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Scene statistics is a discipline within the field of perception.  It is concerned with the statistical regularities related to scenes.  It is based on the premise that a perceptual system is designed to interpret scenes.

Biological perceptual systems have evolved in response to physical properties of natural environments.  Therefore  natural scenes receive a great deal of attention.

Natural scene statistics are useful for defining the behavior of an ideal observer in a natural task, typically by incorporating signal detection theory,  information theory, or estimation theory.

Within-domain versus across-domain

Geisler (2008) distinguishes between four kinds of domains:  (1) Physical environments, (2) Images/Scenes, (3) Neural responses, and (4) Behavior.

Within the domain of images/scenes, one can study the characteristics of information related to redundancy and efficient coding.

Across-domain statistics determine how an autonomous system should make inferences about its environment, process information, and control its behavior.  To study these statistics, it is necessary to sample or register information in multiple domains simultaneously.

Applications

Prediction of picture and video quality
One of the most successful applications of Natural Scenes Statistics Models has been perceptual picture and video quality prediction. For example, the Visual Information Fidelity (VIF) algorithm, which is used to measure the degree of distortion of pictures and videos, is used extensively by the image and video processing communities to assess perceptual quality, often after processing, such as compression, which can degrade the appearance of a visual signal. The premise is that the scene statistics are changed by distortion, and that the visual system is sensitive to the changes in the scene statistics. VIF is heavily used in the streaming television industry. Other popular picture quality models that use natural scene statistics include BRISQUE, and NIQE both of which are no-reference, since they do not require any reference picture to measure quality against.

References

Bibliography
Field, D. J. (1987). Relations between the statistics of natural images and the response properties of cortical cells. Journal of the Optical Society of America A 4, 2379–2394.
Ruderman, D. L., & Bialek, W. (1994). Statistics of Natural Images – Scaling in the Woods. Physical Review Letters, 73(6), 814–817.
Brady, N., & Field, D. J. (2000). Local contrast in natural images:  normalisation and coding efficiency. Perception, 29, 1041–1055.
Frazor, R.A., Geisler, W.S. (2006) Local luminance and contrast in natural images. Vision Research, 46, 1585–1598.
Mante et al. (2005) Independence of luminance and contrast in natural scenes and in the early visual system. Nature Neuroscience, 8 (12) 1690–1697.
Bell, A. J., & Sejnowski, T. J. (1997). The "independent components" of natural scenes are edge filters. Vision Research, 37, 3327–3338.
Olshausen, B. A., & Field, D. J. (1997). Sparse coding with an overcomplete basis set:  A strategy by V1? Vision Research, 37(23), 3311–3325.
Sigman, M., Cecchi, G. A., Gilbert, C. D., & Magnasco, M. O. (2001). On a common circle:  Natural scenes and Gestalt rules. PNAS, 98(4), 1935–1940.
Hoyer, PO and Hyvärinen, A.  A multi-layer sparse coding network learns contour coding from natural images, Vis. Res., vol. 42, no. 12, pp. 1593–1605, 2002.
Geisler, W. S., Perry, J. S., Super, B. J., & Gallogly, D. P. (2001). Edge co-occurrence in natural images predicts contour grouping performance. Vision Research, 41, 711–724.
Elder JH, Goldberg RM. (2002) Ecological statistics for the Gestalt laws of perceptual organization of contours. J. Vis. 2:324–53.
Krinov, E. (1947). Spectral reflectance properties of natural formations (Technical translation No. TT-439). Ottawa: Nation Research Council of Canada.
Ruderman, D. L., Cronin, T. W., & Chiao, C. (1998). Statistics of cone responses to natural images: implications for visual coding. Journal of the Optical Society of America A, 15, 2036–2045.
Stockman, A., MacLeod, D. I. A., & Johnson, N. E. (1993). Spectral sensitivities of the human cones. J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis, 10, 1396–1402.
Lee TW, Wachtler, T, Sejnowski, TJ. (2002) Color opponency is an efficient representation of spectral properties in natural scenes. Vision Research 42:2095–2103.
Fine, I., MacLeod, D. I. A., & Boynton, G. M. (2003). Surface segmentation based on the luminance and color statistics of natural scenes. Journal of the Optical Society of America a-Optics Image Science and Vision, 20(7), 1283–1291.
Lewis A, Zhaoping L. (2006) Are cone sensitivities determined by natural color statistics? Journal of Vision.  6:285–302.
Lovell PG et al. (2005) Stability of the color-opponent signals under changes of illuminant in natural scenes.  J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 22:10.
Endler, J.A. 1993. The color of light in forests and its implications. Ecological Monographs 63:1–27.
Wachtler T, Lee TW, Sejnowski TJ (2001) Chromatic structure of natural scenes. J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 18(1):65–77.
Long F, Yang Z, Purves D.  Spectral statistics in natural scenes predict hue, saturation, and brightness.  PNAS 103(15):6013–6018.
Van Hateren, J. H., & Ruderman, D. L. (1998). Independent component analysis of natural image sequences yields spatio-temporal filters similar to simple cells in primary visual cortex. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 265, 2315–2320.
Potetz, B., & Lee, T. S. (2003). Statistical correlations between two-dimensional images and three-dimensional structures in natural scenes. Journal of the Optical Society of America a-Optics Image Science and Vision, 20(7), 1292–1303.
Howe, C. Q., & Purves, D. (2002). Range image statistics can explain the anomalous perception of length. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 99(20), 13184–13188.Howe, C. Q., & Purves, D. (2005a). Natural-scene geometry predicts the perception of angles and line orientation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102(4), 1228–1233.
Howe, C. Q., & Purves, D. (2004). Size contrast and assimilation explained by the statistics of natural scene geometry. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 16(1), 90–102.
Howe, C. Q., & Purves, D. (2005b). The Muller–Lyer illusion explained by the statistics of image-source relationships. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102(4), 1234–1239.
Howe, C. Q., Yang, Z. Y., & Purves, D. (2005). The Poggendorff illusion explained by natural scene geometry. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102(21), 7707–7712.
Kalkan, S. Woergoetter, F. & Krueger, N., Statistical Analysis of Local 3D Structure in 2D Images, IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) 2006.
Kalkan, S. Woergoetter, F. & Krueger, N., First-order and Second-order Statistical Analysis of 3D and 2D Structure, Network: Computation in Neural Systems, 18(2), pp. 129–160, 2007.

Perception
Neuroscience
Image processing


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Available immediately for Kindle, or book released in January 2016 for UK readers.
For many students, maths class is the subject of nightmares. Many who enthusiastically show off their counting skills in pre-school years later consider maths class the most loathed hour of the school day. The problem, according to a Stanford education professor, is a matter of mindset.
"All children are different in their mathematical thinking, strengths and interests," said Jo Boaler, a professor of mathematics education at Stanford Graduate School of Education.
Boaler has studied how students learn math, to identify why so many students end up hating or fearing math, and, too often, underachieve. She has followed thousands of students through middle and high schools to ascertain exactly how they learn and what are the most effective ways they reach their potential.
In her new book, Mathematical Mindsets, Boaler describes how society has traditionally valued one type of maths learner – one who can memorize well and calculate fast – as opposed to others who have the same potential but may be deeper, slower and more creative. The book offers research evidence and resources for teachers and parents to help children learn maths well, in the classroom and at home.
The "testing culture" in American schools is a major problem for maths learners, Boaler said, noting that exams and tests are far more pervasive in maths than other subjects.
This combination of frequent testing, procedural teaching and uninteresting questions disconnected from students' lives causes many students to regard maths as a "cold, lifeless subject" without a human connection, she said.
Many students, she said, believe incorrectly that to be good at maths they need to be fast at maths – too many classes emphasize speed in maths and memorization.
Boaler has published research and strategies on the best ways for students to learn maths "facts" without the fear and anxiety that many students feel when given timed tests and flash cards.
For example, speed pressure in maths causes the early onset of maths anxiety for many students, she said. And children who think more slowly and deeply are often turned off by maths because they see it as a subject of shallow recall of facts and rules.
The good news is that any student's negative perception of maths can dramatically change, Boaler said. In her recent summer maths camp for seventh- and eighth-grade students, which can be seen in this video, students learned to enjoy maths and they improved their achievement dramatically through open, creative maths lessons.
Boaler works with Stanford psychology Professor Carol Dweck to deliver growth mindset interventions to teachers and students. A "growth mindset" is built around the idea that most basic abilities can be developed and expanded upon through dedication and hard work. By contrast, with a "fixed mindset," people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits.
"When we open up mathematics and teach broad, visual, creative math, then we teach maths as a learning subject instead of as a performance subject," Boaler said.
Boaler offers resources on how to develop growth mindsets for maths learners. Her new Stanford centre, youcubed, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provides free mindset maths lessons that were used in over 100,000 schools last fall. The website has attracted millions of visitors in the last month alone. She also has online courses for teachers and parents and for students to help them teach and learn math.
When schools teach young people growth mindset mathematics, Boaler said, the outcome is that the subject becomes deeper and filled with more connections, so students enjoy it more and achieve at higher levels.
Boaler has also worked with the Program for International Student Assessment tests team, analysing their data set of 13 million students worldwide. They found that the lowest achieving students are those who use a memorisation strategy. The highest performers are those who see maths as a set of connected, big ideas.
Boaler agrees with high-tech leaders such as Conrad Wolfram, who supports "broad, multidimensional" mathematics, which involves problem solving, modelling, reasoning, making connections and thinking deeply.
She points out that students entering the 21st-century workplace need to be able to ask questions of data, map out mathematical pathways and reason quantitatively – routine calculations, after all, will be performed by machines. She cites research studies that demonstrate how such an approach can engage more young people and put them on a path to success.
Click here to view the Book (priced at £13.94*) on Amazon UK, or Click here to view the Kindle Edition (priced at £10.44*) also via Amazon UK.
This release was issued by Stanford University, USA.


