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Elections 2022FederalImmigration & BorderIssuesTaxes & SpendingLand Commissioner George P. Bush Sues Biden for 'Illegally Preventing the Border Wall From Being Constructed'
Republican Land Commissioner George P. Bush points to the funding that Congress allocated toward the border wall.
Hayden SparksJuly 14, 2021
(The Texan/Daniel Friend)
Austin, TX, July 14, 2021 — On Tuesday, Land Commissioner George P. Bush, who is a Republican candidate for attorney general, filed a lawsuit against President Biden, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for halting construction on former President Trump's border wall system.
On behalf of the General Land Office (GLO), Bush filed the 42-page suit in the McAllen Division of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Bush is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief but is not seeking monetary damages.
The land commissioner announced the lawsuit at a 3,099-acre farm that belongs to the GLO and "produces revenue for the Permanent School Fund — an important source of money to educate school children," according to a GLO press statement.
Bush's suit is part of the Texas Defense Task Force, which he instituted "to identify federal overreach and fend off threats to the Texas oil and gas economy," according to the task force's webpage.
"Today, on behalf of the people of Texas, I am suing President Biden on grounds that he is illegally preventing the border wall from being constructed. The issue here is simple — no man is above the law," Bush said in a press conference near an unfinished section of the border wall.
"And that includes President Biden. For four years, Congress allocated more than $5 billion to construct fencing and walls around the Southern border."
"This is wrong. This is illegal. And this will not hold up in court," he later added.
Among other arguments, Bush contends in his lawsuit that the Biden administration was improper in stopping the border wall because Congress had already appropriated funds to the project. Bush also alleges that Biden and DHS are neglecting their constitutional duty to "take care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
In June, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies including the Texas Facilities Commission to begin work on a state border wall project with a "down payment" of a quarter billion dollars. In support of Abbott's border wall, Bush made an emergency authorization for border wall construction on state property.
Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman are challenging incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary. Paxton has been among Biden's most vocal critics, especially on illegal immigration, and has sued the president and his administration numerous times over the border crisis.
A copy of the lawsuit can be found below.
border disaster
border wall
Eva Guzman
Permanent School Fund
Texas Defense Task Force
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Hayden Sparks is a senior reporter for The Texan and a lifelong resident of the Lone Star State. He has coached competitive speech and debate and has been involved in politics since a young age. One of Hayden's favorite quotes is by Sam Houston: "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."
Republican Attorney General Candidates All Raise 7 Figures in First Filing
Democrat Joe Moody Removed From Leadership Position After Quorum Bust by Texas House Speaker
VIDEO: Public Education and School Choice Panel at the 88th Session Kickoff
Lawmakers Urge School Districts to End Tax-Funded Membership in Texas Association of School Boards
Holly Hansen


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Ariane Koek
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World leader in the field of science and art, change maker, visionary, strategist, creative force, inspirational speaker, policy maker, rain maker...
Those are some of the words which others use to describe me.
Initiator and Founding Director of Arts at Cern
Below are listed my different ways of working with you:
Consultant & Cultural Strategist
Creating and developing strategy, policy and positioning for cultural organisations, businesses and individual artists to take them to the next level.
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Book Review: The Moon By Night by Madeleine L'Engle (1963)
The Moon By Night is the second book in Madeleine L'Engle's Austin series, occurring roughly two years after the events of Meet the Austins. Vicky, who was then twelve, is now fourteen, and experiencing the typical doubts and growing pains associated with adolescence. In addition to her personal changes, she's also forced to confront some serious family upheaval. Uncle Douglas has, as predicted by the family in Meet the Austins, married Aunt Elena, and Maggy, the orphaned girl who has been staying with the Austins will now move in with Elena and Douglas, who are her legal guardians. The rest of the Austins will move as well, from Thornhill, their childhood home, to New York City, where Mr. Austin has found work as a doctor. Before heading for the city, however, they take a road trip to Laguna Beach, California, where Douglas, Elena, and Maggy will make their new lives. On the way, the Austins visit well-known attractions like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, make the acquaintance of a snide and sickly young man named Zachary Gray who does his best to woo Vicky, and share in surprising adventures involving everything from bears to flash floods. Vicky also makes her own internal, spiritual journey, as she begins to come of age.
Back in the Fall, when I reviewed Back When You Were Easier to Love, I wrote, "The right book is the one that just fits. It clicks with [the] reader in a way that makes her feel as if the book was written specifically for her. " I haven't felt that way about a book in a while, but I definitely did have that feeling while reading The Moon By Night. I really identified with Vicky's journey and felt that many of her internal and emotional experiences mirrored my own. In fact, while the road trip is of course an interesting storytelling vehicle, I think the emotional journey was the more compelling aspect of this book. I like, for example, the way Vicky characterizes her need for time away from her family:
It was about time for me to be alone for a while. On a camping trip you're falling over each other twenty-four hours a day. Most of the time it's fine, but every so often you need to get out. You have to go off by yourself or you just stop being you, and after all I was just beginning to be me. Sometimes, like that evening at Palo Duro with the scouts yelling back and forth as if they owned the place and nobody else had a right to be there, I felt that doing nothing but be with the family was making me muffiny, though we're not a muffiny family. So that's not really what I mean. I guess what I mean is, I felt they were sort of holding me back, keeping me from growing up and being myself. (p. 70)
The reference to "muffins" comes from the Anti-Muffins chapter in Meet The Austins, but is also briefly explained in this book - probably due to the fact that "The Anti-Muffins" was removed from the original text and replaced later on. I love L'Engle's understanding that a teenager can love her family and still want to be apart from them, and I loved the philosophical nature of the idea that "you just stop being you" in the presence of others. I can recall having feelings such as these at the age of fourteen, but I never had words for them until now.
I also really like the way the road trip provides opportunities for the Austin family to see how the outside world looks at them, and how they differ from families and groups in the rest of the country, and even outside of their country. Zachary, for whom all the Austins except Vicky feel little affection, is the most threatening example of this, because he embodies a fatalistic outlook that the Austins have never really considered or encountered. Other characters pose similar puzzles, though - especially the "hoods" who harass the Austins at one of their first campsites and some Canadians they meet who have decidedly negative opinions of American tourists.
As with the two L'Engle titles I've already reviewed, this one, too, has a spiritual side. The title of the book comes from Psalm 121, in which Vicky finds great comfort:
The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day
Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil;
He shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Vicky also has an important conversation with Douglas about her doubts about the existence of God, which touches on the questions all faithful Christians face - mainly, how we are to believe in God when there is no definitive proof of his existence. Speaking to this conundrum, Douglas makes some of the most significant comments of the entire book, at least as far as Vicky's religious life is concerned. He says that "People should never try to make God in man's image," and that "without [God] we're just a skin disease on the face of the Earth." He encourages Vicky to believe despite her lack of understanding and ultimately plants the seed that allows Vicky to realize the sentiment expressed in my single favorite line from the book:
The point was that now I knew it didn't matter whether or not I understood. It didn't matter because even if I didn't understand, there was something there to be understood.
There are some things about this book that unquestioningly date it to the 1960s - the concern over impending war, Mr. Austin's dislike of women wearing pants, the fact that Grace Kelly is still alive - but the themes are as relevant to fourteen-year-olds - and to adults, too - now as they ever were. This review, though already on the lengthy side, really only scratches the surface of what this book has to offer; I have no doubt that future re-readings will shed light on layers and connections that didn't surface for me in this first reading.
I very highly recommend The Moon By Night, especially to people of religious faith. It's also a great summer vacation story, and the perfect book for quirky kids who often find themselves on the margins, even of their own families.
Book Review: The Moon By Night by Madeleine L'Engl...
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Bloated carcasses of culled mink rise from graves in Denmark, photos surface online
According to latest reports, more than 10 million minks have already been culled in the country.
Bodies of culled mink rise from graves in Denmark | &nbspPhoto Credit:&nbspAFP
Minks in Denmark which were culled and buried in huge numbers to prevent a mutated form of coronavirus from spreading have remerged from the earth, triggering a new concern in the country.
Photos and videos of the macabre phenomenon have now been circulated on social media. According to an AFP report, thousands of dead minks re-emerged from their graves in a military training field outside the western town of Holstebro.
Just a few days ago, a large number of the carnivorous mammals had been put into an improvised mass grave in the area.
How is it happening?
The carcasses of the minks decomposed quickly and formed gases, that expanded and pushed the bodies up from the shallow graves, according to local police.
Following the bizarre incident, Denmark's environment ministry said minks should be covered by at least five feet of Earth, which was not followed in the town of Holstebro.
According to public broadcaster DR, the culled minks were buried only 100 centimeters of dirt in a field outside Holstebro.
That's not the only problem. The animals were apparently buried close to a lake, sparking fears of phosphorus and nitrogen pollution. Officials, however, have promised to soon fix the problem.
"To avoid potential problems for animals and humans the area will be monitored 24 hours a day until a fence is put up," the ministry was quoted by AFP.
Denmark announced earlier this month that it would cull more than 15 million minks to prevent the outbreak of a mutated version of the novel coronavirus.


