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Energy production: what's the UK's fuel mix?
Energy production: what's the UK's fuel mix?
Where is UK energy production based?
Where does electricity come from?
How much of the UK's energy comes from renewables?
What does energy production mean?
Can the UK run on renewable energy?
Which renewable energy is best for the UK?
Energy production in the UK comes from a wide variety of sources. Some of these sources, like coal and natural gas, will eventually run out. Others, like solar, wind and hydro energy could potentially last forever. Energy production in the UK is regulated through the National Grid before being delivered to homes across the country.
Last update: November 2020
🏠 COVID-19
A reliable, constant supply of energy is incredibly important for the UK economy and for the comfort and convenience of people across the country. Being able to turn on a light at the flick of a switch, recharge a phone or power a computer whenever you want is an important part of modern life. Understanding where this energy comes from will help you to really appreciate the gas and electricity that power your home.
Here, we take an in depth look at energy production in the UK and find out exactly where our energy comes from.
UK energy production isn't centralised. Instead, power stations and energy generating infrastructure is scattered across the country. This is done in order to supply all regions with a reliable source of energy and to make the National Grid resistant to natural and manmade disasters.
Gas production in the UK
The majority of the energy we use in the UK is derived from gas. Gas is used to heat millions of homes across the country and a large proportion of households use the fuel for cooking. Around 80% of the UK's homes are connected to mains gas.
Currently, we produce around 43% of the gas we consume ourselves. This gas comes from reserves in the North Sea and the Irish Sea. Another 44% of the gas we use comes to the UK via pipelines from Europe, with the majority of this gas originating in Norway and Russia. The remaining 13% comes from Liquefied Natural Gas tankers that ship gas to the UK from various countries around the world.
Over the years, the amount of gas we've imported has varied considerably. In 2013, almost half our gas came from sources outside the UK whereas in 2008, we were able to produce around three-quarters of our supply ourselves.
Percentage of gas imported to the UK from 2008 – 2018
2008 – 26%
Nuclear energy production in the UK
At the moment, there are 15 nuclear power facilities operating in the UK. Nuclear power stations can be found in Scotland, Cornwall, Kent, Suffolk, Wales, Yorkshire and Lancashire. Together, these produce around a fifth of the country's energy.
By 2030, all but one of the UK's existing nuclear facilities are scheduled for closure. However, a new nuclear power station is currently under construction in Somerset and a number of new plants are planned for the coming years.
Coal energy production in the UK
The number of coal-fired power stations in the UK has shrunk dramatically over the past few decades as the country's reliance on the fuel has dwindled. Currently, there are just four active coal-fired power stations in the UK. Two of these are located in Nottinghamshire and the other two are in North Yorkshire and County Antrim.
All of the coal-fired power stations in the UK are scheduled for closure by the end of 2024. These closures are part of government plans to make UK energy production more environmentally friendly and reduce carbon emissions.
Renewable energy production in the UK
Offshore wind – The UK is a world leader when it comes to offshore wind farms, with more capacity than any other country in the world. Offshore wind already powers around 4.5 million UK homes and generates 10% of our electricity. There are four wind farms in the Thames Estuary alone. Other offshore wind farms are located on Dogger Bank in the North Sea, off the coast of Hull and around 13.5km off the coast of Caithness in Scotland.
Onshore wind – Onshore wind farms are the most cost-effective choice for producing new electricity in the UK. It's cheaper than gas, nuclear, coal and other renewables, making it an excellent option for sustainable and affordable energy generation. Already, onshore wind farms are responsible for 9% of UK energy production and power 7.25 million homes a year. Onshore wind farms are dotted around the country. Two of the largest onshore wind farms are located in South Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire.
Solar Power – Despite the notoriously fickle British weather, the UK still generates a large proportion of its energy from solar panels. In 2017, solar accounted for 3.4% of Britain's total electricity generation. This was up from 3.1% in 2016. Most large scale solar energy production takes place on solar farms. There are around 500 solar farms in the UK, the largest solar farm is a 250-acre site in North Wales.
Biomass – Biomass is a major source of renewable energy in the UK. Biomass refers to organic materials that can come from animals, humans or plants. This mass is burned or processed to release energy that's then turned into electricity. Biomass plants are located across the country and are now responsible for around 11% of UK energy production.
Free, expert advice in just 10 minutes.
UK electricity production comes from four main sources: gas, coal, nuclear and renewables. In 2019, the percentage of each type of fuel in the national grid stood at
Gas – 40.9%
Coal – 2.1%
Nuclear – 17.4%
Renewables – 36.9%
For a long time, the majority of the UK's energy came from coal. However, as burning coal releases high levels of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, it's very bad for the environment. The production of coal is also less cost-efficient than other forms of energy production.
As a result, we've gradually been reducing our reliance on the fuel. Today, coal makes up just 2.1% of our energy production, that's a huge drop from 2011 when 30% of UK energy was derived from coal.
The majority of our energy currently comes from gas. This gas is drawn from the North Sea, the Irish Sea and European gas pipelines. As gas is a finite resource, reserves are slowly dwindling and eventually, they'll run out all together. As well as being turned into electricity, gas is piped directly into UK homes to provide fuel for cooking and heating.
Almost a fifth of UK energy production is derived from nuclear power. Although nuclear power can seem a little scary, it's actually a very safe form of energy production and nuclear power plants have been operating safely in the UK for years.
Unlike coal and gas, nuclear isn't a fossil fuel. Nuclear power plants actually have a very low impact on the environment as they produce no greenhouse gasses and isolate their waste. Nuclear power is also more efficient than other types of UK energy production, with less area required to produce the same amount of energy as other sources.
The fastest-growing source of energy in the UK is renewable. Generated from non-exhaustible resources like the sun, wind and organic waste, renewable energy is the most sustainable, and environmentally friendly, way to power our homes.
Every year, the percentage of renewable energy produced in the UK grows. Both government initiatives and private companies are investing in renewable installations and grants are available for those generating and developing renewable energy.
How much of the UK's energy comes from renewables?
Every year, the proportion of green energy in the National Grid increases. In 2011, just 4% of total UK energy production came from renewable sources. By 2017, that figure had risen to 29% and in 2018, it hit 33%.
In 2019, renewables generated an incredible 36.9% of UK energy, the highest figure on record. When the amount of renewable energy produced in the UK is added to the amount of nuclear power generated, the total is 54.2%. As nuclear, like renewable energy, doesn't produce greenhouse gases, the UK is now getting more than half of its energy from low-emission sources.
There are four main types of renewable energy sources in the UK. Currently, wind power produces the most energy, with solar and biomass also major sources or green electricity. Hydro power only accounts for a small percentage of the UK's renewable energy production. Most hydro energy plants are in Wales and Scotland where dammed rivers provide the majority of the capacity.
Currently, the mix of renewables in the National Grid roughly breaks down like this:
Solar farms 27.1%
Biomass plants 20.8%
Hydro plants 2.9%
Renewable energy is an incredibly important part of UK energy production. The Government has committed to bringing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.
In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming. Already, major improvements have been made to the country's renewable energy infrastructure and further expansion is planned for the coming years.
While this is good news overall, it's important to remember that the percentage of renewable energy in the National Grid is always changing. Unlike other sources of fuel, renewable energy is heavily influenced by the weather and other environmental factors. This means that levels of solar, wind and hydropower can vary considerably according to levels of sun, wind and rainfall.
Energy production refers to the manufacture of gas and electricity. Homes, businesses and organisations across the UK rely on this gas and electricity for everything from cooking and heating to communication and entertainment.
Energy is produced in a number of ways. A large proportion of energy is still produced in large power plants. These are powered by either gas, coal, biomass or nuclear energy. The energy created by these power plants is fed into the national grid and then transferred to homes across the UK.
Energy production can also refer to renewable energy infrastructure. On and offshore wind farms, solar farms and hydropower generators look very different from traditional power plants. Often spread over large distances and located in rural, or semi-rural locations, they're an ever-growing contributor to UK energy production.
Eventually, all fossil fuel deposits will be exhausted and the world will have to rely on alternative energy sources. The most environmentally friendly way to power the UK is renewable energy. These green sources of gas and electricity won't run out and don't deplete the Earth's natural resources. This makes them an excellent option for sustainable energy production.
At the moment, renewable energy can't meet all of the UK's gas and electricity requirements. However, we're producing more renewable energy every year and it's possible that, one day, renewable energy will account for all power produced in the UK.
The Government's commitment to reduce the UK's greenhouse emissions to zero has resulted in increased funding and incentives for businesses investing in renewable energy. This in turn, has helped to drive the production of sustainable electricity in the UK.
Recently, the UK achieved a major milestone on the journey to renewable energy self-sufficiency. On 16th June 2020, we came to the end of a 67-day coal-free streak. The experiment represented the first time the UK had gone without coal for two months since the industrial revolution, 138 years ago.
This coal-free period shows that it is possible to remove the fossil fuel from the grid. In future years, it's likely we'll see longer and more sustained periods of coal-free power. To balance out the removal of coal from UK energy production, we're likely to see the percentage of renewable energy in the grid dramatically increase in the coming decades.
All renewable energy production benefits the UK environment and helps reduce carbon emissions. At the moment, wind power is the most dominant renewable energy source in the UK, accounting for almost half our total green energy production. Wind farms are well suited to the UK as they can be placed in the shallow waters off the coast or in rural or semi-rural locations. Wind farms are also good for the UK as they're relatively affordable to build. This can help to bring down the overall cost of renewable energy and make green power even more sustainable.
Solar power is also a good option for UK energy production. Over the last few years, there has been considerable investment in solar power. In fact, the UK is now the world's sixth largest producer of the energy behind China, Japan, Germany, the USA and Italy.
Biomass is less well-known than other forms of renewable energy. It's a good option for UK energy production as it can use up excess food and agricultural waste. This allows us to make use of organic matter that would otherwise be thrown away.
♂ What is the energy mix of the UK?
The energy mix of the UK changes every year. In 2019 it was approximately 40.9% gas, 2.1% coal, 17.4% nuclear and 36.9% renewable.
 Is the UK energy self-sufficient?
The UK used to be fairly self-sufficient in terms of energy production. However, the depletion of gas and oil reserves in the North Sea and Irish Sea has meant we've started relying more on imports. In 2017, net imports made up 36% of UK energy needs.
Is renewable energy cheaper?
Renewable energy isn't currently cheaper than energy produced by fossil fuels. As renewable energy infrastructure becomes more developed, the cost of renewable fuel is likely to fall, making it more affordable for the consumer.
⚡ What is the average UK energy consumption?
The average household in the UK consumes around 3700 kWh of energy per year.
To read more about this topic, check out these guides:
Average energy consumption
UK energy
Updated on 24 Nov, 2020


