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Publications > Rebuttals
Iran Regime's Anti-MEK Smear, Parroted by NY Times, Debunked
Ali Safavi, NCRI, 24 February 2020 A short letter to the editor was sent to the New York Times the day after its February 16, 2020, biased and distorted report about life at Ashraf-3, home to thousands of members of the main Iranian opposition, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK). As the…
Rebuttal to NBC News Hit Piece Against MEK and Its Popular Support in Iran
Ali Safavi, NCRI, 20 October 2019 THE FOLLOWING IS A REBUTTAL TO AN ARTICLE BY THE NBC NEWS ON OCTOBER 17, 2019, REPLETE WITH BASELESS AND THREADBARE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE MUJAHEDIN-E KHALQ (PMOI/MEK) AND THE SUPPORT IT HAS ENJOYED OVER THE YEARS AMONG PROMINENT FORMER SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS. The article (NBC,…
Why the MEK Thrives in Iran
Shahin Gobadi, The Washington Post, 16 September 2019 Jason Rezaian, in his Sept. 10 Global Opinions column, "Bolton's departure will fundamentally alter Trump's Iran policy," asserted, "The shake-up creates the first real opportunity for Trump to pursue a policy of engaging Iran." His optimism, however, is misplaced and premature. The…
Newsweek Rehashes Anti-MEK Propaganda
By Ali Safavi, September 10, 2019 The following is a rebuttal to an article in Newsweek about Iranian opposition groups, in particular, the main Iranian opposition, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK or PMOI). As Newsweek is yet to publish it, we are posting it here. "Iran's Opposition Groups are Preparing for…
Rebuttal to Fabrications by Richard Engel of MSNBC about the Iranian Resistance
NCRI-US Staff, 26 May 2018 On May 25, 2018, MSNBC's "On Assignment" Program, narrated by Richard Engel, regurgitated a series of stale, unfounded, and repeatedly debunked allegations against the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which acts as Iran's Parliament in Exile….
Second Rebuttal to Daniel Benjamin's Article in Politico
Benjamin's repeats his defamatory MEK narrative Background As the President-elect's transition team began to vet potential candidates in November for top cabinet posts, several key figures sympathetic to a more firm policy on Iran were reported to be leading contenders. With growing speculation that the new administration will pursue a…
Response to McClatchy Newspapers
The article, "Accused in '70s of U.S. military slayings, Iran group has friends in Trump's circle," (McClatchy, DC, Nov. 17), a gross misrepresentation of indisputable historical facts, has rehashed a litany of stale and oft-repeated allegations, originally concocted by the Iranian regime, against the ruling theocracy's main opposition movement, the…
Rebuttal to Dan Benjamin's Allegations in Politico
Iran Regime Apologists Grasp at Straws Regarding the MEK Text of the letter to the Editor of the Politico by Soona Samsami, the U.S. Representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, on November 23, 2016 Dear Editor,Daniel Benjamin's 3,326-word tirade (Giuliani Took Money From a Group That Killed…
Response to McClatchy on MEK
Soona Samsami, 17 November 2016 The article, "Accused in '70s of U.S. military slayings, Iran group has friends in Trump's circle," (McClatchyDC, Nov. 17), a gross misrepresentation of indisputable historical facts, has rehashed a litany of stale and oft-repeated allegations, originally concocted by the Iranian regime, against the ruling theocracy's…


In the series finale, the Kappa Taus try to stop the demolition of their house. Meanwhile, Cappie and Casey come to a realization about their on-again, off-again romance; and Cappie and Evan determine whether their friendship is meant to last.
Beaver goes to class to find he got an F on his paper because it's plagiarized. He's needs to write a decent, original paper by the next morning or the F stays on his record. Casey talks with Katherine in hopes of forming a study group with her, but Katherine says she doesn't like study groups. Beaver meets Katherine, and is instantly smitten. Rusty and Dana are working on a science project together, and Ashleigh joins in to help make their slideshow more presentable. Dana requests to be called a co-inventor on the credits page, but when Rusty finds out, his anger ruins the presentation. The committee likes the invention, but pulls Rusty from the project and gives it to a professional team. Rebecca invites Cappie to the pledge party so she can make Evan jealous. Casey and Beaver team up in search of case summaries for Casey. Beaver accidentally invites Katherine along as they search for notes, much to Casey's dismay.
The students at CRU feel the ramifications of the Kappa Tau's "End of the World" Party. Rusty risks being dropped from the honors program if he cannot raise his grade in organic chemistry and Casey adjusts to single life.
Casey patrols non-alcohol party night during Dry Weekend on campus until she and Evan unknowingly eat some special brownies. Meanwhile, Grant's old high school girlfriend surprises him with a visit, and Rusty seeks academic help at a book signing.
