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Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have one item to report. Regarding the instances in which former employees of the Minister of Economy, Technology and Industry (METI) have been re-employed at Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) after leaving their posts, in addition to inspecting these matters after the current nuclear issue is resolved, the Government believes that there is a need to fundamentally rethink the personnel management and training systems in place within the organizations that manage nuclear power. I have consulted Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Banri Kaieda about this, and he has instructed those working within the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) and other such bodies, as well as high-ranking officials in METI, to refrain from taking employment at power companies until this matter has been resolved, in order to avoid rousing any suspicion among the people. We are planning to spread the word on this order for restraint and will seek the cooperation of power companies as well. For further details, please pose your questions to personnel divisions of the Minister's Secretariat of METI.
REPORTER: Yesterday, TEPCO announced a roadmap for when it thinks the nuclear incident will be resolved. Do you think this roadmap is feasible? What is your particular opinion of it?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The roadmap was created via consultations among the experts in TEPCO and those in relevant organizations, so I think it must be feasible. That said, there are still aftershocks occurring from time to time even now, and we have seen many points in the past recently in which the situation has unfortunately deteriorated due to the lack of an environment which allowed for systematic responses. Through NISA and the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC), the Government should maintain a constant sense of urgency and work to improve the situation along with the roadmap. To do this, I believe we should continue to check to make sure that we both fully understand the situation and are moving forward with steps toward a conclusion to this matter in line with the roadmap.
REPORTER: After receiving the roadmap, Minister Kaieda stated that lifting the evacuation order around the station during Step 1 would be difficult to follow through with. What is your understanding of this point, and hypothetically, what do you think about lifting the evacuation order during Step 2?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have received a report that it would be rather difficult to proceed with lifting the order during Step 1. As for doing so after entering Step 2, for one thing, that depends on the amount of radiation present in each area. Another thing is, although entering Step 2 will mean that the situation is under control to an extent, and certainly more so than now, we will still need to consider the degree to which we feel there is a risk that the situation might deteriorate. We will conduct a variety of discussions and investigations at the end of Step 1 and thoroughly follow through with Step 2. I think that this is the quickest way to ensure the possibility - or rather, set a goal - for residents of the region to return to their homes.
REPORTER: Does this mean that you acknowledge that the evacuation will continue for another six to nine months?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The conditions of each area under evacuation or planned to be put under evacuation are different, and so naturally there will be those that can be reentered earlier and those that are in a comparatively favorable state, for which the evacuation order may be lifted within the time period you mentioned. As I said earlier, there are many different situations. The six to ninth month roadmap is based on the belief that the measures we are currently undertaking will go smoothly. Its premise is that nothing will happen to prevent this. I am extremely sorry to ask everyone to live under such difficult conditions for such a long time, but I am afraid this is the prospect. The other side of this is that while proceeding with our plans over the coming months and days, although we have set a basic roadmap, I would like to continue to work hard and see if there is room to push forward the dates that have been set forward.
REPORTER: Following the announcement of the roadmap yesterday, some residents were left wondering if they would be able to return to their homes or not. Do you have anything to say on this right now?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: That depends on the radiation levels in each region or the kind and amount of accumulated radiation in the soil in each area. In particular, we still haven't investigated the areas closest to the power station at all, and so I unfortunately cannot say anything as to the general situation right now. However, if I were to venture a guess, I don't think that we will face a situation in which none of the evacuated areas can be returned to. If we can bring the issue at the power station to a conclusion, then I think that we will be able to bring many areas to a point where people can return to them, although how long this takes is another story. For this purpose, we must prevent the further deterioration of the problem and work as quickly as possible to reduce the amount of radiation being emitted, which has declined relatively compared to the past. Even if we do not meet the set deadlines, we are currently working to restore the area to a point where those wishing to return home may. This is the current situation.
REPORTER: Can I take this to mean that the statement about the region being uninhabitable for 10 or 20 years, which was a comment made by Special Advisor to the Cabinet Kenichi Matsumoto, is unrealistic?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: At the least, the current situation is not one which allows us to make an exact judgment about that. Until we inspect the area, particularly those places where it is thought there is a high level of radiation in the soil, we cannot offer any forecasts. The situation at the power station has a large impact on this. Until we resolve that situation, even if we inspect the soil, there is the high chance that areas still receiving higher doses of radiation will continue to accumulate more radiation than those places which are not as exposed to the substances coming from the power station. Thus the current situation is one in which I hope to resolve the situation at the power station, investigate the area and offer a forecast after that.
REPORTER: Regarding the area within 20km from the nuclear power stations, you expressed that it is difficult to forecast how things will proceed. What is your outlook in the case that the roadmap for the area within 20km goes according to schedule?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: For the area within 20km?
REPORTER: Yes.
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Regarding the area within 20km of the power station, we must plan for the time when things come to a conclusion, that is to say, around six to nine months from now, when Step 2 has been completed. Once we are at that point, we must first investigate such factors as the soil. We hope to start on this as soon as possible. Based on such findings, we will be able to make a forecast.
REPORTER: On a related matter, I believe that the building of temporary housing is drastically behind schedule. Only 36 units had been completed as of last week and 10,000 are still in the beginning stages of being built. I asked you yesterday about where the evacuees should go in the future. My question today is, how do you plan to speed up the delayed process for building temporary housing units, and what do you plan to do to compensate for the delay?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: We do need to speed up the construction of temporary housing. There are three factors that need to be in place in order to make this possible, which are: the procurement of materials, securing the locations on which the buildings will be constructed, and gathering human resources for this. With regard to the securing of materials, the Government has been asking for a great deal of cooperation from relevant companies. We must put further efforts in areas such as finding appropriate lots, which we need to do by linking up with local governments. We are making dedicated efforts toward this end. Furthermore, I have ordered the Headquarters for Special Measures to Assist the Lives of Disaster Victims to report on such circumstances and give an as detailed and specific report as possible. Please inquire with them for further details on the progress of this issue.
REPORTER: Listening to you talk, it sounds to me as if you are unable to deny completely that the land and housing very close to the nuclear power stations will be uninhabitable for the next 10 to 20 years, as was said by Special Advisor Matsumoto. What is the Government's stance on this? Is the Government completely neutral? Does it not really know at all? Or does it believe it is possible that this area might in fact become uninhabitable for a long time?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Our stance is neutral.
REPORTER: I would like to ask about plans to flood the reactors with water, as is written under Step 1 of the roadmap. You already talked about the possibility of doing this in your press conference on the day after the earthquake. You gave an explanation about flooding the power stations with water as a way to cool them, saying that "to flood the surrounding containment vessels will take around 10 days." TEPCO brought up this idea for the first time in the schedule for Step 1. Doesn't this suggest that there have been some flaws in TEPCO's response plan up until now?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: What I spoke of soon after the earthquake was what we would need to do in order to inject water into the power station and cool the reactors if we faced a situation in which damage to the interior of the pressure vessel led to a leak and made it impossible cool the reactor easily. At that point - and this I believe still remains true regarding Units 1 and 3 - I remember explaining that we were almost 100% sure that no major damage had been caused to the containment vessels, and even if there were damages to the pressure vessels and water was leaking, it was believed that the fuel rods could still be covered with water by flooding the entire pressure vessel with water. As such, I did not explain that the entire containment vessel would definitely be flooded with water, but presented this as an option of a possible way to fully immerse the fuel rods in water. I have since then been told by experts that flooding the reactors with water is one of the ideas being considered as a way to fully cool the fuel rods, although I have not received any specific reports about this. The issue was reported alongside information about the future outlook for the situation.
REPORTER: On the subject of re-employment, which you mentioned at the beginning of the press conference, what will be done regarding Mr. Ishida, the former Director-General of the ANRE, who is currently employed at TEPCO? Also, you previously spoke in the Cabinet Committee about the possibility of proposing an amendment of the law to the Diet. Under future fundamental reviews, will the tightening of regulations through such revisions to the law be subject to review?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: As I have just explained, while I think that fundamental reviews are necessary, in light of the various issues that we are currently faced in relation to the situation at the nuclear power station, when considering the amount of energy to devote to that, our first thought was for what we could do administratively. We, therefore, ordered employees to refrain from taking employment at power companies, and I consulted with Minister Kaieda on seeking the cooperation of relevant power companies. However, it is not possible to impose direct orders on already retired civil servants who are currently employed as advisors to TEPCO. Naturally, in view of the Government's handling of the situation, I hope that the individuals concerned will respond responsibly and appropriately using their own judgment.
REPORTER: Yesterday, you visited Fukushima and exchanged opinions with the heads of the local governments there and the leaders of other areas subject to planned evacuation. The day before that, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama also visited the area. Such consecutive visits by senior government officials seem unusual. To what extent do you feel you were successful in gaining the understanding of the local governments, and what is the outlook on the actual timing of any policy to be issued?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: With regard to the timing issue, we are currently working out various details, and considering how we can respond to the various requests that were put to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuyama the other day. As for gaining the understanding of local residents, I am very sorry and regretful that the mayors have had to struggle to deal with two serious issues; that is to say, ensuring the safety of residents, and ensuring a normal way of life. At the same time, from the perspective of ensuring safety, we will exert even greater efforts to seek and receive their understanding, and work even harder to fulfill the requests of local residents to the greatest extent possible, without compromising their safety.
Despedida del XIV contingente español que parte a el Líbano
El lugar de asentamiento del búho está predeterminado por el de su nacimiento