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Sokolí vrch är en kulle i Tjeckien.   Den ligger i regionen Ústí nad Labem, i den norra delen av landet,  km norr om huvudstaden Prag. Toppen på Sokolí vrch är  meter över havet. Sokolí vrch ingår i Děčínská vrchovina.

Terrängen runt Sokolí vrch är huvudsakligen lite kuperad. Den högsta punkten i närheten är Děčínský Sněžník,  meter över havet,  km väster om Sokolí vrch. Runt Sokolí vrch är det ganska tätbefolkat, med  invånare per kvadratkilometer. Närmaste större samhälle är Děčín,  km väster om Sokolí vrch. Omgivningarna runt Sokolí vrch är en mosaik av jordbruksmark och naturlig växtlighet.

Inlandsklimat råder i trakten. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är juli, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är december, med  °C.

Kommentarer

Källor

Děčínská vrchovina
Kullar i Ústí nad Labem (region)
Berg i Tjeckien 500 meter över havet eller högre

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It can't be long now! For those of us who garden in temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, spring is just around the corner. While we gardeners anxiously await that magical time of year, come join me for one final look at what's blooming indoors. You'll also discover the identity of the mystery flower for February, who identified it, and what the mystery flower for this month looks like.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Sun in Aries — This child is a trail blazer & doesn't want to follow someone else's path. He or she loves speed, challenge, & competition. Red is his or her color.
Moon in Aries — This child's emotional nature is somewhat volatile, impatient & temperamental. Spunky, bold, & brave to the point of foolhardiness at times, this one is a fighter and a winner.
Aries Rising — This child appears confident and fearless, and is a risk-taker. He or she also possesses a highly competitive "me-first" attitude which is often abrasive to others.


text:
Celebration of Clay "Light & Shadow" Show
By Phil Green in Celebration of Clay, NMPCA 07/14/2017
Abiquiu Inn and NMPCA Present
Celebration of Clay: Light and Shadow
by Phil Green
The 2017 Celebration of Clay exhibit held it's opening reception Saturday, July 1, at the beautiful Abiquiu Inn in Abiquiu, New Mexico. This exhibition is sponsored by the New Mexico Potters and Ceramic Artists organization to promote ceramics as art and to provide visibility for the art done by its members. The exhibition is held annually at various locations around the state. The exhibit area for the 2017 show is Galeria Arriba which is a beautiful gallery space upstairs at the Abiquiu Inn. The show extends through August 25 and can be viewed daily at the Abiquiu Inn.
The opening reception was a well-attended festive gathering. The theme of the show is "Light and Shadow. " Over sixty pieces are displayed. Thumbnail images of each of the artist's submissions can be viewed at the website below. You are encouraged to click on the small prints to see full images and participate in the "People's Choice" award. The voting procedure is described at the website.
celebrationofclay.com/exhibitions/celebration-of-clay-2017/
The broad scope of the work includes pieces that could be classified as sculptural, figurative, functional, and abstract. vResponses of those attending the opening included words like moving, inspiring, and beautiful. You will see amazing creativity and craftsmanship in work that has been high-fired, low-fired, wood-fired, and raku-fired.
Several awards were given. The awards were judged by three ceramics professionals from New Mexico.v They were Kathy Cyman, Djann Hoffman, and Debra Fritts. The winners of the awards are the following six pieces:
Seri Kotowski, Best of Show, "Antiquities V (Africa)"
Jessica Penrod, Arita porcelain award for Beauty, Quality and Functionality
Frank Willett, 2017 Special Juror Award, "Globe Form"
Sara D'Alessandro, 2017 Award of Merit, "Ambition"
Michael Thornton, 2017 Award of Merit, Kirinuki Tokkuri
Joe Bova, 2017 Award of Merit, "Conspirator"
The show's theme, "Light and Shadow," was broadly interpreted in over 60 sculptural and functional pieces, with various firing methods including high-, low-, wood- and raku-fired. Images of each piece can be viewed on the show's website, www.celebrationofclay.com, where the public is encouraged to participate in the "People's Choice" award. Because the Abiquiu Inn is a bit remote to the large cities in our state, there will be a second reception Friday, August 4, from 4 – 6 p.m., and the show can be viewed daily through August 25.
You are strongly encouraged to drop in to the Abiquiu Inn and see this remarkable display of ceramics done by New Mexico artists. Most of the pieces are also for sale.
Read "Celebration of Clay "Light & Shadow" Show" Offline:
Tags: Abiquiu, Abiquiu Inn, Celebration of Clay, Debra Fritts, Djann Hoffman, featured, Frank Willett, Jacquita Beddo, Jessica Penrod, Joe Bova, Judy Nelson-Moore, Kathy Cyman, Michael Thornton, NMPCA, Phil Green, Sara D'Alessandro, Seri Kotowski
New Mexico Museum Thanks NMPCA
Sang's Solo Show "Migration" Sings

