This dress gets its swirling shape from the flowing crêpe fabric and flared silhouette! The piped three-quarter length sleeves in a contrasting colour are additional eye-catching features!
The sizing is so off. Am usually 36/38, bought size 36. But it feels like size 42/44. It is huuuge, not just a bit oversize.
Nice material, but the sizing is off. I ordered in a UK size 6 but it was more of a size 12. I know it's supposed to be a bit baggy (like in the pic), but it was massive and very long on me. Not the look I was after!


The former owner of the Cupid, UniformDating and LoveBeginsAt websites has reported a £11.6m pre-tax loss.
Revenues from discontinued operations dropped to £12.5m in 2014; down from £56m in 2013 when the profitable casual dating sites were sold to a Cupid co-founder.
Despite the losses, shares in CSI, which changed its named from Cupid Plc last December, rose more than 15% on news that the potential distributable reserve to shareholders is "£2m better than expected", at £19m.
Distribution is dependent upon a successful court application to cancel reserves, which is expected to be heard by the end of April. If successful, the decision could could prompt the company de-list from AIM.
In its statement, CSI noted a £6.2m reduction in the gain previously attributed to its sale of its profitable casual dating businesses – including BeNaughty, Flirt, CheekyLovers, WildBuddies, Click&Flirt and QuickFlirt – to Grendall Investments in July 2013 in a £45.1m deal.
Cupid Plc stated at the time its casual dating sites were an "inappropriate direction" for a listed company and sold them to Grendall, a British Virgin Islands-based investment company set up by Cupid co-founder, Maxym Polyakov.
CSI, which has repositioned itself as an investment company, expects the net cash balance in December 2015 will be "approximately £20m, £2m better than the previous forecast" as a result of closure costs and other provisions being £1m lower than expected.
Bill Dobbie, CSI chairman, said: "As stated in our December 2014 circular, the company has now transitioned from an online dating company into a well capitalised investment vehicle.
Last November, Dobbie launched a crowdfunding business called Lending Crowd, which offers investors the chance to lend to UK businesses, along with former Cenkos Securities analyst Stuart Lunn, who was involved in Cupid's 2010 AIM listing.


text:
Q: Use TypeScript class in another JavaScript file after browserify bundling (Gulp build) I read the following question, because my TypeScript class is undefined in antoher javascript file. In the other question M98 said to add a standalone to browserify to use it globaly.
I am new to browserify and typescript also gulp.
TypeScript class:
export class Test {
  static log = function(what: string) : void {
    console.log(what);
  }
}
//export { Test }

Browserify / Gulp Task:
gulp.task('compile-ts', ['clean-ts'], function () {
    var tsFiles = glob.sync(config.js.tsSource);

    return browserify({
        standalone: "tsLib",
        basedir: ".",
        debug: true,
        entries: tsFiles
    })
        .external(["jquery"])
        .plugin(tsify)
        .bundle()
        .pipe(source("modules.js"))
        .pipe(gulp.dest(config.js.tsDest));
});

My typescript class is undefined in my test javascript file, because of that I created another typescript file and add the following:
import {Test} from "./test-file";

export function log(log:string) {
    Test.log(log);
}

I want to use my TypeScript class in a JavaScript file as the following example:
function onLoad() {
  tsLib.log("test"); // I dont want that
  Test.log("test");  // I would like to use this, but it's undefined
}

tsLib.log is a workaround to use my Test class, but I just want to call log as Test.log("whatever");.
Is this possible?
Can anyone give me hint?
Edit:
If I use the TypeScript file without browserify and just use the TypeScript compiler it seems to be working, but I want to understand this issue.
What am I doing wrong?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
INAPPROPRIATE CORNER: Deliciously inappropriate
Got a sweet tooth that's led to you packing on the pounds? Until now there was no cure for that inexplicable chocolate craving a lot of us get. But after seeing these horrific lifesize baby headshand-crafted from white chocolate, there's a good chance you'll never want to touch the stuff again.
Created by Conjurer's Kitchen as a private commission for someone with a taste for the deliciously macabre, they could have at least gone and created a Rice Krispies treat body or something so they weren't so damn unsettling. Well, still unsettling, but at least it's not a beheaded baby.
[Eat Your Heart Out 2012 via Neatorama]
Tokoloshe Research clip 1
This is the first clip from our script development research in Orange Farm for our up coming horror film "Blood Tokoloshi" Check out our crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo at http://igg.me/p/27493?a=124641&i=shlk
CFZ PEOPLE: Olivia McCarthy (my stepdaughter)
Happy birthday my dear
Posted by Corinna at 11:36 AM No comments:
HAVE YOU NOTICED?
Have you noticed boys and girls that even financial disasters have trade names these days? First of all we had the credit crunch, and now – apparently – the American economy is facing the financial fiscal cliff, which threatens to "plunge the world's greatest economy into another bad recession". That makes me wonder whether there can be a good recession, eh culture lovers? A fiscal cliff? Hmmmmm. It'll probably end up like its namesake born somewhere in the third world, trundling on for decades likes some sort of rock and roll Dorian Gray and then eventually whinging about its financial situation until it gets the law changed. Goodness me.
In an article for the first edition of Cryptozoology Bernard Heuvelmans wrote that cryptozoology is the study of 'unexpected animals' and following on from that perfectly reasonable assertion, it seems to us that - whereas the study of out of place birds may not have the glamour of the hunt for bigfoot, or lake monsters - it is still a perfectly valid area for the Fortean Zoologist to be interested in. So, after about six months of regular postings on the main bloggo, Corinna has taken the plunge and started a 'Watcher of the Skies' blog of her own as part of the CFZ Bloggo Network.
Major Bird Conservation Group Urges Ban On Five Sn...
Birdbrain gets six months for stabbing parrot to d...
For Some Feathered Dinosaurs, Bigger Not Always Be...
Raptor persecution in Scotland 2011 – New report
Light pollution not all bad for wildlife – Helps s...
Feathers ripped from bird's backs and gaping wound...
I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN
And so it is saturday once again. My younger stepdaughter is 25 today and is currently sitting with her sister, boyfriend, mother and grandmother in the kitchen, while I toil over a hot keyboard. Today I shall be posting the second 'Gonzo Weekly' newsletter which will be completely different from how I had planned it because I haven't been able to do any interviews this week. I also have just put in an offer on a family of Chinese narrow mouthed frogs, and I hope to have good news on that front...
The news about Rick Wakeman's appearance at an arts festival in Gloucester next year, just gets better and better
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-news-about-rick-wakeman-in.html
The newly released second album by Atkins/May gets more and more fans
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/12/billing-itself-as-collision-between.html
Michael Des Barres has been nominated as having produced one of the coolest songs in the world this year. Go vote for him
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-coolest-songs-in-world-2012.html
Happy birthday to my lovely stepdaughter Olivia
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/12/happy-birthday-olivia.html
Yesterday Thom's poem was about the recent wave of self-immolations in China/Tibet, and it reminded me of a song on a similar theme by a fat hippy that you may have heard of
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/12/im-on-fire.html
Regular readers will have been following the ongoing debate about John and Yoko at the Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus back in 1968. Now my brother-in-law joins the discussion
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/12/whole-lotta-yoko.html
And finally for today, our daily visit to Thom the World Poet
The Gonzo Daily is a two way process. If you have any news or want to write for us, please contact me at jon@eclipse.co.uk. If you are an artist and want to showcase your work, or even just say hello please write to me at gonzo@cfz.org.uk. Please copy, paste and spread the word about this magazine as widely as possible. We need people to read us in order to grow, and as soon as it is viable we shall be invading more traditional magaziney areas. Join in the fun, spread the word, and maybe if we all chant loud enough we CAN stop it raining. See you tomorrow...
The Gonzo Daily is - as the name implies - a daily online magazine (mostly) about artists connected to the Gonzo Multimedia group of companies. But it also has other stuff as and when the editor feels like it. The same team also do a weekly newsletter called - imaginitavely - The Gonzo Weekly. Find out about it at this link:http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/all-gonzo-news-wots-fit-to-print.html
Jon Downes, the Editor of all these ventures is an old hippy of 53 who - together with his orange cat - puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna, his bulldog/boxer Prudence, his mother-in-law, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention the orange cat?
On this day in 1761 Marie 'Madame' Tussaud was born. Tussaud started off her wax museums by taking casts of the heads of French nobility that the guillotine had recently made more mobile during the French revolution. From these gruesome beginnings formed the basis of what is Britain's most visited tourist attraction, seriously I kid you not, more people go to see a bunch of shop dummies with realistic faces than visit the Bakelite Museum, Barometer World, the Shoe Museum and the Gnome Reserve put together!
Three New Arthropod Species Have Been Found in the...
Seeing the World Through the Eyes of an Orangutan
Leatherback turtle caught as bycatch dies in capti...
New blunt-headed snake species discovered in Ecuad...
Sumatran tiger cubs caught on video in Sumatran fo...
And the bride wore... roadkill: Classy but creepy ...
Madame Tussaud's is all well and good, but where can you go if you want to see unconvincing wax models of the cast of Coronation Street during the 70s, Bernard Manning, Jimmy Saville, Les Dennis and 'popular' 60's band The Vegans? Well, Louis Tussauds probably:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw3KQSRBXJk

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Operating Room...#2. BEFORE: A major flooring manufacturer created a new product of resilient, PVC-free flooring targeted to operating rooms and healthcare facilities. Once they got 50,000 sq ft of the flooring manufactured, they decided their product wouldn't be competitive in the marketplace. So, they scrapped the whole product line. STATUS: They approached us, and they accepted our offer on all the rolls of flooring.
BEFORE: "Damon, I have some left over materials in my yard I would like to get rid of in Queens. I've got a bunch of unused granite curbing from different projects that was extra off different projects." - Joseph in New York City STATUS: Joseph accept our offer and now the curbing is for sale.
FUNNY: Dang, apparently we set the price too low on this granite. We sold 17 of the 23 pallets we had in the first 3 days. Oh well, pricing used/surplus materials is an in exact science at best...lol!
repurposedPROJECT: We shipped out multiple rolls to a Virginia contractor "repurposing" the fabric at the US Secret Service headquarters.
repurposedPROJECT: See pictures below of the feature wall behind the bar atMichael Jordan's new eatery that opened last month in Chicagoland.


