text:
Songkhla Province
This article is written like a travel guide rather than an encyclopedic description of the subject. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. If a travel guide is intended, use of Wikivoyage is strongly suggested. (May 2015)
Songkhla (Thai: สงขลา, pronounced [sǒŋ.kʰlǎː]; Malay: Singgora) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from east clockwise) Satun, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani, and Yala. To the south it borders Kedah and Perlis of Malaysia.
Hat Yai International Airport
Map of Thailand highlighting Songkhla Province
• Governor
Songpol Sawasthum
7,393.9 km2 (2,854.8 sq mi)
Area rank
Ranked 26th
192.62/km2 (498.9/sq mi)
• Density rank
UTC+7 (ICT)
ISO 3166 code
In contrast to most other provinces, the capital Songkhla is not the largest city in the province. The much newer city of Hat Yai, with a population of 359,813, is considerably larger, with twice the population of Songkhla (163,072). This often leads to the misconception that Hat Yai is the provincial capital.
The province is on the Malay Peninsula, on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The highest elevation is Khao Mai Kaeo at 821 meters.
In the north of the province is Songkhla Lake, the largest natural lake in Thailand. This shallow lake covers an area of 1,040 km², and has a south-north extent of 78 kilometers. At its mouth on the Gulf of Thailand, near the city of Songkhla, the water becomes brackish.[1] A small population of Irrawaddy Dolphins live in the lake, but are in danger of extinction due to accidental capture by the nets of the local fishing industry.
Songkhla Province hosts two national parks. San Kala Khiri covers 214 km² of mountain highlands on the Thai-Malay border.[2] Khao Nam Khang, is also in the boundary mountains.[3] Chinese Communist guerrillas inhabited this region until the 1980s.[citation needed]
Mermaid statue at Laem Samila
Within the boundaries of the city of Songkhla is Cape Samila Beach, the most popular beach in the province. The famous mermaid statue can be found here. The two islands Ko Nu and Ko Maew (Mouse and Cat Islands), not far from the beach, are also popular landmarks, and a preferred fishing ground. According to a local folk tale, a cat, mouse and dog were traveling on a Chinese ship, when they attempted to steal a crystal from a merchant. While trying to swim ashore, both the cat and the mouse drowned and became the two islands; the dog reached the beach, then died and become the hill Khao Tang Kuan. The crystal turned into the white sandy beach.[4]
The name Songkhla is actually the Thai corruption of Singgora (Jawi: سيڠڬورا); its original name means "the city of lions" in Malay (not to be confused with Singapura). This refers to a lion-shaped mountain near the city of Songkhla.
Songkhla was the seat of an old Malay Kingdom with heavy Srivijayan influence. In ancient times (200–1400 CE), Songkhla formed the northern extremity of the Malay Kingdom of Langkasuka. The city-state then succeeded as the Sultanate of Singgora, it later became a tributary of Nakhon Si Thammarat, suffering damage during several attempts to gain independence.
Archaeological excavations on the isthmus between Lake Songkhla and the sea reveal that in the 10th through the 14th century this was a major urbanized area, and a center of international maritime trade, in particular with Quanzhou in China. The long Sanskrit name of the state that existed there has been lost; its short Sanskrit name was Singhapura ("Lion City") (not to be confused with Singapura), a city state. The short vernacular name was Satingpra, coming from the Mon-Khmer sting/steng/stang (meaning "river") and the Sanskrit pura ("city").[5]:320-321 The ruins of the important port city of Satingpra are just few kilometres north of Songkhla city.[6]
Since the 18th century, Songkla has been firmly under Thai suzerainty. In 1909, Songkhla was formally annexed by Siam as part of Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, negotiated with the British Empire, in which Siam gave up its claim to Kelantan in return for Britain recognizing Siam's right to the provinces north of that.
The Na Songkhla family's residence, now used as the Songkhla National Museum
In the 18th century many Chinese immigrants, especially from Guangdong and Fujian, came to the province. Quickly rising to economic wealth, one of them won the bidding for the major tax farm of the province in 1769, establishing the Na Songkhla (from Songkhla) family as the most wealthy and influential. In 1777 the family also gained political power, when the old governor was dismissed and Luang Inthakhiri (Yiang, Chinese name Wu Rang (呉譲)) became the new governor. In 1786 the old governor started an uprising, which was put down after four months. The position was thereafter inherited in the family and was held by eight of his descendants until 1901, when Phraya Wichiankhiri (Chom) was honorably retired as part of the administrative reforms of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab. The family's former home was converted into the Songkhla National Museum in 1953.
Songkhla was the scene of heavy fighting when the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Thailand on 8 December 1941 and parts of the city were destroyed.
Buddhists make up about three-quarters of the population, most of whom are of native Thai or Thai Chinese descent.[7] About a quarter of the population are Muslim, most of them belong to a Thai-speaking Muslim group, called Sam-Sam.[8] People claiming to be of Malay ethnicity make up a minority among the Muslim populace.[9] The Songkhla Malays are very similar in ethnicity and culture to the Malays of Kelantan, Malaysia. They speak the Patani Malay language, which differs from Bahasa Malay in vocabulary and pronunciation.
RoadEdit
Phetkasem Road, running all the way from Bangkok, ends at the border crossing to Malaysia in Sadao. Asian highway 2 and 18 also run through the province. Of note is the Tinsulanond Bridge, which crosses Songkhla Lake to connect the narrow land east of the lake at the coast with the main southern part of the province. With a length of 2.6 km it is the longest concrete bridge in Thailand. Built in 1986, the bridge consists of two parts. The southern 1,140 m connects Mueang district with the island Ko Yo, and the northern part of 1,800 m to Ban Khao Khiao.
Kanchanawanit Road, which runs from Songkhla town, though Hat Yai, and all the way to the Malaysian border at Sadao District, is considered the unofficial dividing line separating the Thai south from its deep south, Muslim-majority region.
RailEdit
The southern railway operated by the State Railway of Thailand runs through the province, and continues on into Malaysia, with Hat Yai Junction being the main railway station. It is a junction for the railway link to Malaysia through Padang Besar Town, where there are two stations: Padang Besar (Thai) on the Thai side and Padang Besar on the Malay side. Immigration is done on the Malay side. The other route from Hat Yai Junction goes further south to Pattani (Khok Pho), Yala, Tanyong Mat and Su-ngai Kolok. In the past, a railway line connected the town of Songkhla with Hat Yai, but it was closed in 1978 and is now partly dismantled and partly overgrown.[10]
AirEdit
Main article: Hat Yai International Airport
Songkhla is served by Hat Yai International Airport in Khlong Hoi Khong District.
The most important Buddhist temple of the province is Wat Matchimawat (also named Wat Klang), on Saiburi road in the city of Songkhla itself.
On the island Ko Yo within Songkhla lake, since being easily accessible via the Tinsulanond Bridge, the residents have started to sell the hand-woven fabric named Phathor Ko Yo. Also famous for the island is the local jackfruit variant named Jampada.
Held in the first night of October, the Chak Phra tradition is a Buddhist festival specific to the south of Thailand. It is celebrated with Buddha boat processions or sports events like a run up Khao Tang Kuan hill.
In September or October at the Chinese Lunar festival the Thai-Chinese present their offerings to the moon or Queen of the heavens in gratitude for past and future fortunes.
HealthEdit
Songkhla is served by a larger number of public hospitals than private hospitals. The main hospitals for Songkhla Province is Hatyai Hospital and Songkhla Hospital, both operated by the Ministry of Public Health. Songklanagarind Hospital is also another major hospital located in Hat Yai, but is operated by the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University which is the largest medical school in the South of Thailand.
SymbolsEdit
The provincial seal shows a conch shell on a Phan (tray) with glass decorations. The origin of the conch shell is unclear, but the most widely adopted interpretation is that it was a decoration on the jacket of the Prince of Songkhla.
The provincial tree is the Sa-dao-thiam (Azadirachta excelsa).
Administrative divisionsEdit
Songkhla is divided into 16 districts (amphoe), which are further subdivided into 127 subdistricts (tambon) and 987 villages (muban).
The districts of Chana (Malay: Chenok), Thepa (Malay: Tiba) were detached from Mueang Pattani and transferred to Songkhla during the Thesaphiban reforms around 1900.[citation needed]
Mueang Songkhla District (Malay: Singgora)
Sathing Phra District
Chana District (Malay: Chenok)
Na Thawi District (Malay: Nawi)
Thepha District (Malay: Tiba)
Saba Yoi District (Malay: Sebayu)
Ranot District (Malay: Renut)
Krasae Sin District
Rattaphum District
Sadao District (Malay: Sendawa)
Hat Yai District
Na Mom District
Khuan Niang District
Bang Klam District
Singhanakhon District
Khlong Hoi Khong District
Military ruleEdit
Songkhla was not initially affected by the outbreak of Pattani Separatism, which began in 2004. However, bombs planted in 2005 and 2007 stoked fears the insurgency might spread to Songkhla Province.
As of 2018[update], the provisions of Thailand's Internal Security Act remain imposed on the districts of Chana, Na Thawi, Saba Yoi, and Thepha for reasons of national security. All but Chana share a border with Malaysia or Pattani Province (Malay majority). Internal security restrictions, maintained by Thailand's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) can result in curfews, prohibited entry, or prohibited transport of goods. It is considered one step below the imposition of full martial law.[11][12]
Songkhla Province is an energy hub. It earns 100 billion baht each year from a gas separation plant, power generation, and oil. The gas separation plant sells 35 billion baht worth of gas per year to EGAT. Power generation accounts for 45 billion baht. Offshore oil rigs in the vicinity of Ko Nu produce 20,000 barrels of oil per day worth 30 billion baht per year. If a proposed coal-fired electrical generation plan in Thepha District goes ahead, energy earnings could rise to 300 billion baht per year.[13]
^ "Songkhla Lake". Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Retrieved 23 May 2015.
^ "San Kala Khiri National Park". Department of National Parks (DNP) Thailand. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
^ "Khao Nam Khang National Park". Department of National Parks (DNP) Thailand. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
^ "Laem Samila". Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Retrieved 23 May 2015.
^ Stargardt, Janice (2001). "Behind the Shadows: Archaeological Data on Two-Way Sea Trade Between Quanzhou and Satingpra, South Thailand, 10th-14th century". In Schottenhammer, Angela (ed.). The Emporium of the World: Maritime Quanzhou, 1000-1400. Volume 49 of Sinica Leidensia. Brill. pp. 309–393. ISBN 90-04-11773-3.
^ Michel Jacq-Hergoualc'h (2002). BRILL (ed.). The Malay Peninsula: Crossroads of the Maritime Silk-Road (100 Bc-1300 Ad). Translated by Victoria Hobson. pp. 411–416. ISBN 90-04-11973-6.
^ Geoffrey Benjamin, Cynthia Chou. Tribal Communities in the Malay World. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 80. ISBN 981-230-166-6.
^ Kobkua Suwannathat-Pian. The Historical Development of Thai-Speaking Muslim Communities in Southern Thailand and Northern Malaysia. Civility and Savagery: Social Identity in Tai States. Routledge. p. 173. ISBN 0-7007-1173-2.
^ songkhla.xls
^ 2Bangkok.com - The Songkhla to Hat Yai rail line Archived December 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
^ Raksaseri, Kornchanok (8 January 2018). "Isoc power boost 'not political'". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
^ "Thai districts impose martial law". BBC. 2005-11-03.
^ Samart, Somchai (2015-08-03). "Power plant to fulfil dream to be 'energy city'". The Nation. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
Provincial website (Thai)
Coordinates: 7°12′19″N 100°35′49″E / 7.20528°N 100.59694°E / 7.20528; 100.59694
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Songkhla_Province&oldid=904133833"


