Our nation is bleeding out. An old wound, which was yet in the process of healing, has been torn open over the past eight years. We need healing, and it doesn't seem to be forthcoming. It could come sooner if we, as Christians, would focus on the Gospel and not on sociopolitical agenda. Somehow, we have it in our heads that if we address socially relevant issues head on and try to change our culture that we are helping people. Yet the point of Gospel is the Good News that God has sent His Son, Jesus, to make a way for men to be reconciled to God. Only then, will our hearts be changed, and only then will the way we treat and interact with one another be changed. Only then will our culture be changed.
Part of the problem is that we don't understand history. Maybe the fault is with our schools who, 30 or 40 years ago, began trying to teach a more "honest" history – and began emphasizing the negative aspects of our nation's past in general, and the failings of historical figures specifically. In the process, as we developed a more "real" social consciousness, the good aspects of our national history were swallowed up in the blackness of our failings. We were so busy casting stones that we didn't realize we were pummeling our nation into oblivion. That's the way it usually goes when we focus on someone else's sin. We try to get the speck of sawdust out of their eye and don't realize we're smacking them upside the head with the 2×4 sticking out of our own eye, and everyone walks away bloody, bruised and blinded.
I've found several books recently that are histories of individual counties where some of my ancestors lived. The three I've read so far were written in the early 1900's by Civil War veterans – one from Pennsylvania, one from Louisiana, and one from Mississippi. Their perspectives on the Civil War obviously vary. One of the confederate veterans surprised me a little by stating unequivocally that the nation went to war over the issue of slavery. From his perspective, the constitution gave the states the right to have slavery, and to secede. The north was destroying the constitution by ignoring it and forcing the south to abandon the practice. He pointed out the irony that the south had outlawed the importation of new slaves in the early 1800's, but Northern slave traders continued to bring new slaves in from Africa and sell them in the slave markets into the 1840's. He also pointed out the number of times northern states, especially Massachusetts, had threatened to exercise their constitutional right to secede from the Union over one issue or another, but when the south did, they went to war. He said the south fought for their constitutional rights, but that having gone through that and seen the end to slavery, they would fight again rather than go back to that institution.
One of the things that struck me the most in all three books, is the acceptance that once the war was over, it was over. The country was reunited. The men who fought on both sides went back to being committed, loyal citizens of the United States. Yes, there was still some anger, suffering, struggling (especially through the "Reconstruction Era"), but they began the process of restoring and renewing our land. Their fathers and forefathers were the founders of the nation, veterans of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Some of them, and their sons went on to become veterans of the Spanish-American War. The government eventually recognized Confederate soldiers as being American veterans and gave them veteran pensions and authorized veteran markers for their graves.
Obviously, in terms of race relations, there is still much to be done. If anything, in recent years we've seen reversals and increased division. It is way past time for us to promote healing in our nation. However, social action has had limited success. I was about to suggest messages for black preachers and white preachers, but 1) I'm not going to buy into the division, and 2) though there might be subtle nuances, the message is essentially the same for all of us.
Preacher, you have an opportunity right now to truly bring healing. It isn't by tearing down monuments and renaming parks. Nor is it by fighting against that. Change will come by prayer and by proclamation of the Gospel. Paul's example was to preach Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:23).
What does that mean? It isn't just "Jesus died for your sins." The way you become a Christian is the way you live as a Christian (Gal. 2:6). It means 'By His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption' (1 Cor. 1:30). It means 'By grace you have been saved through faith;… it is the gift of God, lest any man should boast' (Eph. 2:8). It means 'you have been [made of no effect apart from] Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace' (Gal. 5:4).That doesn't mean fallen from salvation. It means you stopped living by the heavenly, eternal grace that saved you and subjected yourself to worldly, temporal laws and notions of morality. As a result, you are of no effect as a Christian.
And how do you do that? Romans 1 ends with a long list of sins. But that list begins with a very significant insight. It talks about men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. It says that even though God made Himself known, "they did not honor Him as God or give thanks." The King James says, "they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful." That is the beginning point of sin. And the reverse is also true – if you want victory over sin, the starting place is learning to give thanks – extreme thanks – not just for good things, not even just for good things in the midst of bad things. Rather, it is giving thanks always, for all things. For the Father has given all things to the Son, and He will use all things to mold us into the image of the Son. That's what dying to self is all about. That is the "crucified life." It is learning to totally trust our totally trustworthy God.
If we think we are better than someone else because of our race or for any other reason, we need to realize we have no worth apart from our relationship with Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:14-16 says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of [fall short of] the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." Christian! Are you selling your spiritual birthright, the experience of the heavenly here on earth, the eternal in the here and now, for a morsel of temporal "meat"? Are you feeding bitterness by arguing over monuments, and parks, and the dead institution of slavery when our nation is defiled by spiritual death, enslaved by sin? The Bible does not deal directly with the issue of slavery because the real issue is the hearts of men and their eternal relationship with God. Make a real change there and it will have an impact on the "real" world.


A SONG. TO LADY COVENTRY'S MINUET.
1 SWEET companion of the muse!
5 Lead me, O majestic queen!
12 Here in Cowley's soft retreat.
18 "Empty greatness fall behind."
24 Make me humble, make me wise.
27 Solitude, with thee I'll dwell!
30 Here I wish to end my days.
Title (in Source Edition): SOLITUDE. A SONG. TO LADY COVENTRY'S MINUET.


text:
from enum import Enum

class QueryStatus(str, Enum):
    """Enum-type class for query statuses"""

    STOPPED: str = "stopped"
    FAILED: str = "failed"
    PENDING: str = "pending"
    RUNNING: str = "running"
    SCHEDULED: str = "scheduled"
    SUCCESS: str = "success"
    FETCHING: str = "fetching"
    TIMED_OUT: str = "timed_out"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This 74 pieces and 109 pieces Highway Racing Playset provides hours of fun while developing creativity. It is also great for bringing your families together while they try to work as a team.
Every kid will be excited to put the pieces together and pretend being a little engineer. It is amazing to see their faces light up when they are testing their mini highway with electric cars racing on it!
Tracks are easy to assemble. Brackets are offered to stable the tracks. With the support of pillars, you can even build a multi-level highway!
Two battery operated race cars are included. The motor of the cars are designed to have long battery life, so you don't need to worry about changing the batteries all the time.
This toy is recommended for children who are aged 4 and up. This toy is not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts. Please do not place the cars close to hair to prevent being caught by the wheels.Type your paragraph here.