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
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W&L: Education and History Series
W&L's Lepage Chosen for European Art Seminar
By Jeff Hanna
Andrea Lepage, assistant professor of art history at Washington and Lee University, is one of 21 faculty members from around the country chosen to participate in a special week-long seminar on Teaching European Art in context.
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) selected Lepage for the seminar, which will be held at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in June. The seminar will be held in conjunction with an exhibition of rare traveling masterpieces of Dutch art, featuring works by Vermeer, Hals, and Rembrandt. The exhibition, "Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis," will be on view at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, beginning in June 2013.
"The exhibition 'Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis,' to be installed at the High Museum offers a rare occasion to view in person some of the finest Dutch paintings created during the Early Modern era," said Lepage. "Participation in the associated seminar, 'Dutch Art, Patrons, and Markets,' provides me with an invaluable opportunity to expand upon Washington and Lee's art history curriculum and create interdisciplinary connections between the art history and chemistry departments.
"My colleague in the chemistry department, Erich Uffelman, currently teaches a two-part course dealing with science in art. The first part of the course takes place on-campus and equips students with knowledge of the physical, chemical, and biological concepts necessary to undertake technical examinations of 17th-century Dutch paintings. The second part takes place on-site in Amsterdam and provides students with the ability to put their scientific training into practice while visiting museums and conservation workshops. Beginning next winter, an art history class focused on 17th-century Dutch art will be taught in connection with Professor Uffelman's chemistry course and will provide students with a greater cultural context for their technical examination."
Catherine Scallen, chair of the Department of Art History and Art at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where she has taught since 1995, will lead the program, which aims to strengthen the teaching of art history to undergraduates at smaller colleges and universities.
"The seminar will be especially valuable for faculty members at institutions without large campus museums or proximity to major art museums. Art historians in all fields and studio artists, as well as faculty members who specialize in history, European studies, and related fields will find this seminar of interest," said CIC President Richard Ekman.
Lepage joined the Washington and Lee faculty in 2008. She received her B.A. in art history from Clark University and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Brown University. She teaches courses in Colonial Latin American art, Modern Latin American art, Spanish Baroque art and Italian Baroque art.
She also teaches in W&L's Latin American and Caribbean Studies program and is currently offering a spring term course, Chicano Art and Muralism, which is based in part on the current exhibition of Chicano art from the collection of entertainer Cheech Marin.
The CIC is an association of 645 nonprofit independent colleges and universities and more than 90 higher education organizations. Since 1956 the organization has worked to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of private higher education's contributions to society.
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Question what you do, is it the best solution for the planet, or just the only option "YOU" know of??
On a topic of particular frustration for me is the complaisant behavior of those who know better. Yes, I am talking to you ;-0. You know you should ask for organic, you know you aren't happy with the selection of plants at a nursery and instead of speaking up, you choose an alternative, or go elsewhere, assuming one person cannot make a difference.
I am here to tell you the words of even one customer does make a difference. I have requested, suggested, complained, moaned and threatened many a company into submission. I would like to believe I have played a huge part in the availability of organic products at my local Lowes and Wal-Mart. Now, it is a lot trickier to coerce a large company than a small business, but I buy thousands of dollars of landscaping materials a year and let the managers know that I would take my business elsewhere if they didn't change their ways and I contacted corporate and expressed my concerns about doing business with such an environmentally irresponsible company and before you know it, there is change. You can do the same as a homeowner who buys all of their lawn tools, mowers, weed line, soil, etc….That adds up fast to a bottom line.
You can do this in small ways too. Speak to your local stores, (even some HEB's are carrying organics now), tell the places you do business that you will have no choice but to go elsewhere because you wont buy the poisons they sell or buy plants that aren't native and encourage your friends, coworkers and family to do the same. Before you know it you are no longer one voice, you are a movement. I have seen the success for myself and I know you can make a difference too. Then do what you say, if you threaten not to come back, don't go back unless they change their ways. Bring them a list of items you would like to see them carry, then buy them and support the businesses who support our planet and our movement. Most nurseries are more than happy to accommodate you and if they don't, you probably don't want to give them your money anyway.
Very important too, is that once the chemical companies realize you are hurting their income, they will start making products we will buy. Many have already come around. I have had the privilege of speaking with an employee of a major chemical company who assured me they are already feeling the impact. This is good news for us and our planet.
Be mindful when buying chemicals, know what you are supporting and what you are applying in your yard. Read the labels and be aware of the ramifications of over applying, misreading and improper storage of these harmful chemicals. I have two sons with Autism and while there are a lot of theories about the cause, it is really hard to believe all the chemicals in our food and water sources over the past 50 years have not been a contributor to many health issues and diseases.
Finally, while you are at the nursery or big box store buying your organics and native and adaptive plants, rain barrels and other earth friendly products, insist that the location has a recycling center for their pots and containers. Millions and millions of plastic containers end up in landfills each year and the only one who benefits from that are the companies who make the pots. If we reused the pots, I suppose they would go out of business and make a green solution you would buy !?! You can currently recycle your plastic pot and planters at Barton Springs Nursery on Bee Caves road where you will also find a great assortment of native and adaptive plants. More and more nurseries are carrying native and adapted plants which have less disease and pest issues because they belong here.
Let's teach our kids how to make mountains out of grains of soil by making small changes that can have an enormous impact on our beautiful planet. You will be greatly rewarded by making a few small changes, there is an organic remedy for just about everything. Here are a couple links to help get you started…Organic Pest Control and Organic Disease control.


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Trump Unveils Plan to Boost Military with More Troops, Weapons
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks about national security, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, at the Union League in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Military.com | By Brendan McGarry
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday unveiled a plan to strengthen the U.S. military by boosting the size of the services and their fleets of ships and aircraft, expanding missile and cyber defenses, and forcing NATO allies to pay more for security.
"We will rebuild our military," he said in a speech to enthusiastic supporters in Philadelphia.
Trump's national security-themed speech came several hours before he was scheduled to attend a veterans forum with his opponent Hillary Clinton in New York City.
While the candidate again echoed former President Ronald Reagan when he called for "peace through strength," his remarks also included more specific details of his plans to increase the size of the armed forces. The proposals, however, would likely cost tens of billions of additional defense dollars, at a minimum, and would face significant hurdles in Congress.
Trump called for increasing the size of the Army to about 540,000 active-duty soldiers, the Marine Corps to 36 battalions, the Navy to 350 surface ships and submarines, and the Air Force to at least 1,200 fighter aircraft.
By comparison, the Pentagon's $583 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2017, which begins Oct. 1, requests funding for 460,000 active soldiers, 24 Marine infantry battalions, 287 naval ships and roughly 1,170 fighter aircraft (excluding A-10 ground attack aircraft) -- all for the active component. The figures don't take into account additional troops and equipment for the Guard and Reserve.
Trump also said he would seek to develop "a state-of-the-art missile defense system" and "to modernize our nation's naval cruisers to provide ballistic missile defense capabilities."
He pledged to ask generals to present a plan "within 30 days" of taking office to "defeat and destroy" militants affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS; vowed to "enforce all laws related to the handling of classified information;" and review U.S. cyber defenses to identify vulnerabilities in the power grid, communications systems and vital infrastructure.
Spending Caps
In a departure from previous remarks, Trump said he would ask Congress to "fully eliminate" defense spending caps known as sequestration.
The reductions account for about half of the $1.2 trillion in decade-long spending caps mandated by the 2011 Budget Control Act designed to curb the federal budget deficit. While Congress has agreed to partially undo some of those reductions, they remain on the books until 2021.
Trump has previously signaled support for sequestration.
"It's a very small percentage of the cuts that should be made, and I think, really, it's being over exaggerated," Trump told Fox News in a February 2013 interview, Politico has reported.
Trump reiterated his demand that NATO members spend more on defense and "promptly pay their bills, which many are not now doing."
"Only five NATO countries, including the U.S., are currently meeting their minimum requirement to spend 2 percent of [gross domestic product] on defense," he said. "They understand. They know they have to do it."
Trump has previously questioned the automatic defense of NATO states unless they contribute more funding to defense. The comments have caused a stir on both sides of the Atlantic, but especially among Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- the three Baltic states in Eastern Europe near Russia.
In his speech Wednesday, Trump made a point to say the demand holds for allies not only in Europe but also Asia. "I will be respectfully asking countries such as Germany, Japan, South Korea, to pay more for the tremendous security we provide them," he said. "They're economic behemoths. They're tremendously successful countries. But we're subsidizing them for billions and billions of dollars. I think they'll understand."
Attacking Clinton
Trump touted his recent endorsement by 88 retired generals, admirals and defense officials. "I'm proud to have the support of war-fighting generals, active-duty military and top experts who know how to win endless wars ... like the one we're in now that just never, ever ends, our longest war," he said.
The candidate also again attacked Clinton for what he said were her failed policies as secretary of state in such countries as Iraq, Libya and Syria. He also criticized her for failing to use the term "radical Islamic terrorism" to describe the threat. "Unless you're going to say the words, you're never going to solve the problem," he said.
But his arguably sharpest attack came when he called Clinton "reckless" for putting emails on a server that enemies could hack. "Hillary Clinton has taught us, really, how vulnerable we are in cyber hacking," he said. "It's probably our only thing that we've learned from Hillary Clinton."
While FBI Director James Comey said Clinton's use of a private email system to send classified messages was "extremely careless," he said she didn't intend to mishandle and exploit the information and thus concluded she shouldn't be prosecuted.
-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
Related Topics: Elections Donald Trump Budget Department of Defense - DoD


Creekside Farms has a wholesale division to offer a select group of wreaths to wholesale customers. To place a wholesale order, customers must have a valid reseller's permit and register with Creekside Farms. Upon registering, customers will submit their resale certificate and will then receive login information.
The Creekside Farms' unique line was carefully selected with specialty garden and gift shops in mind. All of the products are hand assembled by skilled craftsmen and carefully packed for shipment direct from the farm. They take great pride in the quality and beauty of their products. Wreaths are sold in lots of three and strapped together to save on shipping costs. The order can be placed and the shipping method chosen directly on the site.
Please click here to download a resale certificate - you will need to fill this out and submit it with your request, then fill out the form below to submit your request.
If you already have a wholesale account with us, click here to login and then click Shop Wholesale in the top navigation to browse our catalog.


text:
Child Abuse Reporting Laws for Tennessee
State and Statute: Tennessee, Code §§ 37-1-401 et seq.
What Is Reportable "Abuse": Physical, mental, or sexual abuse, or neglect. [403 and 605]
Mandatory Reporters: Any person [403(a)(1)] Includes (but is not limited to) "(a)uthority figures at a community facility … for educational, religious, social, health, or welfare purposes, including, but not limited to, facilities operated by schools … or church or religious organizations," practitioners relying on spiritual means for healing, school teachers, school officials, and school personnel. [605(a)]
How and Where to Report: By telephone or otherwise, to the judge having juvenile jurisdiction over the child; the department of children's services (either the local office or the department's centralized intake procedure, where applicable); sheriff of the county where the child resides; or the chief law enforcement official of the municipality where the child resides. [403(a)(2)] For sexual abuse cases, "to the local office of the department responsible for the investigation of reports made pursuant to this section or to the judge having juvenile jurisdiction or to the office of the sheriff or the chief law enforcement official of the municipality where the child resides." [605(b)(1)]
Abuse Reporting Requirements
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text:
Torab-e Sofla (, also Romanized as Torāb-e Soflá; also known as Torāb-e Pā'īn) is a village in Rak Rural District, in the Central District of Kohgiluyeh County, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 20, in 6 families.