Troubled by the recent discovery that Andy hooked up with Jordan, Rusty is hesitant to take Andy on as his little brother. Will Rusty be able to get past the budding relationship to become the big brother Cappie has been to him? When Cappie hears of Rusty's reluctance, he takes Rusty aside to remind him that he brought Andy as a pledge to the fraternity and it is his responsibility to be the best Big Brother that Rusty can be for him. Meanwhile, when Evan's real-life brother, Patrick, comes for a visit, their celebration at Dobler's is interrupted by Cappie and the three end up reminiscing about their old camp days. But later Patrick shocks and disappoints Evan by asking for money. Frustrated by his brother's actions, Evan takes it out on Frannie. When Casey and Rebecca believe that the thief responsible for stealing the ZBZ food supply is Fisher, they can't figure out why Ashleigh won't accept it. But when they dig a little further, Ashleigh reveals the delicious truth.
The students enjoy spring break on the beach. Cappie and Casey explore their new friendship at a time when Rebecca needs Cappie's attention. Evan looks to move on and escape his feelings and ends up with a familiar person. Rusty returns to school and on his way back he reunites with old friends.
With the annual Greek Ball on the horizon, Casey and Cappie recall a fateful development from their freshman year, and Casey is also reminded of a selfless act by Frannie that had a major impact on her life.
Kappa Tau faces academic probation when one of their pledges mysteriously receives straight F's, the KT's suspect Omega Chi and Dale are behind it. Rebecca uses the investigation as her post Evan break up coping mechanism and discovers that Omega Chi is actually playing a trick on Dale. Evan takes revenge on Casey for his break up with Rebecca by attempting to make her look less than capable in her Law school studies.
After she falls into a manhole risking her life, coupled with the Kappa Tau's throwing an "End of the World" party, Casey is sent into an emotional tailspin, questioning her relationship with Max and her lingering feelings for Cappie. Meanwhile, Ashleigh faces her own punishment with Pan Hellenic after a complaint is lodged by Frannie for the Homecoming Float sabotage. Ashleigh turns to Casey to help fight the charge, but when Casey gets caught up in her own personal drama, she leaves Ashleigh to face Frannie alone. And with Dale having trouble keeping his cougar girlfriend's sexual advances at bay and Calvin trying his best to resist hooking up with his new hot roommate, Grant. Dale convinces Calvin to go in on a "purity pledge" partnership so they can help each resist their most recent temptations.
The KTs race to return a stash of stolen campus goods, hoping not to get caught by security. Elsewhere, Casey sneaks Max into a faculty party so he can meet a visiting professor that needs an intern, and Ashleigh considers taking her relationship with Fisher public.
ZBZ becomes a finalist for the best chapter in the nation and Rebecca takes charge with an iron first, she even goes so far as to invite Frannie, now employed at CAA, to help them prepare. Casey worries Rebecca is turning into Frannie, who tries to rekindle a friendship with her.
Rusty and Ashleigh try hard to win the float competition, while Casey and Cappie try avoid each other as Homecoming Week heats up. Elsewhere, Evan gets word that he may lose his trust fund, and Ashleigh uncovers one of Fisher's secrets.
#17 - See You Next Time, Sisters!
One's a Greek. One's a geek. They both go to Cyprus-Rhodes University and they're related. Poised to become the most powerful girl in the Greek system, big sister Casey is everything an "it" girl should be. Beautiful… vivacious…funny and warm…except to her brother Rusty. He's the geek; or rather he used to be way back in high school-at least three months ago. Rusty may excel in the honors engineering program, but what he really wants is what the other guys have. Gals. Pals. A scream-your-lungs-out good time. And to pledge a fraternity. Casey is horrified and wants nothing to do with him. But when Rusty sees her boyfriend Evan making it with her rival Rebecca, her baby brother suddenly seems interesting after all. Oddly enough, she's not the only one interested in Rusty. Evan wants him for his fraternity while Casey's ex-boyfriend Cappie thinks he belongs at Kappa Tau. His Bible-toting roommate Dale thinks they're all crazy and is praying for Rusty's soul. But the heavens seem to be ignoring his pleas because Rusty seems destined to become a Greek, no matter how socially inept he is. Which leads one to ponder…how did someone who's been nicknamed "Spitter" come to be a pledge at all?
Hoping to sneak around Dean Bowman's probationary despotism, Casey tries to liven up the Zeta Betas by joining forces with Cappie and his Kappa Tau brothers to plan a Prohibition party with a Great Gatsby theme.
The Cyprus Rhodes students are preparing for the "Help Us Rebuild Our Castle Fairytale Ball" for the Gamma Psi's - some out of guilt - by picking out their best prince and princess attire.
Casey is ready to discuss the future with a resistant Cappie, and the situation isn't helped by handsome Washington politician Joel (Sam Page), who encourages Casey to envision a potential career in politics after she volunteers to help him with his voter registration campaign at the Cyprus Rhodes campus. Find out if Cappie is ready to grow up or if he will fall behind.