People who are self-employed and run their own businesses are used to being self-reliant. But being self-reliant doesn't have to mean going it alone – often the simplest and first step to better wellbeing can be to talk about it, whether it's about how you feel or how somebody you employ feels. It's important for people to feel comfortable discussing their mental health, and that everyone in your organisation feels able to talk about stress that they experience, or problems that they feel are affecting them day-to-day. One thing you might consider is to find a mentor who you can talk to about problems in your business.
It is important you and your staff are able to balance work and home life, manage work pressures and feel encouraged and motivated at work. As self-employed people and small business owners, you know the value of hard work and that our jobs have a big impact on our health and wellbeing. The Labour Force Survey in 2007/08 found that an estimated 442,000 individuals in Britain believed that they were experiencing work related stress at a level that was making them ill. Having a clear policy on flexible working can increase working performance and employee engagement, and allows employees to better manage their work and home life. There are many different forms of flexible working, including homeworking, part-time working, flexitime or job sharing. You have legal obligations if employees request to work flexibly, but try and proactively think of ways in which your employees might be able to work more flexibly. To find out more about your legal duties on flexible working you can use FSB's Legal AdviceLine.
The buildings we work in can make a huge difference – both positive and negative – to how we feel day-to-day. 85 per cent of people in England agree that the quality of the built environment influences the way they feel. Improving the environment you work in can be one of the easiest things to do – but it could also make the biggest difference. Good air quality can lead to enhanced wellbeing and health. Poor workplace air quality can lead to health problems such as headaches, fatigue, and a lack of concentration. Try bringing some extra plants into your work space. For businesses that are office based, rotating seating location so employees can share window desks and having walking meetings are two easy strategies which can increase light exposure. Research from the Get Britain Standing campaign highlights that we sit for an average of 8.9 hours a day. Sitting for longer than four hours a day can lead to stiffness, back pain, muscular issues and can increase blood sugar levels.
The healthier you are, the easier you might find it to keep working when you need to. Taking care of your body can support both your physical and mental health. Exercise can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50 per cent. Food and sleep are the building blocks of a healthy body, so it is important that we eat healthily and get the right amount of sleep. Everyone should try and eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and drink plenty of water. The NHS Choices website has a range of interactive tools, apps and podcasts which you might want to have a look through and perhaps share with staff.
Keeping yourself and your staff healthy is incredibly important – it's equally important to access the help you or your staff need if one of you develops a disability or health condition while in work. If somebody falls out of work, not only can it lead to the loss of a valued member of staff for a business, but it can lead to worse health outcomes for them and contribute to negative economy-wide outcomes. Self-employed and small businesses are relatively successful in comparison to the rest of the private sector in employing people with disabilities – it is great for you, your business and indeed your staff, if you can think of extra steps you can take to build an inclusive, supportive workplace. With an increasingly ageing workforce, it's more vital than ever for all businesses to think about how they can make jobs work. If you're creating a new position, taking on a new member of staff, or thinking about what changes you can make to existing jobs, make sure you consider how you can help ensure that musculoskeletal conditions don't prevent you from getting the best staff.
Sometimes you don't have all the answers, and if you find yourself faced with a situation you don't quite understand, don't be afraid to talk to the experts.
FSB Care is the medical and health advice service offered to FSB members. It can support members with a variety of health conditions and give advice on wellbeing.