>> don't you require TLS (if you don't)?"
+1 from me. Seems totally reasonable.
or trigger it by FPWD publication?
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text:
Podcast: Marketer's Brief
How NerdWallet tackles changing consumer behaviors in new campaign
Why this year is different when it comes to personal financial goals
By Adrianne Pasquarelli. Published on January 13, 2021.
Little Caesars takes on Big Pizza in a new campaign, and is skipping the Super Bowl
Credit: NerdWallet
Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Stitcher. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend!
As the new year gets underway, consumers are tackling their financial goals in different ways as a result of the changes brought on by COVID-19 and the current economic climate. In a new campaign, NerdWallet aims to help them with these changes as it strives to provide financial advice and education to its customers.
"New Money Goals," the brand's current campaign created with longtime agency partner Argonaut, markets NerdWallet as a provider of tips for answers to getting auto insurance "to match that new zero mile commute," or help refinancing a mortgage. The campaign debuted late last month.
Kelly Gillease, chief marketing officer at NerdWallet, says the push was inspired by what the San Francisco-based brand was hearing from consumers wishing to be more in control of their finances as a result of the turmoil of last year.
"There's a new mentality around being smarter, being more resilient, less willing to sit and hope everything would work itself out," says Gillease, speaking on the latest episode of the "Marketer's Brief" podcast. "This new mentality is all about action—'What can I do to change things?'"
Kelly Gillease, CMO of NerdWallet.
NerdWallet is looking at new marketing channels as a way of reaching younger consumers who have different financial needs than previous generations after watching their parents suffer through the 2008 recession.
"We saw a lot more, particularly millennials, interested in investing in the stock market," says Gillease. "They've been saving money and having good financial discipline and saw a lot of the stock market volatility was maybe a good time to start."
In the coming months, NerdWallet will continue to invest in brand advertising, custom content activations, podcasts and its YouTube channel. It's also focusing on changing behaviors, like the reemergence of travel following COVID-19 vaccines, as a consumer need that can be adapted into the brand's creative marketing.
5 retail marketing trends that will outlive the pandemic
CVS hires IBM exec for new chief customer officer role overseeing marketing
A reporter with Ad Age since 2015, Adrianne Pasquarelli covers the marketing strategies of retailers and financial institutions. She joined Ad Age after a dozen years of writing for Crain's New York Business, where she also focused on the retail industry. Over the course of her career, she has won awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the National Association of Real Estate Editors and the Jesse H. Neal Awards.
How Hydrow, a rowing rival to Peloton, is building its brand
Breaking down Ad Age's Marketers of the Year list
Here's what Applebee's is doing differently to get through 2020
Why Heineken USA is getting crafty on Pinterest
How Lululemon is using Mirror to train for the future
How King Arthur Baking is preparing for the holidays after its pandemic rise
Why Etsy is surging, and what it means for holiday season

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Artificial intelligence (AI) and structural changes within the Microsoft Corporation dominated the headlines at the recent Microsoft Ignite conference and exhibition, held in Atlanta last week.
The Bing, Cortana and Research departments will be merged at Microsoft, forming a 5,000 strong AI workforce. If nothing else signals how seriously Microsoft is taking the evolution of this technology, this surely does. The internal changes that were also the talk of the Ignite event involved the exit of Qi Lu, a personal adviser to Bill Gates and Nadella, as well as the man in charge of the Office and Bing product lines. He is leaving the company to concentrate on rehabilitation after an injury, leading to the reshuffle that Microsoft has announced.
Microsoft has remained fairly silent about the development of its Surface smartphone, which is expected to come to market in spring 2017. However, this didn't stop a wave of speculation, with rumors suggesting the Snapdragon 830 processor from Qualcomm will power the device, supporting 8GB of RAM. The Surface represents the latest efforts from Microsoft to establish itself in the smartphone market, and this time customers can expect a device that is truly next generation in its characteristics.
This is also expected to extend to its port, which is thought to be based on the USB-C connection that has been accepted as the new standard by both Android manufacturers and Apple. For business users getting on board with the Surface, charging and transferring data through a single USB-C port looks set to become the norm over the coming years. For this reason, we've launched a line of USB-C docking stations designed to be future-proof for new and current devices such as the Surface. Take the SD1500 USB-C Mobile Dock for example — this is the kind of device that can be an essential productivity accessory for mobile professionals.
The final development we saw at Ignite was the new version of Office 365 Threat Intelligence, marking Microsoft's own steps to tighten up security levels for its users. It will identify and assess the severity of threats, notifying users through a series of alerts, while also deploying dynamic policies to deal with them.


text:
The Process of Crafting a Relatable, Moving Brand Story
According to the 2015 Brand Storytelling Report, consumers desire the stories of regular people like themselves first and foremost, over any brand storytelling attempts involving celebrities, employees or even current customers of the brand. Humorous stories are the most popular, but among millennials especially, stories that inspire or inform are close behind.
Credit unions want their members to think of them as more than just another financial institution. That is part of the key differentiator for credit unions: they revolve around the communities they serve. Members should be able to rely on their credit union for support, guidance and a better deal than what they would get elsewhere. So it stands to reason that stories from credit unions should revolve around those pillars:
Support — how does a credit union support members in their journies towards financial well-being?
Guidance — what guidance or education can a credit union provide to improve members' understanding of financial issues?
Value — what value can members get at their credit union that they will not get elsewhere?
Telling a story with structure
Stories without structure are like houses without a foundation. Some of the most successful marketing stories are the ones that follow the familiar dramatic structure known as Freytag's Pyramid:
Rising action
Falling action
For marketing, the pyramid looks like this:
Identify the problem
Show the problem in action
Introduce a solution
Show the solution in action
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice found that even in hypercompetitive marketing arenas like the Super Bowl, commercials that follow the dramatic structure win out over other, less structured ads: "A two-year content analysis of 108 commercials found significant association of dramatic form with consumer favorability in Super Bowl advertising rating polls. Results demonstrated that average consumer ratings were higher for commercials that followed a five-act dramatic form and a positive association of the number of acts in commercials with consumer favorability ratings."
Build stories with other brands
Brand-building and storytelling do not have to be something organizations tackle alone. By working together with other brands, companies have an opportunity to leverage the power of both their brands.
Credit unions, for the most part, are used to being underdogs, and underdog stories have a great draw when it comes to brand storytelling. According to a survey from Adweek, "challenger" brands consider brand storytelling to be their second most important advantage, with 79 percent of respondents claiming it as an advantage over more established, larger brands.
Of course, credit unions can also leverage their connection with those larger brands as well. In the same study, 76 percent of respondents say that one of the advantages they lack is partnerships with established brands, which ties into the number one priority of all brands: building consumer awareness.
Partnerships with existing brands can give credit unions a powerful leg up when it comes to brand recognition. Consumers already trust and depend on these brands, so a partnership serves to help both parties.
Taco Bell and Doritos
Doritos chips have long been a popular item at Taco Bell, but the real success came when the two companies agreed to an experimental, and eventually highly popular, fusing of their bands in the form of a Doritos-flavored taco shell. The Doritos Locos Taco was a runaway hit when it was launched, and according to some sources, sold an estimated 1 billion units in its first year. Demand was so great that Taco Bell reportedly had to hire more than 15,000 new employees to service the increased demand.
GoPro and Red Bull
The energy drink manufacturer Red Bull is one of the most recognizable brands in the arena of action sports today, with another being GoPro, a producer of personal, body-mounted cameras. It came as little surprise that the two companies decided to pool resources for co-branding campaigns. Red Bull had the reputation and funding to sponsor events, while GoPro provided the equipment. Both brands benefited greatly from this partnership, which included such feats such as Felix Baumgartner's 24-mile freefall from space in 2012. At the time, it broke the world record for the highest altitude jump in human history. Just the type of stunt that would further elevate the status of two already strong brands.
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Q: Getting a value, which has been given to a TikZ key I'm trying to write a package based on TikZ, and this is the problem I'm currently stumbling upon.
Let's assume, that I have a key, for example /tikz/circuit symbol unit, which executes some code.
I'm wondering if it is possible to get the value, which has been passed on to this key to use it somewhere else within my code?
I want to use the value, which has been passed on to the /tikz/circuit symbol unit key to draw an arc of the appropriate radius in the foreground of the shape I've made.
So instead of \pgfpatharc{50}{130}{6pt} I'd have something like this \pgfpatharc{50}{130}{[some function to get the value passed to circuit symbol unit key]}.
Here's the code for the shape - you can skip to the "Drawing the arc" section of the code, which is at the very end:
   % The measurement gate shape - rectangle with an arc inside
   \pgfdeclareshape{meter}
   {%

