text:
COVID-19 New Zealand Politics
Prime Minister, a Little Less Conversation Please
By Fight Left
Jacinda Ardern's Facebook Page Catches a Massive Viral Load of Bad News about Vaccines
by Cam Slater | The BFD
While the rest of the "Team of $55 million" in Big Media were dribbling over a video of Jacinda Ardern walking in Wellington, claiming it went viral, they missed the real viral explosion all over her Facebook page.
Quite why she decided to offer up unsolicited medical advice on Facebook is beyond me, but the general public saw red and left an indelible mark all over the page that meant the Prime Minister's minions were furiously playing whack-a-mole trying to delete messages.
Jacinda Ardern loves talking about having conversations, but the mass deletions of comments from citizens wanting to have that conversation show us that she thinks having a conversation entails her speaking while the peasants listen quietly.
Comment on Jacinda Ardern's Facebook page
Jacinda Ardern probably thought she was addressing the elephant in the room by using her Facebook page to tell everyone that the vaccine was perfectly safe and that there was heaps of disinformation out there, but that it was all fine. But the post just enraged thousands of ordinary Kiwis and spurred them to share their own stories of the negative side effects of the vaccine including myocarditis, shingles, blood clots, heart attacks, seizures and death.
But as fast as the minions could delete them others were taking screenshots and posting them to another Facebook page to show just how badly the Prime Minister was censoring the avalanche of bad news about adverse reactions to the vaccines. What followed was tens of thousands of comments. Ardern's FB posts typically attract between 2-3,000 comments.
One prolific commenter stated:
"New Zealanders essentially took down the government over it. Whilst she may have had Aucklanders in lockdown for two months, bankrupted businesses with her behaviour and now discriminated against people who are unvaxxed from attending events, I don't think any indoor concert or game could have rivalled a ring side seat at last nights event. I ran out of popcorn."
A clearly rattled Prime Minister appeared on Monday morning's AM show but as usual, she was given a free pass on this story. Nothing was asked of her regarding the matter nor has any mainstream media covered the issue. Newshub did however cover a pathetic story about a video of Jacinda Ardern going for a walk, complete with a security detail, in Wellington.
One commenter on Ardern's Facebook page asked a rather impertinent question; "Why aren't mainstream media covering this when there is obviously so much public concern and harm resulting from the vaccine, especially to our children? It would suggest they are now merely government puppets."
Big Media in New Zealand are now officially the propaganda wing of the Government. They sold their soul for $55 million and that is why they aren't covering the thousands of Kiwis who have been harmed by the vaccine that Jacinda Ardern is, through her rules, regulations, propaganda and bullying, forcing into people's arms.
She may have the Big Media on her side but she can't hide on social media. She's just found out that when media are muzzled then people find alternative means of communication.
The people are rising. If you live in Auckland and were out and about today then you will know that the Prime Minister is deluded in the extreme thinking Auckland is at Level Three. This is the problem with the elites, they live in a bubble where civil servants ingratiate themselves to their masters and tell them what they want to hear. Meanwhile, the general populace in Auckland has had enough and are just getting on with life despite the rules and regulations.
Six months ago this feedback would never have happened and neither would the mass disobedience of Aucklanders that I witnessed on Monday. A year ago New Zealanders voted in huge numbers for this Prime Minister but now they are sick of the sight and the sound of her.
Jacinda Ardern should heed the words of Elvis Presley and start having a little less conversation and a little more action.
Previous PostPrevious Hipkins on Vaccine Mandate for Teachers: "If I was a Teacher I Would Certainly Be Making Sure That I was Getting My First Dose of The Vaccine"
Next PostNext #CovidVaxExposed Part 5: Pfizer Whistleblower LEAKS Execs Emails EXPOSING Suppression of Covid Vax Info From Public | Project Veritas


As a boss, manager or trainer, you know how important it is to keep tabs on the health of those in your business. Mental health mightn't be as obvious as the common cold or physical injury to spot, but its effects can be just as costly. By bringing to attention mental health and its effects in the workplace by training with Dr Rosemary McCallum, you can have a stronger impact on retaining employee engagement and morale.
Do you want to create a mentally healthy workplace? Rosemary's engaging, powerful presentation style means that you will be trained and equipped with the tools necessary to provide a stronger, healthier workplace for yourself and your employees. Armed with strategies to navigate a tricky, invisible illness, you will know how to provide support and safety for your business.
Many employers believe their workers won't experience mental health issues at work, but in fact 1 in 5 Australians do experience mental health difficulties, which can be caused by or have a ripple on effect at work.
Dr Rosemary McCallum can lead employers into strategies and skills needed to manage mental health related problems at work, including how to strike a work-life balance, managing stress and noticing undetected signs of mental struggle. As an ongoing commitment to your staff, educate yourself with the best trainer in the country. Inform yourself with Dr Rosemary McCallum so you can keep employee engagement high and the lines of communication open at work.


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Macky Sall (født 11. december 1961 i Fatick, Senegal) er en senegalesisk politiker, der siden 2. april 2012 har været Senegals fjerde Præsident.

Sall var Senegals premierminister fra 2004 til 2007, præsident for Senegals nationalforsamling fra 2007 til 2008 og borgmester af Fatick fra 2002 til 2008 og igen fra 2009 til 2012. Ved præsidentvalget i Senegal i 2012 blev han valgt til præsident og besejrede dermed den siddende præsident Abdoulaye Wade.

Sall er leder af partiet Alliance pour la république.

Referencer

Eksterne henvisninger

Senegals præsidenter
Politikere fra Senegal
Nuværende statsoverhoveder

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The transmission is one of the most intricate pieces of machinery in your vehicle. It requires meticulous care and maintenance in order to keep it working well. This includes transmission fluid flushes and fluid filter changes in order to ensure that gears can be properly changed and engaged. If the transmission fails to operate properly, especially in an automatic transmission, it is likely due to low fluid levels. The following is a list of the most common transmission trouble symptoms; if you notice any of them be sure to have a mechanic take a look at the issue as soon as possible.
Oftentimes, grinding noises that occur while shifting are one of the first signs of trouble for any transmission. In a manual transmission this can represent trouble with the synchronization of gears. For an automatic transmission it may indicate low fluid levels or a failing torque converter.
If you drive a manual transmission vehicle you likely remember that when you were first learning to drive a smell would occur after riding the clutch while trying to accelerate in first gear. If you begin to experience this smell as a veteran clutch driver there is a good chance that you need a clutch plate replacement or an adjustment of the clutch linkage.
A transmission that shifts unnecessarily between gears or pops into neutral is not only a big transmission problem, but it is also a safety hazard. This issue will cause control issues that include losing power from the engine. If this happens to you seek a mechanic right away.
Does your vehicle's RPMs escalate highly while the automatic transmission shifts? This is usually an indicator that there is some sort of leak in the transmission, or at least that there is low levels of transmission fluid. Adding fluid may resolve this issue.
The most obvious sign of transmission trouble would be a visible transmission fluid leak. This fluid is often dyed red in order to make it easier to differentiate from other automobile fluids. If you find this liquid collecting under your vehicle contact a mechanic right away.
The transmission is responsible for transferring power from the engine to the tires. If it is unable to do so you'll find yourself having trouble going anywhere! For superior transmission repair in Jackson, MI, visit Jimmie's Towing & Auto Repair. We provide full service auto repair for all makes and models, including big rigs! To learn more, or to request an estimate for any type of auto repair in Jackson, give us a call at the location nearest you.
If you need semi truck towing in Jackson, MI or believe that your vehicle could benefit from roadside assistance, do not hesitate to contact our team. Call Jimmie's at (517) 435-0314 on Michigan Avenue or (517) 435-0302 to reach our team on Cooper Street, to request semi truck repair in Jackson.


Please fill out the form below and submit. If you prefer, you can also download and fill out our CIACO Membership Application in pdf format.
BY PRESSING THE SUBMIT BUTTON BELOW I HEREBY APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP AND AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE CHICAGOLAND ITALIAN AMERICAN CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION.


Ariane de Gayardon, a senior research associate at the Centre for Global Higher Education at University College London, looked at free tuition policies across a variety of countries. She found that free tuition policies take different forms in different countries, and that the majority of countries with free tuition policies have various "hidden cost-sharing mechanisms to alleviate the cost borne by governments." These include charging nontuition fees, establishing "dual tracks" in which some students study for free and others pay tuition, and limiting the number of fully subsidized seats available. De Gayardon found that only a few countries -- including Argentina, Cuba, Finland, Germany and Norway -- offer a combination of open access and tuition-free higher education.


Goalkeeper Champ is a new sports game that you can also play on your mobile. Get into the skin of a soccer player. Take the most important position. Become a goalkeeper. A good goalkeeper who supports his team in the tough times stands whole team. Choose the country you want to play as, and beat all your opponents. Fight until the final and win a valuable trophy. The game is simple and very addictive. Run on the green lawn and show what's in you. Have fun.