Premier Insurance Consultants specializes in personal and business insurance. We are your source for auto insurance, homeowners' insurance, commercial insurance, and more. Our agency represents over ten companies for Georgia and South Carolina. From individuals to small business owners, everyone can depend on us for exceptional coverage and prices with the promise of excellent service. To get an insurance quote or to file an insurance claim in Augusta, GA, call our Premier Insurance team today!
Insurance quotes are useful for estimating the rate you would get with a potential carrier. A quote will be more accurate the more forthcoming you are with information. The process of requesting a quote helps by not only providing you with a comparable price point, but also demonstrating how an insurance company handles itself. Choose the carrier that offers the best mix of rates and customer service for you.
Submit your inquiries about our coverage, policies, and insurance quotes through the form below, or just give us a call at 706-251-9295.


text:
UEFA Youth League - UEFA Youth League knockout draw - News
UEFA Youth League knockout draw
The draw set out the ties from the round of 16 to the finals in Nyon.
UEFA via Getty Images
The UEFA Youth League knockout draw set the ties from the round of 16 to the four-team April finals in UEFA's home town of Nyon.
Round of 16 (games played 3/4 March)
Bayern München (GER) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Ajax (NED) v Atlético Madrid (ESP)
Atalanta (ITA) v Lyon (FRA)
Internazionale Milano (ITA) v Rennes (FRA)
Salzburg (AUT) v Derby County (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Liverpool (ENG)
Crvena zvezda (SRB) v Midtjylland (DEN)
Juventus (ITA) v Real Madrid (ESP)
Real Madrid are the only side to have reached this round in all seven editions after Barcelona's group-stage exit; Atlético are here for the sixth time.
Real Madrid are also hoping to become the first team to reach six quarter-finals (they share the current record of five with Barcelona and Chelsea). Benfica could equal the present mark having got through four times.
Real Madrid can equal Barcelona and Chelsea's record of four appearances in the four-team Nyon finals. Benfica (2014 and 2017 runners-up) and Salzburg (2017 winners) also have finals experience.
No teams from Croatia, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands or Serbia have previously reached the Nyon finals.
Liverpool and Derby are hoping to be England's sixth different English quarter-finalist (or seventh if both make it through).
None of last season's final four (Porto, Chelsea, Barcelona and Hoffenheim) have made it through; Dinamo, Lyon, Midtjylland and Real Madrid all lost in the 2019 quarter-finals while Liverpool (to Dinamo), Atlético (to Real Madrid) and Ajax (to Lyon) fell in the round of 16.
Salzburg (2017 champions) are the only former winners left in the competition, having beaten holders Porto on penalties in the play-offs.
Crvena zvezda are the first Serbian team to reach the round of 16.
Atalanta, Derby and Rennes are through on their competition debuts.
Juventus are also in the round of 16 for the first time; Bayern and Inter can make the quarter-finals for the first time.
Quarter-final draw (17/18 March)
1: Internazionale Milano/Rennes v Juventus/Real Madrid
2: Salzburg/Derby County v Atalanta/Lyon
3: Crvena zvezda/Midtjylland v Ajax/Atlético Madrid
4: Bayern München/Dinamo Zagreb v Benfica/Liverpool
Semi-final draw (17 April: Colovray Stadium, Nyon)
1: Winner quarter-final 4 v Winner quarter-final 3
Final (20 April: Colovray Stadium, Nyon)
Winner semi-final 1 v Winner semi-final 2
Draw procedure
The eight group winners and eight play-off victors went into the round of 16 draw, with the first team picked in each tie at home. No teams were seeded and there was no country protection. The winners and runners-up of the same group in the Champions League path could be drawn against each other.
The quarter-final, semi-final and final draws were open. The semi-finals and final will be held at Colovray Stadium, Nyon.
Group winners: Ajax (NED), Atalanta (ITA), Bayern München (GER), Benfica (POR), Internazionale Milano (ITA), Juventus (ITA), Liverpool (ENG), Real Madrid (ESP)
Highlights: Derby 3-1 Dortmund
Play-off winners: Atlético Madrid (ESP), Crvena zvezda (SRB), Derby County (ENG), Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), Lyon (FRA), Midtjylland (DEN), Rennes (FRA), Salzburg (AUT)
Teams from same group
Group B: Bayern & Crvena zvezda
Group C: Atalanta & Dinamo
Group D: Juventus & Atlético
Group E: Liverpool & Salzburg
Group G: Benfica & Lyon
© 1998-2023 UEFA. All rights reserved. Last updated: Friday 14 February 2020


text:
Review: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart—A practical rally car for the streets
Nestled between the standard Lancer and the fire-breathing Lancer Evolution is the Lancer Ralliart. New for 2010 is the Sportback—a versatile cargo-carrying hatchback bodystyle. With many of the accoutrements of a sportscar, the Ralliart Sportback variant is a nice combination of performance and practicality. Plus, with its all-wheel drive system, drivers can use the Lancer Ralliart's athleticism to its fullest in all four seasons.
Pros: Outstanding performance; good practicality; unique but attractive looks; Recaro seats.
Cons: Some chintzy interior bits; thirsty engine; getting in and out of Recaro seat can be difficult
Overall: A rally car for the streets that can not only haul ass, but hauls groceries and cargo, too.
EXTERIOR STYLING: Handsome raciness meets practicality
Even before the Sportback came out, I thought the Lancer was one of the more attractive compact cars on the market. The Sportback maintains its good looks, but adds an interesting twist with its rear end styling. Up front, you get that distinctive shark-like front end, and an attention grabbing hood with a functional hood scoop, which directs air onto the turbocharger. You can also see the intercooler in the lower grille. I like. The Sportback also has great looking 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance ADVAN tires. Its stance is aggressive, too. I can't tell you how many under 30-somethings males ogled this car.
INTERIOR: Part race car, part economy car
The interior of this car works well and yet, has a bit of a multi-personality disorder. There's no denying the practicality: Good cargo capacity thanks to a hatchback configuration. Fold the spacious rear seats down and you've got scads of storage. The optional Recaro front seats are a boy-racer's dream. You sit very low and are hugged by the giant side bolsters. The seats put you in what feels like a race-ready position. However, several people complained about entry/exit with the Recaros, which are much better suited to young, agile bodies than those in their 60s, such as my parents. Plus, due to the maneuvers required to get into the seats, I can see the side bolsters wearing quickly. But, consider me a boy racer: I love 'em.
But there's more to this interior, and not in a good way. There's a lot of cheap feeling items. The vinyl-covered visors look and feel like they came out of a 1989 Mitsubishi Mirage. The climate control system, while easy to use, feels cheap. The radio is very simple—almost too simple—with Bluetooth, satellite radio, regular radio, and CD controls, this system needed more buttons. The interior design is good, practical, and functional. However, it's a bit chintzy. But those Recaros—oh yes.
TECHNOLOGY: Techy drivetrain; amazingly loud stereo
The Lancer Sportback Ralliart features many of the amenities buyers will want inside the vehicle from a tech standpoint: Bluetooth, available satellite radio, automatic climate control, and CD/MP3 player with auxiliary input. Speaking of aux input, the Lancer Sportback Ralliart was the only car I've been in that uses RCA inputs (like the ones on the back of a TV) vs. a standard 1/8" input, like on an iPod. My car was equipped with the optional 710 watt Rockford-Fosgate stereo, which includes a 10" subwoofer. What a stereo! Possibly the loudest factory system I've ever heard, and it sounded awesome.
The Lancer Sportback Ralliart is also packed with drivetrain technology. You get limited-slip front and rear differentials (helical and mechanical, respectively); full-time all-wheel drive; front and rear stabilizer bars, fully independent suspension; selectable All Wheel Control (tarmac, gravel, or snow); and of course the turbocharged, intercooled engine. This is essentially a practical rally car for the streets—and this isn't even the higher-end Evolution model!
ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN Power and sophistication
There's no doubt about it: The 2.0-liter turbocharged/intercooled MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control) engine is a screamer. It's smooth, not the quietest, but racy for sure.
This was my first experience spending time with a twin-clutch geartrain. It's a unique experience. You can place the car in full automatic mode and simply aim and drive the car. You can also put it into the manual mode and change gears with the shifter, or tap the magnesium paddles located on the steering wheel. This is not an automatic transmission you shift manually: This is a Twin-Clutch SST setup (simply put, it's like two manual transmissions put together in one gearbox that is shifted electronically).
There are two modes to choose from in full automatic mode: regular and sport. The sport holds gears in corners, and downshifts for you. However, even in regular mode, it held gears a bit too long for my taste. I couldn't help but think if fuel economy is suffering because of this. In manual "sport shift" mode, however, shifts are quick, revs are matched, and it makes driving fast very easy. During hard acceleration, the combination of the all-wheel drive system and the twin-clutch transmission would make some noticeable clunking while shifting. It should also be noted that drivers can select from three road conditions using a switch near the shifter: tarmac, gravel, or snow. How "rally car" is that? Overall power delivery is smooth, strong, and downright exciting under full throttle.
DRIVING: Fast, fun, and tightly sprung
Make no mistake about it: This car is fast and fun. And with the limited slip differentials, all-wheel drive, and plenty of power on tap, all this performance can be enjoyed all year round. I've seen 0-60 estimates of about 5.5 seconds, which is pretty quick. Off the line, until the car comes into the turbo boost, it does lack a little. But once the boost comes on, hold on! The Sportback Ralliart is also a corner carver. Dare I say unrelenting grip? Plus, the large four-wheel disc brakes are fantastic. This is a very fun, practical car! However, don't expect to save much gas. Rated at 17 city and 25 highway (and drinking premium fuel), this isn't the miserly version of the Lancer. I got the advertised 17 MPG during my week-long stay with the car with 50% city driving.
Ride quality and handling are two different things. While this vehicle's handling is stealer, the ride quality borders on harsh. This car rides extremely stiff and every bump, crack, and imperfection is felt. This is not the car to buy if you're looking for a smooth ride. However, you are rewarded with outstanding grip, handling, and little body roll.
OVERALL: A practical rally car for the streets
There is a high level of performance with this vehicle. However, if I pay $31,000 for a car, I'd like a bit better visors and switch gear inside; the Lancer's economy car roots did show through here.
With that being said, Mitsubishi's Lancer Sportback Ralliart is essentially a practical rally car for the streets. With great performance, admirable practicality, and capable all-wheel drive system, this car is both fun and sensible. It's a head turner, too, especially with the under 30 crowd. If you don't mind the fuel economy and the somewhat cheap-feeling interior, the Lancer Sportback Ralliart makes a lot of sense for those looking for speed and cargo carrying ability.
Labels: Lancer, Mitsubishi, Ralliart, review, road test
nlpnt said...
The $19k (w/manual) GTS Sportback is probably a lot more reasonable proposition. But the options add up fast-and inflexibly! Want a sunroof? It's part of the $1900 "Sun and Sound" package with a premium stereo.
Oh-kayyyy.... But, when you select it, the "Touring Package" (leather seats and some other stuff) is added, jumping the total to $23k.
These are the sort of shenanigans Toyota can get away with, but at the level Mitsubishi's playing at, they need to avoid turning customers off at the online-configurator level.
Oh, and a Lancer DE sedan starts at $15k - this is another pet peeve of mine. Offer the hatchback in uplevel trims only, steering value-seekers to sedans only, then drop the hatch at the next redesign because of a "low take rate". Aargh.
Er...I'd go buy another WRX wagon if I had a choice. I dig the Ralliart front end looks but rear end and price ain't looking to good. :D
Nice review but the Lancer still is a piece of crap.
$31,000 for this vehicle is ridiculous. Aside from the AWD, why wouldn't you get a Mazdaspeed3 which performs better and is made by a better manufacturer. If you NEED AWD, why not get the WRX which also performs better and is cheaper?
As you said, the Mazdaspeed3 isn't AWD and the WRX doesn't come with a quick shift auto. WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) may dictate the need for an auto of some sort. Right now, the Ralliart is the only one that gives the best of both worlds of AWD and an Auto(ish) transmission. The only other AWD's in this price range with autos are the Subaru Legacy which has grown beyond being sporty and comes with an underpowered 4 or a thirsty 6 which costs just as much as the Ralliart and gets the same crappy MPG. Or there's the Suzuki Kizashi which only comes with a CVT in the AWD flavour and boasts a blistering 10+ second 0-60 time (no thanks)


