When visiting Costa Maya, Mexico, there are several options for tours and excursions. This cruise port has grown rapidly over the last few years adding new port amenities and experiences that allow you to explore this Western Caribbean gem. On our most recent trip on Celebrity Edge, we decided to try one of the many popular beach breaks. Booking well in advance, we secured a reservation at the exclusive Maya Chan Beach. If you are wondering whether this beach break is right for you, we have put together our honest Maya Chan Beach review.
The Maya Chan beach break experience is limited to under 100 beach-goers. If you are considering reserving for your family or a larger party, do know that spots fill up quickly. In fact, we had planned to visit the beach on our November 2018 cruise, but they were already sold out when we contacted them 4 months in advance.
Instead, we made a reservation for our January 2019 cruise. The take away message is that you will want to contact the beach resort well in advance to secure a spot.
Currently, the cost is $59 per person for adults, and children's pricing ranges from $19 to $49 depending on age.
All reservations can be made online with a $10 per person deposit. After completing the reservation form, you will receive an email indicating whether there is availability for your selected day and party size. If there is availability, a deposit must be made within 24 hours to confirm your reservation.
Once reserved, the final payment is required 14 days in advance of arrival. All payments are made through PayPal.
A great feature of this beach break is that round-trip transportation is included in the price.
Getting to the meeting location requires about a 15-minute walk. You will need to depart the port area and follow the instructions on the map that is provided to you in an email.
Finding the attendant was easy. Once confirming your name on the list, you are given a wrist band and instructed to wait for the next available transport. Do be aware that there might be other tour providers pretending to be from the resort, so make sure that the individual is wearing a Maya Chan shirt and next to a sign with a logo.
The arranged transportation vans hold about 10 people, so they can stagger how many people arrive at one time. Luckily, we were among the first off the ship and were on the second transport to the beach.
For the return trip home, the staff comes around after lunch asking you to choose a time slot for the transport back to the port. They provide plenty of time for you to get back to the port to ensure that you will not miss your ship. After a few hours of enjoying the beach, you may never want to leave!
It takes about 25 minutes to arrive at the location, and yes, it is a bumpy ride! Once you arrive, you are given a brief orientation of the resort facilities and escorted to your reserved location.
When you arrive, you will feel like you are in the middle of the jungle. This natural appearance adds to the atmosphere of the entire beach area. You are greeted by David, one of the owners, and introduced to other members of the staff.
The main restaurant and bar is a covered pavilion that is located right in front of the property.
Along the beach are authentic beach chairs with umbrellas. Set-ups near the beach also include a beach bed. For larger parties, you also receive cabana-like structures, either a palapa or pergola, to offer extra seating and shade. Groups are kept together, and every party is given a specific reserved spot for the day. Your exact location is determined by the resort based on several factors.
Booking earlier will ensure that you have a spot closer to the main restaurant and the beach. There are also chairs situated near the pool and are not directly on the beach. So, don't book too late or you may end up here. We did see a few of these couples ask to be relocated, which the staff accommodated.
The seating arrangements are strategically positioned across the beach to provide some privacy.
On the far side of the beach, there is a smaller bar, a pool in the shade, and restrooms. The beach itself is intimate and not very big. You can walk from one end to another in a few minutes.
The beach is groomed every day to remove as much seagrass as possible to improve swimming and snorkeling conditions. The resort is committed to maintaining the natural beauty and coastline, so no machines are used to dredge the water or to make the beach look more appealing.
Given that, the beach is probably not the most crystal clear waters that we have ever seen in the Caribbean, and it was quite shallow meaning you had to get pretty far from shore to snorkel.
Maya Chan is truly an all-inclusive beach break which includes complimentary use of all non-motorized water activities. Snorkel gear and water toys are located in the front of the resort for beach-goers to enjoy at their leisure. Of course, you can feel free to bring your own too.
On the beach near the main restaurant and bar, there are also kayaks and stand-up paddle boards which are free to use. You can even grab a floating chair to lounge in the water with a drink in hand. We found there to be an adequate amount of these included amenities for everyone who wanted to use them throughout the day.
The Maya Chan beach break does not offer any additional for-fee water activities like guided tours or wave runners. They do offer massages, but you will not be bothered with vendors trying to sell you stuff while on the beach.
The all-inclusive package includes all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The Maya Chan specialty drink menu is small, but the bar is well stocked, so the bartenders can make almost any drink. We tested out the homemade sangria, margaritas, and some frozen drinks throughout the day. At the end of the day, we were introduced to a frozen drink made with Oreos, a personal creation by Carlos the bartender. It was probably a thousand calories but delicious!
You can feel free to walk up to one of the two bars at the resort to order drinks, but there is really no need to do so. There are plenty of servers walking up and down the beach that are ready to take your order. In fact, the service was some of the best that we have experienced at a private beach resort.
When you arrive, you are greeted with a welcome rum punch and some chips with pico de gallo and guacamole.
Around 11:30 am, we were informed that lunch was ready and that it would be open for about two hours at the main restaurant pavilion. Lunch consisted of a taco buffet with chicken, steak, fish, and pork as well as a small custom toppings bar. The food was average in our opinion. It was freshly made and plentiful, but the options were somewhat limited. However, considering we did not do much besides lounge in the sun, the light lunch and snacks were enough food.
We spent about 5 hours enjoying the warm, sunny weather during this all-inclusive beach break. Having everything, including round-trip transportation and use of water activities, covered in the price makes Maya Chan Beach a great value as an all-inclusive beach experience.
There were plenty of beverages to go around, and the service staff was very attentive and friendly. You could tell that they enjoyed working at the resort.
On the other hand, the food was pretty average and limited in selection. We personally prefer an a la carte menu to a buffet. Given how much we eat on the cruise ship, this is certainly not a deal-breaker for the resort.
Compared to other all-inclusive beaches, Maya Chan is very small. The beach is secluded, crowd-controlled, and allows for privacy. While this appeals to many cruisers, the beach itself is not very long or wide. If you are looking for a larger stretch of beach, this probably isn't for you.
When compared to other beach experiences, Maya Chan is a wonderful option for couples, families, and groups alike. All the additional value, including the water sports, will make the little ones happy, while the open bar will make mom and dad smile! The serenity and privacy will appeal to couples, while the unique seating and accommodation options will appeal to larger parties.
We would certainly recommend this beach break for those looking for a more tranquil and natural experience.
For us, it was a great way to relax. We were well taken care of and appreciated the hospitality of the staff at Maya Chan Beach. Certainly, we would stop in again on a future trip to Costa Maya, Mexico.
Have you been to Maya Chan Beach? What are some of your favorite things to do when visiting Costa Maya, Mexico? Drop us an anchor below to share your review of this all-inclusive resort with fellow cruisers.
We were at Maya Chan in January, 2019. We absolutely loved it and will go again! Well worth the price.