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PLCs: Siemens
Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 PLCs 350
This class describes SIMATIC S7-1500 PLCs and the various S7-1500 modules. This class also summarizes the capabilities of the STEP 7 Professional (TIA Portal) software used to configure and program S7-1500 PLCs.
Format Online
Number of Lessons 13
TO GET STARTED SPEAK WITH A SPECIALIST AT 1.866.706.8665
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SIMATIC S7-1500 CPUs
CPU Memory Organization
CPU Status LEDs and Display
Signal Modules
Technology Modules
STEP 7 Professional (TIA Portal)
Integrated Web Server
Identify key differences of the S7-1500 CPU models.
Describe the function of load memory, work memory, and retentive memory.
Describe the three operating modes of S7-1500 CPUs.
Describe the installation of modules for use with an S7-1500 PLC.
List the types of S7-1500 signal modules.
Describe the types of S7-1500 communications modules.
Describe the capabilities of S7-1500 technology modules.
Describe the different types of S7-1500 power supply modules.
List the types of programming languages available for S7-1500 PLCs.
Describe the integrated technologies for S7-1500 CPUs.
Describe the function of an S7-1500 CPU's integrated web server.
Vocabulary Term
absolute encoder
A device that communicates the current position of a machine axis.
Alternating Current. Current that periodically reverses direction.
analog I/O channels
I/O channels that connect to analog I/O devices. Analog channels use varying voltage or current signals.
analog input device
A device that provides a variable current or voltage, such as 4 to 20 milliamps or 0 to 10 volts, representing a condition in a machine or process. An analog input device provides its signal to an analog input signal channel.
analog output device
A device that is provided a variable current or voltage, such as 4 to 20 milliamps or 0 to 10 volts, representing a condition in a machine or process. An analog output device receives its signal from an analog output signal channel.
bit memory
Part of the global memory of a PLC that incudes binary bits that are available for use by any program block.
code work memory
A section of the work memory that contains parts of the PLC program code.
Modules that allow a PLC to communication with other devices through one or more communication ports on the module.
Central Processing Unit. The brains of the PLC. The CPU stores and scans the user program and stores data needed by the user program and other devices and systems.
data blocks
DBs. Each DB is an organized set of data in a Siemens PLC program that is used by one or more program blocks. An instance DB stores data use by one program block. A global data block contains data that is available to any program block.
data work memory
A section of the work memory that contains parts of the data blocks and technology objects.
Data Block. An organized set of data in a Siemens PLC program that is used by one or more program blocks. An instance DB stores data use by one program block. A global data block contains data that is available to any program block.
Direct Current. Current that flows in one direction.
A 35 millimeter mounting rail for control components and related devices.
An industrial network used for distributed control communication.
A software or hardware security barrier designed to limit access to a system to authorized personnel or systems.
Gigabyte. Approximately 1 billion bytes. Each byte is 8 consecutive bits.
global memory
Memory areas such as image tables and bit memory that are accessible to all program blocks in the user program.
Human machine interface. A device or system that displays machine or process information and provides a means for entering control information.
HMI. A device or system that displays machine or process information and provides a means for entering control information.
Input/Output. Refers to a device, channel, or module involved with PLC inputs and/or output
A standard of the International Electrotechical Commission that provides common approaches and concepts for PLCs.
image tables
Tables in a PLC CPU memory that store the most recent input and output status conditions. A binary 1 represents an on condition and a binary 0 represents and off condition.
A device that provides pulses to indicate changes in position.
A type of Ethernet local area network that is widely used for computer and control system communication in factories and other industrial environments.
I/O. Refers to a device, channel, or module involved with PLC inputs and/or outputs.
Kilobits per second. 1 kbps is a data rate of 1000 bits per second.
Light emitting diode. An indicator light made from semiconductor material.
load memory
Non-volatile storage for the user program, program data, and configuration information.
local memory
Temporary memory used during the processing of a code block.
Modbus remote terminal unit. A serial communication protocol used to connect a master device, often a PLC or industrial computer, to slave devices. The master device controls the communication of slave devices.
Used to describe a type of memory that does not require continual application of power to prevent data loss.
PID Control
Proportional-integral-derivative control. One of the most common types of process control. PID control adjusts system outputs by reacting to three values, one that is proportional to an error, one that represents the error over time, and one that represents the rate of change of the error.
PROFIBUS DP is an open standard fieldbus of PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) that is widely used for master-slave control communications in factory automation.
The open Industrial Ethernet standard of PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI), and the leading Industrial Ethernet standard world-wide.
PROFINET IO
The most widely-used form of PROFINET. PROFINET IO extends the benefits of standardized, Ethernet communication to distributed field devices.
PROFINET IRT
PROFINET isochronous real-time. The highest of three simultaneous performance levels of PROFINET IO communication. PROFINET IRT communication is designed to handle the most time-sensitive motion control applications.
program block
A grouping of PLC instructions. A Siemens PLC can have three types of program blocks: organization blocks (OBs), function blocks (FBs), and functions (FCs).
proportional-integral-derivative control.
PID control. One of the most common types of process control. PID control adjusts system outputs by reacting to three values, one that is proportional to an error, one that represents the error over time, and one that represents the rate of change of the error.
quadrature encoder
A two-channel incremental encoder. By comparing the phasing of the pulses received from both channels, a controller can determine the direction of motion.
resistance temperature device
RTD. A temperature sensor made from a metal such as platinum, nickel, or copper that varies in resistance in a predictable manner as temperature varies.
retentive memory
Non-volatile storage for a limited quantity of work memory values during power loss.
Resistance Temperature Device. A temperature sensor made from a metal such as platinum, nickel, or copper that varies in resistance in a predictable manner as temperature varies.
run mode
One of three modes of operation for an S7-1500 PLC. In the RUN mode, the CPU executes the PLC scan repeatedly.
A repetitive process performed by a PLC CPU that includes updating input statuses, executing the user program, updating outputs, and other important tasks.
signal module
Also called an I/O module. A module that connects a PLC to input and/or output devices.
STARTUP Mode
One of three modes of operation for an S7-1500 PLC. In the STARTUP mode, the CPU executes any startup logic, if present.
Engineering software used for the configuration and programming of SIMATIC S7-300, S7-400, S7-1200, and S7-1500 PLCs and related devices
STOP Mode
One of three modes of operation for an S7-1500 PLC. In the STOP mode, the CPU is not executing the user program.
A temperature sensor made from two dissimilar metals joined at a point called a junction. A thermocouple produces a small voltage that is temperature dependent.
Siemens Totally Integrated Automation Portal. Software used for designing, commissioning, operating, maintaining, and upgrading automation systems.
volatile memory
Used to describe a type of memory that requires continual application of power to prevent data loss.
A computer or software that allows information to be displayed using standard Internet protocols.
work memory
Volatile storage for some elements of the user program.
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For a quarter-century, it has been a California dream on one drafting board or another — a bullet-train system so novel, environmentally friendly, and fleet that it could reshape transportation in the car-crazy Golden State. With gas prices high, highways congested and airports jammed, it would seem the best of times for a bullet train. However, it seems the worst to some people, with Wall Street in meltdown, California facing a perpetual budget deficit and the lurking specter of September's horrific commuter-rail accident in Los Angeles. California voters approved Proposition 1A, the Safe, Reliable High Speed Passenger Train Bond Act Tuesday by a margin of four percentage points. The act approves nearly $10 billion in bond money to build a modern bullet train linking northern and southern California that is expected to reduce air pollution by taking cars off the road. The train would connect San Francisco to Los Angeles and would cost some 45 billion dollars.
It would be financed roughly one-third each by the state, federal government and private sector, with construction to begin in 2011 and trains rolling by 2020. When completed it is envisioned that a trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles would cost $55 and take little more than 2 ½ hours. Bakersfield to downtown Los Angeles would take only 54 minutes.


NICE has a zero-tolerance stance to corruption and bribery. NICE conducts its business in an ethical and transparent manner in full compliance with all relevant anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws and international best practices.
NICE prides itself on being fully committed to the communities in which we work. A major part of this commitment is compliance with all standards, regulations and requirements concerning the environmental aspects of our operations and the products we produce. We believe that maintaining market leadership cannot preclude corporate commitment to a cleaner, safer world.
Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights that remains a hidden blight on our global society. It takes various forms, such as slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking, all of which have in common the deprivation of a person's liberty by another in order to exploit them for personal or commercial gain. NICE is committed to ensuring that our business practices combat slavery and human trafficking in any form.