There are particular different types of details that are conveyed extra effectively and obviously via images than by means of definitions and factors by myself: a demonstration may help the reader to imagine the thing denoted via the be aware and to shape an effect of ways within which the items functionality of their personal technical box or in way of life.
A foolish publication with a significant purpose—to support childrens realize, have in mind, and very get pleasure from utilizing a uncomplicated vocabulary of 1350 phrases. Written and illustrated by means of P. D. Eastman—with support from the Cat (Dr. Seuss)—this decades-old dictionary pairs phrases with images that hold their that means, making it uncomplicated sufficient even for nonreaders to appreciate.


On the 14th of November the BENISI project organized its first SIAN Award ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal. It took place during the SI-Live event, which brought together leading social innovators, academics and practitioners to discuss and explore the future agenda for social innovation. BENISI is glad to announce the winner: BeeOdiversity.
The Social Innovation Accelerators Network Award aims at honoring a social innovator who has successfully used BENISI resources during the scaling up process and has the internal capacities to scale up successfully its societal impact. Five finalists had the unique opportunity to present their social innovation in front of a representation of SIAN members. The winner has been elected via a vote of SIAN members and will be able to benefit from exposure of the European Commission communication channels, as from the BENISI network of partners. This results in an extra boost for BeeOdiversity credibility and visibility.
BeeOdiversity Sprl was created in 2012 by four participants of the Executive Master in Management at Solvay. Dr. Bach Kim Nguyen, the project initiator, is a world expert in bees and biodiversity. He is a professor at the University of Liège and a member of numerous national and international committees. Olivier le Hodey, Emmanuel Lion and Michael van Cutsem, who have a business and entrepreneurial background, joined him in 2012. All of them share the same passion for social entrepreneurship. Together, they aspire that BeeOdiversity becomes, through its partners, a company that has a real local impact on honey bees, biodiversity, food diversity and on the society.
BeeOdiversity develops and advises projects which aim at regenerating and preserving biodiversity and bees with an innovative, global and scientific approach. It also strives to involve all the concerned actors and raise their awareness to the issue and the solutions. BeeOdiversity's objective in 2015 is to do so on minimum 10% of the surface of Belgium and to become the main local actor for the preservation of biodiversity with the support of companies, public institutions, individuals, farmers, beekeepers and scientists.
BeeOdiversity grows bee colonies (300 up to now) that it places in different zones in order to develop biodiversity. 1 bee colony pollinates up to 700 ha which represents per year: 4 billion flowers, 1.320.000 kg of [Photo (from left to right): Vincent De Coninck (I-propeller and Coordinator of BENISI), Michael Van Cutsem (Co-founder of BeeOdiversity), Alberto Masetti-Zannini (Development Director Impact HUB King's Cross, Founder and Director Impact HUB Milano)] apples, 800.000 kg of pears, 128.000 kg of cherries, etc. They also propose a sophisticated biodiversity dashboard based on the information gathered by its bees. The dashboard enables BeeOdiversity to monitor the environment and its evolution and to advise on proper measures to be taken for a better ecosystem.
Within BENISI they benefitted from a scale-up coaching from OksigenLab (consortium partner of the BENISI project) to strengthen their business model and societal impact. The organization is making good progress to scale operations in Belgium and in EU countries within the next 12 months.
Michael Van Cutsem, the Co-founder of BeeOdiversity, presented the project in Lisbon and sees the SIAN Award as "a great opportunity to find new partners and meet representatives from the European Commission". "BeeOdiversity has develop a monitoring tool which could offer a good indicator for environmental projects funded by the EU". He also hopes to "scale up further and to have greater impact on the environment". Moreover, Van Cutsem thinks that the SIAN Award "was a very good opportunity to see where we stand" and he is happy to see that "the project has an added value and can really trigger a global change".
BENISI also congratulates the other four finalists, which have contributed to a dynamic exchange of experiences.