Have you ever pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Democracy for which it stands?
Of course not. But then, what difference does it make? Don't we have a Democracy? Isn't it just a matter of semantics?
decide their fate, then you believe in a nation of laws.
go to school that day. The implications of democratic government are clear and dire.
short in their lives as they are violent in their deaths.
loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
Let's use the opportunities we still have to preserve our Republic.


text:
FONT=JFR2-eroded

# output format of first-pass 2d image
# PNG is fine
# I can't think of any reason to change this.
OUT=PNG

# Font size
# I had to use a large one to get around some gap issues.
# Don't change this unless you know what you're doing.
SIZE=240

# size of subsets
# This determines how many characters will be in each image/part
N=5

# text to turn into individual image files per $N chars
TEXT=ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789

# character length of full set
LEN=${#TEXT}

# Variable to be used to build each image's text
LABEL=""

# New directory to put files in
# THIS WILL BE MOVED/DELETED IF IT EXISTS!
DIR=/Users/farris/git/frijmags/images/$FONT-magnets

# Path to online-convert.sh
# See: <https://github.com/onlineconvert/onlineconvert-api-example-codes/blob/master/Bash/online-convert.sh>
OCPATH=/Users/farris/git/frijmags/bin/

# Don't use this.
# Use a ~/.online-convert config file instead
# See online-convert.com for details
#OCAPIKEY=

mv $DIR $DIR.bak
rm -rf $DIR
mkdir $DIR

for i in $(seq 1 $LEN)
do
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  LABEL="$LABEL${TEXT:$i-1:1}"
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    convert -fill black -font $FONT -pointsize $SIZE label:" $LABEL " $DIR/$FONT-$LABEL.$OUT
    echo "LOOP LABEL=' $LABEL '"
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if (( ${#LABEL} % $N != 0 )); then
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fi

cd $DIR
for img in *$OUT; do
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done

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home Renderings News
HomeRenderings
Reno, Redefined
Park Lane is no stranger to Reno. As a matter of fact, Park Lane was Reno's thriving epicenter back in its heyday when it was known as Park Lane Mall. Park Lane Mall had its groundbreaking on November 5, 1964, and was destined to become the city's regional open-air shopping center. Park Lane featured stores both inside and outside its walls, creating an unrivaled liveliness in the city.
Today, Reno Land Inc. and Lyon Living are revitalizing this historical landmark. While we rebuild the whole area from the ground up, we continue to revel in the vivid memories of old friends meeting by the clock tower and Santa Claus painting smiles on the faces of children. Park Lane Mall brought people together. And the new Park Lane will continue that legacy.
About UsTerms & Conditions

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Apply for part time operations management jobs on Timewise Jobs, and roles open to flexible working. Do also create a job alert, and explore our career advice.
Do you live and breathe Continuous Improvement? Do you want to drive real change and add true value?
We are looking for a CPO (Chief Product Officer) to join us here at Comparethemarket.com.


