text:
EU body weighs suspending group president after 'psychological harassment' probe
Officials will decide next week whether to sanction senior staffer applying to become EESC's next president.
Jacek Krawczyk | Aurore Belot/European Union
By Hans von der Burchard
June 4, 2020	1:00 pm
A key EU institution is deciding whether to take disciplinary and potentially legal action against a senior official following accusations of psychological harassment and serious misconduct.
Members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) bureau will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to adopt sanctions against Jacek Krawczyk, which would lead to his suspension as one of the institution's three group presidents, according to two officials with knowledge of the proposed measures.
Krawczyk is also the leading candidate to become the next president of the EESC, an EU institution bringing together employers, workers and civil organizations as a consultative body. As part of the proposed sanctions, the EESC would ask him to withdraw his candidacy, the two officials said.
Harassment and bullying complaints against Krawczyk date back to 2013, when he first took up a leadership role in the EESC as president of the employers' group, and the EU's anti-fraud office (OLAF) concluded an investigation into the case in January this year. Investigators listed 13 cases of alleged misbehavior, two of which involved alleged psychological harassment of subordinates and have been sent by OLAF to Belgian authorities for potential legal proceedings, according to five MEPs with knowledge of the file. OLAF said it had issued "judicial and disciplinary recommendations" following the investigation.
The proposed disciplinary measures suggest that the EESC could take part in judicial proceedings against Krawczyk as a civil party should Belgian prosecutors decide to open a case against him, the two officials said.
Krawczyk launched a counteroffensive on Thursday by arguing in a four-page internal letter, seen by POLITICO, that the proposed measures lack a legal basis and calling for the "very extreme sanctions" against him to be dropped. He has also denied the allegations in a letter in February sent by his lawyers, who said their client "formally contests the accusations of harassment."
Current EESC President Luca Jahier warned in February that the affair is weakening "our institutional impact [and] harming the long-term image, reputation and role of the EESC," but has so far refrained from publicly calling on Krawczyk to withdraw his candidacy.
Following OLAF's investigation, the European Parliament postponed approval of the EESC's budget by several months and requested the institution "duly inform" lawmakers "before September 2020 on the measures taken in order to follow up OLAF's recommendations and to rectify the wrongdoings."
On April 28, an advisory committee made up of six members from the three groups in the EESC issued recommendations for the potential disciplinary measures against Krawczyk. These findings, which have been shared with some EESC members but have not been made public, will be discussed at Tuesday's meeting of the bureau, which brings together the institution's leaders and some ordinary members who are set to vote on whether to adopt the disciplinary measures.
Krawczyk on Thursday criticized the advisory committee and its recommendations and said they should be annulled.
In Thursday's letter, sent to members of the EESC's employers' group, he questioned the legal basis of the committee's work and said it was "incomprehensible that, without guaranteed legitimacy … [the advisory committee] recommends to the EESC President the adoption of very extreme sanctions."
He also criticized the advisory committee for concluding that his behavior "was deemed to constitute harassment in its simple capacity as consultative body."
The EESC's employers' group will meet on Friday afternoon for an extraordinary meeting to "discuss the procedures against the president of employers' group," according to an agenda seen by POLITICO.
EESC spokesperson Daniela Vincenti declined to comment on the advisory committee's recommendations or potential disciplinary measures against Krawczyk.
"The issue is on the agenda of the EESC bureau, as foreseen by the rules of procedure. The EESC has until the 17th of July to respond to OLAF and until September to respond to the European Parliament. The procedure is still ongoing and hence I am not in the position to disclose any details," she said.
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By Jacopo Barigazzi
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By Laurens Cerulus
By Laurens Cerulus and	Cornelius Hirsch
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text:
Labourer, 19, Jailed For Defilement
Kojo Francis, a 19-year-old labourer, was sentenced to seven years� imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court after he pleaded guilty to defiling a 13-year-old girl. Kojo Francis, who was sentenced on his own plea, prayed the court, presided over by Ms Sedina Agbemava, for leniency. The facts of the case as presented by the prosecuting officer ASP Veronica Ofei are that the complainant is a trader, who lives with the victim while the accused person lives at Chokor, a suburb of Accra. She said the labourer undertook errands for the trader and noted that on March 6, 2014, the labourer asked the victim to accompany him to Nsutam in the Eastern Region. According to her, the accused person asked the victim to wait for him at Kaneshie, which she did and they travelled to Nsutam. Furthermore, she said the accused person returned the following day to Accra without the victim and left her in the care of his brother, who arrived at Kaneshie the next day with the victim. The prosecutor noted that while the trader was frantically looking for the victim after her arrival, the labourer secretly sent her to a hotel called Nordsec at Korle-Gonno where he spent the night with her. In addition, he stated that the following morning, the accused person left the victim for work. She went for a stroll and was spotted by a man who knew that she had been declared missing. The prosecutor noted that the said man reported the matter to the complainant and the accused person was transported home, adding that during questioning, the accused person said he had sex with her on two occasions. In addition, she stated that the case was consequently reported to the police and the accused person was arrested while a form was issued to her to visit the hospital for medical examination. The police said the accused person was arraigned before court after investigations.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The sun, the surf, the tacos…. The colder the weather gets, the more we long for lazy Rockaway Beach summer days. Like so many New Yorkers, we were deeply saddened the destruction Sandy wrought in The Rockaways.
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Click here to purchase Long Rock Rockaway tote bags and t-shirts.


text:
import React from 'react';
import Title from 'react-title-component';

import CodeExample from '../../../CodeExample';
import PropTypeDescription from '../../../PropTypeDescription';
import MarkdownElement from '../../../MarkdownElement';

import toolbarReadmeText from './README';
import toolbarExampleSimpleCode from '!raw!./ExampleSimple';
import ToolbarExampleSimple from './ExampleSimple';

import toolbarCode from '!raw!material-ui/Toolbar/Toolbar';
import toolbarText from './Toolbar';
import toolbarGroupCode from '!raw!material-ui/Toolbar/ToolbarGroup';
import toolbarGroupText from './ToolbarGroup';
import toolbarSeparatorCode from '!raw!material-ui/Toolbar/ToolbarSeparator';
import toolbarSeparatorText from './ToolbarSeparator';
import toolbarTitleCode from '!raw!material-ui/Toolbar/ToolbarTitle';
import toolbarTitleText from './ToolbarTitle';

const description = 'An example Toolbar demonstrating the use of the available sub-components, and including a ' +
  'number of other Material-UI components, such as [Drop Down Menu](/#/components/dropdown-menu), [Font Icon]' +
  '(/#/components/font-icon), [Icon Menu](/#/components/icon-menu) and [Raised Button](/#/components/raised-button) .';

const ToolbarPage = () => (
  <div>
    <Title render={(previousTitle) => `Toolbar - ${previousTitle}`} />
    <MarkdownElement text={toolbarReadmeText} />
    <CodeExample description={description} code={toolbarExampleSimpleCode}>
      <ToolbarExampleSimple />
    </CodeExample>
    <PropTypeDescription code={toolbarCode} header={toolbarText} />
    <PropTypeDescription code={toolbarGroupCode} header={toolbarGroupText} />
    <PropTypeDescription code={toolbarSeparatorCode} header={toolbarSeparatorText} />
    <PropTypeDescription code={toolbarTitleCode} header={toolbarTitleText} />
  </div>
);