     % All anchors are taken from the 'rectangle' shape:
     \inheritsavedanchors[from={rectangle}]%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{center}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{mid}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{base}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{north}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{south}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{west}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{east}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{mid west}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{mid east}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{base west}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{base east}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{north west}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{south west}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{north east}%
     \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{south east}%
     \inheritanchorborder[from={rectangle}]%

     % Drawing a white background
     \backgroundpath{
     \pgfpathrectanglecorners{\southwest}{\northeast}
     \pgfsetfillopacity{1}
         \pgfsetfillcolor{white}
         \pgfusepath{fill}
     }

     \foregroundpath
     {
       % Drawing the rectangle

    \pgfpathrectanglecorners
     {\pgfpointadd{\southwest}
     {\pgfpoint{\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/outer xsep}}
     {\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/outer ysep}}}}
     {\pgfpointadd{\northeast}{\pgfpointscale{-1}
     {\pgfpoint{\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/outer xsep}}
     {\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/outer ysep}}}}}

    \northeast
    \pgf@xa=\pgf@x
    \pgf@ya=-\pgf@y

   %
   %
   % Drawing the arc

   \def\arcstart{\pgfpoint{.8\pgf@xa}{.7\pgf@ya}}
   \pgfpathmoveto{\arcstart}

   %
   %
   % This is the line i'm interested in - how do i put in the value passed on to
   % /tikz/circuit symbol unit key instead of 6pt. It should be something like
   % \pgfpatharc{50}{130}{some function to get the value passed to circuit symbol unit}
   \pgfpatharc{50}{130}{6pt}

    }

A: Your code already retrieves the values of keys using \pgfkeysvalueof{} so perhaps my understanding of your question is overly simple-minded.
However, you can certainly use that method:
    \pgfpatharc{50}{130}{\pgfkeysvalueof{/tikz/circuit/symbol/unit}}%

Where /tikz/circuit/symbol/unit is a dummy key I created since you didn't provide a complete example and I have no idea what you're actually doing.
\tikzset{%
  circuit/symbol/unit/.initial=10pt,
}

Then, for example,
\begin{tikzpicture}
  \node [meter, draw] {};
  \node [xshift=15pt, circuit/symbol/unit=4pt, meter, draw] {};
\end{tikzpicture}

