Dylan Fritz, Benjamin Sawaia and Brett Sodetz each shot 5-over-par 77 on Tuesday to help the Coronado boys golf team take the lead after the first round of the Southern Nevada Invitational at Southern Highlands.
Dylan Fritz, Benjamin Sawaia and Brett Sodetz each shot 5-over-par 77 on Tuesday to help Coronado's boys golf team take the lead after the first round of the Southern Nevada Invitational at Southern Highlands.
The Cougars finished at 313 and own a seven-shot lead over Bellarmine College Prep (California), which finished at 320.
Faith Lutheran is third at 334, followed by Palo Verde (343) and Arbor View (348).
Faith Lutheran's Charlie Magruder carded a 76 and shares the individual lead with Bellarmine's Austin Murphy.
Arbor View's Hazen Newman fired a 77 and shares third place with the three Coronado golfers.
Kyler Atkinson shot 5-over 77 to earn medalist honors and lead Boulder City to a win in a Class 3A Sunrise League match at CasaBlanca Golf Club in Mesquite.
The Eagles had five of the top six finishers and posted a score of 432. Moapa Valley was second at 552, followed by Tech (618) and Del Sol (645).
Boulder City's Jackson Wright was third at 86, followed by teammates Cade Neilson (88), Samu Jancuk (89) and Aaron Walker (92).
Hogan Fowles of Virgin Valley was second after an 81.


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At Sunrise Productions we feel incredibly lucky to call Cape Town our home. This vibrant coastal gem has been repeatedly voted Best City in the World. We are very fortunate to work and play at the foot of an iconic mountain that is officially one of the 7 New Natural Wonders of the Word. Our new world-class studios are situated on a working vineyard with countless activities just a stone's throw away!
Cape Town has a diverse and spectacular selection of beaches dotted along its Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastlines, each with their own distinct personalities and top attractions - horse-riding, family time, watching penguins or sunsets, surfing and sunbathing.
Hiking & Nature
With it's undulating mountain ranges, hectares of forest and vast nature reserves, Cape Town has a truly outdoor culture. Table Mountain National Park has an abundance of walking trails, while other scenic routes can also be found within an hour of the city centre.
With a multitude of thriving markets specialising in prepared food, fresh fruit and vegetables, fine art, clothing and other crafts, you can be sure there is a market for everyone and everything. Get off that well-trodden path and discover the best of Cape Town's food and art scene.
If you have (or are planning) kids, Cape Town has some of the best public and private schools in the country offering both local and internationally recognised qualifications.
From popular nightclubs where you can dance all night long and chic cocktail bars that serve refreshing drinks to laid-back waterfront venues with spectacular sea views, Cape Town has it all.
"Sunrise is set in one of the most beautiful locations in the whole of Africa. Cape Town is stunning and the studio is located in a peaceful spot minutes from the beach. Sunrise is an exciting studio and one where artists really do have ownership over their work. You rarely find a company who truly appreciate the experience, insight and input you give, and it's pleasure working as part of this team."
– Dan Barker Animation Supervisor
"Working at Sunrise was a great experience. The friendly and talented team are a real joy to work with. They are small but mighty! Cape Town quickly felt like home over the 5 months my family and I stayed there & we're excited to be returning again soon. The kids (4 and 6) made friends easily and joined clubs and kids groups in the area. There weren't enough weekends to see and do all the things we wanted to do. We got out into nature visiting beaches, hiking on Table Mountain, animal sanctuaries and botanical gardens in wine country. We even witnessed rescued penguins being released back into their natural habitat at Boulders Beach. Cape Town food is some of the best in the world. I'm looking forward to revisiting some of our favourite breakfast spots in Kalk Bay and the Farm Village. "
– Aaron Adams CG Supervisor

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Don't Bring a Tank to Pumpkin Fest
Liberals are up in arms about police militarization. Libertarians are saying: What took you so long?
By David Weigel
Aug 15, 20146:38 PM
Sen. Rand Paul speaks in Washington on June 20, 2014.
Photo by Larry Downing/Reuters
In December 2012, when Washington's press corps was peering over the "fiscal cliff," Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn released a report that looked and sounded too goofy to be real. The cover of "Safety at Any Price: Assessing the Impact of Homeland Security Spending on U.S. Cities" portrayed a child-size drone flying near the Capitol; over ATV-driving Lego men; and, for some reason, over R2D2.
"If in the days after 9/11 lawmakers were able to cast their gaze forward ten years," wrote Coburn, "I imagine they would be surprised to see how a counter-terrorism initiative aimed at protecting our largest cities has transformed into another parochial grant program."
His researchers had dug up dozens of examples and told the story of how local police forces started to look like occupying armies, thanks to $35 billion in Department of Homeland Security grants. Seattle had spent $80,000 on a drone, which it insisted was not a drone. Pittsburgh had spent $90,000 on a sonic cannon, and used it to break up G-20 protests, though a SWAT officer assured a reporter that the device was just "a speaker that delivers an intended message to an intended group of people to disperse."
And then there were the armored vehicles. Police departments in less-than-bustling towns suddenly needed $250,000 armored BearCats. "Because Fontana, California considers itself a 'top 100 terrorist target,' " wrote Coburn's researchers, "it needed a BearCat." In New Hampshire, the libertarians of Keene had been fighting, unsuccessfully, a police department that wanted a BearCat to guard an annual harvest celebration. "Do I think al-Qaida is going to target Pumpkin Fest?" Keene's police chief asked, rhetorically. "No, but are there fringe groups that want to make a statement? Yes."
There were no attacks, and there was little coverage of Coburn's report. Gene Healy, a vice president of the libertarian Cato Institute, publicized Coburn's findings in a column. Radley Balko, a former Huffington Post reporter who'd worked with Healy at Cato (and, full disclosure, with me at Reason), praised the report, which touched on stories he'd covered, like the BearCat fight in Keene. Coburn appeared on Neil Cavuto's Fox Business show (not to be confused with the more widely watched Fox News shows), where the discussion quickly veered from the report's highlights ("zombie apocalypse training") to the more exciting fiscal cliff. Attacking the military buildup of local police, on its own, was just too kooky.
What a difference Ferguson makes. This week, when Sen. Rand Paul published a brief op-ed denouncing "Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars," he conquered the headlines. The New York Times, which had just published an epic story about libertarians, offered that "conservatives tend to be fairly consistent" on law and order, and Paul was acting as a disrupter. "Rand Paul is right," argued Al Sharpton, who is more familiar with being labeled an "outside agitator" by conservatives than with complimenting them.
But libertarians and libertarian-leaning Republicans have been attacking the militarization of police forces for the better part of a decade. They come at the issue from a stronger ideological position than the left does, or can. Decades of tough-on-crime policies have made the right (and libertarians are part of the right) less vulnerable to charges of softness and thug-coddling. And the libertarian answer to crime has never been about empowering the police. In the ideal liberal scenario—call it "Japan" or "any part of Europe"— civilians have as much access to firearms as they have to rocket launchers and ICBMs. In the libertarian ideal, the state has no more firepower to control civilians than the civilians have to police themselves, or to fight back.
It's hard to date when the backlash began, or when it became mainstream, but 1989 is a good time to start. That was a hot year for the crack wars, not long before Washington Mayor Marion Barry was arrested with a pipe in the room, and the year Congress' National Defense Authorization Act added Section 1208. The new NDAA language authorized the transfer of excess military equipment "suitable for use" in "counter-drug activities."
In 1989, that meant almost anything. The first time many Americans realized that was in August 1992, when the ATF, FBI, Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals, Idaho National Guard, Idaho state police, and local police laid siege to Randy Weaver's home in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, with assault weapons and night-vision goggles. The siege started with the deaths of Weaver's son and one of the dogs, and the Weaver family would eventually settle for more than $3 million. But less than a year later, some of the same agencies (and some of the same agents, as Radley Balko points out in Rise of the Warrior Cop) raided David Koresh's compound outside Waco, Texas, smashing the walls with tanks and shooting 350 rounds of tear gas inside.
Seventy-six people died. But Bill Clinton was in the White House. The gun control lobby was experiencing what would be, in retrospect, its finest hour—the passage of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which banned the sale of "assault weapons" until 2004.
As conservatives and libertarians saw it, and as the gun lobby saw it, the government was arming a police state while making it illegal and impossible for citizens to defend themselves from tyranny. "Not too long ago, it was unthinkable for federal agents wearing Nazi bucket helmets and black storm trooper uniforms to attack law-abiding citizens," read a 1995 National Rifle Association fundraising letter signed by Wayne LaPierre. "Not today." You can draw a straight line from that letter to, this week, WorldNetDaily posting photos of American cops who look like they're breaking up rallies in Tahrir Square.
After the events of this week, the right-wingers who'd been warning about fat contracts arming thuggish police departments are suddenly finding themselves in step with the left. But it's the right-wingers who might be the best political allies that Ferguson's black protesters have. Like Trayvon Martin's Florida, like John Crawford's Ohio, Michael Brown's Missouri is governed by a Republican legislature that has gerrymandered itself into at least another decade of power. State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, who represents Ferguson and live-tweeted her tear-gassing by police, is one of 10 Democrats outnumbered by 24 Republicans. Florida's Dream Defenders, who occupied the state Capitol to demand a second look at "stand your ground" law, made up no ground at all with the conservative legislators.
But the Dream Defenders have common cause with libertarians. In Keene, for example, the movement to stop the BearCat sale—"tanks, but no tanks"—was led by libertarians who ideally wanted a cop-free city. Pete Eyre, who once aspired to become a police officer, became a libertarian instead, and ended up in Keene after touring the country in an RV to make movies about freedom.
"On the road, we just happened to have interactions with police employees, and it seemed clear that they didn't like being filmed," Eyre told me. "It became clear that capturing the truth of the situation might be powerful."
That revelation led Eyre to co-found CopBlock, which encourages citizens to film the police—an action that got two reporters illegally arrested in Ferguson, piling outrage on top of the outrage. It also led to Eyre's lobbying ("there were songs, music videos, petitions") against the BearCat, which became enough of an early warning signal to make it into a Republican senator's paper about post-9/11 police militarization.
"As people start to film what they see and pursue tactics that are peaceful," said Eyre, "ultimately these incidents will continue to happen until the institution of policing, which is a coercive monopoly, is denied legitimacy. Badges don't grant extra rights. If an action's unlawful for me or you, it's unlawful for anyone."
That's further than many liberals would be willing to go, obviously. And they're not going to stop campaigning for gun control. But if they want to stop police departments from turning into shoot-first armies, the libertarians have been waiting for them. In June, 18 months after the Coburn report, the New York Times' Matt Apuzzo published a wide-ranging study of what military equipment was making it to the sheriff's office and how. In Morgan County, Indiana, the police acquired an MRAP because, in one sergeant's words, "a lot of people who are coming out of the military that have the ability and knowledge to build IEDs and to defeat law-enforcement techniques."
If that sounded familiar, it may have been because in April 2009 the DHS released a report warning that the fringe was rising and that "rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat." This was just days before the first big national wave of Tea Party rallies, and to the horror of progressives, some activists showed up with signs that dared the DHS to go after "rightwing extremists" like them.
Five years later, the progressives still disagree with the right-wingers. They still reject, as insane, the idea that a heavily armed citizenry might be safer than a country where the cops have the guns. But they suddenly agree about something.
Read the rest of Slate's coverage of the protests in Ferguson.