export default ToolbarPage;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
What is the Alliance
B.B. Warfield Memorial Lecture
Friday: This Poor Sheep
By James Boice
Theme: Living an Upright Life
In this last section of Psalm 119, we are reminded of our own need as poor sheep, and learn how the Lord will answer our prayers to supply what we lack.
Scripture: Psalm 119:169-176
In the last verses of Psalm 119, the psalmist lists what he lacks unless God is his shepherd. He is lacking in five areas, including understanding, salvation or deliverance, and the ability to worship God rightly, which we have already covered. In today's study, we conclude with points four and five.
4. Power to live an upright life (vv. 173, 174). The next two verses might be seen as asking God's help in dealing with his enemies. But if the writer is thinking along spiritual lines, as I have been suggesting, then when he prays, "May your hand be ready to help me" (v. 173), what he is probably thinking of is power to obey the "precepts" and "law" of God which he, in fact, mentions next (vv. 173, 174).
How are we going to live an upright life? Not by our own power or determination certainly. The Apostle Paul knew the futility of that, which is why he wrote, "I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin….For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do.... I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature....What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Rom. 7:14, 15, 18, 24). Thankfully, Paul knew the answer to his own question. Do we? The answer is, "Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (v. 25). Clearly, if we really believed that we are unable to live for God by ourselves and yet really wanted to do it, we would come to God for help, as Paul does. We would pray, "Lord, help me to live an upright life."
5. Strength to persevere (v. 175). And we would keep on praying, for we would want to do it not just for the present moment, but to our life's end. We would pray as the psalmist, "Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me" (v. 175).
We have been looking at what the psalmist means when he ends this great psalm by calling himself a lost sheep. In a sense, he has been anticipating the teaching of Jesus, who said, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Nothing does not mean a little something. It means nothing, nothing at all. Yet all is not hopeless since, although in ourselves we can do nothing, it is also true that, as Paul said, "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13).
I think the psalmist is telling us this as he gets to the very end. For although he has described himself as lost, a lost sheep, and although he has confessed his need for understanding, deliverance, right worship, an upright way of life and perseverance, and although he even needs God to seek him since he will never find the way to God himself, nevertheless, he remains God's "servant" (v. 176). A poor, lost, weak, sinful, yes, even an unprofitable servant (Luke 17:10), but still a servant of God. And even though he has not been able to keep God's commandments well, he has not forgotten them and knows that he will yet keep them—by the grace and power of his Master.
What a great blessing! And what a blessing for us if we, like the psalmist, are also God's servants. Charles Bridges wrote, "I cannot forbear to plead, that although a rebellious prodigal, I am still thy servant, thy child. I still bear the child's mark of an interest in thy covenant.... Let me then lie humbled and self-abased. But let me not forget my claim—what he has done for me."1
The meaning of these last two verses has been captured in a stanza by Richard Mant, an author cited by Charles Spurgeon in The Treasury of David:
Though like a sheep estranged I stray,
Yet have I not renounced thy way.
Thine hand extend; thine own reclaim;
Grant me to live, and praise thy name.2
When Jonah was praying from inside the great fish, he summarized what he had learned of God by saying, "Salvation comes from the LORD" (Jonah 2:9). That was an important lesson, and it is the last important teaching of this psalm. What does the shepherd do with such weak, sinful and helpless people as ourselves? Jesus said that when the sheep are lost the shepherd hunts until he finds them (Luke 15:3-7). Indeed, he said of his own mission, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10).
1Charles Bridges, Psalm 119: An Exposition (Edinburgh, Scotland, and Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1977), p. 480.
2Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, vol. 3a, Psalms 111-119 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1968), p. 440.
Study Questions:
Identify the spiritual level of verses 173 and 174.
What does the image of the lost sheep anticipate?
Where does salvation come from? What are some implications of that in terms of our view of God and of ourselves?
Application: In what ways do you struggle to live an upright life? Ask the Lord for grace to be more holy in these areas. Praise the Lord for evidences of the sanctifying work of his Spirit within you.
Key Point: What does the shepherd do with such weak, sinful and helpless people as ourselves? Jesus said that when the sheep are lost the shepherd hunts until he finds them.
For Further Study: Download and listen for free to Donald Barnhouse's message from Romans 8, "Sheep That Conquer." (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.
Biblical Exposition
The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.
More books by James Boice
© 2021 Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Inc.


Being locked in our locked out in a particular place can be experienced by a lot of people. The security whether at home or office is being compromised because of these lock problems. The good thing is, there is reliable company in New Port Richey, FL that can help you out of those bothersome troubles fast. Our locksmith professionals can get any job done anytime as we have them available to you 24 hours a day 7 days a week. With them are a complete range of tools and highly advanced methods.
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Ozone disinfectant is a multipurpose cleaning system engineered for various tasks like air cleaning, odor neutralization, water refreshing, and even food detoxification. Although Ozone disinfectant might look too small and compact for proper ozone generation, it has nothing to do with its power as it is able to produce 400 milligram of ozone per hour, which comparable to other models from standard category. However, this is just enough to kill microbes, destroy fungi, terminate viruses, and stop toxins as well as odors from poisoning the air in enclosed indoor areas.
Ozone disinfectant brings advanced chemical detoxification to the table utilizing the power of active oxygen. The end results are completely incomparable to simple fruit and vegetables water washing allowing you to get original taste and absolute safety.
Raw tap water and chemical cleaners used for dishware and dinnerware unfortunately do not dissipate without a trace sometimes leaving residues or scurf behind. Ozone disinfectant assures complete neutralization of those as well as the leftover bacteria or viruses.
Thanks to its compact size this unit easily fits in any environment terminating odors and refreshing air in basements, wardrobes, washrooms, kennels, refrigerators, and so on.
Harmful contaminants and microorganisms in the air indoors are destroyed on the molecular level in ozone-infused environment.
Using ozonized water for washing will keep your underwear as well as other cloth sanitary clean.
Processed water can be used as a natural refresher for your skin. On top of that, using this water for teeth brushing also prevents microbes from spreading within your oral cavity.
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Timing: 10', 15', 20', 30', 60', 90'.


text:
Glomma, též Glåma je řeka v jižním Norsku. Je to jedna z nejdelších řek na Skandinávském poloostrově a nejdelší a největší v Norsku. Je 623 km dlouhá. Rozloha povodí činí 42 441 km². Odvodňuje 13 % území Norska.

Průběh toku
Řeka pramení v jezeře Aursunden u Rørosu v Trøndelagu protéká Østerským údolím a vlévá se do Oslofjordu (Skagerrak) u Fredrikstadu. Pod jezerem Øyeren vytváří vodopády Vammafoss (výška 31 m) a Sarpsfoss (výška 21 m). Hlavním přítokem je Vorma, která odvádí vody z jezera Mjøsa a ústí do řeky Glomma u Nes. Lågen je hlavní zdrojnicí jezera Mjøsa, sbírá vody z Gudbrandského údolí a významně zvyšuje množství vod v Glommě.

Vodní stav
Nejvyšších vodních stavů dosahuje na jaře a na začátku léta, kdy se hladina zvedá až o 8,3 m. Průměrný roční průtok vody na dolním toku se pohybuje mezi 400 až 440 m³/s.

Využití
Řeka protéká oblastmi s velkou lesnatostí, a z toho důvodu tradičně řekou s největším plavením dřeva v Norsku. Okolo vodopádů byly vybudované splavné kanály Velké množství surovin, dostupná vodní energie a snadná přeprava umožnila během mnoha staletí vybudovat podél řeky rozvinutý průmysl. Některé z největších norských výrobních a zpracovatelských podniků byly založeny kolem ústí, kde mají dostatek dřeva, vodní energie a výborným zázemím pro vývoz. Řeka je splavná k vodopádům Saprsfoss a i výše na oddělených úsecích.

Horní hranice obhospodařování je v povodí Glommy různá. Nejčastěji sahá do nadmořské výšky 500 m (např. v Østerském údolí), což je o trochu méně než v Gudbrandském údolí, kde je teplejší podnebí.

Horní hranice lesa, se světlými porosty bříz, vystupuje do výšek kolem 900 metrů (3000 feet) v Østerském údolí. Nad Rørosem se lesní porosty omezují pouze na dna údolí.

Horní údolí řek mají osobitá jména, nesou charakteristické stopy po dřívějších rozdílných tradicích, což charakterizuje stavební styl, tradiční oděvy a kroje (bunad), domácí řemesla a jiné reálie. Horním údolím Glommy je Østerské údolí (= východní údolí). Pro horní tok Glommy je používán výše uvedený název Glåma.