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Q: Applescript — How can I address empty spaces on a folder path? I am having trouble executing an AppleScript using a folder path that contains empty spaces. How can I solve this issue? Thank you in advance.
tell application "Finder"
    set myWin to window 1
    set thePath to (quoted form of POSIX path of (target of myWin as alias))
    tell application "Terminal"
        activate
        tell window 1
            do script "/Users/johndoe/Company Dropbox/John Doe/Folder " & thePath
        end tell
    end tell
end tell

A: @red_menace solution works; However I found another option. You can add \\ to address empty spaces on a folder path.
Example:
"/Users/johndoe/Company\\ Dropbox/John\\ Doe/Folder"
                       ^^             ^^

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Anthony Robbins has a framework for human needs. It's very much like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, something a lot of people are familiar with, especially if you have taken a psychology class. Maslow's needs are called deficiency needs, and Robbins are the same, even if he has made them more practical and tactical, something that makes them easy to understand and apply.
Robbins' Six Human Needs are certainty, variety, belongingness (love and connection), significance, growth, and contribution. Like Maslow, all human beings share these needs, each of us being driven more by some than others. Much like Maslow's hierarchy starts at your physiological needs and moves up to safety, then to belongingness, before reaching needs of a higher order, the needs Robbins framework follows the same direction, with contribution being the top of the pyramid (for Maslow, it's self-transcendence). Once your deficiency needs are met, contribution seems to be the greatest driver, and the one that provides the greatest sense of meaning, mission, and purpose.
If you want the ultimate hack when it comes to creating a sense of meaning, and mission, and purpose in your life, you can shift right to contribution. At any time, you can contribute to some cause outside of yourself. You can find someone or some organization that needs your help, and you can give them your time and energy or your money (no matter how much or how little).
I once heard a story about a senior executive at a big company. He decided to get his MBA in Philanthropy. I was unaware that a degree was necessary, having always believed that a check given to a worthy cause— that also clears the bank—makes one a philanthropist. Generosity isn't something that is reserved to the wealthy and well-off. Giving what you are able to give, regardless of how much or how little, is generosity and compassion, neither of which should be measured or compared to what others give.
You can approach the hierarchy of needs from the other direction. You can contribute to some cause beyond yourself. What you give makes a difference, just like each drop of water makes up the ocean, one drop being no more or no less than every other drop, none being more or less wet than any other.


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Do not take Qsymia if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or become pregnant during Qsymia treatment; have glaucoma; have thyroid problems (hyperthyroidism); are taking certain medicines called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or have taken MAOIs in the past 14 days; are allergic to topiramate, sympathomimetic amines such as phentermine, or any of the ingredients in Qsymia. See the end of the Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in Qsymia.
It's natural for anyone trying to lose weight to want to lose it very quickly. But evidence shows that people who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more successful at keeping weight off. Healthy weight loss isn't just about a "diet" or "program". It's about an ongoing lifestyle that includes long-term changes in daily eating and exercise habits.
Alexander the Great reached India in the 4th century BCE. Along with his army, he took Greek academics with him who later wrote memoirs about geography, people and customs they saw. One of Alexander's companion was Onesicritus, quoted in Book 15, Sections 63–65 by Strabo, who describes yogins of India.[107] Onesicritus claims those Indian yogins (Mandanis ) practiced aloofness and "different postures – standing or sitting or lying naked – and motionless".[108]
^ James Mallinson, "Sāktism and Hathayoga," 28 June 2012. Archived 16 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine [accessed 19 September 2013] pgs. 2 "In its earliest definition, in Pundarīka's eleventh-century Vimalaprabhā commentary on the Kālacakratantra, hathayoga is said to bring about the "unchanging moment" (aksaraksana) "through the practice of nāda by forcefully making the breath enter the central channel and through restraining the bindu of the bodhicitta in the vajra of the lotus of wisdom". While the means employed are not specified, the ends, in particular restraining bindu, semen, and making the breath enter the central channel, are similar to those mentioned in the earliest descriptions of the practices of hathayoga, to which I now turn."
The chart presents data for patients who completed treatment at each time point. Some patients left the study or stopped taking Qsymia prior to completing the full 56 weeks. The drop off rate for placebo was 47% (687/1477), recommended dose was 31% (150/488) and high dose was 38% (561/1479). The most common reasons (>2% of patients) were: adverse events, patients lost to follow up, patients who withdrew consent, or lack of efficacy.
According to Zimmer, Yoga philosophy is reckoned to be part of the non-Vedic system, which also includes the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy, Jainism and Buddhism:[46] "[Jainism] does not derive from Brahman-Aryan sources, but reflects the cosmology and anthropology of a much older pre-Aryan upper class of northeastern India [Bihar] – being rooted in the same subsoil of archaic metaphysical speculation as Yoga, Sankhya, and Buddhism, the other non-Vedic Indian systems."[61][note 6]
Vajrayana is also known as Tantric Buddhism and Tantrayāna. Its texts were compiled starting with 7th century and Tibetan translations were completed in 8th century CE. These tantra yoga texts were the main source of Buddhist knowledge that was imported into Tibet.[185] They were later translated into Chinese and other Asian languages, helping spread ideas of Tantric Buddhism. The Buddhist text Hevajra Tantra and Caryāgiti introduced hierarchies of chakras.[186] Yoga is a significant practice in Tantric Buddhism.[187][188][189]
Later developments in the various Buddhist traditions led to new innovations in yogic practices. The Theravada school, while remaining relatively conservative, still developed new ideas on meditation and yogic phenomenology in their later works, the most influential of which is the Visuddhimagga. The Indic meditation teachings of Mahayana Buddhism can be seen in influential texts like the Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra (compiled c. 4th century). Mahayana meditation practices also developed and adopted new yogic methods, such as the use of mantra and dharani, pure land practices which aimed at rebirth in a pure land or buddhafield, and visualization methods. Chinese Buddhism developed its own methods, such as the Chan practice of Koan introspection and Hua Tou. Likewise, Tantric Buddhism (also Mantrayana, Vajrayana) developed and adopted tantric methods, which remain the basis of the Tibetan Buddhist yogic systems, including the Six yogas of Naropa, Kalacakra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen.[248]
The early practice of Jain yoga seems to have been divided into several types, including meditation (dhyāna), abandonment of the body (kāyotsarga), contemplation (anuprekṣā), and reflection (bhāvanā).[253] Some of the earliest sources for Jain yoga are the Uttarādhyayana-sūtra, the Āvaśyaka-sūtra, the Sthananga Sutra (c. 2nd century BCE). Later works include Kundakunda's Vārassa-aṇuvekkhā ("Twelve Contemplations", c. 1st century BCE to 1st century CE), Haribhadra's Yogadṛṣṭisamuccya (8th century) and the Yogaśāstra of Hemachandra (12th century). Later forms of Jain yoga adopted Hindu influences, such as ideas from Patanjali's yoga and later Tantric yoga (in the works of Haribhadra and Hemachandra respectively). The Jains also developed a progressive path to liberation through yogic praxis, outlining several levels of virtue called gunasthanas.
The chart presents data for patients who completed treatment at each time point. Some patients left the study or stopped taking Qsymia prior to completing the full 56 weeks. The drop off rate for placebo was 47% (687/1477), recommended dose was 31% (150/488) and high dose was 38% (561/1479). The most common reasons (>2% of patients) were: adverse events, patients lost to follow up, patients who withdrew consent, or lack of efficacy. https://www.facebook.com/Buzzing-Offer-Self-Help-342022286679901/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Nathan P. Gilmour , 19 May 2010.
I do like to toot my own tradition's horn when I can, and The Christian Standard, our weekly publication, last Sunday had this nice little piece by a theology professor in one of our seminaries. Because of the piece's brevity and the breadth of its audience it doesn't dig into any grand theorizing, but one could do worse for a starting point on these questions.