Tagish Cabins offers two self-sufficient log cabins featuring a terrace with mountain or garden views. BBQs and firepits are available on site. Free WiFi is offered throughout the property. The accommodation is fitted with a seating and dining area. A wood stove offers heating in each. There is a shared bath and showerhouse with a Finnish sauna in a seperate building, toilets are also located outside the cabins. Guests can enjoy various activities in the surroundings, including fishing and canoeing. Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport is 62 km from the property.
Please inform Tagish Cabins in advance of your expected arrival time. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly with the contact details provided in your confirmation.


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The Pearl Post
December 1DPMHS Town Hall Meeting is on Friday, Dec. 4 at 5:30.
November 13The deadline to submit CSU applications is Tuesday, Dec. 15.
November 13The deadline to submit UC applications is Friday, Dec. 4.
BCCHS coach now in jail after pretrial hearing
The previous bench warrant out for his arrest was recalled on March 5.
Photo released by LAPD
Former lacrosse coach Scott Silva was sentenced on June 19.
Casey Wanatick and Itzel Luna
According to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) girls lacrosse coach Scott Silva is currently being held in the Men's Central Jail facility after attending his pretrial hearing on March 5.
Previously, a bench warrant was out for Silva's arrest after he failed to appear in court for his last five hearings. The bench warrant, however, was recently recalled at the March 5 court hearing, according to an email from Los Angeles City Attorney's Office spokesman Frank Mateljan.
Silva' trial has not begun as his next court date is set for April 5 at the Van Nuys Municipal Court Division 113. His bail is currently set at $595,000 according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department inmate information center.
Silva was arrested on Nov. 16 last year and is currently charged with 30 counts of sexual misconduct against minors. A restraining order was filed against Silva to stay at least 100 yards away from BCCHS and Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) along with the 13 named victims.
On Feb. 25, teens from the Change the Talk program came to DPMHS to educate students on sexual violence and sexual misconduct. They also reminded students that everyone under the Los Angeles Unified School District is a mandated reporter.
If anyone has any information regarding this case, please call the Sexually Exploited Child Unit, Juvenile Division at (213) 486-0580, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Casey Wanatick, Sports/Tech Editor
Casey Wanatick is a senior and Sports/Tech Editor for The Pearl Post. Hopeful for his last year in high school, Wanatick looks forward to seeing his friends...
Itzel Luna, Print Editor-in-Chief
Itzel Luna is the Print Editor-in-Chief for Daniel Pearl Magnet High School's student website and magazine, The Pearl Post. This school year, Luna hopes...
How badly was your sleep schedule affected by winter break?
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I stayed up late every night and now I'm having trouble waking up in the morning.
LAUSD gives students second chance with new "no-fail" policy
Library renovation continues during distance learning
Students prepare for unusual finals week during virtual learning
Virtual Get Lit performances manage to inspire students
Students' mental health, grades takes a toll during distance learning
LAUSD says "No" to returning this semester
School enrollment decreases during virtual learning school year
Students struggle with online Edgenuity, Apex Learning classes
Students react to Biden's win in historic 2020 presidential election
Students adjust to changes brought on by distance learning
The student news site of Daniel Pearl Magnet High School in Lake Balboa, CA


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Slain Chad leader Deby's son named 'president of the republic'
fadminon 21/04/2021 Leave a Comment on Slain Chad leader Deby's son named 'president of the republic'
Chad's slain leader Idriss Deby's son will take over as president in place of his father, according to a charter released on Wednesday by the presidency.
It said General Mahamat Idriss Deby, 37, who on Tuesday was swiftly named transitional leader as head of a military council following his father's death, will "occupy the functions of the president of the republic" and also serve as head of the armed forces.
The charter repeals the preceding constitution and will be implemented as the "basic law of the republic," according to its terms.
The younger Deby has also been named "supreme head of the armed forces," it said.
Deby's son had overseen his father's security as head of the elite presidential guard and had often appeared alongside him.
Mahamat Deby is best known as a top commander of the Chadian forces assisting a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the restive north of neighbouring Mali.
He signed a decree Tuesday setting out a military council with 15 generals, including himself and 14 others known to have been part of the late president's circle of loyalists.
The council is tasked with an 18-month transition toward "free and democratic elections."
Mahamat Idriss Deby also chairs the "military transition council, the council of ministers, the councils and superior committees of national defence," according to the charter.
The new head of state will promulgate legislation adopted by the 69 members of the national transition council, who are named directly by Mahamat.
The Transition Charter, which contains 95 articles, also guarantees "freedom of opinion, conscience and worship."
A transition government has been set up, whose members are named by the new president.
"The members of the army who are called to the transition government are discharged from all military duties," the charter said.
Chadian law
The slain leader, who ruled with an iron fist for nearly 30 years, succumbed to wounds suffered during a visit to the battlefield in the country's north where Chadian soldiers fought against a rebel group, the military announced on Tuesday.
Calling for calm, the army also announced a 6pm curfew and shut the country's borders, while suspending the constitution and dissolving the National Assembly.
Experts say that under Chadian law, the speaker of parliament should have taken power after Deby's death and not his son.
"What the constitution says is that in the absence of the president or in case he dies, then the speaker of the parliament takes charge of the country for 40 days and so a transition is put in place until elections are held," Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from the capital, Ndjamena, said earlier on Tuesday.
"[But] the military announced that the legislative assembly has been dissolved and that the constitution also has been dissolved, so what they are doing is that they replaced the constitution with their own set of rules."
All-powerful guard
Commander in chief of the all-powerful red-bereted presidential guard or DGSSIE security service for state institutions, Deby carries the nickname "Kaka" or grandmother in Chadian Arabic, after his paternal grandmother who raised him.
"The man in dark glasses", as he is known in military circles, is said to be a discreet, quiet officer who looks after his men.
A career soldier just like his father, he is from the Zaghawa ethnic group which boasts numerous top officers in an army seen as one of the finest in the troubled Sahel region.
"He has always been at his father's side. He also led the DGSSIE. The army has gone for continuity in the system," Kelma Manatouma, a Chadian political science researcher at Paris-Nanterre university, told AFP.
However over recent months the unity of the Zaghawas has fractured and the president has removed several suspect officers, sources close to the palace said.
With a mother from the Sharan Goran ethnic group, he also married a Goran, Dahabaye Oumar Souny, a journalist at the presidential press service.
She is the daughter of a senior official who was close to former dictator Hissene Habre, ousted by Idriss Deby in December 1990.
The Zaghawa community thus look with some suspicion on Mahamat Deby, some regional experts say.
'Night of long knives'
"He is far too young and not especially liked by other officers," said Roland Marchal of the International Research Centre at Sciences Po university in Paris.
"There is bound to be a night of the long knives," Marchal predicted.
Raised in the capital N'Djamena, Mahamat Deby was sent to a military school in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, but stayed only a few months.
Back home in Chad, he returned to training at a military school in the capital and joined the presidential guard.
He rose quickly through the command structure from an armoured group to head of security at the presidential palace before taking over the whole DGSSIE structure.
Mahamat was acclaimed for his combat performance, notably after government forces emerged victorious in 2009 against rebels led by Deby's nephew Timan Erdimi.
Erdimi's forces had launched a rebellion in the east and reached the gates of the presidential palace a year earlier, before being pushed back with the help of intervention by former colonial power France.
He finally moved out of the shadow of his brother Abdelkerim Idriss Deby, deputy director of the presidential office, when he was appointed deputy chief of the Chadian army deployed to Mali in 2013.
That mission saw Mahamat Deby work closely with French troops in operation Serval against armed groups in 2013-14.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
CategoriesWorld News
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Chad president's death: Rivals reject Déby's son inheriting power
Opposition politicians in Chad have rejected the army's appointment of President Idriss Déby's son to take over in the wake…