References

Populated places in Kohgiluyeh County


text:
Edgard Raffaelli Júnior (São Paulo, 02 de Março de 1930 - São Paulo, 29 de dezembro de 2006) foi um médico neurologista brasileiro.

Biografia
Edgard Raffaelli Júnior especializou-se em Neurocirurgia no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, em 1962.
Fundou a primeira clínica especializada no tratamento de cefaleias na América Latina em 1975, em São Paulo.

Sociedades Médicas
Idealizou e foi um dos fundadores da Sociedade Brasileira de Cefaleia, em 1978.
Criou a revista Migrâneas & Cefaléias, órgão Científico da Sociedade Brasileira de Cefaleia.
Em 1982, colaborou para a fundação da International Headache Society.

Reconhecimento científico
Autor da teoria límbica que revolucionou a fisiopatologia da enxaqueca.

Foi um grande inovador no estudo das algias cranianas.
Criou termos nessa área, em língua portuguesa, como por exemplo: "migrânea", "cefaleia em salvas", "cefaliatria".

O neurologista e cefaliatra Raimundo Pereira da Silva Neto, em artigo de sua autoria publicado na revista Migrâneas & Cefaléias (v.9, n.4, p.152-158, 2006) sobre a vida e obra do Dr Raffaelli Júnior, cognominou-o "Pai da cefaleia na América Latina".

Obras
 Rafaelli Jr E. Aneurismas infecciosos. São Paulo. 1973. Tese (doutoramento). Departamento de Neuropsiquiatria. Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo.
 Rafaelli Jr E. Atualização em enxaquecas - introdução. Ars Curandi (suppl.), 1974;7(2):1-4.
 Rafaelli Jr E. Atualização em enxaquecas - tratamento. Ars Curandi (suppl.), 1974;7(2):11-12.
 Rafaelli Jr E. Migraine and the lymbic system. Headache, 1975;15(1):69-78.
 Rafaelli Jr E. Cefaléias e sua importância em Psiquiatria. Rev Bras Med 1981;3(1):26-30.

Neurologistas do Brasil
Cientistas do Brasil
Pesquisadores do Brasil
Médicos do estado de São Paulo


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Our firm also assists the creditors of businesses in difficulty (co-contracting parties, suppliers, customers) faced with the default of their commercial partners, as well as prospective buyers in their acquisition projects as part of a disposal plan or the disposal of assets.
The team works in close cooperation with the other departments of the firm; Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Labour Legislation.
- Negotiating a debt repayment schedule with the creditors.
- Assistance for managers of firms whose liability is engaged and they face financial sanctions.
Within the scope of collective insolvency proceedings, we work in tandem with the bodies of the proceedings – administrators, legal representatives, etc. - to implement the solutions that are best adapted to the difficulties of the company and, as far as possible, favour business continuation.
We also accompany our clients in their negotiations with their creditors, banks and other commercial partners.


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Q: Creating a For Loop in JavaScript I am doing a project for school and I'm really struggling to understand how to create the code/commands for my for loop in JavaScript. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The project is basically this:

*

*There are two arrays: one set of 10 French words another with a set of 10 English words. They look like this:
var english=new Array();
english[0]="This hotel isn't far from the Eiffel Tower.";
english[1]="What time does the train arrive?";
english[2]="We have been waiting for the bus for one half-hour.";
english[3]="This meal is delicious";
english[4]="What day is she going to arrive?";
english[5]="We have eleven minutes before the train leaves!";
english[6]="Living in a foreign country is a good experience.";
english[7]="Excuse me! I'm late!";
english[8]="Is this taxi free?";
english[9]="Be careful when you go down the steps.";

var french=new Array();
french[0]="Cet hôtel n'est pas loin de la Tour Eiffel.";
french[1]="A quelle heure arrive le train?";
french[2]="Nous attendons l'autobus depuis une demi-heure.";
french[3]="Ce repas est délicieux";
french[4]="Quel jour va-t-elle arriver?";
french[5]="Nous avons onze minutes avant le départ du train!";
french[6]="Habiter dans un pays étranger est une bonne expérience.";
french[7]="Excusez-moi! Je suis en retard!";
french[8]="Est-ce que ce taxi est libre?";
french[9]="Faites attention quand vous descendez l'escalier.";

*I have to create a function named setUpTranslation(). The purpose of the function is to place the French phrases into the document and set up the event handlers for the mouse-down and mouse-up events.

To create the For Loop it says:

create a for loop that loops through each of the objects in the phrases collection. For each object in the collection do the following:

*

*Change the inner content of the second child node of the object to french[i] where i is the value of the counter variable for the for loop.

*Run the swapFE() function in response to the mouse-down event occurring within the object's second child node

*Run the swapEF() function in response to a mouse-up event occurring within the object's second child node.

Then after setting up the for loop I'm to work on the swapFE() and swapEF() functions, but right now I'm just trying to fix the for loop.
Here's what I have so far for the setUpTranslation function:
function setUpTranslation() {
   var phrases = document.getElementsByTagName("p");

   for (i = 0; i< phrases.length; i++) {

  }

}

I have tried numerous code in the for loop but none of it seems to display the French phrase.

A: You've got a great start there. You have selected all of the  elements and assuming there are also 10, can easily walk through them all inserting your values. You can easily correlate phrases[i] with french[i] (or english[i]).
The part of the assignment that probably has you tripped up is that you need to select the second span tag. You already have the syntax down for getting all elements, so the same should apply.
phrases[i].getElementsByTagName(); // I'll let you figure out the parameter.

You can then grab the second element you find within and insert a new value.
Here is a reference to the Document Object Model (DOM), the Javascript that will help you complete your assignment. I'm sure you'll find the methods you need all by yourself. :)
http://www.javascriptkit.com/domref/