text:
5 Big Questions from this week in sports
Peter Muggeridge | October 6th, 2014
A never-ending baseball game, the NFL sparks yet another social media outrage and the return of a hero: here are this week's Five Big Questions that will keep you up-to-date with the world of sports.
1. Why is Twitter totally outraged at the NFL again this week?
The pat answer is because it's Twitter and that it exists solely to express outrage about something. The focus of this week's affront is on the Jacksonville Jaguars mascot, who tried to troll Pittsburgh Steeler fans about the "Terrible Towels" they like to wave at games. During the game, the Jaguar's mascot held up a hand-written sign saying the Steeler "TOWELS CARRY EBOLA." Jaguars' president Mark Lamping immediately issued an apology, distancing the team from the tasteless joke. Will outraged sportswriters call for commissioner Roger Goodell to step down over what nobody's calling mascot-gate? If only ESPN's Bill Simmons wasn't still serving his suspension.
2. Can the NFL do anything right?
Not lately, it seems. But the league has made a step in the right direction with its announcement that they'll begin rigorously testing for Human Growth Hormone, a substance that is said to build muscle and increase athletic performance. If the tests prove successful, it should cut down on the number of seven-foot, 400-lb monsters who are somehow capable of running a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash.
3. Was I an idiot to write off New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady after a couple of bad starts?
You bet I was. Brady! Brady! Brady!
4. Is Saturday night's game between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants over yet?
Yes, it finally ended after 18 innings, making it the longest game in post-season history. The curious thing about the marathon was that, while it may have seemed like a classic to those who fell asleep in the 9th inning and missed the dramatic ending, there was a very little of the pitch-to-pitch tension that makes October baseball so wonderful. Even the players seemed drained of energy and emotion, especially as the game trudged on. Check out Nationals' reliever Craig Stammen: "The two worst things in baseball are boredom and frustration, and we were battling both of those tonight." It's unlikely MLB will adopt Stammen's quote as their marketing slogan next year.
5. Why are the Kansas City Royals winning?
A team on a major roll, K.C. won its first playoff series since 1985, upsetting the heavily favoured L.A. Angels. The Royals have succeeded so far through a combination of speed, defence, solid pitching and timely hitting, a similar formula to the one the Baltimore Orioles used to sweep away the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. The Royals and O's will meet for the American League Championship Series starting Friday to see who can continue making a mockery of baseball analytics.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
inviting me to participate in the Great Plot Synopsis Project, wherein he was asking a bunch of published writers to post a book synopsis in order to help show aspiring writers how they're done. (Joshua keeps having good ideas like this and then *following through on them*. I think he's an alien.) So today is the Great Plot Synopsis Project Post Day, and I'm posting. :)
I have blatantly stolen the Synopsis Q&A Joshua posted in the post that inspired all of this. I have stolen it 'cause it's so much easier than *thinking*... :)
Please note that there are SPOILERS for URBAN SHAMAN behind this cut. The book synopsis is replicated in its entirety. As it happens, because of how this particular synopsis is written, it's not *very* spoilery, but it is spoilery! So be warned, and now you can, if you wish,
How did you sell your first book--agent, slush pile, alien intervention? Slush pile--Luna was the third house I'd sent URBAN SHAMAN to. I dashed out and got myself an agent (the incomparable Jennifer Jackson) that weekend. Luna, at the time, was looking for traditional fantasy with a strong female protagonist and a strong romantic subplot. I sent them a contemporary fantasy with a strong female protagonist and almost no romantic subplot. They bought it. This is my way of saying "Let them tell you no." I mean, don't send a romance novel to Baen Books, let's be reasonable, but also don't assume that because your book doesn't exactly fit what a publisher say they're looking for that they're going to reject you.
Was a synopsis involved, and if so what did it look like? (seriously: page length, spacing, font, straight up story or broken down by character/setting/plot, etc.) There was. It was a 2 page, 25pt spaced, .3" tabbed, 12pt Courier New font, *extremely basic* synopsis that incorporated the entire story at once, without breaking things down into character/setting/plot. I can't even imagine how you'd do that, in fact. Here's the URBAN SHAMAN synopsis:
Joanne Walker is a Seattle cop with no use for the mystical. When she sees a woman running for her life, she has to get involved--even when the woman, Marie, claims to be hunted by Cernunnos, an ancient Celtic god who leads the Wild Hunt.
Jo's solid, real world explodes when Cernunnos tramples through a local diner and calls her out. The fight ends with Jo's near-death, and in a hazy experience between life and death, she's greeted by the Native American trickster Coyote. He gives her a choice: death, or life as a shaman. Jo chooses the healer's path, forced to acknowledged an aspect of the universe she's never seen before.
Marie is murdered a few hours later. Jo, stunned, throws caution to the wind and seeks out guidance on a psychic plane. Half a dozen shamans, all of them dead in an apparently unconnected series of recent murders, respond. They charge her with finding the man who murdered them, unable to give her a greater clue than "he seeks the child."
The next morning Jo wakes up to news that four children have been murdered at a local high school. She arrives at the school to discover a ritualized death scene. She speaks with the class teacher and, through a healing trance, learns the killer's identity – Herne the Hunter, Cernunnos' son.
Jo begins tracking Herne; Cernunnos, in turn, hunts Jo. Her newborn shamanic powers are the key to his ability to stay on Earth rather than be pulled back into shadow with the turn of the seasons. Their final confrontation takes place on an astral level, a very physical battle that leaves them both worn and battered, and binds Cernunnos to the cycle of time once more.
Another fight still remains, though: Jo tracks down Herne and with him, his daughter, whom Herne intends to sacrifice in a blood ritual that will permit him to take Cernunnos' place as leader of the Hunt.
As she battles Herne, Jo comes to better understand the path she's chosen, finally accepting her fate as a warrior and a healer in a world full of ignored mysticism. With her new understanding, she finds herself able to guide Herne to his own place in that mystical world, righting an error made centuries earlier.
When do you write a synopsis (before, during, after the novel)? Well, that synopsis I wrote after the book was written. I wrote the original synopses for THUNDERBIRD FALLS and HEART OF STONE while the books were in progress. These days I sell on proposal, so I write the synopses before I write the book.
Then I ignore it.
How do you go about doing it? With a great deal of pain and agony, usually.
Actually, I've found the best way to write a synopsis is to log onto a chat room, seize someone, and tell them what happens in the book. Then I take the log of the file and convert it into a synopsis. For some reason I get a huge mental block about having to Figure It Out in a formal fashion, but it's a lot easier to just say, "Oh, yeah, and, crap, I forgot that back toward the beginning Jo did this which sets this up, ok?" and then keep going on.
The problem with doing this, of course, is it means whomever I've seized gets spoiled for the book I'm writing, at least in the general sense. I don't write a lot of details into my synopses, so they remain a mystery until the book's written (to me as well as to whomever I've blurted at).
I have still not learned to get enough emotional content into synopses, particularly in the form of motivation. I tend to focus on the plot, the whole plot, and nothing but the plot, which, to me, *is* the story, and leave out emotional ramifications and "er, why exactly did she do that?" ("Because I NEEDED HER TO.") sorts of things. I'm more aware of it than I used to be, and I'm better than I was, but that's still an area I fall down in.
Does this change depending on circumstances (genre, adult/YA, publisher, time of year, whether it's raining, etc.)? Not really. Everything I've done a synopsis for has been the same amount of agony, except one synopsis that flowed in its creation and which I was proud of and liked a lot and which the publisher responded to with, "Well, ok, but what about these problems?" and made me have to reconsider the whole book. She was right, too, dammit. They usually are.
Did your approach, or the final product (the synopsis), change as you got publishing experience? Does your agent or editor want something different from you now than when they were pulling you out of the slush? My agent pretty much always says the same thing when I turn in a proposal: "Not bad, I think maybe you've put too much information in the first few chapters, a little too front-loaded maybe," and I always have. One of my editors responds to the proposal with ideas for changing things around, for improving the story, etc; the other one does not, unless the synopsis I've turned in is absolute crap, in which case she says, in much nicer words, "This is crap. Do it again." (That's only happened once. And she was right. I knew it was crap when I turned it in, but I sort of hoped she wouldn't notice. She did. :))
As for myself...I'm trying to learn to incorporate the things I'm not good at, and eventually they'll become second nature. I hope. I'm better at them than I used to be; I'm better at considering long term ramifications and I'm better at seeing when I, for example, have forgotten to put a plot in. But it is still incredibly, incredibly helpful to have an editor respond, because even though it makes me sulk, the truth is that all writers have blind spots and having someone else illuminate those areas is critical.
We've been debating the eternal question of how much to include or leave out--when *you* write a synopsis, how closely does the synopsis match the book? Oh, God. Well, the URBAN SHAMAN synopsis is practically just High Concept, because it was written after the book and I really just took all the high ideas and wrote them down.
One of the things I find synopses useful for is--I usually do ignore them, after I've written them. This is because I think I've got the basic shape of the book in my head. It usually does come out more or less like what I wrote in the synopsis, too, although never exactly. But what I find them useful for is when I get slowed down or stuck and don't know what I should be doing next. I go look at the synopsis and go, "Oh! What a cool idea that is! Now how can I get my characters to that point so I can do it?" which certainly unsticks me.
The problem with doing that is that in re-reading the synopsis I sometimes find that I forgot something REALLY COOL that would now require rewriting half the book to work in. So I've begun at least keeping a copy of the synopsis open along with the other doc files I'm working on, so I can take a peek now and then and see if I've forgotten any cool ideas.
Um. I guess ideally my synopses cover the action thread, the emotional thread, hit a few scene highlights that I know or expect to be seeing, and resolve the book. This is easier with the Walker Papers, say, which have one POV character, than with the Inheritors' Cycle, which has...one main POV character, but six or something minor ones. (I cannot imagine writing a synopsis for the GRRM books.) On a high story level the books almost alway do what the synopses say they will. It's just that my details frequently change, and that, I don't worry very much about.
And how do you introduce/explain a SF/F setting in the short space of a synopsis? Succinctly, I said, less than helpfully. :)
Um, looking at a synopsis I wrote for an unfinished SF novel, I took about a page (as described above with formatting) to set up the world. It's a four page synopsis (I think it had to be 4 pages for some contest or something I submitted it to), so that's a lot of space dedicated to the setup, but it was also the bare minimum I thought I could get away with.
Is writing a synopsis a difficult process for you? Enjoyable/detestable? Any tips for making it easier? The only person I know who likes writing synopses is Judith Tarr (dancinghorse, who says something like, "But it's so easy, that's just how it all has to go in order to make the story work!" This is probably why she can write books that leave me staggering around in awe of her skill, and wide-eyed with moments of, oh, *that's* how you do that....
For those of us who are merely mortal, writing synopses generally seems to be a teeth-grinding, hair-pulling kind of experience. As I said above, the best way *I've* found to do it is to sit down and tell someone in a chat room how the story goes. (It doesn't work out loud, because I need the text to build the actual synopsis from.) I don't know if that would work for anybody else, but it helps me a bit.
But here's something I haven't mentioned: having the damned things helps. It helps me, anyway. It *does* give me something to go back and say, "Uh, what next?" to, and it gives me ideas of, well, what next. I've been writing...a lot, these last few years. My first book came out in June 2005; my 8th is out this month, my 9th will be out in May, and my 10th in September, with 2 more coming out in the first half of next year. Out of those, one (URBAN SHAMAN) was fully written before 2005. (HEART OF STONE was as well, but underwent such massive revisions that it may as well have been from scratch.)
There is no way I could have written ten books in three years without synopses. They help guide me away from false starts, they help get me back on track, they give me a *structure*. It might not be exactly right, but it's something to at least lean on. Writing them forces me to consider where the story is going and how it's going to get to the end scene I usually have in mind. Doing what I've done the last three years, that's critical. Much as I hate writing them, I seriously doubt I'll ever write another book *without* writing a synopsis for it: they are, in the end, too much use.
» Patricia Bray (pbray): http://www.sff.net/people/patriciabray/synopsis.html
» Chaz Brenchley (desperance): http://desperance.livejournal.com
» Mike Brotherton: http://www.mikebrotherton.com
» Tobias Buckell: http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/2008/02/01/ask-me-a-question-was-crystal-rain-sold-as-part-of-a-series/
» S.C. Butler (scbutler): http://scbutler.livejournal.com
» Barbara Campbell: www.barbara-campbell.com/inside.htm
» David B. Coe (davidbcoe): http://davidbcoe.livejournal.com
» Jennifer Dunne (jennifer_dunne): http://jennifer_dunne.livejournal.com
» S.L. Farrell (sleigh): http://sleigh.livejournal.com
» Diana Francis (difrancis): http://difrancis.livejournal.com
» Gregory Frost frostokovich): http://frostokovich.livejournal.com
» Felix Gilman: http://www.felixgilman.com/wordpress/
» Jim C. Hines (jimhines): http://jimhines.livejournal.com
» Jackie Kessler (jackiekessler): http://www.jackiekessler.com/blog
» Mindy Klasky (mindyklasky): http://mindyklasky.livejournal.com
» Misty Massey (madkestrel): http://madkestrel.livejournal.com
» C.E. Murphy (mizkit): http://mizkit.livejournal.com
» Naomi Novik(naominovik): http://naominovik.livejournal.com
» Joshua Palmatier (jpsorrow): http://jpsorrow.livejournal.com
» Maria V. Snyder: http://blog.myspace.com/mariavsnyder
» Jennifer Stevenson (smokingpigeon): http://smokingpigeon.livejournal.com
» Michelle West (msagara): http://msagara.livejournal.com
» Sean Williams (ladnews): http://ladnews.livejournal.com
kateelliott posts about why she's *not* participating at SF Novelists, and it's as useful a blog entry as any of the others, I think.
The URBAN SHAMAN synopsis, as it was said in the body of the post, was written after the book. If people would like to see a synopsis written *before* the book, let me know. (I'd probably use THE CARDINAL RULE, but I could potentially use one of the other Walker Papers, "Banshee Cries" or COYOTE DREAMS. Not gonna do the Negotiator books, they're too new. Let me know if I should do that.", "url": "https://mizkit.livejournal.com/339428.html", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://l-stat.livejournal.net/img/sign.png" }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "kit", "image": "https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/60996617/296044" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Journal mizkit", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://mizkit.livejournal.com", "contentUrl": "https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/33324088/296044" } } }
Music: Styx: Renegade
The Great Plot Synopsis Project
A couple of weeks ago I got email from Joshua Palmatier inviting me to participate in the Great Plot Synopsis Project, wherein he was asking a bunch of published writers to post a book synopsis in order to help show aspiring writers how they're done. (Joshua keeps having good ideas like this and then *following through on them*. I think he's an alien.) So today is the Great Plot Synopsis Project Post Day, and I'm posting. :)
Is writing a synopsis a difficult process for you? Enjoyable/detestable? Any tips for making it easier? The only person I know who likes writing synopses is Judith Tarr ( dancinghorse, who says something like, "But it's so easy, that's just how it all has to go in order to make the story work!" This is probably why she can write books that leave me staggering around in awe of her skill, and wide-eyed with moments of, oh, *that's* how you do that....
» Patricia Bray ( pbray): http://www.sff.net/people/patriciabray/synopsis.html
» Chaz Brenchley ( desperance): http://desperance.livejournal.com
» S.C. Butler ( scbutler): http://scbutler.livejournal.com
» David B. Coe ( davidbcoe): http://davidbcoe.livejournal.com
» Jennifer Dunne ( jennifer_dunne): http://jennifer_dunne.livejournal.com
» S.L. Farrell ( sleigh): http://sleigh.livejournal.com
» Diana Francis ( difrancis): http://difrancis.livejournal.com
» Jim C. Hines ( jimhines): http://jimhines.livejournal.com
» Jackie Kessler ( jackiekessler): http://www.jackiekessler.com/blog
» Mindy Klasky ( mindyklasky): http://mindyklasky.livejournal.com
» Misty Massey ( madkestrel): http://madkestrel.livejournal.com
» C.E. Murphy ( mizkit): http://mizkit.livejournal.com
» Naomi Novik( naominovik): http://naominovik.livejournal.com
» Joshua Palmatier ( jpsorrow): http://jpsorrow.livejournal.com
» Jennifer Stevenson ( smokingpigeon): http://smokingpigeon.livejournal.com
» Michelle West ( msagara): http://msagara.livejournal.com
» Sean Williams ( ladnews): http://ladnews.livejournal.com
The URBAN SHAMAN synopsis, as it was said in the body of the post, was written after the book. If people would like to see a synopsis written *before* the book, let me know. (I'd probably use THE CARDINAL RULE, but I could potentially use one of the other Walker Papers, "Banshee Cries" or COYOTE DREAMS. Not gonna do the Negotiator books, they're too new. Let me know if I should do that.
Tags: pixel-stained technopeasant wretch, synopses, writing


