpolates :instance_id do |attachment, style|
  attachment.instance.instance_id
end

FYI: your interpolates proc defines a method, but doesn't actually do something...
Hope this helps,
Peter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
HSBC Funding Was Behind the Terror in Bangladesh, Mumbai
by Ramtanu Maitra on 01 Aug 2012 17 Comments
On July 17, the US Senate released a report on the old British colonial drug bank Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp's (now called HSBC) ties to drug money laundering and funding of terrorists through Saudi and Bangladeshi banks. That is, however, just one part of HSBC's role. The other part was to flow billions in drug money, laundered through offshore operations, into the bankrupt City of London and Wall Street banks, providing them with cash used to control influential leaders around the world.
During the British Empire's heyday, Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank was in full control of the opium trade to fund the Empire. During the late 18thCentury, more than 50% of the Empire's income came from India's opium fields, whose output was then sold to Chinese retail opium markets. This has been documented in depth by EIR's Dope Inc., published in 1978.
Since then, Britain's drug-money-laundering policy has not changed, but has morphed a bit, although the Empire as a physical entity ceased to exist. Now, with Wall Street and the City of London joined at the hip, almost a trillion dollars generated annually through drug operations has become a major source of liquidity for these two mega-financial districts.
The report of the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation shows how Afghan opium / heroin money, which was about $800 billion in street value in 2007, played a role in triggering terrorist activities in South Asia - the massive attack on Mumbai in November 2008, in particular - and how that arrangement was set up.
Afghan Opium for Bankers and Terrorists
There is a general impression that Afghanistan has always been the center of opium production. In fact, it has not. Prior to the Soviet invasion in 1979, opium production in Afghanistan was less than 1,000 tons; that grew to 8,200 tons (based on conservative UN Office on Drugs and Crime/UNODC figures) in 2008. Throughout this period, Afghanistan was in a state of war. Following the Soviet invasion, the anti-Soviet powers, particularly, the US, UK, and Saudi Arabia, began generating larger amounts of drug money to finance much of the war to defeat the Soviets. Since 1989, after the Soviet withdrawal, there has been an all-out civil war in Afghanistan, as the US-UK-Saudi-created mujahideen dipped further into the opium/heroin money.
Beginning 1995, it was the synthetic Taliban militia, created by the Saudis and the Pakistani ISI /military, who jacked up the drug production to finance their militia operation. After 2001, when the Taliban was ousted by the US-NATO forces, opium/heroin production took off, particularly since 2005. That was an important year in the drug money/ terrorist-funding operation that led to the attack on Mumbai, India.
Opium production in Afghanistan between 1979 and 2005, however, did not grow steadily, but rather as demanded for drug-money and terrorist operations. According to UNODC records, in 1994, the production was 3,416 tons. It fell to 2,000-plus tons until 1998. In 1999, the Taliban, having set up its money-laundering operations in Dubai with the help of the Indian drug trafficker /gun-runner /terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, jacked up production to 4,565 tons. Then, production fell abruptly to a mere 185 tons in 2001, when the US invaded Afghanistan. Production rose to 4,200 tons in 2005, and then it exploded reaching 8,200 tons in 2007; 7,700 tons in 2008; and 6,900 tons in 2009.
What was happening in Afghanistan during this period that caused opium production to soar to those levels? History shows that the US invasion in 2001 came close to wiping out the Taliban forces; the Afghan people, at least at that point in time, because of the Pakistani-Saudi links to the Taliban and the oppressive nature of the Wahhabi-indoctrinated regime, supported the invading American and NATO forces. That began to change in 2005.
The year 2005 is important in this context, since one of the most damning parts of the US Senate report details HSBC's relationship with the Saudi-based Al Rajhi Bank, a member of Osama bin Laden's "Golden Chain" of important al-Qaeda financiers. The HSBC-Al Rajhi relationship has spanned decades; perhaps that is why, even when HSBC's own internal compliance offices asked that it be terminated in 2005, and even when the US government discovered hard evidence of Al Rajhi's relationship with terrorism, HSBC continued to do business with the bank until 2010.
In fact, the report said, Al Rajhi's links to terrorism were confirmed in 2002, when US agents searched the offices of a Saudi non-profit US-designated terrorist organization, Benevolence International Foundation. In that raid, agents uncovered a CD-ROM listing the names of financiers in bin Laden's Golden Chain. One of those names was Sulaiman bin Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi, a founder of Al Rajhi bank.
Setting Up Drug Money-Laundering and Terror-Financing
Why did HSBC not terminate its links with the Al Rajhi in 2005? The answer lies in what was then put in place in Afghanistan to generate large amounts of cash. When it comes to opium/ heroin and offshore banks, Britain rules supreme. In 2005, poppy fields in southern Afghanistan began to bloom, and it became evident to the bankers and the geo-politicians of Britain and the US that cash to support the financial centers and the terrorists could be made right there.
It was announced on Jan. 27, 2006 in the British Parliament that a NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) would be replacing the US troops in Helmand province as part of Operation Herrick. The British 16 Air Assault Brigade would make up the core of the force. British bases were then located in the districts of Sangin, Lashkar Gah, and Gereshk.
As of Summer 2006, Helmand was one of the provinces involved in Operation Mountain Thrust, a combined NATO/Afghan mission targeted at Taliban fighters in the south of the country. In July 2006, the offensive essentially stalled in Helmand, as NATO (primarily British) and Afghan troops were forced to take increasingly defensive positions under heavy insurgent pressure. In response, British troop levels in the province were increased, and new encampments were established in Sangin and Gereshk. In Autumn 2006, some 8,000 British troops began to reach "cessation of hostilities" agreements with local Taliban forces around the district centers where they had been stationed earlier in the Summer, and it is then that drug-money laundering began in earnest.
This drug money, at least a good part of it, is generated in this area with the help of Dawood Ibrahim, who also played a role in helping the Mumbai attackers by giving them the use of his existing network in Mumbai. At the time, Ibrahim worked on behalf of the British, and ran his operation through the British-controlled emirate of Dubai. Drugs came into Dubai through Dawood's "mules," protected by the Pakistani ISI and British MI6; the dope was shipped in containers which carried equipment sent there for "repair" from Kandahar and elsewhere in southern Afghanistan. British troops controlled Helmand province, where 53% of Afghanistan's gargantuan 8,200 tons of opium was produced in 2007.
The drugs were converted, and still are today, to cash in Dubai, where Dawood maintains a palatial mansion, similar to the one he maintains in Karachi. Dubai is a tax-free island-city, and a major offshore banking center. The most common reason for opening an offshore bank account is the flexibility that comes with it.
With the development of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), which is the latest free-trade zone to be set up there, flexible and unrestricted offshore banking has become big business. Many of the world's largest banks already have significant presence in Dubai – big names such as Abbey National Offshore, HSBC Offshore, ABN Amro, ANZ Grindlays, Banque Paribas, Banque de Caire, Barclays, Dresdner, and Merrill Lynch, all have offices in the Emirate already.
In addition to Dubai, most of the offshore banks are located in former British colonies, and all of them are involved in money laundering. In other words, the legitimization of cash generated from drug sales and other smuggled illegitimate goods into the "respectable banks" is the modus operandi of these offshore banks. The drugs that Dawood's mules carry are providing a necessary service for the global financial system, as well as for the terrorists who are killing innocents all over the world.