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The Looting Machine: Warlords, Tycoons, Smugglers and the Systematic Theft of Africa's Wealth
Written By: Tom Burgis
Narrated By: Dugald Bruce Lockhart
Duration: 10 hours 9 minutes
Overseas Press Club Award Winner 2016
A shocking investigative journey into the way the resource trade wreaks havoc on Africa, 'The Looting Machine' explores the dark underbelly of the global economy.
Africa: the world's poorest continent and, arguably, its richest. While accounting for just 2 percent of global GDP, it is home to 15 per cent of the planet's crude oil, 40 per cent of its gold and 80 per cent of its platinum. A third of the earth's mineral deposits lie beneath its soil. But far from being a salvation, this buried treasure has been a curse.
'The Looting Machine' takes you on a gripping and shocking journey through anonymous boardrooms and glittering headquarters to expose a new form of financialized colonialism. Africa's booming growth is driven by the voracious hunger for natural resources from rapidly emerging economics such as China. But in the shadows a network of traders, bankers and corporate raiders has sprung up to grease the palms of venal local political elites. What is happening in Africa's resource states is systematic looting. In country after country across the continent, the resource industry is tearing at the very fabric of society. But, like its victims, the beneficiaries of this looting machine have names.
For six years Tom Burgis has been on a mission to expose corruption and give voice to the millions of Africans who suffer the consequences of living under this curse. Combining deep reporting with an action-packed narrative, he travels to the heart of Africa's resource states, meeting a warlord in Nigeria's oil-soaked Niger Delta and crossing a warzone to reach a remote mineral mine in eastern Congo. The result is a blistering investigation that throws a completely fresh light on the workings of the global economy and will make you think twice about what goes into the mobile phone in your pocket and the tank of your car.
Science & Technology >
Looting Machine: Warlords, Tycoons, Smugglers and the Systematic Theft of Africa's Wealth
by Tom Burgis
This title is due for release on February 26, 2015.
This title is due for release on February 26, 2015


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A.M.A. At War With Wooldridge
A report in The Australian newspaper today highlights a rift that has developed between the Federal Minister for Health, Dr Michael Wooldridge, and the Australian Medical Association.
The AMA is the peak organisation representing Australian doctors. It has 26,000 members and is led by Dr Kerryn Phelps.
According to the report, a meeting was held a fortnight ago involving Dr Wooldridge, two of his advisers, Dr Phelps, her partner and personal assistant Jackie Stricker, and AMA vice-president, Trevor Mudge.
Dr Phelps said the AMA was attempting to talk to Dr Wooldridge about boosting medical rebates for general practitioners, the impact of competition policy in the bush, funding for public hospitals and the May Budget when he made the threat. Relations between the AMA and Dr Wooldridge have been deteriorating for months after the group threatened to campaign at an election if the Government did not deliver an increase of up to $1.5 billion in Medicare rebates to GPs.
Dr. Phelps claims that Dr Wooldridge threatened to destroy the AMA unless it toned down its criticism of the Howard Government. She also claims that Wooldridge threatened to destroy her personally:
"He threatened to destroy the Australian Medical Association and he threatened to destroy me personally . . . unless we towed the line," Dr Phelps alleged last night.
"Frankly, we are disappointed with his performance as Health Minister; he has been ill-mannered and belligerent, and shown poor judgment.
"His behaviour was quite irrational and we believe it is becoming more so."
The Health Minister has denied the allegations, a spokesman arguing that what Dr. Phelps considered "threatening and bullying might just have been a full and frank discussion"!
"The AMA was making public threats about what it was going to do to the minister, what it was going to do to his seat and what it was going to do to the Government if he didn't cave in to demands for a doubling of the Medicare rebate," the spokeswoman said.
"You tell me who's doing the bullying."
She also accused the AMA president of "getting personal" in criticising the appointment of the minister's friend, and former ACT chief minister, Kate Carnell to a job on the general practice training board. When in Canberra, the minister stays in a separate flat at the back of Ms Carnell's house.
The article says that Dr Wooldridge has turned away from working with the AMA, preferring to consult with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Divisions of General Practice over general practice funding issues. This highlights the competition that can often exist between pressure groups, as well as demonstrating the ability governments have to play one group off against another.
The article says:
The AMA has responded by seeking the support of National Party leader John Anderson in a bid to get a relaxation of competition law as it applies to bush doctors, and sought to directly negotiate with Prime Minister John Howard.
This demonstrates that there are different paths to gaining political access and influence.
The AMA has had a long history of political involvement. Its relationships with governments, both coalition and Labor, have often been marked by conflict. This latest indication of strains between the Howard Government and the AMA highlights the ongoing political struggle involving one of Australia's most influential pressure groups.
Information about the AMA
AMA web-site
Australian Divisions of General Practice
Filed Under: Health, Howard, Pressure Groups Tagged With: AMA, Kerryn Phelps, Michael Wooldridge
Feb 19, 2001 About The Australian Medical Association
Sep 07, 2001 Michael Wooldridge Announces Resignation From Parliament
Nov 26, 2018 Dr Kerryn Phelps (Ind-Wentworth) – Maiden Speech
Feb 25, 2002 Stem Cell Research: A Case Study Of How Cabinet Works
Feb 25, 2001 Howard Under Pressure As Polls Show Slipping Support
Feb 20, 2002 Ex-Ministers: Jobs After Government
May 23, 1994 Alexander Downer And Peter Costello Win Liberal Party Leadership
Apr 28, 2003 Howard Government's Proposed Changes To Medicare
Sep 06, 2004 Howard Announces Medicare Rebate Extension
Liberal Party Jenny Macklin asylum seekers AEC Eric Abetz Peter Beattie State of the Union Bill Clinton Tony Windsor terrorism Alexander Downer Paul Keating Adam Bandt interest rates Pauline Hanson Laurie Oakes editorial Denis Napthine Bill Shorten Wayne Swan John McCain Peter Cosgrove Warren Truss Kevin Rudd Clive Palmer NPC Iraq climate change vic1999 first speech George W Bush Peter Hollingworth Glenn Stevens GST Kim Beazley John Howard Barack Obama John Hewson Robert Hill Christine Milne Scott Morrison Julie Bishop Malcolm Fraser Chris Bowen Bob Hawke carbon tax resignation Malcolm Turnbull Monica Lewinsky Senate Andrew Peacock Peter Slipper A.L.P. Steve Bracks Tony Abbott Simon Crean Robert Menzies Campbell Newman Bob Brown 9/11 2013 Federal Election Gough Whitlam Christopher Pyne Joe Hockey RBA National Press Club Tony Blair Anthony Albanese Peter Costello Julia Gillard Budget Mark Latham George Brandis House Managers Jeff Kennett Penny Wong financial crisis Tanya Plibersek Stephen Conroy leadership


The University of Minnesota's Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing enriches health and wellbeing by providing exemplary education, conducting rigorous research, advancing integrative models of care, and delivering innovative solutions to organizations and communities.
Our vision is to advance the health and wellbeing of individuals, organizations and communities through integrative health and healing.
The University of Minnesota was founded on the belief that all people are enriched by understanding. We are dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the translation of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.
The Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing—an integral unit within the Academic Health Center—strongly supports the University's mission by generating knowledge, educating students and serving the greater community through accessible and relevant outreach programs.


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For Older Chinese-Americans, Loneliness & Depression Curtail Cognitive Function
As minority groups in the United States are concerned, Asian-Americans are viewed as the one that has, in general, done best for itself in terms of socioeconomic status, overall health and socialization.
This perceived advantage is known as "model minority" status.
However, a team of researchers, prompted by some skepticism that this status was ill-fitting or misplaced, set out to challenge the concept by better understanding and studying older Chinese-Americans, a representative subset of that larger, multi-cultural ethnic population.
What researchers learned while undertaking this unique study was twofold.
First, that this "model" status tended to be somewhat exaggerated, and that Chinese-Americans "face a high prevalence of psychological distress and disorders, dementia and cancer, especially in advanced age," according to a statement on the published research.
And second, to guard against these physical and mental difficulties, "a well-connected community, active social life and high acculturation" – the process of adopting cultural patterns of another group, which immigrants engage in – "are essential to improving older Chinese adults' health and lowering depression."
By taking the lead in publishing 20 articles on the topic, XinQi Dong, the director of Rutgers University's Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, and his team compiled a body of work that "is the first study examining the relationship between loneliness, depressive symptoms, and cognitive functioning in U.S. Chinese older adults," according to the published paper which appeared in the journal Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine.
"The key finding of this study is that loneliness was associated with poor global cognitive functioning in U.S. Chinese older adults," the authors wrote. "We suspect that loneliness and depressive symptoms act together to influence cognitive functioning."
The team spent two years interviewing 3,159 older and elderly Chinese-Americans in the greater Chicago area, ranging in age from 60 to 105. Among other areas of inquiry, they compiled information on each person's community involvement, quality of life and psychological makeup.
One area centered on how long an individual has lived in this country, with those reporting longer residency finding additional benefit.
Researchers stated that "length of residence in the U.S. was positively associated with all cognitive function domains except working memory. One plausible explanation is longer years lived in the United States may increase Chinese older adults' engagement in social and leisure activities, which can mitigate cognitive decline."
As for how applicable this study is to Chinese-Americans as a whole, it does have its limitations, which the authors noted. Only those volunteering were included, meaning that "those who are institutionalized or more isolated in the community" were not represented. Further, since those studied came only from the metropolitan Chicago "it is not clear whether the findings could be generalizable to older Chinese adults residing in other geographic areas or other older adult populations."
That said, this work does provide insight into this overlooked field of study while revealing that the "model minority" may be more mainstream than previously thought.
See more at ACSH
Tags: chinese, chinese-american, cognitive decline, depression
The education, strategies, and opinions provided are tailored for large and small communities alike. What brings us together is our passion for serving seniors and our drive to make their world a more vibrant place.
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#include "sh-tdep.h"
#include "inf-ptrace.h"
#include "regcache.h"
#include "inf-ptrace.h"

#include "nbsd-nat.h"

#ifndef HAVE_GREGSET_T
typedef struct reg gregset_t;
#endif

#ifndef HAVE_FPREGSET_T
struct fpreg { };
typedef struct fpreg fpregset_t;
#endif
#include "gregset.h"

/* Determine if PT_GETREGS fetches this register.  */
#define GETREGS_SUPPLIES(gdbarch, regno) \
  (((regno) >= R0_REGNUM && (regno) <= (R0_REGNUM + 15)) \
|| (regno) == gdbarch_pc_regnum (gdbarch) || (regno) == PR_REGNUM \
|| (regno) == MACH_REGNUM || (regno) == MACL_REGNUM \
|| (regno) == SR_REGNUM || (regno) == GBR_REGNUM)