text:
Academic Talks
Anime Curation
Art Initiatives
Discussion Circles
Social Meetups
Brian_FTP · Published Oct 21, 2015 · Reviews
Review: Summer of Scandal
If you attended ACEN (Anime Central) over the Summer, you may have seen waves of con-goers proudly displaying shirts emblazoned with the letters S-C-A-N-D-A-L. In case you mistakenly thought that otaku throughout the Midwest simultaneously developed a sudden obsession with the ABC political drama of the same name, allow me to enlighten you: Scandal is of one of the most accomplished Japanese rock bands around. Their music is poppy, melodic, and extremely catchy. They've provided opening and ending theme songs for Bleach ("Shōjo S," "Harukaze") and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ("Shunkan Sentimental"), among others. Chances are, you're already more familiar with the band than you thought you were just a few seconds ago.
ACEN was one of 31 stops on Scandal's globe-spanning "Hello World" tour. While you'd think that the band would take a well-deserved rest after such an exhausting trek, they kept on the grind and released a new single in mid-summer (July) and yet another single as summer came to a close (September).
"Stamp!" (Single) – July 22, 2015
Hot on the heels of their "Hello World" album and tour cycle, Scandal released "Stamp!" on July 22. The song wastes no time in letting you know that the title is quite apropos. No long, drawn out intro. No fade ins. Just in-your-face, foot-stamping, head-bobbing, hand-clapping, fun, summer rock. "Stamp!" feels like a cool breeze with the top rolled down. It's that first bite of an ice cream sandwich to spite the blazing heat. A tall, icy drink with an umbrella in it. You get the idea. In a nutshell, "Stamp!" sounds like an audible manifestation of summer.
Mixed by grammy-winning American super producer/mixer/engineer Tom Lord-Alge (Weezer, Avril Lavigne, Fall Out Boy, among others), every section of "Stamp!" sounds HUGE. Nothing is buried in this mix. Practically every snare hit sounds like it was accompanied by an eager, happy handclap. Bass lines punch through perfectly without obscuring the guitars or vocals.
Speaking of guitars, the music for "Stamp!" was written by lead guitarist Mami, who certainly has her moment in the sun with this song. Despite the fact that there aren't many chord changes, she manages to make the song feel more dynamic by either adding to or removing from the overall arrangement. For example, even though they share the same melody with the chorus, the guitar parts during the verses are played slightly palm-muted and reserved. The guitar is even removed altogether from the first half of the third verse. This leaves the bass to carry the song for a bit, changing the dynamic between instruments to keep things interesting.
In contrast to the verses, where music is either subdued or removed, instrumentation is added to the overall arrangement in every other section. Turntable-scratching sounds during the pre-choruses conjure images of Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello and his infamous string-swiping technique. During the guitar solo, you'll hear a wah effect against distorted vocals or a vocoder (think of the "whoa-oh-oh"s during Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer"). Just when you think that the song has run out of surprises, the girls hit you with a one-two punch combo in the coda. While the music mostly remains the same, the coda introduces a new vocal refrain along with vocal counter melodies by Haruna (lead vocalist) to close out the song: "Everything's gonna be alright/Everything's gonna be okay/Everything's gonna be alright/Yay! Yay! Yay!"
The song ends right before the root chord as one of the secondary vocals trails off. Like a lingering summer sunset fading into the horizon, you'll wish that it would last just a bit longer.
Artwork/Bonuses
"Stamp!" would've fit perfectly among the other tracks on Scandal's latest album, Hello World. Appropriately enough, the artwork for both feature photos that look like they were run through an Instagram filter or two. The first press editions of both "Stamp!" and Hello World even included a bonus photo card and a photo sticker (respectively) which featured a random band member. This shared visual theme is also prevalent in the music video for "Stamp!" The video's aesthetics go hand in hand with the vibe of the song and the CD artwork. Sonically and visually, every aspect of this single is connected. Speaking of music videos, there are 2 limited edition versions of "Stamp!," each with its own set of live performances on a bonus DVD.
Flashback No. 5 (B-Side)
Including "Flashback No. 5" as a B-side to "Stamp!" is a bit mind-boggling. The song is definitely catchy enough to stand on its own. In fact, as soon as the song kicks in, you immediately get that "anime theme song" vibe. While it doesn't really provide anything different in the scope of Scandal's catalog of songs, "Flashback No. 5" is still a great straightforward, up-tempo, rock song. Like "Stamp!," "Flashback No. 5" would've been a welcome addition to Hello World.
Get "Stamp!" on iTunes ›
Just as the Summer days made way for Autumn's changing leaves, Scandal released a new single in the Fall. Join us for part 2 (coming soon) as we take an in-depth look at "Sisters!"
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–How did Jesus become pro-war, pro-American and pro-rich?
"The Jesus of the Gospels ministered to the poor and to the outcasts, had no property or possessions, and famously told a wealthy young man that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven," the popular writer told members of the Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace July 7 at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.
Curious about this drastic shift, Wakefield began researching the troubling query and was surprised at how far back the religious right's roots went.
The search led him to Senator Barry Goldwater's defeat for the presidency in 1964. Realizing they needed a wider base, he said Republican strategists saw that fundamentalists and evangelicals were a "virgin timber" voting block.
And soon a partnership was forged. "The religious right started with the Republican right," Wakefield reported, adding that along with this partnership, religious conservatives also forged a media empire, which today adds up to some 1,600 TV stations. Just one, "Focus on the Family," has 200 million watchers in 99 countries.
An official from the Christian Coalition told him that they were only intolerant of sinners, said Wakefield. But the author observed that it seemed a "very odd creed" for the group to call itself Christian, when it was Jesus who told a crowd that he who was without sin should cast the first stone.
He also talked about the divisiveness of the movement, whose faithful often attempt — and succeed — at driving deeper religious and political wedges between themselves and mainline Protestant congregations.