In December of 2007, this Britain-run drug-money-laundering and terrorist-networking operation was about to be exposed when Afghan President Hamid Karzai learned that two British MI6 agents were working under the cover of the United Nations and the European Union behind his back, to finance and negotiate with the Taliban. He expelled them from Afghanistan. One of them, a Briton, Michael Semple, was the acting head of the EU mission in Afghanistan and is widely known as a close confidant of Britain's Ambassador, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles. Semple now masquerades as an academic analyst of Afghanistan, and was associated with the Harvard Kennedy School's Carr Center. The second man, an Irishman, Mervin Patterson, was the third-ranking UN official in Afghanistan at the time that he was summarily expelled.
These MI6 agents were entrusted by London with the task of using Britain's 7,700 troops in the opium-infested, Pushtun-dominated, southern province of Helmand to train 2,000 Afghan militants, ostensibly to "infiltrate" the enemy and "seek intelligence" about the lethal arms of the real Taliban. Karzai rightly saw it as Britain's efforts to develop a lethal group within Afghanistan, a new crop of terrorists.
The drug money thus generated to fund the financial centers and terrorists was also responsible for ongoing terrorist attacks that have destabilized most of South Asia. The most important of these was the massive attack on Mumbai, which killed 166 people at the railroad station, two major hotels, and a Jewish Community Center. It was a well-organized and long-planned attack. While the Pakistani ISI was the keeper of these terrorists, they had links to the United States, UK, Saudi Arabia, and Bangladesh, not to speak of Dawood Ibrahim's network inside India.
The Bangladesh Connection
The July 17 US Senate Report mentioned HSBC's links to two terrorist banks in Bangladesh, Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd (IBBL) and Social Islami Bank Ltd. The report, prepared by a team led by Sen. Carl Levin, said that Al Rajhi Bank was associated with Islami Bank Bangladesh, which provided an account to a Bangladeshi who had been accused of involvement in a terrorist bombing. In the case of Islami Bank, the factors included substantial ownership of the bank by Al Rajhi, the central bank's fines for failing to report suspicious transactions by militants, and an account provided to a terrorist organization.
Al Rajhi Bank provided a correspondent account to Social Islami Bank, whose largest single shareholder for many years had been the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), a "charity" based in Saudi Arabia. A second shareholder was the precursor to the Benevolence Islamic Foundation, also later designated by the US as a terrorist organization, said the report. In the case of Social Islami Bank, the factors included ownership stakes held by two terrorist organizations whose shares were exposed but never sold as promised, and a bank chairman found to be involved with criminal wrongdoing.
Since the focus of India's investigation was directed toward Pakistan, the Bangladesh connection to the attack was never fully exposed. Some early reports indicated that some SIM cards in the cellphones used by the Mumbai attackers belonging to the Pakistan-headquartered Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group, were purchased a month earlier from three different locations in Kolkata, and sent to Pakistan via Bangladesh.
A July 22, 2011 Asia Times article, "Bangladesh link to Mumbai blasts tests ties," by Syed Tashfin Chowdhury, said that Abdullah Khan, of the Indian Mujahideen (IM), was possibly involved in the logistics setup for the Mumbai attack. The article said: "Abdullah Khan is now 'operating the IM module which is assigned to maintain liaison with the Bangladesh-based Harkat Ul Jihad Al Islami (HuJI) and, in a joint venture, has recruited a few new cadres for their outfit.'" Investigators said that even six months ago, Khan was stationed in Nepal, and used to shuttle between Bangladesh and Pakistan, the article said. Abdullah Khan's terrorist activities were reported again in 2011. According to Indian media reports, Khan was the suspected mastermind of the serial bomb blasts that killed at least 19 people and injured over 130 more in Bangladesh in July 2011.
But it seems either the trail ended there, or investigators did not follow the leads. Bangladesh has serious terrorism problems. It has two major political parties, the Awami League (AL), now in power, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). BNP, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has its political base entrenched in two groups of Bangladeshis. These are the anti-India population and the pro-jihadi faction. To build a political movement on the basis of this ideology immediately attracts the usual providers, such as Britain, which still would like to see India break into pieces, or stay in a state of instability which would stymie its growth potential; and the Wahhabi-promoting Saudis.
There are more than 100 Islamic groups in Bangladesh. Most of them are funded from Saudi Arabia and some of them, such as Muslim Aid (UK) and Hizb ut-Tahrir, which were involved in assassination attempts on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, are directed by the MI6-controlled "Londonistan" Islamic forces.
The Islami Bank Bangladesh, linked to militancy and controlled by the Jamaat, has been accused of funneling money to al-Qaeda-linked militants and supporting radical Islamism in other countries. Yassin Qadi, a US- and UN-designated financier of terrorism, is also close to the bank. Qadi is a Saudi businessman and son-in-law of Sheikh Ahmed Salah Jamjoom, a foreign sponsor of IBBL. Jamjoom is a former commerce minister in the Saudi government. The Kuwaiti-based Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) also had accounts at the bank that are suspected of financing terrorism in Bangladesh and elsewhere. It is believed that the organization helped finance the Aug. 17, 2005 serial bombings in Bangladesh.
A major go-between in this operation is Tarique Rahman, Khaleda Zia's son, and perhaps the most powerful individual within the BNP. Rahman, senior vice-chairman of BNP, is now under threat of arrest on a number of criminal charges. He has fled to - yes, you guessed it - London. He was allowed to leave Dhaka as he sought treatment at Wellington Hospital in London.
At the airport he signed a statement forcing him to retire from BNP politics in Bangladesh. At present, reports indicate, Tarique is living in a rented accommodation in Edmonton, London, with his wife and daughter, and receiving treatment for his broken spinal cord.
According to available reports, Tarique and his crony Giasuddin al-Mamun, managing director of Channel 1 television, who has been recently charged with money-laundering at the Dhaka Court, were under inspection by the intelligence agencies, and their findings started making headlines: bank accounts in Switzerland, Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia; investments in UAE. Among others, Tarique was dealing with Dawood Ibrahim.
In March 2012, the fugitive Rahman, now under protection of MI6, was charged, along with 29 others, in the 2004 Chittagong Port arms-smuggling case. He allegedly masterminded the botched supply of 10 truckloads of Chinese arms to Paresh Baruah, the boss of the northeast Indian separatist movement ULFA, with help from the Pakistani ISI. The cache of arms included 27,020 Chinese-made grenades, 840 rocket launchers, 300 accessories of rocket launchers, 2,000 grenade-launching tubes, 6,392 magazines and 1,140,520 bullets, which, according to a Bangladeshi intelligence official, could have supplied 20 Mumbai-type attacks if they had been delivered.
The author is South Asian Analyst at Executive Intelligence Review

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Located in the Camp District of Watercolor, Walk in the Park is perfect for a family getaway!
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Spaghetti Alfredo with Shrimp and Asparagus!
So for lunch I was really craving Alfredo pasta, so using whatever ingredients I had, I came up with this!
Voila! It was definitely yummy, nutritious, and completely hit the spot!
Mix together with alfredo sauce on the stove. Put crushed red peppers and black pepper to taste.