Poznámky

Literatura
  Scandinavia; An Introductory Geography, by Brian Fullerton & Alan Williams, Praeger Publishers, 1972.

Externí odkazy

Řeky v Norsku
Geografie Trøndelagu
Geografie Innlandetu
Geografie Vikenu
Přítoky Kattegatu

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Hai Bo Wang Menu
About Hai Bo
Paradise Circus – The Sky of Mei Mei (Part I)
Posted July 23rd, 2012 by Hai Bo Wang & filed under Personal.
Photo Credit to
Sean Mollitt/fotau.com
The Sky of Mei Mei
The First Story of Paradise Circus *
Preamble: When we migrate to unknown lands, we are blinded by the beauty of fairy tales and mirages! We are naive to dream that there we will surely have the things we miss on earth: security, freedom and happiness. We are bold enough to go through the space between earth and heaven, to enter into a place we always believed to be without demons, pain, nor tears, only to find out that Paradise is a noisy CIRCUS … Despite this grand disappointment and disillusion, HOPE, whoever retains it, lifts him, or her, from falling…
The Sky of Mei Mei – (1) The New Land
"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." ― Victor Hugo
Mei Mei, a petite 13 year-old girl, followed her mother and the crowd into P.E. Trudeau airport in Montréal, Canada.
They arrived as tired and roughed as the seventh huge and clumsy suitcases bound with layers of transparent plastic. With Mei Mei watching over the numerous extra small bags, tiny mom dragged each big piece off the luggage conveying belt when they arrived. Two hours of fussing about and waiting after 27 hours not sleeping much on the upright narrow seats and endless idling around at stop-overs in airports, Mei Mei and mom could barely stand. Mei Mei was so exhausted that she could drop dead asleep on the spot, regardless.
Dad was waiting. Three of them exchanged silent greetings without any body contact and hurried into Daddy's rusted grey car. To where? Mei Mei had no idea.
Their flight was the last, and so were they, driving lonely on the high way 720. It was 1:30 in the morning…
The deep plain February winter of Montreal, with its vast expanse of snow took Mei Mei's breath away. She came from Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province in the southwest of China, a blessed place which earns its beautiful name as Spring City. She had never seen real snow in her life, the only recalls of winter was the Camellia Japonica which extend their glamorous exotic and sexy petals with various rich, noble colours from January to March.
Goose feathers fell silently from the dark infinite sky onto the front window and piled up on both sides of the wind shields.
Mom was numb and quiet , dad's mind drifted away intermittently with the flying snow, only the wipers accompanied them loyally with dry squeaks, the rhythm of which kept their hearts beating, and led the car running into an unknown black hole of mute void.
The large thick snow flakes only seen on photos or in movies awed Mei Mei and goose bumps crept into her skin! She was so excited that her drowsiness magically disappeared. One moment, she was in a dream or a movie, or her memory of the familiar soft and warm winter in Kunming with the Camellias swirling around like the skirts of Spanish Flamenco dancers, another, she came back to this strange yet exciting, distant yet truly present reality at the sight of her motionless mom and dad sitting side by side in the front.
Daddy had already been in Montréal since October 2003, for about 4 months, in order to take care of the basic needs when Mei Mei and her mom would arrive. He rented a two-bedroom apartment for $400, and paid $65 per month for utilities. At the current exchange rate, $465 was equal to about 3,100 RMB, which was about the total salary for the couple, his wife making RMB 1,500 as a chief of a technical department of a state-owned company and himself RMB 2,500 as chief of a university research institute in China. With years of accumulated savings, they would be fine for the first four or five years in Montreal, even without having any revenue.
Their car stopped on a narrow lane in-between two rolls of plexes in a city called Verdun.
Arriving at their home in Verdun, slightly South West of Montréal Island, the scene disappointed Mei Mei as she saw the weird style of apartment called double salon, where the master bedroom is open to the sitting room.
Their home in China was not as extraordinarily huge as those of some of her classmates, but at least there she had her own room, and it was as large as the bedroom and sitting-room here put together! To the Chinese in China, whose country is new and most buildings were constructed after 1995, the crappy 6-plex at Verdun built around beginning of 20th century, made them feel as though they had come to a very "backward" place.
As a young Chinese girl, Mei Mei had no knowledge of the age of the 6-plex which is linked with many other plexes. She did not know that they were town houses in the immediate suburb, close to bus stops and subway stations designed and built for immigrants, workers and lower income Canadians. In China, the meaning of town houses has changed its connotation to trendy stylish houses for the upper class of Chinese society — the New Rich. She also never had any idea of its basement, where she saw the old cast-iron sewage pipes broken and "repaired" with Scotch Tape. Seeing all the shabby, dirty, and nearly falling apart furniture that her dad had picked up on the streets, Mei Mei burst into tears and dashed into the bathroom where she saw a broken toilet paper holder hanging on the wall from only one side.
It was not what the couple wanted for their only child who had always been spoiled by her grandparents and relatives. It was even less desirable for themselves, as they had reached their golden middle age, each having earned their comfortable and relatively well-paid permanent positions in China. They had set their feet onto one of the best countries in the world, dragging their pieces of heavy baggage to this "never-heard-of" before of Quebec, in the Northeast of the American continent!
For the mother, it was simply a nightmare. For the father, it seemed like the start of a scary dream in an extremely long night from which he did not know if he could ever wake up. He vaguely felt that he was falling into somewhere in-between without earth nor sky but dreams of colours and temptations. He started feeling regretful for having come here after 4 months, leaving Kunming and China behind, a place, though without dreams, yet at least full of warm sunshine even in winter, and no risk of getting frustrated over new challenges and adaptation, and losing in a strange country full of temptations and freedom that he didn't know how to handle.
Mei Mei's life started anyway, regardless of all the weirdly alienating feelings. She had to learn French, since Quebec is a French-speaking province of Canada and the 101 law passed on Aug. 26th, 1977 obliged almost all immigrants to go to French schools. She was among the earliest immigrant groups from Mainland China, who started landing in 2000. By 2003, Chinese from the mainland were still scarce and most Chinese people in the small Chinatown spoke Cantonese. To her surprise, the Chinese Han language is called Mandarin here and the meaning of China is connected with the fragile chinaware, the reasons for which she had absolutely no idea.
Mei Mei started her French Welcome Class. There were about 20 students, most of whom are East Europeans, actually Romanians.
The professor was very amicable and patient, especially to Mei Mie. Whenever Mei Mie had questions, she would come to her desk and asked nicely:
"Qu'est-ce que je peux faire pour toi, Mei Mei?"
Most of the time, Mei Mei was too shy to ask questions, and she didn't know how to. Seeing her classmates already speak quite well after a few months, she felt dumb and stupid that she was still fighting with herself about some pronunciation and grammars…Mei Mei had always been an excellent student in her class in China and this never happened to her. It was really hard for her to take easy the giggles of her classmates over her funny French. She would feel very embarrassed and frustrated, resulting in feeling inferior to the rest of the class. She didn't know that Romanian is one of the latin languages as French is, and the mandarin of Chinese is by no means close to any.
One long year went by. Mei Mei finished her Introductory French Welcome Class, with a still-awkward pronunciation and intonation of the French, taught by her professeure qui vient de la France, with a thick Chinese accent. Now in the normal school system, she had to adapt to the French of the Quebecois. She had to learn the "là, là" before starting a sentence, and to finish it with "ben oui, tarbanouche". Understanding this meant mastering the local language, with which she gained some recognition, respect, and comfortingly, a little confidence!
She began to make friends, even though they were only Chinese. Yet don't pears grow from the same tree? They spoke the same language, talked about the Chinese cartoons "Ne Zha -哪吒", "Hu Lu Wa – 葫芦娃", and were used to the nice piece of finishing music at the end of CCTV big time news at 19:30, heard during each every single night when they lived in China. They told each other how rich their parents were, and how big and nice their flats had been. They all complained to each other about how bad it was in Canada, and how stupid were the Quebecois! They sought some consolation by venting subconsciously, and restoring a tiny bit of their comfort and confidence by connecting to the mentality that had been their unconscious support before they left their own country. Among the "weird" language and "cold-hearted" people, the CCTV ending music became so soothingly pleasant to their souls that they enjoyed it immensely for the first time ever in their young lives.
Mei Mei was like a little pear tree that was uprooted and replanted in a far away place. When replanting a tree, you need to prepare the pit with fertilizer, and give enough water to make sure its roots quickly take hold of the earth and start absorbing nutrients for survival in the new environment. When Mei Mei's parents took her to Canada, they did not ask her for her opinion. As Chinese parents always think that their children have no idea about life, it is out of the question to ask for their opinion. Mei Mei came to Canada with no valid preparation, no parental guidance, and no friends at the beginning of the most dangerous adolescent age. The worst of all, she had been misled into thinking that Canada was an easy country with excellent social welfare, free schools, and nice people to blend in with, forgetting, or rather, not being conscious at all that moving to another country with a different mentality and culture would increase the danger for an adolescent girl. Yes, Quebec is a kind province where the provincial government provides free Cours de Francisation and subsidized English or vocational courses for new immigrants. But life is not only about one-sided will, neither is it only about food and roof, nor merely about schools to go to; it is more about how we can find our home for our soul.
For immigrants, it requires an extra effort of understanding and adapting into the existing system and its earlier arrivals' mentality, creating a hybrid culture that enriches this new country. It is especially true when Chinese culture and mentality remain among the most complicated and sophisticated, tangled with feudalism, socialism and the recent 25 years of capitalist influence. Immigration is about rediscovering our soul by blending into other cultures, and winning the battle by establishing a brand-new "mash-up" spirit for ourselves and for the new country, in this new land!
Paradise Circus – from Massive Attack's 2010 Heligoland album
The author uses "Paradise Circus" as the name for a collection of her short stories in which "The Sky of Mei Mei" is the first.
This short story is also published on Albertoforchielli.com and its Chinese version on his Cai Xin Website in China. It was also published on Chinese newspaper: Sino-Quebec Montreal in 2015.
–The Thunder Storm–
Tags: The Sky of Mei Mei
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© 2023 Hai Bo Wang.