Casey's grand-big sister, Kiki , is back at Cyprus-Rhodes University for her wedding and all the ZBZ girls are invited. Amidst all the wedding frenzy, Max decides it's time to take his relationship with Casey to the next level and gets down on one knee. Meanwhile, with Andy out of town, Jordan ends up dragging Rusty around town to help pick up the flowers for Kiki's wedding. When the two discover that the order was never placed, they have to come up with a plan of action however, the plan backfires and puts both of them in the emergency room with identical allergic reactions. The unexpected common bond leads them to share a kiss. Rebecca, in the meantime, soon finds herself in new territory as she kisses Ashleigh's openly gay big sis, Robin, in one of the bachelorette party game sparking Rebecca's curiosity.
Casey and Cappie get a surprise visit from Cappie's parents, April and Tobias who proceed to invite the couple to join them on a camping trip. While at first reluctant, Casey decides to go, in hopes that they may be able to encourage Cappie to choose a major and graduate with her. But she quickly learns that his parents are free-loving hippies who think Cappie should just relax and continue to enjoy his college experience.
The season opens with Casey, Evan, & Ashleigh's graduation day. Casey and Cappie haven't spoken since Spring Break and are anticipating saying their final goodbyes to each other, which does not go as smoothly as expected. We then skip to the end of summer and Casey packing up to move to Washington DC for law school. Through some prompting from Evan, Casey learns that the reason she did not get into CRU law school was a result of a bad recommendation from Joel. After Casey confronts Sam, he reconsiders and has his letter rescinded. Casey is accepted into CRU law and decides to stay after all. Ashleigh has moved to New York for an internship that is not exactly what she was hoping for. Evan is attending CRU law school with Casey.


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Q: Replacing multiple strings that contain the pattern "No" Looking at (somewhat) hectic survey data, and I want to turn all variations of "No" into a single "no" using stringR and str_replace(). The challenge is that I have observations like "No, No, No" all the way up to 9x consecutive Nos.
Can str_replace() or another function scoop up all these variations at once? Or ought I be righting many str_replace commands?
Here's a reprex of the dataframe:
library(tidyverse)
library(stringr)
library(reprex)

dfr <- dput(global_filtered_numeric$x48_enforcement_participation [157:169])

dfr

[1] "No, No, No, No"
 [2] "No"
 [3] "yes"
 [4] "yes"
 [5] "No"
 [6] "No"
 [7] "No"
 [8] "yes"
 [9] "yes, Yes male, yes, yes, Yes male, Yes female, Yes female"
[10] "yes, yes"
[11] "yes, yes"
[12] "No"
[13] "No"

First post/Reprex - so I'll test out if the df actually shows up with dput!

A: There's no need to go outside of base R here:
vec <- c("No, No, No, No", "No", "yes", "yes", "No", "No", "No", "yes", "yes, Yes male, yes, yes, Yes male, Yes female, Yes female", "yes, yes", "yes, yes", "No", "No")
ifelse(nchar(gsub("[no, ]", "", vec, ignore.case = TRUE)), vec, "no")
#  [1] "no"                                                        "no"
#  [3] "yes"                                                       "yes"
#  [5] "no"                                                        "no"
#  [7] "no"                                                        "yes"
#  [9] "yes, Yes male, yes, yes, Yes male, Yes female, Yes female" "yes, yes"
# [11] "yes, yes"                                                  "no"
# [13] "no"

A: Using vec from r2evans, you can also use gsub as in:
> gsub("N[Oo].+", "No", vec)
 [1] "No"
 [2] "No"
 [3] "yes"
 [4] "yes"
 [5] "No"
 [6] "No"
 [7] "No"
 [8] "yes"
 [9] "yes, Yes male, yes, yes, Yes male, Yes female, Yes female"
[10] "yes, yes"
[11] "yes, yes"
[12] "No"
[13] "No"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The word from farmer Joe this week is that the distribution is going to be a bit of a mish mash with items likely to be different each distribution day. So rather than focus on specific vegetables this week, I thought I would focus on a technique–Stuffed Vegetables.
So many of the items we are receiving at the farm throughout the growing season lend themselves to being stuffed–long zucchini, summer squash, round zucchini, large patty pan squash, green and red peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and all manner of winter squash.
Potential stuffing ingredients are endless and can be meat based or vegetarian. The most common method for stuffing veggies is to first bake the veggie whole (or halved) until soft. Then about two-thirds of the cooked pulp is removed, leaving at least an 1/8th inch border to maintain structure once stuffed. The pulp is often chopped up or pureed and added to the stuffing ingredients.
Here are a couple of stuffed items I made this past week. The first was Mexican stuffed poblano peppers. Since poblano peppers originate from Mexico, it is natural to pair the stuffing with Mexican ingredients. I happened to buy some Jalapeño and Chipotle Sausage at the farm stand from Howling Flats farm and thought it would go perfect with the poblanos. If you can't find these sausages, substitute a fresh chorizo sausage.