Into the Blue is the first track of the thirty-first album by Klaus Schulze, IN BLUE (1995). It has 5 subtitles, which are separate tracks on the 2005 reissue of the album. So the first part is also referred to as Into the Blue.


Baltimore Ravens' Carl Davis during NFL football training camp, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, in Philadelphia.
Young players like Carl Davis are trying to continue the Ravens' tradition of a run-stuffing defensive line.
If defensive tackle Carl Davis starts the first game of his rookie season Sunday against the Denver Broncos in place of the injured Timmy Jernigan, he'll have a lot more than just a game's worth of responsibility weighing on him.
Jernigan, who is the man tabbed to replace Haloti Ngata after the Pro Bowl defensive lineman was traded to the Detroit Lions in March, and Davis represent the most recent additions to a defensive line group that throughout the Ravens history has been the franchise's premier strength, due to its depth and continuity among the coaches and players.
"I already knew about the great defensive front, especially the front seven play that the Baltimore Ravens have been about here," Davis said of that reputation. "It's something that's kind of tough, to keep setting the bar high and just to be another guy to play amongst those names."
Those names, from Michael McCrary and Sam Adams to Kelly Gregg and Ngata, all contributed to fabled run-stifling streaks, the current edition of which faces an early challenge in Week 1 against Denver.
From 1998 to 2001, the Ravens went 46 games without a running back gaining 100 yards against them. A similar streak of 39 games stretched from 2006 to 2009.
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has installed strong running games at every stop in his NFL career, including last year as offensive coordinator in Baltimore, and will have an opportunity in his first game with the Broncos to smash a Ravens defensive streak of 26 straight regular-season games without allowing a 100-yard rusher.
His team won't have to run around the stout Ngata, a big part of the last two streaks, to do so.
There's not much concern about replacing Ngata within the Ravens facility, though, which is a testament to the team's ability to identify value early in the draft and coax value of out late-round picks and waiver claims, as well as the consistent stewardship of defensive line coach Clarence Brooks.
"We've always been a rotation team here," Brooks said during training camp. "Even when we had Haloti, we've always been there; we've always rolled guys. … With Haloti not being here, I think the same. It just holds. He missed the last four games of last year, and we happened to be able to just keep going on. That's the way we're looking at it."
Brooks credits general manager Ozzie Newsome and his talent evaluators with acquiring "guys that are what we think are Raven-type guys." They've shown a serious commitment to that in the draft, especially early. The Ravens have selected a defensive tackle — Brandon Williams, a third-round pick in 2013, Jernigan, a second-round pick in 2014, and Davis, a third-round pick in 2015 — during the first two days of the draft the past three years.
Depth picks like Kapron Lewis-Moore and DeAngelo Tyson have also been contributors, and departed free agents Pernell McPhee — who was drafted as a defensive end and eventually switched to linebacker — and Arthur Jones both proved valuable. Lawrence Guy was waived by the defensively challenged Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers last year, and became a contributor for the Ravens almost immediately.
The only pockmark among the group is 2010 second-round pick Terrence Cody, a bit-part player before his release in January.
Russ Lande, a scout with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, said the Ravens so often hit at that position because of the consistency at the highest levels of the organization.
"Everyone's on the same page," Lande said. "That's the key to finding any players, but defensive linemen especially, because there's so many different types that fit different systems. Finding and identifying the correct ones to your team is vital."
Lande believes they've done that with Davis just as they did with Williams and Jernigan before them.
"Davis doesn't fit what a lot of teams are looking for," Lande said, but if you add his strength, experience, and athleticism together, "it makes him a guy who's valuable for what the Ravens do, but he may not hold the same value for a lot of other teams."
Those players who have fit in and made an impact, both past and present, credit Brooks with making them live up to the decades-long standard. He isn't above using the past successes as motivation, either.
"C.B. talks about it all the time," Lewis-Moore said. "The bar is high. You can't play below the bar. We've got to raise our play above the bar."
"It's not like we've had a revolving door on the defensive line coaching staff … but it's also just the guys that came before us," longtime standout Kelly Gregg said. "Rob Burnett, Michael McCrary — the way they played. Then, it was sort of a trickle-down effect. Haloti played with us. I played with Sam [Adams]. And then these new guys, obviously, played with Haloti."
The standard-bearer now is Brandon Williams, who spent two years learning from and alongside Ngata. He has now taken a mentorship role with Davis.
Williams says he'll bring a younger player aside and warn him about Brooks' pet peeves. But the defensive linemen all understand the tough love and the effort it yields has been successful before, and likely will be again.
"I don't think [anybody] works like we do," Jernigan said. "We outwork everybody. We've got a coach who, if he sees something wrong with what you're doing, he's going to say something, whether it's [Brooks] or Coach Harbaugh. They expect things to be perfect around here. It really doesn't matter who comes into the program, I feel like you have to withstand it."
Notes: The Ravens announced Monday that they filled their 10-man practice squad by signing wide receiver Jeremy Ross, tight end Dominique Jones and wide receiver Daniel Brown.
Ross, 27, spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Lions. He was their primary returner last year, averaging 8.9 yards on 32 punt returns and 25.4 yards on 23 kickoff returns.
Jones, 28, has played parts of three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs and Broncos. In 13 career games, he has three catches for 42 yards.
A source confirmed that former Houston Texans cornerback Charles James, one of the stars of the HBO show "Hard Knocks," also will join the Ravens practice squad. It's unclear at the moment how the Ravens will make room for him.
Now that they're down to 53 players, what's next for Ravens?