/* Sizeof `struct reg' in <machine/reg.h>.  */
#define SHNBSD_SIZEOF_GREGS	(22 * 4)

static void
shnbsd_fetch_inferior_registers (struct target_ops *ops,
				 struct regcache *regcache, int regno)
{
  if (regno == -1 || GETREGS_SUPPLIES (get_regcache_arch (regcache), regno))
    {
      struct reg inferior_registers;

      if (ptrace (PT_GETREGS, ptid_get_pid (inferior_ptid),
		  (PTRACE_TYPE_ARG3) &inferior_registers, ptid_get_lwp (inferior_ptid)) == -1)
	perror_with_name (_("Couldn't get registers"));

      sh_corefile_supply_regset (&sh_corefile_gregset, regcache, regno,
				 (char *) &inferior_registers,
				 SHNBSD_SIZEOF_GREGS);

      if (regno != -1)
	return;
    }
}

static void
shnbsd_store_inferior_registers (struct target_ops *ops,
				 struct regcache *regcache, int regno)
{
  if (regno == -1 || GETREGS_SUPPLIES (get_regcache_arch (regcache), regno))
    {
      struct reg inferior_registers;

      if (ptrace (PT_GETREGS, ptid_get_pid (inferior_ptid),
		  (PTRACE_TYPE_ARG3) &inferior_registers, ptid_get_lwp (inferior_ptid)) == -1)
	perror_with_name (_("Couldn't get registers"));

      sh_corefile_collect_regset (&sh_corefile_gregset, regcache, regno,
				  (char *) &inferior_registers,
				  SHNBSD_SIZEOF_GREGS);

      if (ptrace (PT_SETREGS, ptid_get_pid (inferior_ptid),
		  (PTRACE_TYPE_ARG3) &inferior_registers, ptid_get_lwp (inferior_ptid)) == -1)
	perror_with_name (_("Couldn't set registers"));

      if (regno != -1)
	return;
    }
}

void
supply_gregset (struct regcache *regcache, const gregset_t *gregs)
{
      if (ptrace (PT_SETREGS, ptid_get_pid (inferior_ptid),
		  (PTRACE_TYPE_ARG3) gregs, ptid_get_lwp (inferior_ptid)) == -1)
	perror_with_name (_("Couldn't set registers"));
}

void
fill_gregset (const struct regcache *regcache, gregset_t *gregs, int regnum)
{
   if (ptrace (PT_GETREGS, ptid_get_pid (inferior_ptid),
	(PTRACE_TYPE_ARG3) gregs, ptid_get_lwp (inferior_ptid)) == -1)
	perror_with_name (_("Couldn't get registers"));
}

/* Provide a prototype to silence -Wmissing-prototypes.  */
void _initialize_shnbsd_nat (void);

void
_initialize_shnbsd_nat (void)
{
  struct target_ops *t;

  t = inf_ptrace_target ();
  t->to_fetch_registers = shnbsd_fetch_inferior_registers;
  t->to_store_registers = shnbsd_store_inferior_registers;
  t->to_pid_to_exec_file = nbsd_pid_to_exec_file;
  add_target (t);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Here is why Intel's "Rocket Lake" CPUs won't work on some of the 400-series motherboard chipsets
February 11, 2021 Metal Messiah 7 Comments
One Chinese forum and tech website has just posted some interesting findings on Intel's upcoming 11th generation Rocket Lake-S CPU lineup. The author has explained in depth the technical reasons as to why Rocket Lake processors won't be compatible with some of the 400-series motherboard chipsets, coming via momomo_us.
In case you didn't know, Intel recently announced that the company has dropped official support for the Rocket Lake-S CPU lineup on B460 and H410 motherboard series. Intel has specifically stated that "motherboards based on Intel B460 or H410 chipsets are not compatible with upcoming 11th gen Intel core processors." The B460 is a mid-tier chipset, and the H410 desktop motherboard chipset is an entry-level offering.
The new report from the said Chinese article claims that the upcoming 14nm Rocket Lake chips might not even work on most of the Z490 motherboards as well, citing reasons like lack of chipset and BIOS level support, and how the motherboard's power delivery subsystem has been designed.
First of all you must know that the desktop 400-series family consists of six chipsets: Z490, W480, Q470, H470, B460 and H410. Intel has categorized and segmented these chipsets under different groups, like "Comet Lake PCH-H" and "Comet Lake PCH-V".
The Z490, W480, Q470 and H470 chipsets all fall under the Comet Lake PCH-H category, while the B460 and H410 chipsets belong to the Comet Lake PCH-V group. So based on this segmentation we can guess why the B460 and H410 motherboard series have been excluded from the Rocket Lake CPU support list, since they fall under the lower tier in the hierarchy.
To explain things in more details, the author of that tech article explains that each CPU has a unique "CPU_ID" that the motherboard chipset utilizes to identify the processor chip. From a logical point of view, the processor will not work if the chipset cannot properly recognize the CPU_ID.
When this happens, there will be a self-test error situation; and the computer will naturally not be able to start normally during the BIOS POST. However, there is a workaround to bypass this, and it simply consists of disabling the CPU_ID in the Intel Management Engine (ME) part of the BIOS.
Following this procedure will eventually turn off chipset verification of the 'CPU_ID' in question.
As I have explained in my previous article, some motherboard vendors are now releasing revised H410 and B460 motherboards with the H470 chipset to provide support for Rocket Lake, since Intel made the official announcement that the company is dropping support.
Ironically, Gigabyte has already listed and shipping its H410M DS2V V2 and H410M S2H V2 boards that leverage the H470 chipset, most likely after using this same workaround.
Secondly, the lack of BIOS support is another reason. As we already know BIOS plays a very huge role here as well, when it comes to any processor support. Now, if suppose the CPU's microcode is not found in the database, then the processor/chip is obviously not going to work on that particular motherboard chipset.
Inside Intel's BIOS, there's a thing called CMC (CPU Microcode), or MC Microcode for short, which directly determines what CPU your motherboard can use. When Intel developed the Comet Lake PCH-V series of motherboards, the company might have dropped support for the 11th gen Rocket Lake processors while making the BIOS for these chipsets, B460 and H410.
It might be possible that the processors weren't given any priority, or taken into consideration during the development of the BIOS, by dropping the microcode for these chipsets.
However, as the author explains once again there is a workaround for this.
By extracting the microcode from suppose the Z590 chipset's BIOS and then copying/implanting it into the target motherboard which requires the microcode, might help overcome this issue. This procedure is not new though, since several motherboard vendors have done this in the past as well.
The third main and an important reason given by the author is the power supply delivery system of the said motherboard. The power delivery subsystem helps in converting the 12V and 5V voltages down to lower voltages that the processor can then use afterwards.
The power supply on Intel's motherboard is divided into the following voltages, such as the Vcore (core), Vgt (core display), VCCSA (system agent), VCCIO (input and output), VCCM (memory), VCCST (maintenance voltage), VCCST_PLL (clock maintenance voltage), and few others.
Usually we will compare only the Vcore and Vgt power levels to judge the level of any motherboard.
According to the author's findings, the Intel 10th and 11th generation Comet Lake-S and Rocket Lake-S processors have not changed on the Vcore and Vgt voltage values. However, the VCCSA and VCCIO voltages have changed slightly.
Further in-depth explanation of this whole power delivery system is "highly" technical in nature, so I'm not going into all the details here, except for the main points. Unless you are from an electronics background, or have experience with motherboard chipset circuit diagrams, voltages and the like, it would be very hard to grasp.
But nonetheless, from the author's findings it appears that with Rocket Lake-S lineup, Intel has most likely changed the power delivery mode of the VCCSA to SVID, which means that the voltage supplied by this phase is controlled directly by the CPU, just like Vcore, so that there is no common power supply or any other PWM.
So a PWM that supports the IMVP8 specification is required here.
Moreover, some motherboards that lack a SVID PWM controller cannot accommodate these new Rocket Lake-S chips. It is also not possible to share the power delivery or use another PWM. As the tech author mentioned, we need a PWM IC here which fully complies with Intel's IMVP8 specifications.
When it comes to VCCIO, he has provided two circuit diagrams of the B460 and Z590 motherboards. From his observation the author notes that VCCIO for Rocket Lake-S is divided into three parts: VCCIO_0, VCCIO_1_2.
The B460 motherboard is not connected to the VCCIO_1_2 part, as shown in the diagram below. This actually means that RSVD pins on the B460 and H410 motherboards are empty. Due to this there is no power going to VCCIO_1_2, which feeds the PCIe interface.
The CPU has no power input in this section, and since VCCIO_1_2 governs data buses such as PCIe, so the CPU cannot exchange data with the surroundings and the computer will not work naturally.
Lastly, the author has given us a list of Z490 motherboard which according to his findings won't support these upcoming Rocket Lake chips.
The following motherboards have been mentioned, MSI's Z490 S01 and Z490M S01 motherboards as well as ASRock's Z490 Phantom Gaming 4, Z490 Pro4, Z490M Pro4, Z490M-ITX/ac and B460M Steel Legend.
Stay tuned for more tech news!
Metal Messiah
Hello, my name is NICK Richardson. I'm an avid PC and tech fan since the good old days of RIVA TNT2, and 3DFX interactive "Voodoo" gaming cards. I love playing mostly First-person shooters, and I'm a die-hard fan of this FPS genre, since the good 'old Doom and Wolfenstein days. MUSIC has always been my passion/roots, but I started gaming "casually" when I was young on Nvidia's GeForce3 series of cards. I'm by no means an avid or a hardcore gamer though, but I just love stuff related to the PC, Games, and technology in general. I've been involved with many indie Metal bands worldwide, and have helped them promote their albums in record labels. I'm a very broad-minded down to earth guy. MUSIC is my inner expression, and soul. Contact: Email
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text:
Home » News, Region » Story
3e Apps announces collaboration with AIndra Labs
Company's CEO highlights applications for computer vision and machine learning for stakeholders in the built-environment
Hannah Jo Uy | Follow @ccmenews | Jul 22, 2018 | 2:58 pm
Dubai, UAE, 22 July 2018: Energy and Environmental Efficiency Apps (3e Apps) recently announced its collaboration with India-based AIndra Labs, an AI start-up. Speaking on the collaboration, Sougata Nandi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, 3e Apps, said this is part of a strategic geographic growth plan, including other start-ups. "We want to grow in expertise relevant to our theme of work," Nandi said, "which is energy and environment. That is where the collaboration with this company, AIndra, based in Bangalore, comes in. The whole technology is based on computer vision and machine learning, under the umbrella of AI."
The technology, Nandi said, is largely based on object recognition, applications of which can vary from plate numbers being scanned by security cameras to keep track of the comings and goings of cars, to capturing the face of employees as part of monitoring attendance.
Nandi said the technology has gained popularity in India's property insurance sector. Traditionally, he said, one person inspects the building to determine the valuation of the property, which will form the basis of the premium fees that will be applied. "The value of the property is important for insurance companies," he said, "but it is also important to see its design from other perspectives, such as fire and life safety. If a building doesn't have the proper smoke detectors and alarms, the building is, by default, unsafe. If there is a fire incident, the building would not be in the position to help the first line of defence. In this scenario, the insurance company will charge significantly higher premiums compared to buildings, where proper controls and equipment have been installed."
Nandi said that surveying a building is a time-consuming exercise, which requires skilled, and usually highly paid, personnel to audit towers that may range from 600,000 to one million square feet, with an existing building stock that may reach thousands. "When you are surveying facilities manually," Nandi points out, "there is scope of errors. If you have done, say, 10 floors you are now fatigued. There is no objective evidence on the accuracy of the data. We have to rely on the surveyor's word." The asset register then, he said, is manually prepared by the surveyor.
Following this, Nandi posed an alternate reality: "Imagine a scenario, where a person goes to the site with his smart phone and takes pictures of all the objects he is surveying. The app, then, uploads photographs to the AI platform, which evaluates the photograph and churns out the report. The AI-based application automates visual information in a reliable, accurate and efficient manner." As an example, Nandi pointed to fire extinguishers, which no longer need to be counted owing to the object and text recognition and identification, all of which will be summarised in a report backed with evidence.
Customers, Nandi said, claim the technology has reduced cost by 66%. "When, earlier, they were spending AED 100, they can execute the same work at AED 33," he said. "It offers huge savings, reliability, accuracy and transparency and minimises business risk."
The applications for the built-environment, Nandi stressed, are endless. The public sector, he said, such as civil defence, as an example, could benefit from the technology, especially in relation to rolling out approvals for fire and life safety equipment for the thousands of existing building stock. "There are many applications, because it's about accuracy, especially when it requires acquiring volumes of data." Nandi said this is especially the case during audits, where stakeholders focus on the condition of the equipment. Often, he said, the engineers of FM personnel take photographs as records. However, he said, the photographs have to be assessed in order to be translated into a meaningful asset register, again paving the way for object recognition. Nandi added it could also be applied for the inventory of warehouses containing massive volume of products or proper deployment of personnel for FM companies.
As the business development arm for AIndra in the UAE, Nandi said, the company will get full access to the UAE market. Beyond this, Nandi said, 3e Apps aims to evolve the product to make it more bespoke for the needs of the local market, stressing that the successful commercial application of the technology may entail some level of modification, evolution, refinement, upgrades and other add-ons that may not otherwise be needed for the Indian market.
Hannah Jo Uy is Assistant Editor at Climate Control Middle East magazine. She may be contacted at hannah@cpi-industry.com
Related tags: 3e Apps, AIndra Labs, Built Environment, computer vision, machine learning