A: I haven't worked with JavaScript for many years, but what this assignment essentially asks you to do is to manipulate the DOM (the tree that represents your HTML document).
Your current tree structure is this:
Root
    Child node of type P
        First child node of type span and class pnum
        Second child node of type span and class phrase
    Another child node of type P
         ...
         ...
What your current code does is that in every iteration, you get an index from 0 to the number of child nodes of type P. You can use that to retrieve the child node of type P from the array phrases.
Now, what you are expected to do, is to use that node to obtain the second child node (the one of type phrase). There is a JavaScript operation for that. Then, you can replace the contents of that node with the contents of the string french[i]. Again, there is a JavaScript operation for that. If you do that correctly and then get to run the setup function, your document should change in place to include the French phrases after the numbers, instead of what is currently a blank area.
Because it's a homework question I can't give you the exact code you have to use (plus, it's been too long since I've written any JavaScript). However, if you look in the material you got from the course or the JavaScript reference that you got, you will see the exact operations to do each of the things I mentioned.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home/Entertainment/Movie Reviews/The 5th Wave Movie Review
The 5th Wave Movie Review
Justin LyonsJanuary 22, 2016Last Updated: February 2, 2016
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It's almost the weekend, and the weekend is the best time to hit the movie theater, so it's time for another movie review brought to you by FatCats Gilbert and their delicious food and awesome recliners!
Alex Roe (left) and Chloë Grace Moretz (right) in The 5th Wave
It's still January, which is recognized for bad movies, but after the first movie I reviewed this year, I'm getting a little bit optimistic about January. If you saw my review for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, you know that I really liked it, so so far I'm very happy with the first month of the year. Up next is The 5th Wave, another teen fiction film based on a book, which I lose interest in very easily. The Hunger Games films ended at the perfect time, I lost interest in the Divergent films, after just the first movie, I was already disinterested in the Maze Runner series, and don't even get me started on Twilight, so I was really hoping that The 5th Wave would give me some interest in the genre again. I have to admit, as much as I heard the trailer be trashed, I was actually thinking that this movie could be good. I was really hoping it could be the next Independence Day. I know. That's a stretch. Maybe it wasn't going to be the Independence Day of the 2010s, but I still wanted to have some fun. I love Chloë Grace Moretz mostly because of Kick-Ass and Kick-Ass 2, and I think she is an awesome actress. She seems to always be giving 100% whether the character is for her or not. To be completely honest, I hadn't seen anything from J Blakeson, so I wasn't really sure what to expect as far as style goes, but I was intrigued by the premise and even the trailers had me a little bit hopeful. Let's talk about the movie!
Your Top 10 shows and movies to watch this weekend June 12 to 14
The Way Back Movie Review
Nick Robinson (left) and Chloë Grace Moretz (right) in The 5th Wave
The 5th Wave is directed by J Blakeson, the first movie he has directed since 2009, and stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Alex Roe, Nick Robinson, and Liev Schreiber. When Cassie, played by Chloë Grace Moretz first sees an alien ship in the sky, she goes from normal sister and soccer player to a survivor. The aliens begin to hit earth in waves. The first wave is an EMP, or an electromagnetic pulse, knocking out all of the power in the world. The next wave hits with earthquakes and tsunamis that destroy some of the biggest cities in the world and devastate the smaller cities. The third wave brings an incredibly dangerous aviary flu, killing most of the survivors from the previous two waves. In the fourth wave, The Others, as the aliens are called, had taken human form and were among the survivors to pick them off until they have taken over the planet. Now, the humans must prepare for the fifth wave, which is expected to be the aliens endgame. Once the fourth wave was in effect, Cassie was separated from her brother who was taken to a military base to learn to be in the military to fight The Others. Cassie has to work her way back to her brother, but on the way she meets Evan Walker, and the two begin a loving relationship, but the story doesn't end without plenty of twists and turns.
Chloë Grace Moretz in The 5th Wave
Let's start with what I really did like about the movie. I really liked the premise of the movie. It's not a bad concept. The aliens come, they attack in waves, the aliens take on human characteristics and bodies, and the humans must fight back and determine who is friend and who is foe. I'm hooked. That's pretty cool. I was really interested in the movie in the first half when we get to see the first four waves in action and how the characters survive and react as well as how it affects them. The first scene, which you may have seen in the trailer, made me jump right into the movie. I also liked that Cassie is pretty normal. They stress that fact, but she's definitely no super hero. She is just attempting to do interesting things. She shows that she is a vulnerable character,and she isn't perfect. I also thought there were some very good shots of the all of the waves of attacks, and even the shaky-cam used in the film was used effectively at times where I can see shaky-cam being a solid option. I mentioned last week that I didn't like shaky-cam when it makes the action difficult to follow, but the way it is used in The 5th Wave is a nice touch.
Liev Schreiber in The 5th Wave
Unfortunately, there are negatives about this movie. First of all, it's a very cliché movie filled with almost everything I've seen before. I can get over it when clichés are done in a way that makes them feel new and refreshing, but this movie pulls so much from other ideas, and it doesn't feel fresh. It feels used. Like I said, I liked the grand scheme of things, but the pieces to the puzzle are very unoriginal. Next, there is so much short and choppy dialogue, and a lot of times it leaves me thinking that they definitely could have bulked it up a little and given the characters a clever edge. There are multiple scenes where I thought the characters could have taken over and taken their own form through dialogue, and it just didn't happen. The 5th Wave is also very predictable, and come the second half, I began to see all of the clichés in action, and it's not good. The romance between Cassie and Evan is almost painful to watch. It's so predictable, and I didn't find the character of Evan interesting whatsoever. There is a scene in the woods where Cassie watches him in the lake shirtless, and the whole scene was hard to watch. I've seen it a million times before, and it gets tougher to watch every time. Don't do me like that 5th Wave. It doesn't make for a better love story. There are no personal connections between the two, and Evan talks about how she has changed him, when really, nothing in the movie has connected them. It also introduced two elements I don't like in the young adult movies: the love triangle (or maybe even a love square in this series) and the sequel set up. The sequel set up took me out of the Maze Runner, and though it wasn't as blatant in this movie, it's definitely set up for a sequel, which is probably true to the book, but personally, I am not a fan.
On the set of The 5th Wave
Overall, I don't think that The 5th Wave is a garbage fest like a lot of people were expecting. In fact, I liked the first half, and I think that it will nail its target audience with force, and it will probably please the young adult readers whether they are fans of the books or not. My real problems lie in the second half when the romance is introduced and the characters become uninteresting to me. I thought that Chloë Grace Moretz fit the character well, but her character falls right into the problems I had with the film in the second half which is the romance and the characters who don't connect. It's not a horrible movie. It's not. I found enjoyment in The 5th Wave, and I'm going to give it a 4.8/10.
Nick Robinson (right) and Chloë Grace Moretz (left) in The 5th Wave
So have you had a chance to see The 5th Wave? If you did, what did you think? If you haven't, are you going to? Also out this week are The Boy and Dirty Grandpa, so if you're going to see one let me know which movie you are going to see! Also, what is your favorite young adult film series based on books? I would probably have to go with the Hunger Games films because despite not really liking the third movie, they're pretty consistently good movies with an interesting plot and concept. I should have a review out for Eddie the Eagle later this week instead of a Throwback Thursday Review, and the review for this coming weekend will be for The Finest Hours starring Chris Pine! Be sure to stay tuned for that, and, as always, thank you, and keep listening to 88.7 The Pulse!
PHOTO: MovieWeb
Alex Roe Chloë Grace Moretz Liev Schreiber Movie Review Nick Robinson The 5th Wave
Justin Lyons
Hey, it's Justin Lyons! I am the Chief Film Critic for The Pulse. Have any questions for me? Please feel free to email me at [email protected]
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On Monday President Obama announced that he would soon be issuing an executive order that would extend essential protections to employees of federal contractors, which covers LGBT employee protections. ExxonMobil is one of the government's largest federal contractors.
Unfortunately, ExxonMobil has a rather sordid history of repeatedly rejecting LGBT workplace discrimination policies and have even been taken to court for anti-gay discrimination.
…a longstanding policy that strictly prohibits any form of discrimination by or toward employees, contractors, suppliers and customers in any ExxonMobil workplace. Our global, zero-tolerance policy applies to all forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
False. Perhaps instead of fabricating lies, ExxonMobil should be spending their efforts on figuring out how to remain in compliance with Obama's impending executive order while at the same time appeasing their bigoted shareholders who voted for 17 years in a row to deny protections for LGBT workers.