The San Marcos City Council has awarded a $1,014,676.65 change order to the contract of Texas Sterling Construction of Houston, TX for the construction of Phase I of the McCarty Lane Paving and Drainage Improvements project.
The project began July 17 and will be completed by September 15, 2008. During construction the road will be closed to through traffic from the IH 35 intersection extending 180 feet eastward.
The construction will provide needed improvements to the roadway adjacent to the San Marcos Conference Center and Embassy Suites Hotel, which is slated to be completed in October.
For more information about the McCarty Lane project, contact Sabas Avila, PE, Interim Director of the City's Engineering Department, at 393-8130.
To see a map of where E. McCarty Lane is located, click here.


Your plan is: write a fictional book based on you and him getting involved in a romance, get it published, give it to him, run away, and never go there again? Great plan! :-p Way to make Dashing Bartender think that you're insane.
On openness: I'm very much with you there, Dolly: if there is no openness, there is no point. Actually, I tend to find openness to be very attractive, and there is no greater detractor than a lack of openness.
I kind of like Dolly's voice. And to my amazement, I understand nearly everything.
I'm not hearing or reading anything that makes me think "Dolly 2.0". Is there going to be any of that?
It's nice to hear your voice, I think it gives me a much better idea of who you are. You sound unsure of yourself to a point where it's endearing and kind of cute.
My only comment is that writing him a story is a lot like that scene in Napoleon Dynamite where Napoleon draws a portrait of the girl he wants to ask to the dance. Think about that.
Good luck and I wish you the courage to continue.
Ok so now we've got voice. Great. Since I'm male and more visual, I'm still gonna need some pictures Dolly.
Very interesting discussion. Dolly sounds like the happiest depressed person I have ever heard...have to disagree w/shambles: I don't think she sounds unsure of herself at all.
You're spot on the money there pal!
Please take the time to visit my blog at www.puatraining.com to learn how to seduce women.
You must be in a better mood...I enjoyed the drunk text messages!!!
You mean the one message I sent saying I was at the bar that you frequent? You spend so much time there, I was just surprised not to run into you. I hope you didn't read anything into it.


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Skirting the issue in Milan
Men took centre stage in the fashion world this week as the Milan's Moda Uomo fashion week launched with a string of high-profile collections for the spring-summer 2006.
German designer Jil Sander opened the show on Sunday and was quickly followed up by somewhat racier creations from Vivienne Westwood that included a sleek range of wraps and skirts for the guys.
Gianni Versace and Dolce & Gabbana each showed off some skimpy swimwear amid more formal gear while Burberry Prorsum veered away from its classic check in favour of a new set of patterns for business and casual wear.
A total of 118 collections are expected to run over the five days of the show representing around 46 different brands and 72 presentations.
Newcomers to the show include Daks, Gas, Harmont & Blaine and Bruno Bordese-Clone and top designer, Giorgio Armani will officially close the show on Thursday.
Over 7,000 people are expected to converge on Milan during the week as fashion industy personnel, journalists and photographers travel from 21 different countries.
Dozens of industry dinners, parties and meetings will fill the evenings, including the launch on Tuesday of the Young Fashion Entrepreneurs Prize, devised by organisers to tempt new talent into the industry.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home/Headline/Passengers Stranded As Warri-Itakpe Train Derails
Passengers Stranded As Warri-Itakpe Train Derails
Only a few days after several passengers were kidnapped from a railway station in Igueben, Edo State, it is thought that the same train on the Warri-Itakpe line derailed, leaving many of the passengers stranded.
Sources on board the train claim that the event took place in the Kogi Forest and that many of the passengers got off the train out of fear of being held hostage.
According to reports, the train that departed Warri early on Sunday afternoon derailed at around 12:20 in the dense woodland between Ajaokuta and Itakpe.
Prince Douye Koroye, a former chairman of the Bayelsa Vigilante Agency, who was in VIP, claimed that it might have been a case of supposed terrorists cutting the rail line, which may have led to the train derailing because it was moving quickly.
The source, who was formerly the Bayelsa State Government's special adviser on youth and community development, claimed that the train's head coach and four other coaches are irreparably destroyed.
He claimed that as they mobilized for assistance, the Nigeria Railway Corporation authorities instructed the stranded passengers to maintain their composure and recline aboard the train.
Koroye also mentioned how many passengers were still traveling as at the time of filing this report.
Roma Beat Spezia, Move Into Champions League Spot
By defeating Spezia 2-0 on Sunday, Roma took advantage of Juventus receiving a significant points deduction and moved into the Serie A Champions League spots temporarily.
After Sunday's games, Jose Mourinho's squad sits fourth in Italy's top division courtesy to goals from Stephan El Shaarawy and Tammy Abraham in either half and the Italian Football Federation's (FIGC) Friday decision to dock Juve 15 points.
Juve is still ranked third since their penalty hasn't yet been reflected in the league standings, but if Atalanta, which began the day tied with Roma, loses at the Allianz Stadium in Turin later in the day, Juve will conclude the day in the top four.
With 37 points, Roma is tied with Inter, who play Empoli on Monday, and is only one point behind second-placed AC Milan before the defending champions go to Rome on Tuesday to play Lazio, the other team that may pass Roma into the top four.
Despite the absence of Italy international Nicolo Zaniolo, who refused to be included to the matchday squad and was publically criticized by the club's general manager Tiago Pinto before to the game, the away team nevertheless managed to earn three points.
With more than a week left in the winter transfer window, Pinto remarked of Zaniolo that "personal interests have been put ahead of the collective benefit" and added that "it's not the first time this has happened."
Despite playing a crucial role in Roma's Conference League victory last season, Zaniolo wants out of the Eternal City following a disappointing season in which he has been eclipsed by Paulo Dybala as the team's undisputed star.
At the Stadio Picco, Dybala was again a crucial player for Roma, contributing to both goals and maintaining his successful relationship with Abraham.
Spezia were pleased to rough up Roma without star scorer M'Bala Nzola, but they were caught just before halftime when El Shaarawy switched passes with Dybala and completed a breakaway with a straightforward finish.
And three minutes after the interval, Salvatore Esposito sent the ball to Dybala, who in turn supplied Abraham, who expertly nutmegged Mattia Caldara and goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski.
Following their 1-1 draw against Monza earlier on Sunday, Spezia remain in 15th place with 18 points, one point above of Sassuolo who are now narrowly above the relegation zone.
Verona triumphed for the second game since Marco Zaffaroni took control during the World Cup break on Saturday to come to within five points of safety, pushing Sassuolo closer to the bottom three.
Sampdoria's chances of surviving were made more difficult by their point at the U-Power Stadium when they lost to Udinese 1-0 at home after Kingsley Ehizibue's goal with two minutes left.
Maintain Title Challenge, Saka Urges Arsenal
Summon National Security Council Meeting Now, Atiku Charges Buhari
Osun Election: Claims Of Over-Voting Unfounded – Adeleke
I've Survived Many Battles – Buhari