Find out which type of solar energy system would be best for your home. Get in touch with us today to schedule a consultation.
If you're looking for ways to lower your utility bill, reach out to Gold Rush Energy Solutions. We install a variety of solar energy systems for local homeowners. One of our installers will survey your home and explain how we'll design your system. Once you agree to our proposal, we'll start installing your solar panels.
Call 866-557-6937 now to schedule a consultation for your new solar energy system.


text:
**Table of Contents:**
- [Pipeline](./progress_67.md#pipeline)
  - [Raw Data](./progress_67.md#raw-data)
  - [Motion Correction](./progress_67.md#motion-correction)
    - [Motion Correction QC](./progress_67.md#motion-correction-quality-control)
  - [Registration](./progress_67.md#registration)
    - [Registration QC](./progress_67.md#registration-quality-control)
  - [Voxel Timeseries Extraction](./progress_67.md#voxel-timeseries-extraction)
  - [Downsampling](./progress_67.md#downsampling)
    - [Downsampling Quality Control](./progress_67.md#downsampling-quality-control)
  - [Overall Pipeline QC](./progress_67.md#overall-pipeline-quality-control)

----------
## Pipeline

### Raw Data

The raw data to be processed by this leg of the pipeline is fMRI functional scans, and registration will require MPRAGE anatomical scans.

### Motion Correction

Motion Correction will be performed using mcFLIRT, the motion correction module as a part of FSL's Linear Registration Tool. We will default to using the 0th 3d volume for all alignment (assume that the 0th volume corresponds to our true rotational and translational x, y, and z positions). Note that eddy correction is not possible for fMRI images (command line error for invalid data type). TODO: explore using the mean volume instead of the 0th volume later.

##### Motion Correction Quality Control

deliverable 1: a plot of each mc'd (motion corrected) 3d volume (1 volume for each time point, total of [numtimepoints] images per subject) overlapped with the same slice of the 0th volume. The left column will be before mc; the right after mc. The row shown will be the middle slice, however, a possible extension would be to have the number of rows be the number of slices. The title of each plot will be the MSE between the two shown images (each image will be opaque).

deliverable 2: a collection of all of the MSE for the previous deliverable, in a separate array for each condition (before or after mc). Each condition will then have a kde estimated for the density with respect to the DICE score. Theoretically, we will see a better DICE score on average for the volumes after mc, and the hellinger distance between the two conditions' kdes will be shown as the title.

deliverable 3: a plot of the 6 parameters used by mcFLIRT for mc (rotational and translational x, y, and z) as a function of time (6 lines, 1 for each parameter). The bottom plot will show overall translational and rotational displacement as a function of time (2 lines, 1 for translational and 1 for rotational).

### Registration

Registration will be completed using the same procedure as the DTI processing pipeline leg of ndmg. We will first align the fMRI 0th scan to the MPRAGE image, and then the MPRAGE image to the template brain (MNI152). We will then combine those two transformations and apply the new robust transformation to the fMRI volume stack, thus giving us the fMRI brain in the template space.

##### Registration Quality Control

deliverable 1: a plot of each registered 3d volume (1 volume for each time point, total of [numtimepoints] images per subject) overlapped this time with the same slice of the template brain. The left column will be before registration, the right column after registration. The title of each plot will be the MSE between the two images.

deliverable 2: a collection of all the DICE scores for the previous deliverable, in a separate array for each condition (before and after registration). Each condition will then have a kde estimated for the density with respect to the DICE score. Theoretically, we will see a better MSE on average for the volumes after registration, and the hellinger distance between the two conditions' kdes will be shown as the title. This figure is the same idea as for the Motion Correction.

### Voxel Timeseries Extraction

Voxel Timeseries Extraction will be performed using the MNI152 template brain mask. We will extract timeseries for all voxels in the brain mask for all time points, to produce a timeseries for each fMRI brain of dimensions [numvoxels] x [numtimepoints].

### Downsampling

Downsampling will be performed using a labelled atlas. We will average the timeseries for all of the voxels within each roi, to produce a timeseries for each fMRI brain of dimensions [numrois] x [numtimepoints] per labelled atlas.

##### Downsampling Quality Control

deliverable 1: a correlation matrix for a single fMRI brain.

### Overall Pipeline Quality Control

The pipeline will be run on an entire dataset, KKI21, and derivatives/individual QC metrics collected prior to performing overall pipeline QC.

deliverable 1: a plot showing the distance matrix between the scans of the dataset, with title as discriminability.

deliverable 2: a plot showing the kdes respectively for intra vs inter subject graph distances, collected from the previous distance matrix. Goal is to show that intra subject distances are less than inter subject distances, a characteristic of discriminability. Title will be the hellinger distance between the two conditions.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Superior Restoration is the leading Solana Beach water damage clean up company in the Inland Empire. When it comes to flood damage, water extraction and the restoration process, nobody does it better than we do. From the initial dryout to final restoration, we are able to take care of you the entire way. Our services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any type of water damage clean up large or small. We not only have the equipment and space to handle the largest flood situations but the staff and commitment to quality that will let us provide a personal touch to the restoration process. When we work with you, you can rest assured that we will strive to make the process as painless as possible.
When it comes to leak proofing your home you must keep the water outside of the home in order to prevent structural damage, right? Simple! However this requires one thing from you, then you be willing to put in the work required to protect your house from damage. Sudden disasters you can't prevent but you are more than capable of preventing water damage that should never have been allowed to happen in the first place.
When it comes to the pipes in your home you should regularly inspect the ones you can and if you're going to be away for any length of time you should disconnect the water from them in order to relieve the stress on them. This will give them a break and extend their lives.
One of the best ways to prevent damage is to clean out the gutters around your home. This is a time-consuming and potentially dangerous job but if it's not done untold water damage can occur. Also stagnant water in gutters is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and disease.
You should check the seals around windows and doors and if you find any cracks you should fill them in the immediately. Windows and doors are excellent way for water to get in and this can be prevented.
If you find any cracks in the foundation of your home you should fill them in immediately. Even very small cracks can become a thorn in your side. Once water gets deep within a structure it is almost impossible to ascertain the level of damage it's causing.


text:
Contracaecum spiculigerum är en rundmaskart. Contracaecum spiculigerum ingår i släktet Contracaecum och familjen Anisakidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Rundmaskar
spiculigerum


text:
Distrust That Particular Flavor (Paperback)
(ESSAYS & CREATIVE NONFICTION)
If you're only familiar with Gibson through the the cyborg dolphins and 160-gigabyte brain implants of Johny Mnemonic, you might be wary of his sociocultural pronouncements, but these talks and articles are more guileless and earnest than anything a professional purveyor of ideas could produce. From the story of his late-nineties addiction to eBay watch auctions to his portrait of Takeshi Kitano, the "Baddest Dude on Earth," Gibson's obsessiveness and sincere admiration make him a more charming and convincing critic than most.
— Cosmo
A collection of New York Times bestselling author William Gibson's articles and essays about contemporary culture—a privileged view into the mind of a writer whose thinking has shaped not only a generation of writers but our entire culture...
Though best known for his fiction, William Gibson is as much in demand for his cutting-edge observations on the world we live in now. Originally printed in publications as varied as Wired, the New York Times, and the Observer, these articles and essays cover thirty years of thoughtful, observant life, and are reported in the wry, humane voice that lovers of Gibson have come to crave.
"Gibson pulls off a dazzling trick. Instead of predicting the future, he finds the future all around him, mashed up with the past, and reveals our own domain to us."—The New York Times Book Review
William Gibson's first novel, Neuromancer, won the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Philip K. Dick Award. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of Count Zero, Burning Chrome, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow's Parties, Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, Zero History, Distrust That Particular Flavor, and The Peripheral. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife.
"One of the most astute and entertaining commentators on our astonishing, chaotic present."—The Washington Post Book World
"I forget that in addition to being a major novelist (Zero History, Neuromancer, etc.), he's one of the best essayists and critical observers currently operating within our sociocultural sphere. This is his first essay collection, and it's messed up how good it is: raw, weird, honest, smart."—Lev Grossman, Time Entertainment
"Exquisitely written, done to a turn with both insight and that unmistakable prose that is just shy of spectacular....This is a fine and even essential complement to the Gibson canon, and a delight to read."—BoingBoing.net
"Though he's often lauded as a big-picture man, these pieces make one thing clear: He's even better with the little details."—A.V. Club
"[Gibson's] new collection of nonfiction shows that his secret strong suit is with the here and the now."—Los Angeles Times
"The most startling pieces here crackle with his excitement at discovering some unexpected aspect of the new."—The Globe and Mail (Canada)
"A breezy, engaging read."—The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"Potent...elegant prose."—The Seattle Times
Publisher: Berkley
Maximum Age: UP
Minimum Grade Level: UP
Maximum Grade Level: UP
Social Science / Popular Culture
Literary Collections / Essays
Technology & Engineering / Social Aspects
Kobo eBook (January 3rd, 2012): $9.99
MP3 CD (January 17th, 2012): $24.99
Hardcover (January 3rd, 2012): $26.95
Compact Disc (January 17th, 2012): $29.99

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Есть по крайней мере 2 издательства с названием «Знание»:
 «Знание» — петербургское издательство марксистского толка, действовавшее в 1898−1913 годах.
 «Знание» — московское издательство научно-популярных книг, основанное в 1951 году.