Xiaomi has released a pair of video teasers for its Mi Mix 2s handset. Mixed in with scenes that could have come from the upcoming Pacific Rim 2-Uprising movie, the teaser actually shows a young kid as he grows up and learns how to work on robotics. Near the end of the clip, he is hired to join the Mi Mix R&D team. And if you continue viewing the video until the end, you are rewarded with a quick glimpse of the near bezel-less Mi Mix 2s.
The second teaser reveals the facial recognition system that the Mi Mix 2s will use to unlock the phone. Using AI, Smart Unlock will apparently be able to recognize the owner of a particular Mi Mix 2s regardless of how the person's hairstyle has changed. Even a newly grown beard won't be enough to stymie Smart Unlock.
The rumored specs for the phone include a Gorilla Glass protected 6-inch edge-to-edge display, sporting a 1080 x 2160 resolution. That works out to an aspect ratio of 18:9. The Snapdragon 845 mobile platform is under the hood along with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and 256GB of high speed UFS storage. A pair of 12MP cameras adorn the back, and the front-facing camera can be found in a small notch tucked away in the top right hand corner of the display. Android Oreo is pre-installed.
One of the teasers can be found at the top of this story, with the second one directly below. We expect to see the Mi Mix 2s unveiled on March 27th.
I'm quite excited about the upcoming sequel of The Pacific Rim; a movie I deeply enjoyed. Except for the part where (Spoiler) Ron Perlman's character die. In case you're wondering, Ron Perlman portrayed Hellboy in the movies bearing the same name. I didn't think there would be a sequel considering the moderate boxoffice performance. Hope this one does better than its predecessor. Anyhow, while I'm excited about the movie, I can't say the same about this phone! Perhaps if it had stock Android? Oh well, G'Day!
I hope its true... Everyone seems to be jumping in the notch bandwagon, most notable Chinese Brands. And... Xiaomi will finally have my respect if it does not copy the notch, but given its track record of copying 'Everything Apple' including The CEO; I doubt that very much! Oh well, only time will tell. G'Day!
That might be for the mi mix 3. Maybe they'll release it at q4 this year?
Oh got it :) haha yes that could be. Or just one of the prototypes.
Yayyyy!!! No notch can be found here!!


I was set up on a tour with the owner Rianna Barksdale.
I expressed concern that during SCHEDULED tour the classroom was pitch black due to nap time and I could not see inside, having no way to evaluate if my child would be comfortable. When I asked about what the classroom looked like and to reschedule the tour I was met with extreme defensiveness of the facilities.
I was literaly told "way to wait until the last minute mom!" when I expressed the need for a start date. Rather than having compassion for my situation of being strapped for childcare.
While we never experienced the facility as parents, It was very clear that common concerns would be met with hostility and defensiveness should we need to discuss any challenges. I was called the following week by Ms Barksdale to cancel my rescheduled tour as there was no room for us...no offer of waitlist...nothing. I guess wanting to see a classroom in the light of day was too much to ask. This was all a VERY bad sign regarding communication of staff.
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The flu strikes 1 in 5 people each year, causing fever, body aches and misery. The best treatment? Prevention. Get the flu vaccine in early fall to give yourself the most protection. However, you still can benefit if you get your flu shot mid-winter. Find the flu clinic nearest you, or call your primary care doctor for an appointment.
Seasonal influenza is caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs. It spreads through coughing, sneezing or touching items a sick person has touched. Though common, the flu is dangerous for people with weak immune systems. About 200,000 people a year end up in the hospital with flu complications.
Fortunately, studies have proven that the flu vaccine is safe and effective for the vast majority of people. If you want to know more, find out about the types of flu shots and vaccine safety.
Some people are especially vulnerable to flu, including young children, senior citizens and people with compromised immune systems. Sutter care centers have a new high-dose flu vaccine that may provide added protection for older adults.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly advise pregnant women to get vaccinated as well, since they're more likely to have complications that require hospitalization. Learn more about pregnancy and the flu.
What if you get a flu shot and still get the flu? Unfortunately, it happens. For the best home care, drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest. Because the flu is caused by viruses, not bacteria, antibiotics won't help. Depending on your unique situation, your doctor might also recommend a prescription anti-viral medication.
Find out more about treating the flu – including when to seek medical help.