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Tag Archives: Mourinho
EPL GW9 Review; Contenders and Pretenders
As Spurs perform perfect parallel parking of the bus, inconsistency around them continues and a leading pack begins to develop.
You heard it here first… SkyBet are offering 25/1 on the Premier League season ending with Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea the Top 3 in any order. With current form, strength in depth, attacking flair and now a dependable solid backbone running through each side… how can you possibly conceive anyone breaking their grip on the title race?
Spurs are doing everything correctly in proving doubters wrong, proving themselves wrong, and possibly proving their fans wrong. Mourinho has always been recognised as a serial winner by 'any means necessary', something that many were sceptical he could achieve with this 'Spursy' group. However their performance in working harder, faster and more effective than Man City shows they're a serious threat to Liverpool's title defence. They can go one step further when they visit Stamford Bridge next weekend which is guaranteed to be the one to watch on Sunday at 430pm.
Chelsea are on fire. No side has kept as many clean sheets, no side has scored more. Chelsea are by no means the finished product, but the distance they have come so quickly, and with the electric potential all around their youthful squad, means if they can keep it together defensively long enough – per game – over the season… they will certainly be there or thereabouts. I reserve the same questions over Lampard for a successful season, however no-one below them looks like putting a run of games together sufficiently to settle in the Top 3. Selecting both Abraham and Werner, they added another assist and goal combo to see off a stubbornly boring Newcastle side this weekend.
It's not too early to get excited about a mouth watering, table topping, fiery London derby…
Finally Liverpool, who despite injuries racking up across their line-up, looked like a machine once more. The personnel almost becomes irrelevant when the system is in working order. Take Milner for example, not only comfortably slotting in at right back in the place of Alexander-Arnold, but he also added two assists to make up for the missing wingback. No Salah, no problem – then consider how good this 3 week rest must be for the elite striker – to return to the Liverpool side with the likelihood of them being top of the tree at the start of December. Matip and Fabinho at the back is reassuringly secure, they didn't have too much to do against a seriously disappointing Leicester side, but they did it well and consistently.
Who out of the rest of the pack could ultimately break this threesome up? City again looked poor, this is their worst start for over a decade, and they've scored only 10 goals from 8 games. Take the 'Man City' label aside, and they're on the kind of form that made us initially question whether Pep could do it in England. City will improve, but they have a long way to go to be consistent enough for a title challenge in my opinion and suddenly look good at 4/1 to miss out on the Top 4.
Leicester, Aston Villa, Everton, Southampton, Wolves, Man Utd, Arsenal… do me a favour. Leicester were the most disappointing outfit of the weekend. They have suffered a few defensive injuries this term, but it was their inability to find forward players, move the ball, and one dimensional football that concerns me about them competing at the top. Villa – do not trust them – that is all. Everton improved, will continue to improve, but are too reliant on key individuals that when they do not perform, the team does not perform, and they concede too many goals currently not seeing games out. The rest are all capable of beating anyone on their day, but when push comes to shove, probably do not have enough killer instinct.
So I re-iterate… 25/1 for Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea to finish Top 3 in any order.
Wow. Now all that's been said… let's get to the real meat of the weekend.
Tipped Treble:
A quick shout out to my Tipped Treble portion of the Feudball Preview Show. Another successful showing means that if you have followed my Trebles this season for £10 stakes, you would be up… £8.40!!
Taking Aston Villa Trebles out of the equation (I have backed their games 4 times and lost every time) you would be up… £48.40!!
More importantly here at Feudball in the last 3 weeks we have predicted 3 out of 4 winning tips, so well worth keeping an eye on in the lead up to Christmas.
Match of the Weekend: Fulham vs Everton
If for no other reason… Fulham's Penalty nightmare is reason enough to be invested in their live matches! It's now 3 misses from 3 games by 3 different players, and what could be more comical than missing a last minute penalty for a draw? It's obviously falling over whilst taking said penalty and kicking it twice resulting in a free-kick. It's no laughing matter at the Cottage, theoretically that goal would have earned another point.
What they did bring was open spaces, as predicted in the Over Goals market, and it's expected that will continue for both sides. Fulham do not look full of goals and yet… they've now equalled Arsenal and Wolves – doubling Sheff Utd and Burnley. Could this momentum infront of goal salvage enough points? Nah…
Everton returned to winning ways, but their drop off in the 2nd half will have raised major concerns. Ancelotti will get consistency in this team, built from organisation and structure, but this weekend with a change of shape they allowed Fulham to get back in the game. The real treat about all of this was it being shown live on the BBC meaning more people than ever were tuned in and it didn't disappoint the neutrals.
Man of the Weekend: Jose Mourinho
🗣 Journalist: "Man City had the ball for 90 mins, more than 80%"
🗣 Mourinho: "They can take the ball home, I take the 3 points."
HE IS BACK! 😂 pic.twitter.com/a9fJhZRoy7
— Football Tweet (@Football__Tweet) November 23, 2020
Jose deserves all the attention and plaudits for the result against City this weekend, but he was equally right to point that credit to his full squad of players who put the graft in to achieve the performance. Everyone knows how Jose works in specialist games like this, that the whole event is broken down into opportunities for success and failure and he knows that comes down to the individuals to win individual battles. What is more impressive is how he has built this collection of players into more than just a team, but a military unit, that fights for one another, fights for the badge, fights for the win. He now has another – arguably more difficult – proposition next weekend, not that he would be drawn on it until the Thursday night fixture has been completed in their pursuit of all 4 trophies available?!
Result of the Weekend: Sheff Utd 0 West Ham 1
Here's why Sheff Utd are in the shit. They no longer have any confidence to string passes together, to get shots on goal, nor to prevent the opposition the space to create their own chances. Then there's not enough time between games to shake that lack of confidence. As predicted before, this is not a situation Chris Wilder has ever been in with Sheff Utd and will lead to further pain.
Losing at home to West Ham is another disappointment and another loss to a bottom half side that will re-enforce their imposter syndrome that they actually do not belong in the Premier League. The worst possible thing to happen to Sheff Utd has been lockdown, as they're by far the worst team on record playing without fans.
One thing they definitely should not do, is remove Chris Wilder from his job. They should look to get away on a clean break, to reset. If that fails, just accept the inevitable and make the necessary actions to return to the Premier League at the earliest opportunity.
In Form: Che Adams
Fair play to Adams, who endured a torrid time settling into Premier League life with Southampton. It took him 20+ Premier League appearances before he was able to find the back of the net, and had been so out of form that occasionally Shane Long was picked ahead of him. Fortunately, that one goal – a lob over Ederson in a Southampton win over City last season – has been a catalyst (within 90 second video below).
He started this season very brightly working alongside Danny Ings, still in the England forward's shadow, but finding ways to contribute. Now it appears his redemption is complete. Saints fans would have been devastated by the loss of Ings to injury but in the games without him, Adams has 2 assists and one goal in Southampton's 2 wins and a draw. If he continues this run of form when Ings returns, Southampton will have a goal scoring front 2, which can cause problems against any defence. In the meantime he can continue to work with Theo Walcott who scored his first Saints goal since joining on loan.
Out of Form: Arsenal – again.
It's over 6 hours since Arsenal scored a League goal in open play. To word this differently… Arsenal have failed to score from open play in all but 4 of their League games, breaching only the Fulham, West Ham and Sheff Utd goal line with match points return. Those victories seemed to be evidence of the positive changes Arteta was making at The Emirates. Fast forward past underwhelming football boredom against Liverpool, Man City, Leicester, Man Utd, Aston Villa and Leeds and you have a side struggling.
Whilst those sides are arguably the better of the Premier League, Arsenal head into the North London Derby in a fortnight with only a tough Wolves match to prepare – in which they will almost certainly draw a blank again. They say form is temporary, class is permanent. Is there any class there? Remember this is a side that has been full of class in utilising furlough, letting staff go, keeping Ozil on but refusing to play him, in-house arguing about their football mascot… Arsenal fans could find out too late that the class has gone too. The hope in their favour is in having met most of the big sides and turning round wins against the bottom half of the table.
By Stephen Lee • Tagged Adams, Arsenal, Fulham, Mourinho, Sheff Utd, Tips
Death of the Gentleman at White Hart Lane
Erik Lamela theatrics direct from Jose's need for Spurs to be 'Intelligent Cunts'
Amazon's All or Nothing documentary series has brought us incredible insight into both Manchester City's record 2017/18 season, and this summer they opened the doors to Tottenham Hotspur's chaotic 2019/20 – and what a show. If you have seen neither I strongly recommend them.
One of the major takeaways from White Hart Lane last season was the introduction of Jose Mourinho, replacing a dishevelled Pochettino in an ambitious move by Daniel Levy to bring success to the club. Jose has an undeniable record of winning trophies – the exact jigsaw puzzle missing from a Spursy team unable to get over the line in the domestic league, domestic cups, and very notably the Champions League final.
His arrival was divisive. Spurs fans were definitely split on his appointment. On one hand, Tottenham had not attracted a world class Manager (and very few players) in their living history. It was a landmark announcement, a Manager with proven pedigree and trophy success (lest not forget Poch has never won a trophy) and a sign of the huge growth Tottenham have made on the world stage.
However, Jose is a problem Manager. Arguably he had lost his way from the young 'Special One' that arrived at Chelsea to set them on their journey to stardom. Sacked from Real Madrid having failed to win the Champions League and some rather distasteful scenes including a brawl with the Barcelona bench. Sacked from Chelsea following poor form and distasteful comments about the Physio team. Sacked from Man Utd following poor form and distasteful comments about players – particularly Luke Shaw.
However you looked at it, it was controversial, it was dramatic, and it was going to be different. Spurs needed to be different. The All or Nothing documentary showed an early briefing where Mourinho explained to the team that they were too nice, and that on the field – for 90 minutes – they could not be nice. They needed to be cunts. Later in the series, during half-time of the Manchester City league match at White Hart Lane, he re-iterated the point to be 'intelligent cunts', in the below video:
If Jose has been brought in to drive Tottenham forward from their completely justified 'Spursy' tag to become winners – this is what Daniel Levy has bought into. Jose has a way. He knows how to bully, and expects that from his players on the pitch. Players like Didier Drogba and Diego Costa knew how to be 'intelligent cunts'. John Terry knew how to bully. Jose is attempting to manufacture that winning mentality into his Spurs side and, this weekend we saw it come to fruition with perfect execution. Step forward Erik Lamela.
Firsly, Lamela pushes his arm into Martial's neck. Then receiving a light strike from Martial, he feigns injury and goes down – incensing all of the United players, and invoking a red card from the referee (at this stage I would like to question why the referee does not consult the technology before issuing the red card but that is a VAR debate for another day).
Love him or hate him – this is Jose Mourinho, and this is how he wins. It's not pretty, it's not desirable, but it is effective. He demands that his players are suspicious and opportunists, to ensure they do not let the opposition gain any advantage – and to maximise all possible advantages for yourself.
Understandably the incident and Jose's presence in the Spurs dugout is still somewhat divisive, as this post clearly shows:
No-one openly admits to wanting to win dirty, least of all Spurs fans that have prided themselves on playing a certain "nice" way. However, above all we do enjoy winning. Man Utd fans will talk of all the glory from Eric Cantona but reluctantly gloss over and avoid all of the dirt that be brought with him – the same could be said for Mark Hughes, Roy Keane etc. 'Shithousery' is often forgotten from the record books. Lamela's actions will not be discussed again when the memory of this result appears in our timelines.
In the heat of the moment, this ability – to be an 'intelligent cunt' – is a key part of the modern game, but arguably high level sport as long as it has existed. Dennis Wise was a master of pulling the hairs on legs following a slide tackle. Vinny Jones may have been less subtle, but his brand of football brought an advantage over the opposition. Winners need to be that little bit more intelligent to take advantage of opportunities that can lead to 3 points or a knockout win.
I don't condone play acting, I don't condone violence, and I certainly do not condone Lamela's actions – I want to watch the beautiful game, 11 versus 11, exquisite passing and long range screamers. But if you want to win, and hire a serial winner with the reputation that Jose has, do not be alarmed by these tactics – and do not believe they are held to just characters like Jose Mourinho. The game is full of this wide ranging 'shithousery', it just depends where you're willing to draw your line in the sand – or which team you support at the time.
By Stephen Lee • Tagged Lamela, Mourinho, Spurs