text:
A Frozen Love (A MCU Captain America Love Story)
By disneygurl23 Ongoing - Updated May 29
Hannah, the adopted daughter of Phil Coulson, has "special" powers. She can freeze things. She's always been a great agent, but when she meets a certain Captain and is recruited into the Avengers, her life drastically changes.
(Will include Captain America stuff, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Loki)
Slow updates! Just like every other writer I experience writer's block and get busy so I may not update all the time, but I promise I will update eventually :)
coulson
guardiansofthegalaxy
philcoulson
Ch.1 Exposition
Exposition pt. 2 (last exposition chapter)
Meeting the Capsicle
Meeting Peggy
The Tesseract
I'm not a monster.
Returning! (This is a chapter!)
Star-Man/Sorry
Battle of New York (Part 1)
Family? (& Romance?)
Tony's Party
Moving In & Reuniting Friendships
Lunch With Friends... And Tony
Dad???
Catching Up (& Missions)
Invasion of HYDRA (Cuteness)
Parties After Parties After Parties
Ultron? (Age of Ultron part 1)
The Fight (Age of Ultron part 2)
Thor's Hammer & Bucky
Clint's Farm (Age of Ultron Part 3)
The Battle of Sokovia (Age of Ultron Part 4)
Battle of the Boys
I Know A Guy
Disney Adventures
Disney Adventures Part 2
The Sokovia Accords (Civil war part 1)
A Goodbye and a Hello (Civil War Part 2)
Bucky? (Civil War part 3)
Heartbreak (Civil War Part 4)
Cold-Hearted (Civil War part 5)
We Need Space (Civil War Part 6)
Get notified when A Frozen Love (A MCU Captain America Love Story) is updated
#47 in phil See all rankings
Falling For You -An Avengers/Steve Rogers fa...
By lokisinmybasement
Description is before the first chapter.  I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS EXCEPT FOR MY OC REBECCA
Save me [Captain america love story]
By NicoleDellaquila
Nicole stark is the daughter Of billionaire, playboy, philanthropist tony Stark. Yes the that one, When Nicole was 14 her father was held captive in Afghanistan. So Nicole joined SHIELD so she could help her dad. Tony doesn't know that she is part of SHIELD yet. Nicole is now 18 and is still working for SHIELD. but what happens when Nicole mets the avengers and actually falls in love with a member that tony doesn't like it isn't ver fond of? Will everything work out for Nicole? Or will her father screw it up? You'll have to read to find out...... :p
My Sweet Captain a Steve Rogers love story...
By KiraKisa
This is the story of Adelaide Bethany Rogers. Perviously Adelaide Bethany Barnes. It's a story of family, friends, love, adventure and betrayal. Adelaide is the not so famous wife of Captain America. She, like him, was frozen in ice. But she also had and had amazing abilities. She can heal just about any wound, and she is basically a human lie detector. This is her story.
If you have not read the first book, I suggest that you do so. If you don't you may end up VERY confused.
The Secret Stark (Captain America Love Story)
By hannavenger
To the public 'Victoria Stark' was just a memory or story no one really knew was true.
Victoria is a agent of the secret Shield service. She is in charge of spying on the Avengers and keeping them in check. After the incident with the accords she has the mission of tracking down Steve Rogers and reuniting the Avengers to fight the mad titan Thanos. But she has different feelings towards the solider then she thought she would. And her brother, Tony Stark doesn't give her the welcome home she is expecting.
***I DO NOT OWN MARVEL OR ANY OF THE SONG/REFERENCES/ I MAKE IN THIS STORY!!!***
***I ALSO DO NOT OWN THE COVER PHOTO!! ALL THE RIGHTS TO THE IMAGES GO TO THE RESPECTED OWNERS!!!***
The Lucky One (Captain America)
By MrsLegolasMalfoy
My name is Aurora. Aurora Stark-Lancaster. My parents were both agents for SHIELD before retiring. My mother however split her time between taking care of her and her older brothers company. They run Stark industries together. My mother is the youngest child of Howard Stark. Yes, I am the niece of Tony Stark. Now I was completely normal. Going to college, having a part time job, renting an apartment, just living a normal life. Until they called. Sending me back to chaos. But I guess that's okay, because if I wasn't thrown back into the chaos I wouldn't have met him.
The Girl over the Bridge: A Captain America...
By LisaBGreen
Steve Rogers was getting used to life in the new millennium. After walking up in the year 2012, it was uneasy to adjust at first. Everything has become digital, even down to the cars. It was as if the human race depended on something called the internet. He just wanted to relive New York like he never woke from his icy coma. One day going over the Brooklyn Bridge He meets Heylee, who makes him see that this new millennium is not much different from where he left off.  He also helps her along the way as well.
This story takes place during the the end of Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers
America's Angel (Captain America/Steve Roger...
By cuddles2405
Serena Ace is a doctor at SHIELD. She manages to keep her secret under wraps as she works at SHIELD. That is, until Loki decided to try to destroy the world. She never wanted anyone to know what she was; no one ever knew what she was besides her deceased parents and brother. But when the world is in trouble, she is forced to tell her secrets because she can't just stand by helplessly while the others fought. Serena wants in on the action, so she is pulled into the Avengers Initiative. Sadly, an invasion isn't all she has to worry about. She also needs to worry about her insane brother that is out for her life.
But, during the whole craziness, she manages to fall for none other than Steve Rogers. But will he love her when he finds out what she is?
Experiment 13: A Captain America Love Story
By Allisono2016
When an injured army veteran is captured by HYDRA and experimented on in hopes of becoming the next super soldier. Fallon is saved by Captain America and the Avengers. But what happens when Fallon's condition take a turn and HYDRA is on the manhunt for her? (Story takes place after Captain America: The Winter Soldier) I love feedback!!! It motivates me. Enjoy!
My Star Spangled Hero
By Fluffersnaps
"What changed?! What happened?" He shouted after me. I turned around and stormed back to him.
"You happened" I yelled. He stood looking at me, clearly confused. "And I don't know whether to slap you or thank you" I said softer, almost in tears.
Emily Sark was just another S.H.I.E.L.D agent. She had a wonderful brother, Tony Stark, and a great job. Until one day...when that all changed. Teaming up with Black Widow, Falcon and Captain America she goes undercover to try shut hydra down which has been building inside S.H.I.E.L.D since WWII. What will happen when she falls in love? And what will happen when the Winter Soldier destroys her life forever?
Dedicated to @Steves_Bae007 for everything and beyond.
Captain America: The Eagle's Cry
By hardcorefangirl4ever
BOOK 1 OF THE EAGLE TRILOGY
Isabella Barnes is Bucky Barnes' little sister, and all throughout her childhood,  She, Bucky and his best friend, Steve Rogers were inseparable. You couldn't find one without the others far behind. Then WWII broke out and pulled the trio apart. With Bucky off in England, and Steve being drafted into Project Rebirth, Bella is alone. and scared to death...That is until she is selected for her own special project, one that not even Steve knows about....
Now 70 years later,  Bella is living with Tony Stark, and struggling to adapt to her new life... until one day, when a man dressed in red, white, and blue waltzes into her life again. Will she have the courage to let him in on a secret that she's been keeping for years? Or will she keep silent and risk losing the only man that she's ever cared about?
( This story will have parts from The Avengers &  Winter Soldier)
I OWN NOTHING ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE RESPECTED OWNERS!!


No more balancing. Unlike fitness balls and ab wheels the core mat will not roll or wobble on you so you can concentrate on your core exercises.
Ab Wedge Mat isolates abs for perfect crunch by creating an environment for abs to move through their full range of motion.