The average pay for a Social Worker is $20.43 per hour.
The average pay for a Social Worker is $45,170 per year.
Pay by Experience for a Social Worker has a positive trend. An entry-level Social Worker with less than 5 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $40,000 based on 3,629 salaries provided by anonymous users. Average total compensation includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay. A Social Worker with mid-career experience which includes employees with 5 to 10 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $46,000 based on 1,503 salaries. An experienced Social Worker which includes employees with 10 to 20 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $51,000 based on 1,351 salaries. A Social Worker with late-career experience which includes employees with greater than 20 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $55,000 based on 652 salaries.
Q: What is it like working as a Social Worker?
If Social Work is a desired career path, my advice is to obtain an undergraduate degree in Social Work, but choose Business, Education or another discipline for your Masters work, as you will have many more opportunities available to you.
"You Can't Fix Everybody Or You'll Hit Burn Out."
Learn to pace yourself and remind yourself that the patient is here to do the work for themselves. You are the facilitator. You will hear the first client's heart felt story of true hardship and want to do everything for them, but by the end of the 1st month, you will have been told the same story by 100 people variation of the same story. As harsh as it sound one must learn to remain objective about the whole position. You can't help everyone.
"Day To Day, Challenges And Rewards."
Pros: I like seeing kids and families feel empowered and watching the transformation from chaos to stability. My co-workers are fun and my schedule is flexible.
Cons: The work is very stressful. There are loads of paperwork and unclear expectations. Management is poor and does not know how to manage staff well. There are late nights and early mornings. The families do not always want to have service providers in their homes and it comes out on me.
Pros: I like that everyday is something new and that I am constantly learning.
Cons: Compassion, fatigue and the lack of the ability to truly leave your work at work.
"Direct Service With Clinical Skills Needed."
Pros: I love the variety of the work I do, the clientele vary in their range of need from me, and the data required from regulations validates the contribution of social work services. I also find it helpful to be connected to other social workers in other clinics, I can always find someone who knows how to handle a specific situation. I also like being useful for the patients as well as the staff.
Cons: I need to be earning more money, I hope I won't have to leave the job to be able to do that. I also need a better retirement plan. DaVita is in the news often for being a Fortune 500 company, and our CEO earns so very much dollars, but for the rest of us workers, it is painful to see the way raises are not given at intervals that they should, the management principles are not often carried out even though they are sound practices.
Take offers for starting positions to get experience, but then search for the position you want and change to that as soon as you can within 5-8 years of first position. Once you reach the upper portion of the pay scale it is not financially worth it to change districts as most won't match your current pay level.


My mother's funeral wasn't much of a fanfare. She was buried in the same lot as my brother, Peter: the beloved older brother of our family who was named for my father. The lot was supposed to be reserved for my parents but when Peter died as a child, my father couldn't afford a new lot for him.
So, my mother and Peter would lay in rest together for eternity whilst my father and I will be cast out to separate corners of the graveyard. The graves of Peter and my mother sat desolately beneath the rain upon a hillside and, as I saw my mother being lowered into her pit, I found myself unable to refrain from staring at Peter's grass covered mound. It was, indeed, the first time since childhood that I had visited him. It was troubling, I found, to imagine his bones in that casket. I couldn't, I'm sure, distinguish his bones from the bones of anyone else in this Brooklyn necropolis and that, somehow, made me realize the distance between us now. I always thought of him as my big brother, for that is who he was. But now, I had outgrown him, outlived him, outdone him in every measurable and immeasurable quality of what can be considered life. I was now almost seventeen years old, and he died aged thirteen. Were he alive, he would have been twenty-three that year. The year he died, my father renamed me, legally, to Peter - a morbid delusion that he could replace the dead Peter with a new one. My mother took many beatings and pleaded many pleas with him until, on my thirteenth birthday he addressed me as Valentino, in a birthday card, for the first time in half-a-decade. Those, truly, were Valentino's lost years I suppose, he realized that I wasn't as good as Peter - not as clever, not as talented at baseball, not as handsome nor charming. And, so, I became Valentino once more - alleviated of the pressure the name 'Peter' carried with my father.
After the funeral, I met up with Aoife at a diner in Park Slope. She wore a black dress and a Mantilla despite having not attended the funeral. We drank coffees and avoided speaking of the things which ought to be spoken about: Where I had been for the last year; how my mother died; and the small bump in Aoife's abdomen which could not be anything other than what it was. I had been so disorientated by her visit at Lenny's that I had failed to notice her blatant pregnancy and, moreover, the absence of a wedding band upon her finger. It was pleasant, for both of us I believe, to be one year ago and have nothing but time and freedom. Aoife was living in a boarding house now, and offered to sneak me in through the window if I needed somewhere to sleep whilst back in Brooklyn.
She couldn't bear the thought of me going back to that cupboard in Manhattan. I declined, suffice to say, knowing that I would have to face my old-man sooner or later but, nonetheless, she wrote the address down on a napkin. I scrunched the napkin into a ball to place into my pocket and she scorned me. She took my anxious, calloused hands into hers - so dainty and exquisite - and, guiding them, made me fold the napkin with care and delicacy. I walked Aoife home that night and we kissed in front of the steps of her brownstone house of penance. I told her we'd talk soon; we'd talk about the lost year; and we'd set everything straight, together. I promised I'd take care of her and she promised she'd take care of me, too. When she spoke those words I wanted to weep into her hands; it had been so long, it felt, since I had someone care about me. Alas, all I said was: "I don't need taking care of".
I walked back to my father's home - my childhood home, I suppose - and found the door unlocked. My father was slouched over the dinner table with a city of beer-bottles around him. I made toward him, hesitating when I noticed his pistol in his hand.
He grunted, but seemed completely unaware of anything around him. I crept closer, truly terrified that he may be startled and unload a round into my stomach. I managed to slide the gun from his lazy grip and put it in my belt.
"Papa" I whispered, slowly rocking him. "Come one, let's get you to bed"
He stirred, "She's gone, Peter. It was me; I made her"
I managed to carry him as far as the sofa before he keeled over. The old-man was hard and solid, like a dead bull. Impossibly dense. I made for my bedroom - if indeed it still was my bedroom - resolvedly refusing myself the temptation of checking the fridge for more beer. Entering that little-box room, I was pounded in the chest by a water-cannon of nostalgic sadness; of sentimental bleeding for something lost. It only just hit me in that moment that I'd never see my mother again. I went back down the stairs, sat at my father's place at the dinner-table, drank milk and cried.
I slept for a while, with my head in my folded arms at the table. When I awoke, I could hear my father snoring, muttering, growling behind me in his stuperous slumber. It was beginning to get light outside, though I can't have been asleep for long as the milk bottle was still sweating. I rubbed my weary eyes and looked at it for the first time: the wall behind my mother's place at the table. I had seen it, of course, when I carried my father to the couch, when I sat down to drink milk and it was impressed upon the inside of my eyelids, like a Rorschach. It was the splatter-pattern left from my mother's self-inflicted gunshot. I felt sick as I became aware of the hot metal grip of the very same pistol against my back, tucked into my belt. I removed my father's pistol and changed placement at the table, now sitting in my mother's spot. I could see my blurred, cadenced reflection in the glass doors of the china cabinet: the dark stain on the wall seeming to erupt from the back of my skull like a volley of party-streamers. I put the pistol in my mouth, trying to find the angle my mother must have aimed but I couldn't quite find it. She was much shorter than me, so perhaps that was why it was impossible for my to blow my brain atop hers. Perversely, I was suddenly struck with a ferocious pang of hunger which made my ribs ache. I thought of all the suppers my father had hurled at the wall, staining it beyond salvation with sauce and gravy. Blood and brain-tissue, now. I was still sitting with the pistol in my agape mouth when my father sat upright on the sofa and stared at me, bewildered. I made to explain that I wasn't going to pull the trigger - I mean, I don't think I was going to pull the trigger - but he just rubbed at his eyes, lazily hoisting himself up and out of the sunken sofa and made his way to the kitchen for more beer. He paid me no attention, as I sat there in a facsimile of my mother's suicide. My hands began trembling so intensely, like autumn leaves, that I was certain I would either pull the trigger or snap the grip. As my father rummaged in the fridge for cold chicken I heard him mumble: "Go to bed, Peter". And I did.
I don't remember much about the day my brother, Peter, died. When I try to recall it, my vision lacks detail. It was in our old apartment in Greenpoint, a predominantly Polish neighborhood of Brooklyn. I can't remember much about the apartment, being only seven-years when we left, after Peter's death. In truth, I don't remember much of Peter, either, other than his temper. Every argument between us would end in some possession - a toy, a book, a cassette - being hurled against the wall above my head before he would storm out. My father, often, would congratulate Peter - even reward him - for squashing any sort of usurping, youngling revolution he perceived me to be capable of. Charlie, my cat, also fell beneath - quite literally - the tyrannical boot of Peter. My father was renowned for kicking the cat, squarely, in the ribs for no good reason and Peter, in a clumsy attempt to emulate my father's brutality, stomped on poor, innocent Charlie's head one evening cracking his skull, after I had lost his baseball mitt at the park. I took poor, mangled Charlie into the linen closet and wept for hours as he rasped and twitched. He bled from his nose and mouth, as well as the gash on his head. His lower jaw, hung loosely to his skull, swinging as I held him close to me, sobing and panting. His left eye, too, was barely connected to the rest of him and twitched spasmodically as he mewed out for realease. After so many anguished hours, Peter opened the closet and ordered me to put Charlie out of his misery before our parents returned home. And I did. I took poor, gory Charlie out into the court-yard and choked him to death. Even in his weary, dying state, Charlie began to claw and kick out at my hands and forearms. Something inside his little, wavering heart forcing him to fight for breath; to continue existing for even a short while longer and even in agonizing pain and disfigurement. I don't know what makes an animal fight for even the most despicably cruel and unfortunate life to continue. But Charlie did. He literally tried to claw his way out of my hands; his heart pounding as I squeezed the breath from his deflating, dying lungs. That was the first truly violent act I ever committed and my hands shook, all the while. Peter became warm and kind for the rest of the night, reassuring me that I did the right thing, even patching up the cuts on my hands and arms with bandaid. He tousled my hair and said "I'll look after you, Valentino". For a brief moment, I loved Peter and I was glad to have a big brother. I mean, it felt more like I'd always loved him but had forgotten for so long. I remembered I loved Peter. And Ma' and Pa', too. I wanted them to come home, so we could all just be together. Charlie had no service, no memorial. Truth be told, after Peter had fixed my scratches and told me we could go to the arcade and get milkshakes, I forgot about Charlie and his gruesome ending. Peter had thrown his rag-doll corpse in a dumpster and came back upstairs to make supper. Meatballs and red-sauce, straight from the tin, as I recall.
Peter, bring Valentino to Grand Central at 7pm on Friday. Don't tell Papa.
It was, as I read the note, almost 7pm. In my paranoid, frightened head I became certain that Peter was gone. He had gone to meet my mother and my father was probably with them, too, leaving me alone here forever. For the first time that evening, my liberated solitude became crushing loneliness. I hadn't even poor Charlie left to comfort me. Of course, I had not been abandoned at all. My feelings of desolation and destitution were unfounded, I suppose, although - to this day - I still can't shake them entirely. Also, hanging from the chair, I spied my father's gun-holster - pistol inside. It looked cold, shiny and dark, like black tar on a frosty morning, and I took it - heavy and imposing - in my tiny hand. That's the last thing I remember, really. The rest of the night is a swirling, spiraling mess of screaming, flashing lights and blood. There are a thousand dimly lit vignettes which all circle round and connect like the streets of Paris, each as unclear as the next: just as warped and gray; foggy and abstract. Amongst those grim alley-ways and avenues, I recall my mother being dragged through the front door my her hair, Peter, crying in a fit about something he did to Ma', discovering me with the pistol in the linen-closet and the stuggle between us that then ensued; and my parent's wails, blood-curdling, as they stood, looming like Gothic graveyard statues, over the only absolute truth of that night: Peter's limp corpse in the hallway - a hole where his nose once was; a deep and dark scarlet puddle dreamily floating from the back of his head; and tears - surely tears - streaking from the outer corners of his eyes to his ears. My father shook me until I blacked out because I couldn't tell him.
But I think I've always known which one of the brothers pulled the trigger that night.
I must be a devil for punishment, because even though this story is horrific, I'm really enjoying it.