text:
Erie County Female Athlete of the Week: Kristin Miller, Fairview swimming
Feb 24, 2010 at 12:01 AM Feb 24, 2010 at 1:27 AM
Fairview swimmer Kristin Miller will attend Penn State University this fall. After debating a possible walk-on attempt with the Nittany Lions, the senior said she'll likely settle for the school's club team.
"I know I'll miss it a lot," Miller said of top-level competition.
Miller also knows whatever laps she has left with the Tigers will be special ones. It's why she plans to go all out at next week's District 10 Class AA meet.
Saturday's Fairview Pentathlon Swimming Invitational represented Miller's final regular-season action. She won four events for the Tigers, who routed Villa Maria Academy 113-44.
Miller swam relay legs for Fairview's winning entries in the 200-yard medley (1 minute, 56.10 seconds) and 400 freestyle (3:52.82). She also won the meet's 200 individual medley (2:20.97) and 100 butterfly (1:02.94).
"I'm definitely swimming in the 100 fly and the (200) IM," Miller said of her district plans. "I'm hoping to drop some times from last year's meet."


text:
package org.sparkcommerce.common.util;

import java.lang.reflect.InvocationHandler;
import java.lang.reflect.Method;
import java.lang.reflect.Proxy;

/**
 * Invocation handler for unit testing byte-weaved classes. Use this InvocationHandler and utility method when Spring is unavailable
 * to complete byte-weaving.
 *
 * @author Joel Dasari
 */
public class InvocationHandlerForUnitTestingByteWeavedClasses implements InvocationHandler {

    /**
     * This utility method will return a Proxy of a chosen type that response to an array of chose Interfaces and uses a
     * InvocationHandlerForUnitTestingByteWeavedClasses that is backed by an array of chosen Objects.
     *
     * @param proxyType
     * @param interfaces
     * @param objectsForByteWeaving
     * @return
     */
    public static <T> T createProxy(Class<T> proxyType, Class<?>[] interfaces, Object[] objectsForByteWeaving) {
        InvocationHandler handler = new InvocationHandlerForUnitTestingByteWeavedClasses(objectsForByteWeaving);
        return (T) Proxy.newProxyInstance(handler.getClass().getClassLoader(), interfaces, handler);
    }

    protected Object[] objectsForByteWeaving;

    public InvocationHandlerForUnitTestingByteWeavedClasses(Object[] objectsForByteWeaving) {
        this.objectsForByteWeaving = objectsForByteWeaving;
    }

    /**
     * Will invoke a chosen method against an array of Objects that are meant to be byte-weaved together.  Invoke will return when
     * the first object is found that can be successfully used with the chosen method.  If no objects are found to work with
     * the chosen method, null will be returned.
     */
    @Override
    public Object invoke(Object proxy, Method method, Object[] args) throws Throwable {

        for (Object object : objectsForByteWeaving) {
            try {
                return method.invoke(object, args);
            } catch (IllegalArgumentException exception) {
                continue;
            }
        }

        return null;
    }

    /**
     * Returns an array of Objects that are meant to be byte-weaved.
     *
     * @return
     */
    public Object[] getObjectsForByteWeaving() {
        return objectsForByteWeaving;
    }

    /**
     * Sets an array of Objects that are meant to be byte-weaved.
     *
     * @param objects
     */
    public void setObjectsForByteWeaving(Object[] objects) {
        this.objectsForByteWeaving = objects;
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Priority Region: St. Mary's River and the Straits of Mackinac
Protecting the region's wetland habitat for birds like the American Bittern and Black Tern.
American Bittern. Photo: Diane Taylor/Audubon Photography Awards
Protecting Birds in the St. Mary's River and the Straits of Mackinac Region
Spanning the Upper and Lower Peninsula of Michigan, this important region includes the intersection of Lake Superior, the St. Marys River and the Straits of Mackinac. Its large coastal wetlands provide critical wildlife habitat and serve as important breeding areas for waterfowl and marsh birds like the Black Tern and American Bittern. The region's coastal islands provide important nesting grounds for waterbirds like the Common Tern.
Like states across the Great Lakes region, Michigan has lost many of its historic wetlands. Audubon Great Lakes is working with partners across the region to restore and protect the region's wetlands for the benefit of vulnerable marsh birds and local communities.
Working in the Areas Where Birds Need Us Most
Audubon scientists used spatial prioritization to identify the wetlands that are most important to conserve or restore for vulnerable marsh birds.
The St. Mary's River and the Straits of Mackinac region has been identified by Audubon scientists as one of the 12 most important coastal wetlands regions across the Great Lakes that are most important to conserve or restore for vulnerable marsh birds. Audubon Great Lakes is working with partners in each of these priority regions to coordinate landscape-scale bird monitoring and habitat restoration.
Explore Audubon's Vision: Restoring the Great Lakes for Birds and People to see Audubon's plans to address the biggest threats facing birds and people.
Our Restoration Work
Black Terns have an uncertain future in the Great Lakes region. Audubon Great Lakes is working to ensure our Great Lakes coastal areas play an important role in safeguarding critical breeding grounds for these elegant and distinctive terns. As part of a larger statewide breeding Black Tern survey effort, more than 15 historic Black Tern breeding sites are being monitored in the region in partnership with the Sault Saint Marie Tribe of the Chippewa Indians, Lake Superior State University, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Three Shores Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area.
Audubon Great Lakes is partnering with Loyola University Chicago to recruit and train volunteer community scientists to monitor for secretive marsh birds to better understand how marsh birds are responding to wetlands enhancements. Loyola University is also leading on-the-ground hybrid cattail control in an effort to improve and enhance biodiversity and habitat complexity.
Future conservation work will focus on minimizing flooding and woody encroachment, planting native species, protecting and enhancing marsh bird nesting, and controlling invasive plants. Audubon Great Lakes will also work to strengthen and increase partnerships in an effort to co-develop a conservation design plan for the region. Robust monitoring of the region's birds, which informs adaptive management, will be critical to sustaining bird populations and healthy ecosystems.
History of the Region
An important water passage, the Straits of Mackinac served as an important trade and shipping route for Native Americans, as well as early European settlers. Today, the region draws visitors from around the world to admire its unique natural landscape.
Mackinac Straits to St. Martin's Bay is recognized as an Audubon Important Bird Area (IBA) for the habitat it provides for migrating Redheads (up to 7,000 each year!) and other diving ducks each fall. The unique geography of the Straits also acts as a funnel for concentrating migrating raptors, which tend to avoid flying over large expanses of open water. Every spring, hundreds of Golden Eagles cross the Straits on their annual migration to their northern breeding grounds.
While the region has seen less coastal development than other parts of the Great Lakes, threats still remain including pollution, and non-native invasive plants and aquatic species.
The St. Mary's River is an EPA Area of Concern (AOC) due to the discharge of pollutants from industries, and local municipalities, which contaminated the river's sediment. AOC Federal, state and local groups are working to clean and restore the AOC with a focus on removing Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs).
Audubon Great Lakes is grateful to project partners and supporters who make our work possible.
Project Partners:
Central Michigan University Lake Superior State University
Laughing Whitefish Audubon Society Loyola University Chicago
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Petoskey Regional Audubon
Sault Sainte Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Three Shores Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Supporters:
Audubon's work in the St. Mary's River and Mackinac Straits region is supported by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Explore Audubon's Vision for the Great Lakes
Securing a bright future for the birds and people of the Great Lakes region has never been more important. Explore our cohesive strategy to protect birds and poeple across our region.
Our Projects in the St. Mary's River and the Straits of Mackinac Region
Black Tern Conservation
Saving one of the Great Lakes' most iconic species
MI Birds aims to deepen Michiganders engagement in the understanding, care, and stewardship of public lands that are important for birds and local communities.
Stay Up-To-Date: The Latest on Our Work in the St. Mary's River and the Straits of Mackinac Region


A Workstation Synthesizer keyboard is an instrument that assumes the roles of many of the units that would normally be found in an electronic writing setup.
The workstation synthesizer acts as a control keyboard with an internal synthesis and sampling engine (usually with the ability to record sample too). In addition the user can record sequence information on the unit, before mixing and arranging.
All of these functions make these units useful in many situations. They can be used as a complete writing rig, as part of a larger studio setup, or as a very versatile stage piano. At Store DJ we understand Workstation Synthesizers. We stock a range of great models, and can show you through their many features. Visit us to find out more.