You may not be able to pick enough poblanos to use up all the filling. Leftover filling is great served in cabbage leaves.
Preheat oven to 400℉. Place 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of a large glass pyrex dish or casserole dish. Spread oil evenly to coat bottom of dish.
Cut off tops of chile peppers. Using your finger carefully remove seeds and ribs from each pepper being careful not to tear open the pepper. Set aside.
Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with a spoon or spatula into small pieces as it cooks. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon fat from the pan and then add the onion, garlic, squash, jalapeño (if using) and corn. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and cook until juices have mostly cooked off. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Stir in scallions and cheese. Sprinkle mixture evenly with cornmeal, then stir cornmeal into mixture until completely incorporated.
Spoon mixture into pepper cavities, packing gently to fill to capacity. Set filled pepper on one side in prepared dish. Continue with rest of peppers. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and turn peppers gently, replacing any meat mixture that has fallen out. Cook for an addition 20-30 minutes or until pepper are soft. Remove from oven and serve.
My next stuffing adventure this week was to bake and stuff the adorable round zucchini I picked up last week. Since I also picked a bunch of the older basil, I had plenty of pesto on hand to flavor the stuffing.
I used both ground turkey and bulgur for this recipe, but you could easily use all bulgur if you are looking for a vegetarian option.
1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Place an 1/8 inch water in a large baking dish. Place cleaned, whole squash in dish. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until knife goes easily through squash. Remove from heat and uncover. Allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook meat with oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until cooked through. Add onion, pepper and eggplant. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pesto until well incorporated. Taste for salt level and add salt if needed. Allow mixture to cool while squash is baking.
3. Place a triple layer of paper towel over a large plate or platter. Remove squash from oven and uncover. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Carefully cut about 1/4 inch of top off each squash. Place a strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon, carefully remove pulp from each squash, leaving at least 1/8 inch thick border. Place pulp in strainer, tipping squash upside down over strainer a few times to remove all the water. Once flesh is scooped out, place squash upside down on prepared plate to allow water to drain. Continue with rest of the squash.
4. Drain squash pulp well and chop. Add pulp to meat filling and stir until well incorporated. Using a spoon, carefully fill each squash vessel with meat filling, patting it gently to fill to capacity but being careful not to split open the squash. Place prepared squash in well oiled baking dish.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350℉. Place dish of stuffed squash in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until warmed through.
1. Place broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, stir in rinsed quinoa and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Line a lined baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Place a steamer insert in a large pot filled with about 1″ water. Bring water to boil. Place pepper halves in steamer insert and steam, covered, until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from steamer and place cut side up on baking sheet while preparing filling. (Peppers can also be boiled, if you don't have a steamer insert).
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add cumin, chile powder, coriander, salt, and pepper, and stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have broken down and zucchini is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Mixture should not be watery and sauce should have thickened considerably. Add corn and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until corn no longer tastes starchy. Remove from heat and add cooked quinoa and chopped cilantro. Mix well.
4. Fill pepper halves with quinoa mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and quinoa mixture is hot.
The following recipe is my favorite way to stuff zucchini. As the cherry tomatoes ripen, this recipe is a great way to use up both zucchini and cherry tomatoes.
1. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray (or brush with oil). Preheat oven to 400℉.
2. Using a spoon, scoop out seeds from zucchini halves, leaving about a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide mixture among each zucchini half and spread each portion evenly in down the center hollow. Place tomato halves in a tight single layer across each zucchini half until they are covered completely with tomato.
4. Bake for about 45 minutes or until tomatoes begin to shrink and zucchini is tender. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.


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Idle global containership fleet surges to 1.24 million TEU, says Alphaliner
GLOBAL TRADES
THE global fleet of idle containerships has swelled to a five-year high of 306 ships with a total capacity of 1.24 million TEU as of November 16, representing 6.3 per cent of the world's fleet, according to data from Alphaliner.
The average size of idled ships has reached a new peak of 4,050 TEU as a growing number of vessels above 7,500 TEU are without work.
The majority of these ships have been idled as a result of void sailing programmes and service withdrawals implemented by carrier alliances on the Asia-Europe route since September and are expected to be out of action for between two and five months, reported IHS Media.
"With Asia-Europe demand expected to remain weak, while the trans-Pacific routes enter their traditional slack period, the number of idle ships is expected to increase in the coming weeks," Alphaliner concluded.
New container design aimed at eliminating the need to ship empty boxes
Compulsory box weigh-in compliance costs infuriate shippers, retailers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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BriefingApple
Apple Calls on Bloomberg to Retract Story That Claimed China Snuck Spy Chips on Apple Servers
Glenn Fleishman
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Bloomberg Businessweek should retract an investigative article it published Oct. 4 that claimed servers bought by Apple, Amazon, and over two dozen other unidentified companies contained spy circuitry installed by China.