text:
IFC mobilizes new investors to support ODATA expansion in Brazil and boost the digital economy
The investment will be made in the expansion of three datacenters
Sao Paulo, Brazil, January 14th, 2022 – IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has led a new tranche of financing to strengthen ODATA Brasil S.A.'s investments in its data centers in Brazil. The $30 million (approximately BRL 165 million) in finance will allow the company, a data center infrastructure provider with extensive operations in various market sectors, such as cloud and telecommunications, to expand its operations in the country.
This second stage will complement the initial line agreed in November 2020, comprising $30 million of IFC's own resources. The project represented IFC's first data center financing project. For this second disbursement, IFC mobilized two new investors: Itaú BBA and SMBC (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation).
The first and second tranche of financing will support the expansion of three data centers in the country, helping to revitalize and boost Brazil's digital infrastructure. With the largest economy and population in Latin America, Brazil has consolidated itself as the region's leading data center hub and generates great demand for connectivity. IFC's mobilization is expected to expand access to independent data center capacity in the country, sustaining the growth of the digital economy and expanding quality digital services for businesses and people.
"IFC, in addition to supporting the financing of ODATA's new data centers, has contributed to the company's achieving the best sustainability standards in the market, offering value to society and our customers. The arrival of the new funders, Itaú BBA and SMBC, provides even more financial robustness for ODATA to continue to expand rapidly in Brazil and Latin America, contributing to the improvement of digital infrastructure in the region," says Fernando Jaeger, ODATA's New Business Director.
"This project supports the growth of productivity and competitiveness in the Latin American data hosting services market. IFC's mobilization aims to promote greater digital resilience and a sustainable economic recovery in Brazil, in addition to meeting the population's demand for cloud services," says Carlos Leiria Pinto, IFC's Country Manager in Brazil.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, increased investment to prepare Brazil's digital infrastructure will be key to the country's economic recovery strategy, expanding information and communication technology-enabled services. The project will help in the continued development of a well-established class of data center infrastructure providers with a focus on wholesale services. With an established presence in Colombia, Mexico, and Chile, and expansion plans for Peru, ODATA is well positioned to take advantage of the demand for data center capacity in Latin America.
IFC is a key player in financing digital infrastructure in emerging markets and across the globe. In the past decade, IFC committed and mobilized $5.9 billion for telecommunications, media, and technology projects globally.
About ODATA
ODATA is a Brazilian data center services provider dedicated to supplying scalable, secure, and flexible IT infrastructures in Latin America. Founded in 2015, the company currently has six data centers, three in Brazil, one in Colombia, one in Chile, and one in Mexico. Specialized in Colocation, ODATA meets the growing demand for energy, space, and reliability from organizations from various sectors interested in advancing their digital transformation.
It is a Patria Investimentos company, one of the leaders in alternative asset management in Latin America, a pioneer in the Private Equity industry in Brazil. One of its shareholders is CyrusOne, a high-growth U.S. REIT, focused on building and operating world-class, operator-neutral data centers. It is one of the biggest international players on the market. For more information, visit http://odatacolocation.com.