produces

Complete code:
\documentclass[border=10pt,multi,tikz]{standalone}
\makeatletter
\pgfdeclareshape{meter}
{%
  % All anchors are taken from the 'rectangle' shape:
  \inheritsavedanchors[from={rectangle}]%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{center}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{mid}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{base}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{north}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{south}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{west}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{east}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{mid west}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{mid east}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{base west}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{base east}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{north west}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{south west}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{north east}%
  \inheritanchor[from={rectangle}]{south east}%
  \inheritanchorborder[from={rectangle}]%
  \backgroundpath{%
    \pgfpathrectanglecorners{\southwest}{\northeast}%
    \pgfsetfillopacity{1}%
    \pgfsetfillcolor{white}%
    \pgfusepath{fill}%
  }%
  \foregroundpath
  {%
    \pgfpathrectanglecorners
    {\pgfpointadd{\southwest}%
      {\pgfpoint{\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/outer xsep}}%
        {\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/outer ysep}}}}%
    {\pgfpointadd{\northeast}{\pgfpointscale{-1}%
        {\pgfpoint{\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/outer xsep}}%
          {\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgf/outer ysep}}}}}%
    \northeast
    \pgf@xa=\pgf@x
    \pgf@ya=-\pgf@y
    \def\arcstart{\pgfpoint{.8\pgf@xa}{.7\pgf@ya}}%
    \pgfpathmoveto{\arcstart}%
    \pgfpatharc{50}{130}{\pgfkeysvalueof{/tikz/circuit/symbol/unit}}%
  }%
}
\makeatother
\tikzset{%
  circuit/symbol/unit/.initial=10pt,
}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
  \node [meter, draw] {};
  \node [xshift=15pt, circuit/symbol/unit=4pt, meter, draw] {};
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Sports > Gonzaga basketball
John Blanchette: Bulldogs can count on Nigel Williams-Goss, big numbers or not
Fri., March 31, 2017
By John Blanchette blanchettejp@gmail.com(509) 844-5558
Gonzaga, South Carolina try to find shooting range inside football stadium
Gonzaga's bench players put in the work, wait for their opportunity
Gonzaga knows it can rely on Johnathan Williams to apply defensive pressure
Sindarius Thornwell – the NCAA Tournament's leading scorer – provides matchup issues for Gonzaga
Jerry Krause has watched Gonzaga's quest for excellence over 48 Final Fours
Gonzaga defense faces another tall order in stopping South Carolina's Sindarius Thornwell
South Carolina forward Chris Silva's journey from Gabon to the Final Four
NCAA Final Four
At University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
➣Saturday, April 1: Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks, 3:09 p.m. TV: CBS Online: March Madness Live
GLENDALE, Ariz. – One teardrop runner settled into the net, and another a few minutes later. Then a 3-pointer found home – off a kick-out pass from the big fella – and the sigh of relief could be heard everywhere between Silicon Valley and Spokane.
Nigel being Nigel. Again.
Mind you, at that point, Nigel Williams-Goss had still made just 3 of 8 shots in the Bulldogs' NCAA Elite Eight game and would connect on just 7 of 19 by the end. But there was still a sense that the catalyst of Gonzaga's transformative basketball season was back in the groove that weeks and months earlier had helped birth the undefeated Zags, the top-ranked Zags.
The dare-to-dream Zags.
And if so, just in time.
Because coming off the most important victory in their history, the Zags have a chance – maybe two – at a bigger one.
And it's likely they'll need no player at his best this weekend more than Nigel Williams-Goss.
If this seems like an unfair burden with the Bulldogs poised for their semifinal Saturday date with South Carolina, well, those are the dues in Williams-Goss' particular club.
Elite players. Alpha dogs.
When the Gonzaga season began, the most remarkable aspect of the Zags was their uncanny balance – seven different leading scorers in the first six games, and a new cumulative leader after each. Five players would score 20 points or more at least once; two more in GU's eight-man rotation had games of 17 or better.
It's still what makes solving the Zags like finishing a 1,000-piece picture puzzle of Dalmatians – that and a premier wheelman.
So while the Bulldogs were taking their early, sometimes halting steps in the tournament, the one real red flag was the struggle Williams-Goss was having on the offensive end. He was 12 of 42 those first three games. Turnovers were up; assists were down.
But his confidence?
"Sky high," Williams-Goss insisted. "As long as we're winning games, I feel I'm doing something right."
This is very alpha-doggish, too – and the reason why Gonzaga's coaching staff deflected those numbers as no great concern.
"If that's all he brought to the game, maybe you'd worry about it," assistant Brian Michaelson said. "If he's a specialist who has to make shots to be successful and he's not making shots, then it can be hard to play him. But he's an elite defensive player, a guy who gets you into your offense, who plays with toughness and competitiveness. You're not going to worry about one phase of his game."
Still, there was a heaviness to Williams-Goss' game in the early rounds – even in a 20-point, eight-rebound, four-assist effort against Northwestern – rarely seen in the regular season. Some of that may have been extra attention from defenders – and certainly West Virginia's press can take its toll on any guard, and he'll get more from the Gamecocks. Some of it may have been the stakes.
And then there was this:
"The South Dakota State game," coach Mark Few noted, "was Nigel's first NCAA Tournament game."
So the four 3s he made against Xavier were certainly a relief, but no more so than a revived aggression.
"Those kind of guys embrace those things," Michaelson said. "I think about Kyle Wiltjer and one of the things I loved about him was he wanted the ball – no matter who was on the other side, he believed he was the best player and was going to have the best game. (Dan) Dickau was like that, Blake Stepp. Adam Morrison was as special as there was about wanting that moment. Nigel has that."
And more. All the Zags have referenced the debt owed to their forebears, but none more often than Williams-Goss – remarkable for a player who arrived at GU in midcareer.
"He has the maturity to understand that he's had a special individual season and led us further than we've ever been," Michaelson said, "but he also gets that it wasn't built in one year. It wasn't built because he's here. It took 20-whatever, even 30 years – whenever you want to say it started at the base level. He knows that from seeking out the guys who played here and live in Spokane, and the guys who come back through like (Jeremy) Pargo and (Matt) Bouldin."
So now he knows what he didn't know – the history and legacy – and what it means: that the Zags need him to be at his best, on this stage.
But maybe he's known that all along.
"The day I stepped on campus and saw all the pieces we had in place," Williams-Goss said, "I knew our goal had to be Phoenix and the national championship. If it wasn't, we were selling ourselves short."
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Origin - Assembly debate on 22 June 2016 (23rd and 24th Sittings) (see Doc. 14078 and addendum, report of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), co-rapporteurs: Ms Ingebjørg Godskesen and Ms Nataša Vučković). Text adopted by the Assembly on 22 June 2016 (24th Sitting).
1.	Turkey has been under post-monitoring dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly since 2004. In its Resolution 1925 (2013) on the post-monitoring dialogue with Turkey, the Assembly encouraged Turkey, a founding member of the Council of Europe and a strategic partner for Europe, to pursue its efforts to align its legislation and practices with Council of Europe standards and fulfil the remaining post-monitoring dialogue requirements. Turkey has continued to face a complex and adverse geopolitical situation with the war in Syria and in the surrounding countries and terrorist attacks on its territory. The ongoing conflict in Syria has brought further massive flows of refugees to Turkey. The Assembly reiterates its appreciation for the outstanding efforts made by the country since 2011 to host nearly 3 million refugees (262 000 of whom are in refugee camps), who are in need of accommodation, education and access to social and medical care. For over five years, Turkey has been implementing an "open door policy" to Syrians fleeing the war environment in their country and, in compliance with its international obligations, has abided by the principle of non-refoulement. The Assembly expresses its appreciation for the measures taken by the Turkish authorities to improve the living conditions of Syrian refugees, in particular by allocating work permits since 15 January 2016. The Assembly also values the outstanding financial efforts of the State to address this issue, despite remaining problems, in particular the lack of access to any education for 400 000 Syrian refugee children.
2.	In August 2014, the country had its first direct election of the President of the Republic. Parliamentary elections were organised on 7 June 2015, and early parliamentary elections were held on 1 November 2015. While the Justice and Development Party (AKP) secured a majority in parliament in November 2015, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) – a political party with a pro-Kurdish stance, which had previously entered parliament though the election of independent candidates and subsequently formed a party group – entered parliament for the first time as a political party, despite the 10% electoral threshold, which the Assembly has repeatedly asked be substantially lowered.
3.	European Union integration remains a strategic objective for Turkey. In the context of the 2016 EU–Turkey Agreement on the migrant crisis, and the implementation of a road map towards liberalisation of the visa regime, the Assembly welcomes the recent ratification of Protocol No. 15 amending the European Convention on Human Rights (CETS No. 213); the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism (CETS No. 198) the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (CETS No. 197); and the Additional Protocol to the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (ETS No. 167). The Assembly reiterates its belief that the opening of additional chapters of the European Community acquis, in particular Chapter 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights) and Chapter 24 (justice, freedom and security), would help consolidate the reform process and reinforce the action undertaken by the Council of Europe for Turkey to align its legislation and practice with Council of Europe standards. Relations between Turkey and the European Union, which should be strengthened, will be of great importance not only for the stability and prosperity of the two sides, but for the entire region.
4.	Recent developments in Turkey pertaining to freedom of the media and of expression, erosion of the rule of law and the human rights violations in relation to anti-terrorism security operations in south-east Turkey have, however, raised serious questions about the functioning of its democratic institutions. These findings are corroborated by recent reports adopted by several Council of Europe monitoring bodies, such as the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, which have highlighted concurring and serious concerns that Turkey should address without further delay.
5.	The disclosure of corruption cases on 17 and 25 December 2013, allegedly involving four ministers and the son of the then Prime Minister Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, marked the beginning of changes in domestic political processes, in particular the adoption of restrictive legislation (amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure in 2014 and the Internal Security Act of March 2015) and the executive's increased control over the judiciary (amendments to the law on the High Council for Judges and Prosecutors in 2014), the creation of special courts ("criminal peace judgeships") in June 2014 and the adoption of Law No. 5651 on the internet in March 2015, increasing the Turkish Telecommunications Directorate's (TIB) capacity to block websites.
6.	The Assembly regrets that the peace talks to address the Kurdish issue collapsed in summer 2015, putting at stake the process of enlarging the cultural and linguistic rights of the Kurdish community, initiated and advanced in the preceding period, including by its political representation in parliament after the 2015 parliamentary and early parliamentary elections. The breakdown of the peace talks in April 2015 led to increased violence and terrorist attacks by July 2015, bomb attacks by the PKK and retaliation measures by the Turkish security forces, including curfews imposed since December 2015 in several districts in south-east Turkey in order to carry out security operations.
7.	In this context, the Assembly is very concerned about the decision of 20 May 2016 by the Turkish Grand National Assembly to strip a large number of parliamentarians of their immunity from prosecution by temporarily suspending Article 83 (first sentence) of the constitution, thus ruling out a case-by-case examination based on the facts of the case. Even though MPs from all political groups are concerned, the Assembly notes with concern that this decision disproportionately affects the opposition parties, in particular the HDP, many of whose members have been charged for their statements under the anti-terror law (No. 3713). The Assembly, reiterating its call in Resolution 1925 (2013), urges the Turkish Government to revise the legislation and practices on terrorism in line with European standards, by narrowing the scope of its definition and introducing a criterion of proportionality.
8.	The Assembly recalls that parliamentary immunity should first and foremost enable elected representatives to work and express themselves without fear of harassment by the executive, the courts or political opponents. It is thus worried about the potential political consequences of this decision, which could damage parliamentary life and undermine the healthy political environment that Turkey needs to tackle today's challenges, including terrorist threats and the urgent need to solve the Kurdish issue by political and peaceful means. As there are allegations about the lack of independence of the judiciary, the Assembly urges the Turkish authorities to ensure that the cases brought against parliamentarians are handled in due compliance with Council of Europe standards on fair proceedings and trials and respect for freedom of expression, which Turkey has pledged to uphold.
9.	In recent years, Turkey has faced massive and repeated terrorist attacks perpetrated by the so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL/Daesh), the "Kurdistan Workers' Party" (PKK) and the PKK-affiliated "Kurdistan Freedom Hawks" (TAK). These attacks have caused hundreds of casualties in Ankara, Suruç, Istanbul, Bursa or Diyarbakır. In addition, the border city of Kilis has been targeted by shelling from Syrian territory. The Assembly unequivocally condemns these attacks and all terrorist action and violence perpetrated by the PKK, Daesh or any other organisation, which can on no account be tolerated. The Assembly stresses Turkey's right and duty to fight terrorism and address security issues in order to protect its citizens. It recalls, however, that those security operations must be carried out in line with international law, and in accordance with the principle of proportionality and necessity. The right balance between security and individual liberties must be found in Turkey.
10.	Security operations have dramatically intensified in south-east Turkey since August 2015. Despite assurances by the Turkish authorities to keep a balance between freedom and security in the police and military operations in south-east Turkey, so as to protect citizens' right to life, which is the most fundamental right, and to ensure public security, the Assembly is very worried about the human consequences of the unprecedented months-long, round-the-clock curfews imposed in 22 districts, including Sur, Silvan (province of Diyarbakır), Nusaybin, Dargeçit (province of Mardin), Sirnak Centre, Cizre, Silopi, Idil (province of Sirnak) and Yüksekova (province of Hakkari). These curfews affect 1.6 million people and have resulted in the displacement of at least 355 000 people and in restrictions in access to water, electricity, education and health care, including emergency medical care, which has proved fatal for many residents. At least 338 civilians were reported dead by the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey as at 20 April 2016. According to the Ministry of the Interior, between July 2015 and 13 May 2016, these operations resulted in 458 security officers being killed and 3 321 wounded, while the Chief of General Staff of the Turkish Army announced that 2 583 PKK members had been killed inside Turkish territory and 2 366 others in Iraq during air strikes as at 23 May 2016.
11.	As explicitly stated in the Venice Commission's opinion in response to the request by the Chair of the Monitoring Committee of the Assembly, "the curfews imposed since August 2015 have not been based on the constitutional and legislative framework which specifically governs the use of exceptional measures in Turkey, including curfew. To comply with this framework, any curfew measure should be associated with emergency rule, as provided for in Articles 119 to 122 of the Constitution". According to those articles of the constitution, curfews can be declared only within the context of martial law or emergency state rule; both require a parliamentary decision for implementation, which was never taken. The Assembly expects Turkey to abide by its own laws and amend its legal framework in line with the Venice Commission opinion on this issue, dated 13 June 2016.