In an interview with Buzzfeed News, Cook said: "There is no truth in their story about Apple. They need to do that right thing and retract it." Cook, who said he was involved in discussions with Bloomberg reporters from the beginning, stated that the news organization never presented Apple with specific details, and believes the story relied on "vague secondhand accounts." Apple previously denied it had contacted or been contacted by the FBI or other government agencies, also claimed in the story.
Apple didn't immediately reply to Fortune's request for comment.
Buzzfeed noted that Apple has never previously asked publicly for an article's retraction, even when the company has denied its accuracy. A search of newspaper archives appears to confirm that. The radio program This American Life chose to retract a 2012 episode about Apple's major Chinese manufacturing partner, Foxconn, after it says it discovered the story's primary contributor had invented details and changed facts.
Bloomberg's investigation said that the Chinese government had infiltrated the supply chain for Super Micro, a major manufacturer of motherboards used in servers. Motherboards contain the primary processor, memory, and other circuitry for a computer to operate.
Through secret design changes in the factory, the Chinese military was able to insert a small custom chip it had designed into motherboards for the video-compression server maker Elemental, which relied on Super Micro for manufacturing. These circuits could subvert the operating system and communicate over the Internet to control servers operated by China to siphon information of any kind, including sensitive data—such as private encryption keys—transmitted within a server, and launch attacks from a privileged position inside the corporate and government networks on which Elemental servers were installed.
The blockbuster account has roiled information security experts as well as journalists who have extensively covered the field, as no one has yet been able to confirm the story. The Bloomberg article relied on 17 anonymous sources in the U.S. government and associated with Apple and other companies.
While no party involved has argued that Bloomberg fabricated information, Cook's call for a retraction comes closest to alleging that the news outlet failed to verify accounts provided by its sources.
One expert quoted in the story by name, Joe Fitzpatrick, spoke to Bloomberg during the reporting process about the general form of an attack as described in the article. Later, in a podcast, he told Bloomberg that the scenario described by Bloomberg "didn't make sense." He also said that Bloomberg's account matched his hypothetical scenario so closely that it "seemed like they had been lifted from the conversations I had about theoretically how hardware implants work."
Bloomberg continues to stand by its reporting, according to a statement provided to Fortune by a company spokesperson. "Bloomberg Businessweek's investigation is the result of more than a year of reporting, during which we conducted more than 100 interviews. Seventeen individual sources, including government officials and insiders at the companies, confirmed the manipulation of hardware and other elements of the attacks. We also published three companies' full statements, as well as a statement from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We stand by our story and are confident in our reporting and sources."
A number of companies, government agencies, independent security analysts, and government officials have released detailed rebuttals or made explicit statements rejecting most of the article's account about the discovery of malicious hardware.
Apple released a statement on Oct. 4, "What Businessweek got wrong about Apple," and sent a letter on Oct. 8 to Congress denying both general and specific claims. Amazon acquired Elemental in 2015. It denied the details of the story as relates to that firm and its use of Elemental servers.
Super Micro told Reuters that it had never sold servers with malicious chips, never found any in hardware it had manufactured, were never told by a customer they had discovered any, and that no government agency had ever contacted the firm.
The Department of Homeland Security also released a statement, saying on Oct. 6 "we have no reason to doubt the statements from the companies named in the story." The British national cyber security agency also backed Apple and Amazon's statement.


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The Daily Star (Lebanon)
U.S. wants regime change in Iran: Rouhani
The United States is seeking "regime change" in Iran, President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday, adding the current U.S. administration was the most hostile the Islamic Republic has faced in its four decades.
Tensions have increased between Iran and America after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral agreement on Iran's nuclear program in May.
"In the past 40 years there has not been a more spiteful team than the current U.S. government team toward Iran, Iranians and the Islamic Republic," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast on state TV.
"There was a time when there was one person who had enmity. The rest were moderate. Now … the worst have gathered around each other," he added in a speech marking the beginning of the academic year at Tehran University.
Rouhani accused the Americans of using psychological and economic warfare and questioning the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic.
"Reducing the legitimacy of the system is their final goal. When they say getting rid of, regime change in their own words, how does regime change happen? Through reducing legitimacy, otherwise a regime doesn't change." He used the English phrase "regime change" to emphasize his point.
Washington reintroduced steps against Iran's currency trade, metals and auto sectors in August.
With U.S. curbs on Iran's oil exports set to come into force next month, some Iranians fear their country is entering an economic slump that may prove worse than the period from 2012 to 2015, when it last faced major sanctions.
Vice-president Eshaq Jahangiri played down the impact of the planned restrictions. Iran has been able to find new partners to buy its oil even though some countries have stopped purchases, Jahangiri said Sunday, according to Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
"America will certainly not be able to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero," he said. "America thinks Saudi Arabia can replace this oil. But right now Iran's oil has reached more than $80 and with half the previous exports we will have the same income as before," he added on comments on the IRIB website. –
Rouhani attends a ceremony at Tehran University marking the beginning of the new Iranian academic year.