text:
Master of Laws in Comparative Constitutional Law
Program level:
Degree awarded:
Country of accreditation:
Program accreditation/registration:
Program approved and registered by the New York State Education Department
Program accredited by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ-Austria)
Standard Program duration:
1 year (10 months)
Type of degree:
US degree credits:
Austrian degree ECTS credits:
Start of the program :
Markus Böckenförde
CEU application details
The curriculum of the Master of Laws in Comparative Constitutional Law covers issues concerning the development and operation of constitutional government in its broader political, social, historical, regional and international context. The core curriculum centers on fundamental issues in comparative constitutional law regarding constitution-making and constitutional design, constitutional government (horizontal and vertical separation of powers), and constitutional rights protection in leading, emerging and declining constitutional democracies around the world. The curriculum covers historic and current developments in all major legal systems.
As with all programs at the Department of Legal Studies, the LL.M. program in Comparative Constitutional Law is committed to research-based teaching. Areas of research and teaching by full-time faculty include the transition to (and from) democracy and the rule of law, constitution-making in historical perspective and in on-going constitution-building processes, comparative constitutional adjudication, civil and political rights in established and emerging democracies, issues of equality and non-discrimination, socio-economic rights, biomedical law and reproductive rights, as well as European constitutionalism. Courses by our part-time (visiting) faculty build on this core and permit us to introduce courses on newly emerging constitutional developments as they arise. The program also benefits from close cooperation with other departmental Master's programs via two optional thematic specializations on "global rule of law" and "justice and equality".
Our highly qualified and diverse full-time and part-time (visiting) faculty prepares students to engage in comparative and inter-disciplinary analysis of complex constitutional problems. Courses enable students to explore constitutional issues across legal systems, to engage in advanced critical thinking, and to refine their arguments in oral interactions and group work. Classes are highly interactive, enabling students to benefit from the international composition of the student body; in-class discussions allow insight into contemporary constitutional developments as they evolve, enabling critical engagement with these developments in a manner that is sensitive to the multi-cultural composition of our academic community. Individual research skills are developed through comparative problem-driven papers written for various courses, as well as in the final thesis (in the Thesis Track) or capstone thesis (in the Capstone Track). Students are encouraged to address practical constitutional problems through comparative constitutional analysis, using a theoretical framework informed by inter-disciplinary insight. As a result, our graduates are able to respond to challenging constitutional and fundamental rights problems with advanced analytical skills, drawing on critical comparative constitutional analysis and seeking to offer practice-oriented and policy-relevant responses.
Entry Requirements for the CCL LLM Program
In addition to meeting the General CEU Admissions Requirements, applicants to the Comparative Constitutional Law Program program must also fulfill the Program-specific admission requirements.
In exceptional cases, applicants with a three-year bachelor's degree may be allowed admission into one-year master's programs. The applicants should be aware that they may not be able to pursue a doctoral degree in the European Higher Education Area if they have accumulated less than 300 ECTS credits in their prior university studies. Applicants wishing to pursue an academic career should choose their master's program accordingly (two-year master's in case they completed a three-year bachelor's degree, and one-year master's in case they completed a four-year bachelor's degree). For the list of conditions under which exemptions may be granted, please refer to the program's website.
On completion of the program the student will have gained
a substantial knowledge of constitutional law in major jurisdictions via a comparative perspective;
a substantial knowledge of the protection and enforcement of constitutional rights and human rights in major jurisdictions;
the capacity to conduct research on a wide range of constitutional problems in different constitutional regimes across a changing constitutional and political landscape;
the ability to analyze constitutional problems from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective in light of their historical context;
relevant skills to analyze and critically assess constitutional problems in their regional, international, and global context;
expertise to provide policy-relevant solutions to constitutional problems as an individual researcher and as a member of an international team.


Dan's Tires & More Tire Center has been serving the automotive repair, new tire, and new wheel needs of customers in Mechanicsville, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Iowa City, IA, and surrounding areas for the last years.
Dan's Tires & More Tire Center is located at 114 East 1st St. in Mechanicsville, IA as an automotive repair, tire, and wheel center. We have spent the last years delivering auto repairs, tires, and wheels to satisfied customers. Visit or call (563) 432-6648 to talk with a member of our team today.
Our family-owned and operated facility has been the premier tire center, serving Cedar County, Jones County, Linn County, and beyond since 1990. Our TIA-certified tire dealership has the tires for all your needs, including autos, trucks, agricultural machines, and more.
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Passenger and light truck tires, as well as farm and AG tires, commercial tires, industrial tires, and OTR tires.
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Whether you are from Mechanicsville, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Iowa City, IA, or another surrounding area, Dan's Tires & More Tire Center should be your first stop when purchasing a new set of tires or seeking service. Contact us online or visit our auto service center today for service you can count on.


"Many years back, when I was the head of marketing at Cadbury..."
An excerpt from corporate veteran Chandramouli Venkatesan's new book 'Get Better at Getting Better', a guide to unlocking one's true potential at work - and in life.
2. Be creative and innovative.
4. Have a good understanding of the consumer.
I could go on and fill the page with the many answers, but there was a pattern in all the answers-they were all about what marketers needed to do.
I then explained what it took for me to be a good marketer. I said, 'Find a good advertising agency, find a good media agency, find a good digital agency, find a good market research partner, find a good film producer, find a good activation agency: cultivate and nurture them, and you are already three-fourths of the way on your journey to be a good marketer.' My answer is all about external partners who contribute to a marketer's success and effectiveness. And yet, when we think about being effective, we think of only the internal, within the business; we don't think of how to be effective in leveraging external partners. Getting better at leveraging the external partners is critical to long-term success, not just in marketing, but in all fields.
Between 2010 and 2013, Cadbury/Mondelez India was awarded the Effie Client of the Year two years in a row as well as the Emvies Client of the Year. For those of you who don't come from a marketing background, these are awards given by the Advertising Club of Mumbai annually. Winning these awards meant that our company was recognized as the best marketing company of the year across all companies and industries. Without a doubt, a major reason behind this recognition was that we had a fantastic marketing team within the company, but an even bigger reason was that we had a fantastic set of external partners and agencies-what I refer to as the marketing ecosystem. We got awarded as the best marketing company because we were very good at assembling the best external partners and in getting the best out of them during those years.
The logic for making the external ecosystem better remains the same. For the same effort from us, a better external partner ecosystem will get us better results. All parts of the business have an external ecosystem, not only marketing. Procurement has to work with vendors, HR with training companies and recruitment companies, IT works with software vendors, finance with auditors and tax advisors, sales with distributors and the outsourced sales force, logistics with C&F agencies and transporters, and so on. In any role, map the external ecosystem you have and then ask yourself the first question-what would be the impact on you if that external ecosystem improved significantly? And when you conclude that there is a significant positive impact on your results if they get better, ask the second question-what are you doing to help them get better?
1. Move from vendor to partnership mindset.
This requires a fundamental change in our mindset-the change of treating external entities not as vendors but as partners, and building a partnership as opposed to a buyer-seller relationship. There are two kinds of external vendors-first, where what they sell is commoditized and can be measured against specifications, and second, where there is some amount of customization and value addition in each transaction. An example of the first type is, say, sugar for a food company or oil for a refinery or pigment for a paint company. An example of the second type is legal advice for a specific problem from a lawyer, or an advertising agency, or a training company.
We usually end up engaging with all kinds of external vendors in the traditional buyer-seller relationship, where the buyer sets the specifications and the terms, then negotiates the best price, and the seller then fulfils the agreed requirements. However, for the more customized and value-add vendors, something more collaborative and closer to a partnership creates better long-term value. We are not buying something from them, but often co-creating, and that requires a partnership orientation.
1. While the buyer pays for the services, they should not behave like one on a day-to-day basis. In routine engagement, it must be a relationship of equality, not a buyer-seller relationship.
in the resolution of the problem.
3. Give them a sense of ownership.
4. Recognize and celebrate their contribution.
The simple act of changing the relationship from a vendor to a partnership mode will help you get much better output from your external ecosystem, which will help boost your results.
(The book is published by Penguin Random House India and has 236 pages).


Kinver Beer is now available in bottles online and in store at the retail shop Nickolls and Perks, Lower High Street, Stourbridge, opposite the entrance to the Stourbridge Tesco and Stourbridge library.
Nickolls & Perks wine merchants were formed in 1797, co-incidentally the same year that the locksmith and hydraulic engineer Joseph Bramah patented a handled beer engine for beer pumping, now commonly known as a handpump, a trusted sign of cask real ale. This is the period in British history when Barley Wine was invented in England, due to the impossibility to import Claret wine from Bordeaux for the aristocracy and the newly rich of the Industrial Revolution. Clearly a True Brit determination to overcome supply difficulties in times of war.
Kinver Brewery are proud to be associated with Nickolls and Perks, who are rated amongst the best independent wine merchants in the UK. Renowned purveyors of the world's very best and award winning fine wines, and now award winning fine beer and ale too.
Limited free parking is available in the Lower High Street, or a small hop across from Stourbridge Town Railway Station.
Kinver's first steam engine was installed in the same year of 1797 at the Hyde Spade Mill to operate a steam hammer. It was also the year of the last military invasion of Britain that was able to land on British soil. Perhaps, the local industrialist and owner of the Hyde Spade Mill, Francis Homfray celebrated the success of the steam engine or the failure of Napoleons troops with a glass of vintage wine from the newly established local wine merchant? Horatio Nelson, however, would have struggled to raise a glass having lost his right arm at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife earlier in the year.