text:
What I Rent: Galina, $2,200 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles
Ellen ScottTuesday 29 Sep 2020 9:45 am
Galina is a fashion editor and influencer living in LA (Picture: Galina Antonova)
Welcome back to What I Rent, our series in which we explore the reality of renting.
Each week we go inside a different person's rented property and chat about their experiences in the world of property, from stories of terrible landlords who refuse to sort out the mould to details of how people make rented flats feel like home.
This time around we're hanging out with Galina Antonova, 38, a fashion editor and influencer living in Los Angeles.
Galina rents a one-bedroom apartment alone, having lived here for the last five years.
Hey, Galina! How much do you pay to live here?
Rent is $2,200 a month. Bills are around $100.
And what do you get for what you pay?
My place has one bedroom, a large, sunny living room and one bathroom!
Do you feel like you have a good deal?
I think I have an amazing deal, a similar apartment in my building now rents for $2,500 a month.
She has lived in this property for the last five years (Picture: Galina Antonova)
Do you like the area?
The apartment is located in a quiet, upscale neighborhood on the Westside in Los Angeles.
I love living in this area, it has the best location, it's 20 minutes by car from Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Malibu and Venice.
It's one of the best places to live in Los Angeles and home to a lot of celebrities such as Adam Sandler, Irina Shayk, Harrison Ford and Arnold Schwarrznegger.
In addition, It's walkable to some of the best restaurants, coffee shops and parks in the area.
It even has its own farmer's market every Sunday!
She's put up plenty of artwork to make the place feel more homey (Picture: Galina Antonova)
How did you find this property?
I was just driving by looking for an apartment to rent when I saw the building so I decided to stop by and look. I instantly loved this large and sunny apartment.
How have you made the apartment feel like home?
I put up some of my favorite paintings, curtains and added a touch of pink to it!
Have you found it difficult to decorate when renting? Is your landlord happy with you doing bits?
I lack motivation to decorate because it's a rental and I cannot make drastic changes either so I keep a very minimalistic style.
Luckily my landlord never checks on my apartment since I am a very private person and do not like to be bothered.
Do you feel like you have enough space?
I feel I have a great space amount for one person and I have seen two bedrooms with less square footage so I feel lucky.
And pays $2,200 a month (Picture: Galina Antonova)
Are there any problems with the home you have to deal with?
The only issue with this home is I hear everything that's going on on the street so it's very noisy inside, also my neighbors are located very close and we hear each other in the evening.
That's my biggest issue with the apartment, it's very noisy.
Do you have plans to move again any time soon?
I don't have plans to move because I like to stay in that area!
Do you want to own a place some day or are you happy to rent?
I would like to buy a house in Los Angeles but because the neighborhood is very expensive the best option is to rent at this point.
But in the future I absolutely see myself living in the house!
Galina says she lacks motivation to decorate because she's renting (Picture: Galina Antonova)
She fell in love with the large, sunny living room (Picture: Galina Antonova)
Which leads right into the dining area (Picture: Galina Antonova)
(Picture: Galina Antonova)
Large windows let in plenty of natural light (Picture: Galina Antonova)
The dining area (Picture: Galina Antonova)
The view (Picture: Galina Antonova)
There's the kitchenette (Picture: Galina Antonova)
The fridge and oven (Picture: Galina Antonova)
The bedroom (Picture: Galina Antonova)
Galina would like to own a home one day (Picture: Galina Antonova)
But for now she's happy here (Picture: Galina Antonova)
And finally, the bathroom (Picture: Galina Antonova)
What I Rent is a weekly series that's out every Tuesday at 10am.
Check back next week to have another nose around a rented property.
How to get involved in What I Rent
What I Rent is Metro.co.uk's weekly series that takes you inside the places people are renting, to give us all a better sense of what's normal and how much we should be paying.
If you fancy taking part, please email whatirent@metro.co.uk. You'll need to take pictures of your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom, plus a few photos of you in your bedroom or living area.
Make sure you get permission from your housemates! You'll also need to be okay with sharing how much you're paying for rent, as that's pretty important.
We're not just after the prettiest places out there, by the way. We want the reality of renting, so if you're currently renting a place you hate, we'd love to see that too (and sympathise greatly!).
Win a luxury hot tub
That's right, you can bring the spa experience to your garden with this amazing hot tub prize.
To celebrate the launch of our new property newsletter The Key we've teamed up with 1Stop Spas (a BISHTA member) to give YOU the chance to win a 4-seater American-made hot tub.
We'll supply AND install. It's so simple to use: just plug and play.
To be in with the chance of winning this superb hot tub enter here!
MORE : What I Rent: Bailey and Maddie, £2,075 for a two-bedroom flat in Wembley, London
MORE : What I Rent: Emma, £1,600 a month for a one-bedroom flat in Hackney, east London
MORE : What I Rent: Ellen and Chris, £1,451 a month for a one-bedroom flat in Shepherd's Bush, London
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text:
MAOZ HOME MAOZ REPORT WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO DONATE NOW STORE I STAND WITH ISRAEL CONTACT US
Around and Around We Go Again: The Battle of the Tree | Once Again: Israel Prepares for War | 10-Day Summer Youth Conference | They Shall Know You by Your Love One for Another
Around and Around We Go Again:
The Battle of the Tree
Monthly Report: September 2010
Elul 5770 - Tishrei 5771
Open in PDF
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS
Israel prunes a tree over its border fence but still within Israeli land. The so-called "Blue Line," the international Israeli-Lebanese border as certified by the U.N. is to the left (north) of the soldier cutting down tree.
By Shira Sorko-Ram
At 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 3, Israel notified the United Nations peacekeeping troops in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that the Israel Defence Forces would be trimming trees on Israel's side of its northern border at 9:00 a.m.
This was a routine operation; the army has done this many times as foliage along the border has given terrorists cover to spring an ambush on border patrols. In the past, terrorists have hidden in such bushes and trees and have both killed and kidnapped Israeli soldiers.
UNIFIL asked Israel for a two-hour extension so they would have time to coordinate activities with the Lebanese Armed Forces per protocol in order to prevent a pretext for violence by Hezbollah terrorists. The IDF was about to begin work when the UNIFIL commander asked for a further delay while he telephoned his supervisor for final authorization. Israeli soldiers then began pruning at 11:30 a.m.
However, unknown to Israel, the Lebanese army had used the extra two and a half hours to plan an ambush with Hezbollah bringing along a bevy of journalists to record the event. As Israel's Battalion Commander looked on from a hill some 100 meters from the fence, a Lebanese sniper shot him in the face, killing him and critically wounding his company commander in the chest. The Lebanese army then continued the assault by firing rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons.
Israel returned the fire, killing two Lebanese soldiers and one journalist. General Gadi Eizencott who quickly arrived to oversee the Israeli response, later stated that "part of our fire was purposely aimed off in the wrong direction because there was a mixture of Lebanese soldiers, UNIFIL soldiers and citizens. Had we shot at them, dozens would have been needlessly killed." (Yediot Aharonot 6July10)
The regiment of UNIFIL Muslim Indonesians making the arrangements had been commissioned to keep Hezbollah from rearming and to monitor the border. However, when the Lebanese army started shooting at the Israelis, UNIFIL soldiers were photographed standing beside them watching but doing nothing to stop them. Other video footage clearly showed them shouting at the Israelis to stop cutting down the foliage rather than attempting to stop Lebanese fire.
1. After receiving authorization from the U.N. peacekeeping
forces (UNIFIL) Israel's army operates a "cherry picker"
to cut down a tree inside the Israeli border.
2. The ill-fated tree the IDF was cutting down
when Lebanon attacked.
3. & 4. U.N. peacekeeping troops stand watching
as Lebanon shoots at Israeli soldiers.
5. Israeli soldier returns fire.
6. U.N. soldier waving to Israel to stop tree cutting.
(The following day, Israel's army personnel returned
to finish cutting down the tree.)
It is important to note that Israel purposely built its electronic surveillance fence a few meters inside the Israeli border so that IDF soldiers could clear trees and bushes from touching the fence – which would interfere with the surveillance – and still remain completely on the Israeli side of the border.
The border – called the Blue Line – had been designated and confirmed by none other than the U.N. itself as the true international border between Israel and Lebanon. This was to prevent "misunderstandings."
- Israel was furious, charging that the Lebanese army had used the two and a half extra hours to plan and execute a violent border assault against Israeli soldiers. Even the most leftist of Israeli journalists were enraged that the Lebanese army had instigated such a blatant and unprovoked attack with the potential to set the border on fire bringing the two countries very close to war again.
- The U.N. did confirm that Israel had coordinated its intentions to clear foliage with the U.N., and also confirmed that Israel was pruning trees and bushes only on the Israeli side of the border. Lebanon of course refuted this claim. After thinking it over, however, the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon explained it had yet to ascertain the circumstances leading to the bloodshed.
- The U.N. Security Council held a closed-door session with the head of the U.N. peacekeeping forces, Alain LeRoy, who did not blame either side for the incident, nor did he accept Israel's claim that the Lebanon troops opened fire first. The Security Council called on both sides to show restraint.
- U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told a press conference, "We deeply regret the loss of life; we urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint to avoid an escalation and maintain the ceasefire that is now in place."
- The U.N. Security Council called on all parties to practice utmost restraint, strictly abide by their obligations under resolution 1701 (which stated that no Hezbollah forces would be allowed near the Israeli border!), observe the cessation of hostilities and prevent any further escalation on the Blue Line," according to Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
- The European Union sent out tepid admonitions, attempting to keep an "even handed" approach without squarely condemning Lebanon.
- The Israeli government complained to the U.N Security Council over the clash, saying it held the government of Lebanon responsible.
- Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said his powerful Shi'ite guerrillas would intervene if Israel attacked the Lebanese army again.
However, pictures began to circulate showing U.N. peacekeepers standing alongside Lebanese soldiers during the exchange, who, instead of working to stop Lebanon from shooting, were calling on Israel to stop clearing the trees, even though Israel had informed the UNIFIL authorities of the impending operation six hours earlier.
- Lebanon's Higher Council for Defense headed by President Michel Suleiman said it held Israel accountable for Tuesday's clash and it would complain to the U.N. Security Council. The Lebanese army's story was that the Israeli patrol had crossed the "technical" line [what does this mean??] of the border although U.N. peacekeepers had told Israel to stop.
- A.P. News Service stated that "nobody knows where the border between Lebanon and Israel is."
Finally UNIFIL commanders admitted to the U.N. Security Council late Tuesday that Israel had indeed given advance notification of its plans and had operated only on its side of the border.
- U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley then labeled the Lebanese fire on IDF soldiers "wholly unjustified and unwarranted." He continued, "The United Nations has now established that the trees cut by the Israeli Defense Forces were on the Israeli side of the line that separates Israel and Lebanon."
Another important fact: The United States has provided more than $720 million in assistance to the Lebanese army since 2006, according to the U.S. Embassy website.
Asked whether the United States was confident the Lebanese army was not being "manipulated by any particular political group," Crowley said, "We're in support of the civilian government in Lebanon, and we think improving the capability and performance of the Lebanese government, both across the government, but including in the security sector, contributes to stability in the region and is in our interest."
However, Israel has already begun launching a diplomatic campaign for the U.S. and France to stop arming the Lebanese army. As one officer said, "We always warned the U.S. that any arms they give to the Lebanese army could fall into Hezbollah's hands. Now, we see the Lebanese army itself is using those arms directly against us."
In response, Congress has frozen - at least for now - $100 million slated for the Lebanese army in 2010.
WHAT CAUSED LEBANON TO MOUNT AN ATTACK?
Even so, Israel's northern border with Lebanon has been quiet for the most part since 2006 when Israel went to war with Hezbollah which showered thousands of rockets into the cities and towns of Galilee after kidnapping two Israeli soldiers – who were later returned to Israel dead.
To end that war, the United Nations called for a cease-fire under resolution 1701 and stationed 13,000 troops in Lebanon to keep Hezbollah from rearming. Yet Iran, by way of Syria, has rearmed Hezbollah with a total of 40,000 rockets, both long and short range, under the noses of the U.N. troops. So much for resolution 1701.
Israeli intelligence has recently been aware that the Lebanese army – until now thought to be relatively friendly to Israel – is being radicalized by Shiite soldiers who have begun working closely with Hezbollah. According to Israel, the local Lebanese army commander, a Shia with radical leanings but not a member of Hezbollah, decided to use UNIFIL's delay to plan an ambush, deployed troops firing rocket-propelled grenades and snipers, and invited Hezbollah to bring the media to cover it.