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Active Citizens, Civil Society, Democracy, Development & Aid, Editors' Choice, Featured, Headlines, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, Latin America & the Caribbean, Population, Poverty & SDGs, Regional Categories, TerraViva United Nations
A Hostage to Parliament, Temer Sacrifices Indigenous Rights to Save Himself
By Mario Osava Reprint | | Print | |En español
This article is part of special IPS coverage for the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, celebrated on August 9
Guaraní Indians Hamilton Lopes and his daughter stand in front of their shack where their family lives precariously on lands which have not yet been demarcated and where they face a threat of expulsion, along the border between Brazil and Paraguay. In this area, large landowners have taken their lands, causing the greatest number of murders and suicides of indigenous people. Credit: Mario Osava/IPS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 7 2017 (IPS) - Brazilians now have new reasons to yearn for and at the same time fear the parliamentary system of government. It facilitates quick solutions to political crises such as the one that is currently affecting the country, but it also further empowers reactionary forces and has led to backsliding on gains such as indigenous rights.
In a country with a presidential system of government, the "semi-parliamentarism" which many people, including President Michel Temer, identify in the current administration, is working against indigenous people and other sectors that have little say in parliament.
"The national Congress forms part of a conservative system, a 'democracy' which never took indigenous representation into account," lamented Marcos Terena, coordinator of the World Indigenous Nations Games, also known as the Indigenous Olympics, and a veteran activist of the Terena people, who live in west-central Brazil.
Native people are suffering an offensive against their rights, which has intensified since Temer took office.
Temer, who went from vice-president to president in May 2016 after the impeachment and removal of Dilma Rousseff, who was elected in 2014 and accused of fiscal fraud, totally depends on mainly conservative parliamentary groups.
This dependence started with how he rose to power, because a two-thirds majority in both houses was required to remove Rousseff. But it has been heightened since May 17, when the scandal broke out that made Temer the country's first sitting head of state to be formally charged with a crime.
A conversation recorded by Joseley Batista, owner of JBS, the world's largest meat processing company, was the basis for a formal accusation of corruption against Temer by the federal prosecution office.
On Aug. 2, the lower house of Congress rejected a corruption charge against Temer for alleged bribe-taking, which saved him from a possible Supreme Court trial might have removed him from office. But the federal prosecution office is preparing new charges of obstruction of justice and activity in a criminal organization, drawing out the parliamentary and judicial battle for the current presidency, which ends on Jan. 1, 2019.
To ensure the backing of the ruralist parliamentary group, which according to their website has 214 representatives and 24 senators – 40 per cent of parliament – Temer is granting its members a number of benefits and the approval of legal measures, to the detriment of native peoples, the environment and fiscal austerity.
Headed by large landowners, cattle ranchers and producers of grains for export markets, this bloc sees indigenous lands, whose demarcation is ensured by the 1988 constitution, as an obstacle to the expansion of agriculture.
According to the last census, there were 896,917 indigenous people in Brazil in 2010, or 0.47 per cent of the population of 190.7 million at the time. But they occupy more than 13 per cent of the national territory, which the powerful ruralist caucus considers excessive.
A constitutional amendment that would submit the demarcation of indigenous lands to approval by Congress is one of the ruralist bloc's proposals, which would likely prevent the creation of new protected areas to ensure the physical and cultural survival of native peoples.
Submitted in the year 2000, the initiative has been shelved until now. "I think that even the ruralists themselves recognise that the conditions for it to be passed do not exist," said Marcio Santilli, founder of the Socio-environmental Institute (ISA), the non-governmental organisation that has the largest database on indigenous people in the country.
Lucimario Apolonio Lima, a chief of the Xocó indigenous people, is struggling to find new livelihoods for his people, after a dam cut off their traditional activities of agriculture and fishing, which depended on the waters of the São Francisco River, in Brazil. Credit: Mario Osava/IPS
A constitutional amendment requires approval by a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, which has become more difficult to obtain with a governing coalition weakened by accusations of corruption, not only against Temer, but also against his chief ministers and parliamentary leaders.
"The biggest threat, more than a risk, is the time frame, a concept with which they want to limit the entire public administration," on the indigenous issue, Santilli told IPS.
This time frame is October 1988, when the constitution was approved. The rights of indigenous peoples were to be limited to the area occupied at that time, according to an interpretation by the Supreme Court, when it ruled in 2009 on the demarcation of the Raposa Sierra do Sol indigenous reserve, in the state of Roraima, in the far north of Brazil.
The ruralist caucus wants this to be the general criteria followed. Up to now what have been demarcated are "lands traditionally occupied" by indigenous people, as stated in the constitution. Anthropological studies are carried out identify the territory to be demarcated, in a process carried out by the National Indigenous Foundation (Funai), which answers to the executive branch.
The Attorney General's office, which advises the executive branch, pronounced itself in favour of the validity of the time framework, "extending the threat" to prevent new demarcations, said Santilli, who presided Funai in the 1990s.
According to data from ISA, Brazil has 480 indigenous lands already approved, but there are still 72 declared and 44 identified which are still pending demarcation, in addition to other 108 in process of identification, the initial phase of the process.
There is a huge lag, because the constitution established that all the areas were to be demarcated within a five-year period – in other words, by 1993.
A time frame makes no sense in "a country that was 100 per cent indigenous" when, in 1500, "the native people encountered the unknown world of the 'coloniser' which caused the extermination of thousands of natives and their communities, generating a national debt which cannot be subject to a moratorium," Terena told IPS.
Indigenous activist Marcos Terena is seen surrounded by people from the Terena people during a meeting in Campo Grande, the capital of the western Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Credito: Mario Osava/IPS
Besides, the offensive against indigenous rights and lands has brought violent conflicts. From 2003 to 2015, 891 indigenous people were murdered in Brazil, an annual average of 68, according to the latest report by the Catholic Indigenous Missionary Council. The violence has intensified in recent years, with 137 murders in 2014 and 138 in 2015.
The current context encourages "anti-indigenous groups to promote proposals that range from changes to the sacred national constitution to attempts to block a budget capable of addressing indigenous demands," Terena asserted.
Another ruralist threat is to close down Funai, the government body which implements indigenous policies and has suffered constant budget cuts that curtail its functions, such as the anthropological studies and the defence of demarcated territories.
Indigenous People in Brazil's Amazon – Crushed by the Belo Monte Dam?
Without Indigenous People, Conservation Is a Halfway Measure
Large Landowners Jeopardise Indigenous Revival in Brazil
More IPS Coverage of Indigenous Rights
The loosening of measures against mining and the construction of roads, hydroelectric plants and power transmission lines on indigenous lands are other means of pressure exercised by the ruralists and by companies that seek to "break down or weaken" indigenous peoples' exclusive rights to use their lands, said Santilli.
"There is an 'anything goes' mentality, against an absurd backdrop of weakness of the president, accused of corruption and with only five per cent approval in opinion polls," who is incapable of defending the diluted rights of the minorities and the environment against the private interests of legislators, he lamented.
The ruralist caucus reflects a distortions in parliamentary representation. Landowners make up a small sector of the population with disproportionate political power, in contrast to the millions of small-scale farmers, who are practically absent in Congress.
The economical clout of the former and the electoral rules, which assign a larger proportion of legislators to small states in Brazil's hinterland with rural economies than to the most urbanised states, go a long way to explaining the power of the conservatives, said Santilli.
Weakened, Temer is distributing "prizes, incentives, public posts and advantages, paying the price for being saved, but when the money is finished, there will be an exodus," predicted Antonio Queiroz, head of the Inter-Union Department of Parliamentary Advisory, which supplements the legislative work in Brasilia.
Follow @MarioOsava
Republish | | Print | |En español
Socioenvironmental Institute


Rogue Cartel Warbot, otherwise named Gonk, is a level 38 heroic world boss located on the planet Quesh. It is located just northeast of the Imperial Outpost walking around in a closed off area called Gonk's Infinite Loop. he has slightly over 800k health.