text:
Freedom is the element of love
Finn Janning May 5, 2020 November 26, 2020 Meditationer
Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher and the so-called "father of existentialism" was born today, May 5 in 1813. To celebrate, I drink a bottle of champagne and share this essay which, recently, was published in the Wild Roof Journal.
A man in his late fifties enters a tattoo shop in Barcelona. He shows up unannounced with his new girlfriend. They are both a little bit drunk.
"Can you write her name on my arm?" he asks the young female tattoo artist who was busy tattooing me.
Before waiting for an answer, he rolls up the sleeves of his grayish sweatshirt. "Here," he says, pointing to a vacant spot of bare skin close to his wrist. I notice that his arm already carries four other female names. Three of them are crossed out.
"I need you to cross out the last one and add her name," he says, as he points to his partner. Her.
The tattooist looks at the man's arm, looks at the lady, and says, "Lucky you!"
Is she being ironic?
She observes, "Before he didn't have room for you; now he does."
Love and Freedom Are Bound Together
This episode makes me think of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, who once wrote in a letter to his fiancée, Regine Olsen, "Freedom is the element of love." This statement encapsulates the two most important features of a life worth living: freedom and love.
You're free to do almost whatever you want as long as you're willing to take all the consequences. It goes without saying that you're never free to violate or harm anyone, deliberately, which also has nothing to do with love. Love is edifying, as Kierkegaard writes wrote in Works of Love (1847).
For Kierkegaard, love is the metaphysical foundation of life; it is what is. Yet, combined with freedom, love can take many forms: friendships, parents, lovers, etc.
Regardless of one's gender or sexual orientation, what is important when it comes to love is there; it exists. We are all free to experience the possibilities of love, but doing so in our own way. Looking at Kierkegaard through the recollection of this episode, I believe it illustrates—or at least encourages me to reflect on—something more general about society than whether a few people like ink or not.
For example, many people in today's achievement-oriented society who suffer from insecurity, anxiety, stress, or burnout do so because they feel alone. They basically lack the experience of real and honest contact with other people. Often even with themselves, as when Wittgenstein defines a philosophical problem with being lost.
Isn't showing a new acquaintance, a potential lover, that your arm already carries the names of four other women a way of showing honesty? A way of trying to facilitate real contact? Create a space where love can flourish, despite it all?
If I am right, then there was nothing sad about it for him or her. Quite the contrary, being unconnected with other lives leads to sadness. Unfortunately, many people live behind what resembles a firewall that falsely protects our vulnerability or fear of losing face while, at the same time, prevents us from connecting with other people. It's like a veil between the world, you, and me.
Are we being too polite to be honest?
Many, would probably feel embarrassed if they had to cross out a name on their arm, especially if they hadn't learned from their first, second, and third mistakes, but just kept on adding name after name. Still, they would only be embarrassed because they would look at themselves through the ideals or norms of others, especially those people with whom they might hope to be identified. This, I believe, illustrates how the existential and political tend to become indistinguishable. For instance, in today's identity-political sphere, many tend to criticize or oppose other people, thoughts, or forms of life, not because of critical thinking but due to prejudices. Knowing how easy it is to fall outside in a society where people tend to shoot before they ask, or even think (if they think at all), firewalls eventually emerge.
Freedom, therefore, also becomes a question of power. As Byung-Chul Han has shown in What Is Philosophy? (2019), "Violence and freedom are the two end points on the scale of power." Although there is a tendency among philosophers to leave power to political scientists and organizational theorists, power addresses existential questions.
For instance, whether those subjected to power follow their own desire while doing so, or whether they follow the desire of the powerful as if it were their own, or whether they even anticipate the desire of the other. Thus, regardless of how trite this may sound, I believe that many people lack the courage and creativity to live the life they want (again, I am thinking of any kind of life that doesn't deliberately harm anyone). If we are afraid of losing our good standing among people who don't actually tolerate any diversion from their own ideals, we are not free, and therefore—following Kierkegaard—not capable of loving. The kind of firewall that I refer to is mainly constituted by powerful norms and ideals of our current achievement-focused society that constantly forces us to live in a particular way.
For example, many young people today feel a pressure to attain an unrealistic body image, often only achieved through plastic surgery or synthetic enhancement. Or how we may feel forced to develop certain competences or express warranted opinions (typically only those that already fit into or enhance our "human capital"). The result of this capitalization of life is that we drain ourselves emotionally, mentally, and physically. We not only fail to live up to all the ideals but also to forgive ourselves for not being able to do so. We have lost our direction in life playing the power-game of others.
To Become Free
Returning to the opening episode, we must understand that instead of one true love, some people might experience several. Similarly, instead of claiming that there only exists one right way of living a life worth living, there are several. If Western philosophy teaches us anything, it is that we are always placed in the middle, trying to do our best, exploring and testing life. That is testing our freedom and desires, like asking whether our desire to do this or that really is our desire, or whether we're just being seduced, forced, or manipulated.
According to Kierkegaard in his letter, love and freedom cannot be separated. Feeling loved and being capable of love make a person free. A simple example could be how most people feel free when they are together with their loved ones. Together with friends, we can turn off our protective firewall.
The French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau opens The Social Contract (1762) with the claim: "Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains." Despite the power of this sentence I don't believe we are born free; on the contrary, as a father of three, I have noticed that we are all born helpless and impotent. Still, to some extent, I agree with Rousseau. Instead of cultivating a capacity for critical thinking and compassion in our children, most future citizens are institutionalized in a way that chains them mentally. For the same reason, I agree with Rousseau when he goes on to say: "Those who think themselves masters of others are instead greater slaves than they." They, the masters, maintain a self-constraining system, yet they do so because they seduce themselves into believing that the systematic status and prestige they have reflects how good they are at living a life worth living. But it doesn't.
To become free in an existential sense requires more than stripes on the shoulder, a high salary, or being born in a privileged part of the world. It requires first of all an acknowledgement and respect towards the world we are born into, its norms and ideals, but also an empathic yet critical capacity to question these norms and ideals, the structure behind them, perhaps even to change them. In my book A Philosophy of Mindfulness (2018), I defined freedom as a combination of having the courage to stand against all that which limits, controls, or even destroys our lives, combined with the imagination to create space for alternative lives. It's a mixture of resistance and inventiveness. Or, to put it even more simply, a mixture of saying both "no" and "yes." The reason why I don't believe that we are born free is related to the fact that in order to know what is important, we will have to have tested, explored, or experimented with life. With age, most people know when to say "no"; however, they only know so because they become conscious of what to affirm or say "yes" to.
Love All People as Equals
Reflecting on the couple entering the tattoo parlor, I propose that we might see them as a couple that, despite their setbacks, imagines a world where love is still possible. They still know what is important, what to affirm: love.
Another way of confirming that freedom and love are the main ingredients of a life worth living could be by postulating that egocentrism is the exact opposite of freedom. I say so because I only believe we can become free together. Saying this, I am aware that some may suggest that the man entering the tattoo parlor is being egocentric in the act of getting a tattoo of each woman's name. However, such an assumption would require that we see the tattoo as a symbol of more than it is, for example, a kind of ownership or possession which is a part of our habitual capitalist mindset. On the other hand, the tattoo might be nothing more than a faithful confirmation of the strength of love. Of course, the tattoo—-especially in this situation with so many names—-can make us think of the person as naive, romantic, or too spontaneous, and yet, it is also an affirmation that emphasizes what connects those names on his arm: love.
Love is everywhere the same, although it always expresses itself differently.
Kierkegaard illustrated this strength in Works of Love (1847), where he elaborated on the biblical sentence "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," stressing that "thy neighbor" does not refer to your people, nation, gender or sexual orientation, but all people. We should love all people as equals.
Now this is something that very few of us are capable of, but even more sadly, loving everyone as equals (not equally) is something that many of us don't even strive to accomplish. Capitalism has made us lazy in a comfortable way, either by avoiding any kind critical scrutinization of our own pre-existing biases, or by assuming that all problems can be overcome through consumption. On the contrary, love teaches us to become worthy of what happens. It's hard work but nothing is more enriching and liberating.
Kierkegaard, in my opinion, doesn't present us with an abstract ideal of love; rather, he confronts our confusion and limitations, which can be extremely powerful in a time where many are so self-conscious of their own way of thinking (often anchored solely in their race, gender or sexuality) that they become resistant to alternative perspectives.
Perhaps this more humble approach to life could lead to a more caring educational mission: How can we teach people today what makes them capable of loving all people tomorrow?
Love is all inclusive
This reflection of love, freedom, and tattoos has become more political than intended. However, and perhaps I am being too romantic or naive as well, I do believe that love belongs in a political context as well. The power of love transforms not only our lives but also societies by overturning the cultures of domination and repression because they have nothing to do with love. For example, when we are dominated or dominate someone, we are never free. Violence and coercion are lifeless. In other words, those who misuse power (not those in power per se) do so because they are not free. A parent hitting his or her child might claim that he or she did so "out of love", although it is just an act of violence.
Love is all inclusive. Or as Kierkegaard said, we should love everyone as equals, not favoring our own gender or religion. Our human history is full of violence, discrimination and killing of women for being women, killing and discriminations of different races, religions or thoughts solely for being different. Human history is one where far too many only like the stranger as long as he or she thinks exactly like them. Thus, there are many reasons to be angry, and anger often comes with a clearer vision, just as there is a lot of needed fuel in it, and yet in order to build or construct a better future, only love can do the work. Love cares for everyone and everything. It was there before we were born, and it will be here once we are gone. Love is what links each name together, not just the one on the man's arm, but all names in human history.
Love is not hierarchical, nor does it moralize. The tattooist illustrated this. She didn't moralize as if she represented a higher and more lucrative position of unquestionable "good". Instead she was open, not just because they were potential paying customers, but due to her capacity to empathize with them.
The couple in the tattoo parlor shared a belief in love. Not in the sense that life is without difficulties and suffering. It is; but rather that it's love that helps us overcome these setbacks, never revenge or hate.
Love, therefore, is not an abstract ideal but something we all experience and notice if we pay attention. It is like pointing out what all football fans share regardless of their favorite team, which is a love of the game; what all languages share, which is the ability to communicate, make connections, and dialogue; what all people share regardless of national origin, which is that they live on this planet; or what all of us share regardless of gender, race, and sexual preference, which is that we need sunlight to live and that we all breathe the same air.
If we can love all people as equals, then we would also be capable of seeing why all people should be treated with the same respect, trust, care, and justice. There is no love without mutual respect and equality. However, and this is why I have been using this little episode about the man and women as my point of departure; if I cannot encounter two drunk people in a tattoo parlor without feeling better than them, pitying them or any other kind of sad behavior that would illustrate my embedded prejudices, how should I then make myself available for those who live lives far more different.
Is love bulletproof then? Without answering directly, I would claim that the mistakes we make in love can be crossed out. We can go on living because they initially emerged from a free, honest, and nondiscriminating relationship to and with life. It's an honest mistake. The man in the tattoo parlor doesn't hide his previous relationships. On the contrary, he brings (or she brings him) to make another affirmation of love. It is like an ethical confirmation; despite all the discrimination, greed, and violence in today's world, we must "go on" affirming what matters. Daily.
You know when you're in love. Or to put it differently: if you're doubting, you're not in love.
The last thing I heard the tattooist ask the man as I left the store was, "Are you sure?"
"Do I look like I am doubting?"
It was her saying those last words.
Byung-Chul Han, existentialism, Kierkegaard, love, love all people as equals, mindfulness, politics of love, Power, racism, sexism, Works of Love
Previous Meditation – i svære tider
Next Armstrong – a convenient scandal?
Published by Finn Janning
PhD, a writer and a philosopher.	View all posts by Finn Janning