"We have been clearing bushes along the border for the past year," said IDF spokesperson Avital Leibovitch. "It's not something new that began yesterday. Let me take you back to 2006 with the kidnapping of the soldiers. In that area, the terrorists hid behind bushes very similar to the ones we took down yesterday. This is one of the reasons why we conduct this maintenance work."
THE METHOD IN THEIR MADNESS
This is exactly the kind of "misunderstanding" that can cause a war. It's this kind of thing that comes out of the blue – but not really. There is method in this madness behind such an attack. But it is so complicated you wouldn't want to know the details.
Just a hint – in 2005 Hezbollah, with Syrian help, allegedly assassinated Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a multimillionaire and a popular politician whose vision was to rebuild an independent Lebanon not under Syrian control. His son Saad, the new prime minister, has now been maneuvered into being nothing more than Syria's lackey as the Lebanese people voted Hezbollah terrorists as major players in Lebanon's government. Syria is one of Hezbollah's patrons.
Recently, the IDF decided to release intelligence photos such as this one – showing how Hezbollah has spread its weaponry throughout Lebanese villages in homes, mosques, hospitals and schools – making it impossible for Israel to defend itself against terrorist attacks without causing substantial civilian casualties such as happened in the Gaza war. The IDF had to make a decision as whether to keep this intelligence secret (from Hezbollah) or to let the world (and Hezbollah) know that Israel knows exactly where their arms are stockpiled.
Now, believe it or not, a U.N. investigation that is about to be wrapped up is rumored to have found evidence that Hezbollah killed the elder Hariri. This would not be good for Hezbollah and could even destabilize Lebanon if the Lebanese people turn against the terrorist group. Hezbollah's answer? Create a situation that would divert attention from Hezbollah onto Israel.
Lately there have been rumblings that Hezbollah is building scores of tunnels under the border into Israel with the goal of kidnapping more soldiers.
On the other hand, Israeli intelligence says that Iran doesn't exactly want Hezbollah to get into a war right now. It wants those 40,000 rockets it has given to Hezbollah to be ready to rain down on the Jewish nation if Israel's air force goes after Iran's nuclear instillations. So Hezbollah will probably try to keep the border hot while not hot enough to turn the Holy Land into another blazing war zone. At least, not yet.
Once Again:
Israel Prepares for War
The aim of Israel's attackers would be to maintain intense fire for weeks and even months – confining Israelis to bomb shelters and extracting decisions from a government weakened by panicking citizens.
The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, has been in hiding since the Lebanese-Israeli war in 2006 because he is afraid he will be assassinated. He still is no superpower at this moment. If the U.S. or even Europe stood up to him and his terrorist organization, his place in history would end quickly. But when American government officials like John Brennan, adviser to President Barack Obama (counterterrorism and homeland security) pontificates about the value of trying "to build up the more moderate elements in Hezbollah," these naïve officials simply create an intoxicating rush of adrenalin and inspiration for the Palestinian "freedom fighters."
Israeli children participate in five-day emergency drill for missile attack
Syrian President Bashar Assad happily offered his perception of the region as undergoing an "epochal change" which he said was sweeping the Middle East and the world. He outlined a new alliance, consisting of Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Turkey – and Russia. He explained that all these countries are linking themselves together, even physically, through gas and oil pipelines, railways, roadways and systems for transporting electricity. (Jerusalem Post, 28May10)
He further described a new "Cold War" that is, according to him, a natural reaction to America's attempt to dominate the world. (Ibid.)
These Jihadists obviously are aware of their own weaknesses in comparison with the U.S. and even Israel. However, they believe that because of their greater will and determination and patience, they will in the end, win their war against Israel, and finally the West. (Ibid.)
One matter should be noted: With all the wars that have taken place since the Jewish people have been returning to their ancient homeland, no Arab nation or terrorist group has dared to use biological weapons against Israelis.
The Tel Aviv area where a quarter of the nation lives "could be hit – hit hard, and hit often – in the next war."
~ David Horowitz, Editor, Jerusalem Post
Perhaps the greatest reason is because of their belief that Israel has nuclear weapons, although Israel has never confirmed or denied that. But the fear of such weapons possessed by Israel has been a major obstacle against using any weapon of mass destruction (such as biological weapons which they have) against the "Zionist enemy."
All Israeli citizens receive free gas masks,
including citizens with large families!
Now Egypt (one of the two Arab countries at peace with Israel) is heading up an Arab lobby in the U.N. "to make the Middle East a nuclearfree area." Translation: force Israel to give up her nuclear weapons. Not surprisingly, President Obama is all for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons, although he says he does not like the U.N. just zeroing in on Israel alone.
Forcing Israel to give up her nuclear weapons would, of course, leave her defenseless against countries like Iran and Syria who have "agreed" to such a nuclear-free Middle East, while secretly continuing to construct their weapons in hidden installations – with one agenda in mind.
BIBLICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Reading the Bible through every year gives a person continuous input to understanding how God has dealt with Israel in the past and how He will continue to deal with her. For example, I find in the word of God that when Israel sinned, God lifted his protection and her enemies swooped in on her. When His people turned back to the Lord, He listened to their cries and delivered them.
It seems to me that if a person does not "soak" in the word of God where it becomes part of his or her DNA, Biblical principles seem foolish, even primitive – not only to the world, but also to many believers.
For instance, the Bible clearly teaches that war comes as a result of sin. Over and over this truth is emphasized – in the books of Joshua, Judges, Kings, Chronicles – not to speak of Moses and the prophets who warned Israel over and over again that sin would lead to the destruction of the nation.
If you obey the Lord your God... the Lord will cause your enemies to be defeated before you... (Deuteronomy 28:1,7)
If you will not obey the Lord your God... the Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies... (Deuteronomy 28:15, 25)
ISRAEL: GOD'S ROLE MODEL TO DEMONSTRATE HIS DEALINGS WITH ALL NATIONS
Another heavenly standard: The Lord uses the nations to punish Israel for her sins. However, and this is an incredibly important "however," the Lord then punishes these same nations for assaulting Israel.
In His justice, God judges in righteousness – because God's justice declares, "as you judge, you shall be judged." Therefore the wicked nations of the world – although used by God to judge sinful Israel, will certainly be judged by that same measure – and found wanting. Is America more righteous than Israel? Is Egypt? Is Great Britain? Is Germany? How about the U.N.?
Syria and Iran are providing Hezbollah with rockets and missiles of ever-increasing capability. We are at a point now where Hezbollah has far more rockets and missiles than most governments in the world.
~ US Defense Secretary Robert Gates
One of the reasons God's word goes into such detail concerning his dealings with his beloved nation, Israel, is because He wants the nations to understand His principles – His standard for relating to Israel is His standard for relating to the human race. Israel is his example. His model. His illustration. He protects and nurtures and prospers those who love Him, and He punishes those who turn their backs on Him.
Again, this is a truth so simple, so black and white, that it is a hard pill for mere mortals to understand, let alone accept. But there are simply hundreds of Biblical passages confirming exactly this truth. Thankfully, this is not all the truth. God has a plan to give the planet another chance. He has determined to pour out His Spirit on the human race (all flesh) in one great act of mercy – and give them a final opportunity to hear the Gospel, escape the Kingdom of Darkness and gain eternal life. (See Joel 2:28)
The prophets speak often of the "latter days" when several key events will take place in Israel, not necessarily in this order, but with much overlapping of the various events.
The scattered people of Israel will return to their land. (Jeremiah 32:37)
The nations of the world will come against Zion. (Zechariah 12, 14)
Israel will suffer great tribulation because of her sins. Read Jeremiah 30 – one of the most blunt and unequivocal chapters in the Bible.
The people of Israel will cry out to God. (Hosea 5:15)
The Messiah Yeshua will be unveiled to the entire nation. (Zechariah 12:10)
Israel will fulfill her God-given call to be a blessing and a light to the nations for salvation as was promised to Abraham and his descendents. (See Isaiah 49:6, Acts 13:47 and Romans 11:29)
The God of Israel will physically save His people and destroy the nations who came against her. (Zechariah 14)
These are hard words – for Israel and for the nations. But ignoring them will not change a thing.
Israeli soldiers stage biggest mass-scale war preparation drill ever in preparation for possible biological attacks
On the other hand, the children of God – those who are committed and submitted to the King of Kings – are specifically told not to fear nor worry. Not Jewish believers nor Gentile believers. Indeed the Bible tells those of us who are born again to lift up our heads. To rejoice! Our redemption is on its way!
These troubles that will envelop the world will generate the greatest opportunity ever to bring the Gospel to the world with unprecedented results.
And those who bless Israel will be blessed. Since the word of God "stands forever," that promise is true – yesterday, today and forever!
10-Day Summer Youth Conference
Over a hundred Israeli teenagers from the country's Messianic Jewish congregations gathered for a 10-day summer conference.
The spiritual depth of the conference was amazing and life-changing commitments made by the youth during this time were immediate and astounding!
Every pastor and parent could only say "Thank you God and thank the Israeli leaders who led the camp!"
There was a good representation of Congregation Tiferet Yeshua's teens, and Maoz Israel Ministries partners contributed 10,000 to enable as many Israeli youth as possible to attend.
(photo by Cariño casas)
They Shall Know You
By Your Love One for Another
Last month Congregation Adonai Roi (the Lord is my Shepherd) and Congregation Tiferet Yeshua (the Glory of Yeshua), both located in Tel Aviv, joined together for a wonderful Sabbath morning.
The worship team was made up of members from both congregations; the children also met new friends. (The teenagers already have friends from all the congregations in the area!)
Pastor Avi Mizrachi gave a powerful message on the meaning of salvation beginning with Genesis 1:1.
Afterwards, Avi Mizrachi and his wife Chaya together with Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram received prayer and a blessing from Elana Cantor who prayed that this representation of unity would bear much fruit in Tel Aviv.
Avi presented Ari with a menorah as a token of Adonai Roi's friendship.
Dear Maoz Partner,
Towards late afternoon on September 8th, the cities and villages of Israel will become calm and quiet. At dusk, traffic will disappear, and Israelis will be home with relatives and friends preparing for the New Year feast.
In Jerusalem and other Orthodox areas of the country, families dressed in their finest will walk to their local synagogue to pray and worship before they sit down to their festive meal.
This is New Years eve (the Biblical Feast of Trumpets), the beginning of the Days of Awe.
For ten days until the total fast day of Yom Kippur – when the vast majority of Israelis fast for 26 hours without food or water – pious Jews will be praying, hoping that God will forgive their sins.
But they have no Atonement...
What a great gift we have been given. The very Lamb of God! But how could we keep this precious gift to ourselves?
It is for this reason that year after year we have labored, prayed, worked, and shared the Good News with Israelis that we have found the answer to LIFE in Yeshua—the Son of God!
And nothing makes us happier than to see our believing Israeli youth come together from around the country to worship, share, fellowship, and be inspired.
Did you see their faces? Do you see the joy, the exhilaration, the sheer enthusiasm our young people have about their faith? That's what makes our lives worth living. That's the "pay-off"! That's worth all the struggle, the pain, and the persecution.
And YOU, our partners, have been with us every step of the way!
Look at those faces again. Some of those young people are your fruit! They are going to say "thank you" to you when you meet them in heaven.
"Thank you" for providing them a safe place to come together, fellowship, and worship their God.
"Thank you" for the resources—books, CD's, videos, and websites.
"Thank you" for the discipleship and mentoring provided by exceptional teachers and leaders across the Land. (You may think you didn't provide this—but you did! Your gifts have allowed us to devote our entire adult lives to reach the next generations of believers.)
We are consistently amazed at your faithfulness in giving, your faithfulness in prayer, your faithfulness in sharing our ministry with your pastors, leaders, and friends. This is what sustains us, encourages us, and keeps us moving forward.
Remember, we can't do what we do without you!
With love and thanks,
Ari & Shira Sorko-Ram
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Travel: Le Vendôme 80 Was A Weekend Of Wedge Supercars, Boomboxes, And Everything Eighties
Le Vendôme 80 Was A Weekend Of Wedge Supercars, Boomboxes, And Everything Eighties
By Romuald Clariond
Photography by Romuald Clariond
A few weeks ago, I received a call from my friend Cédric Vaslin, manager of Collection Privée Automobile in the South of France. He was ringing to offer me a spot in Le Vendôme 80, a road rally exclusively for 1980s cars, driven by people who dressed the part. In the sense of period-correctness, it is similar to the Goodwood Revival. In every other, it is not—there is nothing twee to be found in these scenes, and the only tartan to be found was in the interior of a GTI.
The whole thing took place over two days, with the rally traveling from Place Vendôme in Paris, to Vendôme itself, a small town southwest of the city, not far from Orléans. Emmanuel de Brantes had the idea of a rally to promote "French excellency," but seeing as he's not that much into the automotive scene, he teamed up with Stéphane Ratel—who very much is—to organize the first edition in 2019 through his company, SRO.