text:
Joint Liability Notice – a new weapon in the HMRC armoury
This article was originally authored by David Lewis at Mazars, it forms the second part to Not so limited liability… A quiet warning on directors' personal liability for company tax.
Policy background – how did we get to this?
Although a cornerstone of the modern commercial world, HMRC has always experienced operational difficulties with entities such as companies that enjoy the benefit of limited liability. To overcome this, in the last few years HMRC has attempted to introduce measures to "pierce the corporate veil", that is the "veil" that shields shareholders from personal responsibility for the debts of the businesses they own.
A good example of this approach is the introduction of the "Senior Accounting Officer" (SAO) provisions, which operate to pin personal responsibility onto a specific identifiable senior executive in a large corporate for the tax obligations of the company for which he or she might work. The SAO has to sign an annual certificate to say whether the company does or does not have systems and processes in place to deliver the right tax result. If he or she fails to submit a certificate, or submits a certificate that proves to be incorrect, then he/she is personally liable to a hefty penalty.
Another example is the ability to force company directors to make a payment of a personal security – effectively a payment up front on account of potential tax liabilities – in any situation where HMRC has grounds to suspect that the company might fail to pay its liabilities. Formerly only limited to VAT, these have recently been extended to include PAYE and NIC and other corporate liabilities. In addition to these, there has also been the part restoration of preferential creditor status for some tax regimes from 1 December 2020.
The latest policy initiative in this area is the Joint Liability Notice (JLN), now legislated at Schedule 13 of Finance Act 2020. The overall intention is to redress the persistent HMRC complaint that, if and when a company becomes insolvent, the tax authority is often left holding the baby of the vast bulk of unsecured debt.
Tax officials often complain that, compared to normal creditors, HMRC is in a uniquely disadvantaged position. They point out that there is often a considerable period between the time that a transaction occurs and the associated time that the tax charge relating to that transaction becomes payable, particularly after an enquiry or, in a case of dispute, when the litigation process has been completed. Moreover, they complain that, unlike trade creditors or service providers, HMRC has no wider leverage to threaten to cut off key services or supplies until outstanding liabilities are paid. Of course, this rather ignores the fact that VAT on sales can be payable to HMRC before the trader is actually paid by his/her customer but HMRC sees these things from something of a distorted viewpoint.
Circumstances in which the JLN can be used
The new provisions, effective for tax periods that ended after 22 July 2020, allow HMRC to issue a notice that creates shared responsibility tax liabilities between the company and the director, shareholder or equivalent. Where the company no longer exists, the liability transfers to the individual entirely.
The notice can be issued in the following separate scenarios:-
The company has engaged in tax avoidance or evasion.
The individuals have been involved in repeated insolvency of companies (commonly termed "phoenixism").
A penalty has been issued for facilitating avoidance or evasion.
The potential for enhanced personal exposure for individuals acting as directors or officers of a company are clear. An article by Laura Smith of Kennedys has explored the detail of the phoenixism provisions here. The remainder of this article will look in more detail at the tax avoidance / evasion provisions.
Tax avoidance and evasion
The consultation papers preceding the draft clauses made clear what HMRC had in mind. Practitioners themselves will be all too aware of the proliferation of Disguised Remuneration schemes, where individual taxpayers have used bankruptcy as a mechanism to escape tax liabilities arising from their participation in schemes that were (at least in the eyes of HMRC) doomed to fail. The position would be exacerbated where individuals had been involved in behaviour that was more clearly evasion from the outset, such as where a company as an employer failed to operate PAYE – or did operate PAYE but never paid the tax and NIC to HMRC.
There are five conditions for the valid issue of a notice, as follows:-
The company has entered into tax avoidance arrangements or tax evasion.
The company is subject to an insolvency procedure or there is a "serious possibility" that it will do so.
The individual was responsible for the conduct under condition A or has received a benefit arising from those arrangements and was a director / shadow director or participator in the company.
There is or likely to be a liability referable to the conduct under condition A.
There is a "serious possibility" that the tax liability under Condition D will not be paid.
The definitions of tax avoidance arrangements are those that will be widely recognised for the purposes of direct tax, particularly to include those that fall within DOTAS (Disclosure Of Tax Avoidance Schemes) which have now been in operation for over a decade.
What does this mean in practice for HMRC?
Interestingly, the definition of tax evasion primarily relies upon the well-established failures to comply with tax obligations, such as inaccurate returns, failures to notify chargeability and failure to make tax returns on time. However, there is an additional challenge for HMRC in that each failure must be the result of "deliberate" behaviour. Although the civil standard of proof applies, the threshold for HMRC can still be difficult to meet in practice since HMRC needs to demonstrate that the taxpayer had conscious knowledge and intention towards the loss of tax, rather than it being due to a lack of reasonable care.
Despite HMRC commitments to provide further clarity in guidance, the provisions themselves contain a number of features that seem ripe for debate, challenge and probably litigation in the future. One such obvious example seems to be the inclusion of the phrase "serious possibility". One can only speculate as to when a mere possibility becomes sufficiently likely that it becomes a "serious" possibility. No doubt we can expect this terminology to be the subject of many learned debates in the Tribunals and courts for many years to come.
What is the potential impact on clients?
As HMRC prepare to use these new powers, there will no doubt be a transitional period where caseworkers get used to implementing them – and no doubt mistakes will be made and mis-steps will be taken. Therefore, practitioners need to be keenly aware of the statutory safeguards available to their clients. Firstly, taxpayers served the notice can ask within 30 days for an internal review of the decision to issue the JLN.
Alternatively or additionally, taxpayers still have the right to appeal the issue to the independent First Tier Tribunal, either on the grounds that the five conditions have not been met or that the notice is not necessary for the protection of the revenue.
Bearing in mind the considerable powers conferred by these new provisions and the wide range of circumstances where HMRC apparently intends to use them, we can expect practitioners to be confronted with these notices frequently in the future. As we said at the start, HMRC have long been frustrated by the limited liability protection afforded by the corporate structure to what they see as the misbehaviour of company directors. Having been provided with a weapon to overcome that protection, it is only to be expected that they will be keen to use it wherever possible.
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Massage or Exercise? Why not have both?!
There are 3 great benefits to having regular massages during your well-being program.
Beneficial before your exercise session by relaxing your muscles and it increases flexibility for greater range of movement, which will reduce the chance of injury.
Helps the body during exercise because your muscles are relaxed, the blood flow is increased which allows your blood to flow into the muscles to increase strength and stamina and gets oxygen and nutrients to the muscles whilst under stress, reducing the chance of injury and faster recovery from your session.
After exercising it helps to lengthen and release tight muscles, relieves pain from spasms and cramps, massage increased blood flow for muscle repair and growth and stimulates the release of built up lactic acid which builds up during exercise and helps speed the recovery process.


Greddy manufactures exhaust systems, intakes, turbochargers, cooling components, drivetrain components, electronics, and suspension systems for the sport compact market. Greddy's long history of developing performance parts for the sport compact market has established them as one of the most well-known performance brands out of Japan. Their large variety of product and extensive turbocharger range are used throughout the sport compact industry.


text:
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[John Ghazvinian] The Iran nuclear deal is dead. Here's why it would benefit Biden to admit it
It is now clear that the talks aimed at reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal -- are going nowhere. After eight rounds of indirect talks, the Biden administration and the government of Iran's hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi, have failed to reinstate the deal that the Trump administration renounced in 2018. Iran refuses to return to the Iran nuclear d...
Published : Jul 26, 2022 - 05:31
Updated : Jul 26, 2022 - 05:31
It is now clear that the talks aimed at reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal -- are going nowhere. After eight rounds of indirect talks, the Biden administration and the government of Iran's hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi, have failed to reinstate the deal that the Trump administration renounced in 2018.
Iran refuses to return to the Iran nuclear deal unless it receives an ironclad guarantee that it won't be repealed again if a Republican president comes to power in 2024. Iran also wants the foreign terrorist organization designation the Trump administration slapped on its Revolutionary Guard Corps removed before a new deal, and any accompanying sanctions relief, can be put into place. Both these demands, for different political reasons, are impossible for the US to agree to.
The Iran nuclear negotiation, when it began in 2009, was never meant to take on a life of its own or become the alpha and omega of US-Iran policy. Rather, President Barack Obama envisaged it as an opening to Iran -- just one way to begin a larger conversation about rapprochement and reengagement with the Islamic Republic.
But somewhere along the way the nuclear deal itself became an obstacle, one more disagreement in the pantheon of disagreements between the two countries. Far from "preventing a nuclear Iran," it has become a roadblock that every conversation about Iran must maneuver around -- or through.
If the Biden administration wants to make any serious progress in containing the challenge posed by Iran and furthering US interests in the region, it needs to begin by acknowledging two uncomfortable realities.
The first is that when it comes to US policy on Iran, the Trump administration won. It was devastatingly effective at getting what it wanted -- which was to make it almost impossible for the US to return to the nuclear deal if Trump lost the 2020 election. Thanks to the 2018 withdrawal, and the torrent of sanctions that followed while Trump was in office, Iran no longer believes Washington is capable of keeping its word. In Iran, there appears to be widespread conviction that a future Republican president will do everything in his power to rip up any agreement that Biden might negotiate.
The second -- and perhaps more uncomfortable -- reality is that Iran also won. Though US officials do not like to admit this out loud, at some point in the last four years Iran finally became a nuclear-capable state. This is not to say that Iran now has an actual bomb, or even wants one. Rather, Iran is now "one screwdriver's turn away" from a bomb -- with all the enriched uranium and capability that allows it to rush to make a bomb if it ever felt it needed to, within a matter of weeks. This is precisely the outcome that multiple US administrations swore they would never allow.
Remember that the conflict between the United States and Iran was never about nuclear centrifuges and uranium enrichment. It has always been fundamentally political in nature, dating to Iran's 1979 revolution, the fall of the pro-American shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and the taking of hostages at the US Embassy in Tehran. In the decades since, the grievances between the two countries have only grown. To move forward, the US should return to dealing with Iran the way it did before the nuclear negotiations began in 2009 -- on political issues, with (one hopes) political solutions.
The obvious benefit of a political approach for the Biden administration is that it will free up the United States to pursue broader, deeper and more comprehensive negotiations with Iran, on such issues as ballistic missiles, human rights and Iran's support for proxy militias in the region. Rather than trying to renegotiate the complex nuclear deal, the White House can focus on the core range of disagreements that separate the two countries.
Yes, this might mean the US would need to make some concessions, such as loosening secondary sanctions and making it easier for Iran to sell its oil internationally. But Iran would also have to recognize that recent changes in the region -- including the Abraham Accords (normalization agreements with countries including the United Arab Emirates that integrate Israel into the region) and the weakening of Russia -- have left it more isolated than ever. Therefore, it has more to gain from cooperation than confrontation with the US.
An approach like this might even be easier to sell domestically than the idea that a revived nuclear agreement is still possible. In 2015, Obama faced a bruising battle to overcome congressional opposition to the Iran nuclear deal. Today that achievement would be even harder. By declaring the death of the deal, Biden would circumvent all that. He would give Iran hawks in Washington the satisfying feeling of political victory -- and the logical conclusion of their long-standing opposition to the nuclear deal. He can then get on with the business of pursuing his own, more realistic policy on Iran.
The world has changed since 2009. Iran has become a nuclear-capable state. Whether it goes any further down the nuclear road is a political decision Tehran will make, not a technical one to be determined by more negotiations. The Biden administration and its European allies should acknowledge this fundamental shift. The Iran nuclear deal is dead. Let's bury it for good.
John Ghazvinian
John Ghazvinian is an author, historian and executive director of the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He wrote this for the Los Angeles Times. -- Ed.
(Tribune Content Agency)
By Korea Herald (khnews@heraldcorp.com)