text:
Session Updates
2019 End of Session Review
Call of the Senate
A significant win this session was the repeal of the sunset of the 2% provider tax, which is set at a new, ongoing level of 1.8%. The additional revenue from the tax opened opportunities in the budget to make investments in many programs that will improve the lives of Minnesotans, including help for low-income families, improved access to health care for people with disabilities, and funding to build out the state's mental health system.
Senate Republicans had initially proposed significant cuts to services in order to balance their budget without continuing the provider tax. Those cuts included a complete elimination of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), enrollment caps on some medical assistance waivers, and the elimination of all dental coverage for adults on medical assistance. None of these cuts made it into the final bill.
Extends the reinsurance program for two years
Republicans fought hard to block all of the health care reforms proposed by the governor in favor of continuing their reinsurance program. They succeeded in getting a two-year extension of the program, the result of which is that Minnesotans will continue to face the same affordability concerns that exist under the current reinsurance program, and any real market reforms are pushed further down the road (See Commerce for more information).
$100 increase in the MFIP grant
Families on the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) will see a $100 increase in their monthly cash benefit. This is the first increase since 1986.
CCAP program integrity
Inflammatory allegations of fraud in the CCAP program brought it under the microscope this year. Although those claims were not substantiated, the governor proposed several program integrity measures and improvements to make sure the Department of Human Services has the tools it needs to ensure all program dollars are going to the families who need them. The legislation also adds 10 new FTEs to the DHS Office of the Inspector General.
The budget funds the creation of a Child Welfare Training Academy that will provide a uniform, foundational curriculum for all child welfare workers in the state. Better training will reduce turnover and burnout and will set county workers up for success. Also included is an expansion of the American Indian Child Welfare Initiative that moves statutory authority for child welfare services from counties to tribal governments. The funding will support current services and expand the Initiative to two more tribes.
15% Reduction in TEFRA parental fees
TEFRA is medical assistance coverage for children under 19 that have a disability and need a level of care similar to that provided in a hospital or skilled nursing facility. Only the child's income is counted under the TEFRA option, but parents must pay a fee to access the program based on a sliding income scale.
Elimination of the spenddown in FY2023
People with disabilities who have income too high to qualify for medical assistance are currently required to spend down a portion of their income on health care expenses in order to access the program. The current spenddown leaves Minnesotans with disabilities with monthly income equal to just 81% of the federal poverty guideline, well below the income threshold set for people who do not have disabilities. The spenddown is eliminated starting in FY2023.
DWRS competitive workforce factor
A competitive workforce factor starting at 4.7% is added to the disability waiver rate system (DWRS) to help providers of services for people with disabilities pay their staff higher wages. This modification was designed to help reverse the 7% rate reduction experienced by some providers after the state stopped paying for prior rate increases when the federal government declined to match the state's investments, and it makes wages for direct support professionals more competitive.
State funding is extended to replace lost federal funding for children's residential facilities that would otherwise be forced to close, and the state's Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility bed capacity for children is increased by 150 beds. Funding is also provided for adult mental health grants for regional mobile mental health crisis response teams throughout the state.
Comprehensive suicide prevention
A multi-faceted proposal on suicide prevention will be implemented that includes funding for a state-based suicide prevention hotline. The previous state-based hotline shut down last year due to lack of funding.
School-linked mental health grants
Very limited funding for school-linked mental health grants of $1.2 million is included in the first biennium, with increased funding of $9.6 million in FY2022-23.
Statewide Tobacco Cessation Quitline
The Department of Health will contract for statewide tobacco cessation services to replace QUITPLAN Services when it sunsets in March 2020. QUITPLAN is operated by ClearWay MN, a life-limited organization funded from the tobacco settlement.
Arbitrary reduction in the growth trend for managed care
Senate Republicans included a proposal in their HHS budget to find savings by arbitrarily reducing the amount of money health insurance companies receive for providing health care through the state's public programs. The Senate budget reduced funding by 1.6%, despite a lack of evidence that the proposal was fiscally sound.
Any reduction in rates must align with actual cost data or the federal government will not approve it. Due to opposition from DFL lawmakers and the governor, the final agreement includes a reduction of just 0.8%, and it requires that unused funding from the premium security account, used to fund the reinsurance program, be made available to back up the proposal.
The commission is created to look for $100 million in savings from within the HHS budget. The full $100 million in savings is booked in FY2022-23. Funds will be transferred from the budget reserve if the savings cannot be found.
______________________________________________________________________________
POLICY PROVISIONS
New fees on opiate manufacturers
Historic legislation that generates funding to combat the opioid epidemic by raising fees on manufacturers of opiates finally made it across the finish line this year. The Senate passed the legislation in a decisive 60-3 vote in the final hours of the regular session. After the Senate passed similar legislation last year, the Republican-led House refused to take up the bill, leaving Minnesotans to wait another year for this desperately needed funding. With new DFL leadership in the House this year, the legislation was given new life.
The annual registration fee for all pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors is raised to at least $5,000 each year, increasing to $250,000 for those selling the highest quantities of opiates in Minnesota. These new fees will bring in over $20 million each year to fund a comprehensive treatment and prevention effort that will undoubtedly save lives, and it amounts to just a sliver of the skyrocketing profits made by the pharmaceutical companies. Advocates argue that drug manufacturers need to pay their fair share for the harm their products have caused and alleviate some of the financial burden borne almost entirely by taxpayers to address this crisis.
Unfortunately, the bill returned from conference committee without removing the provision to sunset the highest fees in the bill that was included in the Senate proposal and opposed by DFL members. However, the sunset was negotiated to occur at a later date and after a higher amount of money is collected. The sunset is initiated after at least five years and whenever Minnesota receives a combined total of $250 million from any of the active litigation against drug manufacturers or fees collected under the legislation.
The legislation also includes provisions like authorizing health care directives that allow patients to state they do not want to be prescribed opiates, requiring prescribers to check the Prescription Monitoring Program database before prescribing controlled substances, and limiting the quantity of opiates prescribed for acute pain, like pain after an injury or surgery, to a 7-day supply for adults and a 5-day supply for children. Doctors can still write prescriptions for more than the limit if they believe it is necessary, and prescriptions are not limited for patients experiencing chronic pain. (HF 400)
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)
Bipartisan legislation to license key players in the pharmaceutical industry, called pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), unanimously passed the Senate floor on a 67-0 vote in April and was signed into law in May. The legislation authorizes the Minnesota Department of Commerce to license and regulate PBMs operating in Minnesota and requires the companies to disclose certain information about how they conduct business, which will be shared with Minnesotans through public reports.
PBMs contract with health plans to administer their prescription drug benefits. They can decide which pharmacies are in a plan's network, design formularies and preferred drug lists, determine patient co-pays, and pay pharmacy claims for insurance companies. The public and government regulators currently have very little insight into how PBMs operate and how their practices affect the prices of prescription drugs.
Critics of PBMs point to the use of rebates as a reason why the pharmaceutical industry may have a disincentive to keep prices low. PBMs negotiate rebates from the manufacturers in return for agreeing to add or restrict medications on insurance company formularies. Manufacturers can keep raising prices and steering customers to certain medications while PBMs benefit by keeping a portion of the rebates they secure. Licensing PBMs will shine a light on this extremely complex system. It is a crucial step toward reigning in high drug prices.
Licensure makes a strong statement that Minnesotans deserve more transparency at a time when the pharmaceutical industry keeps pointing their fingers at each other over high costs while prescription drugs prices only rise higher and higher. More information will help everyone, from lawmakers to patients, make more informed decisions that will make health care more affordable and put patients first. (SF 278)
Licensing assisted living facilities and protecting seniors
After failing last session to pass critical reforms to protect seniors and vulnerable adults, legislation licensing assisted living facilities and strengthening consumer protections passed in the final days of the regular session. The legislation represents an agreement between consumer advocacy organizations and industry representatives completed after several months spent developing a new system of regulatory oversight that could garner broad support.
This legislation was sparked by a series of horrific stories of abuse and neglect of seniors in assisted living facilities profiled in the media, and the state has continued to receive hundreds of new reports each week in the absence of these reforms. Minnesota is currently the only state in the country where assisted living facilities are not required to be licensed.
The legislation includes a licensing framework that authorizes the Department of Health (MDH) to inspect and fine facilities for violations; includes clarification and strengthening of the rights of individuals living in assisted living settings; and sets new requirements and protections for electronic monitoring (also known as granny cams). It also contains full funding to implement the reforms, including money for licensing and enforcement staff and systems upgrades at MDH and Department of Human Services, 17 new positions at the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care, and new data analysis.
The consumer protections in the bill will give seniors and their families the information and tools they need to receive safe and quality care, including a new assisted living bill of rights, prohibitions on retaliation, and stronger protections against service terminations and evictions that can uproot seniors at their most vulnerable and leave families scrambling. Several DFL senators are concerned that some protections were not included, like the ability to enforce rights through civil action and allowing lawsuits to continue after the person at the center of the lawsuit has died. These ideas are likely to be brought forward in the future.
This legislation is a significant accomplishment; however, the failure of last year's bill under Republican leadership in the House and Senate meant seniors had to wait an additional year for licensure and the crucial protections in this legislation. (HF 90)
Emergency medication administration
The Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board is directed to propose guidelines and legislative changes required for EMTs and paramedics to assist a patient with a rare, life-threatening medical condition by administering a patient's own prescription medication in an emergency.
This legislation was brought forward after two children with rare diseases discovered they could not have an emergency responder legally administer their life-saving medicine during a medical crisis. Under current law, patients generally have to wait for emergency transport to a hospital and then wait for the hospital to dispense a medication from the hospital's own supply. (SF 153)
Reestablishing the parent-child relationship
New legislation allows a parent whose parental rights have been terminated to petition the court to reestablish a legal parent and child relationship if certain conditions are met, including that the parent has corrected the conditions that led to the termination of rights, the child has been in foster care for at least four years, and the parent's rights were not terminated due to egregious harm to the child.
County attorneys are currently the only people who can file these petitions, and their decisions are not subject to appeal. This means children are all too often stuck in the foster care system for many years despite tremendous improvements their parents have made. The legislation will open up the petition process to parents who have worked tirelessly towards rehabilitation, particularly for parents experiencing challenges with mental health and substance use disorder, where the road to recovery may take significant time. (HF 554)
Rare disease advisory council
The Board of Regents at the University of Minnesota will create an advisory council on rare diseases to make recommendations on quality and access to treatment and services for people with rare diseases. Patients and families face challenges raising awareness, accessing resources, and managing care without adequate supports. The council will bring together advocates, experts, and specialists to focus on improving the lives of people with rare diseases. (SF 973)
Facility fee disclosure
Health care facilities are now required to provide notice to patients that a facility fee may be charged prior to delivering non-emergency medical services; notice of the fee must be posted prominently in the facility and online. Facility fees are extra fees that can be charged under federal law by some clinics that are owned by hospitals. These fees often come as a surprise and can significantly increase out-of-pocket costs for patients for even simple or routine visits to the doctor. (SF 131)
HMO conversions
DFL members have been pushing to reinstate the ban on for-profit HMOs in Minnesota despite strong Republican opposition. After a health insurer began transferring millions of dollars to a for-profit subsidiary, lawmakers on both sides started looking for a solution to prevent further transfers. A compromise was developed that extends the moratorium on nonprofit conversions, limits asset transfers to the lesser of 10% of net assets or $50 million, and requires nonprofit health insurers to use their net earnings for the provision of health care for Minnesotans. This agreement is likely to be revisited next session.
Medical cannabis program changes
Changes to the medical cannabis program include the authorization of the use of hemp purchased from licensed Minnesota hemp growers, the use of telemedicine to recertify patients, allowing manufacturers to distribute a 90-day supply rather than a 30-day supply of cannabis products, and doubling the number of distribution sites from 4 to 8.
PROVISIONS THAT DID NOT PASS
Conversion therapy ban
After the Republican Senate refused to discuss a bill to ban mental health professionals from engaging in conversion therapy with minor clients or vulnerable adults, the DFL offered an amendment to add it to the health and human services omnibus bill. Unfortunately, despite some Republican support and clear evidence of the irreparable damage this type of "therapy" can do to young people, the amendment failed. Republicans also succeeded in keeping the language out of the final HHS agreement.
Two proposals to change the way the state treats marijuana failed to become law this year. The bipartisan effort to move the drug from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 in the Minnesota Controlled Substances Act failed. Schedule 1 drugs typically have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use while Schedule 2 drugs do have accepted medical use. The current scheduling of marijuana is in direct conflict with the existence of the state's medical cannabis program.
An effort to add raw cannabis to the medical cannabis program also failed. Supporters said allowing raw cannabis could lower the cost of the program for patients; the proposal would not have allowed patients to smoke the cannabis (See Judiciary for information on the effort to legalize recreational use).
Alec Smith Insulin Act
The Alec Smith Insulin Act to establish an emergency insulin program failed to become law this year, despite broad support. The exorbitant cost of insulin has become a life-threatening barrier to diabetics around the country, and Minnesota had an opportunity to make emergency insulin available through a new fee on insulin manufacturers. The program would provide emergency insulin to those that cannot afford the drug. Despite publicly stating support and amending the program onto the Senate HHS bill on the floor in a unanimous vote, Republican leaders failed to include it in the final HHS budget agreement passed during the special session.
Tobacco21
A bill to raise the age to purchase tobacco products to 21 did not make it across the finish line this session despite support from dozens of health and patient advocacy organizations. Cities and states across the political spectrum have been voting to raise the age all across the country. Numerous studies and surveys lay out a strong case for raising the age to purchase tobacco statewide. Advocates assert that fewer young people would start smoking, making it a smart public health initiative.
The governor's ONECare MN proposal includes a multipronged approach to create comprehensive health coverage options, encourage stability in the individual market, provide consumer choice, address rising health-care costs, and improve the health care experience for all Minnesotans.
ONECare allows Minnesotans statewide to purchase a platinum-level buy-in product offered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services in Minnesota's individual market. This option would have a provider network and benefit set similar to the MinnesotaCare program, including dental and vision benefits and behavioral health services. ONECare options would also be available as silver- and gold-level buy-in products in any region of the state where the individual market fails to provide options. The proposal also includes reforms to dental and prescription drug benefits in Minnesota's public health care programs that would improve access and affordability.
20-week abortion ban
A proposal to ban abortion after 20 weeks failed this session. It would have made violations by physicians a felony and limited exceptions to a narrow set of ill-defined reasons. Civil remedies could be brought by a significant list of people related to the mother as well as health care providers, county attorneys, and the attorney general.
The proposal faced significant opposition from DFL Senators and several medical organizations. Governor Dayton vetoed the same bill in 2011, calling the criminal penalties unconscionable and asserting the bill infringed on a woman's basic right to health and safety. This legislation uses intimidation and fear to prevent physicians from delivering care that is in the best interest of their patients. It does not reflect Minnesota's standard of high-quality, comprehensive care. Medically appropriate care is best determined between medical experts and patients, not politicians. Every pregnancy is different, and adequate medical options should be available for doctors and all Minnesota families so that they may determine what is best for them.
cassiet
2019 End of Session
All DFL Senators
© Copyright 2019 Minnesota Senate DFL