New technology showcased at the Aircraft Interiors Expo this week will enable passengers to book overhead bin space in advance. The system, developed by Diehl Aviation, could solve the issue of overcrowded bin space, letting passengers secure the most convenient spot for their carry on bag. Unfortunately, it also means we could soon be paying to use them too.
With the majority of low cost carriers now charging extortionate amounts for checked baggage, passengers frequently travel carry on only. With permissible bags effectively being small suitcases, this can mean that the last to board are left with little or no bin space.
As an example, a typical all-economy 737 would fit in the region of 180 passengers on board. However, the bin space on this narrowbody aircraft can only accommodate around 90 cabin bags. As a result, those who haven't paid for priority boarding (or got status with their frequent flyer program) will either have to queue early or risk checking their bag at the gate.
Plenty of companies have attempted to tackle this issue. Airbus have developed the 'Airspace XL bins' which allow 60% more rolling cases to be stored. The achieve this by stowing the bags vertically rather than horizontally, allowing for eight bags to be placed in each overhead bin.
The launch customer for the Airspace XL was American Airlines, who are using the new feature on their A3211neos. They also plan to retrofit them on their entire fleet of earlier A321 aircraft, more than 200 aircraft in total, which should help to ease the issue if you're a frequent flyer of AA.
Airbus are hoping to take this concept one step further too. At the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) this week, they demonstrated a mockup of a strip of lighting under the bin, which would indicate whether the bin was full, partially in use or empty using a traffic light system.
Boeing also stepped up to solve the problem, introducing their new Space Bins on next generation 737s. These also work by storing the bags in a vertical position, increasing capacity from four bags to six. They'll be using a version of this on their forthcoming 777X too.
But what if you could reserve your bin?
All these solutions are great, and definitely a step in the right direction. But, for passengers on LCCs, there's still a risk that they'll be last to board and therefore have to clamber over a multitude of aisle passengers to reach a bin that is miles away from their seat. But what if you could book your bin space in advance?
Showcased at this weeks' AIX, Diehl Aviation have developed technology which will allow bin space to be reserved, just like your seat. Using a screen on the front of the bin, a display will indicate which passengers have reserved that bin space, letting them ensure they get a slot right above their seat.
The flip side of this is that it opens up the floodgates for airlines to add another chargeable item to our journey. If the space in the bins can be reserved, then the space in the bins can be paid for. And it will.
Airlines have been looking for a way to monetize overhead bin space for a while. United Airlines basic economy tickets prohibit the use of overhead bins, and Frontier charge $25 to make use of it. American Airlines have said they will reserve some overhead bins for the exclusive use of 'main cabin extra' passengers, and we all know Ryanair would love an excuse to wring more money out of their passengers.
Up until now, there's been no effective way of policing overhead bin space, but now it seems like the technology could almost be there. Whether we'll see it soon or not doesn't matter, it's clearly only a matter of time.


TIME Magazine made their annual list of 25 Most Influencial People on the Internet, and I'm sure you'll recognize these names- if you're not already following them!
NOW96.3 artists on the list are Rihanna & BTS! TIME also includes selfie queen- Kylie Jenner, fitness guru- Kayla Itsines, even Scott Rogowsky (the guy who talks your ear off before playing HQ). Controversial influencers like Youtubers- Logan & Jake Paul, and President Donald Trump have secured spots on TIME's lineup.


Boutros Latin Sans Serif is a complete typeface family that will cover most of the needs of desktop publishing in today's communication world. The serif and sans serif styles are designed to match when used together. The character set provided is the Standard Latin 1252 character set that includes all the necessary glyph combinations for English, French and German languages.


text:
Susannah Clapp – The Observer
It has been the noisiest squabble in the stalls for years. A few days after Emma Rice's production of A Matter of Life and Death opened at the Olivier, Nicholas Hytner, the National Theatre's artistic director, went on the attack. The show had been panned by some overnight reviewers: Charles Spencer in the Telegraph thought it wheeled out all the 'tired cliches of physical theatre'; Nicholas de Jongh of London's Evening Standard thought it 'spectacular but far from novel'. In the Times, Benedict Nightingale was lukewarm, though the Guardian's Michael Billington gave it a guarded welcome. It was, said Hytner, misogyny: women directors always get a rough time from the 'dead white men' of the critical establishment. He thought the female reviewers of the Sundays would respond more favourably.
Sort of, as it turned out. I loved the show; Kate Bassett of the Independent on Sunday liked it very much, with minor reservations. The Mail on Sunday's Georgina Brown was appreciative, but cooler. Meanwhile, the attacked attackers blazed back at Hytner: 'Balderdash and piffle,' said Billington; 'a mad rush of blood to the head,' said Spencer; 'bilious' and 'a declaration of war,' proclaimed de Jongh, who wishes to make it clear that he's not dead.
So, was it misogyny? Well, no one can really believe that critics tot up the number of wombs involved in a production before deciding on its merits. Still, there's no doubt that until recently the theatre has, for all its flounce, been not so much blokey as masculine, a place in which women were looked at, scripted, directed and designed by men. And commented on by them.
When I started writing for The Observer 10 years ago, I was struck by the scarcity of critical female faces at first nights and turned to another reviewer for elucidation. He explained, with quiet pride: 'It's rather a macho job.' Macho? Theatre critic? Surely you don't have to be Rageh Omaar to sit watching a play with your pen poised? 'Well,' he elaborated, 'you spend a lot of time wandering around at night on your own.' So that's one definition of a critic: a scowling tart.
Most critics (and there are more women among them now) will see their job as mixing tipster, recorder (theatre performances and productions are perishable), encourager and excoriator. With that goes some recognition of overall trends in the theatre. Which is where Hytner's outburst has been useful: it has focused attention on the difference among critics not just about a particular show, but about a whole range of work.
A Matter of Life and Death, which tells its tale not only in dialogue, but with songs and mime and aerialism, is an example of movement theatre, which until now has been mostly seen on the Fringe, where it has regularly disproved the idea that theatre audiences are always over 40. I've had some of my best experiences in the theatre watching it. Over at the Telegraph, Charles Spencer has had some of his worst.
Spencer blames Rice's fellow adapter, Tom Morris, an associate director at the National, for importing the genre into the South Bank, steering it 'into a dead end when it comes to supposedly "experimental" theatre projects'. I see Morris, who, when running BAC, a mile or two south of the National, mentored one of Hytner's early big statements, in Jerry Springer – the Opera, as essential to the National's rejuvenation. If the National didn't take on board the vocabulary of movement theatre, it would not be a truly national stage, any more than it would be if it gave over all three auditoriums to people swinging on ropes.
It's easy to forget how radically this bit of the South Bank has been opened up over the past four years: it was much blander and more homogeneous when run by Trevor Nunn. Hytner has taken under his wing small companies such as Punchdrunk, which created the revelatory, and much extended, Faust in a Wapping warehouse and, in doing so, associated the National with one of the most vivid threads in current theatre: site-specific work. He's encouraged the remaking of stalwart old plays, as evidenced in the current production of Rafta, Rafta. At the same time, he hasn't ceased to stage de luxe productions such as The Alchemist.
In doing all this, he's reflected a diverse and golden age in the theatre. In the past 10 years, the stage has gained, in the Globe, a space which has shown at a stroke how a Shakespeare play can be a popular event. In the past five, it has responded more incisively to current events than either movies or television. The documentary dramas of the Tricycle have become a political force and the model for a new transparency in acting, as has last year's most galvanic play, Gregory Burke's Black Watch, which combined verbatim and movement theatre.
The work of designers – just look at what Ian MacNeil created for Vernon God Little last week, or Lizzie Clachan the week before for Absolute Beginners – is soaring. There's scarcely a play which doesn't have a knock-out performance and scarcely an unused industrial space which doesn't house an interesting play. New writing – and very young writers – are beginning (they've been the Cinderellas of the stage) to flower.
This current spat won't do the theatre, so often derided by non-theatrical columnists, any harm: there it is, discussed in pages usually given over to Lily Allen's prom frocks. Still, it only touches on the real threats to the independence of critical opinion. The composition of theatre critics is hardly a closely guarded secret. We're actually rather publicly displayed: unlike film and art critics, we don't go to private views, but can be seen at press nights, where practitioners and audiences can figure out whether we're male or female, alive or dead. In any case, the greatest impediment to clear-sightedness is probably not genetic. It's personal involvement. Friendship, enmity and rivalry don't just prevent reviewers from speaking up: they stop them seeing what is there. That isn't a malady confined to theatre critics. As most literary editors will testify.