Covid put the kibosh on any attempt last year, but this year it took place during the last weekend of my 30s—what better way to celebrate a milestone in life than time-warping back to childhood? As a product of the 1980s myself, I jumped at Cédric's offer to join the rally. The two of us have always had fun together with cars, so the idea of sharing his Nissan 300ZX Turbo for the weekend was easy to wrap my head around. In pursuit of more friends and more merriment, I called another friend, André Lotterer (you may know him from his Le Mans wins, or from his film on Petrolicious), to tell him about it. I was sure he'd love the concept, and I was right—his friend Carl Gurdjian had already told him about the rally, and after we talked he entered with his fiancée, Ania Porzuczek, in his tastefully modified Audi Sport Quattro.
After a drive from Côte d'Azur to Paris and a good night on Île de la Cité, it was time to set off from Place Vendôme the following morning. We parked the Nissan before going to registration nearby, where we caught up with even more of our buddies, Jean-Pierre Gagick, Matthieu Lamoure, and Calim Bouhadra, who were driving with their wives Laetitia, Maïa, and Anna, with a BMW 635 CSi, a Ferrari 412, and one of the most certifiably '80s creations out there, a Vector W8! We departed Place Vendôme in the early afternoon, and on the way out of Paris we found ourselves in a convoy that included a Renault 5 Turbo 2, Lamborghini LM002, and a BMW M1. In other words, not a bad start to a good weekend.
We made a pit stop outside of the city and found ourselves joined by a Ferrari F40, 512 TR, and the white Lamborghini Countach driven by organizer Stéphane Ratel along with Juliette Joffre. We stuck together from that point forward, driving mostly in the rain as we headed to Les Sources de Cheverny, which would be our home base for the weekend.
We arrived just before the concours d'élégance, which took place in front of a jury made up of Emmanuel de Brantes, singer & actress Lio, and jewelry designer Laetitia Crahay. Far from the rigid judging of typical concours, this was a much more laid back and strictly for-fun affair. Case in point, the team that really nailed it for the crowd was Aby Hay and Lucy Hart, who put on choreographed performance of "It's Raining Men" next to their brown Renault 5 Turbo 2 that they had driven from the UK, dressed like they'd just left the set of Flashdance.
After the "concours," we had a nice dinner at the hotel where I managed to catch up with Aymeric Poujol, a fellow car nut I had met a few years ago on another rally—for this one, he was driving an Isdera Imperator 108i Series II along his wife Anne-Sophie. The following morning, after a breakfast of champions (lots of coffee and not much else), we embarked on the most eventful day of the rally towards Château de Valençay. Along the way, we had to find four spots showcased in the road book, and take funny photos there. Driving amazing cars and taking none of it seriously; what a way to spend some time. I enjoy escaping from reality at prestigious events and whatnot, but having fun with friends in cars trumps everything else.
During lunch, as I'm asked about Discotheque Le Laser logo that I wore on my T-shirt and stuck on the back of our Nissan, I explain to my table that Nick, a friend of mine, runs a blog about that imaginary nightclub from the '80s in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. I also have him to thank for printing the vintage-style NISMO shirts that we wore in the 300ZX Turbo. André loved the concept of an imaginary nightclub of the past as well, and should have received a sticker from Nick by the time these lines are released. He's really into everything '80s, and he and Ania had a suitcase full of outfits scored from a vintage shop in Aix-en-Provence, with some items from their own collections; André was rocking Ania's dad's Carrera Porsche Design sunglasses, and his own dad's Heuer Audi Sport watch, for instance.
In the afternoon, we made our way to Château de Chambord for a visit, where cocktails were awaiting us on the huge terrace between the towers, followed by another one down the stairs in the garden before we enjoyed dinner inside. Our meal was followed by a party with the decade's most popular and best music (not one in the same, in most cases), emanating from the main speakers and many a boombox shared among friends.
On the final morning, we checked out from the hotel after a few hours of sleep, and made a loop towards the finish in Vendôme via the beautiful home of Le Fresne. We had our share of driving fun on the little countryside roads, but perhaps it's better to not go into too much detail on that… I'll just say that Cédric's turbo Nissan surprised me!
After a brunch at Vendôme's city hall, it was time to head back to the French Riviera. Cédric was just a blast to rally with that whole weekend, and I couldn't have wished for someone else to have spent the majority of it with. In addition to the friends who make fun times into true memories, I'd like to thank Emmanuel, Stéphane, Valérie, Sophy, and the rest of the SRO crew for organizing this special weekend—count me in for the next one!
Tags 1980s/	Andre Lotterer/	Audi Sport Quattro/	Ferrari F40/	Isdera Imperator/	Lamborghini Countach/	Le Vendôme 80/	Modern Classic/	Modern Classics/	Road Rally/	Road Trips/	Vector W8
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text:
The Legend of Jose Gaspar
Jose Gasparilla Early Years
Jose Gasparilla was born into an aristocratic family in 1756. As a young man who grew up near the ocean in Spain, he quickly developed an attraction to adventure and a love for the sea. At the age of 18, he entered the Naval Academy in Barcelona, an institution for training prospective officers in the Spanish Navy. Jose quickly rose to the rank of Lieutenant by the age of 22. His first assignment was on the sloop-of-war, Florida Blanca, a vessel carrying 8 cannons and a crew of 40. In 1783, Gaspar's ship, along with the rest of the Spanish fleet, was defeated by the British, and thus Spain's plans for world conquest came to an end. Gasparilla and others aboard the Florida Blanca became discouraged and saw their dreams of adventure on the high seas all but disappear.
It was at this point that Jose Gasparilla led a group of other adventurous souls to mutiny. They seized control of the ship and sailed west to Florida, abandoning their home country of Spain and effectively became pirates. On the long voyage across the Atlantic, Gasparilla changed his name to the more piratical "Gasparilla" and likewise changed the ship's name to the Jose Gasparilla.
Gasparilla's life as an aristocratic officer in the Spanish Navy was therefore transformed into that of an adventurous, treasure-seeking pirate. However, Gasparilla was unlike other pirates of the 1700s, most of whom were ruthless, lowlife misfits of society. He was well educated, well mannered, and well-read in the classics. He was reportedly strikingly handsome with faultless attire. When he was a cadet at the Naval Academy in Barcelona, not only did he develop his fighting and swordsmanship skills, but he also polished his social graces as he mingled with the ladies. Although there were other members of Gasparilla's mutinous crew who were also well-educated and experienced officers, most of them were ordinary, tough, "enlisted men" and all were experienced sailors. In stark contrast to Gasparilla was his First Lieutenant, Roderigo Lopez, a coarse brute, lacking in any social graces. He was described as having bushy eyebrows and a hawk-like face and was always looking for trouble.
Jose Gaspar's Time in Florida
Gasparilla and his crew made landfall in Florida and settled in the Charlotte Harbor area. The many barrier islands protecting the mainland provided a well-disguised headquarters from which Gasparilla and his band of pirates could easily prey on unsuspecting ships and offered an excellent refuge in which to hideout. He named one of the larger islands after himself and named another one Sanibel in honor of the girlfriend of his First Lieutenant Lopez. Gasparilla named one island Captiva, where he kept the women from his many captured ships. Another island was named after one of Gasparilla's especially beautiful mistresses, Joseffa, who he chose to keep away from the other captive women. Through various translation changes through the years, "Joseffa" Island was ultimately changed to Useppa Island.
It was from these tarpon-filled waters that Gasparilla's reputation as a skillful pirate grew. An excerpt from his neatly written personal diary states that 36 ships were captured during the 11 year period from 1784-1795. Gasparilla thus began collecting a fortune in coins, jewels, and other riches, most of which have never been found. Many more ships were captured, including one seized near Cuba in 1795, an excellent fighting ship, far superior to the original Jose Gasparilla. The existing cannons were painstakingly transferred to the newly captured ship, named Jose Gasparilla II, which now boasted 14 guns.
Jose Gaspar's Love Life
When a ship was captured, the choice of death or joining Gasparilla's crew was given to those captured. It goes without saying that Jose Gasparilla's piratical crew began to grow. Captured women were given the option of marrying one of his crew or being sent to Captiva Island. If marriage was chosen, a ceremony was held and the marriage covenant was to be strictly enforced.
Although Gasparilla was an educated, well-groomed pirate and ladies man, things did not always go according to plan. On one occasion, Maria Louise, a beautiful Spanish princess, was returning to Spain from a trip to Mexico with 11 Mexican princesses who were to be educated and married in Spain. Gasparilla captured their ship, along with their 11 well-stocked dowries, and fell madly in love with the Spanish princess. However, when this beautiful young lady rejected his offer of romance, he had her beheaded.
Despite his reputed ruthless nature, it has also been said that Gasparilla had a softer side as well. On one occasion, his First Lieutenant was growing weary of the pirate's life and after 13 long years longed to return to Spain to see his love, Sanibel. Gasparilla not only gave Lopez his consent but extended his blessing to his long time friend and supplied a ship and several men to accompany him back to Spain. Another example of his more humane personality involves the story of Ann Jeffries, an English girl who was en route from New Orleans to Liverpool. Her ship was seized by Gasparilla and the captives taken to Gasparilla Island. While on land, Gasparilla fell in love with Jeffries, however, she informed him that she had fallen in love with one of his own crew, Batista Fuentes, a handsome, well-educated man from a prominent family. The two young lovers thought that Gasparilla would surely have them killed when he demanded that they accompany him and his crew on a raid. Instead, he chased down a merchant ship and demanded that the captured ship transport Batista and Ann Jeffries to England and that its captain marries them on board ship, once they were out of sight of the Jose Gasparilla II.
Jose Gaspar & The United States Navy
The exact number of ships that were captured by Gasparilla is unknown. However, no more unsuspecting ships would be captured by the then infamous Gasparilla after December of 1821. The United States was growing tired of these menaces to society and declared war on piracy in 1820. Spain was also interested in putting a stop to their ships being captured, primarily because of one Jose Gasparilla. U.S. Naval officers were given permission to hang captured pirates on the spot, without the benefit of a formal trial. Because he was now 65 years old and because of the increasing pressure of the government to rid its shorelines of pirates, Gasparilla decided it was time to retire. On December 12, 1821, he called his crew together to announce that it was time to call it quits, divide up the treasure, and live out their remaining days in luxury. Just as they were about to unearth their many years of accumulated treasures, a British merchant ship was spotted on the Gulf of Mexico horizon. Being the greedy, adventure-seeking lot that they had always been, Gasparilla's crew persuaded him to go after that one last ship. As the Jose Gasparilla II quickly overtook the lumbering merchant ship, the British flag was suddenly lowered and a United States flag was hoisted to the top of the U.S.S. Enterprise, a U.S Naval warship that had disguised itself as an unarmed ship of goods. This vessel was under the command of Captain Lawrence Kearney and a bloody battle ensued in which many of Gasparilla's crew was killed and the Jose' Gasparilla II was rendered disabled, burned, and out of gun powder. When he saw the U.S. Navy rowboat approaching his lifeless ship, Gasparilla wrapped a heavy anchor chain around himself and jumped into the Gulf of Mexico. In this last defiant act, as he plunged into the water with his sword held high over his head, he said, "Gasparilla dies by his own hand, not the enemies."
Jose Gaspar – Man or Myth
Most of Gasparilla's crew was killed during this final battle, however, there were 12 survivors – 11 men and a cabin boy named Juan Gomez. Gomez had been captured on a Spanish ship in 1812, joined Gasparilla's crew of pirates, and was to become the last survivor of this piratical group. He served a jail term and was released, yet the 11 men that were captured during Gasparilla's final battle were tried and executed in New Orleans.
It is from Juan Gomez that many of the tales of Gasparilla have been generated. He loved to spin his tales of adventure on the high seas and of the vast amount of Gasparilla's treasure that was never found. He eventually migrated to Panther Key, in the 10,000 Islands area of Florida, where he became known as Panther Key John. In 1900, Gomez drowned while fishing for mullet at the alleged age of 120.
The legend of Gasparilla was later given national attention when G.P.LeMoyne, a press agent for the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railroad Company of Florida, printed Juan Gomez's adventurous pirate stories in a pamphlet for tourists. This publication, which described the piratical heroics of the infamous Jose' Gasparilla, was to bring visitors to the Boca Grande area to purchase property and to visit the Gasparilla Inn.
The preservation of the legend of Gasparilla can also be credited to Edwin D. Lambright, once the respected editor of the Tampa Morning Tribune. In 1936 he wrote "Life and Exploits of Gasparilla, The Last of the Buccaneers." Around the time of the Gasparilla Invasion and the Florida State Fair, Lambright occasionally published portions of his Gasparilla story in the paper, further authenticating the legend of Jose Gasparilla.
Webster's dictionary defines "legend" as "a story coming from the past; one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable." There is little doubt that the legend of Gasparilla has existed since the 1800s and has provided many adventurous and colorful stories for the residents of Florida's Gulf Coast, especially to those in the Tampa Bay and Boca Grande area. Whether or not Jose Gasparilla ever existed is not important. The legend does exist and on this remarkable story, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla was founded over one hundred years ago in 1904.