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text:
← The Scars and Detours of this Pandemic
Thanksgiving's Cornucopia of Remembrances →
During a recent coronavirus briefing, Donald Trump gave a shout-out to Ghislaine Maxwell, wishing her well, as she sits in jail, charged with procuring young girls for a sex-trafficking ring, grooming them to be raped by influential men. "Why, why," I hear decent people asking, "is Trump still this country's president?"
The answer is simple. He's supported by Republicans, both men, and, sadly, women. Some of these Rs are U.S. Senators, and earlier this year, these senators (with the Romney exception) couldn't find their way to remove this president after he tried to obtain election dirt on Joe Biden, his most-feared rival, by bribing the Ukranian president. As if this were perfectly acceptable for a U.S. President to do! No doubt, they wouldn't vote to remove him if he shot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue.
Sadly, two of Trump's most devoted enablers are from Texas, a state that in modern times elected men of principles at least twice – Lloyd Bentsen and Ralph Yarborough. And let's go ahead and count L.B.J. as a third, despite the Ballot Box 13 incident. Now, Texas is represented by a couple of Trumpist toadies, one who is incurably obnoxious, the other, a bit more measured (which is probably more dangerous).
Ralph Yarborough
Lloyd Bentsen
The obnoxious one is Ted Cruz, of course, whose name will appear in the thesaurus as a synonym for that adjective one of these days. But I never expected Ted Cruz to be anything but a slimy, self-promoting weasel. During our coinciding stints of employment at the Texas Attorney General's office, I can't recall that a single positive thing was ever said about him, just many negative ones.
John Cornyn was another matter. As Attorney General, he seemed like a decent person, even if I didn't agree with every policy and legal position. Many of the other assistant attorneys general agreed, finding him to be a Republican who hadn't swallowed the Kool-Aid of rabid, knee-jerk partisanship. But, as Senator, he proved himself as a chameleon who became as power-hungry as so many other Republicans in Washington. Upon arrival, he didn't just drink the Kool-Aid, he started chugging it.
As anyone who has been a regular voter understands, buyer's remorse often sets in after a period of performance that fails to meet expectations. John Cornyn's lapdog performance, standing next to Mitch McConnell, grinning and nodding while in support of Trump and his heartless policies, should be particularly distasteful for many buyers, especially considering that everyone thought he looked oh-so senatorial.
My opinion as a Democrat may not count, but I'm beyond ashamed by his political representation. Moreover, in the wake of the death of my own father, who never gave me cause to be embarrassed, I've often thought about the feelings of daughters with fathers who support this molester-in-chief. If I were one of John Cornyn's daughters, I would be mortified to see him standing in front of the world voicing support for – or even tacitly supporting – a man who bragged about grabbing a woman's genitals, as if they were playthings for his personal enjoyment. Few men get a national stage to be their daughter's hero and tell the world that such behavior is despicable and no man should be "handling" anyone's daughters. John Cornyn missed that opportunity. Instead, he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with a man who admits that he'd like to date his own daughter.
I also feel sorry for John Cornyn's wife. Many of the same reasons apply. My husband's embrace of Donald Trump would make me wonder who I'd been embracing during our long marriage. Every day I'd be wondering how he had surrendered the principles he seemingly lived by as a judge and Attorney General to serve as a yes-man for Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, two men lacking any empathy or respect for the norms of fair play and decency. Living with a spineless spouse who supports a man who admittedly assaults women would be revolting.
And, I am saddened to think how being his mother would feel. It's in a mother's arms and at her knee that a man learns about unconditional love, good and bad, what makes a woman cry, what brings her joy. Often, her pride in him is the sole factor giving him the confidence to go out, take his place in society, and do well while doing good. Most sons seek to justify that pride. I imagine her disappointment as her once-commendable son shredded any patina of decency, supporting the head of a criminal enterprise, molester of women, and friend of sex traffickers (Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell). I can imagine her sadly thinking, wherever she may be, "That's not the son I raised."
During this era of Trumpification, many of us toss and turn in our sleep, but it's a wonder that John Cornyn can sleep at all, having thrown out his pride and that of his family's and constituents like ballast from the little boat carrying him on his power-trip. Also tossed overboard are this country's norms, institutions, and respectability in the world of nations.
If only we could elect Cornyn's November election challenger, Mary Jennings ("MJ") Hegar, an Air Force combat veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart, a daughter, a wife, and a mother.
She could help us wake up and recover from this national nightmare. She would have the guts to call out a man who assaults and disparages women, no matter what his position. And let me throw this out: she'd be one of the last people to allow Vladimir Putin to influence our election or put bounties on our soldiers' heads. In short, instead of simpering in some corner trying to win favor with political masters, MJ has the balls to stand up and say, "No way!"
I will not insult all the good and decent men in this world by making some caustic comment suggesting that only women can right the wrongs of this world. But when our Senator is a man who can't even lift up his own rifle at those wrongs, we need to give a strong woman our votes. Undoubtedly, MJ Hegar is better equipped to serve as our Senator than either of the men currently serving themselves in Washington.
About nowandthenadays
Observer of life who writes about Austin, women's issues, history, and politics. I worked in the Texas Legislature for 9 years, moved to the State Comptroller's Office where I worked for 9 years, then went to work as an Assistant Attorney General after graduating from UT Law, for more than 20 years. Since retirement in May, 2013, I've identified myself as a writer, a caretaker, widow, grandmother, pandemic survivor, and finder of true love.
View all posts by nowandthenadays →
This entry was posted in Politics, Women and tagged Donald Trump, Fifth Avenue, impeachment, John Cornyn, Lloyd Bentsen, MJ Hegar, Ralph Yarborough, sex trafficking. Bookmark the permalink.
4 Responses to I Want a Senator who Stands with Women
robincravey says:
Jeffee, thanks for another thoughtful post. I appreciate the memories of Ralph Yarborough, a hero of mine. He was a champion for New Deal Democracy and the Great Society.
I mostly knew him for his work to preserve the Big Thicket. I spent a lot of time in that mystical woodland and befriended those fighting to save it from the chainsaw. Ralph sponsored the act to make it a great national park. Sadly, his career was cut short when he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Lloyd Bentsen, the Houston insurance man. Bentsen whittled the park down to half its size, but he did get the bill through.
At one point, it was going to be classed as a national monument. I asked Ralph about that, and he said in disgust, "A monument is for something that's dead!"
Even Bentsen is a giant compared to the small men misrepresenting Texas today.
nowandthenadays says:
Robin, Thank you for sharing your memories of this great senator and his work to preserve the Big Thicket along with his champion of our social safety nets of the New Deal and Great Society. It's so sad to accept that Texas sends the clowns we send these days when we used to send giants like these to Washington. Thank you for the encouraging words, as well.
Albert Bronson says:
Chameleon is too kind a descriptor; I've bee referring to him (and Gov. Abbott, another of our bosses) as power hungry political whores.
That's totally appropriate, Albert. Next time.
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Author: Vitali Bianki. Text in Russian. 6-3/4" x 5-1/4" stapled wraps. Cover and illustrations by Aleksandr Samokhvalov.
A monograph about a well-known Russian Soviet artist Aleksandr Samokhvalov.
Series "Masters of Modern Painting". Editor: Osip Beskin.
Text in Russian. Illustrated. 3300 copies only.
Catalogue of an All-Republican art exhibition.
Text in Russian. Hardcover. 263, (1) pp.
An important all-Russia exhibition with hundreds participating artist.
Samokhvalov, Nappelbaum, et al.) Vaginov, et al.
Authors: Konstantin Vaginov, Ida Nappelbaum, Nikolay Tikhonov, et al.
Text in Russian. Folio (12-1/4" x 8-1/2") Softcover. Illustrated. 1500 copies only.
Poetry - Drama - Art critique - Auctions - Bibliography - Chronicle - Dutch painting - Exhibitions - French art - Hermitage - Literary critique - Museums - Theater and music - etc.
Among the artists: Alexander Samokhvalov, Elizaveta Yakunina, Mikhail Grigor'ev, Natalya Konstantinovskaya, Sofya Yunovich, et al.
Text in Russian. 7-1/8" x 3-1/2" pamphlet.


PhD, J.., MSc, A.., PhD, R.., PhD, M.., & PhD, J.. (2017). Understanding How Dogs Age: Longitudinal Analysis of Markers of Inflammation, Immune Function, and Oxidative Stress. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biomedical Sciences and Medical Sciences, AdvanceArticle(6), 1-728.
PhD, Janet E Alexander, Alison ColyerMSc, Richard M HaydockPhD, Michael G HayekPhD, and JeanSoon ParkPhD. "Understanding How Dogs Age: Longitudinal Analysis of Markers of Inflammation, Immune Function, and Oxidative Stress." The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biomedical Sciences and Medical Sciences Advance Article.6 (2017): 1-728.


text:
Call for Entry: Aperture Foundation
Deadline April 29, 2020
How can photographs provide information at a moment when ideas about truth and power have been disrupted?
The curators of the 2020 Aperture Summer Open, Information, seek new bodies of work by photographers and lens-based artists who seek to portray experiences of globalization, technology, and politics, and the dynamic changes to personal and social identity charted by mass media today. Inspired by the Museum of Modern Art's 1970 exhibition Information, in which artists directly engaged with pressing global issues, this year's Summer Open seeks exciting works that broadcast new ways of viewing our present---and our future. As Kynaston McShine, curator of the original Information, famously asked, "What can you as a young artist do that seems relevant and meaningful?"
The Aperture Summer Open is an annual open-submission exhibition presented by Fotografiska New York, featuring a wide variety of work by photographers and lens-based artists from around the world. Selected by a jury of leading editors, curators, and writers, the exhibition seeks to reveal and report on key themes and trends driving contemporary photography. The exhibition opens the doors to photographers of all ages, at all points in their careers, as we seek to promote new ideas and talent.
The 2020 Aperture Summer Open is curated by Brendan Embser, managing editor of Aperture magazine, with Farah Al Qasimi, artist; Amanda Hajjar, director of exhibitions at Fotografiska; Kristen Lubben, executive director of the Magnum Foundation; and Paul Moakley, editor at large for special projects at TIME.
This year, Aperture is excited to announce that the Aperture Summer Open will be exhibited at Fotografiska New York.
What winners receive
Winners of the Summer Open will be exhibited in a group show at Fotografiska New York, opening August 4, 2020*. Winners will also be exposed to Aperture's global online audience, profiled on aperture.org, and featured across Aperture's social media channels.
*Due to the current situation with COVID-19, the Aperture Summer Open exhibition may be moved to the Fall. At this time, both Aperture and Fotografiska New York are closely monitoring the situation. We thank everyone for understanding.
About Aperture
Aperture, a not-for-profit foundation, connects the photo community and its audiences with the most inspiring work, the sharpest ideas, and with each other --- in print, in person, and online. Created in 1952 by photographers and writers as "common ground for the advancement of photography", Aperture today is a multi-platform publisher and center for the photo community. From our base in New York, we produce, publish, and present a program of photography projects, locally and internationally.
About Fotografiska NY
Fotografiska New York is the new destination for photography and culture, located in a treasured landmarked building in NYC's Flatiron District. The Museum offers an unexpected mix of world-class art, vibrant cultural programming, exceptional dining, music, nightlife and curated retail.