text:
> Arts-Based Interventions for Professionals in Caring Roles During and ...
The Radicalization of Brexit Activists
The Perceived Impact of COVID-19 on Student Well-Being and the Mediating Role of the University Support: Evidence From France, Germany, Russia, and the UK
Exploring the Relationship Between Mental Well-Being, Exercise Routines, and the Intake of Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Comparison Across Sport Disciplines
A qualitative study of the views of patients with medically unexplained symptoms on The BodyMind Approach®: Employing embodied methods and arts practices for self-management
Single Session Art Therapy For Day Patients Receiving Chemotherapy Or Radiotherapy
Art psychotherapy in medical oncology: A search for meaning
Art therapy to reduce burnout in oncology and palliative care doctors: a pilot study
Arts-Based Interventions for Professionals in Caring Roles During and After Crisis: A Systematic Review of the Literature
fpsyg11589744
Final published version, 1.87 MB, PDF document
Dominik Havsteen-Franklin
Megan Tjasink
Jacqueline Winter Kottler
Claire Grant
Veena Kumari
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.589744
Crisis events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can have a devastating effect on communities and the care professionals within them. Over recent years, arts-based interventions have helped in a wide range of crisis situations, being recommended to support the workforce during and after complex crisis but there has been no systematic review of the role of arts-based crisis interventions and whether there are cogent themes regarding practice elements and outcomes. We, therefore, conducted a systematic review to (i) define the arts-based change process used during and after crisis events, and (ii) explore the perceptions of intermediate and long-term mental health benefits of arts-based interventions for professionals in caring roles. Our search yielded six studies (all qualitative). All data were thematically aggregated and meta-synthesized, revealing seven practice elements (a safe place, focusing on strengths and protective factors, developing psychosocial competencies to support peers, emotional expression and processing, identifying and naming the impact of the crisis, using an integrative creative approach, and cultural and organizational sensitivity) applied across all six studies, as well as a range of intermediate and long-term benefits shared common features (adapting, growing, and recovering; using the community as a healing resource; reducing or preventing symptoms of stress or trauma reactions, psychophysiological homeostasis). The ways in which these studies were designed independently from one another and yet used the same practice elements in their crisis interventions indicates that there is comparability about how and why the arts-based practice elements are being used and to what effect. Our findings provide a sound basis and meaningful parameters for future research incorporating quantitative and qualitative approaches to firmly establish the effectiveness of art-based interventions, and how arts can support cultural sensitivity, acceptability and indicated outcomes, particularly those relating to stress and trauma during or following a crisis.
© 2020 Havsteen-Franklin, Tjasink, Kottler, Grant and Kumari. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


A program designed to retrieve and install additional files, when run. Most will be configured to retrieve from a designated web or FTP site. Typical payload includes Spyware and Adware stub launchers.
Applications that send information from your computer to a third party without your permission or knowledge.


text:
var mongoose = require('mongoose')
  , shortid = require('shortid')
  , moniker = require('moniker');

var userSchema = mongoose.Schema({
  username: String,
  password: String,
  emails: [{
    address: String,
    token: String,
    confirmed: {
      type: Boolean,
      default: false
    }
  }],

  phone: [{
    number: String,
    token: String,
    confirmed: {
      type: Boolean,
      default: false
    }
  }],

  alerts: {
    text: {
      type: Boolean,
      default: false
    },
    email: {
      type: Boolean,
      default: false
    }
  },

  watching: [{
    ccn: String
  }]
});

userSchema.addEmail = function(email, callback) {
  this.update({
    $push: {
      'emails': {
        address: email,
        token: shortid.generate(),
        confirmed: false
      }
    }
  }, callback);
  // TODO: send confirmation email here.
};

userSchema.removeEmail = function(email, callback) {
  this.update({
    $pull: {
      'emails': {
        address: email
      }
    }
  }, callback);
};

userSchema.changeEmail = function(from, to, callback) {
  this.removeEmail(from, function(err, result) {
    if (err) {
      return callback(err, null);
    }
    this.addEmail(to, callback);
  });
};

userSchema.addPhone = function(phone, callback) {
  this.update({
    $push: {
      'phone': {
        number: phone,
        token: moniker.choose(),
        confirmed: false
      }
    }
  }, callback);
  // TODO: send confirmation text here.
};

userSchema.removePhone = function(phone, callback) {
  this.update({
    $pull: {
      'phone': {
        number: phone
      }
    }
  }, callback);
};

userSchema.changePhone = function(from, to, callback) {
  this.removePhone(from, function(err, result) {
    if (err) {
      return callback(err, null);
    }
    this.addPhone(to, callback);
  });
};

userSchema.plugin(require('passport-local-mongoose'));