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An Introduction to Catholic Ethics since Vatican II
Part of Introduction to Religion
Author: Andrew Kim, Walsh University
This introduction provides a comprehensive overview of the development of Catholic ethics in the wake of the Second Vatican Council (1962–5), an event widely considered crucial to the reconciliation of the Catholic Church and the modern world. Andrew Kim investigates Catholic responses to questions of moral theology in all four principal areas: Catholic social teaching, natural law, virtue ethics, and bioethics. In addition to discussing contemporary controversies surrounding abortion, contraception, labor rights, exploitation of the poor, and just war theory, he explores the historical sources of the Catholic worldview. Beginning with the moral vision revealed through the person of Jesus Christ and continuing with elaborations on this vision from figures such as Augustine and Aquinas, this volume elucidates the continuity of the Catholic moral tradition. Its balance of complexity and accessibility makes it an ideal resource for both students of theology and general readers.
May be used as a stand-alone introduction to Catholic ethics
Engages with a wealth of scholarship outside of the post-conciliar Catholic tradition, including both ancient and contemporary moral philosophers
Offers an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach that incorporates perspectives from theology, philosophy, literary theory, and the natural sciences
'In this book he presents an engaging and lucid exposition of the central themes in Catholic ethics: natural law, virtue, Catholic social teaching and bioethics. There are fine sections on the acquisition of the virtues and their unity in the Christian moral life, and on the dignity of the human person … He systematically and effectively demolishes various types of moral relativism, demonstrating how Christian theology transcends the culture wars and the current polarisation of left and right that are apparently spreading from the United States to the whole of western society.' Edward Dowler, Studies in Christian Ethics
Part I. Foundations of Catholic Ethics:
1. Moral relativism
2. The natural law and revelation
3. The river between
Part II. Grace at the Heart of Virtue:
4. The cardinal virtues
5. The virtues of grace
6. The unity of the virtues
Part III. Catholic Social Teaching:
7. Justice in the Catholic moral tradition
8. The principles of Catholic social teaching
9. The just war tradition
Part IV. Bioethics:
10. The dignity of the human person
11. Beginning of life decisions
12. End of life decisions.
Andrew Kim, Walsh University
Andrew Kim is Assistant Professor of Theology at Walsh University. His articles have appeared in Studies in Christian Ethics and the Journal of Moral Theology.
Hope and Christian Ethics
Community, Liberalism and Christian Ethics
Moral Passion and Christian Ethics
Justice and Christian Ethics
The aim of Ethics & International Affairs, the journal of the Carnegie Council, is to help close the gap between…


text:
Q: fixltx2e warning! - ShareLaTeX I'm a using ShareLaTeX to write a report and it is almost perfect in terms of fails and warnings. There is only one warning left, which is the following:

I have searched online for a solution, but almost all says to remove the usepackage causing the problem. I just simply can find it. It is not in main or preamble, or any of the other document. I use the search function in ShareLaTeX to search for fixltx2e, but I find nothing.
Maybe I'm looking for the wrong usepackge, and the mistake might be from another usepackage including fixltx2e, but I don't know, which one.
I would really like to fix the warning, as it is the only one left. Anyone know what might be causing it?

A: If you use any package like \usepackage{dblfloatfix} or any package end with -fix, just remove those package and you will no longer get any warning.

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Our business conditions govern the relationship between the seller and the company ROTOmotor Ltd.
These General Terms and Conditions(GTC) govern the relationship between the seller, the company ROTOmotor Ltd. (hereinafter the "Seller") and customers of ROTOmotor Ltd. The Customer is obliged to get acquainted with Warranty Claim Policy and General Terms and Conditions of Sale before ordering any goods from ROTOmotor.
The Seller ROTOmotor Ltd. with its seat in Zbečník 259, 549 31 Hronov, Czech republic is a company registered at Registration Court in Hradec Králové under Section C, insert 12538 as a company oriented in the production and the sale of gasoline model engines to distributors and End Users.
The CustomerEnd User – at the initial stage of business relationship the End User will hand over to the Seller its contact data necessary for execution of the order, or any additional data the Customer wants to appear in the bill of sale.Legal obligations between the Seller and the Buyer not specified in these GTC are governed by the Civil Code Act No. 40/1964 Coll.
Unless otherwise noted, all prices are daily market prices "ex works" including the legal sales tax plus all expenses arising from the dispatch. Changes in price (through exchange rate fluctuation and technical changes) on the part of the producer are reserved.The buyer has to bear the cost of any arising import or export duties.No sales tax applies for sales with customers outside the EC, but they do have to bear the respective national import duties.For sales to entrepreneurs within the EC no sales tax applies after the proof of the UID, however they have to pay the sales tax of their home country. The announcement of the UID has to be at placement of the order. The charging is made in Euros.
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CHARLIE NICHOLAS believes the SFA must write off the Group I campaign after two dismal Euro qualifiers and follow England's blueprint to give the Scotland team a future the fans can believe in.
Express Sport columnist Nicholas has watched the Three Lions ride on the crest of a wave since Gareth Southgate was appointed in November 2016.
Scotland, meanwhile, have stumbled from disaster to disaster, the latest being a 3-0 defeat to Kazakhstan and a tortuous win in San Marino.
Southgate stepped up from the Under-21s to build a supremely talented young squad that reached last year's World Cup semi-finals and look like sailing through their Euro 2020 qualifying group.
Former Scotland hero Nicholas said: "England are getting it right because the FA have started listening to a younger manager with fresh ideas.
"Southgate can now say he is able to pick young players, motivate them and blend them.
"The youngsters are coming through and have an identity where they can step up into the full team and it is flawless.
"The long-term foundations have been laid and you can see this England group going on to have a long, sustained period of success.
"We need to look at what they are doing. We need to get the right structure underneath now the way the FA have got it right.
"We are not going to get even close to qualifying. It will be a bun fight just to get above Cyprus now.
The Tartan Army chanted "F*** the SFA" as Alex McLeish's team struggled to beat San Marino on Sunday night.
And Nicholas believes a revolution at Hampden is required.
Scotland lose to Kazakhstan and fans are RAGING - McLeish out!
"We now have an opportunity where the people can go after the SFA," Nicholas said.
"We have to break down the hierarchy.
"We have to get into the building and gradually break it down.
"We need to start getting proper football people in, people who understand the game, and not those who are looking for a wee trip and wearing a blazer.
"The Kazakhstan result was tremendously damaging.
"If Alex gets binned, I would like to see Malky Mackay taking over with some of the younger coaches behind the scenes.