Evansville can be proud of Mater Dei High School students who came in first and third at a fuel efficiency competition in Fontana California last week.
The first place vehicle ran the California Speedway track at a clip of 2,843 miles per gallon, while the third-place entry reached 2,383 miles per gallon.
I hope we will see our cars one day with the same fuel mileage. This would certainly help us as well as the environment.
Mater Dei High School students pose with the vehicles they ran in last weekend's Shell Ecomarathon of the Americas in Fontana, Calif. One vehicle captured first place, for having the best fuel efficiency in the competition. The other came in third place. (Photo courtesy of Dan Ritter).
A vehicle built by Mater Dei High School students won last weekend's Shell Ecomarathon of the Americas, a fuel efficiency competition.
The event in Fontana, Calif., was attended by a few high school teams and many university teams from throughout North America.
Mater Dei entered two vehicles. One finished first and the other came in third. The first place vehicle ran the California Speedway track at a clip of 2,843 miles per gallon, while the third-place entry reached 2,383 miles per gallon.
Placing second was a team from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The University of British Columbia came in fourth.
Mater Dei has had success in the event before. A car built by Mater Dei students came in third last year.
While preparing for this year's event, Mater Dei sought the assistance of Mike Hall, a member of Master Tire's unlimited hydroplane boat team, owned by Ed Cooper Jr.
Hall worked with Mater Dei students on making the car's belly pan, which is the bottom of the cars, more aerodynamic, Ritter said.
The cars were built smaller than in year's past, and this year's models used a fuel-injected engine.
Mater Dei won the competition's $10,000 grand prize, as well as $1,600 for finishing first place in combustion engine and $800 for third place.


text:
Q: How did Atlantis come to be cloaked when it was originally submerged when the team arrived in the city? In Stargate SG-1 Season 9 Episode 13, "Ripple Effect":
There is a conversation about Atlantis. Cam says the ZPM is being used to cloak the city from the Wraith but when Stargate Atlantis starts, the expedition team finds Atlantis submerged in the ocean... I thought the Ancients hid the city under water.
Can someone explain this? Did I miss something or is this a plot hole?

A: The team never had to "look for it" or "find it", underwater or otherwise. They "found" it because they had its gate address and they dialed it from Earth's gate in Antartica. They didn't know it was underwater until they got there and tried to look out of a window. The gate system knew how to connect the wormhole to Atlantis's gate, even though the city was underwater at the time.

A: The ZPM is being used to keep the city underwater, which is why the Wraith cannot detect it. That is the nature of the "cloak". When the humans arrive, the city powers up, further depleting the ZPM, so it cannot maintain the power-hungry shield holding back the water. It has no choice but to surface, which leaves it vulnerable to the Wraith.

A: Here's the conversation you're referring to:

BLACK BDU MITCHELL: All that ZPM is doing right now is allowing one-way travel from the Pegasus Galaxy to Earth. The billions of the lives that we save is worth more the inconvenience of schlepping back and forth on the Daedalus.
MITCHELL: We need that ZPM to cloak Atlantis. If the Wraith come back and discover the city wasn't destroyed, they'll launch another attack. If Atlantis falls, this galaxy is the next target.
(Transcript on Gateworld)

If this SG-1 conversation had taken place before Atlantis the show had begun, when the city was on the ocean floor, Cam wouldn't know that the city existed let alone that it was being cloaked by a ZPM (which, as you point out, it wasn't).
In fact, this conversation takes place at least a year after the Atlantis expedition had already arrived (by Gate, which works regardless), during Season 2 of Atlantis, by which point the expedition was using the Moebius ZPM to periodically cloak the city using a ZPM following the events of "The Siege":

SHEPPARD: Well, what if they thought we were gone?
TEYLA: Then there'd be no reason for them to stay.
SHEPPARD: Exactly!
McKAY: Exactly what?
SHEPPARD: We disappear.
CALDWELL: Destroy the city, you mean?
SHEPPARD: No, we just make it look like we did.
WEIR: How?
(Rodney clicks his fingers.)
McKAY: We cloak it.
ZELENKA: Yes. Yes! The Puddle Jumpers are equipped with cloaking technology which renders them invisible to the naked eye, and to Wraith scans. If we just simply remove one of the cloak generators from the Puddle Jumper ...
McKAY: I wouldn't say simply, but yes -- by interfacing a Jumper's stealth cloak generator with the city's shield, we should be able to render the city invisible.
CALDWELL: That's all well and good, but I think if the city were to suddenly disappear, they might be able to put one and one together.
McKAY: Which is why we fake a self-destruct. Have the Daedalus beam a nuke right above the city's shield, and then detonate it. While their sensors are blinded, we cloak the city; when the smoke clears ...
WEIR: ... nothing but ocean.
[..]
McKAY: I can confirm that. They're headed for hyperspace. Look, I'm gonna keep the cloak up for a while just to be sure, but, uh, I think they bought it.
(Transcript on Gateworld)

These events are chronicled by the first seasons of the show Atlantis. The Stargate wikia has a chronology of how the episodes intertwine between the two shows (which mostly followed air order; remember, SG1 and SGA aired concurrently for a number of years).
In fact, in the episode of Atlantis ("Critical Mass") that aired directly after "Ripple Effect":

WEIR: How long before they get here?
McKAY: A day, maybe a day and a half, depending on if they need to make a hyperspace pause along the way. We'll need to cloak the city again.
(Transcript on Gateworld)

A very timely reminder of what Mitchell was referring to.
If you really want a plot hole from that episode, try this!

A: If I'm understanding the confusion right, you missed that Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis overlap chronologically. Atlantis is discovered somewhere around the end of Season 7 of SG-1 and they ran in parallel for a couple years after that.
In short, the Season 9 episode of SG-1 you're commenting on takes place quite a long time after the Atlantis expedition left.