module.exports = mongoose.model('User', userSchema);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Chapter 347: Silver's Farewell
I'm Really Not the Demon God's Lackey Chapter 347: Silver's Farewell
"Also… It doesn't matter whether he was crazy or sane. Now, no one would stand for that truth and no one would be willing to believe it. That period of history has long been reduced to ashes without even a chance to sugarcoat it."
Lin Jie crossed his arms as he usually did and sighed. "The former kingdom and its people have long faded. Even Candela's soul has perished forever, leaving only a blurry memory. Regardless of the case, a king who slaughtered his own people and destroyed his country would always be viewed as a lunatic."
When they had first met, Candela hadn't even bothered to refute and just directly acknowledged that he had gone insane and was the source of the so-called 'Great Pestilence'.
It was probably because once the truth was revealed, the Ancient Elven Kingdom, which was a beautiful symbol in various myths and legends, would instantly crumble and appear as an evil, terrifying, weak, and selfish existence.
Presumably, Candela didn't want his kingdom to be viewed this way in the eyes of those that came after.
Unfortunately, since there wasn't any record of such a possibility in the resources provided by the Truth Union, this probably meant that... the vestigial clans that knew the truth hadn't defended Candela at all.
The sins of the kingdom's people were ultimately borne solely by their king.
Lin Jie couldn't help recalling how Candela had repeatedly emphasized that everything that happened was all because of his own sins.
Because of his arrogance, he had gone crazy looking at the gods. He was the one that slaughtered his people and the one who destroyed Alfords. Therefore, he did not desire redemption, nor did he feel that he could atone for his sins. Instead, he was willing to endure endless torture.
But if he had never gone mad, what was it that had bound him, tortured him, and exiled his soul?
Perhaps… it was just the guilt he felt.
As the king of this kingdom, failing to protect this land and its people was his sin. Candela blamed it on his own incompetence and thus felt that the culprit and cause of everything had been himself.
Or perhaps, the memories of Candela, who was trapped in the sword for eons, had long faded. All that remained was eternal guilt and the words of the outside world that labeled him a sinner.
And eventually, even he believed that.
It must have really been utterly miserable...
Silver said in a hushed voice, "'The Exile', Candela, was trapped in the sacred sword that killed him because of his obsession—in fact, the one that exiled him was actually himself all along."
Lin Jie silently summoned the sacred sword from his own dream realm and placed it across his knees. Brushing his fingers across the sharp blade, Lin Jie uttered, "But he was a good king."
There wasn't any reaction of the sacred soul. The resentment accumulated for tens of thousands of years had dissipated along with Candela's soul back then. All that remained was an icy cold weapon that nat


Car repair can cost a lot of money, and it's always tempting to save by doing work at home, especially when it comes to body work. Repainting your car is not challenging, but learning how to blend paint patches on a car takes some effort. With the right tools and enough patience, you can get your car looking good as new.
Sand the area to be painted with a rough sandpaper. This will remove any grit and paint scratches so that your blending job will go on smoothly. After you have finished sanding, wash the area with a wax-free car cleaning fluid and rinse thoroughly.
Dry the area with a cotton cloth.
Cover up areas of the car that will not receive paint with newspaper and masking tape. If you're working on a small area, tape off the surrounding areas. If you're working on a large area, such as the hood, tape over windows, windshields and hood ornaments. Leave an overlap of three inches between the area to be blended and the car's surface; you will blend them once the paint has dried.
Apply the automotive paint to the area using a spray can, working the can back and forth across the area. If you're working on a large area, consider renting a spray gun. Check the paint can to see how long you must wait between coats of paint. A typical wait time for automotive paint is 15 minutes.
Apply additional coats in this manner until you are satisfied with the color. For enamel paints, three coats should suffice; if working with lacquer, six to eight coats should do. Leave the paint to dry overnight.
Spray an equal number of coats of clear coat on the area in the same manner as you applied the automotive paint. Leave the car to dry for up to two days.
Immerse 1,500-grit wet sandpaper in a bucket of water. Remove the wet sandpaper from the water and rub across the surface you've just repainted in long, fluid strokes. The sandpaper will remove any bumps, paint flecks and impurities in your paint job and will blend the new paint in with the old. Work over the entire affected area with the wet sandpaper, re-wetting the sandpaper as often as needed. After you have gone over the area in 1,500-grit wet sandpaper, change to 2,000-grit wet sandpaper and repeat the process. Wash the car to remove all paint chips.
Examine your car under natural sunlight. If you still see a difference in the color of the paint patches, wet-sand the area again.
Apply a wax-based polisher to the blended area to restore the natural shine of your car's finish. The patches should be fully blended with the rest of the paint job.


text:
So - What's Next For You?
So - we made it to the end of the year.
I hope last year was all that you wanted - and needed - from your present life.
We often think that the new year is a time to recycle all those old resolutions.
I think this can be a mistake.
Because we then send a message to our brains that goals and ambitions are to be confined to January - and forgotten when the year gets under way!
The time to make resolutions is every day.
Just five minutes in the morning - say at nine o clock - spent making a short list of the things that are important to you - bearing in mind the long term, as well as the short, will pay huge dividends when it comes to reviewing your progress towards your dream life.
Year's end is really only a time to ask: Am I living my dream life?
And if not, what can I do to make that happen by the end of next year?
Usually any kind of success these days implies self promotion...
Writers are often expected to self-promote, either through social media, personal appearances or via TV and radio.
This can be tough for many, more insular writers - actually like me.
I may look confident in my videos but it's really just an illusion created by editing and post production.
At least it does prove that you can be introverted and still make the media work for you.
Actors and comedians often seem like extroverts - but this too can be an incorrect assumption.
Performing is a skill that even the most shy writer can accomplish with enough practice - and indeed may become an essential component of a writer's career if we want success in this modern, sound bite, glitz driven age.
Besides which, it's about pushing ourselves, isn't it?
With every new writing project we want to improve, to stretch ourselves just that little bit further.
This should also apply I think to other areas of our lives.
Self-help gurus always talk about the need to get outside of our comfort zones in order to grow.
And what could be more outside a writer's comfort zone than performing, acting and even speaking?
It's rare that any of us like the look or sound of ourselves on film.
Even Johnny Depp says he can't watch himself on screen!
But I think it's important to overcome these things - in much the same way we need to overcome any kind of social anxiety in order to successfully interact with other people - especially people that can help us.
Think of performing as a writer as a necessary evil...
I hate pitching my work in person, an increasingly often occurrence.
To be honest I find the whole idea of relating written material in verbal form to be slightly odd, even distasteful sometimes.
I mean, why should writers be considered the best orators of their work?
They rarely are.
And how do publishers, producers and agents have the audacity to turn down ideas without even taking the merest glimpse at our writing?
I could be Shakespeare and these people would never know - just because they didn't think Romeo and Juliet had sufficient 'legs' as a viable idea.
It's a crazy new system.
To me, it's a thinly veiled insult to writers, really.
It's basically saying that the writing is unimportant - anyone can do that - it's the idea that must sell itself.
Good in principle but I am offended by the unwillingness to even ask the question, Oh, by the way, can you actually write?
These days, the writer is often considered a necessary evil - and not always necessary at that.
I heard an artist friend complaining the other day when he suggested to a millennial they should read a book.
"Oh, yeah," the kid said. "I know books. They're like websites made of paper, right?"
All the best for your own writing projects this year!
Labels: resolutions, self promotion, TV writing
The Times They Are A'Changin...
It seems the longer time goes on, the more traditional publishers are shutting their doors to new authors.
Writers I speak to are getting their manuscripts back sooner and more frequently with those customary rejections these days, even if they've had publishing deals in the past.
Anyhoo, where I live, South Australia has more than its fair share of successful writers - Sean Williams, who writes Star Wars novels, for one.
DM Cornish, whose Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy has a Hollywood option.
My wife, Robyn Opie, is the author of 85 internationally published books.
Janeen Brian is the proud author of 75 picture books, the list goes on.
Wannabe professional writers should find this encouraging.
Of course a lot more writers find success online these days, being independent and carving a niche as an authorpreneur.
My subscribers often complain about how long it takes to gain some traction as an independent author.
But don't forget it's never been easy to gain traction as an author, even with a publishing deal.
The average author has always needed to write around five to fifteen novels before they might earn enough to live on.
And that's assuming they're writing the kind of books a lot of people want to read!
The majority of authors have always struggled to get by - so nothing has really changed, except now we can at least get paid for books we sell monthly.
But anyway, we get so wrapped up in our own issues, we often forget the real purpose of life: and that is to help each other.
It's sometimes hard to grasp what this actually means.
Does it mean volunteering at a shelter or involving yourself in community projects?
It might.
Does it mean coaching your local kid's soccer team or organizing garage sales to raise money for the needy?
These are the more obvious manifestations of charity and giving.
Sure, they can smack of unpaid work and a necessary short term duty.
I prefer to think of "giving" as a vocation that we can all participate in - all the time - in our own way, using our own personal talents.
Rich businessmen, for instance, might find their real purpose is to give back to the community by using some of their money to fund humanitarian causes... some do.
In a perfect world, lawyers and doctors would spend at least some of their time working for free (we can dream)...
Working people can, through little acts of kindness, make the day easier and more pleasant for everyone around them...
But what can artists, writers and musicians do?
It's rare that artists have much spare cash - and time away from their work is a luxury few can afford.
I would argue that the most an artist can give is to focus on his or her art.
The more artists work on their projects, the more they are giving - to the community, to the world at large.
The act of creating is the greatest gift we can give to each other, to the Universe, to whatever you conceive of as God.
Because art can bring light into the darkness, true understanding, and joy into the hearts of us all.
What better gift could a person hope to offer?
It's scientifically proven that happiness can make a person stronger, more resilient, more ambitious, a better, more giving individual.
Plus, like the endless Mobius strip, being a better, more giving person can make us - individually and collectively - happier.
Happiness is apparently infectious.
Viral, if you like.
You might think that my wife and I are a couple of old hippies.
We live on the land, trying to build a forest and save the local wildlife.
We work on artistic projects as the mood takes us, and enjoy the benefits of working on books, film and music, and getting paid for being "arty-types."
Some people think we're strange and aloof.
But actually we like to think of ourselves as just slightly ahead of our time.
We believe that, as a culture and a civilization, we are on the brink of a new era of 'Universal Consciousness'.
A time when materialism and technology merge with a new spiritual awareness of ourselves and our place in the cosmos.
We're looking forward to a time when greed and self-interest become less important for the majority.
A time when focusing on compassion and responsibility will literally change our view of reality and help us all to become 'new millennial citizens' of our planet.
We see subtle changes in consciousness everywhere - and you might argue that's because we want to see them, even if they're not really there.
I don't agree.
Personally, I've always believed that true happiness and personal creativity are inextricably linked.
Whenever I speak with people who are unhappy and unfulfilled, I always try to discover the central cause.
Underneath all the surface reasons like perceived poverty, workplace angst, family problems and esteem issues, there is always a spark...
A little fire that knows instinctively we would be much happier if we were free - and had the time - to simply CREATE.
More and more people are seeing the light of that fire and following their passions - whether that's by starting their own craft businesses, or painting for pure pleasure, or writing on the vague promise of eventual success.
I always encourage people - especially writers, musicians and film makers - to follow their instincts and simply do what their heart is pushing them to embrace.
Because I believe only through creativity - which spawns real fulfillment, true happiness and a more spiritual understanding of the human condition - can we hope to repair the ills of this world and manifest ourselves as the true noble citizens of the universe we've always been destined to become.
Make time today to reflect on these important issues.
By doing so, I believe you can begin to make a real difference to your own life - and by extension, everyone else's - and this year, now.
On that note, you most definitely need to...
THIS WEEK'S WRITER'S QUOTE:
"You need a certain amount of nerve to be a writer." Margaret Atwood
Labels: christmas, TV writing, universal consciousness