12.	Despite efforts deployed by the Turkish authorities to provide the displaced persons with food and accommodation, temporary jobs in State agencies and social aid, including compensation for lost income, the future of the these people is uncertain. It seems that large parts of the areas under curfew were destroyed during and after the curfews, and during the subsequent clearance operations to remove buried explosive devices. The situation is especially regrettable in the ancient part of Sur, which was classified as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 2015.
13.	There have been allegations of serious human rights violations, notably in Cizre, which require due and effective investigation, including the collection of evidence before the areas are cleared. The Assembly believes that access to information through the increased presence of the media and accurate and unbiased media coverage of the situation in south-east Turkey, in addition to transparency of the procedures and the prosecution of those who committed crimes or abuses of human rights, would contribute to restoring confidence. The Assembly notes that Turkey is one of the 116 countries to offer an open invitation to the Special Procedures mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council since 2001. The Assembly welcomes the recent visits to south-east Turkey of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in March 2016 and of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Mr Nils Muižnieks in April 2016, and the announced visit of representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. It invites Turkey to consider setting up a fact-finding team, including independent experts and public figures trusted by all sides of Turkish society, to observe the human rights situation in the affected districts and publish credible reports. The Assembly further encourages Turkey to strengthen national independent human rights bodies so as to increase citizens' confidence in, and use of, these mechanisms.
14.	The Assembly also expresses deep concern over the deaths of four civilians (Hüseyin Paksoy (16 years old), Serhat Altun, Cihan Karaman and Orhan Tunç) after being seriously wounded during the curfew in Cizre. Defying interim measures by the European Court of Human Rights, the Turkish Government denied these civilians access to medical aid. The Assembly notes that Ramazan Demir, the lawyer who appealed to the Court for interim measures to transfer these and many other wounded civilians to hospitals, was arrested on 4 June 2016.
15.	The Assembly notes that administrative investigations have been initiated against 63 security agents due to their misconduct during the operations in south-east Turkey. It expects the Turkish authorities to carry out effective investigations into all other allegations of misconduct by security personnel during these operations. Nevertheless, the Assembly is appalled by the preparations for new retroactive legislation, already adopted by the parliamentary National Defence Commission, which allows legal prosecution of human rights violations committed by military personnel with the permission of their superiors and empowers the military with the authority to conduct security operations bypassing the jurisdiction of the courts under the pretext of urgency. The Assembly is deeply concerned that such developments could further infringe the rule of law.
16.	The adoption by the government of an emergency decree on expropriation on 21 March 2016 related to Sur (Diyarbakır) has raised concern among displaced persons. The lack of information about legal procedures, future urban construction projects and the right of displaced persons to return to live in their neighbourhoods raises many questions. The lack of transparent information fuels fears and insecurity among those concerned. The Assembly expects Turkey to take due care of the needs of the local population and ensure fair compensation for the losses suffered by civilians in case of expropriation procedures, which should be conducted in line with Council of Europe standards while taking account of property rights and their safeguards, as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention, ETS No. 5).
17.	The Assembly is also deeply concerned that the tensions and clashes could spread to other parts of Turkey. It urges the PKK to stop its terrorist attacks and lay down its arms. The Assembly also urges the Turkish Government to use political means to stop the escalation of violence. The Turkish Parliament, which could provide a political forum for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, should consider putting in place mechanisms to reactivate the peace process, including a joint, cross-party parliamentary commission, or a "truth and reconciliation" commission that would allow for a fresh impetus and the healing of past traumas. Political solutions need to be discussed in parliament by all the political forces involved. A fair system of parliamentary inviolability – which excludes statements inciting hatred, violence or the destruction of democratic rights and freedoms – is thus necessary to ensure that issues of public interest can be debated by elected representatives without fear of executive or judicial interference.
18.	The Assembly is also worried about the arrest in south-east Turkey of 21 democratically elected Kurdish mayors and the dismissal of 31 others on controversial charges of "aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation", which has further damaged the already weak local governments in these conflict areas. The Assembly calls on all political leaders at central and local levels to adopt a more inclusive and tolerant approach to resolve existing problems through dialogue and shared responsibility. Democratic political parties should condemn and take a firm stance against terrorism in full respect of human rights, the rule of law and Council of Europe standards.
19.	The announced preparation of legislation which would empower governors to appoint new mayors also raises questions with regard to the respect of the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (ETS No. 122), which Turkey ratified in 1992. The Assembly reiterates its call for Turkey, in line with the post-monitoring dialogue requirement, to further pursue decentralisation in full respect of the territorial integrity of the country and to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ETS No. 148) and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ETS No. 157), which could also contribute to restoring confidence among communities.
20.	With regard to freedom of expression and of the media, the Assembly shares the concerns of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights about the alarming scale of recourse to an overly wide notion of terrorism to punish non-violent statements and criminalisation of any message that merely coincides with the perceived interests of a terrorist organisation. The Assembly urges Turkey to fully comply with its obligations under all the human rights treaties it has ratified. The Assembly remains concerned about the extensive interpretation of the anti-terror law, which contradicts Council of Europe standards. It thus reiterates the call it made in 2013 for Turkey to further review its definitions of offences related to terrorism and membership of a criminal organisation, in line with the Action Plan for the Prevention of Violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, adopted by Turkey in February 2014.
21.	Recalling its Resolution 2035 (2015) on the protection of the safety of journalists and of media freedom in Europe, the Assembly is concerned about the latest developments in the areas of freedom of expression and freedom of the media, which should be understood in the light of the case law of the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Article 10 of the Convention. There are concerns that changes in recent years in ownership of media companies serving business interests were motivated by, and have resulted in, significant political influence on the media.
22.	The Assembly believes that the abusive application of Article 299 (Insulting the President of the Republic) – there were about 2 000 cases in two years against journalists and academics, but also ordinary citizens – is leading to an undue restriction of freedom of expression, considering the case law of the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Article 10 of the Convention. It recalls in this respect that defamation cases can be handled under civil law procedures or under the general provisions of Article 125 of the Criminal Code on insult.
23.	The Assembly condemns the call by the Turkish Ministry for Foreign Affairs for its citizens residing abroad to report cases of disrespect to the President of Turkey with a view to filing cases in foreign countries.
24.	The Assembly is deeply concerned about the prosecution of investigative journalists following their investigations into topics of general interest. It should be possible to conduct domestic and foreign investigative journalism on all topics, and in all regions. The Assembly is appalled by the harsh prison sentences issued against these journalists. It expects the judiciary to take future decisions in the light of the well-established case law of the European Court of Human Rights, and the authorities to harmonise the legislation and its interpretation by domestic courts with Council of Europe standards. In this respect, the Assembly praises the important role played by the Constitutional Court of Turkey to secure freedom of expression and of the media, and individual applications to the Constitutional Court, which remain an effective mechanism to protect rights covered by the European Convention on Human Rights.
25.	The prosecution of academics who signed a peace declaration calling for an end to the military campaign in south-east Turkey and accusing the government of breaching international law ("We shall not be part of this crime!") is another example that raises serious questions about the scope of the anti-terror law. Of the initial 1 128 signatories of the declaration, 495 academics are under investigation. On 14 January 2016, the police reportedly briefly detained 27 of them. The Council of Europe Secretary General issued, on 15 January 2016, a statement expressing his concern about these arrests. Four petitioners (Esra Mungan, Muzaffer Kaya, Kıvanç Ersoy and Meral Camcı) were arrested and detained on 16 March 2016 on charges of "terrorist propaganda" (Article 7/2 of the anti-terror law). The prosecutor in the first hearing decided to drop the charges of terrorism and considered launching an investigation under Article 301 of the Criminal Code (insulting the State) – subject to the authorisation of the minister of justice. In the meantime, the four academics were released on 22 April 2016. Disciplinary and criminal proceedings had been launched against other petitioners for a statement calling for an end to the violence, which, for the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, fell within the boundaries of free speech, whether one agreed with their message or not.
26.	The Assembly remains concerned about the large number of blocked websites (110 000) and Twitter takedown requests. Blocking websites appears to be a highly disproportionate measure which impedes the public's right to have access to, and to be provided with, information on the internet, and negatively affects media pluralism and free expression. The Assembly urges Turkey to upgrade its legal framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular to review Law No. 5651 on the internet, in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission (to be adopted in June 2016) on the regulation of publications on the internet and combating crimes committed by means of such publications.
27.	The Assembly recalls that journalists and others who work in the media make an essential contribution to public debate and the opinion-making processes needed in a democratic society. Council of Europe member States have a positive obligation to ensure freedom of expression, protection of journalists and access to information, and to create the conditions to enable them to act as public or social watchdogs and inform the public on matters of general and public interest. Too many measures currently taken by the authorities, including investigations, prosecutions and the interpretation of the Criminal Code by domestic courts, have a chilling effect on the media. Attacks on journalists and media outlets, seizure of media holdings (which undermines property rights), pressure on journalists and punishment of journalists doing their job lead to self-censorship. The Assembly therefore urges Turkey to guarantee a favourable environment for freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article 10 of the Convention and to implement Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 of the Committee of Ministers on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors.
28.4.	ensure a strict interpretation of Article 314 (Membership of an Armed Organisation) so as to limit it to cases which do not involve the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, in compliance with the established criterion in the case law of the Court of Cassation that acts attributed to a defendant should show "in their continuity, diversity and intensity" his or her "organic relationship" with an armed organisation or whether his or her acts may be considered as committed knowingly and wilfully within the "hierarchical structure" of the organisation.
29.	The Assembly encourages the Turkish authorities to address these proposals in the framework of the working group on freedom of expression created in 2016 by the Ministry of Justice and the Council of Europe, as part of Turkey's Action Plan for the Prevention of Violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. It expects the necessary amendments to the legislation to be prepared and adopted in consultation with the Council of Europe.
30.	It urges Turkey to further co-operate with the Council of Europe and implement the recommendations by GRECO when carrying out the judicial reform strategy, which aims at establishing a more reliable justice system, executing judicial services in an independent and impartial way and concluding trials within a reasonable time. It welcomes, as a first step, the adoption of the Action Plan on Enhancing Transparency and Strengthening the Fight Against Corruption (2016-2019) on 30 April 2016 to address these issues.
31.	With regard to respect for the rule of law, the Assembly is very concerned about the recent statements made by the President of the Republic and ministers declaring they would not respect a decision of the Constitutional Court on the unlawfulness of the pretrial detention of investigative journalists, which was based on the case law of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Assembly urges Turkish officials to refrain from unduly interfering in the judiciary and challenging the rule of law. It appreciates, however, that all decisions of the Constitutional Court resulting from individual applications have been implemented.
32.	Independence of the judiciary is guaranteed by the constitution. A number of judicial package reforms have been launched since the constitutional referendum of 2010. They provide for stronger involvement of elected judges and prosecutors in the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors, which is a positive move. However, the recent developments and amendments to the law on the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors in 2014 raised the issue of the lack of independence of the judiciary and undue interference by the executive.
33.2.	further revise the law on the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors to reduce the influence of the executive within the council.
34.	The Assembly also notes that in 2014 the fight against terrorism was extended to the Gülen Movement (the so-called "parallel State structure"), a former ally of the AKP. The purge to clear the State institutions of alleged Gülenist followers raises questions in respect of procedural guarantees. This move particularly affected the judicial system, where the large number of transfers, arrests and detentions of judges and prosecutors could have a deterrent effect on the members of the judiciary.
35.	Finally, while the Assembly welcomes the establishment of regional courts, it notes that the draft law on the restructuring of the Court of Cassation and Council of State raises questions. It therefore asks the Venice Commission for an opinion on this draft law and the constitutional aspects of the appointments of members of high judicial bodies. The Assembly moreover invites the relevant authorities to seek the opinion of the Turkish Constitutional Court and also to ensure that the adopted law takes into account the recommendations of the Venice Commission.
36.	The Assembly concludes that the latest developments pertaining to freedom of the media and of expression, erosion of the rule of law and the human rights violations in relation to the anti-terrorism security operations in south-east Turkey constitute a threat to the functioning of democratic institutions of the country and its commitments to its obligations towards the Council of Europe. The Assembly will continue to follow closely the issues raised in this resolution in particular the situation in south-east Turkey with respect to human rights, on the basis of information provided by its Monitoring Committee. The Assembly recalls that the Turkish authorities are invited to fulfil the remaining requirements pertaining to the post-monitoring dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly. It reiterates the readiness of the Council of Europe, in particular the Venice Commission, to support the Turkish authorities' efforts in this respect. The Assembly notes that progress made on all 12 items of the post-monitoring dialogue, including on the items discussed in the present resolution, will be assessed in the post-monitoring report to be presented in 2017.