Durante l'evento Next Horizon di San Francisco AMD ha raggiunto un altro importante traguardo nel suo cammino verso la leadership nel settore dei data center, evidenziando in particolare il crescente sviluppo nel mercato, che conta un valore di 29 miliardi di dollari, derivanti dai prodotti di data center e di elaborazione dati ad alte prestazioni.
Showcase di "Rome" per la prima volta con una demo di "Rome" live + Radeon Instinct MI60 e una demo competitiva dotata di un singolo processore "Rome" capace di superare i processori Intel Xeon 8180M dual, il top di gamma della attuale generazione, in un carico di lavoro di rendering intensivo di elaborazione.
SAN FRANCISCO — Nov. 6, 2018 — AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today demonstrated its total commitment to datacenter computing innovation at its Next Horizon event in San Francisco by detailing its upcoming 7nm compute and graphics product portfolio designed to extend the capabilities of the modern datacenter. During the event, AMD shared new specifics on its upcoming "Zen 2" processor core architecture, detailed its revolutionary chiplet-based x86 CPU design, launched the 7nm AMD Radeon Instinct™ MI60 graphics accelerator and provided the first public demonstration of its next-generation 7nm EPYC™ server processor codenamed "Rome". Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world's most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform company, joined AMD at the event to announce the availability of three of its popular instance families on the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) powered by the AMD EPYC™ processor.
AMD for the first time detailed its upcoming "Zen 2" high-performance x86 CPU processor core that is the result of a revolutionary modular design methodology. This modular system design uses an enhanced version of AMD Infinity Fabric interconnect to link separate pieces of silicon ("chiplets") within a single processor package. The multi-chip processor uses 7nm process technology for the "Zen 2" CPU cores that benefit from the advanced process technology, while leveraging a mature 14nm process technology for the input/output portion of the chip. The result is much higher performance – more CPU cores at the same power, and more cost-effective manufacture than traditional monolithic chip designs.
An improved execution pipeline, feeding its compute engines more efficiently.
Front-end advances – improved branch predictor, better instruction pre-fetching, re-optimized instruction cache and larger op cache.
Floating point enhancements – doubled floating point width to 256-bit and load/store bandwidth, increased dispatch/retire bandwidth and maintained high throughput for all modes.
Advanced security features – Hardware-enhanced Spectre mitigations, taking software migration and hardening it into the design, and increased flexibility of memory encryption.
Multiple 7nm-based AMD products are now in development, including next-generation AMD EPYC CPUs and AMD Radeon Instinct GPUs, both of which AMD detailed and demonstrated at the event. Additionally, the company shared that its follow-on 7nm+-based "Zen 3" and "Zen 4" x86 core architectures are on-track.
Reinforcing the growing momentum achieved with its current-generation AMD EPYC processors, Matt Garman, vice president of compute services at AWS joined AMD on-stage at the event to announce the immediate availability of the first AMD EPYC processor-based instances on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). Part of AWS's popular instance families, the new AMD EPYC processor-powered offerings feature industry-leading core density and memory bandwidth. This results in exceptional performance-per-dollar for general purpose and memory-optimized workloads, driven by the core density of AMD EPYC processors that offer M5a and T3a customers a balance of compute, memory, and networking resources for web and application servers, backend servers for enterprise applications, and test/development environments with seamless application migration. For R5a customers, the memory bandwidth advantage of AMD EPYC processors is ideal for in-memory processing, data mining, and dynamic data processing.
Processor enhancements including up to 64 "Zen 2" cores, increased instructions-per-cycle and leadership compute, I/O and memory bandwidth.
Platform enhancements including the industry's first PCIe 4.0-capable x86 server processor with double the bandwidth per channel to dramatically improve datacenter accelerator performance.
Double the compute performance per socket and four times the floating point performance per socket compared to current AMD EPYC processors.
Socket compatibility with today's AMD EPYC server platforms.
A pre-production single-socket next-generation AMD EPYC processor outperforming a commercially available top-of-the-line Intel dual processor Xeon server running the computationally-intensive, industry standard "C-Ray" benchmark.
The industry's first x86 PCIe 4.0-capable platform demo, featuring a Radeon Instinct MI60 processor to accelerate image recognition.
"Rome" is sampling with customers now and is expected to be the world's first high-performance x86 7nm CPU.
AMD launched the world's first 7nm GPUs and the industry's only hardware-virtualized GPUs – the AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 and MI50 – which are scheduled to ship to customers this quarter. These new graphics cards are based on the high-performance, flexible "Vega" architecture and are specifically designed for machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), delivering higher levels of floating-point performance,greater efficiencies and new features for datacenter deployments. A live demonstration during the event showed the flagship AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 running real-time training, inference and image classification.
In addition to new hardware announcements AMD also announced ROCm 2.0, a new version of its open software platform for accelerated computing that includes new math libraries, broader software framework support, and optimized deep learning operations. ROCm 2.0 has also been upstreamed for Linux kernel distributions, extending ROCm access to millions of Linux developers and users. Designed for scale, ROCm allows customers to deploy high-performance, energy-efficient heterogeneous computing systems in an open environment.


text:
Q: How to call a Polymer dialog from inside a javascript function I always fight with Javascript scopes.
I'm trying to show a loading dialog when waiting for a JSON response, like this:
          toQueueRequest.onreadystatechange = function () {
          if (toQueueRequest.readyState === 4 && toQueueRequest.status === 200) {
              this.$.processingDialog.close();
              this.$.confirmDialog.open();
          } else if (toQueueRequest.readyState === 4){
            this.$.processingDialog.close();
            this.$.errorMsg="Ha ocurrido un error!"
            this.$.errorDialog.open();
          }
      };
      //var data = JSON.stringify({"RestoCode": window.location.pathname, "Fingerprint": this.finger});
      if (this.sector == "Cualquiera") {this.sector = null;};
      var data = JSON.stringify({"RestoCode": restoCode, "Fingerprint": finger, "PhoneNumber": this.cellno, "PersonalName": this.name, "QuantityPeople": this.pas, "SectorId": this.sector});
      toQueueRequest.send(data);

      this.$.reviewDialog.close();
      this.$.processingDialog.open();

However, when inside the onreadystatechange function, this.$.ProcessingDialog isn't defined.
How do I call it from inside?
Thanks a bunch!