Newspapers from Lebanon


Welcome to our basketball fan central page. Our goal is to help you learn more about basketball so that you can better enjoy it and participate in the social component of being al fan. If you are new to basketball, check out our New Fan Resources. We've also provided links to the rules below and lists of the best basketball books and movies.


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Steve Blum's Blog
Broadband Policy
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2020 Broadband Infrastructure Grant Projects
Master license agreements
Wireless Facilities Permitting
More broadband policy resources
Right of way, pole attachment and conduit documents
Fiber network access
Cable and telecoms franchise information
Case study: Lit San Leandro, an 11-mile fiber optic loop serving business and industry
Case study: CASF grant brings total to $12 million for Central Coast broadband project
Case study: City of Folsom uses WiMAX pilot project for economic development
Case Study: wireless broadband feasibility study and project for the City of Oakland
CASF reboot – 2018
Steve Blum
Stu Browne
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Julia O'Daly
Rural broadband gaps are life and death issues, California wildfire study says
24 June 2019 by Steve Blum
broadband, CampFire, emergencyservices, sb901, telecom
Ageing, inadequate infrastructure contributed to the destruction during last year's Camp Fire in Butte County that killed 86 people and did billions of dollars worth of damage. Congested roads were a big part of the problem, but so was a lack of telecommunications service, either because it was knocked out by the fires or, in many cases, not there in the first place, according to a report by a "strike force" commissioned by California governor Gavin Newsom…
In a matter of hours, 52,000 people from rural Paradise and surrounding communities evacuated onto roads built for a fraction of that capacity and converged on Chico, overwhelming the recovery system.
CPUC allows AT&T, Frontier to tap dance their way out of fines for bad service
16 November 2018 by Steve Blum
att, cpuc, frontiercommunications, public policy, telecom
AT&T and Frontier Communications were fined $2.2 million and $823,000, respectively, by California Public Utilities Commission, for "chronic" service failure, primarily in rural California. Sorta. Kinda.
Well, not really.
At its meeting in Fresno last week, the CPUC voted unanimously to allow Frontier and AT&T to skip the fines, which were mostly for taking too long to restore telephone service for customers who experienced outages. In return, the companies promised to make "incremental" investments in improving service quality.… More
CPUC refuses to reconsider waiving AT&T, Frontier fines for bad rural service
1 November 2018 by Steve Blum
AT&T, Frontier Communications and other telephone companies can continue to fine themselves and keep the money, if they fail to meet California's service quality standards. The California Public Utilities Commission rejected an appeal by a group of consumer organisations, which claim that the bizarre 2016 decision allowing telcos to pay their own expenses instead of paying fines was made "without any support whatsoever in the record".
The decision was rammed through by commission president Michael Picker, who refused to allow a vote on an alternative offered by then-commissioner Catherine Sandoval, contrary to usual procedure.… More
Broadband service failed in 2017 California firestorm, mobile hit worst
7 August 2018 by Steve Blum
broadband, emergencyservices, north bay north coast, telecom
One of the big questions to answer about the mega fire still tearing through Shasta County this morning is how do you warn people? Broadband and other high tech tools failed in last year's fires. Instead, people were saved the old fashioned way: a knock on the door or the smell of smoke.
Mobile service went down more often than any other kind of broadband service during 2017's northern California firestorm, but cable, telco and fixed wireless systems also took a severe beating.… More
CPUC tags Frontier's service as "chronic failure", proposes to let it slap itself on the wrist
26 July 2018 by Steve Blum
cpuc, frontiercommunications, public policy, telecom
Frontier Communications failed to meet California phone service repair standards in 2017. It's supposed to restore service within a certain amount of time 90% of the time in any given month, in every one of its Californian service territories. According to two draft resolutions on the table at the California Public Utilities Commission, two of Frontier's three subsidiaries missed the mark every single month.
Of the 24 reports, the worst performance was 22% in January 2017, the best was 87% in December 2017.… More
Life and death alerts are low tech/no tech, California firestorm study shows
15 May 2018 by Steve Blum
Social media and other online services were not the way people received lifesaving warnings when a firestorm tore through three northern California counties last year. Nearly all were alerted to evacuate via phone or personal contact, or by their own eyes, ears and noses.
That's a top line read of the data from a study just published by the North Bay/North Coast Broadband Consortium. They ran an online survey and 3,700 people responded, nearly all of them from the hardest hit counties of Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma.… More
Telecom Deficit Slows Angola's Development
angola, development, gates foundation, huambo, microfinance, microwave, movicel, ngo, planet earth, rotary, silicon valley telecommunications council, telecom, unitel, world vision
Steve Blum, Tellus Venture
Associates, doing project
due diligence in HuamboTelecommunications and transportation make the difference between subsistence farming and sustainable commercial agriculture in Angola's Huambo province, where Tellus Venture Associates is supporting a development project through Rotary International. The physical infrastructure was obliterated during nearly 30 years of civil war, but mobile phone applications could soon provide a life-saving solution.