A: As you say, in Stargate Atlantis Season 1, Episode 1 (Rising) the city-ship of Atlantis is submerged underwater, and is protected by a Shield which holds back the water.
However, in in Stargate Atlantis Season 2, Episode 1 (The Seige, Part III) the shield is modified by Rodney McKay (and Radek Zalenka) so that it can also be used as a cloak, like a Puddle Jumper (however, Atlantis is unable to have both shield and cloak active simultaneously)

SHEPPARD: We disappear.
CALDWELL: Destroy the city, you mean?
SHEPPARD: No, we just make it look like we did.
WEIR: How?
(Rodney clicks his fingers.)
McKAY: We cloak it.
ZELENKA: Yes. Yes! The Puddle Jumpers are equipped with cloaking technology which renders them invisible to the naked eye, and to Wraith scans. If we just simply remove one of the cloak generators from the Puddle Jumper ...
McKAY: I wouldn't say simply, but yes -- by interfacing a Jumper's stealth cloak generator with the city's shield, we should be able to render the city invisible.
(Transcript on Gateworld)

(Emphasis mine)

 This is part of a plan to use a nuclear warhead to trick the Wraith into thinking that Atlantis has self-destructed

It is also in this same episode that the Daedalus delivers the ZPM to Atlantis, meaning that it occurs before Stargate SG-1 Season 9 Episode 13 (Ripple Effect)
(Kudos to Lightness Races in Orbit for tracking down the quote)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
How Poland could bring down the EU
Attempts at blackmail are bound to backfire
BY Peter Franklin
. Hardball: Ursula von der Leyen, Valeria Mongelli/Bloomberg/ Getty
Peter Franklin is Associate Editor of UnHerd. He was previously a policy advisor and speechwriter on environmental and social issues.
peterfranklin_
Groupthink	PolandpolexitUrsula von der Leyen
Poland's relationship with the EU has often been tense, but recently there's been a turn for the worse. On 7 October, the country's Supreme Court did something scandalous. It ruled that Poland's constitution takes precedent over EU law.
Inevitably, Ursula von der Leyen — President of the European Commission — is on the warpath. "This ruling calls into question the foundations of the European Union", she said, "it is a direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order." In response, the Commission has threatened to withhold Poland's share of the EU's Covid recovery fund.
The Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has hit back accusing the Commission of "blackmail". The Lithuanian President, Gitanas Nauseda, isn't too happy either. "It is morally endlessly harmful and not right to link law supremacy principles with financial resources", he said. "Even if it was legally possible", it would do "unimaginable harm to European Union unity." In other words: back off, Ursula!
Yet again, the President of the Commission may be threatening more than she can deliver. Under the dreaded Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty, legal proceedings against Poland would need a four-fifths majority of member states to succeed. If the Eastern Europeans decide to hang together, then the proceedings would fail.
Let's not forget what happened the last time Von der Leyen tried to play hardball. It was back in January, when the fiasco of the EU's vaccine procurement programme was becoming a major embarrassment. The Commission tried to turn the heat onto the hated British by shutting off vaccine exports to the UK. This entailed a move to impose border controls on the island of Ireland — a cunning plan that the Irish government wasn't consulted on. Inevitably, the whole thing blew up in Von der Leyen's face and she was lucky to keep her job.
Thus in regard to Poland, she'd be ill-advised to go nuclear unless she has the full backing of the EU's most powerful players — the Germans in particular. Of course, this could be the opportunity the Euro-establishment is looking for. The Poles have been acting-up for years and this latest row is the most blatant act of defiance yet. Sooner or later, this needs to be settled.
And yet the Germans might not want to force the issue. For one thing, there is an outside chance that Polexit might actually happen. To lose one member state may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose two looks like carelessness — and for that heads would roll. Though Poland is a net recipient from the EU budget, its departure would be more damaging to the EU than Brexit ever was.
Brexit makes more sense than ever
Polexit would, for example, leave three member states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — physically disconnected from the rest of the EU. Poland is also a bulwark against the expansion of Russian influence and indeed Russia itself. Without the Poles, the idea of a European Army becomes even more pointless than it is already — which won't please Emmanuel Macron.
Then there's the nightmare scenario, which is that Poland becomes a corridor for illegal immigration into the EU. Poland's eastern neighbour, Belarus, is already playing that game — using the flow of migrants as a political weapon. If instead of guarding the EU's eastern border, as it does now, an alienated Poland serves as a base for people traffickers that would greatly complicate matters.
Of course, for a friend and neighbour to behave in such a manner would be truly irresponsible. But tell that to the French. At the very least, Poland would use migration as a bargaining chip in any Polexit negotiation with the EU.
The threat of a walk-out isn't the only reason why Germany won't want to punish the Poles. Though the Polish court ruling is a massive up yours to the EU, the German Constitutional Court has also asserted the primacy of national law. This was a rather technical case and much more limited in scope than the Polish judgement, but the underlying question is the same: when push-comes-to-shove where does ultimate authority lie — with the nation state or the European Union?
Contrary to Eurosceptic fears and Europhilic dreams, that's not quite as settled as it might appear. Sure enough, the supremacy of EU law has been established by the rulings of the European Court of Justice. However, as Stefan Auer and Nicole Scicluna point out in an article for Politico, "no such principle was enshrined in the 1957 Treaty of Rome… or in any subsequent EU treaty". There was an attempt to incorporate it into the abandoned EU constitution, but it was dropped from the subsequent Lisbon Treaty.
Looking up from the law books, we should also take the real world into consideration. The fact is that each member of the European Union is a sovereign state, but that the EU itself isn't. It has acquired some of the qualifying features of sovereignty — like a single currency — but is lacking others.
Brexit isn't going to plan
Furthermore, each member of the European Union is a democracy, but the same can't said for the EU. Again it has some of the qualifying features, but others are conspicuously absent. For instance, EU citizens did not vote Von der Leyen into office and they have no right to vote her out. Enough said.
European liberals support the EU's actions against Poland and Hungary, because they see the governments of those countries as violating democratic norms. That's understandable. However, there's a glaring irony here — which is that the supremacy of EU over national law is based on vesting ultimate power in an entity that is neither a nation nor a democracy.