A: This is not really about Polymer itself, it's a pretty common question about scoping. The real issue here is that inside your callback this doesn't refer to your component, but it's a reference for that function. The most common way to work around this has been for a lot of time to back up your context in another variable. So before your callback you would do something like
var that = this;

And inside your function you would use this other variable, so
this.$.processingDialog.close();

becomes
that.$.processingDialog.close();

Alternatively, depending on your build process or the browsers you want to support, if you can use ES6, the arrow function syntax doesn't create a new this, so you could just change
toQueueRequest.onreadystatechange = function () {
  // ..
}

to
toQueueRequest.onreadystatechange = () => {
  // ..
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Eleven Namibian electronic sports players will be taking part in the world championships which kicked off in China's Kaohsiung city yesterday.
The players will take part in Counter Strike-Global Offensive; League of Legends and Tekken 7 game titles, treasurer of Namibia Electronic Sports Association, Salome de Bruyn told The Villager.
"The players are ready physically and mentally although we are far away from home, they are determined to do their best. We came to show that we have what it takes and we will be competing against the best in the world, so we are well prepared," she said.
She added that the players have been preparing themselves through the year for this tournament while improving their overall rankings locally, nationally and internationally.
Players that will take part in the game titles for Counter Strike-Global offensive are John Berry; Tristan Meyer; Andre Nel; Dario De Gouveia and Jefferson Lopes.
Else Stoffberg; Richard van Wyk; Jonathan Calitz; Damien Briz and Flip de Byun will be taking part in the game title for League of Legends while Mazila Freddy Mazila will be taking part in the game title of Tekken 7.
Salome de Byun is the official accompanying the team for this tournament.


text:
FOUR CORNERS: Knicks missing the 'point' with Baron
By Justin Terranova
December 29, 2011 | 5:37pm
The concern with Chauncey Billups when the Knicks acquired him in the Carmelo Anthony trade was that he was too slow to handle the Mike D'Antoni offense.
But that was offset by his big-game experience and reputation as a clutch player. You don't get the nickname Mr. Big Shot for being a shrinking violet, and that was on display when he hit a key 3-pointer against the Heat in the Knicks' most-significant win of the post-trade season. A severe thigh bruise in the next game cost him the following six games and a knee injury in Game 1 against the Celtics ended that series for him — and the Knicks were swept.
Now take the legitimate age and injury concerns that surrounded Billups and multiply it by 10 when talking about Baron Davis and Mike Bibby, then take those clutch positives away. The Knicks' decision to use the amnesty clause on Billups and open up salary-cap space to sign Tyson Chandler could be the key to the Knicks' future, but may be a wash in the present.
Because you do need a point guard to thrive in D'Antoni's offense — even the abridged version — which runs a fair amount through Carmelo Anthony. Both new guards were brought in on the cheap and are low-risk options, and Bibby is a backup, but when you hear analysts say that the season rides on Davis then you should be concerned.
His Knicks debut is at least three weeks away and that's the most optimistic estimate. He was an extremely talented player when he was younger, but how much does he have left recovering from a back injury?
"To me, it's all about how will they play together," Lakers legend and ESPN analyst Magic Johnson said last week. " If they get that down and then Baron (Davis) comes in in a month or so or two months, whatever it's going to be, and if Baron is in shape … the one thing that their trainer and their medical staff's got to do is get him in top shape and get him back to being the Baron Davis we saw with the Golden State Warriors (2004-'08). If he can return to 80 or 90 percent of that Baron Davis, wow. That team can cause so many problems."
But he's been 60-75 percent of that Davis since leaving Golden State three seasons ago for a big contract with the Clippers. Now with a back injury to add to the knee injuries, and lack of motivation, which curtailed him in Los Angeles, who knows what the Knicks will get from him.
The point guard position has become a question mark at best and a liability at worst. Which is what makes rookie Iman Shumpert's knee sprain and Toney Douglas' inconsistency so frustrating. Those two had/have an opportunity to take control of that position while Davis heals, but Shumpert is now sharing space on the bench with Davis, and Douglas has not yet appeared to make a jump this season. It's two games, but he has shown he is still a shooting guard running the point. Douglas and Bibby were outplayed by Stephen Curry's Warriors backup, Ishmael Smith, on Wednesday night.
This is not to say the Knicks won't be a top-4 team in the Eastern Conference, but if the lack of a center was the Knicks' biggest problem last season, the lack of a point guard is it this year.
The Thunder were picked by many to win the Western Conference this season, and some even thought they were championship-worthy.
But the problem that plagued them last year — the relationship of star players Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook — continues to be an issue. Westbrook ripped Thabo Sefolosha for failing to take an open shot against the Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Afterward, Westbrook and Durant had to be separated on the bench, according to The Oklahoman.
The Thunder went on to win and Durant downplayed the altercation afterward.
"We're going to disagree sometimes, like I've always been saying," Durant said. "But I'm behind him 110 percent, and he's the same way with me. And you seen when we came on the floor we clicked and everything started to work from there."
Not so much for Westbrook, who finished the game 0-for-13 from the floor.
Captain Clueless
Andray Blatche's start as captain of the Wizards is off to an inauspicious start.
He ripped the team for not getting enough shots both to reporters and on Twitter after a loss to the Nets. After getting criticized, he tweeted that his critics should "shut up."
Blatche followed that up with a 2-for-13 shooting night with four points and four rebounds in getting routed by the Hawks.
Fries with that?
76ers guard Lou Williams avoided getting robbed on Christmas Eve in Philadelphia when his assailant recognized him.
"A guy tried to rob me but decided not to because of whatever I do in the community," Williams told Philly.com. "He's a Lou Williams fan so he didn't rob me."
Instead, Williams treated the man to a meal at a fast-food restaurant.
Carlo Ancelotti set to take charge at PSG ahead of imminen...


Jubilee Park is a large 30ha sporting complex containing synthetic hockey fields, touch football fields and athletics track, considered the best regional NSW turf athletics track.
Note all synthetic Hockey Field bookings need to be made through Wagga & District Hockey Association.
Note: Access to the Athletics Track is restricted to clubs and associations.


text:
Author: Tricia Cox
Our route to Yuma this year was by way of a South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. Not the most direct route, but along the way we took time for long overdue visits with family. KANSAS CITY MISSOURI One of the things I suck at is measurement - it doesn't matter if it's distance, length, time or volume. It's not to be argumentative, my ability to judge is just broke - if Travis says it's three inches, I'll say it's six; if he says it's been five years, I'll say it's been two. With that said, I'll simply say that Stoney, Trav's brother has been living in…
THE JOURNEY- MONTHS OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH One of the advantages of having a house on wheels is that we can pack up and go where we want (except Hawaii). When we first heard about the eclipse we started doing research on what it would take to photograph the event. We've been in the Pacific Northwest for most of the summer and realized that we were only about 5 hours away from the path of totality so we started looking for a place to "camp" in central Idaho. For $100 per night, we booked 'luxury' accommodations in the middle of a farmers grass field at Alpha Nursery in Cascade, Idaho.…
OUR STORY IN A NUTSHELL Where we met? Family camp (ages 9/11) First date? 5th Quarter after party (ages 15/17) Married? August 8, 1987 (ages 18/20) Started a family? July 13, 1989 BUILDING A FOREVER RELATIONSHIP More than once people quoted the statistics of unsuccessful marriages at our age but we chose to move forward. Our faith was strong and we had good examples to follow. At 18 and 20 years old I am not certain we really understood the depths of a wedding vow. To love and cherish, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad - until death? Phew, only our life experience can truly define…
It's finally come and gone, my 30 year high school reunion that is. I believe God's sense of humor to remind me to laugh and lighten up came in dreams about showing up at my reunion naked with nothing but a blingy spectacular pair of heels. And thirty years in the business world have taught me to go with it like nothing was wrong. If you know me well, you know I thrive on planning and organizing. In my spare time, the past nine months were spent tracking down classmates, pulling together event details, and reminiscing on memories of the past. For me, I find no greater satisfaction than seeing…
The temperatures have been a bit of a shock as we continue to move north and we've found ourselves commenting on Yuma weather more and more. The snow-capped mountains in Heber City left us feeling a bit anxious and questioning our choice of locations but for the most part the weather cooperated and only required a light jacket during the day (it did snow while we were in Spokane but melted off the same day). We continue to get questions from people we meet about how and why we choose the places we stay. Because we both still work full time it's really simple and our criteria list is short: A rock solid wireless…
Zion National Park is one of the most popular parks in southern Utah with very limited parking. The best option is to park in the town of Springdale and take the free shuttle to the park entrance then take a park shuttle to whatever sight you want to visit in the park. (Pro tip: When you park in Springdale park far away from the park entrance since the buses fill up on their way to the park so you might have to wait for several buses to go by before one has any seats available, we parked close to stop 6 and the bus was nearly empty each time) Riverside Walk…
Moon Walk Lotto For 2 consecutive nights during the full moon the park has a lottery for a guided tour after dark with a telescope set up for viewing the amazing landscape. We showed up and put our names in but didn't get drawn but we weren't too disappointed because it turned out to be overcast. Bryce Canyon is at about 8000 feet so even though the weather was warm in St. George we had to put on some extra layers to protect our sun loving bodies from the freezing temperatures (it was about 50 degrees). Hoodoos The hoodoos in the main canyon look like they belong on an alien…
ADVENTURES IN ST. GEORGE
St. George Utah was our home for the month of April. The outdoor adventures in this area seemed endless and while we won't likely return to Temple View RV Resort again, we wouldn't miss an opportunity to visit Southern Utah. IN-N-OUT Sometimes you've just got to have a good burger and may not be dressed appropriately to visit some sit down restaurants; or you've been out on an adventure and there's no Taco Trucks in sight. So what do you do? What else, you head to In-N-Out. This was a new experience for us because they don't exist in Spokane. Virgin River Trail system Like the name imply's, the Virgin River…
Time with Friends I know, we've said this over and over but it's true, one of the best parts of our adventure is meeting new friends. We met Michael and Judy in Polson, Montana last year and reconnected with them for a couple of days at their home in Summerlin on our journey north. It was a great time of relaxing, doing a little shopping, and just catching up on life. We look forward to crossing paths again. Container Park Travis and I aren't big gamblers so we set out to find different things to do while we were in Las Vegas. Container Park surprised us by touting a kid friendly…