text:
Q: How to change the array source for a spinner? (Android Studio) I have asked this before, but I was too general.
I have an activity with two radio buttons and only two arrays: String[] tickets; which has 3 items and String[] subscriptions; which has 5 items. By the way, the radio buttons are inside a radioGroup.
The first radioButton is for String[] tickets; and the second radioButton is for String[] subscriptions;
When I check the first radioButton, I want the spinner to be populated by the items in String[] tickets and when I check the second radioButton I want the spinner to be populated by the items in String[] subscriptions;
But how do you do that? I tried using a temporary array which is empty and used it as the array source for the spinner. I would then place one of these arrays inside the empty one. But it did not work.
EDIT:
MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener {

   String[] tickets = {"Ticket #1", "Ticket #2", "Ticket #3"};
   String[] subscriptions = {"Sub #1", "Sub #2", "Sub #3", "Sub #4", "Sub #5"};
   String[] tempArray;
   Spinner spinner1;
   RadioGroup radioGroup;
   RadioButton radioButtonOption;

protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
   super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
   setContentView(R.layout.activity_third);

   radioGroup = (RadioGroup)findViewById(R.id.radioGroup);
   int selectedRadioButton = radioGroup.getCheckedRadioButtonId();
   radioButtonOption = (RadioButton)findViewById(selectedRadioButton);
   spinner1 = (Spinner)findViewById(R.id.spinner1);

   radioButtonOption.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
      @Override
      public void onClick(View v) {
         if (radioButtonOption.getText().equals("Journeys/Tickets")) {
            tempArray = tickets;
         } else if (radioButtonOption.getText().equals("Subscription")) {
            tempArray = subscriptions;
         }
      }
   });

   spinner1.setOnItemSelectedListener(this);
   ArrayAdapter a1 = new ArrayAdapter<>(this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, tempArray);
   a1.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
   spinner1.setAdapter(a1);
   spinner1.setOnItemSelectedListener(this);

A: You can call OnCheckChangeListener on your radioGroup and then set spinner adapter accordingly. See the example:
a1.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
spinner1.setOnItemSelectedListener(this);
radioGroup.setOnCheckedChangeListener(new RadioGroup.OnCheckedChangeListener()
{
    public void onCheckedChanged(RadioGroup group, int checkedId) {

  switch(checkedId){
       case R.id.radio_button1:
                      a1 = ArrayAdapter<String>(MainActivity.this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item,tickets);
                      spinner1.setAdapter(a1);
                      break;
       case R.id.radio_button2:
                      a1 = ArrayAdapter<String>(MainActivity.this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item,subscriptions);
                      spinner1.setAdapter(a1);
                      break;
   }
 }
});

A: Try this
        radioGroup = (RadioGroup)findViewById(R.id.radioGroup);
        spinner1 = (Spinner)findViewById(R.id.spinner1);

        radioGroup.setOnCheckedChangeListener(new RadioGroup.OnCheckedChangeListener() {
            @Override
            public void onCheckedChanged(RadioGroup group, int checkedId) {
                switch (checkedId)
                {
                    case  R.id.button_1:
                        a1 = new ArrayAdapter<String>(MainActivity.this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item ,tickets);
                        spinner1.setAdapter(a1);
                        break;

                    case R.id.button_2:
                        a1 = new ArrayAdapter<String>(MainActivity.this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item,subscriptions);
                        spinner1.setAdapter(a1);
                        break;

                }

                a1.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);

            }
        });

        spinner1.setOnItemSelectedListener(this);

Note you need to declare ArrayAdapter a1;


Arguments can certainly be made to support either side of this argument. This article gives examples of valid arguments on both sides of the issue. In general it is clear that understanding of nuclear energy fundamentals is a prerequisite for creating nuclear weapons. In this area however, the proverbial cat is out of the bag. Pandora's box has been opened. The knowledge exists and is relatively widespread. The real question is what to choose to do with the knowledge that the world now has.
While some variants of nuclear power plants are estimated to cost up to five times as much as competing technologies such as minimally-compliant coal power, these are extreme examples. Most populations will not allow minimally-compliant coal plants to be built because of their substantially dangerous pollution as well as radioactivity levels far above those of a nuclear power plant. Their radioactive and chemical emissions come in the form of massive fly ash ponds as well as airborne fly ash emissions.
A power utility has to have the capability of calling into service enough power to make up for the loss of its largest generator on short notice. For a nuclear generator, this would be between 300 and 2000 MW. In our home province of Saskatchewan, the largest single generator SaskPower has to keep backup capacity for currently is a 300MW coal unit. However, if the entire Boundary Dam facility went down, the Saskatchewan system could be missing as much as 813 MW of power.
If you think of renewable sources of energy you probably think of things like wind turbines, solar panels, biomass plants, and hydroelectric plants. However, these are just examples. What does it mean to be renewable?
We have gone a long time without an update. Ben and Alana have been working hard.
We presented at the Legislature regarding Saskatchewan's Energy Future. We proposed a feed-in tariff, increased wind power, adoption of a smart grid, and LEED incentives.
A Feed-in-Tariff is a policy mechanism designed to provide an incentive for development of a desired type. Typical implementations of feed-in-tariffs for power generation usually involve guaranteed long term prices for electricity generated and guaranteed grid access. This means that if a person or company builds this type of desired generation, they are guaranteed to be able to sell their power, and guaranteed a minimum price for their power.
Electrical power production using a nuclear power source is accomplished through the heat produced by bringing greater than a specific amount of radioactive material together. Water is heated to create steam, which in turn spins turbines to generate electricity. Greater quantities or concentrations of nuclear material produce more heat. The higher the temperature of the heat source, the more efficient the production of electricity from it becomes. If the core becomes too hot, it is possible for core material to melt. If the reactor core is kept relatively cool, the energy production is not thermodynamically or economically efficient. Combinations of different fuels, fuel cladding, and coolants have been tested to optimize reactor cores for efficient power production while remaining very safe. Many different combinations are in use today, each with it's advantages and disadvantages.


To Support Mental Health, Let Employees Walk out the Door.
Do you know what really makes my heart hurt? The fact so many employees are still miserable at work. It's not the fault of any one "thing," but rather a systemic issue. In the US, both depression and loneliness epidemics are in full swing, which is exacerbated by many working environments.
Somewhere in the intersection of technology, the demanding speed of work, and bad leadership, companies lost sight of how the work environment contributes to this terrible problem. In a report from Sodexo and Deloitte on workplace experience, "40% of workers believe it is not possible to succeed at work, make a good living, and have enough time to contribute to the family." And In 2016, the National Institute of Mental Health reported an estimated 16.2 million adults in the US had a depressive episode.
But I have GOOD NEWS. I heard some new research that made me really happy. There appears to be a simple solution to help mitigate depressive episodes. That solution? Let your employees walk out the door. Literally, like, go take a walk. Doesn't seem revolutionary, but how many of you make a simple walk a part of your workday. I believe more of us still subscribe to eating lunch at our desks while we work than to take a few minutes to actually stop. And in this case, walk.
But I don't have time?! Well, yes you do.
New research from the Journal of Psychology shows you only need a small amount of exercise to decrease depression. Fifteen minutes, that's it. Any activity in fifteen minutes that will get your heart rate up 50% is great for reducing depression. It's also enough time to cause the endorphin high we all love. And this same research shows exercising for fifteen minutes at night doesn't impact sleep. #mythbusted.
So leaders, do what you can to get your people to walk. Inside or outside, it doesn't matter. If you need to make a walking path through the cubicles, go for it. Make it a new ritual in your organization. Everyone can spare 15 minutes, and if it alleviates stress on the job, there's no good reason not to try.


Is it just too hot out to cook? Beat the heat and skip turning on the stove or even the grill. Billy Dec, owner of Sunda restaurant in Chicago, stopped by TODAY to share a tasty no-cook meal and a delicious cocktail to accompany to it.
Find out how to make it with his recipe below. The best part is both are light and super easy to make.