text:
On Digital Terrestrial comes Byoblu, banned from YouTube
by Roda
The broadcaster Davvero TV makes room for the new channel Byoblu, a re-proposition on the digital terrestrial platform of Claudio Messora's YouTube channel.
This week there is a lot of news to tell about the broadcasters transmitting on the digital terrestrial platform, but one is definitely more noisy than the others: a few days ago, at LCN 262, the broadcaster Davvero TV gave way to the new channel Byoblu.
The station started broadcasting on April 25th and since yesterday it has replaced the old logo of Davvero TV with its own, already known to hundreds of thousands of people because Byoblu is nothing else but the re-proposition on DVB of a well-known YouTube channel: the one of Claudio Messora.
A channel that had 525 thousand subscribers but that now doesn't exist anymore, because it was banned and permanently closed at the end of March by Google after 14 years of activity, following three consecutive warnings within 90 days for "publishing contents that violate our rules on misinformation in the medical field regarding COVID-19". Immediately after the ban Messora launched an online financing to buy a channel on digital terrestrial, raised twice the amount needed and, now, Byoblu has arrived on TV and is visible to all in free-to-air with the same schedule already seen on the YouTube channel, which was already a sort of online TV.
Digitale Terrestre: le altre modifiche
The arrival of Byoblu in place of Davvero TV is not the only news of the last few days. In Abruzzo, within the Telemax MUX, La 8 and La 9 have been eliminated and their respective numbers, 76 and 81, are not currently occupied by other broadcasters.
In the Studio 1 MUX, which broadcasts in Lombardy, Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna and Veneto, the broadcaster Giornale Radio TV has changed LCN and the reason is once again the arrival of Byoblu, to which number 262 has been given. Now Giornale Radio TV can be seen in these regions at LCN 268.
New also on Tivùsat
Finally, we report further changes also on the free digital satellite platform Tivùsat. After the arrival of the two MediaSport channels MS Channel and MS MotorTV (at numbers 54 and 55), a few days ago also Horse TV arrived at LCN 444. Horse TV is a channel completely dedicated to the world of horse riding.
At LCN 289 of Tivùsat, instead, Fashion TV 4K has been launched, that is the Ultra HD version of the Fashion TV channel. This channel was the first, in Italy, to regularly broadcast all its programming in 4K resolution, back in September 2017.
Fitbit Premium, the subscription service that helps you lose weight
Galaxy S8, LG G6, Huawei P10 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus, which one to choose
Digital terrestrial comes the new signal: what changes for users
How to deactivate YouTube Premium and YouTube Music
Why you can no longer see Channel 20 on digital terrestrial
Digital terrestrial: how to watch more channels for free
How to find out if your TV is compatible with the new digital terrestrial
New digital terrestrial, what are the costs to be incurred
Digital Terrestrial Fever: Beware of Imported TVs
Digital terrestrial TV: who is entitled to the 150 euro Bonus TV
Digital terrestrial: 3 more regional broadcasters to be retuned
Digital terrestrial, from May 1 the new channel Alma TV: how to see it
Digital terrestrial, when you need to change your TV
Digital Terrestrial, the news at the beginning of May


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Syrian army and its allies on Thursday launched retaliatory attacks against militants on the outskirts of Idlib and Hama, inflicting major losses on them.
SANA's reporter said that Syrian forces destroyed terrorists' dens in the towns and villages of Kafr Nubbul, Hass, Basqala, Hish, Baboulin, Ma'asaran and Khan al-Soboul in Idlib.
In Hama, the forces targeted the positions of the terrorists in the areas of Hasraya, al-Arbain, al-Latamina and Kafr Zita in the northern countryside, the report added.
The areas are located in a planned buffer zone, which surrounds Idlib and also parts of the adjacent provinces of Aleppo and Hama.


For those who like the idea of sculpting but have difficulty working with real clay, polymer clay can bring real joy. Polymer clay is not actually earthen clay. It's made from PVC and is only called clay because of its texture-similar to modeling clay.
One of the things that makes it so fun is that it's available in a variety of rich colors. Metallic and iridescent hues are made by adding mica to the mixture. Kids and adults alike find the clay easy to work with.
The clay is cured by baking at low temperatures, around 230 to 250 degrees. Once cured, it is hard and durable. Layers of uncured clay can be added to the cured product and re-baked with no damage to the cured piece. It should be noted that curing the clay at too high of a temperature can create harmful fumes, but curing at the right temperature will only produce a mild odor. There are also air dry versions of polymer clay.
This clay was developed in the early 1930s as a doll maker's response to the lack of plastic available. Unfortunately the compound did not suit the purpose and the formula was passed on to a friend for the creation of Fimo. Around the mid 1960s polymer clay became popular among artists and other brands, such as Sculpey and Modello, emerged. Polymer clay is often referred to as "Sculpey" clay, although Sculpey is a specific brand.
Because this substance is relatively new to the art world, many artists are still exploring new ways to work with the compound. Polymer clay tools or molds are often improvised. Traditional sculpting tools can be used, but many artists find it a fun challenge to use common household items.
Polymer clay can be used to sculpt many things, including figurines, picture frames, casing for ball point pens, vessels and much more. Bead and jewelry making is also a popular use for the clay. Sculpting with the clay doesn't require very many tools and costs very little to get started so many find this hobby affordable and fun for all.
To get started all that is really needed are a few packages of clay. There are a few items that will make working with the clay easier such as a rolling pin, a craft knife, and wax paper. Kitchen items like the rolling pin, a cutting board, and a cookie sheet to bake the pieces on should not be used again with food, so buy cheap versions to use with the clay. Serious artists may also have a pasta machine and or a clay gun. Those making beads will want to have skewers or needles to create the holes. Craft glue is also needed to bond clay to other materials, such as metal or wood.
Polymer clay is a lot of fun and its possibilities are endless. It is a great alternative to natural clay, less messy and enjoyable for all.
Ashlie Esco has been involved in the arts for more than a decade. Her areas of expertise include scrapbooking, painting, and fiber works. If you would like to learn more about art supplies, including polymer clay, please visit polymer clay, a source of high quality art supplies and information.


text:
Оби-Ван "Бен" Кеноби (57—0. ПБЈ) је лик из "Звезданих ратова", Џедај легендарног статуса. Био је учитељ Анакина и Лука Скајвокера.