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text:
Niall Farrell: From Carphone Warehouse to EPT Champion (to Mars)
Britain has a lot of great poker players.
But if you were to stick your head out of the dungeon and choose 10 people most likely to bring home a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet this year, Niall Farrell is one of them.
He's staying in a house on West Tropicana and his roommate of choice is American Daniel Strelitz.
"He doesn't drink too much so he keeps me out of trouble throughout the summer," Farrell says. "If I stayed with the UK guys I would drink far too much."
When Farrell first came to Vegas for the WSOP he was backed by David Randall and would stay in a house with his fellow horses. The European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event winner no longer needs the hay.
In the past four years Strelitz has been a part of Farrell's ritual. For many people the WSOP experience is akin to an explosion of a star. It doesn't affect Farrell in that way, and he admits that he 'wouldn't come every year if he didn't have to.'
"I miss a lot of fun stuff at home when I come here."
How Much Do You Need to Live in Scotland?
There are poker players who love poker as much as heroin addicts love the sight of the neon-orange syringe tops.
Pints and a football coupon plenty.
Then you have other members of the orchestra who end up there because it was an easy way to make money without applying much effort.
Farrell floats somewhere in between, erring more on the side of 'job' than 'love.'
"I like the pressure of running deep in a major live event. I love the social aspect of meeting new people. But it's not something I want to do forever."
And that leads to the inevitable question I love to ask every single professional who's paid money to chase the tails of fish: What do you want to do?
The discussion usually leads to the most common response: "I don't know."
Poker can lead to ruin. For others, it can result in everlasting fame and fortune. But for most it's a halfway house for bright young minds who haven't quite figured out how best to service the world.
In the meantime, earning titles, accolades and a lot of cash playing a game will do perfectly fine, thank you very much.
"I used to have the mentality of wanting to be a millionaire before 30," Farrell says. "But how much money do you need to live in Scotland?
"The way I see things I need enough to share a few pints with the boys on the weekend and to pick up a football coupon."
No Intention of Using Law Degree
Farrell has a law degree. A piece of paper he picked up because he wanted to make his mother proud and not because he loved practicing law.
Some things come easy.
"I grinded it out to please my Mum. I had no intention of using it," he says.
He has always envisaged a future where he would go into business with his brother. Like all great poker players, Farrell's plan is flawless.
"My brother has a great work ethic and is smart. I would provide the funding."
Work ethic. That old chestnut and so often the downfall of so many potential David Vamplews.
"It stems from being smart. I don't want to sound like a big head, but school work always came easily to me.
"I was one of those kids you would find drinking Mad Dog behind a skip and yet would manage to get straight A's."
It seems he was putting people on tilt way before he even picked up a deck of cards.
"If you develop this habit of not working hard, and you feel no pain, it breeds a lazy mentality. It's one of the things that attracted me to poker.
"If you are smart, it doesn't feel like work. It attracts young guys who can't be assed doing anything but want to make a lot of money at the same time.
"You will be lucky to see me playing online twice a week if that."
And then he goes and wins a Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) title on PokerStars. It's enough to make you want to buy a shit-ton of Mad Dog and find a skip.
The Birthplace of EPT Champions
But he must have had to work hard at something, at sometime?
Same old story: Carphone Warehouse >> EPT champ.
"I worked at Carphone Warehouse," Farrell says.
Carphone Warehouse -- the birthplace of EPT Champions and world-class opera singers.
"I was earning decent money for Uni, but it wasn't a job where I had to use my brains too much. Then one day I quit.
"I had no money. I got hold of a credit card, withdrew a grand, and started playing $4 180-mans. I made $500 in my first month and then told everyone I was a professional poker player."
But surely, he must have had some confidence in his game to jump off that cliff?
"I was fucking dreadful."
Enjoying Playing Niall Farrell Right Now
Farrell believes poker has 'at least five years for me' and 'even more if I keep playing live'.
Today, he lives for the challenge of the higher buy-ins and the ability to pit his wits against the best players in the world.
"This year, if I could source dollars, I could play One Drop, and that's exciting."
For the sake of humanity.
He maintains focus on poker by creating the desire to give back to his family. In particular, he pays homage to the great role his mother has played in his life and the love for his brother.
"They have done so much for me when I was growing up."
He draws inspiration from the late, great Christopher Hitchens:
"When someone talks about life with such controversy and arrogance, it's hard not to take notice."
And he's also a fan of revolutionary thinker Elon Musk:
"He's fast becoming a mini-hero of mine."
Farrell talks passionately about Musk's view that we could be part of a computer simulation arranged by a much more advanced civilization.
"I am interested in massive scale stuff like that."
I ask him whom he would like to take control of if he was playing the game, and he replied that he would like to be Lionel Messi, Brad Pitt and Stephen Hawking.
"It would be cool to try different game modes. Although I am enjoying playing Niall Farrell just now."
Give the Man a Seat
Keeping on the Musk theme and I ask him if he was fortunate to get a seat amongst the million people Musk wants to send to Mars to populate the planet, who would he take?
Mars' leading man.
"I would take people uglier than me so I could have the pick of the women and be the leading man chosen to populate the planet."
One of those people is also his brother. But Farrell thought it was critical to choose a woman smart enough to drag his genes out of the gutter to 'make sure the human race isn't made up of complete morons,' and so Jennifer Shahade gets a seat on the rocket.
With Shahade on his left I asked him to choose someone to be on the right. Tatjana Pasalic got the nod.
"I have always had a massive crush on her."
If Musk saw Farrell as a pivotal part of the terraforming Mars plan, he would have to improve that work ethic for sure. I don't think owning an EPT title is going to help the human race so I ask him what other skills he's developed over the years.
"I once tried to swim the river Nith when drunk. It was a great way to end up in the papers for being some drunk idiot that died.
"Growing up in Scotland does that to you because all you can do is drink, fuck and fight."
Give the man a seat, Elon.