Potatoes sold in Huambo might earn $175 per ton, but could fetch $500 or more per ton in coastal markets, hundreds of kilometers away.… More
Steve Blum's Blog and the Tellus Venture Associates website © 2023 by Stephen A. Blum is licensed under Attribution 4.0 International


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city of joel 2020
This concert will mark Joel's last and final engagement in Mexico City. "CITY OF JOEL" 2020-10-30T20:00:00-04:00: Washington Week: Election 2020 Special Report: 2020-10-30T20:30:00-04:00 Joel worked at many jobs but later in life was a Boat Captain and retired from that profession. College of the Desert Superintendent and President Dr. Joel Kinnamon will retire next spring, it was announced today. City of Joel in US theaters January 3, 2020. 12 September 2020. But New York, his hometown, is his muse. City of Joel Movie Full Movie (2020) - Documentary 50 miles north of New York City, the town of Monroe is a micro-cosm for a hyper-partisan and divided nation as a land-dispute between an ultra-orthodox Hassidic sect and their secular neighbors erupts into a turf war. Help us finish our documentary about a shtetl outside New York City where sacred religious traditions collide with small town politics. "CITY OF JOEL" Use one of the services below to sign in to PBS: You've just tried to add this video to My List.But first, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the services below. Joel Randall: "Delighted to get my first league goal, can't believe it was a header!" ... November 10, 2020. Joel Sternfeld Photographer During his lauded career Sternfeld, has documented nearly all of America. Shop a wide selection of Nike Men's 2020-21 City Edition Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid #21 Cotton T-Shirt at DICK'S Sporting Goods and order online for the finest quality products from the … "CITY OF JOEL" 2020-09-21T19:00:00-05:00: Antiques Roadshow: Celebrating Latino Heritage "CITY OF JOEL" 2020-11-11T19:00:00-06:00: Nature: Primates: Family Matters: 2020-11-11T20:00:00-06:00 Joel was born on December 3, 1951, to John Edward and Onis Thompson Briehn. The City Clerk is the local elections administrator and coordinates with the County of Riverside in the conduct of municipal elections. Before the regular meeting, city leaders held a moment of silence before taking time to remember the legacy of Joel Miles, who served as mayor in Wiggins since 2013. Joel Edward Briehn, age 68, a native of Morgan City and a resident of Berwick, was called home to be with the Lord on October 20, 2020. Producer/Director, Jesse Sweet takes us inside the boiling point of tension in "City of Joel." For more information on "City of Joel," click here . Vice Mayor Joel Bryant has been an outstanding Council member. Billy Joel is slated to perform at Rise Up New York, a remote telethon that is raising awareness and money to help people in New York who have been effected by … City of Joel follows an ultra-orthodox Hasidic sect as they wage a turf war with their secular neighbors. Jesse Sweet is raising funds for City of Joel Documentary on Kickstarter! "CITY OF JOEL" 2020-11-12T19:00:00-07:00: This Old House: Project Interrupted: 2020-11-12T19:30:00-07:00 (Video) Another classic Joel Matip clip emerges from Manchester City game. October 21st 2019, Mexico City - OCESA is proud to announce that legendary musician Billy Joel will return to Mexico City on March 6th 2020 at Mexico City's Foro Sol. Joel Matip only plays one game per month, but when he does, he's always excellent! He has the knowledge and experience to lead the City of Brentwood into the future. Find the obituary of Clive Joel Sharpe (1931 - 2020) from Scott City, KS. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved his family very much. Get the Billy Joel Setlist of the concert at Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico on March 6, 2020 from the Billy Joel In Concert Tour and other Billy Joel Setlists for free on setlist.fm! JERSEY CITY, N.J. | New Jersey City University (NJCU) Professor Joel Katz, a filmmaker and quarter-century veteran of the institution's Media Arts Department, will be honored by the Jersey City Arts Council as part of the 2020 Jersey City Arts Awards.Katz is being honored with the Jersey City Arts Council Award in Film & Television. We have worked for many years together to keep Brentwood a safe place that all of our families and businesses can be proud of, and I know that Joel will keep it moving in that direction. "CITY OF JOEL" 2020-10-10T20:00:00-04:00: Doc Martin: Preserve the Romance: 2020-10-10T21:00:00-04:00 Just posted a photo @ City of Praise Family Ministries www.instagram.com/p/CHL2XXABn2…. Aired on September 16, 2020. Joel said, "The city set up a shelter about four miles from [Lakewood] that can house 10,000 people…they didn't need us as a shelter at that point." He then also denied claims of not being there to support his community by saying, "we've been here for 58 years taking care of the community, but social media can be powerful." City Hall 415 Central Street West PO Box 357 Lonsdale, MN 55046 507-744-2327 507-744-5554 (fax) Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. [DIRECTORY] He's captured the city in its gritty glory for decades, including a memorable series on the High Line before it became a manicured attraction. By Sean Keeler | PUBLISHED: December 11, 2020 at 2:10 p.m. | UPDATED: December 11, 2020 … The list below includes all properties that will BIJFF Virtual Film Festival August 1 -21, 2020 CITY OF JOEL Director: Jesse Sweet Country: United States Year: 2018 Duration: 90min Language: English Genre: Documentary Rating: PG Just 50 mile… the City's Tax Sale Unit after July 30, 2020, at 410-396-3987 for additional information regarding the terms of this special sealed bid sale. Wiggins city leaders adjust after the death of Mayor Joel Miles City leaders in Wiggins are stepping up to the plate after their mayor tragically died this week following a battle with COVID-19. Kiryas Joel (Yiddish: קרית יואל  , Kiryas Yoyel, Yiddish pronunciation: [ˈkɪr.jəs ˈjɔɪ.