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Award for CCH team
The Haematology Research team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB), part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), were recently recognised for their work on commercial trials.
Biruk Asfaw, Haematology Senior Research Nurse, and his team received the 'Commercial Research' Recognition Award at the NIHR Clinical Research Network West Midlands Cancer Annual Meeting.
Over the last three years, the Haematology team at QEHB have opened over 20 commercial studies to recruitment at QEHB.
Many of these trials provide pioneering treatment options for patients who otherwise have exhausted all treatment avenues. The trials have the potential to transform patient's quality of life as well as change current practice.
The trials cover a range of haematological conditions including leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and amyloidosis, as well as other rare haematological conditions.
These trials are often complex to deliver and require a dedicated team to work together.
The team are based at the newly refurbished and expanded Centre for Clinical Haematology facility which was funded by the GBSLEP and Cure Leukaemia. Cure Leukaemia's funding of specialist research nurses within the team has meant the charity has played a major role in this success.
"I was delighted to receive the award, on behalf of the haematology team here at QEHB," said Biruk.
"Our team of nurses, trial coordinators and data managers have worked tirelessly over the last few years to make UHB a first choice for commercial studies.
"The team looks after research patients, making sure their journey through a clinical trial is as smooth as possible.
"Several big pharmaceutical companies have a number of studies ongoing or expressed an interest to work with us, as they know how experienced we now are in delivering trials at the highest standard.
"As a result we're in a position to choose the most pioneering trials that we think offer the lowest risk and the best possible outcomes."
An upcoming commercial trial is likely to feature a rapidly emerging CAR T cell Therapy: collecting and using patients own immune cells to treat their cancer making UHB one of the first few Trusts in the country to undertake innovative trials of that nature.


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Programs » 2015 Funders Forum
2015 Funders Forum
9:30am to 3:30pm EDT
The Daniel Hotel, 10 Water St, Brunswick, ME 04011
The Daniel Hotel
Build connections with Maine philanthropy colleagues, share successes and challenges, and learn about what's happening in the broader philanthropy world.
Thank you to everyone who joined us on October 1st for the 2015 Funders Forum! We were incredibly pleased to gather as a network and family of funders in Maine and have a chance to further our collective work—the things that allow us to move beyond the day to day of individual organizations and focus on what we might achieve collectively.
Our agenda tracked three aspirations for what we, as philanthropy in Maine, collectively want to be known for:
We aspire to have a wonderful and impressive story to tell about what philanthropy in Maine is actually doing and the impact we are having on issues and populations across the state. The root of that story begins in good data. That's why the "Get on the Map" effort has been such a priority for us, and we were excited to share the first maps.
We aspire to be inclusive of the people, perspectives, and differences that exist in our state. We want Maine philanthropy to reflect that diversity, to model inclusion, and to work to build equity. To further those goals, we brought two speakers from Boston to talk about the implicit, or unconscious, biases that may keep us from acting in ways consistent with our values.
And third, we know that philanthropy cannot make change alone. We aspire to work in partnership and alignment with other key players, such as government and nonprofit partners. So the afternoon was spent in an in-depth conversation about how we can move our collective public policy work forward.
Barbara Edmond, MPC President, mentioned as part of our icebreaker that her "proud" was about this truly remarkable and talented group of people who are fiercely dedicated to achieving the mission entrusted by your board, your family, your namesake founder, or your donors in the best and most impactful way you can. We were struck following the program by the trust, candidness, and thoughtfulness that all brought to the day.
Agenda Overview
9:30 am Program Begins
Understanding the Maine Giving Landscape: Get on the Map
Hiding in Plain Sight: Implicit Bias
12:15 - 1:15 pm Networking Lunch
1:30 pm Public Policy Discussion: A Path to Greater Impact
3:30 Program Ends
Johanna Wald, Director of Strategic Planning, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice at Harvard Law School
Andrew Grant-Thomas, Racial Equity Consultant
Did you know that one inch of height is worth almost $800 per year in salary? Or that immigrants with light complexions earned 15% more than those with darker skin? Or that employers who viewed identical resumes were more likely to interview "James" than "Jamal"?
A burgeoning field of scholarship suggests that unequal racial, gender, and other outcomes may be partially explained by the implicit, or unconscious, bias held by many of us, particularly key decision-makers, such as doctors, teachers, judges, and philanthropists. One striking aspect of this research is that implicit biases can co-exist, often unbeknownst to the holder, alongside far more explicit egalitarian values.
Johanna Wald and Andrew Grant-Thomas will run this participatory keynote on implicit bias, addressing:
how these unconscious biases take root in our brains
research on how these biases affect both individuals' decisions and actions and become embedded in our institutions, including philanthropy
strategies aimed at ameliorating the effects of implicit bias, personally and institutionally
Take a test to uncover some of your own implicit biases.
Watch the video clips from the presentation:
What Would You Do - Bike Thief
TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Smooth - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race (the excerpt used in the presentation starts at around 7:20 and goes to 8:00)
Other resources and reading on implicit bias:
Download Andrew and Johanna's slides from the Funders Forum.
Understanding Implicit Bias from the Kirwin Institute
Patricia Devine's study on "Breaking the Prejudice Habit"
Public Policy Discussion
The afternoon included an engaged and thoughtful discussion of the recommendations in the Public Policy Task Team's Public Policy: A Path to Greater Impact report. There was fairly strong consensus that philanthropy in Maine should collectively engage in public policy. Fairly strong agreement was also voiced about engaging in work around learning and capacity building, education and information, and advocating for philanthropic issues. There was a mix of positive and more cautious responses to some of the other questions, particularly related to specific structures and processes. We are still going through our notes, reviewing comments, and thinking about next steps. Be on the lookout for a more thorough review of the discussion in the coming weeks.
Public Policy: A Path to Greater Impact report
The two webinars related to the report (Part 1 and Part 2).
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 - 10:00am
January 2021 Grant Research Tutorial
MPC grant research tutorials are now virtual! Learn the fundamentals of foundation grant research and get hands-on experience and instruction using both the Directory of Maine Grantmakers and the Foundation Directory Online. Come away with the knowledge and tools to discover which funders are most likely to fund your organization.
Thursday, January 28, 2021 - 9:30am
Investing in Change: Advocacy 101
Private and public foundations can play an important role in policy change by engaging in advocacy themselves and funding their grantees to advocate on their issues.
Introduction to Proposal Writing with Candid
This class will provide you with an overview of how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation.
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 - 8:30am
Philanthropic Advisors Network Informational Meeting
As a philanthropic advisor, you provide important guidance for your clients seeking to make a social impact -- developing tools and vehicles for individuals and groups to create a better world.
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 - 12:00pm
New to Philanthropy Lunchtime Connect
Have you been in the field of philanthropy for less than three years? Do you want to connect with others in a similar phase of their career? Maine Philanthropy Center is excited to host a lightly facilitated lunchtime connect on Zoom. We'll connect and learn about each others work and experiences. We look forward to seeing you!
February 2021 Grant Research Tutorial
Tuesday, March 16, 2021 - 10:00am
March 2021 Grant Research Tutorial
Members Only Registration (in development):


When two choreographers create works set to the same music, is it useful to make comparisons? The dance writer Nancy Dalva asked choreographers Peter Quanz and Larry Keigwin this question on Saturday afternoon at the Guggenheim's Works & Process. The series commissioned Quanz and Keigwin to each create a new work to Steve Reich's 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning Double Sextet, and the results were presented over the weekend along with an insightful discussion about the process. Not only did both men find the experience productive and challenging (Keigwin collaborated with dancers from his company while Quanz worked with dancers from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, where he trained), but their pieces also provided refreshing, unique ways for the audience to visualize Reich's propulsive, energetic score.
Double Sextet was created for two identical sextets of instruments – flute, clarinet, violin, cello, vibraphone, and piano – that can be played by twelve musicians or by six musicians playing against a recording of themselves. Given the binary quality of the score, it seems fitting for two choreographers to interpret it through movement. Quanz relied on classical ballet vocabulary and closely followed the music for his piece, In Tandem, which featured four women in sleek blue-gray leotards with a grid-like pattern and two men in form-fitting black. To the music's vibrant, fast-paced opening, carving arm gestures flowed into full-bodied movement and partnering. The Royal Winnipeg dancers beautifully balanced lyrical grace with edgier, angular movements that echoed some of the score's darker moods.
Keigwin's work, Sidewalk, reflected the urban pace of the city by playing with the score's driving force. The three men and women, dressed in business attire, illustrated the contrasts between the exterior self – sternly rushing through the city streets – and the calmer, more meditative interior self that is not usually shown on sidewalks. They briskly crossed the stage with uniform pedestrian steps and pumping arms, occasionally breaking out of line with gestures from everyday life. Many of the movements stemmed from improvisations they did upon initially hearing the music and rehearsing in the space. As the music slowed and the light dimmed, suggesting evening or a time outside of working hours, the dancers shed their jackets and ties and sat down at the front of the stage. A few heaved deep sighs and stretched out their arms before repeating the grind the next day, and a push-pull tension throughout the piece illustrated the struggle between public and private selves.
In addition to their distinct interpretations of the music, both choreographers made full use of the architecture of the Guggenheim's unique performance space, which is not a traditional proscenium stage. The women in Quanz's work raced to the front of the stage and gracefully fell into the arms of a man standing on the carpeted floor, just inches from the first row of seats. Another man's hands creepily emerged from behind a wall to the right of the stage, where a duet for him and one of the women made its way down the stairs and toward the stage. In Sidewalk, the dancers ran energetically up and down the aisles and around the back of the space. Three men rested on the stairs during one of the slower sections before leaping back onto the stage for the piece's thrilling, demanding final section. As Sidewalk closed, each dancer raced up the stairs and through the brightly lit side stage door, into the unknown of the day ahead.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Aaron Carr, Amanda Green, Ashley Browne, ballet, Dance, Double Sextet, Guggenheim Museum, In Tandem, Jo-Ann Sundermeier, Kristina Hanna, Larry Keigwin, Liz Riga, Matthew Baker, Maureya Lebowitz, nancy dalva, Peter Quanz, Richard Termine, Ryoji Sasamoto, Sidewalk, Steve Reich, Vanessa Lawson, Works and Process at the Guggenheim, Yosuke Mino. Bookmark the permalink.