У оригиналним епизодама Нова нада, Империја узвраћа ударац и Повратак џедаја, играо га је британски глумац сер Алек Гинис, док га у претходним наставцима (Фантомска претња, Напад клонова и Освета сита) играо га је Јуан Макгрегор. Лик је инспирисан генералом Макабеом Рокурутом, ликом из "Скривене тврђаве"1 којег је играо Тоширо Мифуне (-{Toshiro Mifune}-; јап. 三船 敏郎), кога је Лукас такође разматрао за улогу Кенобија.

Кеноби је рођен 57. ПБЈ и обучаван је за Џедај Витеза од малих ногу. Мало се за о његовој породици, мада, према серији "-{Jedi Apprentice}-", се сећа брата Овена (нема везе са Овеном Ларсом). У новелизацији "Освете сита" је напоменуто да говори са корусантским акцентом, што може упућивати на родну планету.

Jedi Apprentice
Серија књига "-{Jedi Apprentice}-" за млађе читаоце писца Џуд Вотсон (-{Jude Watson}-) се бави периодом Оби-Вановог живота са Квај-Гон Џином. То је период између (отприлике) 44. и 32. ПБЈ, односно од његове 12. до 25. године. У том периоду, Оби-Ван се упознаје са многим Џедајима који ће му бити непроцењиви пријатељи касније у животу. Према овим књигама, рођен је на жутој стеновитој планети Пилегијас. Као мали, нађен је на планети Келхас и предат је реду Џедаја.

Фантомска претња

На почетку "Фантомске претње", Оби-Ван је ученик (падаван) Џедај Учитеља Квај-Гон Џина, са којим је послат на Набу, планету којом влада краљица Падме Амидала. У току мисије, они наилазе на младог Анакина Скајвокера, дечака који има показује огроман потенцијал у владању Силом и жели да буде обучаван за Џедаја. Оби-Ван се не слаже, верујући да је дечак престар и превише емоционалан да би постао Џедај.

Ипак, пошто је његов учитељ погинуо у борби са Дарт Молом, Кеноби из поштовања према њему одлучује да подучава Анакина, што савет Џедаја невољно одобрава, именујући Оби-Вана Џедај Учитељем.

Jedi Quest
Серија књига "-{Jedi Quest}-" за млађе читаоце писца Џуд Вотсон (-{Jude Watson}-) се бави догађајима између "Фантомске претње" и "Напада клонова" и односом између Оби-Вана и Анакина.

Напад клонова
У "Нападу клонова", Кеноби и Анакин су додељени сенатору Амидали након атентата на њу. Кеноби у потрази за тајанственим атентатором стиже на Камино где дознаје за огромну војску клонова која се тамо прави за Републику. Кеноби покушава да ухвати Џанго Фета, плаћеника, али овај побегне на Геонозис са својим клон-сином Бобом. Кеноби креће за њима.

На Геонозису, Кеноби открива заверу звезданих система који желе да униште Републику, предвођени грофом Дукуом. Кеноби је ухваћен након што је послао поруку Анакину. Анакин и Падме долазе на Геонозис да га ослободе, али и они су ухваћени и све троје осуђени на смрт. Погубљење је прекинуо долазак Џедаја са војском клонова под вођством Мејса Виндуа и Јоде. Кеноби и Анакин се сукобљавају са Дукуом, али он успева да побегне.

Ратови клонова
Оби-Ван је постао генерал током Ратова клонова како је то описано у цртаној серији "Звездани ратови: Ратови клонова" и неколико књига и стрипова. Како се види у Епизоди -{III}-, био је члан и савета Џедаја током успостављања Галактичке Империје и пре истребљења Џедаја.

Освета сита
До овог времена, уз свог бившег ученика, а сада партнера и Џедај Витеза Анакина, Кеноби је генерал, широм галаксије признати херој који је извојевао много битака за Републику на челу војске клонова. Кеноби је уздигнут и на ниво Џедај учитеља и дато му је место у савету Џедаја. Такође је познат и као један од највећих бораца сабљом и мајстор -{III}- облика (тзв. -{Soresu}- облика) борбе светлосном сабљом.

Не много пре Битке за Корусант, Кеноби и Скајвокер су водили одред клонова у опсади Спољашњег Прстена, борећи се са Сепаратистима далеко од Централних светова. Стога су били далеког од Корусанта када је Генерал Гривус упао и отео канцелара Палпатина; савет их позива да спасу канцелара када се битка распламсава у орбити изнад Корусанта.

У храбром потезу, пар Џедаја слеће на Гривусов предводнички брод, Невидљива рука, и боре се да доспеју до канцелара. Боре се против Сит господара грофа Дукуа, који онеспособи Кенобија, али га Скајвокер убије. Нажалост, Гривус успева да побегне.

Након што је Гривусово склониште на планети Утапау откривено, савет шаље Кенобија и одред клонова да га убију или ухвате и нападну Сепаратистичке снаге на планети. Након дуге борбе, Кеноби убија Гривуса, али га нападају његове клонске снаге, извршавајући наредбу 66 коју је дао Палпатин, да се убију сви Џедаји. Кеноби успева да побегне укравши Гривусов брод и среће се са сенатором Органом и Јодом на Органином броду, -{Tantive IV}-.

Са Јодом и Органом, Кеноби се враћа на Корусант, где он и Јода убијају клонове преостале у храму Џедаја које је ту довео Анакин Скајвокер, сада господар Сита. Кеноби репрограмира трансмитер и упозорава све Џедаје да се клоне Корусанта, да се разиђу по галаксији и сакрију.

Кеноби и Јода се разилазе да би се супротставили двојици Сит господара, он са Дартом Вејдером (Анакин), а Јода са Дартом Сидијусом (Палпатин). Кеноби је хтео да избегне борбу са својим вољеним учеником, али му Јода одговара да "да се бориш против овог Дарт Сидијуса довољно јак ти ниси".

Кеноби и Скајвокер се сукобљавају на вулканском месецу Мустафар, и учитељ рањава свог ученика одсецајући му преосталу руку и ноге и напушта га на обали реке лаве. Сидијус спашава Вејдера, али он је толико оштећен да му само општа операција и замена многих делова тела спашава живот.

Кеноби се скрива на планети Татуин где га знају као Бена Кенобија. У складу са договором и саветом Бејла Органе и Јоде, помаже у скривању Анакинове и Амидалине деце и односи Лука Анакиновом полубрату Овену Ларсу и његовој жени Беру на Татуину.