text:
Entertainment Movies
Photo credit: Universal/Alliance
Jonathan Doyle - Sep 16
13 times things went very wrong on a movie set
These shocking behind-the-scenes mishaps will have you rethinking your favourite flicks.
Movie budgets have grown to mammoth proportions, but no matter how much money is spent, accidents are always bound to happen. While this collection of "mishaps" is by no means as permanent as the more severe injuries that occasionally occur on set, they've certainly resulted in their own share of pain…and embarrassment to some pretty well known stars.
The cast of The Eagle struggled with frigid Scottish temperatures, so they had warm water poured into their costumes in between takes. On one occasion, Channing Tatum's water was scalding hot, causing him to complain that it "pretty much burned the skin off" of an especially sensitive body part.Universal
During the first take Robert Pattinson ever filmed as Edward Cullen, he was asked to lift Kristen Stewart. Describing the resulting injury, Pattinson offered a relatively non-scientific break down: "I lifted Kristen, ripped my ass cheek, and had to get a bum massage."eOne
Snow White and the Huntsmen
Pattinson isn't the only actor to suffer an injury while working with Stewart. During the making of Snow White and the Huntsmen, she "accidentally" punched Chris Hemsworth in the face, giving her co-star a black eye.Universal
During most of his missions, James Bond remains miraculously unscathed, but actor Daniel Craig is a different story. During the Quantum of Solace shoot, one of his fingertips was sliced off, forcing doctors to use their most advanced gadgets to repair the damage.MGM
Die Another Day
Six years earlier, another Bond (Pierce Brosnan) showed some real life heroism when co-star Halle Berry choked on a piece of fruit. Using the Heimlich maneuver, he managed to save her, even if he couldn't salvage the love scene they were shooting at the time.MGM
Berry may hold the record for Most Frequently Injured Movie Star. During the shooting of Gothika, Robert Downey Jr. broke her arm during a scene that wasn't even considered risky. Berry also suffered serious injuries on the sets of The Call, Catwoman, and Cloud Atlas.Warner Bros
Dancing in high heels is never a good idea, but it's particularly dangerous when you're struggling to stay awake. Late one night during the making of Moulin Rouge, Nicole Kidman suffered a knee injury, resulting in a large leg cast and at least one unexpected perk for the actress: way more close-ups.Fox
Ever wonder why Brad Pitt's Mills is given an arm injury in the Seven script? It turns out this was a last minute decision, added after Pitt slipped and suffered a real injury while chasing John Doe in the rain.Alliance
Along Came Polly
As Ben Stiller learned during the making of Along Came Polly, ferrets do not work well with others. During one scene, Stiller's furry co-star attached himself to the actor's chin and refused to let ago, forcing Stiller to conclude his day with a Rabies shot.Universal
Ellen Burstyn earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in The Exorcist, but at least one shot required no real acting. When Burstyn is thrown across her daughter's bedroom, the look of pain on her face is completely real, as this fall caused a crippling back injury that has plagued the actress for over 40 years.Warner Bros.
George Clooney won an Oscar for his work in Syriana, but he almost missed the event thanks to the excruciating back injury he suffered on set. According to Clooney, the pain was so severe that he briefly considered taking his own life.Warner Bros.
While Tom Cruise emerged from The Last Samurai with no major injuries, at least one performer needed some recovery time. In one of the movie's epic battle scenes, an extra is visibly kicked in the groin…by a horse.Warner Bros.
While making Die Hard, Bruce Willis fired several guns full of extra loud blanks. Even without real bullets, he managed to do some permanent damage, losing two thirds of his hearing in one ear.Fox
Tags: channing tatum gallery halle berry nicole kidman


Backup cameras are increasingly common on most vehicles these days, and they are extremely helpful to the safety and security of all people. Make sure you know a little about backup cameras and check them out the next time you are in a vehicle that has one. You will be amazed by exactly how much these cameras work and by how many lives they save.
The cameras are on the back of a vehicle and literally film what is going on behind the vehicle in live time. That makes it easier to view what is happening without having to look behind your vehicle through the rear-view window yourself.
The backup camera is great both for avoiding running over anything that gets behind you and also for backing into a parking space or out of one. It is wonderful that technologies continue to grow like this and provide us with more opportunities to remain safe while on the road.


Most people nowadays know that a G.I. is an American soldier and that the term is popularly associated with the Second World War, but few know what the abbreviation G.I. originally stood for or that the term predates WWII by some decades.
[Lympe, England] is a large depot where machines are delivered for forwarding to France. 12 large hangers [sic], brick, G.I., about 75 ft wide by 150 ft long.
At 11 o'clock he started to drop G.I. cans into our woods.
Where eighty-eights and G.I.'s gently drop.
G.I. Joe wants to know if steel wool comes from hydraulic rams.
Some have interpreted G.I. as an abbreviation for general infantry. This is incorrect. General infantry has never been a term of art, officially or unofficially, in the U.S. Army.
Historical Dictionary of American Slang, v. 1, A-G, edited by Jonathan Lighter (New York: Random House, 1994), 888-90.


Scotland is famous for textiles and we have created some beautiful plaid accessories for your home in these fabrics.
Fabulous pillows made to measure in your choice of Scottish clan plaid or tweed. Choose from over 600 plaids and tweeds.
We have created a few very unique plaid accessories for your home this year. From our hand crafted plaid fire bellows to plaid blankets, bedlinen and pillows to a very cute plaid sofa pet.
To create an impressive table for dinner or a special occasion you cannot beat a striking plaid tablecloth and a set of plaid serviettes.


text:
Stephan Krüger (* 29. November 1988 in Rostock) ist ein ehemaliger deutscher Skullruderer. Er gewann 2009 den Weltmeistertitel im Doppelzweier und war 2015 deutscher Meister im Einer.