Do you want to make a difference in the development of your home country? University of Nottingham is proud to be working with The Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust to offer full tuition fee scholarships in conjunction with Developing Solutions Scholarship Scheme.
Successful candidates for this scholarship will be chosen from successful Developing Solutions applicants.
Celebrating over 10 years of the Developing Solutions scholarship scheme, the University of Nottingham UK offers Masters scholarships for a global future for students from Africa, India and commonwealth countries listed below to study for masters degree at the university.
Priority is given to candidates who have not previously studied outside of their home country. Students currently studying in the UK are not eligible to apply.
Application for admission to study at Nottingham should be received at least six weeks before the scholarship closing date to allow time for our Admissions office to process the application and confirm your offer, before you can apply for the scholarship. Any application for admission to study submitted later than six weeks before the scholarship closing date is not guaranteed to be processed in time.


The band toured extensively throughout Africa and Europe in the 70s (working with the giant of Sierra Leone music Akie Deen in the process). Towards the end of the 70s the band departed Sierra Leone, Sulay and his wife moving to Maryland in the US and other members moving to London.
Gondwana Orchestra, The - Colors EP Feat. Dwight Trible 12"
Double Barrel (Muro & Southpaw Chop) - M.H. Express / Border Line 7"
Azymuth - Ta Nessa Ainda Bicho Zed Bias & Maddslinky Remixes 12"


The U.S. Consulate General Public Affairs Section in Hyderabad, India accepts grant proposals from non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and other legally-recognized non-profit institutions in India to develop and implement educational and cultural programs. The Proposals must focus on one of the themes and aim to promote the identification of constructive solutions to global challenges; and other projects to strengthen cooperation and peaceful relations between India and its regional neighbors.
A Grant minimum of $1000 and maximum of $3000 will be awarded and the proposed budget period is 1 year.
> Promote stronger U.S.-India bilateral relations, with an emphasis on business and people to people ties.
> Encourage responsible Indian regional and global roles.
* Indian organizations registered as not-for-profit, non-governmental, and other legally-recognized non-profit institutions are eligible to apply.
* Applicants must be affiliated to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) of the Government of India.
* Before applying, Applicants must acquire all required registrations in the India.
* Applicant must meet the intellectual property considerations and rights in India.
* Applications must be submitted by an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) of the applicant organization.
* Proposals must focus on one of the specified priorities/themes of the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to India.
* Proposals can include, but are not limited to, projects, seminars, conferences, workshops, cultural (art, music, or theater) programs, exhibitions and outreach campaigns.
* Grants must not be used for religious organizations or partisan political activity; individual trips abroad (i.e., out of India); for-profit trade activities; fundraising campaigns; commercial projects; scientific research; projects whose primary aim is the institutional development of the organization; ongoing operational expenses; infrastructure; or representational expenses (lunch, alcoholic beverages, etc.).


AFB1GD2X and AFB1GD1X diplexers are designed for use on L1/L2 GPS receivers. When placed in-line between the receiver and antenna, the diplexer provides greater than 25 dB of attenuation below the L1 GPS band and above the L2 GPS band. These diplexers are an effective way to reduce interference from other communication devices that may be interfering with your signal.
These diplexers are compact, yet rugged filter designed to IP67 for good environmental sealing. If the standard diplexers do not meet your exact specification, contact us for a custom solution.


A player that is new to TAC II asked me if I had a document that lists all the vehicles with detailed short descriptions of them like what was in TACFORCE, Book 2 (see attached image). I do not have anything like that but I think it would something nice to have for newer players or players that are not familiar with all the latest modern vehicles and their capabilities.
So, what I was thinking is that if any of you have a little time on your hands and want write up some short vehicle descriptions, about one paragraph long, and then send them to me, I'll start putting together a document that includes all of them. This document will be something that continues to grow over time so there is no need to worry about doing all the vehicles at one time.
So, if you'd like to help with this, please go to the Vehicle Data Card page and pick a few vehicles that you'd like to write up. Not too many, this should be a chore. You can pick more later. Look at the page I've scanned from the original TACFORCE manual to get an idea of what a short description should look like. Most of the info you need can be found on Wikipedia, but avoid simply cutting and pasting from the site, try to use your own words a bit to make it more personal.
When you get a few done, email your document to me at allen@gcmini.com and I'll start compiling the master document.
Leave a reply on this post below telling others which ones you'll be doing so that they do not double up on the ones you have picked.


text:
A Very Short Biography of Sir Thomas Wyatt
The interesting life of the Renaissance poet
Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-42) was one of the most accomplished English poets of the Renaissance. Writing over half a century before Shakespeare, Wyatt helped to popularise Italian verse forms, most notably the sonnet, in Tudor England. In this post we offer a very brief introduction to Sir Thomas Wyatt's life, paying particular attention to the most interesting aspects of his career.
Born at Allingham Castle in Kent, England in 1503, Wyatt first joined the court of King Henry VIII as 'Sewer Extraordinary' – this, disappointingly, had nothing to do with lavatories and was instead the title for a servant who waited at table. Wyatt was only a teenager when he gained this position at court. His life at court would be a chequered one. In 1534 he was imprisoned for brawling and, it has been alleged, for sexual misconduct; he would be locked up again two years later.
He had several brushes with death. The old curse, 'May you live in interesting times', seems to have been particularly true of Sir Thomas Wyatt. He was among a group of ambassadors who travelled to Rome to petition Pope Clement VII to annul the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, and during the trip, Wyatt may have been captured by the armies of Emperor Charles V who had seized Rome and imprisoned the Pope. Wyatt managed to escape and returned to England, bringing detailed knowledge of new poetic forms – chiefly, the sonnet – back with him to the English court. Then, after Anne Boleyn's fall from grace in 1536, Wyatt was imprisoned in the Tower of London but was spared the chopping block. Sir Thomas Wyatt's life seems to exemplify that old phrase, 'never a dull moment'.
Wyatt wrote some of the first sonnets in the English language. Thanks to his travels in Italy, Sir Thomas Wyatt picked up knowledge of all sorts of new poetic forms and styles, including the sonnet, ottava rima and terza rima, and the rondeau, which he experimented with in his poetry, putting a peculiarly 'English' stamp on them. In doing so, Wyatt was helping to forge a living language for English poetry, using the iambic pentameter verse line which William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe would later bring to the English stage. Along with his contemporary Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, Sir Thomas Wyatt was the most important English poet of the mid-sixteenth century.
One of Wyatt's greatest talents – and as a poet he had many – was in taking Italian literary forms, and even whole poems, and loosely reworking or translating these for an English courtly audience. His poem 'Whoso List to Hunt' is a prime example, a sonnet modelled on one of Petrarch's and carrying the same sentiment; yet Wyatt manages to combine his literary borrowing with personal allegorical reference to Anne Boleyn, with whom he may have been romantically involved before she became Henry's queen. At least, so a hundred biographical readings of the poem suggest: we cannot know for sure.
Wyatt was tall and handsome – and may even have been romantically involved with Anne Boleyn. Standing at over six feet tall and dashing and handsome to boot, Wyatt married Elizabeth Brooke in 1520, and in 1521 they had a son, also named Thomas Wyatt, who would later lead a rebellion against 'Bloody Mary', Mary I, in 1554, over Mary's marriage to King Philip II of Spain. When Wyatt's poems were published for the first time, alongside the Earl of Surrey's, in an anthology compiled by Richard Tottel (known as Tottel's Miscellany, 1557), his name was left off the title-page; because of his son's treasonous rebellion, the name 'Thomas Wyatt' was a dirty word.
Wyatt later separated from his wife, supposedly because she was unfaithful to him; Wyatt and Boleyn may have been lovers before she came to the court of King Henry VIII (whom she would marry in 1533). From the window of his prison cell in the Tower of London, Wyatt watched the execution of Anne Boleyn in 1536, writing a poem that contains the haunting refrain 'Circa regna tonat' ('It thunders through the realm') about the events that led up to Anne's downfall. Six years later, Wyatt himself died, though of natural causes. His estranged wife was reportedly in the running to become King Henry VIII's sixth wife, following the downfall of Catherine Howard in 1542.
Robert E. Lee was a descendant of the Wyatt family. Thomas Wyatt's sister Margaret was the mother of Henry Lee of Ditchley, from whom descend the Lees of Virginia, including Robert E. Lee. But Sir Thomas Wyatt's real legacy was his contribution to English poetry, and, whether we choose to read his poems biographically or not, his influence is undeniable.
We hope you found this short biography of Sir Thomas Wyatt useful; if you'd like to discover more about his life, we recommend this site.
Image: Portrait of Sir Thomas Wyatt by Hans Holbein, published by J. Chamberlain in 1812, Wikimedia Commons.
Tags: Anne Boleyn, Biography, English Literature, Literature, Poetry, Renaissance, Sir Thomas Wyatt, Tudor History, Very Short Biography
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cazdawnie
How timely! I just finished studying him in my Renaissance course. Thank you for this!
Our pleasure – thanks for reading! :)
Great post – I adore Sir Thomas – what an incredible man!
Bobby Fairfield
Reblogged this on Writing hints and competitions and commented:
Perhaps a film in the vein of, "A man for all seasons," should be made featuring this Thomas' life. A very interesting character to whom a debt of gratitude is owed for his introduction of so many poetic forms.
Great idea, Bobby! who would play him though?
gemstarsblog
Informative! thank you for sharing this info about Sir Thomas Wyatt :)