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One of many school-based assemblies, a pep rally is designed to generate school spirit and spark unity within a school community. Pep rallies are often held prior to big contests, such as homecoming games or playoff games, and provide opportunities for students, faculty, sports teams and other groups to honor and celebrate their team in preparation for the upcoming event. Ideally, a pep rally creates an environment of enthusiasm and will likely lead all in attendance to animated cheering in support of their team.
Informing the school community of an upcoming pep rally not only gives participants time to prepare but also builds excitement and expectation prior to attendance. Announcements might include details about a school spirit week leading up to the rally or encourage students and teachers to sign up for competitions that will take place during the pep rally. It's even possible for parents to receive a message or invitation to the rally as a means for them to participate in a spirit-related activity.
Pep rallies are meant to showcase exuberant school pride and engage the crowd in enthusiastic displays of school spirit. Generally, pep rallies are held in gymnasiums or multipurpose rooms, locations large enough to accommodate the entire student body. Students are ushered in while listening to familiar pep tunes from the school band or drum line and are seated with their graduating class. From there, the rally follows an agenda of introductions and announcements, celebratory crowd participation, spirited performances from various school organizations, acknowledgement of key members of the community, humorous skits based on a rousing theme and engaging competitions between the classes. Near the end of a rally, the student body may be led in a rendition of the school's fight song or alma mater by the band and cheerleaders.
The atmosphere is loud and enthusiastic during a pep rally and motivates students to actively participate. Throughout the rally, students are entertained by a number of performances such as music from the band and drum line, cheerleader and dance team routines, class and faculty skits and introductions to team members, players and coaches. It's not uncommon for a speaker, such as a team captain or a particularly engaging coach or faculty member, to excite the audience by announcing team records, narrating a slide show of celebrated moments in the team's competitive history or leading the entire school in a spirit cheer.
Once a pep rally has ended, students generally return to class or leave school feeling uplifted and enthusiastic about their school's team and the upcoming contest. Hopefully, they are inspired to make plans to attend the event and become a contributing member in preparing the team to compete.
We Are Teachers: 50 Surefire Ways to Build School Spirit!
A graduate of West Virginia University, Kristine Alvarez has a career that spans more than 19 years within the fields of advanced placement English, advanced reading, gifted education and time as an adjunct professor teaching composition and research-based writing at WVU. Currently, she teaches English at Morgantown High School in Monongalia County.


Over 2,500 years at a strategic crossroads of the western world have left Sicily with an unparalleled historical legacy.
Nowhere else have Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, French, Germans, Spanish, Italians and even British left such an indelible impression.
Whether you are more attracted by Greek temples, Roman villas and aqueducts, Norman cathedrals or Baroque churches, Sicily offers a range of historical sites that is not easily matched.
16th Century - Isolation and misgovernment continues. Nobility reinforce the feudal system forcing peasants off the land and leaving estates in the hands of Massari or Gabellotti, bailiffs charged with collection of rent. Sicily is now essentially a source of funds for Spanish expansion. Discontent leads to rise of brigandry supported by oppressed population who find defence from prosecution in a code of silence, or "omertà"... the beginnings of the Mafia. What's left to see: Remains of fortified Masserie (farm estates) all over the agricultural interior. 17th Century Repression is compounded by disease and disaster as Sicily's misery deepens under continuing Spanish misrule. Insurrection in the big cities is effectively and violently quashed. What's left to see: the main grid system of the old centre of Palermo. The Quattro Canti, Baroque churches. 1647 - Revolt of Palermo 1669 - Huge eruption of Etna destroys much around Catania. 1674-78 Revolt of Messina 1693 Earthquake and following plague destroys much of the east coast and kills 5% of the population. Followed by massive rebuilding programme, leaving some of the most spectacular Baroque architecture in Europe. What's left to see: Baroque architecture in Ragusa, Syracuse, Noto.1700 Charles II dies. 1713-1720 - Piedmontese. 1713 - Treaty of Utrecht following the death of Charles II of Spain gives Sicily to the House of Savoy.
Mayors of Palermo, Catania and Syracuse started ongoing process of restoration of old town centres.The opening and maintaining of marine reserves and national parks to protect the rich flora and fauna.The formation of the "Etna Valley" industrial parks to promote the development of High tech and pharmaceutical companies. 1994 - Silvio Berlusconi's first national government. 1997 - Agrigento and the Villa Romana del Casale become UNESCO world heritage sites. 1997 - The Teatro Massimo (the third largest opera house in Europe) reopens in Palermo after 25 years of closure. 2000 - the Aeolian Island listed as UNESCO world heritage site. What's left to see: Aeolian Islands: Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi. 2001 - Berlusconi returns as Prime Minister of Italy with 100% of Sicilian seats. 2002 - The late Baroque towns of the Noto Valley have been listed as World Heritage sites by UNESCO. What's left to see: Noto, Ibla, Scicli, Modica, Ragusa, Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Palazzolo Acreide.


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Privacy Public Policy
IAB Submits Comments on the California Consumer Privacy Act to the California Attorney General
As the California Attorney General embarks on promulgating regulations pursuant to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), IAB has submitted comments that offer recommendations toward strengthening and improving the law. In particular, we suggest the adoption of regulations that would resolve statutory ambiguities and address implementation gaps, while still satisfying the law's privacy centric goals. IAB is eager to continue collaborating with Attorney General Becerra and his team, as well as Members of the California State Assembly, to harness the potential of CCPA to offer a new era of transparency, choice, and accountability to Californians.
The need to treat a person's employee data and consumer data differently, in order to stave off disruption of employer-employee relationships and expose proprietary business records to risk.
Consumers should be able to opt-out of the sale of some of their data, not all of it, depending on their preferences, thus giving them full control of how their data is shared and/or sold.
Businesses should not be forced to reidentify information that has been pseudonymized. Without further clarification, the CCPA could be read to compel businesses to link identifiable and non-identifiable information, thereby destroying a common consumer privacy protection.
The term "household" must be clarified, in order to define who has access to personal information among a group of individuals. IAB suggests the AG clarify the definition of "household" to mean information known about the consumer making the request and information about others in the household only if the individual making the request is an authorized representative of such other persons.
Clarify that third parties have the choice to rely on contractual, written, or other assurances from businesses selling data to the third party that the CCPA-required "explicit notice" has been provided as one method of providing explicit notice.
Allow businesses to charge a reasonable subscription fee to consumers who have opted out from businesses' sale of their data, in order to preserve the value exchange that allows online advertising to enable internet users to access the content and services they love at little to no cost.
Download Full Comments
IAB Warns Against Rushed Passage of Children's Privacy Bill
IAB Public Policy Newsletter – December 2022