Leben
Stephan Krüger ist 1,88 m groß und startet für den Olympischen Ruderclub Rostock von 1956, er trainiert bei Ulf Krämer. Krüger gewann 2005 die Silbermedaille im Einer im Juniorenbereich. Bei den Junioren-Weltmeisterschaften 2006 gewann er die Bronzemedaille im Doppelzweier. 2007 wurde er U23-Weltmeister im Doppelvierer. 2008 wurde er bei der Deutschen Meisterschaft Dritter im Einer hinter Marcel Hacker und René Bertram. Die Meisterschaften dienten gleichzeitig als interne Olympiaqualifikation. Während Hacker für den Olympischen Einerwettbewerb nominiert wurde, nahmen Bertram und Krüger zusammen mit Christian Schreiber und Hans Gruhne im Doppelvierer an den Olympischen Spielen 2008 teil. Bei den Ruder-Weltmeisterschaften 2009 trat Krüger mit Eric Knittel im Doppelzweier an und gewann den Weltmeistertitel. Zwei Jahre später gewann Krüger zusammen mit Hans Gruhne die Silbermedaille bei den Weltmeisterschaften 2011, nachdem er zuvor mit Knittel bei den deutschen Meisterschaften gesiegt hatte. Nach einem neunten Platz mit Knittel bei den Olympischen Spielen 2012 belegte der Doppelzweier den vierten Platz bei den Europameisterschaften und den Weltmeisterschaften 2013. 2014 gewannen Krüger und Hans Gruhne die Bronzemedaille bei den Europameisterschaften und belegten den fünften Platz bei den Weltmeisterschaften. Nachdem Krüger bei den Deutschen Meisterschaften 2015 im Einer vor Marcel Hacker gewonnen hatte, versuchten sich die beiden gemeinsam im Doppelzweier. Sie gewannen den Weltcup-Auftakt in Bled und siegten dann auch bei den Europameisterschaften in Posen. Im Jahr darauf belegten sie bei den Europameisterschaften in Brandenburg an der Havel den zweiten Platz. Bei den Olympischen Spielen 2016 erreichten Hacker und Krüger den achten Platz.

2018 belegte er bei den deutschen Meisterschaften den zweiten Platz hinter Tim Ole Naske. Bei den internationalen Regatten startete er als Schlagmann des Doppelvierers. Zusammen mit Ruben Steinhardt, Philipp-André Syring und Hans Gruhne erreichte er bei den drei Weltcuprennen jeweils einen zweiten, dritten und vierten Platz. Bei den Ruder-Weltmeisterschaften 2018 kam der Doppelvierer auf den achten Platz. Nachdem Krüger bei den deutschen Meisterschaften 2019 wie im Vorjahr den zweiten Platz belegte, ruderte er den Rest der Saison mit Tim Ole Naske im Doppelzweier. Bei der Internationalen Wedau-Regatta setzten sie sich im DRV-internen Duell gegen Timo Piontek und Lars Hartig durch. Bei den Europameisterschaften 2019 verpassten Naske und Krüger den Einzug ins A-Finale. Anschließend konnten sie jedoch das B-Finale gewinnen. Im zweiten und dritten Weltcuplauf erzielten beide einen dritten und einen fünften Platz. Bei den Weltmeisterschaften qualifizierten sie den deutschen Männerdoppelzweier für die Olympischen Spiele 2020 mit einem zehnten Platz. Den elften Platz belegte er zusammen mit Marc Weber bei der olympischen Regatta in Tokio. Danach beendete er seine Leistungssportkarriere. 2022 trat er jedoch mit seinem Freund Kaspar Taimsoo beim zweiten Weltcup-Lauf an. Er trat dafür dem Viljandi Rowing Club bei und der Doppelzweier startete unter estnischer Nennung. Sie belegten den zehnten Gesamtplatz.

Internationale Erfolge
 2005: 2. Platz im Einer (Junioren-Weltmeisterschaften)
 2006: 3. Platz im Doppelzweier (Junioren-Weltmeisterschaften)
 2007: 1. Platz im Doppelvierer (U23-Weltmeisterschaften)
 2008: 6. Platz im Doppelvierer (Olympische Spiele)
 2009: 1. Platz im Doppelzweier (Weltmeisterschaften)
 2010: 6. Platz im Doppelzweier (Weltmeisterschaften)
 2011: 2. Platz im Doppelzweier (Weltmeisterschaften)
 2013: 4. Platz im Doppelzweier (Europameisterschaften)
 2013: 4. Platz im Doppelzweier (Weltmeisterschaften)
 2014: 3. Platz im Doppelzweier (Europameisterschaften)
 2014: 5. Platz im Doppelzweier (Weltmeisterschaften)
 2015: 1. Platz im Doppelzweier (Europameisterschaften)
 2015: 4. Platz im Doppelzweier (Weltmeisterschaften)
 2016: 2. Platz im Doppelzweier (Europameisterschaften)

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Ruderer (Deutschland)
Weltmeister (Rudern)
Europameister (Rudern)
Deutscher Meister (Rudern)
Olympiateilnehmer (Deutschland)
Teilnehmer der Olympischen Sommerspiele 2008
Teilnehmer der Olympischen Sommerspiele 2012
Teilnehmer der Olympischen Sommerspiele 2016
Teilnehmer der Olympischen Sommerspiele 2020
Deutscher
DDR-Bürger
Geboren 1988
Mann


I'm kind of a self-tanning addict. It really effects my confidence for the better when I'm washed in some color and these days there are so many fast-acting, natural-looking, easy-to-use options that don't smell. And I'm not just talking mousses (though I LOVE LOVE LOVE my St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse, which applies clear, barely smells, and requires no showering off!). There are a number of unique tanning products that will work to quickly give you a natural glow. Here are some standouts, all of which require zero precision (you don't even need a mirror…).
Dr. Gross' Alpha Beta Intense Glow Pad Self-Tanner for Face ($38) is the only tanning product I will use on my face. I just started using these two months ago and I'm totally addicted. I apply a wipe, in circular motion, every other day or every three days, and I wake up and my face is GLOWING. It looks so natural and while there's a light smell, it's not a bad one. I break out super easily and with these oil-free, exfoliating pads I never have to worry about that. In fact, they're helping fight my breakouts while imparting a glow. I'm so happy to have discovered these because it's the first time I can tan my face without worrying about how my skin will react!
For Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster ($32) all you do is drop a few drops of the golden booster into your balm and mix it with your moisturizer (or put some drops directly in your moisturizer) for an instant glow.
Stock up on Tarte Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Self Tanning Face Towelettes ($10) while you can because they're limited edition. Like Dr. Gross' wipes they're easy to apply and portable (perfect for travel). Don't forget your neck! Note, however, that if you have acne-prone skin do a patch test first because these are formulated with oil.
Sephora Collection always kills it. They make some of the best, affordable beauty products on the market and their Tinted-Self Tanning Body Mist ($18) is no exception. This mist is natural and easy to use – no mitt required – just spray and go! It dries fast, no sticky residue, and no color transfer. While the color develops over time it does apply a light color at first so you can see where you've applied it.


There are two hours on Friday when Duas are answered :One is when Imam e Juma has completed the sermon (Khutba) and the worshippers are prepared for Friday prayer.
The other is the last moments of Friday that is: " When half face of the sun is hidden."
O Allah, (please) bless Mohammad and the Household of Mohammad and hasten the re- appearance of Your Hujjat (atfs).