IMPACT 2011: The Business of Talent® is almost upon us. This year's theme is Building the Borderless Workplace and is organized by my friends at Bersin & Associates, this conference is a must for HR pros and leaders who are interested in learning how to link HR practices and people-driven strategies to business results. And I wouldn't miss it!
More than 30 (!) in-the-trenches HR and business leaders will share their experiences and present in-depth case studies including representatives from Accenture, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Caterpillar, Energizer Holdings, Inc., JetBlue Airways, Kelly Services, Lockheed Martin, Scotiabank Group, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and The Cheesecake Factory. And Bersin analysts will discuss their latest research on innovative approaches to recruiting, effective learning cultures, continuous learning, new models for leadership development, high-impact HR, and much more. The conference is April 26-28 at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Most interesting to me will be the ability to network with the speakers, the analysts and more than 300 other HR and business leaders attending the conference.
And, for readers of this blog, my friends at Bersin are offering a $100 discount off the already-discounted registration fee of $995 for members and $1295 for non-members! To reserve a spot, go to http://impact.bersin.com/ and enter the promotional code CHINAG.
Let me know if you're attending – we can meet up for coffee and compare notes!


A commercial invoice is a legal document used to track the movement of goods, especially where customs are involved. It is provided by the seller to the buyer to act as a customs document for clearing the products for export across international boundaries.
A commercial invoice is not used as a receipt for goods payment by the seller to the buyer. However, it is among the most important documents used while clearing the goods at the border. Simply put, it is a critical document in foreign trade that validates a transaction. Commercial invoices have a straightforward format. Just like the standard invoice, they contain the description of goods, quantities, price per unit and the total amount to be paid. But it is more detailed than a regular sales invoice or a receipt.
What differentiates it from a regular sales invoice is the following features in its format.
It also has information about the shipping of goods, which include the shipping company name, mode of payment for the transportation and date of freight.
Lastly, it also entails the description of cargo in transit such as the quantities, weight, and currency used in valuing the goods. It is also essential to include the goods manufacturer and the nature of goods to be shipped.
Also, a commercial invoice must clearly illustrate the invoice purpose and indicate the seller's reference number and the customs order number. Most importantly it must have a statement certifying that invoice is accurate and that the information about goods to be shipped is correct. It also must be signed by the supplier. When a commercial invoice goes through, it will also bear the signature or stamp of the customs department.
Understanding that the commercial invoice is used for the control of importation of goods helps to create an understanding of the level of importance of this document.
As the business that is exporting the goods, you have the responsibility to produce the commercial invoice. This is required so you as the exporter can get the export documents that are going to be necessary to ship your goods. It is also proof of ownership of the goods. Then finally it is the document that is going to initiate the payment of the goods.
The importer requires the commercial invoice as this is the agreement that exists between the seller who is the importer and the buyer who is the importer.
The commercial invoice should contain all the necessity information that customs will require. It will dictate clearly who the product is coming from and who the buyer is. It must be signed and dated to make it valid. The prices must be clearly detailed as freight and insurance will not be subject to custom charges.
Anytime you are shipping a product outside of the country, it must go through customs. Customs always requires a commercial invoice. It is the information contained on the invoice that allows the customs department to determine what the custom charges are going to be.
It can cost a lot of money to send a product outside of the country. The commercial invoice can help to ensure that the proper custom prices are being used. Also, it can help in making sure that the product is not delayed at customs. Customers expect to receive their goods in a timely manner. A commercial invoice can help to make this happen.


(VEN) - In order to support businesses through providing updated information about the market and new e-commerce trends as well as sharing experiences and solutions for brand management, the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) has organized the workshop "Brand Management and Online Business Promotion" in Da Nang. The workshop attracted a large number of VECOM members and businesses in Da Nang desiring to participate in this potential business.
Building a brand requires a lot of effort and investment over the years. But besides branding, brand management also requires no less effort and money. During the workshop, experts shared their experiences and the trends in initiating identity and protecting brand when conducting the online business as well as emphasizing the benefits of owning a domain name that is consistent with the brand identity and domain administration. VECOM assumed that the domain name is not just an Internet address but it is closely linked to the business and brand of the business.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung - President of VECOM said: "In 2016, VECOM has implemented many activities to raise awareness of the meaning of the domain name. The choice of domain name should be associated with the business development strategy of the business, especially when the business aims to do business on a global scale. VECOM continues to pursue the goal of "every business owns a website" and launch community awareness activities on the meaning of domain names in the digital age".
Although there are now many domain options, .com is still one of the most standard domain name recognized in the online identity of businesses, with 129.2 million domain names registered worldwide until the end of Q2 2017. According to VECOM survey, last year in Vietnam, the domain name .com is registered the most, followed by .net. Surveys show that enterprise's investment in .com is very small compared to its significant effect on branding. With the popularity of the domain name that is internationally recognized, .com has a great appeal, a high level of brand recognition, and attracts customers not only in the domestic but also in the cross-border markets, offers many opportunities for Vietnamese companies to reach the global scale.
Mr. Tran Duc Tam, Head Representative of Z.com Vietnam, one of the leading domain name providers in Vietnam, shared: "Choosing a suitable domain name is the first step to building a trusted and successful online presence. Using a reliable domain name extension will help your business win the trust of its customers. For this reason, we encourage businesses to use .com domain as this is the most standard domain name recognized internationally for online business operations. Once a business establishes a brand name with a .com domain, it can reach larger markets, and be chosen by customers not only within the country but across the border".