text:
Head in the Clouds is a 2004 Canadian-British war drama film written and directed by John Duigan. The original screenplay focuses on the choices young lovers must make as they find themselves surrounded by increasing political unrest in late-1930s Europe. The film was a critical and box office failure.

Plot
In a prologue set in Paris in the year 1924, a young 14-year-old Gilda Bessé, the daughter of a French aristocrat and an emotionally unstable American mother, is reluctantly told by a fortune teller that the life line on her palm doesn't extend past the age of 34. Fast forward to a rainy night in 1933, when Gilda stumbles into the room of Guy Malyon, an Irishman who is a first-year scholarship student at Cambridge University. She has had a lover's quarrel with one of the dons, and rather than turn her out into the storm, Guy gallantly allows her to spend the night. Later, they become lovers, but the two are separated when Gilda's mother dies and she opts to leave England. A few years later, Guy sees her as an extra in a Hollywood film, and shortly after he coincidentally receives a letter from her inviting him to visit her in Paris, where she is working as a photographer.

Guy discovers that Gilda is living with the Spanish-born nursing student/model Mia and has a lover, whom she quickly discards when Guy moves in. The trio are enjoying their unusual living arrangement, but world events are beginning to affect their existence. It is the height of the Spanish Civil War, and idealistic Guy, a long-time supporter of the army of the Second Spanish Republic, is determined to do what he can to help them as Francisco Franco's nationalists gain strength. Mia, too, is anxious to come to the aid of her native land. Gilda, however, has no interest in politics or anything else that might disrupt her life of luxury, and pleads with the two to ignore the conflict, but they feel compelled to act and depart for Spain.

By January 1938, Guy becomes a soldier, while Mia becomes a nurse and tends to the wounded. They cross paths one night and, before sleeping with Guy, Mia confesses she was Gilda's lover. In the morning, her ambulance is destroyed by a land mine resulting in Mia's death as well as the ambulance driver. A few months later in July 1938, Guy returns to Paris, where he is ignored by Gilda, who feels his abandonment of her was a form of betrayal.

Six years later, Guy is working as a spy with the underground in occupied Paris under the auspices of British intelligence. He learns that Gilda has taken Nazi Major Franz Bietrich as a lover and visits her in their old apartment, where the two make love. The following morning she tells him their affair is over and the two can never see each other again. D-Day is approaching, and Guy throws himself into his work. One day he arrives at a café to meet a contact, but instead is approached by Gilda, who has overheard her German lover plotting a trap and has come to help him escape in cleric's clothing she has concealed in the restaurant's washroom. That night, he and his associates destroy a rail station, but only Guy manages to elude the German soldiers.

Guy returns to London, where he discovers Gilda joined the Resistance a few years earlier. With the occupation of Paris having come to an end, he realizes that the locals, who had long regarded Gilda as a Nazi sympathizer and traitor, will seek revenge. As he returns to Paris to find her, Guy is unaware that Bietrich has been killed in Gilda's apartment and that she has been taken captive by a mob intent on avenging the deaths of their loved ones. She is finally killed, off-camera, by a local youth to avenge the death of his sister. The movie ends with Guy in Gilda's ransacked apartment reading the last letter written by her to him.

Cast
Charlize Theron as Gilda Bessé
Jolyane Langlois as  14 Year old Gilda
Penélope Cruz as Mia
Stuart Townsend as Guy Malyon
Thomas Kretschmann as Sturmbannführer (Major) Franz Bietrich
Steven Berkoff as Charles Bessé
David La Haye as Lucien
Karine Vanasse as Lisette
Gabriel Hogan as Julian Elsworth
John Jorgensen as Django Reinhardt
Christine Solomon as Parisian Woman #2

Production
The film was shot in London, Cambridge, Montreal, and Paris.

The soundtrack included "Parlez-moi d'amour" by Jean Lenoir, "Blue Drag" by Josef Myrow, "Minor Swing" by Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, "Big Jim Blues" by Harry Lawson and Mary Lou Williams, "La rumba d'amour" by Simon Rodriguez, "Vous qui passez sans me voir" by Charles Trenet and Jean Sablon, "My Girl's Pussy" by Harry Roy and performed by John Duigan and "La litanie à la vierge" by Francis Poulenc.

The film featured John Jorgenson as Django Reinhardt; Jorgenson was discovered by the film's music coordinator and consultant, Scottpatrick Sellitto. His reproduction of Django's playing was applauded throughout the world by many critics and the media. This led to the formation of the John Jorgenson Quintet. The score was by Terry Frewer and won best score award in the 2005 Genie Awards.

The film opened on ten screens in the United States and earned $46,133 its opening weekend. It grossed a total of $398,278 in the US and Canada and $3,112,327 in other markets for a total worldwide box office of $3,510,605.

Critical reception

Head in the Clouds received negative reviews. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 16% based on 91 reviews, with an average rating of 4.3/10. The website's critical consensus says "Head in the Clouds aspires to soapy melodrama, but gets lost in its own lather, never mining romance from its central love affair or achieving authenticity in its period setting." In his review in The New York Times, Stephen Holden said, "The strength of [Charlize Theron's] go-for-broke performance only underlines the weaknesses of the film . . . [which] plays like an entertaining compilation of Hollywood's favorite World War II clichés" and added, "Could it be that Hollywood's six decades of replaying the Good War has left us with nobility fatigue? At least Head in the Clouds is not the debacle of Charlotte Gray and other epic-manqués. But if World War II is to continue to mean anything anymore, it has to be reimagined as a real event, not a deluxe, romantically spiced-up newsreel."

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said the film "is silly and the plot is preposterous, but it labors under no delusions otherwise. It wants to be a hard-panting melodrama, with spies and sex and love and death, and there are times when a movie like this is exactly what you feel like indulging."

In the San Francisco Chronicle, Walter Addiego called it "a glossy, stiff melodrama . . . a mixture of Casablanca and Cabaret, or possibly Hemingway and Henry Miller, and finally, it doesn't work, in part because the erotic content seems self-conscious and force-fit. In fact, if not for the presence of Charlize Theron, it's hard to imagine this film would have attracted anywhere near the kind of attention it's gotten . . . she's not at all bad, but her role as a young American heiress and libertine feels recycled from scores of other movies."

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone awarded it one out of a possible four stars and described it as "a World War II melodrama of epic silliness and supreme vapidity . . . This spark-free film has no place to go on [the cast's] resumes except under the heading of Cringing Embarrassment."