Нова Нада
Тридесет и две године након догађаја из Епизоде -{I}-, Кеноби спасава Анакиновог сина, Лука Скајвокера од Тускена док је Лук био у потрази за дроидом -{R2-D2}- који је преносио важну поруку за Кенобија. Пошто он чује поруку, у којој га принцеза Леја моли да однесе планове за Звезду Смрти похрањене у -{R2-D2}--ову меморију на Алдеран, он води Лука са собом да би га научио да овлада Силом и обучио га касније на Алдерану.

Кеноби, Лук и дроиди -{C-3PO}- и -{R2-D2}- крећу на Алдеран Миленијумским Соколом, бродом кријумчара Хана Сола. Пре него што стигну на одредиште, Звезда Смрти уништава Алдеран. Звезда Смрти заробљава Сокола, али Кеноби успева да искључи вучни зрак да би омогућио да побегну.. Док се враћа на брод, пресреће га Дарт Вејдер. Нашавши Леју на Звезди, Лук и Соло је спашавају. Борбом са Вејдером, Кеноби даје прилику Луку и осталима да побегну. Жртвујући своју наду за бег, Кеноби нестаје у тренутку када га Вејдер удара светлосним мачем.

Пост мортем

Кеноби није заиста нестао, већ је његов дух преживео и прати Лука као ментор. Он помаже Луку да употреби Силу да уништи Звезду Смрти.

У Епизоди -{V}-, Кеноби саветује лука да оде у Дегоба систем где ће наћи учитеља Јоду који ће га обучавати. У Епизоди -{VI}-, након смрти Јоде објашњава Луку зашто је крио истину о његовом оцу и открива да му је Леја сестра. Последњи пут се у филму појављује уз духове Јоде и Анакина док гледају Лука и остале како славе пад Империје.

У раној верзији сценарија за последњи филм, Оби-Ван је требало поново да се физички отелотвори .

Кеноби се поново јавља Луку у -{The Truce at Bakura}- непосредно после Ендорске битке, упозоравајући га на инвазију -{Ssi-ruuvi Imperium}--а.

Оби-Ван, Јода и Анакин су се поново појавили пред Луком неколико месеци касније да га упозоре на посаност од Мрачног господара Флинта, ученика Госпе Лумије, наследника Сита. Захваљујући упозорењу, Лук је успео да придобије Флинта, остављајући Лумију без ученика. Ово је последњи пут да је Лук видео свог оца и Јоду, мада се Анакин појавио Луковом нећаку, Џејсену Солоу, деценијама касније у "-{New Jedi Order}-" причама -{Balance Point}- и -{The Unifying Force}-.

Оби-Ван се појавуо Луку пет година НБЈ да га упозори на Џедај принца Кена, унука цара Палпатина, који је постао пион у рукама пуча оркестрираног од стране групе лажних пророка Мрачне стране које је успоставила Царска обавештајна служба.

У причи "-{Heir to the Empire}-" Тимотија Зана, која се одиграва 9. НБЈ, Кеноби се јавља Луку у сну последњи пут и каже му да мора да напусти свет духова о пређе у други свет. Како Кеноби објашњава, од тренутка смрти до тада је његов дух био између живота и друге стране. Његове последње речи су: "Не последњи од старих Џедаја, Лук. Први од нових."

Личност
У младости (у време "Фантомске претње"), одан и посвећени Оби-Ван поседује смисао за хумор и сарказам. Јода каже да осећа Квај-Гонов пркос у њему, али свеједно се ставља на његову страну. Квај-Гон је високо ценио и Оби-Ваново велико знање. Као Џедај витез, био је циничан, мада мудар. Његово скромно и тихо понашање је скривало великог ратника. Пажљиво је премеравао своје поступке у свакој ситуацији, што му је прибавило надимак Преговарач у току Ратови клонова. У оригиналној трилогији, појављује се као драг и помало ексцентричан пустињак из Јундландске Пустаре и чаробњак за оне који не познају моћи Џедаја. Оби-Ван је сачувао своје стрпљење и предосећање, али стекао и врсту храбрости коју је имао као младић – што је можда научио и од свог дрског ученика, Анакина.

Види још и...
 Квај-Гон Џин
 Анакин Скајвокер
 Џедаји
 Сила

Разно
У селу Грабовјец (-{Grabowiec}-) у Пољској једна улица је добила име Оби-Вана Кенобија у априлу 2005.

Напомене
1 – "Скривена тврђава" (-{The Hidden Fortress}-; јап. 隠し砦の三悪人) је филм јапанског редитеља Акире Куросаве (黒澤 明) којем је Џорџ Лукас и посветио "Нову наду" и из којег је црпео поједине ликове и односе (поред овде поменутог Кенобија, и однос ликова Тахеи и Матакичи је био инспирација за дроиде -{C-3PO}- и -{R2-D2}-, а лик принцезе Леје има инспирацију у лику принцезе Јукихиме).

Спољашње везе

Измишљени ликови
Ликови из Ратова звезда
Филмски ликови
Кеноби, Оби-Ван

de:Figuren aus Star Wars#Obi-Wan Kenobi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Iconic Tourist Sites: Odisha's Puri and Konark cannot be overlooked, says Union Minister
Edited By Bikram Keshari Jena Published By Vikash Sharma Last updated Aug 20, 2019 - 9:56 PM
Bhubaneswar/ New Delhi: Odisha's Puri Jagannath Temple and Konark Sun Temple will get 'iconic heritage' tag and as they assume historical importance, nobody can overlook them, said Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of State Tourism Ministers' Conference held in New Delhi on Tuesday, Patel said, "Puri and Konark are such places which cannot be ignored. There might be some problems due to some paperwork and it will be rectified soon."
Patel's statements would allay apprehensions of the people of Odisha as earlier there was a lot of hue and cry after none of the sites in the State found place in the Centre's list of 17 iconic tourism sites.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik had written to the Union Tourism Minister seeking the inclusion of at least two important tourist places of the state in the iconic tourism sites list.
"The Konark Sun Temple, Chilika Lake, Bhitarkanika National Park, Similipal National Park and the Buddhist circuit are some of Odisha's prominent sites. The Sum Temple was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage status in 1984. The pristine Chandrabhaga beach near Konark Temple is among India's best beaches shortlisted for Blue Flag Certification. It makes the destination the most exotic synthesis of the contemporary luxury, traditional heritage and adventure tourism," Patnaik had written in his letter.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs from Odisha and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had also requested Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel to include the Jagannath temple in Puri and Sun Temple in Konark in the list of India's Iconic Tourist Sites.
"The Minister has assured to include Puri, Konark and Bhitarkanika which were earlier not included in the list of iconic heritage sites," said Odisha Tourism and Culture Minister, Jyoti Prakash Panigarhi.