I don't have much to say, so I figured I would title this "The Universe" as that covers anything I might be tempted to say. Actually, we were discussing Arthur C Clarke tonight, and Katie found this good quote from him, "I sometimes think that the universe is a machine designed for the perpetual astonishment of astronomers." I hope I continue to be astonished. As I said in this interview for the DTM website — it's a shame to lose a sense of curiosity.
Tonight is my last night, so it's goodbye to LCO for at least a few months. Good luck to the rest of the MagAO users!
Dawn on Sunday. Note the conspicuous lack of clouds as soon as the Sun rose. But the dawn was a harbinger of empanadas at least.
Sunset on Sunday. Note that the sky is still clear. The dome was open early for some tests on the infrared camera.
The wild vizcacha of the hillside to the north of the Magellan Telescopes. He/She stayed still just long enough for a photo before hopping away. I like the stripe down his/her back.


We have a bunch of new proggy music this week, including Devin Townsend, Periphery, Equipoise, and Hannes Grossmann. Also Nekrasov. We also cover some sad/weird stories like the passing of Viraemia bassist Scott Plummer, and Static-X doing a tour with their vocalist replacing Wayne Static wearing a Wayne Static-but-with-dead-skin-looking mask. Yeah. Also this Magic: The Gathering trailer with an emotional Linkin Park cover, and some random live clip of Metallica with Cliff. Then cool people time with, you guessed it, Santa Clarita Diet, Arrested Development, Sekiro, Hitman 2, and Texorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia. Enjoy!