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Home Top Stories Opposition Leader rejects President's nominees
Opposition Leader rejects President's nominees
Appointment of Chancellor, CJ…
– green-lights persons for Integrity Commission
By Samuel Sukhnandan
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has rejected the appointment of Justice Kenneth Benjamin as Chancellor of the Judiciary and Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards as Chief Justice following their nomination by President David Granger.
In a letter dispatched to the media late Wednesday evening and addressed to the President, Jagdeo said, "I have duly considered the two nominees for whom you seek my agreement for appointment as Chancellor of the Judiciary and Chief Justice, respectively, in accordance with Article 127 (1) of the Constitution of the
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo
Cooperative Republic of Guyana."
However, he noted that his decision was made following due diligence done on the candidates. "As promised, I have done the requisite due diligence. It is with deep regret that I inform you that I am unable to offer my agreement to the appointment of Mr Justice Kenneth Andrew Charles Benjamin, as Chancellor of the Judiciary and Madam Justice Yonette Decina Cummings-Edwards, OR, as Chief Justice".
When contacted for a comment on the reason for his decision, the Opposition Leader told Guyana Times that he will discuss this matter at length today during a scheduled
Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards
press conference.
Jagdeo also defended a report that was published by the Department of Public Information (DPI) with the headline: "Opposition Leader a no show at scheduled meeting with President Granger." Accompanying the article is a picture with the President, along with Attorney General Basil Williams and Minister of State Joseph Harmon seated at a table staring at three empty chairs across the table.
The Opposition Leader said, "This odd photograph bears the caption: 'No Show'. It
is accompanied by a brief statement explaining that the Leader of the Opposition did not show up at a
President David Granger
meeting with the President which was scheduled a month ago, to take place today."
However, Jagdeo said having received no information confirming the meeting for Wednesday, which he said is a usual practice; he dispatched three letters which contain his response to issues raised at the last meeting. Minister Harmon was later contacted about the letters and stated that he remains ready and willing to meet with the President at a mutually convenient time.
The last meeting held in January was held in keeping with Article 127 (1) of the Constitution which speaks to the appointment of the Chancellor and Chief Justice.
It states that both the Chancellor and Chief Justice shall be appointed by
Justice Kenneth Benjamin
the President, acting after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition. The provision was a key aspect of the 2001 amendment to the instrument.
President Granger had announced at his first press conference in two years, in
December last year, that he has accepted a proposal from a committee that had been set up to review and interview applicants interested in the top judicial post after it advertised locally, regionally and internationally.
Jagdeo had earlier warned t
hat ev
en though the President has to make the first move to resolve the decade-long failure to appoint a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice, he would not allow himself to be coerced into accepting nominees just to fix the situation.
M eanwhile, the Opposition Leader in another
missive to the President noted his approval of the appointment of members of the Integrity Commission. "I offer no objection to the four persons whom you have identified for appointment to the
Integrity Commis
sion, in accordance with Section 3 (4) of the Integrity Commission Act Cap 19:12, Laws of Guyana. "I consider the totality of our engagement on this issue to be in satisfaction of the requirements of "consultation" as contemplated by the letter and spirit of section 3 (4)…"
Under the Integrity Commission Act, the President is to appoint a chairperson and other Commissioners. Although the number of nominees has been identified, the names were never disclosed.
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press-release article 2020-10-06 heart-center;cardiology heart-health;research
Press Release5 Minute ReadOct | 6 | 2020
Genetic testing for a lipoprotein linked to cardiovascular risk is as effective as blood work, study shows
Julie Cunningham 617-724-6433Julie.cunningham@partners.org
Elevated levels of a little-known lipoprotein in the blood that may put people at high risk of cardiovascular disease
These lipoproteins can be as accurately detected by genetic testing as by conventional laboratory measurement
Early identification of at-risk individuals could affect preventative measures for heart disease
We learned that genetic determinants of elevated lipoprotein(a) may help identify the most effective medication regimen for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Pradeep Natarajan, MD
Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital
BOSTON – Elevated levels of a little-known lipoprotein in the blood that may put people at high risk of cardiovascular disease can be as accurately detected by genetic testing as by conventional laboratory measurement, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found. In a study published in JAMA Cardiology, the team reported that genetic risk scoring of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-like lipoprotein – known as lipoprotein(a) – may have clinical utility in helping physicians identify candidates for treatment, such as a statin, or for ongoing clinical trials of new medicines. The findings are particularly important in light of the millions of people who use direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits, and for expanding genetic research biobanks.
"Our work demonstrates that genetic risk scoring of lipoprotein(a) offers risk prediction of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease that's comparable to directly measured lipoprotein(a)," says Pradeep Natarajan, MD, investigator in the Division of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research Center at MGH and senior author of the study. "We learned that genetic determinants of elevated lipoprotein(a) may help identify the most effective medication regimen for cardiovascular disease prevention."
Lipoprotein(a) contains a molecule known as apolipoprotein(a) that has been linked by studies to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Genetic variation is believed to account for 75 to 95 percent of lipoprotein(a) level variation in the population. Because nongenetic factors, such as diet and physical activity, do not substantially influence lipoprotein(a) concentrations, a genetic test is well positioned to identify high concentrations. Lipoprotein(a) levels greater than 50 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are associated with a 30 to 50 percent greater risk of ASCVD. Individuals with extremely high levels, greater than 200 mg/dL, could face a three to four times greater risk of ASCVD.
Unlike LDL and HDL cholesterol and other lipoprotein particles that are universally known, lipoprotein(a) is rarely measured and largely underrecognized by physicians. Through their observational study, the MGH researchers sought to determine if the 43 known genetic variants of lipoprotein(a) could predict future disease risk. To that end, they drew upon the UK Biobank's approximately 500,000 adults ages 40 to 69.
"Our results showed that if someone already had their lipoprotein(a) measured, then the incremental predictive benefit of a genetic test is negligible," notes Mark Trinder, with the University of British Columbia, lead author of the study. "Where both findings can be useful, though, is in the case of physicians who are undecided about putting a patient with elevated lipoprotein(a) levels on medication."
Natarajan is encouraged about the potential impact of his team's work on the broader realm of genetic testing. "Using genetic factors enhances our ability to identify at-risk individuals for cardiovascular disease who could benefit from earlier preventive strategies," he says. "At the same time, genetic testing could help identify candidates for clinical trials who are critical to discovering innovative new therapies to address conditions like elevated lipoprotein(a) and related cardiovascular disease risks."
Natarajan is director of Preventive Cardiology at MGH, assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and associate member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Lead author Trinder is a visiting medical student from the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, The University of British Columbia. Co-authors Mesbah Uddin, PhD, Krishna Aragam, MD, and Phoebe Finneran, BS, are members of the Program in Medical and Population Genetics and the Cardiovascular Disease Initiative at the Broad Institute and Preventive Cardiology at MGH.
The study was supported by the biopharmaceutical company Amgen.
About the Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with an annual research budget of more than $1 billion and comprises more than 8,500 researchers working across more than 30 institutes, centers and departments. In August 2019 the MGH was once again named #2 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its list of "America's Best Hospitals."
Pradeep Natarajan, MD, MMSc
Director, Preventive Cardiology
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School


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Aleksandr Kulikov may refer to:
 Aleksandr Vladimirovich Kulikov (born 1988), Russian footballer
 Alexandr Kulikov (canoeist) (born 1997), Kazakhstani slalom canoeist
 Aleksandr Kulikov (ice hockey), Soviet and Russian ice hockey player and coach in 1976 Canada Cup


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The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design
The NeoCon team had the pleasure of touring the new exhibition, The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design, at the Driehaus Museum in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood.
Driehaus Museum Exterior, Photograph by Alexander Vertikoff
As we stepped into the breathtakingly preserved 19th Century home of the Nickerson and Fisher families, revived by philanthropist Richard Driehaus in the 2000s, we felt as though we had transported back to Chicago's Gilded Age. The lavish interiors feature original furnishings and an outstanding collection of decorative arts including Tiffany glass.
The Main Hall, Photo by Steve Hall of Hedrich Blessing
We ascended the grand marble staircase to enter The Art of Seating exhibition to view 37 exceptional examples of American chairs created between 1810 and 2010. The impressive collection features chairs by designers George Hunzinger, the Herter Brothers, the Stickley Brothers, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, and Frank Gehry among others. Each chair is a work of art highlighting the culture and social trends of the time.
Alex Garcia/Driehaus Museum
The exhibition is displayed chronologically, providing a timeline of material and stylistic changes over two centuries. Winding through the rooms we saw chairs from the Egyptian Revival and a rattan "Lady's Reception Chair" from 1885 that looked like something you'd find in a trendy bohemian apartment today. As we entered a room with chairs from the past 100 years, we excitedly pointed out those from manufacturers such as Knoll, Steelcase, and Herman Miller, designed by equally notable names.
Grasshopper Arm Chair, Designed by Eero Saarinen, Manufactured by Knoll Associates
Johnson Wax Company Chair, Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Manufactured by Steelcase Corporation
LCW (Lounge Chair Wood) Designed by Charles and Ray Eames, Manufactured by Evans Products, Co. for Herman Miller Company
The grand finale of the exhibition is The Act of Sitting lounge where you can take a seat in some of the most recognized chairs of the 20th century.
Act of Sitting Lounge
Lucky for those attending NeoCon, the exhibition will run through August 12, 2018. It's something you won't want to miss while you're in Chicago! Visit DriehausMuseum.org for ticketing and tour information.


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The Law of One Search Results for 'egg'
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31.4 Questioner: Can you expand somewhat on the concept that this action not only allows the Creator to know Itself better but also creates, in our density, an offspring or makes available the pathway for another entity to enter the density?
Ra: I am Ra. As we have previously said, the sexual energy transfers include the red-ray transfer which is random and which is a function of the second-density attempt to grow, to survive, shall we say. This is a proper function of the sexual interaction. The offspring, as you call the incarnated entity which takes on the mind/body complex opportunity offered by this random act or event called the fertilization of egg by seed, causes an entity to have the opportunity to then enter this density as an incarnate entity.
This gives the two who were engaged in this bisexual reproductive energy transfer the potential for great service in this area of the nurturing of the small-experienced entity as it gains in experience.
It shall be of interest at this point to note that there is always the possibility of using these opportunities to polarize towards the negative, and this has been aided by the gradual building up over many thousands of your years of social complex distortions which create a tendency towards confusion, shall we say, or baffling of the service-to-others aspect of this energy transfer and subsequent opportunities for service to other-selves.