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text:
Chinatown building blasted apart by 'bug bombs' violated subdivision rules, used illegal gas and plumbing lines
By Jeane MacIntosh
July 12, 2013 | 3:33pm
DIGGING: Firefighters search for victims in a section of the building that collapsed in yesterday's blast. Paul Martinka
The Chinatown building blasted apart by pesticide bombs had been illegally subdivided and was using illegal gas and plumbing lines, city building officials said.
The slipshod structure at 17 Pike Street — which went up in a fiery explosion just before 1 p.m. yesterday, injuring at least nine people — has been ordered emptied of all tenants.
"A full vacate order was issued for the property due to the presence of illegal conversions in the building," said Dept. of Buildings spokeswoman Kelly Magee.
DOB inspectors found illegal partitions that compromised exits on the second through fifth floors of the five-story prewar building, according to a newly-filed complaint, which also cited the exploding bug bombs as causing the partial collapse of the structure.
The investigation also revealed "illegal plumbing work and gas lines" in the "shaking/vibrating" building, which houses a beauty parlor and bus company on the ground floor, and is listed as an "18 family dwelling" in city records.
It is unclear how many people were living in the building, or how many subdivided apartments there were. But the Red Cross yesterday had 61 people from 17 Pike – 46 adults and 15 children – register for emergency assistance.
Owner Mary Shiu, who lives in Princeton Junction, NJ, was issued a violation for work without a permit, installation of the illegal partitions and the plumbing and gas lines.
The exploded pesticide canisters, known as foggers, were found in the building's Piao Liang Ren Sheng Beauty Salon.
The cans "blew out a load-bearing wall" in the five-story prewar structure, a source said.
The blast caused the back of the first floor to collapse.
Resident Wang Xiao told investigators she put out 24 of the bug bombs on Wednesday but they didn't do the trick.
So she put out another 24 yesterday and left them unattended. Aerosol from the canisters is believed to have ignited on a pilot light, the source said.
Three victims were in critical condition, and four were in serious condition at two hospitals late Thursday, authorities said. Two firefighters were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Assistant Fire Chief Robert Boyce yesterday told The Post that the building had fire-code violations.
"We did have existing code violations for this building, and we are looking into that," Boyce said, declining to elaborate.
The building owners were last cited in 2009 for working without permits and failure to maintain the building, records show.
Inspectors ordered the building evacuated in January 2009 after it was found unsafe and shaking. Residents were allowed to return in March that year.
That same year, floors were found rotted and in danger of collapse. There was also a lack of fire-stopping material. The complaints were resolved, records show.
At the scene last night, owwner Shiu's husband, Thomas, claimed, "Everything is fine…Everything is under control. We handled everything."
But tenants said they have long complained of bad wiring and water leaks, as well as general disrepair.
Con Ed turned off gas and power to the building as a precaution but did not know whether there had been a gas leak.
The FDNY's Boyce said the fire ripped through the first floor and spread to the second and third.
The blast caused part of the first-floor mezzanine to collapse, he said.
The Red Cross said 34 adults and seven kids from the building's apartments registered for emergency help.
"I was sitting down watching TV when I heard what sounded like a bomb. I thought the roof was falling down, and I yelled, 'Oh, s–t,' " recalled John Sua, 24, manager of Brothers Bus Line.
"The Fire Department came right away, and I saw them carry a boy around 12 years old out. He was bleeding from the back, but he was moving."
Tsz Kan Cheung, 65, who was eating lunch in Unit 4D, said, "It felt like an earthquake shaking the building. The wall was cracking behind me.
"I saw one woman run out after me. The skin in her leg was gone. She just sat on the street outside, and when I asked her how she was, she couldn't talk."
Additional reporting by Lorena Mongelli, Kirstan Conley and Gillian Kleiman
Fire slays daughter-in-law of late Bronx powerbroker, 3 ot...
Steph Curry has perfect response after trolls shade Ayesha's dance moves Steph Curry has perfect response after trolls shade Ayesha's dance moves
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck shared a bank account in high school Matt Damon and Ben Affleck shared a bank account in high school
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck shared a bank account in high school


The quarterback revealed he wanted to transfer if he didn't play in the national championship game.
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa revealed that he wanted to transfer from Alabama if he didn't play in the national championship game, according to Hawaii News Now.
Tagovailoa told this to a group of students on Thursday while visiting his former middle school in his hometown of Ewa Beach.
"I called my dad and asked him if my offer to the University of Southern California was still available," Tagovailoa said. "I wanted to leave. I told my dad I wanted to go to a school where I thought it'd be easier for me and wouldn't challenge me so much."
Tagovailoa's parents encouraged him to stay at Alabama and persevere. The quarterback said he continued to be frustrated as he sat on the bench this season while starter Jalen Hurts played.
"Even throughout my football season, I wasn't the starter," Tagovailoa said. "I wanted to leave the school. So I told myself if I didn't play in the last game, which was the national championship game, I would transfer out. If I gave in, I don't think I would have seen the end blessing of where I am now."
Florida Atlantic head coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said in January that there was "no doubt" Tagovailoa would've left if he hadn't played in the national championship.
Sticking it out for the title game against Georgia worked out for Tagovailoa. He entered the game in the second half with a 13-point deficit after Nick Saban benched Hurts. Tagovailoa led Alabama to a 26-23 win in overtime.


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VALUE FOUR SESSION PASS to Term 4: The Messy Paint and Play Playtime.
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You may attend any Messy Paint and Play Playtime Session you like in term time. Please be sure to book via phone or message prior to the day.


A rhinoplasty can be performed using incisions inside the nostrils (closed rhinoplasty), or by making a small opening through the columella (open rhinoplasty). Dr. Roger J. Oldham in Bethesda, MD, is a renowned board-certified plastic surgeon who prefers the benefits of a closed technique. Knowing the difference between a closed vs. open rhinoplasty can help you determine which procedure is better suited for your needs. As a member of the prestigious Aesthetic Society of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Oldham has a reputation in the community for delivering exceptional results for our patients. Because of his extensive expertise and experience, he is also widely recognized as one of the foremost plastic surgeons in the area.
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text:
<?php

if (!defined('BASEPATH')) {
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}

class Profile extends KS_Controller {

    public function index()
    {
        $this->checkAccess();

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        $this->setData('countries', $this->countryRepo->findAll());

        if ($post = $this->input->post()) {
            if (empty($post['email'])) {
                $this->setData('alert', array(
                    'mode'    => 'warning',
                    'message' => 'Bitte füllen Sie alle Pflichtfelder aus.'
                ));
            } else if ((!empty($post['password']) || !empty($post['passwordRetype'])) && $post['password'] !== $post['passwordRetype']) {
                $this->setData('alert', array(
                    'mode'    => 'warning',
                    'message' => 'Passwörter stimmen nicht überein.'
                ));
            } else {
                $user->setEmail($post['email']);
                $user->setFirstname($post['firstname']);
                $user->setLastname($post['lastname']);
                $user->setAddress($post['address']);
                $user->setZip($post['zip']);
                $user->setPlace($post['place']);
                if ($country = $this->countryRepo->find($post['country'])) {
                    $user->setCountry($country);
                }
                if (!empty($post['password'])) {
                    $user->setPassword($post['password']);
                }
                $this->em->persist($user);
                $this->em->flush();
                redirect('/profile/success');
            }
        }

        $this->renderScripts();
        $this->renderStyles();

        $this->load->view('template/head', $this->getData());
        $this->load->view('profile', $this->getData());
        $this->load->view('template/foot', $this->getData());
    }

    public function success()
    {
        $this->setData('alert', array(
            'mode'    => 'success',
            'message' => 'Profil erfolgreich bearbeitet.'
        ));
        $this->index();
    }

}


If you knew you were going to die on Friday, what would you tell your spouse, children, parents, and friends? What last words would you leave them? This is the situation in which we find Jesus. He is in a conversation with His disciples giving them His last words. Last words are important because they convey what is most important to the person dying. Therefore, those words are usually best remembered. So Jesus instructs His disciples to walk and believe in the light.
Light is a prominent motif in the gospel of John. In John 1:5, John wrote concerning Jesus, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Jesus had said concerning Himself in John 8:12, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Light is used figuratively to represent righteousness and therefore life. Darkness, which is sin or unrighteousness, leads to death; but, righteousness leads to life. Since God is life, Jesus is logically the Light of the world.
For three years, it was easy for the disciples to walk in light because they had been literally walking with the Light of the world, Jesus Christ. But now He urges them to continue to walk in the light, because with His departure walking in light will not be as easy. He does not want, with His leaving, for sin to overtake His disciples. We are all prone to walk in darkness because we are by nature sinful people, but now, through Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection, we can step out of darkness into the light.
Are you walking in the light? What excuses have you given for not walking in the light? Are you using your own salvation as an excuse to walk in darkness? (If so, read Romans 6:15-19.) How does Jesus' death for you on the cross compel you to continue to walk with Him?
As we think about His last words, let us also remember what Jesus said earlier in His ministry in John 3:19-21. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.