Who is the only Massachusetts Governor to run the Boston Marathon at some point in their life?
Former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis ran the Boston Marathon while a senior at Brookline High School in 1951. His finish time – a very respectable 3:31:00.


The socioeconomic status (SES) is as a symbol of social determinants of health which has a dominant influence on population health. The purpose of this study was collecting, weighing, and determining the most relevant SES measurement items in Iran.
The SES health studies conducted in Iran was searched from 2007 to 2017. First, the SES items were categorized. Then, each item was weighed based on its reliability and generalizability. Finally, the necessity of items was determined, weighed, and ranked. This is the two-round Delphi technique. After weighing 57 SES items, 37 items were selected with ≥ 1 weight and classified in 7 categories. According to the Delphi evaluation, 15 items were identified ≥ 3.5 for measuring SES of Iranian households: household size, head of household education, head of household job, household monthly income, type of school that children attend, house ownership, local value of residence, number of rooms in the house, house area, personal computer/laptop, smart cell phone, 3D TV, dishwasher, microwave, and car ownership. The SES items for the present society are categorized in 7 domains. The items collected in this study have the most comprehension of all studies related to income, life facilities, and assets.
Our understanding of health and its social determinants has been deepened and is comparable to past decades. Nowadays, social determinants are considered as the key factors of health quality and play an important role in the macro concept of health. These factors along with health services directly or indirectly can influence the health status of people in communities.
Each of the social determinants of health such as income, education, occupation, nutrition, and the social class have a much larger role than biological factors in human health.
The socioeconomic status (SES) is the most influential determinant of health [1, 2]. SES is a complex and multidimensional construct, which requires a standardized format of measurement for each community. That is a concept that is used not only to measure social components of health but also to measure socioeconomic inequalities of health . Generally, SES is defined as the position of an individual or of a household within a society. It is a combination of occupation, education, income, wealth, and residence neighborhood [4, 5]. Given the above-mentioned issues, building of an appropriate tool for measuring SES can be a significant contribution for planning and policy-making in health system, both at micro & macro levels .
In developing countries, the SES survey is a challenging issue in data collection for assessing and monitoring health equity. Therefore, researchers have concluded that development of a structured format for each society is necessary for SES measurement . Reviewing studies performed in Iran and additionally based upon a systematic review conducted by Mahdavian et al. , there is a tremendous discrepancies in measuring SES method.
Due to such diversities and given the important role of SES in health studies, there is a need for a unified tool to collect socioeconomic data for an each community based on its specific circumstances and its level of technology development. Plus, the SES measurement tools are dynamic, i.e. an item that can be a household SES indicator for a population at a period of time may not be applicable later on. In other word, ever-changing quality of life standards may discredit an SES indicator that was valid an earlier time.
This study has tried to collect and edit a set of most appropriate items that could well represent the SES criteria for the Iranian society. These items can be used for development of SES measurement as a tool applicable for related researches in different dimensions. Furthermore, it can provide a unified platform to compare the results of different studies. In addition, this study gathered, weighed, and determined the necessity of items for measuring the SES for Iranian society.
The mixed method of review study and Delphi method was applied. A critical review was carried out to collect items used for measuring SES in Iran. The items were weighed based upon the validity and generalizability of the extracted item. The weighed items were ranked based upon the experts' opinion.
A literature review was performed in PubMed database covering during 2007–2017 using the following keywords: SES, socioeconomic factors, wealth, welfare, asset, tool, develop, instrument, measure, and Iran. Appropriate operatories (AND, OR, NOT) and appropriate filters were used to focus the search goals. A search for articles published in Farsi was performed using of the above-mentioned keywords in Google Search Engine.
Full text of articles was reviewed in the health field that looked on SES items. Backward search was also considered for original questionnaire.
The extracted SES measurement was entered in a table and categorized in 7 socioeconomic domains, such as: (a) demographics, (b) purchasing ability, (c) employment status, (d) literacy/education, (e) housing and accommodation status, (f) home appliances, and (g) personal assets. By designing an Excel spreadsheet, the frequency of each SES item was presented for an individual paper.
1 point: The strong statistical method of Principal Factor Analysis (PFA) or Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to validate the SES items.
0.6 point: Validation of the SES items was evaluated using an experts' panel.
0.5 point: If the article cited another article with an appropriate validation method.
0.3 point: When only internal consistency of items was assessed.
0.1 point: When the validation technique was not clear.
the studies that were conducted in less than half of the provinces of Iran, scored as 0.25 point.
the studies that were conducted in more than half of the provinces of Iran, scored as 1 point.
The weight of each study was calculated through multiplication of validation score by generalizability score. The weighed items were added to the excel table. Then, weighing of each item calculated by sum of the scores recorded for each article in the excel table. Next, the items that were weighed higher than score of one—assuming that there was at least one validated article about it—were selected to get experts opinion.
In order to determine the final SES items, the two-round Delphi method was used to obtain structured experts' opinions, based upon the five-point Likert scale. A comment section was also provided for further explanations. After receiving the first round of Delphi method, the percentage of Likert scale was calculated according to expert responses for each SES items. Afterward, the unique filled questionnaire which contained the percentage of experts responded to each Likert score with their comments were returned for the second round of evaluation. It is of statistically significance to provide each individual expert opinion visible for all other experts. This has the advantage that experts can freely revise their first round opinions in the second round of evaluation, as well, increasing the dependable face validity.
Initially, 15 experts for Delphi method were selected using purposive and snowball sampling techniques based on their experience in the related subject. Finally, 11 experts accepted to participate in the study. The composition of the group was from a wide range of academic affiliations: 4 public health specialists, 2 health economists, 1 health policy specialist, 2 healthcare managers, and 2 socialists.
After reviewing the titles, abstracts and full-text of the articles, 60 related articles were selected. It contained 45 English articles from PubMed database and 15 Farsi articles from the Google search engine. Items that were used to measure SES in selected articles are listed in Table 1.
Number of family, % of individuals literate in family; % of individuals with employment in family, % of family members are students, car, access to the Internet, accommodation size, numbers of rooms, kitchen, gas pipe lines, house ownership, motorcycle, bathroom, effluent system, existence of disabled individual in the family.
After removing duplications, 57 items were categorized in seven domains: (I) Demographic, (II) Purchasing ability, (III) Education, (IV) Employment, (V) Housing status, (VI) Home appliances, and (VII) Personal assets (Table 2). After weighing the mentioned items, the above items were decreased to 37, if they received one or more point weight (≥ 1).
Among 37 items, the ones that gained the score higher than the median of 3.5 based upon the consensus within the experts' panel opinions, were set as the basis of selection. That concluded with 15 items suitable for SES measurement. These items included: (1) household size, (2) head of household education, (3) head of household occupation, (4) household monthly income, (5) type of school that children attend (public/private), (6) House ownership, (7) Local value of residence, (8) Number of rooms in the house, (9) House area, (10) Personal computer/laptop, (11) Smart cell phone, (12) Three-dimensional television, (13) Dishwasher, (14) Microwave, and (15) Car ownership.
The items of this study were related to indirect indicators and assessed beside the direct indicators of assets. While reviewing the literature, three studies were only found used a close approach to the present study method. Abubakri et al.  developed and validated a questionnaire for assessing SES in urban households for health studies. They chose SES items from international literature and used the expert panel's opinions for adjustment. In their questionnaire, personal vehicle was the only item scaling the asset. However, the present study selected the SES items from national studies performed for Iranian community. Further, some indicators included in this investigation have a special emphasis on many other asset indicators.
Another study concluded that 6 items out of 33 items of the household cost-income questionnaire, established by the Center for National Statistics of Iran (CNSI), were sufficient for measuring the SES of Iranian households . These items comprise of: kitchen, bathroom, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, freezer, and personal computer. In fact, this study considered asset items much limited to those of the CNSI's questionnaire and no gold standard was used to compare the results of regression analysis.
In a questionnaire designed by Garmaroudy et al.  six items were used to identify SES items of householders in Tehran, including: head of households and his spouse education, area and price of house, personal vehicle, and computer set. Of these items, only two items were directly related to assets, and two-thirds of the total weight of measurement tool was allocated to education. Needless to mention that education has less quantification value for SES evaluation.
In the above-mentioned studies, with the exception of one study , the SES measurement tools have been developed and validated by focusing on either a specific subgroup of population or an international community, not for a nationwide model. Therefore, their results cannot be generalized to all Iranian households. On the contrary, this study has pointed out the comprehensive items that not only structured for this public but also can be applied to nationwide Iranian households.
It is of significance to mention that SES is composed of different dimensions and domains that may change or lose their validity over time. However, this fluctuation is not similar for all defined items. In other word, there are items that are more dependent to technology and are consequently subjected to change their creditability, accordingly. For example, based upon a study that conducted at one time cell phone was a luxury device and in a later time becomes a standard life accessory. Another example is the internet accessibility which is rapidly expanded for public use during the past decade. This is socially recognized as technology acquisition and technology advancement  (Fig. 1). This highlights the need for renewing the SES measurement tools, including the combination of items used in the tool, at appropriate time intervals. This issue is applicable to the findings of this study in the future, as well.
To develop a more precise measurement tool, there are a few points that should be taken into consideration. First, the items about area of the house, household income or the number of rooms in the house should be adjusted based on the number of household members. Second, due to the nature of some jobs in the community, such as day-labor or farmer, it is preferable to refer the annual income rather than monthly income. Also, the number of jobs that people may be occupied with should not be neglected. Third, the concept of residence should not be limited to a rental home since the ownership of other residentials, commercial unit, or a vacational residence. Fourth, the regional-value of residential location should be concomitantly considered with the house area. Therefore, the house price and rent can be one of the functions of the economic value of the residence area. Fifth, assets such as: vehicles, laptop, smartphone, 3D TV, dishwasher and microwave fall into different price categories due to their various features and brands. As such, the price of a selected utensil may place from a very low to very high range of a price. Thus, structuring an inclusive SES questionnaire requires more in depth queries.
This study comprehended fifteen items were collected in this study in 7 domains for SES criteria as a dependable measurement tool for Iranian households. Obviously, as the technology changes over time, the SES measurement tools are required to be revised. The methodology used in this study provides an on-going basis for updating the SES tools.
The present study faced with some limitations for implementation. First, there was limited number of articles structured with a well-designed study for SES evaluation. Second, the limited number of publications in our national level did restrict the authors for designing a solid study.
SS was the main operator of the study was the manuscript preparator; SY designed the study and monitored all steps of the study; MJ was the co-designer of the study; AHZ designed and monitored all steps of the study, and prepared, edited, and finalized the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.
This manuscript is submitted as a partial fulfillment of the requirement for PhD degree in Community Oral Health. This article is originated from a part of dissertation registered under #643 at the office of Academic Affairs of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences School of Dentistry.
The authors confirm that the data and material is available for any further interpretation, replication and building upon the findings reported in the article.
IR.SBMU.RIDS.REC.1396.447 [Based upon the regulations, to obtain the above registration number, each research project, regardless of the structural design (literature review, human study, or an animal study) should be submitted to the office of Research Affairs for approval. If approved, the office of Academic Affairs after an official process (operators' evaluations, etc.) assigns a registration number, as above. Thus, the Ethical Approval is part of the preliminary approval, as well].
The authors state that there is no funding for this study and publication of the article.