This test aims to identify the types of bacteria by taming samples on indoor surfaces where the growth of particular microorganism(s) is suspected.
While it is true that you will not find a surface without bacteria on it, the majority of bacteria that you'll find are common, non-dangerous species. Studies have shown that of the bacteria found in indoor are: Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas.
It is a sphere-shaped (coccus/cocci generally means spherical) and relatively harmless bacterium. It is very common to be found on skin, in soil, water, and meat products. It is generally a saprophyte (meaning it feeds on dead and decomposing materials), and can cause fish spoilage.
This organism can also cause human sweat to smell badly. For immunocompromised patients, it can be an opportunistic pathogen. Some common species are M. luteus, M. roseus, and M. varians. Micrococcus requires oxygen to grow and reproduce.
Another sphere-shaped bacterium which is much more well-known than Micrococcus, especially in the context of hospitals. When the medical profession refers to MRSA, they mean a particularly drug-resistant strain of this bacterium.
Staphylococcus is found virtually everywhere; however, it usually does not result in infection. It is very common on skin, and can also be found in the nasal passages, throats, and hair of 50% of healthy individuals. Food poisoning, skin infections as well as toxic shock syndrome are among the illnesses caused by Staphylococcus.Unlike Micrococcus, Staphylococcus is able to grow both with and without oxygen.
This is a rod-shaped bacterium ("bacillus" means "rod"). Bacillus is a very hardy bacterium as it has the ability to produce endospores – small, tough structures that can survive in adverse conditions.
For the most part, Bacillus is a harmless saprophyte that can be found in soil, water, dust and sometimes within the human digestive system. Nevertheless, some species of Bacillus can cause food poisoning, illness and infection. An interesting side-note about this genus: it contained the mystery organism isolated from a 250-million-year-old salt crystal, potentially the oldest living cell discovered (the organism was later reclassified to Virgibacillus).
It is another rod-shaped bacterium which can be found in soil, water, and on plants. It is an opportunistic pathogen, and generally considered as a nosocomial infection (gained while in the hospital), as the organism tends only to attack individuals that are immunocompromised. Along with infection, it also has the ability to produce exotoxins. As a general rule, the bacterium will not infect a healthy individual.
We adopt Bacteria Swabs™ to perform basic bacteria identification. Moist swabs will be used to take samples from any surfaces. The samples will then be sent to Canada Laboratory which has been accredited to ISO 17025 international standard by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA) for identification.


This friend is a master's student at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and is currently writing her thesis on China's Misty poets. Previously, she graduated from Middlebury College with a joint degree in Chinese Language and Literature and Religious Studies. She also blogs at http://www.chinab.org.
By T in Uncategorized on January 30, 2012 .


How Much Does it Cost To Fly To Port Douglas?
The cheapest flights to Port Douglas found within the past 7 days were AU$166. Prices quoted are per person, round trip, for the period specified. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
OK, traveller. Let's do this. Sweet plans? Tick. Craving for adventure? You got it. Entertainment for the flight? Packed. Cheap flights to Port Douglas? Book them with Wotif for great deals on travel that fits your schedule and airlines that fit your price range. Don't forget to book your Port Douglas hotel too! And last but not least, unforgettable holiday memories? They're already in the works!
Answer : Looking for more Port Douglas hotels close to Great Barrier Reef? Check out these hotels near airports and popular attractions in Port Douglas.
Mantra PortSea: This family-friendly Port Douglas hotel is located near the beach, within 1 mi (2 km) of Marina Mirage, Anzac Park, and Court House Museum. St Mary's by the Sea Chapel and Sugar Wharf are also within 1 mi (2 km). This hotel has a 4.00 star rating.
Reef Resort Port Douglas - by Rydges: This family-friendly Port Douglas apartment is located near the beach, within 2 mi (3 km) of Four Mile Beach Park and Wildlife Habitat. Marina Mirage and St Mary's by the Sea Chapel are also within 3 mi (5 km). This hotel has a 4.00 star rating.
Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort- Port Douglas: Between the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas is situated along the white sands and warm blue waters of Four Mile Beach. Cairns is about 70 km (44 mi) south. This hotel has a 4.50 star rating.
Oaks Lagoons: Situated near the beach, this luxury apartment is within 1 mi (2 km) of Four Mile Beach Park and Wildlife Habitat. Marina Mirage and St Mary's by the Sea Chapel are also within 3 mi (5 km). This hotel has a 4.50 star rating.
Answer : Port Douglas has over 18 points of interest for you to choose from. We suggest checking out Palm Cove Beach and Cairns Esplanade first because they are the most popular attractions in Port Douglas. Don't forget about other highly recommended spots like Kuranda Koala Gardens, Barron Gorge National Park, and Flecker Botanic Gardens. Get out there and see what the city has to offer on your trip to Port Douglas!


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Davis Parent University Presents Rachel Pepper, January 11, 2023, 7 - 9 PM
www.davisparentuniversity.com
UPDATE as of 1/3/2023: NEW ONLINE FORMAT - Rachel Pepper's lecture will no longer be happening in person on January 11. A recording of her lecture will instead be available for viewing on DPU's website (www.davisparentuniversity.com) starting at 7 pm on Wednesday, January 11. No registration is required to view the recording.
Rachel Pepper, LMFT, is an award-winning author and nationally recognized expert on gender identity development in children and teens. Translated into German, Icelandic and soon Spanish, Rachel's latest book, The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Parents and Professionals Supporting Transgender and Nonbinary Children, is a groundbreaking, compassionate, and comprehensive GPS for offering understanding, love and support to gender expansive and transgender young people.
In her lecture, along with explaining gender terminology, Rachel will discuss why and how to meet gender diverse young people where they are, how to understand and process the range of parental/caregiver emotions surrounding gender creativity, and what there is to be hopeful about. The event will include a 45 minute lecture by Rachel followed by a 30 minute Q & A session and then a book signing. Please note: All audience members are expected to behave respectfully throughout this event. Any disruptive or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated.
Rachel is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist currently practicing in the Sacramento area. She has worked for major agencies and HMOs including Kaiser Permanente. Her clinical specialties include working with the LGBT community, teens and adults with depression and anxiety, and helping clients with more serious mental health concerns, such as bipolar disorder, lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. She is currently also an adjunct professor at California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.
After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto with a B.A. in Political Science and English, she obtained a Master of Journalism from Chicago's Columbia College, with a specialty in Public Affairs Reporting. Since that time, she returned to school and received an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies with an emphasis in Community Mental Health. Ten years ago, she became licensed as a therapist, and upon moving to Sacramento four years ago, has been in private practice full time.
Rachel lives with her family and a flock of chickens on an urban farm in the Sacramento region, where she specializes in growing organic heirloom tomatoes in the summer and reading a stockpile of good books in the winter months.
Timezone: America/Los_Angeles
Online Access Information
You will be provided instructions to access the digital content for this event. When and how these instructions are delivered to you is determined by the Event Organizer. To ensure access, use an up-to-date email address and avoid unsubscribing from email updates. See our Help Center for more information.
Online / Streaming / Virtual