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By Randy King - Tuesday, March 6, 2018
The Ebb and Flow
It's an interesting phenomenon, the ebb and flow of membership at the Madison REIA. Turns out, it tracks closely with most REIAs across the country, but it does not track at all with most professional networking associations. I wanted to understand this curiosity a little better, so I took a closer look.
First, let's define what this ebb and flow is all about. Through social media, search engine queries, and referrals from individuals and organizations, people find their local REIA. The individual referrals are the best because they are person-to-person and all about explaining value received by one person explaining it to another. It's like seeing a great movie – you share it with people.
But those organizational referrals can be a double-edged sword, especially if the referrer is a "fly-in guru" that has come to Madison, talked people into parting with their money for a "boot camp" or personal coaching, and then admonishes them to go "find your local REIA" on the premise that this is where you will really learn what this stuff is all about and interact with like-minded people.
While the latter points are entirely true, the problem is that it's the guru laying claim to having discovered this awesome resource just for you and, consequently, you now deserve to "step up" to a more advanced coaching program where you'll really get the juice. But that juice is expensive, as you may already know.
With all these sources funneling into the REIA, a few people will look closely at the value that they might get from being a part of the association, and they sign up as members. This is the flow of membership increases.
The ebb of attrition nearly matches the flow of increases and it's a real head-scratcher at times; hence my interest in what's going on. You would think that once someone got involved with the REIA, they would continually advance their relationships and grow their interests. But this is not what happens.
It's regrettable that the world of media has people believing that real estate investing in its many forms is a glam-job requiring only 4 hours of work each week with massive free time. Rarely does any endeavor worth doing show up this way. Nor should it. When you have a passion for something, you should wake up each morning excited for the day and all the things that you will set out to do.
When people don't see the path to untold wealth and limitless freedoms paved in a smooth, slick surface, they assume that ANY wealth or freedom is out of their reach. Nothing could be further from the truth; the path is surely there, it's just not paved so smoothly.
For those that decide to roll up their sleeves, get the training, then do the work, well, those are the people that realize wealth and freedoms. But they DO the work to achieve that goal. These are the same people that understand the value of associating with others, resourcing colleagues, and finding a way to be accountable to someone else; a mentor or a coach.
Sure, you can GET that training at the REIA, and we think that we have darn good programs and resources to support that education. But you can get that education in a lot of places. What your REIA offers so much better than anything else is LOCAL access to people, services, and accountability. You can't get those things with online training programs or gurus from California.
That's the story. Many, many people are misinformed about this industry and never take advantage of the primary offerings of the REIA. And when the rehab fairy fails to materialize and drop a distressed property in their lap, they just fade away and dispense blame. "Do or do not – there is no try", a wise old man once said. Take advantage of your association for its offerings that cannot be duplicated.
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Around Crofton: Crofton's Community United Methodist Church welcomes Pastor Lou
By By JENNIFER GINN
Community United Methodist Church welcomes new senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. Louis Shockley Jr., to the congregation. (Courtesy photo, Capital Gazette)
Known to his new congregation as Pastor Lou, the Rev. Dr. Louis Shockley Jr. has been serving as senior pastor at Crofton's Community United Methodist Church since early July.
Prior to taking on his new title, Shockley served for nine years at Asbury United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. With specific goals in place for the Crofton parish, Shockley's hope is for the church to demonstrate its love for children, offer passionate worship and provide mission opportunities around the globe.
"Our community members are already traveling the world and bringing about transformative change," he said. "My job is to increase it, multiply it and build it in a multicultural and cross-generational way."
"We need to get our younger people engaged, get them involved and get them to take action," he added.
Shockley is strongly committed to inclusiveness within the church and said, "Jesus Christ created no walls to divide his children or limit their access to God's kingdom. His gates stand open wide. We are called to create many streams by which all can share freely in the life of the church, without consideration for race, gender, lifestyle, economic identity or credential power. All are welcome here."
Born in Beverly, N.J., and raised in Dover, Del., Shockley initially studied graphic design and photography in Philadelphia and received his college degree from Temple University.
As an undergraduate, he worked as a volunteer advancing the Rev. Martin Luther King's words and wisdom.
"My job was to pave the way for Martin Luther King to come into towns and cities on the eastern seaboard," Shockley said. "I would be dispatched to work with a group of clergy members or to a town that was saying no. My job was to get the yes. I would then communicate with Jesse Jackson or one of the other lieutenants that we had opened the door for them to come in and do the further groundwork needed to set up an appearance. It was a very great period in time."
Shockley went on to a successful career in commercial photography. Raised in the Methodist faith, he was called to the ministry in the 1970s and attended Payne Theological Seminary. He received his Masters of Divinity from Drew University Divinity School and went on to study conflict management and behavioral psychology at the University of Dayton through a doctoral fellowship sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He later transferred and received his Ph.D. in behavioral studies from the Center for Post Graduate Studies sponsored by Ohio State University, Wittenberg University and Antioch College.
Throughout his life, Shockley has been a committed community activist. In Prince George's County, where he resides in Laurel with his wife Bobbie, he served as chairperson of county voter registration. He also volunteered with Operation Big Vote and the Black Leadership Round Table and has received many accolades in the county for his countless endeavors.
In his free time, Shockley enjoys backpacking in the Shenandoahs and in West Virginia. His wife Bobbie has taught at Largo High School for the past 29 years and is an avid reader and explorer of lighthouses and old mansions. Together the couple raised their daughter, Paula, who lives locally and serves as an I.T. specialist for University of Maryland Medical System.
Prince of Peace Presbyterian Church will host a free puppet show for children at 2 p.m. Sunday at 1657 Crofton Parkway.
Featuring four characters, the humorous puppet musical called "King Solomon's Blog" is based on the Book of Proverbs. King Solomon is stymied when his computer quits and he can't work on his blog. The 35-minute show will be presented by the puppet team from Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park.


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Persistent adaptability
Drug-resistant HIV viruses can spread rapidly. This is the conclusion of a study conducted as part of the SWISS HIV Cohort Study, which is supported by the SNSF. Only the continuous introduction of new drugs can stop the virus from getting the upper hand.
The adaptability of pathogens is a great challenge to modern medicine, particularly the growing bacterial resistance to antibiotics. But other pathogens also possess the ability to adapt and render drugs powerless. A new study, conducted as part of the SWISS HIV Cohort Study, now shows how drug resistance can spread if it is not hindered by the continuous introduction of new drugs.
"Modern therapies can practically stop HIV viruses from replicating in the bodies of patients," says Huldrych Günthard, President of the HIV Cohort Study and Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University Hospital Zurich. "On the basis of this, fewer drug-resistant viruses should occur and be transmitted than a few years ago." However, studies have shown that this is not necessarily the case: the number of drug-resistant viruses that have been transmitted from one patient to another has remained stable.
New drugs offer respite
To explain this seeming paradox, Günthard and his colleagues have examined the viral resistances that have occurred in the HIV Cohort between 1998 and 2012. According to their recently published study (*), the proportion of patients with transmitted resistant viruses comes to about 10% for the entire period, but the transmission rate fluctuated considerably. Two opposing developments have contributed to these fluctuations, explains Günthard: when a new class of drugs entered the market, the transmission rate of resistant viruses dropped significantly for a period. This happened in 2000 after approval of the so-called "boosted protease inhibitors" and in 2009 when "integrase inhibitors" started to be used. But in both cases, the rate of transmission gradually climbed back up after the initial drop. "This shows how important a constant supply of new drugs is," explains Günthard.
Varying patterns of transmission
The researchers were also able to show how different the transmission patterns of individual types of resistant viruses can be. Worldwide, there are over 100 significant known mutations which lead to a resistance of the HI virus to one or more drugs. One frequently occurring mutation named M184V is transmitted mainly by HIV patients who receive drug therapy. In the case of two different but also frequently occurring mutations (L90M and K103N), patients who do not receive drug treatment seem to be the preferred host.
"This is probably the result of differing fitness costs of the mutations," says Günthard. M184V mutations quickly revert to their "un-mutated" state in untreated patients because the mutation limits viral replication; as a result, M184V viruses multiply above all in treated patients, who can can transmit them to other persons. On the other hand, L90M and K103N can also multiply in the absence of drugs, which means that untreated patients can propagate these two types of resistance. According to Günthard, these results exemplify that the spread of viral resistances is even more complex than previously assumed.
(*) Wan-Lin Yang, Roger Kouyos, Alexandra U Scherrer, Jürg Böni, Cyril Shah, Sabine Yerly, Thomas Klimkait, Vincent Aubert, Hansjakob Furrer, Manuel Battegay, Matthias Cavassini, Enos Bernasconi, Pietro Vernazza, Leonhard Held, Bruno Ledergerber, Huldych F. Günthard, and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS). Assessing the paradox between transmitted and acquired HIV-1 drug resistance in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study from 1998 to 2012. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2014
(Journalists can obtain a PDF file from the SNSF by writing to: com@snf.ch)
The interplay between transmitted and acquired HIV-1 drug resistance: the reasons for a disconnect, Andrea De Luca and Maurizio Zazzi, Journal of Infectious Diseases, Advance Access, published January 9, 2015
(Editorial)
Prof. Dr. med. Huldrych Günthard
Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology
E-mail huldrych.guenthard@usz.ch


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Sudanese Human Rights Leader Criticizes Chinese Support for Khartoum
China is increasingly investing in African oil producing countries, including Sudan ? which has one of the worst human rights records on the continent. Khartoum is accused of backing genocide in its western Darfur province ? where government-linked Arab militias continue to attack mostly black civilians and anti-government armed rebels.
China purchases about 60 percent of Sudan?s exports of high-quality ?light-sweet crude? oil -- about five percent of China?s oil imports. In addition, 13 of the 15 most important foreign companies in Sudan are Chinese.
Unlike many Western countries, Beijing does not link aid, trade and investment to improvements in good governance, cutting corruption, or improving Khartoum?s human rights record. Human rights activists criticize China for selling weapons to Khartoum ? and helping the government to build arms factories that produce weapons for government backed forces in Darfur.
Beijing also uses its clout to weaken the drive toward sanctions against Sudan by the UN Security Council.
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam is the chairperson of the Sudan Social Development Organization, SUDO, a human rights non-governmental organization based in Khartoum. English to Africa reporter Angel Tabe asked Mudawi what he thinks of China?s decision not to link trade and investment to good governance or human rights. He said, ?Do the Chinese themselves respect human rights in their country? You don?t expect from somebody who is not overseeing human rights and good governance his own country to link it to investment when he is working in a foreign country.?
Mudawi says the Sino-Sudanese relationship is not for the benefit of the people...only for the benefit of the [Sudanese] government, especially dictatorships.? He says the Chinese will continue to support the government, while the people suffer and the economy declines, ?because even the country?s small business sector gets flooded (with Chinese goods)?..And the bad thing about the Chinese, when they come to invest, they bring all the workers ? even the sweepers and the guards. The Sudanese can not find job opportunities?. Now even the very low class jobs have been brought from China, and they are not buying Sudanese food, so they are not increasing the market economy, even for vegetables.?
Mudawi says he has expressed his concerns to the Chinese authorities, but they say they are merely doing business [in the manner that has been] approved by the Sudanese government. So he is calling on western countries to rethink their policy on sanctions. He says although they are intended to encourage liberalizing political reforms on governments, they end up hurting innocent ? and powerless -- citizens.


Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 10, p. 175.
the head-quarters, and REVELGANJ (9,765); and 2,179 villages.
railway centre and the scene of a great annual fair and bathing festival.
to the south ; the river inundated the town in 1871 and again in 1890.


When it comes to crystal oscillators, one size does not fit all. Different applications have different power requirements, ranges of phase noise, tolerance for acceleration sensitivity, and more. As a result, different types of crystal oscillators have been developed over the years and are all used for many different applications.
In case you haven't heard, Passive WiFi is an amazing innovation poised to revolutionize wireless communications, beginning with the internet of things (IoT) or industrial internet. It promises a future of WiFi communication that is 10,000 times more energy efficient.
Inside Frequency Control was able to get a back-stage pass to this exciting technology when we had a chat with one of the co-inventors, Shyam Gollakota. Check out the interview where we learned more about Passive Wi-Fi (you can read their research paper here) AND the process the researchers used to bring this innovation to life.


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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
by Sonal Sher | Jun 13, 2012 | 0 comments
We, the movie going audience have an intrinsic tendency to make sense of everything, when it comes to a film which we cannot trash. We can watch a so called 'no brainer' which insists on not thinking but when it comes to unanswered questions and ambiguity, we are strangely not as receptive. Earlier this week I saw Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus', which while I enjoyed very much, led me to this conclusion. And yesterday I came face to face with this truth again as my television played Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'.
Many things, especially from the last part of the film, still remain a mystery. There have been hundreds of articles written to possibly explain what happens to Bowman or appearance of the monoliths and to be truthful, the first thing I did after I finished watching the movie for the first time was to research online. In our 'intellectual' world it would absolutely shameful to not understand the meaning of a film you watched. It would be like I was back in 10th grade when I found 'Godfather' to be boring and overrated (obviously not my feelings now; I did not even understand 'When Harry met Sally' at that time). But to my surprise, I was not the only one looking for answers when it came to this film.
The answers are not clear even today, 44 years after the film's release. Even Kubrick refused to give out his version as he clearly stated that he wants the audience to embrace their own ideas and theories. And isn't that the joy of watching such the movie? I remember watching the last sequence when the star-child appears and blast of the musical chords of 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' is heard for the last time and being filled with emotions I could not fully explain. Even if my brain could not fully understand the entire film after one view, I nonetheless was bowled over by what I had seen.
I come from a generation which has grown up on CGI effects so I was quite surprised by what I saw in this film. Shot extensively inside the studio, it was a pioneer in its visual effects using techniques like front projection and slit-scan photography. The visuals of the spacecrafts and the planets (second and third part), the breathtaking landscape of Africa (first part) and not to mention the insanely brilliant star-gate sequence (fourth part) are completely out of this world. Sure the scenes are a little slow and probably seem even more so because of the lack of dialogues but it is the pace that the film that lets you soak into Kubrick's vision. And that is why I love this film so much.
We live in a world where we are programmed not to enjoy fine things we don't understand. Probably the reason we are filled we doubt while picking up a bottle of wine even though we don't think twice while picking up a pack of beer. If you can't gargle it and deliver a speech about its smell and flavor then you are to believe that you have just not enjoyed it 'as it should be'. With time I have come to realize that drinking wine is just a more expensive way of getting drunk. And the same goes for films.
Kubrick did not make '2001: A Space Odyssey' for only professional film critics. He made it for everyone. And he wanted us to derive our own meaning from what we saw on screen. As a filmmaker, he followed his instincts to create something so beyond his time and creatively out of this world that the least that we as viewers can do is to watch it with an open mind. After all, if we can watch and enjoy ridiculous, senseless films with no logic whatsoever, then why not a brilliant one which just expects a little understanding nature?
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) ****1/2
I started watching 2001: A Space Odyssey, several months ago. But after spending the initial 15 minutes looking at a bunch of apes beating sticks I am ashamed to say that I fell asleep only to wake up from a refreshing sleep. To say that it is boring and slow would be repeating things that are already known but it is also a well known fact that it is a masterpiece. I am not going to argue about its position as Kubrick's best work till date and nor am I going to shy away from the fact that most will…
Rosemary's Baby (1968) ****
Horror is a genre that I am not that fond of, nor the least because of the scary faces. The lack of story is a disease that has found equal number of victims here as it has in the romantic comedy genre. I mean how many times am I supposed to be fearful when some messed up dude tries to slash up some girl because of a reason which is just not good enough! Times like this, going back to the classics is what is best suggested. Rosemary's Baby, is one such movie. Based on the bestselling novel of the…
Office Space (1999) ***1/2
What I enjoy most about watching movies is the fact that they tell a story. While most tell an imaginary one, others are inspired from real life. And then there are those which while imaginary, feel more real than the air around you. This 1999 cult comedy is one such film. Written and directed by Mike Judge, this workplace comedy is as real as it gets. And while it came out in 1999, it is as relevant today (especially in India) as it was in USA when it released. It tells the story of Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston), a disgruntled…
Fig, Cougette and Apple salad with Feta Cheese
Chocolate Cheesecake
Mutsch (Kashmiri Meatballs) in Spice Gravy
Upside Down Cake
Savoury Apples


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The Illinois Appellate Court, First District, held that a non-reliance clause in a settlement agreement precluded plaintiff client from proving justifiable reliance as an element of his fraudulent misrepresentation claim against defendants, his former lawyers.
In 2002, the client filed a legal malpractice suit against his former lawyers and another attorney. The client alleged that his former lawyers committed legal malpractice when they took a voluntary dismissal of a federal lawsuit they had filed on the client's behalf. The suit was refiled in the Circuit Court of Cook County, but was then dismissed with prejudice based on the single-refiling rule.
In June 2006, the client agreed to dismiss the malpractice suit and settle his claim against his former lawyers based upon their representations that they had relied on advice from the other attorney in deciding to dismiss the federal suit. As part of the settlement negotiations, the client requested affidavits from his former lawyers to support their representation. The settlement agreement that the client signed contained a non-reliance clause. It also contained an acknowledgment by the parties that they received independent legal advice as to the "effect and import" of its provisions. By June 30, 2006, the agreement had been signed by all parties. The trial court found that the agreement had been made in good faith and dismissed the client's alleged claims against his former lawyers. The client's alleged claims against the other attorney remained pending for another four years.
In 2011, the client filed his second amended complaint against his former lawyers in a subsequent case. Count I alleged that the client's former lawyers had committed fraud by misrepresenting the basis for the decision to dismiss the federal suit. In Count II, the client alleged that his former lawyers aided and abetted the other attorney in an act of fraud by supporting the other attorney's defense in the malpractice case.
The appellate court concluded that the integration/non-reliance clause in the settlement agreement precluded the client from proving justifiable reliance, which was fatal to his cause of action for fraud.
This decision is significant because it provides a risk management point with respect to the drafting of releases and settlement agreements. Generally, one should always provide an integration/non-reliance provision for a client's protection.


VGP – The Government on June 6 enacted Decree No. 86/2018/NĐ-CP ("Decree 86") regulating foreign cooperation and investment in education to supersede Decree No. 73/2012/NDCP amended and supplemented by Decree No. 124/2014/NĐ-CP (collectively referred to as "Decree 73").
Question: What are the regulations on associated exam organizations for granting certificates of foreign language proficiency; forms of foreign-invested educational institutions and other changes in consistency with the 2012 Law on Higher Education?
Decree 86 stipulates in detail the associated exam organization for granting certificates of foreign language proficiency including subjects of association, periods of association, conditions on location, facilities, equipment, and personnel in service of exam organizations.
Besides, Decree 86 prescribes the contents on dossiers, procedures and authority for approving, extending and suspending the associated exam organization for granting certificates of foreign language proficiency.
- Campuses of foreign-invested higher education institutions in Viet Nam.
Decree 86 raises the minimum investment capital for projects of establishment of higher education institutions from VND 300 billion to VND 1000 billion. Additionally, Decree 86 removes the regulation on the minimum investment rate of VND150 million/student as formerly stipulated in Decree 73.
Enrolling Vietnamese students to learn foreign educational programs Foreign-invested nursery education and high school education institutions may enroll Vietnamese students to learn foreign programs, provided that: (i) the number of Vietnamese students attending foreign educational programs must be lower than 50% of the total number of students attending foreign educational programs; and (ii) Vietnamese students attending foreign educational programs must be taught the prescribed contents.
Decree 86 enters into force as from August 1, 2018./.