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Home / News + Politics / Plea Deal Offered in Transgender Shooting Case
Plea Deal Offered in Transgender Shooting Case
Preliminary hearing is rescheduled while defendant considers pleading to aggravated assault
A man accused of shooting and trying to rob a transgender woman in Southeast D.C.'s Shipley Terrace neighborhood appeared in court for a preliminary status hearing this morning, but the hearing was rescheduled to allow him to consider a plea deal from the government.
Darryl Willard Jr., 20, of Northeast Washington, appeared with his attorney, Anthony Matthews, before Judge William M. Jackson Sept. 16. Willard faces a charge of assault with intent to kill while armed with a handgun.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Dillon informed the court that the government was offering Willard a plea bargain, in which he would plead guilty to one count of aggravated assault while armed, in exchange for the government agreeing not to indict him on more serious charges. The plea deal of aggravated assault carries a minimum five-year sentence.
Matthews asked the court to reschedule the preliminary hearing in order to discuss the offer with his client. Jackson, filling in for Judge Ann O'Regan Keary, agreed to reschedule the hearing for Sept. 23.
However, Jackson warned Matthews and Willard that if they did not accept the plea deal by that time, the case would return to Judge Keary and the government would be allowed to move forward with its case.
According to charging documents, the shooting victim had picked up Willard by car on the night of the shooting. The charging documents further detail an existing relationship between the two, in which Willard had paid for sexual relations. In the course of a 15-minute car ride that night, the early hours of Sept. 12, Willard allegedly asked the woman for oral sex, which she declined and then dropped Willard off at the intersection of 23rd and Savannah Streets SE.
After exiting the car, the charging documents detail Willard pointing a revolver at the woman and telling her, "Give me what you got, where's your money at?" When the woman refused to give Willard her money, Willard allegedly shot her. The woman sped away and, after realizing she had been shot in the neck, drove to the Metropolitan Police Department's Seventh District Station to report the incident.
12 Vintage Gay Adult Films Everyone Should See
The woman was then transported to George Washington Hospital and treated for a gunshot wound to the neck. She later provided police with a phone number belonging to Willard and identified him as the man who shot her.
Although charging documents say the victim was a "transgender male," the initial police incident report correctly describes her as a "transgender female." Calls to people who have had interactions with the victim confirmed she identifies as a woman.
"This is just another reason why we need sensitivity training for all officers in MPD, not just the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit," said Jeffrey Light, an attorney who volunteers with the DC Trans Coalition, in response to the error in the charging documents. "Perhaps the U.S. Attorney's Office needs training as well."
Light said he thought the inclusion of prior sex encounters between the victim and Willard was unnecessary to gain an affidavit and did not support probable cause because evidence of past encounters was not related to the commission of the crime. He also said that the inclusion of such information could discourage transgender sex workers from coming forward for fear that their history could be accessed by the public via court documents.
BYU moves to restrict student demonstrations, silence dissent
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem attacks trans people with cruel athlete ban
Kristi Noem, who was harshly criticized for a veto of a proposed ban last year, is seeking to salvage her conservative bona fides.
By John Riley on December 17, 2021	@JohnAndresRiley
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), who was blasted by anti-LGBTQ elements within her own party after sending a bill banning transgender athletes from women's sports back to the legislature for minor revisions, has now introduced her own version of a transgender athlete ban ahead of next year's legislative session.
Noem filed draft legislation earlier this week seeking to codify into law two executive orders that she issued after the legislature rejected her suggestions for ways to amend the transgender sports ban.
Last year, Noem issued a "style-and-form veto" of the bill, claiming that the legislature's version, as written, would have left the state vulnerable to lawsuits and would have allowed the NCAA, the governing body of collegiate sports, to penalize the state's college athletics programs. But she was roundly attacked by conservative groups and even Fox News host Tucker Carlson for capitulating to "big business" and "the left."
Uber allegedly deactivated transgender drivers' accounts after they transitioned
Drivers claim their photos were deemed "fraudulent" and that they were unable to restore their accounts through a cumbersome appeals process.
The ride-hailing app company Uber has come under criticism after a new investigation by the Los Angeles Times claims that some transgender drivers had their accounts deactivated and were kicked off the app after their post-transition profile photos were flagged as "fraudulent."
According to five drivers who spoke to the Times, their accounts were deactivated despite the company touting a new option allowing transgender drivers to update their names and profile pictures to reflect their gender identity.
To add insult to injury, some of the drivers who said they were kicked off the app report being unable to recover their accounts through the company's appeals process. Messages to the support desk would be elevated to a "specialized team" or were met with scripted responses that didn't address specific questions.
Germany Bible museum stages play featuring transgender Jesus, enraging conservatives
The Frankfurt-based Bibelhaus Erlebnis Museum also set up an exhibit claiming there are LGBTQ themes in biblical studies.
Just in time for the "War on Christmas," conservatives are outraged over an exhibit at a Bible museum in Germany that claimed there are LGBTQ themes in Biblical studies, and hosted a performance of a play presenting Jesus as a transgender female.
The special exhibit, "G*tt w/m/d," first opened in June and recently closed on Dec. 19 at the Bibelhaus Erlebnis Museum, exploring "the diversity of gender identities from biblical and modern times."
Three parts of the exhibit advertised on the Bibelhaus website include a statue of the goddess Asherah, an image of "The New Adam" imposed over an LGBTQ rainbow flag, and a statue of Conchita Wurst, the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest champion and the drag queen persona of Austrian singer Thomas Neuwirth.
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