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Community fights to save Phoenix Chinese Cultural Center; new owner cites miscommunication
The new owner of the Chinese Cultural Center said there are no plans to demolish the garden, but other portions will be redeveloped.
Community fights to save Phoenix Chinese Cultural Center; new owner cites miscommunication The new owner of the Chinese Cultural Center said there are no plans to demolish the garden, but other portions will be redeveloped. Check out this story on azcentral.com: http://azc.cc/2w6tuVE
Chinese Culture Center Protest Lurissa Carbajal
Protesters rally outside of Phoenix's Chinese Cultural Center
Chinese Culture Center protest in Phoenix on Oct. 4, 2017. Lurissa Carbajal/The Republic
Chinese Cultural Center Protest Lurissa Carbajal
Chinese Culture Center protest in Phoenix on Oct. 4, 2017. Melina Zuniga/The Republic
Hundreds gathered for a second Sunday in a row to protest the sale and possible renovation to the Phoenix Chinese Cultural Center on Aug. 20, 2017. Melina Zuniga/The Republic
The Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix. Melina Zuniga/The Republic
Chinese Cultural Center Melina Zuniga/The Republic
Lawrence Li protests at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. Loren Townsley/ The Republic
Xiaohu Zhang protests at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. Loren Townsley/ The Republic
Protesters rally at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. Loren Townsley/ The Republic
Jingling Duan protests at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. Loren Townsley/ The Republic
Jeff Yuan protests at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. Loren Townsley/ The Republic
Roger Yang protests at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. Loren Townsley/ The Republic
Chinese Cultural Center is shown in Phoenix on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. Loren Townsley/ The Republic
Protesters walk through the Chinese Cultural Center Plaza is shown in Phoenix on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. Loren Townsley/ The Republic
Chinese Culture Center Protest
Brenna Goth, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 6:00 a.m. MT Aug. 15, 2017
Conceptual renderings show possible redesigns of the Chinese Cultural Center at 44th and Van Buren streets by True North Companies.(Photo: True North Companies)
Roughly once a week, Jenny Hom stops at Phoenix's Chinese Cultural Center on her way home from work for an experience she can't find elsewhere.
She appreciates peaceful garden walks past replicas of pagodas, statues and monuments along 44th Street. She stops at the Super L Ranch Market to buy fresh turmeric, lemongrass and a root called galangal, or to eat at restaurants featuring Szechwan and other Chinese cuisine.
A state-owned Chinese company called COFCO built the complex north of Van Buren Street two decades ago to bring to Phoenix adevelopment akin to other U.S. cities' Chinatowns. And a recent change in ownership is mobilizing groups to save it from redevelopment.
True North Companies bought the site in June using a limited-liability company for use primarily as a corporate headquarters. Initial plans include converting green, glazed tile roofs and red posts into a sleek business center and preserving the garden or offering its items for donation.
Local organizations are rushing to look at their options to keep the Chinese Cultural Center intact, said Garry Ong, spokesman for the Chinese United Association of Greater Phoenix. The group is representing 19 organizations and other community leaders advocating to save the center.
Efforts include asking for city historic designation, seeking legal advice and explaining to the new owner the significance of the structures.
"We want to be calm and collected and let them know we are serious," Ong said.
'Very significant miscommunication'
True North Companies plans to modernize a center that is largely vacant, CEO David Tedesco said. Its roughly 165,000 square feet of space will be less than a third leased after the anchor grocery store moves out this month, he said.
The private equity company will move about 300 employees into most of the central and eastern portion of the site, Tedesco said. The western part will include other tenants.
Super L Ranch Market is moving out of the center to Scottsdale this month. A family entertainment complex including offices for Pump It Up, an indoor bounce-house business, will replace it.
Conceptual renderings show possible redesigns of the Chinese Cultural Center at 44th and Van Buren streets by True North Companies. (Photo: True North Companies)
Conceptual renderings show the center's green, yellow and red accents changed to silver and glass. And while an email from a project architect left some people believing the garden was in peril, that was never the plan, Tedesco said.
Instead, the company wanted to offer the items for donation to Chinese organizations to be sensitive to the impending changes, Tedesco said. Otherwise, it will remain onsite.
"We think the garden is beautiful," he said.
Existing tenants, including some small restaurants and businesses, would have the option to stay in a property that's "nicer than it is today," Tedesco said. He estimated the redevelopment would take about a year.
The company has spent several weeks on community outreach, but attempts at showing sensitivity somehow turned into a negative, Tedesco said.
"I think we had a very significant miscommunication happen," he said.
Community sees landmark in peril
Panic spread through the Chinese-American community and beyond after rumors that handcrafted items built with materials from China could be carted to the landfill. Most people interviewed by The Arizona Republic were unclear who owned the center and what they planned for its future.
Nearly 4,000 people had signed a petition by Monday afternoon asking that the Chinese Cultural Center be preserved. About 250 people marched outside the complex Sunday to rally support.
COFCO spent tens of millions of dollars in the 1990s developing the center as a business venture and tourist attraction linking Arizona and China. Community members helped raise money for the garden featuring ponds, pagodas and handmade replicas of pavilions and monuments found in China.
Over the years, the center has hosted events like Phoenix Chinese Week and school field trips. And it's one of the few places that gives Phoenix a sense of the Chinatowns prominent in cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco, Hom said.
"They have lots of beautiful architectural structures and gardens we don't have in Arizona to represent the Asian communities," she said.
The Chinese Cultural Center is not just a point of pride for one community, Ong said. The eye-catching structures are visible from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and unique to the city, he said.
"It's really a landmark," Ong said.
Leaders seek historic designation, development compromise
Organizers said they plan to meet with the owner to find a compromise. They're also looking at designating the site as a city historic landmark.
The Chinese Cultural Center is complicated as a preservation case, said Michelle Dodds, Phoenix historic preservation officer. To be eligible, sites must be 50 years old or exceptionally important.
The center, however, is about two decades old, which means supporters would have to prove its significance. And though the Historic Preservation Office has received calls and emails about saving it, there's not enough information yet for a recommendation, Dodds said.
It's already tough to designate properties as historic without the owner's support. Starting the process would stave off demolition but would not prevent a remodel removing key features, Dodds said. A better option may be to work with the owner, she said.
That requires more information on their plans, said Albert Lin, president of the Arizona Asian American Association.
He said keeping the center's architecture not only makes sense for its cultural value — it's also a smart business decision. Asian immigrants are the state's fastest-growing migrant group.
Lin said he's happy for the public discussion and would like to see community members sit down with the owner to clear up speculation.
"I think the best way to kill your enemy is to make him your friend," Lin said.
Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/2w6tuVE
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February Advocacy Updates
February 8, 2022 · by Taylor Smith-Hams
January was a big month for local climate advocacy. Mayor Scott announced a goal for Baltimore City to become carbon neutral by 2045, and there were City Council hearings on three bills in Councilman Mark Conway's climate package. Maryland's legislative session also kicked off on January 12th, during which state legislators will consider dozens of environmental bills.
See below for more details on our local and state advocacy priorities and how to take action!
Baltimore City Council Climate Package Updates
Three bills in Councilman Mark Conway's climate package had hearings in January:
On January 13th, the Rules and Legislative Oversight Committee held a hearing on Building Code – Cool Roofs (Ordinance 21-0160), which would require reflective, solar, or green roofs on new buildings and additions to existing buildings owned or financed by the City. You can watch the recording of the hearing here. Blue Water Baltimore testified in favor and suggested an amendment to expand the bill to cover all buildings, not just those owned by the City. The Rules and Legislative Oversight Committee recessed this hearing to consider this and other possible amendments.
On January 18th, the Ways & Means Committee held a hearing on Procurement – Zero-Emission Vehicles (Ordinance 21-0159) to require the City's fleet of vehicles to be zero-emission by 2040. You can watch the hearing here, during which we testified in support of this bill. This hearing was also recessed so the committee can work on numerous amendments proposed by the Department of General Services.
On January 19th, the Health, Environment & Technology Committee hosted a hearing on Global Warming Solutions – Carbon Neutral City (Resolution 21-0075R), which initially called on Baltimore City to become carbon-neutral by 2050. Watch the hearing here. Thanks to testimony and input from residents and advocates like you, the bill was amended to move up the timeline to 2045; to set interim goals of reducing carbon emissions 30% by 2025 and 60% by 2030; to minimize the use of carbon offsets; and to add in more explicit equity language. These amendments aligned with several of the suggestions we made in our testimony, in which we emphasized the importance of increasing the City's climate ambitions and centering environmental justice. While we would still like to see the City aim for "net zero emissions" rather than "carbon neutrality," we are encouraged by the faster timeline and interim emission reduction benchmarks included in the amended resolution. The full City Council adopted this resolution on January 24, 2022.
We're still waiting for a hearing date to be announced for the fourth bill in Councilman Conway's climate package, City Operations – Net-Zero Emissions of Greenhouse Gases (Ordinance 21-0161) to require City government operations to be net zero by 2050. You can submit testimony in support of this bill and any recommendations you have to make it as ambitious and equitable as possible. Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to advocate for climate justice in Baltimore!
Maryland General Assembly Updates
The Maryland General Assembly's 2022 legislative session is officially underway. We at Blue Water Baltimore are tracking several bills that will protect environmental and community health in the watersheds where we work. As of now, these are our priority state-level bills:
Environment – Discharge Permits – Inspections and Administrative Continuations (SB0492 / HB0649): This bill will increase enforcement of pollution permits in Maryland. Enforcement is critical to upholding the integrity of our environmental laws. Under this proposed legislation, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) would be required to increase its enforcement of pollution permits at facilities that are in significant noncompliance. Currently, roughly 70% of facilities with industrial stormwater permits are not in compliance across the state. This bill will also require MDE to address the backlog of "zombie permits," which have been administratively continued without review.
Patuxent River Commission – Membership (SB0367 / HB0716): This legislation guarantees a seat on the Patuxent River Commission to the Patuxent Riverkeeper, our peer in the Waterkeeper Alliance. The current Riverkeeper, Fred Tutman, is a long-time outspoken proponent for the river's health and for marginalized communities within its watershed. In December 2021, Tutman and other vocal members were ousted from the commission. This bill would remedy Tutman's removal by making the Patuxent Riverkeeper a permanent member of the Commission.
Invasive and Native Plants – Classification, Listing, Use, and Sales and Use Tax (SB0007 / HB0015): This legislation will support the growth of native plants in Maryland by providing clear classifications of invasive and native plants; requiring the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to develop and maintain a public list of Maryland's native plants on its website; requiring state agencies and state-funded projects to prioritize native plants for all planting projects; and exempting native plant sales from Maryland's sales tax. BWB testified in favor of this bill at the January 25th hearing in the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee. You can watch that hearing here.
Environment – Single–Use Plastics – Restrictions (HB0135): This bill will help reduce plastic pollution by preventing food service businesses from providing single-use plastic items such as utensils and straws automatically and only allow the distribution of these items upon request.
We're also supporting several other bills this legislative session focused on addressing climate change, providing equitable access to renewable energy and public transportation, reducing toxic chemicals, increasing composting, and more. You can learn about all of the state bills we're tracking on our Engage in Advocacy webpage and stay tuned for action alerts over the next few months!
Tell the Baltimore City Council to make sure its plans to tackle climate change are ambitious and equitable. You can submit testimony in support of City Operations – Net-Zero Emissions of Greenhouse Gases (21-0161) here or via email ([email protected]). You can use our handy testimony guide to get started and contact Taylor at [email protected] if you need help.
Sign these petitions to your state legislators:
Put Environmental & Community Advocates on the Patuxent River Commission
Stop Toxic PFAS in Maryland
Support the Environmental Human Rights Amendment
Support the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act
Sign up for advocacy alerts to stay informed and take action. We'll keep you updated on local and state bills and how you can participate in the legislative processes in Baltimore and Annapolis.
Posted in: Climate Change, Uncategorized
Tagged: advocacy, baltimore, baltimore city, chesapeake bay, chesapeake bay watershed, clean water, climate change