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Amara Alexander – Hamilton County Schools
Amara Alexander is an Assistant Principal at Woodmore Elementary School in the Hamilton County school system. Ms. Alexander has served for several years as a classroom teacher in Alabama and Tennessee, teaching elementary and middle grades science, English language arts, social studies, and STEM. In 2019, Amara was selected as a prestigious Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Ms. Alexander holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree, both in elementary education from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Julie Allen – Jefferson County Schools
Julie Allen is as a School Counselor at Maury Middle School in Dandridge, Tennessee. Ms. Allen has served as a School Counselor in the Jefferson County Schools for several years, including at White Pine Elementary School and Rush Strong Elementary School. Julie earned a Bachelor's Degree in psychology and human services and a Master of Education degree in school counseling from Carson Newman University, as well as an Education Specialist degree in instructional leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.
Christopher Brittain – Lenoir City Schools
Christopher Brittain is an educator and Athletic Director in the Lenoir City Schools. Mr. Brittain has worked in a variety of other roles in Lenoir City, including teaching social studies, physical education, wellness, and world geography, as well as serving as a Vertical Team Leader, a Mentor for new teachers, and Assistant High School Football Coach. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Master of Science degree in education, both from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, as well as an Education Specialist degree in curriculum and instruction from Lincoln Memorial University.
Jennifer Collins – Monroe County Schools
Jennifer Collins is currently an Assistant Principal at Tellico Plains Junior High School in the Monroe County Schools. Ms. Collins has been a long-time educator, teacher leader, coach, and student organization sponsor at both the junior high school and elementary school in Tellico Plains. Jennifer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in child development and learning from Maryville College, and a Master of Arts degree in instructional leadership from Tennessee Technological University.
April Meyers – Anderson County Schools
April Meyers is a Curriculum Specialist with Anderson County Schools, a role in which she coordinates middle school English language arts professional development and leads professional learning communities. Since 2019, Ms. Meyers has served as a TN Ready Ambassador for the Tennessee Department of Education in the area of English language arts. She has taught English language arts, science, and special education in the middle grades in Anderson County Schools. April earned a Bachelor's Degree in biology from Maryville College, and a Master's Degree in special education from Grand Canyon University.
Leslie Miller – Hawkins County Schools
Leslie Miller is a Response to Intervention (RTI) Interventionalist at Hawkins Elementary School in the Hawkins County Schools. Prior to her current position, Ms. Miller was a classroom teacher in grades 3 and 4, and served in several leadership roles, including as a contributor and member of the Data Team, Leadership Team, and Parent Engagement Committee. She was celebrated as the Hawkins Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2019. Leslie graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education.
Shalunda Shackelford – Hamilton County Schools
Shalunda Shackelford is an Assistant Principal at Dalewood Middle School in the Hamilton County school district in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Prior to her appointment at Dalewood, Ms. Shackelford distinguished herself as an Instructional Coach at Brainerd High School, and as a mathematics teacher at Tyner Academy. Shalunda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Arts with a minor in mathematics and education from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Master of Science degree in education from Walden University.
Danna Smith – Claiborne County Schools
Danna Smith is an educator serving grades 6-8 in the newly launched Claiborne Virtual Academy in the Claiborne County Schools. Prior to her work with the Virtual Academy, Ms. Smith was the College Access Site Coordinator for Claiborne County's GEAR UP TN program. She also served many years as a classroom teacher at Soldiers Memorial Middle School. Danna holds a Bachelor's Degree in education from Lincoln Memorial University and a Master's Degree in elementary education from Tusculum College.


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Probation ServicesCurrently selected
***ATTENTION***
The below COVID-19 safety measures are in effect until further notice. If you need to reach your probation officer but do not know how, please call the nearest probation office listed on our contact page.
Office visitors are extremely limited. Please do not report in-person unless you've received preapproval from probation staff.
Approved visitors must wear an appropriate facial mask, sanitize their hands, and pass a health screening including a temperature scan before entry.
Traditional appointments will occur via phone and/or in the community with appropriate spacing between parties and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Attend court from your phone using Zoom. Easy Instructions are available in English and Spanish (Zoom desde su telefono).
If you cannot use Zoom, you may attend court using the call-in option described here. Spanish instructions are also available (Como utilizar Zoom).
Winter coats, hygiene kits, and meals ready to eat can be delivered to those in need. Ask you probation officer.
*This webpage will be updated to reflect the addition or removal of safety measures as they are deemed appropriate.
Probation Services Follow us on Instagram for resources and updates
The Kane County Probation Department provides mandated services to defendants on juvenile and adult caseloads. The department provides monitoring, supervision and referral services to defendants on caseload as well as providing information to the Courts as required. Kane County Probation is decentralized in order to better serve the community. Offices are located St Charles, Aurora and Elgin.
The Probation Officers work closely with the Court and local service providers to assist the defendants in successfully completing the terms of probation. In addition, the officers notify the State's Attorney's Office (SAO) of those defendants not complying with the terms of probation or failing to fulfill sentencing conditions. It is the SAO who then determines if the defendant should return to court.
Juvenile Probation
Probation Services monitors diversion cases, adjudicated delinquent minors, and cases which are continued under Court Supervision. In addition to maintaining contact with the minors, the probation department maintains contact with the minor's parents, school and counseling agencies where appropriate and monitors the collection of restitution when applicable. Probation Services also writes social history reports for those cases referred
The PSI Unit is composed of two positions. This unit is responsible for the interview, investigation, and compilation of Presentence Investigations for the Court of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit and initial screening and referral of appropriate candidates to Intensive Probation Supervision. They are also responsible for the completion of courtesy criminal record checks as requested by agencies outside of Kane County.
Pretrial Release Program
The Pretrial Release Program provides the court with accurate information on defendants in order that bail amounts and/or appropriate conditions of bond can be set to lessen the need to incarcerate offenders. Defendants who have not posted bond may be scheduled for a bond reduction motion hearing, interviewed, and a report is generated for the Judge, State's Attorney's Office and the defendant's attorney. Recommendations are provided should the defendant be considered for release and, if ordered by the court, the Pretrial unit will monitor the conditions set by the court. Pretrial Services also supervises defendants who have been released from jail with conditions of bond not generated from the unit. These cases typically require urinalyses, telephone contact, employment verification, etc. Status reports are completed for every court hearing until a disposition is reached in the case.
Reporting Conditional Discharge is a sentence imposed by the court where the defendant must complete certain conditions. A Conditional Discharge Officer supervises those defendants ordered by the court to report to Court Services. The officer is able to refer defendants to community agencies for services and monitors all conditions of sentence such as counseling, weekends in jail, community service and monies owed to the court. The Conditional Discharge Officer also completes a criminal history check on each case prior to completing a "Term Report" for the court.
Community Restitution Service Program (CRS)
This program is a sentencing alternative where adult and juvenile defendants work at not-for-profit organizations as compensation to the community or in lieu of paying fines. Coordinators recruit worksites, train worksite coordinators and schedule offenders. Sentenced offenders are scheduled near their home to complete court ordered hours. The coordinators also schedule defendants for the program on a walk-in basis. Compliance or non-compliance is reported to the sentencing court by the Coordinators. A $50 CRS fee is required and a $25 monthly supervision fee is imposed if the defendant does not complete their hours within 6 months. The successful completion of hours ordered directly benefits the residents of Kane County through the labor completed.
Specialized Probation Supervision (SPS)
Specialized Probation Services (SPS) is designed to supervise those offenders, both juvenile and adult, that have been identified as High and Medium High Risk/High Need through validated risk assessment tools. SPS is intended to provide specialized and supportive services to probationers that are focused on targeting their criminogenic needs. This will be accomplished through increased services and supervision predicated on evidence-based service agencies.
The Domestic Violence Program was implemented in 1998 to work with adult offenders and grew to include juvenile offenders in 2001. This program provides more intensive supervision for high risk domestic violence cases. The adult offender program also involves regular contact with the victim of the domestic abuse to ensure the victim's safety and to broker victim services. Adult cases that complete treatment in an expeditious manner may be transitioned to a regular caseload. All juvenile domestic violence cases that are sentenced to this program are ordered to complete a combination of anger management counseling, family counseling, individual counseling, substance abuse counseling, psychiatric treatment and/or domestic violence counseling.
Adult and juvenile offenders ordered into this program are supervised at a maximum level and are subject to additional surveillance and monitoring by the Sex Offender unit. Close communication between the supervising probation officers and the contracted treatment provider minimizes the ability of these offenders to hide violations of their probation terms. It also enables the professionals involved in the case to more easily identify behaviors which may indicate the offender is at risk to re-offend. Kane County remains actively involved with the Sex Offender Management Board, which began in 2001. Kane County continues to experience a growing number of offenders who are convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. One of the changes in population that we are experiencing is the increasing number of offenders that have served prison sentences for their original sex offense conviction but are failing to continue to register correctly upon release from parole.


How are you? Did you spent a nice weekend?
Still snowing here for 2 days .. it seems to be back at Christmas, how sad!
Have a great week girls!
Come state? Avete passato un bel week end?
Qui continua a nevicare da 2 giorni..sembra essere tornati a Natale, che tristezza!
Io odio la pioggia ma la preferirei decisamente!
Ma che amore che eri da piccola! Proprio una principessina!!!!
Thank you for your awesome words.