Pragmatists within the EU establishment recognise the contradiction. They know that the EU — as distinct from its member states — can never act with legitimate authority unless it becomes truly sovereign and truly democratic. That, however, can only be achieved at the cost of national sovereignty and democracy, for which there is no popular consent.
The Polish question therefore is just one facet of a much bigger European question — one which the pragmatists would rather not answer. Much better, then, to fudge the smaller question too.
The inequality that fuels our dangerous times
The continued existence of the European Union depends on maintaining the obvious nonsense that EU law is supreme, but that its member states are sovereign. The problem for the pragmatists is that not everyone is willing to play along — and it's not just the Poles stirring the pot.
No less an authority than Michel Barnier is pushing back at the assumption of EU supremacy. As a candidate for the French Presidency, he has called for a referendum on the issue of immigration — which he says would act as "constitutional shield" against EU interference. He advances the idea with confidence because he knows just how shaky the authority of the EU really is. France, he believes, must regain its "legal sovereignty in order to no longer be subject to the judgments of the ECJ". He wouldn't say that if he didn't think it was possible.
Polexit probably won't happen. But it was never the main threat. The real danger is when mainstream politicians in core countries call the EU's bluff. I never expected Barnier to be the first, but I'm glad his time with the British wasn't entirely wasted.
Douglas Proudfoot says:
The EU seems to be part of the world wide disease of the unaccoutable "experts." These "experts" are self annointed. They distain common peoples' opinions. They're smugly confident they're always right, even when events prove them wrong. "Experts" believe that the people are too ignorant and stupid to govern thamselves. The failure to set up a functioning parliament that controls EU bureacracy is intentional, because the "experts" who did the design don't think parliaments are smart enough to control things. No matter how badly the "experts" bungle, they're supremely confident they're doing better than democratic institutions ever could.
The right solution for this is the Admiral Byng solution. In 1757, British Admiral John Byng was executed for fighting a battle poorly. This execution was, as Voltaire famously wrote in "Candide," to "encourage the others." It worked. Britania ruled the waves for 170 years after the execution.
Bureacratic disasters should not be met with a quite retirement at full pay. They should be punished with pension cuts at the very least.
Katharine Eyre says:
I agree with this piece by Andreas Kluth almost entirely:
https://www.bloombergquint.com/gadfly/poland-s-intransigence-raises-the-question-of-the-european-union-s-true-identity
Poland is forcing the question "what is the EU?" and "where is it all going?" In a vulgar fashion, yes – but this is surely all part of their plan to try and get this question the thorough discussion and public attention it needs and deserves.
Like the Polish government, I am also of the opinion that a federal state is being introduced through the back door. Slowly but surely, via technical decisions on arcane subjects like sovereign bond purchases that the general public are unlikely to fully grasp or really be interested in: the significance of which, however, could be huge for them in democratic terms.
I don't agree with everything that goes on in Poland with this government but I could not agree more with the sentiment that, if the EU is to be a proper federal state, the people of Europe must be asked. And their answer respected.
Of course that has a cat's chance in hell of happening. What will happen is that others will simply follow their first instinct and gaily bash Poland for daring to stand up in church and ask questions of the great religion. Which will do the EU harm by accelerating existing divisions and perhaps alienating one of the most important true believers. It would be so much more courageous (and far healthier in the long term) to face these crucial open questions head-on and accept the consequences.
It is a relief to see Remainers acknowledging that us 'Brexiteers' had a valid point all along.
Prashant Kotak says:
That presupposes the EU can in fact be reformed. I posit, that even if the political will exists, the EU is structurally incapable of reform – seemingly by design. I suspect there is zero chance of the EU and European leaders embarking on reform, because that would require treaty change, and treaty change would require referenda in many countries, and they don't want to open that pandora's box, because they are absolutely terrified lest the insurgent parties in their countries turn any question about reform into a debate about reducing, not increasing the coupling with the EU, or indeed leaving. So, in typical EU fashion, they will stick their heads in the sand and hope for better times – which will never come.
Jon Redman says:
One question Remainers really struggled IIRC with in 2016 was why, if EU membership is so valuable, seven-eighths of the countries in the world aren't EU members. Why can't Japan join?
The usual response was "because it's the European Union, duh", to which the obvious rejoinder is "Why? It needn't be. It could just be the Northern Hemisphere Union, until it decides to admit Botswana or Malaysia or Australia."
I really don't know why it is the "European" Union. If America can include Guam and Puerto Rico why can't the "E"U include New Zealand?
Warren T says:
I hope you are joking with that comment about Poles being lazy? On the contrary, I have found them, in general, to have a desirable work ethic vs. many of the other EU members who are profoundly lazy.
Iris C says:
It was always a clear goal. I did an OU course in 1972 and the EEC was always going to be the first step to either a federal Europe or one country. However (as always happens in elections) anything that might lose support for Edward Heath's obsession was glossed over.
Kate Heusser says:
There's another difference. Poland spent five decades under the dead hand of Russia in the USSR. Poles will cope with temporary financial hardship rather than submit to being dictated to again.
Julian Farrows says:
I think Putin once remarked that the EU was becoming very similar to the USSR.
I was 19 when we had the EEC vote – and I believed what the Government, and the main part of the 'opposition' were saying. It was easy to accept that the nay-sayers were extremists of one stripe or another!
The following year, I began training to be a solicitor, and was introduced for the first time to the English legal system, constitutional and administrative law. It very soon became obvious that everything that defined Britain would have to change or be abandoned in order to fit the framework of the new Europe being created. That wasn't what we'd been told beforehand.
Tagged Poland, polexit, Ursula von der Leyen