Awards and nominations
Genie Award for Best Achievement in Cinematography (Paul Sarossy, winner)
Genie Award for Best Achievement in Costume Design (Mario Davignon, winner)
Genie Award for Best Achievement in Music - Original Score (Terry Frewer, winner)
Genie Award for Best Achievement in Editing (Dominique Fortin, winner)
Genie Award for Best Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design (Jonathan Lee and Gilles Aird, nominees)
Genie Award for Best Achievement in Overall Sound (Pierre Blain, Michel Descombes, Gavin Fernandes, and Marcel Pothier, nominees)
Genie Award for Best Achievement in Sound Editing (Guy Pelletier, Marcel Pothier, Guy Francoeur, Antoine Morin, and Natalie Fleurant, nominees)
Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature (Sarossy, winner)
Jutra Award for Best Costume Design (Davignon, nominee)
Milan International Film Festival Award for Best Film (winner)

References

External links
Official website

2004 films
2000s war drama films
2000s historical films
2004 LGBT-related films
British historical films
British romantic drama films
British war drama films
British LGBT-related films
Canadian romantic drama films
Canadian LGBT-related films
Canadian war drama films
English-language Canadian films
2000s English-language films
Bisexuality-related films
Films directed by John Duigan
Films set in 1924
Films set in 1933
Films set in 1938
Films set in the 1940s
Films set in Paris
Films set in London
Films set in Spain
LGBT-related drama films
Spanish Civil War films
British World War II films
Tango films
Cultural depictions of Django Reinhardt
2004 drama films
Sony Pictures Classics films
Canadian World War II films
2000s Canadian films
2000s British films
2000s Argentine films
Films set in the University of Cambridge

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
BAI Communications awarded 20-year concession to deliver high-speed mobile coverage across the London Underground
Modern multi-carrier infrastructure will allow mobile operators to immediately provide continuous 4G coverage to their customers across London Underground stations and tunnels and will be 5G ready.
The new network will be the most advanced and largest of its type in the world, helping to transform London's economy and society, and fast-track London's evolution as a smart city by helping to establish its smart communities.
BAI will establish a backbone of connectivity across London, connecting buildings and street assets via a new fibre network to deliver city-wide improvements.
SYDNEY, June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BAI Communications (BAI) has been awarded a 20-year concession by Transport for London (TfL) to deliver high-speed mobile connectivity across the capital in the most advanced and largest infrastructure project of its type in the world.
BAI Communications awarded 20-year concession by TfL to deliver 5G-ready high-speed mobile coverage across the London Underground enabling mobile operators to provide coverage with the most advanced and largest network of its type in the world.
BAI's partnership with TfL will establish a long-awaited backbone of connectivity with a city-wide integrated communications network delivering multi-carrier cellular, Wi-Fi, and fibre connectivity services. The 4G-enabled and 5G-ready communications network that BAI will build and operate as a neutral host for fixed and mobile operators will fast-track London's evolution as a smart city. BAI will also help to create a safer, smarter London by building and operating critical communications infrastructure that will support police, fire, and ambulance services.
The first phase of the project will see the rollout of modern multi-carrier infrastructure. This will allow fixed and mobile operators to immediately provide continuous 4G coverage to their customers across the London Underground stations and tunnels. The new wireless infrastructure will also be 5G ready. Work on the project will begin immediately, with all stations and tunnels due to have mobile coverage in four years.
Additionally, a new high-capacity fibre network running throughout the London Underground will enable fibre service providers to provide full fibre connectivity to premises across the city. The network will connect to buildings and street assets housing small cells to leverage the power of 5G and the IoT, and deliver improvements in areas like traffic congestion, public safety, and city planning.
Through this concession, BAI will help the transport authority support London's post-covid recovery as travel resumes, delivering seamless 5G ready connectivity that will enable people to move around the city more efficiently, safely, and securely. More specifically, this project will enable TfL to reduce overcrowding and manage station flow, while improving safety with real-time information and reliable 'from anywhere' communications.
BAI was awarded the concession after a competitive tender process. The company has proven experience deploying mission critical communications networks in highly dense urban environments, including the underground rail networks in New York, Toronto, and Hong Kong. This project supports BAI's strategic intent to sustainably accelerate growth globally. This is achieved through our work deploying outdoor neutral host infrastructure and developing 5G-driven offerings that introduce and scale connectivity solutions for emerging services and fresh revenue opportunities. Ultimately, our work supports our customers by delivering better connectivity and enhanced customer experiences. BAI's ambitious plans include expanding its wireless infrastructure business across the public transport sector and growing its private network services portfolio.
Billy D'Arcy, CEO of BAI Communications UK, said: "We are proud to be helping TfL and other customers develop connectivity solutions that have a positive impact on how citizens live and work and contribute towards smart city development.
"Our extensive credentials delivering large-scale connected infrastructure and networking solutions position us perfectly to support mobile operators to deliver technological innovation and capitalise on the fast-growing commercial appeal of 5G solutions and smart city applications. The networks we design and build keep people and communities connected and engaged, as will be the result of TfL's Connected London program and BAI's contribution to it."
BAI's Group CEO, Igor Leprince, added: "This critical infrastructure project awarded to BAI by TfL is an important win for our neutral host growth strategy. We are extremely proud to both work with TfL and enable the fixed and mobile operators to make London the best-connected city in the world. This project will benefit from our extensive experience and expertise in designing, building, and operating these networks in incredibly difficult environments and delivering 5G solutions and use cases that benefit businesses, citizens, and public services."
About BAI Communications
BAI Communications designs, builds, and operates cellular, Wi-Fi, broadcast, radio, and IP networks around the world. We are engineering experts and technology innovators with proven experience in delivering the next wave of connectivity solutions through long-term partnerships with broadcasters, transit operators, governments, and MNOs. As a leading communications infrastructure provider, BAI's neutral host solutions connect people, enrich communities and advance economies. Our global operations span Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and the US, where we have a majority stake in Transit Wireless.
We provide cellular coverage through shared networks and Wi-Fi for commuters in the major cities of New York, Toronto, and Hong Kong. Our connectivity solutions are also relied on by emergency services teams across the Australian state of New South Wales and public transit emergency services in New York and Toronto. We also own and operate one of the most extensive broadcast networks in the world, delivering 127 million broadcasting hours to 99% of the Australian population.


text:
Three white soldiers is a candlestick chart pattern in the financial markets. It unfolds across three trading sessions and represents a strong price reversal from a bear market to a bull market. The pattern consists of three long candlesticks that trend upward like a staircase; each should open above the previous day's open, ideally in the middle price range of that previous day. Each candlestick should also close progressively upward to establish a new near-term high.

The three white soldiers help to confirm that a bear market has ended and market sentiment has turned positive. In Candlestick Charting Explained, technical analyst Gregory L. Morris says "This type of price action is very bullish and should never be ignored."

This candlestick pattern has an opposite known as the Three Black Crows, which shares the same attributes in reverse.

See also
 Candlestick chart
 Technical analysis
 Market timing

Notes

References
 Candlestick Charting Explained by Gregory L. Morris. Published by McGraw-Hill.
 Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques by Steve Nison. Published by New York Institute of Finance.

External links

 Stock Charts - Glossary
 Investopedia - Dictionary

Candlestick patterns


text:
Socialists must fight for secularism
Submitted by Matthew on 13 March, 2013 - 9:25
On Saturday March 9th, an extraordinary incident threatened to mar UCL's reputation as a university with a proud tradition of secularism and free thinking.
At a debate between renowned physicist and atheist Professor Lawrence Krauss and Islamic lecturer Hamza Andreas Tzortzis, hosted by the "Islamic Education and Research Academy", women and men were made to sit apart in the audience. Before the debate began, women were asked to sit at the back of the audience, while men and "couples" sat in their own sections. An eyewitness account can be found here.
Despite being told that no gender segregation was to take place, as the debate began women were told that they had to sit away from any men unless they were in a "couple". Krauss threatened to leave the debate if the room was to continue to be segregated but the organisers managed to pacify him by relaxing the restrictions
This incident was immediately responded to by many groups including the UCL Islamic Society, who professed not to have been involved in the debate, as well as prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins (see here).
Dawkins' article was criticised by some as having an air of smugness and western superiority about it. Commentators discussed the fact that gender segregation was not necessarily an Islamic tradition but in fact a "cultural tradition" that was perhaps overzealously used for this debate.
Richard Dawkins is perhaps not the best spokesperson against sexism, as in 2011 he wrote a heavily criticised response to a woman who discussed the sexism that was apparent in some atheist activist organisations. His response was seen as highly patronising and an attempt to imply that because women in "Islamic countries" were treated very harshly, that anyone who thought that misogyny was an important problem in the West simply needed to grow some "thicker skin". In light of Dawkins' past comments, and of his overlooking of sexism within his own atheist ranks, one can't help but see this current response as a tad hypocritical.
However, outrage at Dawkins and mild annoyance at the idea of the first university in the UK to admit female students on the same basis as their male counterparts playing host to a quasi-segregated event is simply not a good enough reaction. Any attempt to forcibly divide an audience at a secular institution such as a university, or anywhere else for that matter, must be thoroughly denounced.
Though most Muslims see gender segregation as archaic and pointless (including many of those living in "Muslim" countries), the phenomenon still persists in many mosques and events even in Britain. This thoroughly backward practice cannot be accepted for fear of being thought intolerant and offensive to Muslims and socialists and secularists must condemn it, whether or not Richard Dawkins happens to agree with us.
UCL has now banned the Islamic Education and Research Academy from holding any more events at the university.
The tradition of marginalising religion from the public sphere is a proud one that socialists used to uphold. Let us continue to uphold it.
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Islamism UniversitiesSolidarity 278, 13 March 2013


text:
Possible Zika-carrying mosquito larvae found in NZ
Lucy Warhurst
Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae have been found in New Zealand for the first time.
The exotic mosquito larvae were found in a trap at Auckland Airport near the international baggage area.
They have been identified as Aedes aegypti, the mosquito known to carry the Zika virus, as well as Yellow Fever and Dengue Fever.
Adult and larval traps have been deployed around the international terminal building as part of an intensive surveillance programme and potential mosquito breeding sites have been identified.
Enhanced surveillance will be implemented for at least the next 30 days, covering three potential breeding cycles.
The exotic mosquito larvae were discovered on Thursday March 3, but no more have been found since.
It's the first time Aedes aegypti larvae have been found in traps in New Zealand, but adult mosquitoes have been intercepted at ports and airports 14 times since 2000.
In all cases a public health interception response was undertaken and the mosquito did not establish in New Zealand.