text:
Tag Archives: fanfiction
Bleach Fanfiction, Chapter 3
June 23, 2015 Dominic Sceski	Leave a comment
Chapter 3: Answers
We run down the streets to Urahara's shop. We occasionally after look like we completely don't know the naked person running alongside us, or we just smile awkwardly and say, "Don't mind him!" But thankfully, what with a storm beginning to start, there aren't very many people out. I just hope no one calls the police…
We arrive at Urahara's shop within a couple of minutes. Kisuke Urahara is an ex-soul reaper that runs a store for soul reapers in this world. He's always been a good friend; in fact, he's taught me much of the basics of being a soul reaper, and even more. I wouldn't be the warrior or the person I am today if not for Kisuke. And he always seems to have an answer for everything. Although he can be both a perv and a lying scumbag, he's a pretty good guy. And we trust him.
Urahara's shop is in the center of a desolate, discrete lot between two buildings that dwarf the store. We approach the front of the building, and then I turn to the other me and say, "You just wait outside for a moment. Don't go anywhere."
"Fine," he replies. "Just don't take to long…It's kinda cold."
"No kidding!" I say, turning back towards the shop.
Rukia and I open the door to the store and walk in. From the looks of the interior of the shop, you couldn't really even guess what Kiskue and his crew sell. Boxes are piled in one area, and some items are set out in a store-like fashion. Everything is swept nice and clean, although I wouldn't use those words to describe the store as a whole. "Hey Kiskue!" Rukia calls.
At the end of the room, a sliding door opens and Kiskue enters the room, gently waving a fan by his face as he approaches. His clogs clap as he walks. I believe he's what you would call a "hippy". "Is that the voice of my favorite member of the Kuchiki clan?" he asks in his cool voice. He peeks up at us from under the brow of his white and green hat. "What can I do for you two today?" His two employees, Jinta-a bratty boy who looks like he's eleven-and Ururu-a timid girl with two big pony-tails of about the same age-both follow him.
"We have a few questions to ask you about this guy we found," I say.
"Oh yeah, well bring him in," Kiskue says cheerfully.
I frown, "Maybe you should have Ururu leave…"
"Oh?" Kiskue says. "Why is that?"
Suddenly the door of the shop slams open. The other me stands there. "Geez, I told you to be quick," he says. "I'm freezing up out here!"
I yelp and cover Ururu's eyes and Jinta points, crying out, "GOOD GRIEF, HE'S NAKED!"
Everyone calms down after a moment. Kiskue squints, growing pensive and lowering his head, and he states, "It would appear that that's the least of the problem."
The other me scowls, staring at Kiskue. "I know you," he says. "Your name is Kiskue Urahara."
"That's right," Kiskue smiles. "I'm flattered to hear that you know me. But I think the question we're all begging to ask is-" he raises his head and looks intently at the other me, "-who are you?"
The other me pauses, as if unsure how to answer. "I'm," he starts. His eyes flick to me for a moment, and I feel like I know what he wants to say. The words form on his lips, but he doesn't allow himself to speak them. He clenches his fists and averts his gaze, stating through his teeth, "I don't know!"
"Well then," says Kiskue, raising a finger, "why don't we start with the first thing you can remember?"
The other me thinks, and then says, "I remember lying on a cold, metal table. There was somebody standing next to me, but I couldn't see all of him. He was holding a syringe. There was blood all over my face. Then I was taken to a cell."
"And how long ago did all this happen?" Urahara asks.
"Five days ago."
We all gasp. Five days ago? That can't be! "You mean you're only five days old?" I question, incredulous.
"I'm telling you," the other me says, frustrated, "that's all I know! I don't remember anything before that!"
"Well then," Kiskue says, his voice becoming grave, "why doesn't Miss Kuchiki here tell us about the report she got from the Soul Society."
Rukia grunts, growing stern like Urahara, and she says, "We believe that someone in Hueco Mundo has created a new form of life. Members of the Stealth and Punishment Force have been investigating it, but as of now, we still aren't certain." Rukia glances at the other me, "Do you know if you were in Hueco Mundo."
"Hueco Mundo," the other me says under his breath, as if trying to remember. He raises his head after a moment, declaring, "Yes, that's where I was."
"Then I think that settles it," Rukia says. "The new form of life is a clone."
Sorry it took so long for me to post the next chapter. Things have been kind of crazy with The Golden Lands (TGL). If you guys like my writing, I really think you'll enjoy my, free, downloadable self-published work: The Golden Lands, Volume 1: Shadows in the Sunlight. Also, if you have any questions about Bleach, TGL, or me, please feel free to comment or contact me!
animecreative writingdarkevilfanfictionfantasyIchigoIchigo Kurosakipublishingself publishingsoulwriting


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All administrations stake out aggressive positions on the scope of executive authority under the Constitution. That's arguably their institutional responsibility. Yet it's another thing entirely for an administration to stick its thumb in Congress's eye when circumstances permit a more conciliatory approach.
A lot of people still like to think of George Bush as the satanic spawn of the imperial presidency. That didn't keep him, however, from getting congressional authorization his lawyers told him he didn't need to initiate the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and consulting meaningfully with the congressional leadership of both parties when he decided to test the limits of his statutory authority to conduct domestic surveillance or interrogate prisoners of war.
"President Barack Obama's foreign policy "A" team — led by Cabinet secretaries Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates — failed to quiet criticism of U.S. military action in Libya Wednesday during a pair of classified briefings on Capitol Hill.
"More than anything, the meetings served to underscore how little influence Congress has in shaping the war. . . . Lawmakers said they weren't told much by Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Defense Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen or Director of National Intelligence James Clapper that they couldn't read in the newspaper or see on television.
"They said one dynamic was very clear: The administration doesn't much care what Congress thinks about the actions it's taken so far.
"Challenged on whether Obama overstepped his constitutional authority in attacking Libya without congressional approval, Clinton told lawmakers that White House lawyers were OK with it and that Obama has no plans to seek an endorsement from Congress, attendees told POLITICO.
"And, as if to add insult to injury, news broke during the House briefing that Obama had already signed an order authorizing covert action in support of the rebels. When asked about it after the first briefing, House members were unaware the president had taken that action.
Why isn't Obama even pretending not to be an imperial president? I've come up with only one answer: even secret consultations with congressional leadership would oblige him to explain what he's really trying to do in Libya when he doesn't yet have a presentable explanation.
This is an outrage. Why aren't Republicans jumping up and down!! So far, I've only heard Kucinich voicing strong words against Obama's actions.
Obama keeps pretending that if he doesn't make a big deal of our involvement in Libya, no one will notice. It's not going to work. This is a hornet's nest and it's not going to resolve itself anytime soon.


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While many of us feel helpless in our privilege, in fact we are the ones who have the power to help this change.
Be vocal. Talk your white friends and colleagues and community and let them know how outrageous the rampant hate and systematic racism is.
Share this video from Trevor Noah, who states it quite well that we can be pro-cop and pro-black, respectful and supportive of law enforcement and the people they are sworn to protect.
Call the police in your area and ask what types of de-escalation training is offered on an ongoing basis to all officers.
Stand with black comrades at rallies and marches.
Be introspective. Think about how subtle and systematic racism have benefited you, or how you might have been complicit in it previously. Change your behaviors and help others do the same.
Keep the dialogue open. It's a difficult and important one. But it is not a black person's burden to educate you. Educate yourself.