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Health and Care Leaders in Cheshire Partner With Qlik to Help Solve Population Health Challenges
Qlik has partnered with health and care leaders in Cheshire to develop predictive tools, which enable frontline staff to better identify and support patients at highest risk of health deterioration
London – Qlik has partnered with health and care leaders in Cheshire to develop predictive tools, which enable frontline staff to better identify and support patients at highest risk of health deterioration.
A fundamental aspect of the NHS Long Term Plan, Population Health – an approach aimed at improving physical and mental health, promoting wellbeing and reducing health inequalities across an entire population – marks the move towards more preventative care, particularly for those who are frail or live with long-term conditions. In Cheshire, this approach is supported by the use of digital technology and Qlik Data Analytics Platform predictive analytics.
"Our local population is increasing and the profile of health needs is changing," said Andy McGivern, Associate Director of Business Intelligence (BI) for the Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Groups and BI lead for Cheshire West Integrated Care Partnership. "Better use of data and technology has the power to improve health, transforming the quality and reducing the cost of health and care services. Our work with Qlik can give people more control over their health and wellbeing, empower carers, reduce the administrative burden for care professionals and support the development of new medicines and treatments."
Qlik's implementation has been overseen by the newly-created BI board, whose remit will be to leverage software and services to transform data into actionable insights that will inform strategic decisions. The board was created as part of a drive by Cheshire West Integrated Care Partnership to use the power of data to shift population health management from a theoretical solution into a powerful tool for use in the daily work of frontline health and care staff. The BI board will also be responsible for the creation of Digital Patient Registries and bespoke risk stratification algorithms – a first step in the creation of a Population Health Portal.
"By using Qlik technology to create clear and actionable risk stratification systems, our teams have been energised by the knowledge that they're quickly able to spot patients whose conditions are not being optimally managed," said Dr Andy McAlavey, Medical Director for NHS West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group. "This, alongside the ability to investigate and manage cohorts of patients we rarely interact with, is providing our staff with the tools that will provide the best possible care to our patients."
Resource and time-poor frontline health and care staff need tools that can help quickly identify the patients at highest risk. Using Qlik enables staff to segment their population based on risk of hospital admission and quickly spot patients whose conditions aren't being optimally managed. Personalised care plans, which support people who have, or are at risk of, developing long-term health conditions also help to equip people with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing, e.g. being smoke free, eating well, staying active and taking care of your mental health.
"With the CCGs across Cheshire merging in April 2020, we've been given an exciting opportunity to revisit best practise within a new single Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group," said Dr Teresa Strefford, Executive Clinical Director, Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group. "Implementing Qlik technology to create powerful risk stratification systems has furnished us with a powerful tool to quickly identify the patients at highest risk. We look forward to equipping GP practises across Cheshire with this new technology – through proactive care and identification of the right patients, both clinical teams and patients will see a positive impact."
"We are proud to be helping Cheshire health and care professionals understand population health from both a strategic and tactical level, said Sean Price, EMEA Director of Industry Solutions, Public Sector & Healthcare at Qlik. "The pressure on our healthcare system continues to increase with growing demand and risk, combined with acute resource restraints. Now, more than ever, innovative leaders need to realise that data analytics provides the key to transforming ways of working to sustain and improve the services delivered to the public."
Qlik's vision is a data-literate world, one where everyone can use data to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. Only Qlik offers end-to-end, real-time data integration and analytics solutions that help organizations access and transform all their data into value. Qlik helps companies lead with data to see more deeply into customer behavior, reinvent business processes, discover new revenue streams, and balance risk and reward. Qlik does business in more than 100 countries and serves over 50,000 customers around the world.


Join veterinary teams around the world as they undertake groundbreaking operations to try to save animals' lives. Find out how pioneering human medicine is transforming ways to look after animals in some of the most remote places on earth. Witness dramatic stories of ingenuity, invention and dedication.
Witness extreme dentistry on a five-ton elephant. Find out if a remarkable invention can help a dolphin swim again. And see a Galapagos tortoise receive keyhole surgery.
earth. Witness dramatic stories of ingenuity, invention and dedication.
orangutan's micro-surgery to try to restore her sight and her freedom.
Learn whether an ingenious idea could help save giant pandas, and if an operation deep in the jungle can transform the life of a young gorilla. Watch as an elephant with a gunshot wound makes an extraordinary journey.
Today, researchers are discovering that some creatures have mastered skills purportedly restricted to humans. Many are bird brains. Meet a cockatoo with a talent for picking locks; a wild crow on a mission to solve an eight-step puzzle; and a tame raven who can solve a puzzle box so quickly that his performance has to be captured with high-speed photography. Are these skills really evidence of high intelligence or just parlor tricks, the result of training and instinct? To find out, NOVA tests the limits of some of the planet's brainiest animals, searching for the secrets of a problem-solving mind.


Hand-dyed Crinkle Rayon warps by Kathrin Weber of Blazing Shuttles.
This yarn wraps tightly at approx 28 wpi. For a balanced weave sett at approx 14 epi. For a weave that showcases the warp, sett at 16 to 18 epi. The warps are originally wound generously in a longer length than listed. The length indicated here is approx length after the shrinkage from the dye process.


News Around the Kingdom: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Intelligent Life's GWEN wishes everyone Happy Holidays!
And, as the year 2016 draws rapidly to a close, Brian reminds us with this Hi and Lois Sunday page from 1997 to be grateful for all of our blessings and, as a wonderful way to give back, to actively support as many charitable causes as we are able.
Hi and Lois Sunday page, December 28, 1997.
Dan Piraro gives everyone an extra dose of his ever-wacky Bizarro view of the world with bonus cartoons sprinkled throughout this week's blog post.
And this week's Bizarro blog post is titled "House Guests." What's up with that?
And, from all of us at ComicsKingdom.com, best wishes to everyone for a very Happy Healthy New Year. Have a great week and see you again next time on the first Friday of 2017!


text:
Q: C# WPF Нужно что то вроде TextBox содержащий в себе ComboBox Пните в нужную сторону пожалуйста, от количества перерытой информации уже голова начинает болеть, видимо не могу правильно сформулировать вопрос и поэтому не знаю где искать. Работаю с DataGrid, нужен столбец со строками в которые можно вводить текст (тот же TextBox), и снизу должен выпать список с наиболее подходящими под описание item'ами (тот же ComboBox). К примеру имеется некий условный список item'ов для ComboBox, (саморез 3.5х50, саморез 3.5х51, болт 8х55) Я ввожу в строку "саморез" и снизу выпадает список с любыми ближайшими совпадениями скажем item'ов на 5 (образно) после чего можно выбрать любой вариант и он занесется в строку. В DataGrid есть столбец DataGridTextColumn и DataGridComboBoxColumn как бы мне их правильно совместить чтобы получить вышеописанный результат? Или возможно есть другой способ реализации?