text:
Bloomberg Vows To Keep Taking Shots at Obama and Romney
July 23, 2012 July 23, 2012 by hwalkerobserver
Mayor Bloomberg (Photo: Getty)
In the wake of last week's shooting in Aurora, Colorado, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is keeping up his call for President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to address the issue of illegal guns in their race for the White House. Hizzoner appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe today where he criticized both candidates for running for president "without having a plan" on gun control. He also pledged to keep up his push on gun control and argued that the aftermath of a tragedy like the Aurora shooting is the best time to raise the issue.
"People say it's bad politics to address the issue. I think the'yre wrong. I'm going to try to stir it up and so is everybody else," said Mayor Bloomberg. "You ask one of the families, 'Is this the time to focus on how to keep their other child from getting killed? I think they'd be on the side of–do it now."
Mayor Bloomberg wouldn't divulge what he has discussed during his personal meetings with President Obama and Mr. Romney, but he blamed fear of the NRA for the reluctance of the presidential candidates and other elected officials to take an aggressive stance on combating illegal guns.
"I think any private conversation I've had with them is going to stay private, but I think there is a perception among the political world that the NRA has more power than the American people. I don't believe that," Mayor Bloomberg said.
Mayor Bloomberg said solving the problem involves "reasonable restrictions" and enforcing existing federal gun laws. For example, he said high powered rifles and armor piercing bullets do not need to be sold for hunting purposes.
"When was the last time you saw a deer with a flak jacket on?" Mayor Bloomberg asked.
He also cited a need to "plug the one or two loopholes in the laws" that have "already passed."
"This gun show loophole where we require everybody to have a background check, but not for casual purposes," said Mayor Bloomberg. "When you see a dealer at a gun show with 500 guns, that's not casual."
According to the Mayor, claimed "99 percent" of gun dealers currently "follow the law" and that cracking down on illegal guns wouldn't be "onerous for them."
"All you've got to do is follow the promises that were made by the elected officials back when they were pandering and said, "We're going to fix this problem," Mayor Bloomberg said.
The Mayor brought up President Obama and Mr. Romney's past support for a federal assault weapons ban.
"Governor Romney, when he was Governor of Massachusetts…signed and talked favorably about a ban on assault weapons," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Massachusetts banned assault weapons. "The President of the United States Barack Obama, when he was campaigning, he campaigned in favor of a ban on assault weapons. Where are they?"
Mayor Bloomberg claimed gun control could be crucial if one of the candidates brings it up on the campaign trail because it's an issue important to independent voters.
"You're going to have to vote for one of the two of them, but I think, if you really take a look here, there's a big chunk of the public that's going to vote for Romney no matter what. There's a big chunk of the public, roughly equal size, that's going to vote for…Obama," Mayor Bloomberg said. "It's the middle, those are the people who aren't ideologues. They want an answer to questions like this and, in the end, they're going to decide the election.
In over a decade in office, Mayor Bloomberg has made his crusade to get illegal off the street one of his signature initiatives. He is the co-chair for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns campaign, which he launched in 2006 Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
Following Thursday night's shooting in Aurora, he blasted the presidential candidates for failing to present any solution to stem the flow of illegal guns in his weekly appearance on John Gambling's radio show.
"Soothing words are nice, but maybe it's time that the two people who want to be President of the United States stand up and tell us what they are going to do about it, because this is obviously a problem across the country," he said.
Both President Obama and Mr. Romney have personally lobbied Mayor Bloomberg, who is an independent, for his endorsement. The Mayor didn't endorse anyone in the 2008 presidential race after giving George W. Bush his backing in 2004. He invoked the nation's last high profile mass shooting to say a tragedy was not an excuse not to discuss gun control.
"How anybody can run for the highest office in the country, where 48,000 people are going to get killed in the next four years and not have a plan–and maybe they do, maybe they have a secret plan to end the war, but I don't know that that's going to sell here," said Mayor Bloomberg. "People say, we'll you shouldn't address it now because we're in a time of crisis and mourning. Yeah, well, 18 months since Arizona and you did nothing. If not now, when are you going to do it?"
Tagged Campaign 2012, crime, Guns, mayor bloomberg, Mitt Romney, morning joe, msnbc, President Obama
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FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) closed at $37.7 on the last trading session with an decrease of -0.13%, whereas, it previously closed at $37.75. The company has a market capitalization of $19.31 Billion. The company traded shares of 3.96 Million on the trading day while its three month average volume stands at 3.56 Million.
Now to discuss some of the Earning per Share estimates and growth estimates, shares of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) produced diluted EPS of -4.65. The EPS estimate for next year as estimated by analysts is at 2.54 while EPS for next quarter is estimated at 0.48. Earnings per Share growth for this year is reported at 73.3, while the analysts estimated the EPS growth for next year at 2.54% and Earnings growth for next 5 years stands at -6.92% as estimated by the analysts. While Annual EPS Growth rate for past five years as reported by the company is at -32.9%.
The trailing twelve month Revenue of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) is reported at 11.99 Billion with income of -2010000000. The outstanding shares of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) are 512.13 Million. The institutional Ownership of the shares of 91.3 stands at 0.80%, this figure is decreased -0.29 in the last six months. The insider ownership for the shares of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) is ticked at 5.53%, the figure is rose 0% in the last six months.
Some other important financial aspects to be discussed here for FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) is the Mean Target Price estimated by the analysts which stands at 40.06. The 52 week high of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) is placed at 39.01 and 52 week low is standing at 29.33.
Performance wise the shares of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) rose up 1.43% for the week, it also fell -0.92% for the monthly performance, while for the quarter it went down 4.03%. The shares increase 10.69% for the half year and flew up for the Year-To-Date performance. The shares of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) grew 11.77% for the yearly performance.
Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) closed at $208.86 on the last trading session with an increase of 0.3%, whereas, it previously closed at $208.24. The company has a market capitalization of $217.88 Billion. The company traded shares of 3.92 Million on the trading day while its three month average volume stands at 3.9 Million.
Now to discuss some of the Earning per Share estimates and growth estimates, shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) produced diluted EPS of 5.67. The EPS estimate for next year as estimated by analysts is at 7.53 while EPS for next quarter is estimated at 1.53. Earnings per Share growth for this year is reported at 18.7, while the analysts estimated the EPS growth for next year at 7.53% and Earnings growth for next 5 years stands at 22.27% as estimated by the analysts. While Annual EPS Growth rate for past five years as reported by the company is at 14.8%.
The trailing twelve month Revenue of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is reported at 14.46 Billion with income of 5.96 Billion. The outstanding shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) are 1.04 Billion. The institutional Ownership of the shares of 78 stands at 0.80%, this figure is increased 0.07 in the last six months. The insider ownership for the shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is ticked at 0.1%, the figure is plummeted -6.06% in the last six months.
Some other important financial aspects to be discussed here for Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is the Mean Target Price estimated by the analysts which stands at 232.44. The 52 week high of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is placed at 225.35 and 52 week low is standing at 140.61.
Performance wise the shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) rose up 4.58% for the week, it also rise 6.19% for the monthly performance, while for the quarter it went down 3.06%. The shares increase 8.02% for the half year and flew up for the Year-To-Date performance. The shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) grew 39.27% for the yearly performance.