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From the Patriot Act to the Freedom Act – data protection in the United States
Home » data protection » From the Patriot Act to the Freedom Act – data protection in the United States
Posted: 21. November 2015 27. November 2019 | Reading Time approx.: 3 Minutes
On 2 June 2015, the US Senate passed the Freedom Act, new legislation which replaced parts of the expired Patriot Act. The revision of, inter alia, those parts which dealt with telecommunication data and its surveillance, turned out to be necessary in order to restore the trust of the US public in their authorities after the Snowden revelations. According to the Freedom Act, it is prohibited for American authorities (e. g. the NSA) to collect mass data of data subjects. Against the background of the recently devastating decision taken by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) concerning the data transfer to the US under Safe Harbor, companies may ask whether by means of the legal changes a data transfer to the US is now possible again.
What was the content of the Patriot Act?
The Patriot Act, inter alia, dealt with the collection, storing and processing of telecommunication data. This meant for instance that the length of a telephone conversation, the location, the name, the address and the invoice of the telecommunication user could be stored and processed. Once the data was collected, American authorities had access to this data for further processing without any limitations.
According to German and European law this data qualifies as personal data which is covered by data protection law. Processing of such data is, at least in Germany, only allowed if the data subject consented to it or if it is covered by a legal basis. Additionally, the country in which the data should be processed must provide for a data protection level which is comparable to the one of the EU. The latter was supposed to be the case for companies in the US which were certified under the Safe Harbor agreement. But exactly this agreement has been ruled invalid by the ECJ, in view of the lack of protection of data subjects against improper access to their data through American authorities which eventually caused the unlawfulness of data transfers to the US.
Relevant data protection changes through the Freedom Act
The question now arises if telecommunication data is better protected by the US Freedom Act (which stands for "Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act"). If this was indeed the case, probably one could argue that the required level of data protection is now in place and a new Safe Harbor agreement may be obsolete or at least easier to negotiate. But to the contrary: the Freedom Act does indeed contains changes, but these changes are not sufficient to raise the data protection standards to an acceptable level.
On a first read, the Freedom Act appears to be a positive development from a European Data Protection perspective. American authorities themselves are not allowed to store telecommunication data and they do not have a direct access to it anymore. But upon a closer look, this positive impression is soon blurred: telecommunication data is now stored directly with the provider and can be transferred to the authorities upon request. For this purpose, American authorities now at least have to demonstrate a specific cause, e.g. that a data subject is a potential threat. However, apart from that, there is no further restriction which limits the surveillance and processing of mass telecommunication data. The detour via the collection of the telecommunication data with the provider cannot limit the general concerns.
A step closer to data protection – but only one
The changes through the US Freedom Act are definitely a step in the right direction. But from a European data protection perspective, and also in view of the Safe Harbor ruling, the changes make no relevant difference. The criticism in the context of the Safe Harbor decision explicitly focussed on the mass collection and surveillance of data without any restriction for a specific purpose or the provision of legal means to appeal against an arbitrary processing of personal data. The Freedom Act does not help here. The Safe Harbor dilemma is not yet solved.
US Freedom Act vs. data retention in Germany
However, unfortunately there are similarities between the US Freedom Act and the recently introduced German Data Retention Act. One could even say that the differences are marginal. The Data Retention Act allows telecommunication providers to collect and store telecommunication data. Authorities can request access to the data through an order by a judge and subsequently process this data. In fact, only the judicial authorisation, the deadline to retain such gathered data and the existing legal means of redress are the only differences to the US legislation. Therefore, it remains open whether the new German Data Retention Act will be upheld in a judicial review. In 2010, the German Constitutional Court already once before declared a similar piece of legislation to be unconstitutional.
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We've seen how our brains file away memories for the first time
Health 30 August 2017
By Jessica Hamzelou
Daydreaming through a maze
Will & Deni McIntyre/Science Photo Library
WHILE you're daydreaming, your brain is hard at work. For the first time, scans have shown human brains replaying individual memories, filing them away for long-term storage.
Research in rats has found that the hippocampus region of their brain forms new memories by replaying patterns of brain activity linked to specific experiences. When neuroscientists watch the brain activity of a rat running through a maze, for example, they find the same pattern being replayed when the rat sleeps.
Your memories are not your own: Find out more at New Scientist Live in London
Now, Anna Schapiro of Harvard Medical School and her team have seen memories replaying in people. They asked 24 volunteers to learn about 15 made-up satellites. After 45 minutes of memorising their names and what they looked like, participants did a memory test.
The team then used an fMRI scanner to detect the brain activity elicited by images of the satellites. After a break, the volunteers were shown the pictures in the scanner again, to confirm this activity. They then rested while still being scanned, before doing a second memory test.
Analysing the scans, the team found that specific patterns of brain activity associated with the satellites were replayed during rest. "This is the first evidence for item-specific replay in the human hippocampus," the team says.
Satellites that were poorly remembered at first were later replayed more in the hippocampus. Being replayed more times was linked to better recall in the second test (bioRxiv, doi.org/ccdw). This suggests that the brain prioritises processing weaker memories, the team says.
Animal research suggests other parts of the brain are involved in replaying memories too, says Loren Frank at the University of California, San Francisco. "If you really want to store a memory for all senses, you have to turn on activity in all brain areas."
This article appeared in print under the headline "How you file away your memories"
Magazine issue 3141 , published 2 September 2017
Nobody knows how these baby stars got so close to our black hole
Monkeys can see faces in inanimate things, just like us
Intermittent fasting led to a group of people with obesity losing 7.6 kilograms in 14 weeks when combined with them receiving advice on reducing their calorie intake, compared with 3.9 kilograms among those who only received the advice
'Love hormone' may not be crucial for social bonding after all
Prairie voles still form social bonds without oxytocin sensors in the brain. The findings challenge the long-held belief that the hormone is a crucial part of the bonding process for all mammals
A diet high in amino acids reduced diabetes-related nerve pain in mice
Eating more of the amino acids serine and glycine decreased the amount of nerve damage and pain in mice with diabetes
We now know that covid-19 can cause neurological symptoms, ranging from brain fog and headaches to strokes. Research is beginning to reveal how this happens and hint at better treatments