text:
Q: Pixastic Blur not working - variable issue? So I want to try the Pixastic blur fast method to blur an image.
The code they supply in the documentation is the following:
var img = new Image();
img.onload = function() {
    Pixastic.process(img, "blurfast", {amount:0.5});
}
document.body.appendChild(img);
img.src = "myimage.jpg";

But when I try it on my page like this:
$(document).ready(function() {
    var myImg = new Image();
    myImg.onload = function() {
        Pixastic.process(myImg, "blurfast", {amount:0.5});
    }
    document.body.appendChild(myImg);
    myImg.src = "../img/theImage.jpg";
});

It simply does nothing.
I also tried to call it like this, also without any result:
var img = new Image();
$(".div img").load(function(){
    Pixastic.process(img, "blurfast", {amount:0.5});
});
document.body.appendChild(img);
img.src = "../img/theImage.jpg";

It does not even throw an error!
I tried to understand what is happening: In img, a new image is created. As soon as the image in .div has loaded, Pixastic fires and adds the blur effect to the newly created image. Now, the image is applied as a child and gets a src attribute.
As you probably notice, I have some logical errors in there, but I can't get this clear. I believe that in the above code, img is not always the same. Sometimes it's the variable, sometimes it has to be the actual image from the img-tag. Is this true? Or do you see any other thing that strikes you? Why is it not working?

A: Ok, got it!
I need to call it through the jQuery method for some reason. Like:
$(".div img").pixastic("blurfast", {amount:0.5});


text:
Q: Linked list creation I'm trying to represent a graph using adjacency list but I'm having trouble with pointers.
typedef struct vertex{
    int num;
    struct vertex *next;
} Vertex;

Vertex *adj[10];

void build(){
    Vertex *v=NULL;
    Vertex *t=NULL;
    v = malloc(1*sizeof(*v));

    v->num = 1;
    adj[0] = v;  //NODE with value 1
    t = v;

    v = malloc(1*sizeof(*v));
    v->num = 1;
    t->next = v; // ANOTHER NODE but it should be the SAME NODE with the above one
    t = v;

    //v = malloc(1*sizeof(*v));
    //v->num = 1;
    //t->next = adj[0]; // causes infinite loop...
    //t = v;

    v = malloc(1*sizeof(*v));
    v->num = 2;
    t->next = v;
    t = v;
}

What I'm trying to build is actually simple. 1 --> 1,2 . But the code I wrote didn't work. What could be the problem?
EDITED: Ok, I corrected the NULL's.
The expected output is 1 -->> 1,2 . A graph that has 2 nodes 1 points to itself and to the next node with value 2.
My problem is when I create the graph after getting the list 1 --> 1,2; it looks like I have 3 different nodes. I mean later when I change value of node with 1 to 3, I get 3 --> 1,2 but since I only should have 2 nodes, desired output should have been 3 --> 3,2 after I made that change.

A: t = NULL;
v = malloc(1*sizeof(*v));
v->num = 2;
t->next = v;    //This is basically dereferencing a NULL pointer

You are dereferencing t after setting it to NULL causing an Undefined Behavior.
Also, You should tell us:
 What is the expected output?
What is the output that you are getting?
Without that information, it is difficult to tell what you are doing wrong except pointing out to you the obvious usage errors.

A: You are trashing t in several places. Specifically with the t = v;, you don't have the original value anywhere else.


text:
The Insurance Bellwether™
An information source for the latest insurance, income planning and financial planning developments. A place for the exchange of ideas on news and trends.
Enough Talk. Let's Act On Health Care.
Much of the recent attention on health care reform has focused on Town Hall meetings, reaction to the anger reported during some of those meetings and President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress last week.
But I think that President Obama's remarks to a group of nurses on Sept. 10, the day following his address, really cut to the point. "…we have talked this issue to death, year after year, decade after decade. And the time for talk is winding down. The time for bickering has passed."
And, if the time for bickering has not passed, then it is time for the nation to come to a decision. Do we really have the will and the desire to pass health care legislation? If we do, then let's do it. If we don't let's accept the fact that dissension, fear or pure selfishness are too strong to fight in this country and let the matter go. The truth is maybe we have become too selfish a nation to really care what happens to those who are underinsured or not insured. If that turns out to be the case, then it is an ominous omen for where the country is heading. But, at least the nation can come to terms with that fact and move onto other issues.
Fortunately, I don't believe that we as a nation are at that point. I think there is momentum to get the job done. But in order to tap into that momentum and will to look after all Americans, I think it is necessary to go back to our nation's source.
As I watched President Obama's health care address before Congress, I imagined what the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence would have thought if they were watching the address. More specifically, I would have liked to have watched the address with the four signers who were physicians: Lyman Hall of Georgia; Josiah Bartlett and Matthew Thornton of New Hampshire; and Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia.
No doubt they would have been proud and amazed that their Declaration had resulted in the creation of the body of lawmakers on the television screen. Perhaps, they would have been a little dismayed at the lack of respect shown the President. There is a way to disagree. They respectfully but strongly did so in the Declaration when they spelled out why they were disenchanted with King George III. Saying that the President is lying is not only wrong but a sign of bad breeding. And, in a very real way it points to the deep, dangerous and intensifying partisan divisions not only on the health care issue but in the nation as a whole.
By the same token, I wonder if it was wise to chastise insurers during the President's speech. Sure, they've done bad things in the past and possibly in the present and everyone likes a bad guy. But it is a little too easy to pick one scapegoat when a lot of different constituencies contributed to the current health care crisis. If coverage was wrongfully denied to people who died as a result of those denials or delays in coverage, then those companies should be tried both in the criminal and civil courts by states' attorneys general. And, if they are found guilty, then they should not only be condemned. CEOs should be given jail time and court judgments should be imposed. And the courts should step in and establish plans to make sure that the culprits can't do it again.
But alienating a key constituency in the health care debate will not advance the issue. America's Health Insurance Plans, Washington, released a statement in which it states that "We agree the status quo is not sustainable" and noted that "We proposed health insurance reform to guarantee coverage to all Americans, eliminate pre-existing condition exclusions and rescissions, and no longer base premiums on a person's health status or gender. To keep coverage as affordable as possible, these reforms must be paired with an effective coverage requirement to get everyone into the health care system."
AHIP notes that it does not support a "government-run plan" but asserts that "the nation cannot afford to let this historic opportunity pass us by."
The Founding Fathers would have been dismayed by the fact that it was necessary for the President to spell out why health care reform that covers everyone and prevents people from falling into the abyss of poverty is needed.
After all, they did help craft a document that says it is "self-evident" that "all men are created equal," noting that "life" is one of the "unalienable rights."
The President clarified the many unintentional and unfortunately deliberate attempts to misconstrue his plan. In that respect, it was a strong statesman-like speech that laid out the facts of his plan. He would like to see a public option available only for those who wanted it and you can keep the health insurance you want. And, granny, rest easy. No medical tribunal is going to put you down.
The message was clear and the outline of the plan well-defined. Where it was a little weak was on details. The President says that the plan will not put us in greater debt because there are ways to save in the current system. But, there doesn't seem to be specifics on the savings.
Is that a death knell for the plan? I don't think so. Did the four physician signers of the Declaration of Independence; Hall, Bartlett, Thornton and Rush have specifics on how the new government would develop and ultimately work? They might have had concepts but I doubt they had specifics. The Declaration itself is a very general document.
What they did have was a gut feeling that what they were signing onto was right and just. What they did have was the courage of their convictions and the willingness to take a leap of faith. I saw the same willingness in that speech.
I was heartened by the fact that the President still wants a public option. I think it can only help and not hurt. I was also heartened by the fact that he says he will listen to any serious proposal. The Republican response from Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., a medical doctor, about making health insurance available across state lines, certainly is worthy of discussion although it may hurt the public option. But maybe it would be a reasonable way to ensure that Americans in areas where health insurance is not available could have affordable coverage.
Whatever the ultimate solution is, the overhaul is needed now. The situation is becoming too dire for too many Americans and we have too many other serious issues to delay this any longer.
With Congress back in session, it is time for its members to roll up their sleeves, keep the partisan politics to a minimum and remember the leap of faith that the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence took when they signed a statement that left their future very uncertain.
And, as healers as well as Founding Fathers, the four physicians in that original group would have been as interested in healing the divisions in our country as they would be in providing health care for all.
Posted by Jim Connolly at 3:04 PM
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Jim Connolly
For over 20 years, I have reported and edited stories covering life insurance, state regulation and legislation, income planning, and financial planning. Currently, I am a reporter, editor and commentator for The Insurance Bellwether™. Feel free to e-mail me at Jimsconn@gmail.com or at Jim@TheInsuranceBellwether.com.