TAMPA – Playing in the New York Yankees Spring Training Complex, the Harvard baseball team stormed out to an 11-8 victory over Army on Thursday, the first of a four-game set between the two clubs. The Crimson moved to 8-7 on the year, while Army falls to 9-6.
Sean Poppen picked up the starting nod and the victory on Thursday, going 6.1 innings, giving up seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits, while striking out six and yielding no walks. But the Crimson bats kept things close throughout, including scoring six runs in the first three innings.
Ethan Ferreira (4-for-5, 3R, 4RBI) had an incredible day at the plate, while Jake McGuiggan (3-for-4, 3R, 1RBI), Mitch Klug (2-for-3, 1R, 2RBI), Tanner Anderson (1-for-4, 1R, 2RBI) and Mike Martin (2-for-3, 2RBI) all added to the cause as well.
The two clubs went back-and-forth through the first three innings, each finding their stride. After Army made it 4-2 after the top of the second, the Crimson regained a 6-4 lead with four runs in the bottom of the third.
Ferreira homered for the second time in as many games in the bottom of the fourth, and plated two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 9-5. The Black Knights cut into the lead in the seventh with a pair of runs, but a McGuiggan single in the bottom of the frame brought Matt Rothenberg around for the Crimson's 10th run. Mike Martin made it 11-8 in the eighth with his RBI single to bring home Klug to eventually put things away.
Ian Miller and Dylan Combs combined for 2.2 innings of three-hit ball, giving up just one unearned run between the two to keep Army at bay to close things out.
Army and Harvard continue the series with a Friday doubleheader in Clearwater.


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Included TWRP Custom Recovery !!!
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Added new method of Rooting, Safer than before.


We are thrilled to announce Marvel, Ben 10 Comic and Doctor Who Adventures artist, Russ Leach will be joining us at Bridlington Comic Con 2017 on the 30th September.
Not only can you meet Russ and see his amazing portfolio, but also buy original art work, and even commission a unique piece.
Russ will also be offering the UK's only official Draw the Marvel Way workshop care of Hachette Marvel Collections completely free on the day. An exciting opportunity for superhero fans of all ages and abilities.


Is there any cuter Disney character than Pluto? I mean, he's always ready to play, is continually happy, and seems to constantly be up for an adventure. Sure he gets himself in the occasional jam but Mickey Mouse can't stay mad at him. It's just impossible not to love this dog. It's for these reasons that I thought my kids would love to get a Pluto lunch for school.
This Pluto sandwich lunch is basically just a few cuts of cheese, similar to my Donald Duck lunch. I also like that I was able to include a good amount of fruit and vegetables. I created it in an Easy Lunch Boxes container. See below for all the ingredients and directions!
Ingredients: Cheddar cheese slice, Provolone cheese slice, black olives, bacon, whole wheat bread slices, avocado, blueberries, green apple slice, grape tomatoes, Babybel cheese, nori, baby carrots.
1. Cut two ovals out of bread. Put choice of filling between the slices. Cut one oval from cheddar cheese. Then cut two boomerang shaped slices and one half circle slice. Put together as shown in photos to create Pluto's mouth. Place small piece of bacon on top for tongue.
2. For eyes, cut half circle out of provolone cheese. Cut out two eyebrows from cheddar cheese scraps. Arrange as shown on face. Slice black olive into narrow pieces and set on top of white cheese for the eyes. Use a whole olive for the nose and stick on with toothpick. From white cheese, cut out two small circles and one small oval and place on nose and eyes.
3. Cut out two more small squares of bread and one small square of cheddar cheese. Place under face to make the neck. Put apple slice under neck for collar. Place a slice of avocado (skin on) on each side of head for ears. Surround with blueberries to complete main compartment.
4. In one side compartment fill with baby carrots. Cut three baby carrots into bone shape and put on top.
5. In second side compartment place Babybel cheese and surround with grape tomatoes. Cut paw print shapes out of nori and stick on the outside of cheese wax.