A: Думаю, что вам следует переопределить Template у ячейки. Сделать это можно вот так:
         <DataGrid>
            <DataGrid.Columns>
               <DataGridTemplateColumn>
                  <DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
                     <DataTemplate>
                        <ComboBox IsTextSearchEnabled="True"/>
                     </DataTemplate>
                  </DataGridTemplateColumn.CellTemplate>
               </DataGridTemplateColumn>
            </DataGrid.Columns>
         </DataGrid>

UPD
И вот ComboBox можете настроить по примеру, который указал в комментариях  tym32167

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Staying with the brand
Jerusalem Waldorf Astoria general manager Guy Klaiman loves his hotel because it proves that Israel can compete with the rest of the world in hotel luxury, quality and service.
Guy Klaiman, the general manager of the Jerusalem Waldorf Astoria. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Long before the advent of the global village – in the days when employees were company men and women, staying with the one employer for at least half of their working lives – people in the hospitality business led a nomadic existence.
These days, it's still nomadic, with chefs moving from one restaurant to another and hotel staff moving not only from hotel to hotel, but from city to city and country to country.
It's not just the geography that changes; it's also the employer, with hotel staff moving from one chain to another.
There are exceptions to the rule, and even though the geography may change from time to time, the employer remains constant. Within the parameters of that exception is Guy Klaiman, the general manager of the Jerusalem Waldorf Astoria, which opened its doors to the public just a little more than two years ago.
Klaiman is a company man who has spent a quarter of a century working for the same brand, albeit not always in the same hotel or even the same country. He started out in 1991 with the Tel Aviv Hilton. In 1993 he was transferred to what was then the Jerusalem Hilton. In 1994, he was back in Tel Aviv. The year 1995 was a little more exciting. He was transferred out of Israel to Glasgow. In 1997 he was in London, and just a year later in 1998, he was back in Jerusalem – but only for two years. In 2000 he was sent to Istanbul, and in 2004 he was once again in London for a relatively long stint, until 2011, when he was sent to Jerusalem in advance of the opening of the Waldorf Astoria, which is a link in the only international luxury hotel chain currently operating in Jerusalem.
"I move where the company moves me," he tells The Jerusalem Post. "We're like a foreign office."
Admittedly, the Fattal chain, which also operates in Jerusalem, is international, but even though it is in the fivestar category it does not quite have the status of the Waldorf Astoria.
Klaiman's initial task was to hire and train staff so that by the time the hotel was open for business, everyone on staff would know exactly what service means and how to render it.
KLAIMAN RECALLS that around that time Israelis were not particularly keen to work in service industries. Hospitality is an industry in its own right, but for the most part, people working in hotels are employed in a service industry.
Acutely conscious of the fact that he had to find the right people to fill the 320 slots available, Klaiman was frankly amazed to receive 10,000 applications.
When he ran a survey in an attempt to learn the reason for such a surge of applications, he discovered that it was the magic of the words Waldorf Astoria. Everyone wanted to work for Hilton Worldwide, but more than that they had a chance to work at Hilton Worldwide's luxury brand hotel, the Waldorf Astoria, which to many of the applicants was a status symbol in comparison to working for any other hotel, with the possible exception of the historic King David.
In the first stage, Klaiman was able to narrow down the number of potential employees to 5,000. The other 5,000 were deemed unsuitable.
Then came the more difficult challenge of narrowing down the 5,000 remaining applicants to 320. The solution was much simpler than at face value, or to be more accurate, it was the face value. Hotels and restaurants are supposed to provide service with a smile. All 5,000 applicants were asked to smile, and were photographed in the process. All the photographs were put up on a board and closely examined.
There are angry smiles and there are happy smiles, Klaiman explains.
"You can see a person's character in a smile. It's a matter of attitude."
Attitude is the first condition in approving employees, he continues.
"If the potential employee didn't smile during the interview, he won't smile later. You can't teach people to be friendly and hospitable. It needs to be natural. If people don't have the right attitude, you won't able to achieve the warmth of hospitality that you want to convey."
KLAIMAN LOVES the hotel, and not just because he is its founding general manager or because of its inviting atrium or the impressive Arabic architecture, based to a large extent on the original Eastern ambience of the building when it first opened as the Palace Hotel in 1929.
The building later served as offices for the British Mandate government, and in 1936 was the site of the first public radio broadcasts in English, Hebrew and Arabic. After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the building housed the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, until the ministry finally relocated in 2004.
Over the years, there had been various initiatives to restore the hotel, but it wasn't until the Reichmann family, famous for its international real estate mega-projects, purchased the property, that the restoration concept finally took hold. Klaiman loves the Waldorf Astoria because it proves that Israel can compete with the rest of the world in hotel luxury, quality and service.
For many years, it annoyed him when he heard people say that as much as they love Israel, the hotels and the restaurants left a lot to be desired, especially when it came to service.
Last year readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem as the seventh-best hotel in the world and the best in the Middle East in its 2015 list of top global hotels.
The hotel received a score of 97.5 points out of 100 from rankings that included input from 128,000 global travelers in the 2015 Readers' Choice Awards.
At the time, Klaiman noted that it was the first time that an Israeli hotel had been mentioned in the top 10 rankings in the 28-year history of the Condé Nast listings.
He also made the point that it was a great honor not only for the Waldorf Astoria, but for its employees and for Israel's tourist sector in general.
More than that, he says in retrospect, guests who stayed at the hotel were proud that they had contributed to its image by voting for it, and Klaiman received a lot of positive feedback after the ranking was announced.
AS AN Israeli, it pleases him that the hotel has prompted changes in Jerusalem's hospitality market. Competition being what it is, other hotels have introduced significant improvements in their décor, their service and their food, but Klaiman genuinely believes that the food served in the restaurants of the Waldorf Astoria is unsurpassed – especially in the Palace gourmet meat restaurant, where chef Itzik Mizrahi Barak is constantly coming up with new concepts to delight both the eye and the palate, and has even been invited to cater gala events abroad.
At a time when there has been a decline in tourism to Israel, Klaiman boasts that the Palace restaurant is often full, and that on average 20 to 30 people who are not staying at the hotel come in from the outside every night. Guests and outsiders particularly enjoy the Friday night dinners, says Klaiman.
Pressed to name some of the celebrities and dignitaries who have opted to stay at the hotel, Klaiman is reluctant to name names, explaining that Waldorf Astoria hotels around the world have a policy of discretion.
He finally drops a couple of names, simply because their place of temporary domicile had been reported in the Israeli media. One is actress and comedienne Roseanne Barr, and another is Paul Ryan, Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
This year, the Jerusalem Hotel Association chose to have its annual convention at the Waldorf Astoria, as did Keren Hayesod for its annual World Conference. Klaiman was delighted that towards the end of last year The Jerusalem Post held its highly successful annual Diplomatic Conference at the Waldorf Astoria, and he is looking forward to this year's Jerusalem Post Conference, which is also being held at the hotel.
Business, political, religious and tourist groups from China, Indonesia and Nigeria have also stayed at the hotel and more are on the way.
The Chinese are familiar with the Waldorf Astoria brand, says Klaiman, because there are Waldorf Astoria hotels in Shanghai and Beijing.
He is now eagerly awaiting the completion of the hotel's spa, which he says will be one of the best state-of-theart spas in the world.
"We are the busiest hotel in Jerusalem," he asserts, and is looking forward to being even busier once the spa goes into operation.
To register for the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference: https://members.jpost.com/nyc2016.aspx
waldorf astoria israel
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The video you are about to watch is a short film from early September here in central Indiana as me and my good friend Frank Terkhorn caught a bunch of bass and had a good time fishing together from our float tubes. The big bass was between 21-22 inches and my guess weighed around 6 pounds…on a 3 weight Winston rod…it was all I could handle. So…get your gear and get ready for these big bass as they start to feed this fall.


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Damn It
Another tragic milestone: more than 500 US soldiers killed in Iraq since last March. CNN reports:
Three U.S. soldiers and two members of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps were killed Saturday morning when a roadside bomb detonated north of Baghdad, a American military spokesman said.
A patrol was sweeping the area for improvised explosive devices when the blast occurred on a road west of Taji, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) north of the Iraqi capital, according to a statement from the 4th Infantry Division.
The explosion split open the gun turret of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle the patrol was traveling in, a 4th Infantry Division spokesman said.
The blast knocked the 26-ton vehicle on its side and started a fire, military sources said. A gunner and commander escaped with injuries, the sources said. The wounded soldiers were taken to a Baghdad hospital, according to the military.
I really want to believe we're turning a corner in Iraq. Somehow, I'm not entirely convinced.
ntodd ¶ 10:06 AM