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Christ the King Seminary and Sexual Misconduct: What's the Best Path Forward?
Part 3 of a Register report on allegations of sexual misconduct and the existence of an homosexual subculture at the Diocese of Buffalo's seminary.
Above, laity participate in a lay-organized protest outside Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, New York, Aug. 28. (photo: Peter Jesserer Smith photo)
Peter Jesserer Smith Nation November 14, 2019
BUFFALO, N.Y. — "How'd he get through?"
Huddled with his priest-secretary, vicar general and vicar for priests, Bishop Richard Malone repeated the question raised in the room: How did the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, end up with a priest whom they believed had not only aggressively pursued a seminarian for an inappropriate relationship and sought revenge when spurned, but had the ability to do an enormous amount of damage due to the blackmail he held over other priests?
As detailed in Part 1 of this report, Father Jeff Nowak, a graduate of Christ the King Seminary, faces allegations of sexually pursuing a seminarian, violating the seal of the confession, hearing invalid confessions via FaceTime and working with two other priests who came out of that seminary to emotionally blackmail and then slander in revenge his target after refusing his advances. That seminarian, Matthew Bojanowksi, quit in August, citing Bishop Malone's failures to protect his seminary career and reputation.
But secret audio recordings taken in March by Father Ryszard Biernat, Bishop Malone's former priest-secretary, reveal that the group is concerned about the seminary's image if Father Nowak's actions get out and that homosexual persons collectively would be unfairly blamed.
They characterized Father Nowak, and two of his seminary classmates who are now also priests, as an apparent "homosexual triumvirate" spreading rumors and "cat-fighting" against other priests in the diocese they wanted to take down, including Father Biernat.
The group noted the obvious signs that should have barred Father Nowak from ordination: He left seminary twice, refused to show up for seminary assignments; but despite this record, he was ordained in 2012.
Beyond looking into his file and wondering how he was deemed suitable for ordination, nobody in the recordings suggests the need for a formal investigation into how the priest made it through the seminary's safeguards, or whether his actions and those of the other members of the alleged apparent "homosexual triumvirate" pointed to the existence of an active homosexual subculture at Christ the King Seminary.
In fact, the March recordings show Bishop Malone and his inner circle agree there is a "larger group" of possibly homosexual priests with "unresolved" personal issues, in addition to Father Nowak and his associates, who are "not gonna go down quietly" and "will take anybody down" they have issues with.
The fear of Bishop Malone and his inner circle regarding these priests, who are products of Christ the King Seminary, did not abate months later.
"Jeff's out to get us all — let's face it," Bishop Malone told Father Biernat in an Aug. 2 conversation that was secretly recorded.
Another key figure involved in the recent allegations of sexual misconduct at the seminary is Father Joseph Gatto, a longtime central member of the seminary's formation team who stepped down as its president-rector in September 2018 following allegations of sexual misconduct against two lay adults who sought his pastoral help.
As detailed in Part 2 of this report, Father Gatto also faces accusations of both abuse of power and sexual misconduct with seminarians, as well as involvement in setting up a "pipeline" that brought problematic seminary candidates to the U.S. from Colombia.
Malformed Formators?
Such allegations of homosexual activity committed and/or facilitated by members of a seminary's formation team raise serious questions about the integrity of the formation process. And according to some informed observers, the problems at Christ the King appear to be so deep-seated that closing the institution should be considered.
Deacon Paul Snyder, a former member of Christ the King Seminary's board of trustees, told the Register that the diocese explored the possibility of closing the seminary as part of the restructuring plan conducted a number of years ago under Bishop Malone's predecessor, Bishop Edward Kmiec.
"The recommendation we made to Bishop Kmiec was the seminary should be closed and relocated," Deacon Snyder said.
The possibility of partnering with Canisius College also was explored, but Deacon Snyder said they only made preliminary discussions with Canisius before it "was rejected out of hand" by Bishop Kmiec. "It was rejected by the very priests who were involved in the day-to-day operations of the seminary," Deacon Snyder said, such as Father Gatto.
Deacon Snyder said that, in hindsight, it became clear that relocating and restructuring the priestly formation program from rural East Aurora "was obviously creating a problem for activities they were surreptitiously conducting at the seminary that are now being reported."
Deacon Snyder said his main concern about the seminary was it had none of the supervision and oversight he would expect from another institution of higher learning with a residential program.
"At a college, you'd have proctors, an ombudsman, campus security," he said. "You'd have infrastructure for the health, well-being and welfare of the students for everything from a medical emergency to something much more substantive."
"Because it was such a closed environment, there was no way for the seminarians to get around the priests abusing them other than leaving the seminary," he said.
"The few good men that got through: God bless them. The men we lost because of that environment is a tragedy; those who were abused that are now coming forward, that is also a tragedy," he said. "The whole thing is a tragedy."
John Hurley, president of Canisius College and of the Movement to Restore Trust, a group of local Catholics that was formed in 2018, told the Register in August that the group thought that the seminary should have a "third party, independent of the seminary and its staff, that would be available to seminarians if they have any concerns about sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior."
"That reflects a general concern about the diocese's handling of the sex-abuse scandal," he said, adding there was a proposal to set up an ethics complaint line "answered and monitored by a third party."
Hurley told the Register that the Movement to Restore Trust was planning to work with the bishop of Buffalo to reform the diocese. However, following publication of Bishop Malone's recordings by local news media, the group said in a Sept. 5 statement that further progress under Bishop Malone was "not possible" and called for his resignation.
Others disagree that the problems related to the allegations of sexual misconduct that have surfaced are representative of the overall situation at the seminary.
Father Walter Szczesny, a former Christ the King student and formator as well as former vocation director for the Diocese of Buffalo, told the Register that the seminary's current rural setting is helpful for study and contemplation, with opportunities for hiking trails and cross-country skiing.
"There's never a perfect seminary, but my experience was extremely positive," Father Szczesny told the Register.
Father Szczesny said he was part of the formation team from 1999 to 2006 and vocations director from 2006 to 2015. He said that, during his time, he was not aware of any issues involving sexual harassment or abuse of power for sex by seminarians or staff.
"Luckily, in my time there, that never reared its ugly head," he said. "I never saw that at all."
Father Szczesny said that while not impossible, it was very difficult for a person unfit for ordination to get through the seminary's vetting process, particularly in light of "very strict" psychological testing instituted after the national clergy sex-abuse scandal erupted in 2002.
"I also know, as having been part of the formation team there, that the discussions and the voting on candidates — it is difficult for someone to slip through there that isn't qualified," he said.
Discussing the current situation, Father Bob Gebhard, Christ the King's director of seminarian formation, told the Register the seminary "continues to concern itself with building awareness of and preventing sexual harassment, as well as building a sensitive, safe environment."
"Those preparing for ordination and seminary faculty and staff are trained and encouraged to come forward in the event that they have a concern relating to their safety and well-being," he said. "A thorough and formal policy and procedure is in place."
New Rector
Since local media highlighted the recent sexual-misconduct allegations involving the seminary, Christ the King has appointed a new rector-president, Vincentian Father Kevin Creagh.
"The new rector-president and formation team are fully attentive to the need for ongoing oversight and review of all facets of seminary life, including the seminary's commitment to form future priests for healthy and holy chaste celibacy," Bishop Malone told the Register in a Sept. 27 emailed response to questions. "We do not see signs of any 'homosexual subculture' at Christ the King." The bishop also asserted that "[c]areful vetting of all faculty and formators is in place."
In his comments to the Register, Bishop Malone said he had confidence in the seminary's program and new leadership.
"Bishops continue to send candidates to us because they are confident in the formation we offer," he said, adding those bishops "often visit" the campus during the year and "stay in close dialogue" with their seminarians.
"I do not agree that there are at this time valid reasons for 'serious unresolved questions' involving CKS," Bishop Malone said.
He explained that all seminarians are trained annually regarding sexual harassment and the seminary's safeguards for reporting sexual harassment, "including how to make a report and to whom to make a complaint."
"People trained to receive a complaint include their diocesan director of vocations, diocesan director of seminarians, and Title IX officers at the seminary," he said. "Seminarians are also made aware of and given the contact information to make a report directly to state officials or to the diocesan director of human resources should they desire."
Speaking with the Register via email on Sept. 26, Father Creagh declined to answer if he was carrying out an investigation into Father Gatto, or whether other formators had engaged in sexual behavior with seminarians.
"I cannot speak specifically to the past," Father Creagh said. "But I think it is important to note that there have been no substantiated child abuse cases filed against the Diocese of Buffalo for anyone ordained to the priesthood after 1988."
Father Creagh discounted the idea of a culture of power games and blackmail at the seminary, either among seminarians or staff.
He said: "I have no reason to believe that the alleged behavior is occurring, and if it were, it would not be ignored or tolerated."
Peter Jesserer Smith is a Register staff reporter.
Read Part 1 and Part 2.
peter jesserer smith
diocese of buffalo
clerical crisis
christ the king seminary
Peter Jesserer Smith Peter Jesserer Smith is a staff reporter for the National Catholic Register. He covered Pope Francis's historic visit to the United States in 2015, and to Jerusalem and the Holy Land in 2014. He has reported on the Syrian and Iraqi refugee crisis, including from Jordan and Lebanon on an Egan Fellowship from Catholic Relief Services. Before coming on board the Register in 2013, he was a freelance writer, reporting for Catholic media outlets as the Register and Our Sunday Visitor. He is a graduate of the National Journalism Center and earned a B.A. in Philosophy at Christendom College, where he co-founded the student newspaper, The Rambler, and served as its editor. He comes originally from the Finger Lakes region of New York State.
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