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United in solidarity with immigrants, Rapid Response Networks (RRN) works in Long Island neighborhoods -- in partnership with Jobs-with-Justice Long Island -- to help prevent unjust detention and deportation of immigrants.
call the 24/7 immigrant hotline at 516-387-2043.
Accompaniment is first and foremost an act of love and solidarity. It is a strategy through which individuals (Witnesses) provide physical and moral support to immigrant Friends appearing in court and fearing the possibility of deportation. Through accompaniment, Witnesses provide their presence not only to create a safer space for immigrant Friends, but also as a security measure to deter deportation. In the event that we are unable to prevent deportation, the witnessing and reporting done by accompaniers serves to alert our Friends� family and the community at large. As a Witness, your presence alone is making a statement to court judges and the Department of Homeland Security that you will hold them accountable for any injustice committed against an immigrant Friend.
Sanctuary is one of the most ancient traditions that we have as a people of faith. The ancient Hebrew people allowed temples and even whole cities to declare themselves places of refuge for persons accused of a crime, a practice that allowed those wrongfully accused or facing unjust punishment to escape swift and harsh retribution until the matter could be resolved. In the late Roman Empire, fugitives could find refuge in Christian churches. Later during the medieval period, churches in Europe were recognized as legal sanctuaries, offering a safe haven for a temporary period to accused wrong doers.
The New York Civil Liberties Union �- Suffolk County Chapter is excited to announce the launch of our new Pathways to Education Equity Mentoring Program (PEEMP). This program is designed to support parents in building collaborative relationships with their local school districts as they navigate the educational system.
The DREAM Solidarity Fund is a community raised initiative that seeks to provide financial assistance for the families of workers facing deportation. Long Island is a very expensive place to live and one person�s deportation/detainment can have devastating impacts on a family unit�s ability to afford housing, food, childcare, or medical treatment. 100% of all money raised will go to to families with detained breadwinners or workers. Please consider donating. No amount is too small!
Nov 14, 2018 Newsday: Court rules police can't arrest people on behalf of ICE.


The Ford Figo 2017 does not share anything with the earlier model and is an all new car. It is based on Ford's Kinetic design 2.0 language and the theme is identical to other new generation cars from Ford. A robust passenger cage made from high strength steel is a part of it. The Ford Figo 2017 also offers driver-side airbag as standard, across all variants. Ford has given a lot of emphasis on passenger safety. In fact, the Ford Figo 2017 is the only car to offer upto six airbags in its top line variant. Thus it distinguishes itself from others cars in its segment.
The new Ford Figo 2017 stands out as one of the best looking hatchbacks in the country, clearly. The large dominating trapezoidal front grille, instantly reminds you of Aston Martin. It has chrome highlights and elongated headlamps look good adding some premium feel to it. Diagonally from the front it also resembles Fiat Punto Evo, as the headlamps are strikingly similar. The side looks well balanced with a slightly tapered windowline. The Ford Figo 2017 has a slightly tall stance due to the high window line. It comes with 14-inch alloy wheels, which do look small in comparison to the car. ORVMs have turn indicators on them. The rear portion is pretty neat and simple and integrates well with the overall look. The boot looks sporty and has a spoiler that adds a subtle flair.
The cabin of the Figo hatch is a big step up compared to its predecessor. Soon after entering the car you can notice that Ford has made a huge effort in getting the ergonomics spot on, which was quite lacking earlier. Everything feels within your reach and focused on the driver. The dashboard design is exactly the same as the Figo Aspire but instead of black and beige it is black and grey. Ford has also added a vanity mirror on the co-passenger's sun visor which is missing on the Aspire. The gloss black elements on the centre console, door handles, steering wheel, etc. have now been replaced by brushed silver finish. The darker colour scheme looks sporty but many would still prefer the beige interior of the compact sedan.
The instrument cluster on the Figo hatchback doesn't get any silver elements like the Aspire but there is a different shade of blue for the illuminated needles. You get a 4.2-inch screen on the Titanium+ variant with Ford SYNC system while on the lower variants you get Ford MyDock which is the same as the Aspire. The audio system is user friendly and Bluetooth connectivity is seamless. Audio quality is top notch and the comprehensive connectivity with the AppLink system makes it a very entertaining cabin to be in. The ORVMs are electrically adjustable and are power foldable. There is no push button start/stop, keyless go or reverse parking sensors but the latter most is offered as part of genuine accessories. The car doesn't get rear AC vents either but doesn't need them as the AC is a chiller and cools the cabin in quick time, even at the rear.
The headlight controls are stacked neatly next to the steering and the stalks are India-friendly having the turn indicator lever on the right-hand side. The quality, fit and finish is worth appreciating as the Figo feels well put together now with long lasting materials. There are ample amount of storage bins to keep the cabin clean but the rear doors miss out on pockets. The seats are very comfortable at the front with height adjust for the driver. The rear legroom is way better than the old Figo and has more supportive seats with excellent kneeroom but headroom is limited for tall passengers whose hair will rub the sloping roof. The rear headrests are fixed (the Aspire has adjustable) and for tall occupants, the headrests will be at upper back level. 257-litres of boot space is more than enough for a hatchback of this size but there is no electro-magnetic tailgate opener.
The Ford Figo is available with a choice of two petrol engines and one diesel. While the large petrol engine is available only with a 6-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox, the other two engines come mated to a five speed manual gearbox.
The 1.2 litre petrol engine, is best suited for the city. Out on the highways it definitely lacks punch. The motor needs to be revved really hard since the meat of the power is at the top of the rev range. Another peculiar thing we noticed was how audible the engine was at high revs. When driven sedately, it does return decent fuel economy. It is nothing more than a commuter class engine, that does it's duty well. The benchmark petrol engine in the segment, continues to be the 1.2 litre K-Series motor harbored in the Swift's engine bay.
This engine is available only with the 6 – speed dual clutch automatic transmission, in the Titanium trim. While it might make the Figo look like a hot hatch on paper, the 1.5 Ti-VCT fails to deliver on counts of performance. There just isn't enough torque for the gearbox to exploit and deliver. Where the engine and gearbox combo do score however, is in terms of sheer convenience. When driven with a light foot, the automatic keeps the wallet happy too. The engine and gearbox combo is definitely miles better than the only other petrol automatic in the segment – the Hyundai Grand i10.
On the safety front, the Figo is the only hatch to get six – airbags in the top-spec Titanium+ Variant. Dual airbags are standard across the range. It also gets ABS with EBD; and with the Automatic the Ford is equipped with Hill Launch Assist and ESP as well. Ford has nailed it when it comes to safety. No one would have ever imagined that in our country a carmaker would offer six airbags in a hatchback priced under Rs. 10 lakhs. Ford is also offering a driver side airbag as standard across all variants. No doubt the new Figo is the safest car in its segment and future-proof. That's not it, the car also comes with traction control, stability control and hill hold assist with the automatic transmission variant. Ford is targeting rural markets as well with the Figo and is promising a competitive maintenance cost along with 24/7 roadside assistance and 2 year/1,00,000 kms warranty.
Let's keep this simple. Cars are of two types – fun or practical but rarely both. If you look at the hatchback segment, the Hyundai Grand i10 is a practical option but lacks fun while the Maruti Swift is very fun to drive but lacks practicality. Ford has managed to give both practicality and fun in a well priced package as the Figo is not only comfortable, spacious and safe, it's a whole lot of fun too with its quick shifting petrol automatic or the punchy diesel, underpinned by a communicative chassis. Like we said in the start of this review, the new Figo will take this American hatch to newer heights, it's that good.