Not only does the Chicago native Paul Oakley Stovall sing, dance, and act, but he writes plays, too. This weekend at Goodman, the quadruple-threat presents the local debut of a dramedy that hits close to home—Hyde Park, to be exact, where a family's delicate equilibrium is rocked by long-closeted secrets. After Saturday's opening-night performance, Stovall sticks around for an audience talkback with the Tony-winning actress Phylicia Rashad, who directs the limited run.
The dancers don't get off easy during Hubbard's summer series. The company's premiere of the dance physicist William Forsythe's 1993 Quintett features uncompromising, nonstop movements that are so complex they appear to have been directed from HTML. It's an endurance test—but it pays off.
This fest shines a light on indie and experimental shorts, docs, and features, many of which are otherwise un-seeable. And speaking of the un-seeable: The week-long series kicks off Thursday with The Fourth Dimension, a three-part film by a trio of directors, Harmony Korine included, who individually attempt to show that otherwise invisible place where space and time meet.
This Friday, the jazz pianist and 2010 MacArthur Fellow honors, reinterprets, and casts anew the legacy of Fats Waller, a pioneer of the "stride" piano style. He's backed by a band of jazz contemporaries including the bassist Tarus Mateen and the drummer Nasheet Waits.
The formula for this fest, presented by Two Brothers Brewing Company, is wonderfully simple: Local brews plus bands—including The Jayhawks on Saturday—equals fun.
Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like: Sara Chapman, the executive director for Media Burn, a Chicago-based independent film and video archive, which also happens to hold the world's largest collection of Studs Terkel-related moving pictures. On 6/2 at the Chicago History Museum, Media Burn presents part one of its Studs Terkel Film & Video Festival, with footage ranging from segments of the Studs's Place series to clips of the legendary interviewer as an interviewee.
I typically spend my weekend seeing as many movies as possible. This Friday, Doc Films at the University of Chicago is showing Inglourious Basterds, which is the last screening of its [spring 2012] Quentin Tarantino series. I hadn't seen a lot of his movies since high school, and it's been a great opportunity to revisit a director who really is as good as his great reputation.
Most of the day Saturday, I'll be working at the Studs Terkel Film & Video Festival. The first screening, At Home With Studs, is at 10 a.m., and it's original footage of him with the director [and Media Burn's founder] Tom Weinberg. Studs is chatting, drinking, and talking about baseball, so it's an opportunity to feel like you're really hanging out with him.
On Sunday, I'll head to the Chicago Underground Film Festival. It's hard to anticipate what will be good there—most of the directors aren't famous. But it's worth checking out whatever movies they're showing because there won't be another chance to see a lot of them.
WGN's sky-watcher Tom Skilling predicts morning clouds will give way to pleasant skies this Saturday, when he'll be a guest of honor at this eco-themed bash, hosted by Chicago Botanic Garden. The festivities include sustainable gardening demos, the dedication of the new Grunsfeld Children's Growing Garden, and a talk during which a panel of experts—Skilling included—discuss the relationship of Chicago's weather with its environment.


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El Museo Minero de Lebu es un museo público chileno ubicado en la comuna de Lebu, capital de la provincia de Arauco. Es de propiedad de la Municipalidad de Lebu y administrado por su Oficina de Cultura. Es junto al Museo Histórico de Lota los dos museos dedicados a la minería del carbón de piedra en la Región del Biobío, en la denominada «Cuenca del Carbón». Su sede se encuentra en la Mansión Errázuriz, en el sector de Boca Lebu, la cual a su vez está emplazada dentro del Jardín del Carbón, un parque urbano frente a las costas del océano Pacífico. La entrada es de acceso gratuito.

Historia
Inaugurado en 2003 como una iniciativa de la empresa Carbonífera Victoria de Lebu (Carvile), filial adquirida por la Empresa Nacional del Carbón entre los años 1975 y 1976, mediante un decreto emitido por la dictadura militar. La compañía era propietaria de la «Mansión Errázuriz», edificio sede del museo, quienes lo restauraron y remodelaron para tales propósitos. En 2008, la empresa donó la propiedad para fines culturales a la Ilustre Municipalidad de Lebu, la cual se hace cargo de la administración del museo. Dicha casona, data del año 1884 y fue construida para Maximiano Errázuriz Valdivieso, político conservador y empresario dedicado a la explotación minera en la zona.

Colecciones
La colección permanente del museo alberga una serie de piezas, en su mayoría donadas por los familiares de mineros del carbón para su conservación y restauración, sobre las actividades mineras carboníferas iniciadas en el siglo XIX en la comuna, principalmente impulsado por la llegada de los marinos e inmigrantes británicos (Mackay), en asociación con algunos criollos de origen vasco (Urmeneta y Errázuriz).

Dentro de las colecciones destacan las herramientas e indumentarias de los mineros, una colección histórica de fotografías de las labores asociadas, además de una réplica de una mina subterránea de carbón. Asimismo, en los jardines del museo se encuentran tres ollas de hierro de gran tamaño empleadas por los cazadores balleneros de la zona durante los siglos XVIII y XIX.

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 Museo Minero de Lebu en Facebook

Minero de Lebu
Lebu
Lebu
Minero de Lebu

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Since our beginning, one of the pillars of the Therm-a-Rest philosophy has been to make what we sell.
Between our company-owned manufacturing facilities in Seattle, USA and Cork, Ireland, the vast majority of our sales world-wide come from products that have been built by Therm-a-Rest employees.
This unique commitment allows us to develop new technologies and prototypes quickly, without waiting for a shipment from some far-off factory. It also allows us to maintain far greater quality control than could ever be achieved when someone else is building your product in another factory. The result is more innovative and longer lasting products that you can rely on.
Another one of our pillars is to use the best materials we can make or source for our finished products. Sometimes this means U.S.A., but we face major challenges since the broader market has driven entire industries from the U.S. This often leaves us without options that meet our quality standards, supply demands, or simply no domestic choices at all. The solution to maintaining our quality then can be a reliance on global sourcing for things we build in Seattle.
That's while you'll often see "Made in the U.S.A. of U.S. and Imported Materials" on our U.S.-manufactured products, providing you transparency into the manufacturing and sourcing of our products in all situations.
In addition, we operate our European hub of manufacturing in Midleton, Ireland. Just as in the U.S., this company-owned facility allows us to maintain the utmost quality control and standards for the products we sell into the EU.
Finally, domestic production allows us to offer the best service possible. When you call us, you talk to someone who knows our products inside and out and is motivated to ensure your complete satisfaction. Repairs are made on-site, often by people who have made the products from scratch, and they are made with the same tools, technology and raw materials that go into making our products every day. That kind of service, combined with a limited lifetime warranty, means Therm-a-Rest products provide more than just unbeatable comfort; they provide peace-of-mind.
The choice to keep as much of our production in-house as possible is an intentional one that we have been passionate about since 1972. When your goal is to provide the most reliable and innovative outdoor comfort products available, there simply is no other way.