History: (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane, FSAC, and A. Aaronson) At about 2 am local time on July 18, 2011, a bright fireball was observed by several people in the region of the Oued Drâa valley, east of Tata, Morocco. One eyewitness, Mr Aznid Lhou, reported that it was at first yellow in color, and then turned green illuminating all the area before it appeared to split into two parts. Two sonic booms were heard over the valley. In October 2011, nomads began to find very fresh, fusion-crusted stones in a remote area of the Oued Drâa intermittent watershed, centered about 50 km ESE of Tata and 48 km SSW of Tissint village, in the vicinity of the Oued El Gsaïb drainage and also near El Ga'ïdat plateau known as Hmadat Boû Rba' ine. The largest stones were recovered in the El Ga'ïdat plateau, whereas the smallest one (a few grams) closer to the El Aglâb Mountains. One 47 g crusted stone was documented as being found at 29°28.917' N, 7°36.674' W.
Physical characteristics: Several fusion-crusted stones have been collected ranging from 1 to 987 g, with a total weight of around 7 kg. The stones are almost completely coated by glistening black fusion crust, characterized by thicker layers on exterior ridges as well as much glossier regions (above interior olivine macrocrysts). Some stones have thinner secondary fusion crust on some surfaces. The crust on some stones has been broken in places to reveal the interior, which appears overall pale gray in color with larger, very pale yellow olivine macrocrysts, and sporadic small pockets and some very thin veinlets of black glass. No terrestrial weathering is evident.
Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS): Olivine macrocrysts (to 1.5 mm) and microphenocrysts (to 0.4 mm) are set in a finer groundmass of patchily zoned pyroxene, plagioclase (maskelynite), Ti-poor chromite, ilmenite, pyrrhotite and minor merrillite. Both the larger olivine macrocrysts and smaller olivine microphenocrysts exhibit thin ferroan rims against the groundmass, and contain tiny chromite inclusions. Narrow ferroan zones also occur within the interior of some olivine macrocrysts.
Geochemistry: Olivine (cores of large macrocrysts Fa19.4-20.2, Fe/Mn=42-44; rims Fa43.2-60.4, Fe/Mn=50-55), cores of microphenocrysts Fa29.1-30.2, Fe/Mn=45-46; rims up to Fa53.3, Fe/Mn=53), orthopyroxene cores (Fs24.0-24.4Wo4.1-4.6, Fe/Mn=30-32), pigeonite (Fs26.1-51.6Wo11.9-16.9, Fe/Mn=31-35), subcalcic augite (Fs21.7-23.3Wo25.0-24.2, Fe/Mn=26-28), plagioclase (An61.1-64.3Or0.5-0.4). Oxygen isotopes (R. Tanaka, OkaU): analyses of acid-washed subsamples by laser fluorination gave, respectively δ17O = 2.849, 2.892; δ18O = 4.844, 4.943; Δ17O = 0.299, 0.290 per mil. Bulk composition (G. Chen and C. Herd, UAb) ICPMS analysis of powdered interior material gave Sm/Nd=0.646, indicating that this specimen has affinities with the depleted compositional group of shergottites.
Classification: Achondrite (Martian, olivine-phyric shergottite).
Specimens: A total of 30.3 g of type material and one polished thin section are on deposit at UWS. Other known institutional specimens include 370 g (ASU), 58 g (UAb), and 108 g (UNM). The remaining material is held by anonymous dealers and collectors.


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Weapons Trafficking
New York Penal Law Section 265 makes it illegal to transfer or intend to transfer a firearm without authorization. Only licensed gun dealers who abide by strict rules can sell or transfer guns. Federal laws also restrict who can and cannot buy and sell guns. Likewise, it is illegal to manufacture or transport a high-capacity firearm.
When is the Best Time to Act?
Weapons trafficking is a serious felony. If you are aware that you are under investigation, or if you already have been indicted or arrested, it is imperative that you contact a qualified criminal defense attorney right away. The Blanch Law firm has a team of attorneys, including former prosecutors, who tackle complex, high-stakes defenses. We vigorously investigate, negotiate and argue in court to make certain you obtain the best possible outcome.
New York's weapons trafficking law has several categories. Criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree is when an unauthorized person:
Sells, exchanges, gives or disposes of a firearm or large capacity ammunition feeding device to another person
Possesses a firearm with the intent to sell it
Criminal sale of a firearm in the second degree occurs when a person:
Unlawfully sells, exchanges, gives or disposes of to another five or more firearms
Does so with a total of five or more firearms within one year
Criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree occurs when a person:
Unlawfully sells, exchanges, gives or disposes of 10 or more firearms
Does so with a total of 10 or more firearms within one year
The law also covers criminal sale of a firearm with the aid of a minor under age 16. It also is illegal to manufacture or transport a machine gun, assault weapon, large-capacity ammunition feeding device or to transport more than five firearms.
Weapons Trafficking Criminal Schemes
Trafficking can involve new firearms or second-hand firearms that were stolen or illegally purchased. The crime can range from selling or transferring a single gun on the street to selling multiple weapons to one or more buyers. A common scheme involves using straw purchasers to obtain weapons from legitimate sellers.
Related Crimes
Criminal possession of a weapon
Criminal use of a firearm
Conspiracy charges: typically accompany illegal firearms sale charges
Penalties & Punishment
As with most crimes, the more severe the charge, the more severe the punishment. Additionally, any prior convictions will required an increased sentence from the court.
Criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree is a class D felony punishable by 2 to 7 years in prison.
Criminal sale of a firearm in the second degree is a class C felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree is a class B felony punishable by 5 to 25 years in prison.
Manufacturing or transporting assault weapons or high-capacity devices is a class D felony.
Successful Defense
The best strategies for defending weapons trafficking charges are to demonstrate that you did not possess or transfer the weapon, that your possession was legal, or that you were misidentified. Our attorneys also have several strategies for having charges and sentences reduced. A phone call is all it takes to see how we can help.
Differences between State and Federal Charges
Federal law makes it illegal for certain people, such as convicted felons and the mentally infirm, to purchase or possess firearms. It also is prohibited under federal law to transfer a firearm to a person in a prohibited category.
High Profile Cases
In April 2013, Javon Burgess and Paul Lee were indicted in Manhattan for selling 39 illegal guns, ammunition, and large-capacity magazines to undercover police detectives posing as gun dealers. Some of the sales allegedly took place in broad daylight near the Bronx Zoo entrance. They face multiple counts of criminal sale of a firearm in the first, second, and third degrees, criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degrees, and conspiracy in the fourth degree.


This page displays sold house prices for Stile End in Chester.
Stile End in Mickle Trafford, Chester consists predominantly of detached houses. Properties on Stile End typically have values around £300,000 - £400,000, but larger detached houses can command upwards of £400,000.
Map showing Stile End in Chester.


The death and resurrection of Jesus are the two most important moments in human history. In John's gospel the Apostle is concerned to establish the victory of the Lord Jesus over degrading and humiliating circumstances. Join us for the "Journey to the Cross", on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg!


Last week I posted at the Huffington Post, starting a dialogue about how to fight corruption in Congress. Hundreds of people wrote in with thoughtful comments, but almost everyone agreed on one main truth: that the political system is broken by too much money from special interests, and not enough influence for small-dollar donors.
Today I'm writing again to announce some big news. At Change Congress, we're launching a political "donor strike" where thousands of people pledge only to donate to politicians who support a system of public funding — plus Obama-style small-dollar donations — for congressional elections.
We call this "citizen-funded elections." The 2008 election proved the power of grassroots donations. Now's the time to turn that power into real change. We're giving Congress a choice: you can either have our money or money from special interests, but not both. We'll reward the reformers. But those who oppose reform won't get any money from us. Nada. Zip.
Already, the Associated Press has written a story about this donor strike. Can you help add to the momentum by taking the pledge today at this link? It will only take a minute.
Our pledge reads: "I'm pledging not to donate to any federal candidate unless they support legislation making congressional elections citizen-funded, not special-interest funded." You can sign it here.
Last night, I was on the Colbert Report and talked with Stephen Colbert about the corrupting influence of money on Congress. I then taped a special video from the Colbert green room announcing today's big news. You can watch it here or at the bottom of this post.
Last year, 10 senators (including Barack Obama) and nearly 60 House members co-sponsored the type of reform we're proposing. It's up to us to add to those numbers — and to get the backs of those who are fighting for change.
As Congress begins to debate the big issues of the day, we all have issues that we care about most. But progress will be blocked on every big issue until we solve the threshold problem: special interests having too much clout in our public debates. Especially with the economic crisis we face, it makes no sense for our elected leaders to spend their time begging for campaign contributions from the very special interests that got us into this mess.
DEMOCRACY MATTERS's Adonal Foyle: "As a professional basketball player, I am proud to pledge that I will donate only to candidates who support citizen-funded Congressional elections."
COMMON CAUSE's Bob Edgar: "If millions of small donors make it clear to Congress that they are serious about real reform now, that will make a huge difference in our ability to get Congress to do what more and more members are realizing they need to do: End their addiction to money from a handful of big donors, once and for all."
PUBLIC CITIZEN's David Arkush: "We're near a tipping point in Washington politics. Small donors made a huge impact in 2008, but unfortunately, big money still has more sway. Now small donors have a chance to change the pay-to-play system and have their voices heard."
U.S. PIRG's Lisa Gilbert: "In order to see change on critical issues like the economy and our healthcare system, we need a clean campaign funding system that allows regular voters to be heard by our politicians."
AMERICANS FOR CAMPAIGN REFORM's Dan Weeks: "What we're seeing is the small donor revolution starting to leverage its power on a broken Washington system."
Can you watch the video announcing the donor strike and take the pledge today?