The days are getting shorter, the temperature is dropping and the kids are heading back to school. The approach of autumn means that winter is just around the corner. The question is – is your home ready? Break out your checklist and let's run through five key maintenance tasks that will get your home prepared to face the winter.
Unfortunately, the arrival of winter means that the patio has to be closed up for the season. It's time to get chairs, tables and other furniture covered up or stored if you have space. The BBQ will also need to be covered or moved off to the shed or another dry area.
Next, take some time to inspect your windows for drafts, leaks and other issues. This can be as easy as shutting them tight on a windy day and using your senses to determine if any air is leaking in. Depending on where you live in the country, you might need to do some additional work on your windows to get them prepared for the cold.
Unless you have a garden full of robust, cold-loving plants, it's likely that you will see most of them die off as we move from autumn into winter. Spend some time turning down your gardens and other areas. This can help to move nutrients into the soil where they'll be ready to nourish new plants in the spring.
If you haven't used it in a few months, now is the time to fire up the furnace and check the home's heating system. The last thing you want is to discover that your home isn't heating on the first cold night!
Last but not least, don't forget to check your roof for any damage or areas that might be prone to leaking. You will also want to check the gutters to ensure they are clear of debris. Keep in mind that this does involve climbing up a ladder and physically inspecting these areas. If you're not good with heights or don't own the proper equipment, don't sweat it. Give a professional roofing team a call and have them handle the inspection instead.
The better your home is prepared for winter, the less likely you are to have a nasty surprise waiting for you in the spring. If you would rather upgrade or check out a newer home than try to winterize yours, contact your local real mortgage professional to get started.


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Over the past several years there has been a political war on gunsOver the past several years there has been a political war on guns
Over the past several years there has been a political war on guns. Every day you turn on the television and see innocent lives being take away in churches, schools, malls, movie theaters it is a major problem in our country and there has to be a solution. America needs to come together and find a way but, in all honesty, the only way to get it done has to ban assault weapons. There is a difference between having a hunting rifle which can be used to kill as well but however it makes things way more complicated for someone to commit a crime with a hunting rifle or a knife. Than owning a fully automatic AR-15 or a street sweeper shotgun that can hold 36 rounds. Americans should not have the right to carry military grade weapons there is no need for it. People have the right to feel safe but how can you feel safe if everyone is carrying a handgun or owns an automatic rifle. In recent years gun violence has gotten out of control and Americans need a solution but there are many things tying into gun control such as mental health, NRA, background checks, and weapon responsibility. Many Americans believe that mental health is majority of the cause for mass shootings.
"Even among the 1 percent of the U.S. population with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, it is rare to find people who are a risk of harm to others or at risk of acting violently. Despite the widespread belief that a person with serious mental illness like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia can be dangerous, "a small percentage of people with a mental illness committed in a given year in the U.S. are committed by people who have been diagnosed with commonly cited mental illness of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression." Also, these conditions are rather strongly associated with increased risk of suicide, not homicide. Furthermore, risk of violence among severely mentally ill only come from people who are using an illegal substance"(Arash Javanbakht). So how can u measure some one's mental stability if they have never committed a crime or displayed any actions of violence. In 2013 there was a mass shooting at a movie theatre in Colorado by a person named James Holmes who was a highly intelligent individual with no mental illness or criminal background shot and killed 12 people and injured 70. This is an example making measuring someone's mental illness is very hard to do and someone's actions are unpredictable. someone can one day just snap and go out and purchase a weapon very easily. Another example of a weapon being put in the wrong hands is a Navy veteran named Aaron Alexis. The veteran was given an honorable discharge, according to navy officials it was due to behavior concerns. About a month before his shooting crime he tried to get help from twice from the department of veteran affairs regarding psychiatric issues. On September 13th Alexis was stopped from buying n assault rifle but however he was able to buy a pump shotgun and passed several local background checks. With that pump shotgun on September 16th 2013 he killed 12 people in a naval yard. This is an example of a man who clearly sought help but didn't get it even as a veteran of our military. Also, a big problem with our country he couldn't purchase an assault rifle but was able to buy a shotgun Another example of background checks failing to keep guns out of the wrong hands is a shooting involving a man named Jared loughner. He was arrested for possessing a drug called paraphernalia but later on the charges were dropped. Loughner also tried to enlist in the marines but he failed to pass the drug screening. But however, these issues regarding him did not keep him from purchasing a weapon. On October 2010 he was kicked out of his college because campus officials were concerned for their safety for students and staff according to his family. This incident did not show up on the background check meaning he was able to purchase a small handgun in Arizona and ended up killing six people at a local grocery store This is a huge example of how todays background checks need to be re worked and any sign of negative behavior should prevent people from purchasing any type of firearm.
Now some mass shooters are sometimes kids and a part of this can be the blame on parents for instance the Newtown Connecticut preschool shooter was in fact mentally ill. His mom knew that and understood that and still purchased Adam Lanza assault rifles and fire arms now this is a pure display of ignorance and irresponsibility by the mother. This can make the argument that Americans still need weapons but just not the mentally ill. This goes back to my one point that assault weapons can still always go into the wrong hands. Mentally ill individuals can still have access to these firearms from someone selling them a weapon under the table or a family member buying it as a present. This can make the background checks difficult to solve anything and doesn't keep guns out of the wrong hands. They just cannot sell weapons to you because your son or significant other has symptoms of depression and might steal it to commit mass murder. Therefore, the background process has flaws and appears to be another way the NRA can put the blame on. It doesn't seem necessary for someone to own assault rifles and shotguns or even be allowed to obtain a home armory there is no reason. We no longer live in a country where we need to fight tyranny against another country, we have police, national guard, FBI, CIA and on top of that a powerful military. The amendment right to bare arms is out dated and needs to be either re worked or taken away. The amendment states "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed-1789." We are still going off of a document written in 1789 when we were fighting against tyranny and is part of the first ten amendments contained in the Bill of Rights. It is completely out dated and people like to justify and cling to those laws when it was a different time period and a law written 200 years ago. America has come a long way since then we are at peace now America is not being taken over in anyway.
Other countries such as Australia have incredibly strict gun laws after the "Port Arthur massacre, all six Australian states agreed to enact the same sweeping gun laws banning semi-automatic rifles and shotguns weapons that can kill many people quickly the act was a Australian program to buy back firearms and tighten rules on gun ownership has prevented an estimated 16 mass shootings over two decades. The Australian buy back law was enacted in 1996 after a mass shooting in which 35 people were shot and killed and 23 injured at a cafe in Port Arthur, Tasmania. The attack disgusted Australians, who supported the new laws and turned in more than 1 million illicit firearms. Two buyback programs and 26 uncompensated amnesties between 1996 and 2015 resulted in the surrender of 1,038,089 illicit firearms, according to the Australian government." (Maggie Fox)
After 1 violent gun incident Australia completely got rid of automatic rifle and deadly weapons designed to kill multiple people. And they are doing just fine relying on authorities handle crimes and also their military. Unlike in America it seems almost endless mass shootings keep happening and America fails to do the right thing and ban assault weapons. How many innocent teachers, kids, family members do we have to lose in this "great country" for people to realize that weapons are the issue. It's just sad that gun owners or the NRA would rather see mass shootings continue everyday it seems like and keep their guns that are probably collecting dust anyway than give it up even. Many people also say they need it for self-defense but yet who stopped any mass shooters in America by carrying a concealed weapon? And in fact, concealed weapons are a huge problem that just fuel the fire. If you want to have a permit to carry you are going to have to put in a lot of commitment. Making sure that you don't harm others with proper training. In case you're starting to get hid convey is PITA that requires huge responsibility. Not shooting somebody you shouldn't shoot in the ordinary procedure of putting away and dealing with your weapon is only its half. The other half isn't shooting the wrong individual on the off chance that you do utilize your firearm. Or on the other hand shooting the ideal individual in the wrong place. There are many approaches to mess up a firearm battle. Preparing is the best way to limit your potential slip-ups. I'm not looking at stopping and shooting a firearm at a paper target. For instance. In a gunfight, the primary best hit wins. Rationale says you must really get your firearm out from your holster, in your grasp and pointed the correct way. So, for what reason aren't all these disguised concealed people practicing their draw? I can't seem to see a regular citizen working on drawing their concealed weapon from a holster at the American guns school. In case you're not going to Anything worth doing is worth doing the correct way and in case you're not set up to do the concealed carry with knowing how to really utilize it, given the dangers, possibly you shouldn't and no one should be allowed to carry weapons it seems to just cause more harm than good.
Another thing making it difficult on our country from creating a solution is the NRA. The NRA strikes fear in politicians because of the amount of money that they have because when politicians go against the NRA they funnel millions of dollars against them and in fact in 2016 the overall revenue of the NRA was about 433.9 million dollars. They are most powerful interest group in the country. According to a New York times article "The NRA went all in for Trump in 2016, spending more than $30 million to back his candidacy. That's more than the NRA spent on all of its races combined presidential, House and Senate in the 2008 and 2012 election cycles, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. There were a number of reports about efforts on Torshin's behalf to connect with Trump's team in 2016, in some instances via the NRA. Also, it has been reported that in January that the FBI was investigating whether Torshin used the NRA to illegally provide funds to boost Trump." (Sara Murray) This complicates gun control in our country when the NRA gets involved in election candidate. This definitely raises eyebrows on the NRA's true intentions and whether or not they want to try and stop these consistent mass shootings.
In conclusion something has to be done in this country we all as a nation need to come together and find a solution for Guns. All Americans should feel safe when they go out in public and not have to worry about getting killed. We say we are safe and tend to look at other places such as the middle east, and some parts of Africa and say they are not safe and would never go there because the out of control killing that goes on. But is America really that different when our government carry's the same ignorance and failures when it comes to Gun control? We need to come together and provide support for the mentally ill the gun policy and keeping weapons out of civilian hands.
At the beginning of 1976 there were 21
Made the Decision to Conduct Pre-employment Background Checks