əl]; often locally abbreviated as KJ) is a village within the Town of Palm Tree in Orange County, New York, United States.The vast majority of its residents are Yiddish-speaking Hasidic Jews who belong to the worldwide Satmar Hasidic sect. Exeter City midfielder Joel Randall expressed his delight on scoring his first League goal on his first leauge start in the Grecians 2-2 draw with Salford City at the Peninsular Stadium. The Premier League champions are currently three central defensive options short following recent injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Matip with the former expected to miss the rest of the season following a ruptured ACL. Joel Klatt speaks onstage during day 2 of SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIV on Jan. 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is hopeful that defender Joel Matip will be back in contention to play against Manchester City, The Times reports. Joel, who has broken through this season has been in fine form and netted four goals in November as well as three assists. November 4, 2020 10:11 pm. "CITY OF JOEL" Use one of the services below to sign in to PBS: You've just tried to add this video to My List.But first, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the services below. "CITY OF JOEL" 2020-10-28T20:00:00-05:00: Nature: Australian Bushfire Rescue: 2020-10-28T21:00:00-05:00 50 miles north of New York City, t The City fans have spoken and have voted 'One of our Own' Joel Randall as the Apple Taxis' Exeter Player of the Month for November. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. 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807 James St is a parcel of land located in Ridgecrest, California and has a legal description provided by the local assessor of KER:45627103008. The Arivify.com account number for this parcel is KER-45627103008.
This parcel is owned by Jean M Carlton and can be described as a Resid. Single Family.
For more information regarding 807 James St including construction details, assessments, previous owners, and sales data please look below.


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Posted on October 18, 2019 by Blessing Mensa in Education, Immigration Advise, Immigration updates, Jobs, Studying in UK, Tier 4 Visas
Post-study work rights for international students have been restricted since 2012, when the then-Home Secretary Theresa May reduced the amount of time international students could stay in the UK after graduation to just four months. This era of tough restrictions seems to be over as on the 11 September 2019, as the UK Government announced the new 'graduate' route which enables all international students to work in the UK for two years after graduation compared to the previous four months.
With this visa, eligible students are able to look for work and get valuable work experience to kickstart their careers.
What exactly is the government proposing?
This two-year post-study visa applies to all students who have:
valid UK immigration status as a student
successfully completed a degree in any subject at undergraduate level or above, at an approved UK Higher Education Provider*
starting university as part of the 2020/2021 intake.
What this means for international students?
If the above-mentioned requirements apply to YOU, you are able to stay in the UK for two years to find post-study work in the UK. After the two years, you will be able to switch onto a skilled work visa route, like a Tier 2 work visa, if the job you found meets the minimum skill requirements of that route. Currently, international graduates are still only allowed to look for work for four months, and the job they secure must provide them with a Tier 2 General Visa.
Why is the government proposing this?
Last year alone, UK universities educated over 450,000 students, not including EU students. This route has been met by great enthusiasm from India and China, with the latter being the country which sends the most students to the UK. This announcement is part of the government's aim to increase the number of international students in the UK to 600,000 by 2030 as it has seen numbers of students drop since the restrictions in 2012.
Additionally, as the UK prepares to leave the EU under the Brexit negotiations, there is a clear correlation with EU nationals leaving the UK or not coming to the UK to study, it needs to increase it's the intake of non-EEA national students.
This change in immigration policy also comes as the UK wants to recruit talented graduates to try to become a science superpower and a world-leader in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) sector.
If you have, however, already started your degree and therefore do not qualify to undertake this route, click on the link below to learn more about the advice IaM's experienced advisors can offer you regarding your options post graduating!
If you are, however, aged 16 or over and would like to study a course that lasts for more than 6 months, you may be able to apply for a Tier 4 UK Student Visa with our firm.
Learn more about the requirements and advantages of a Tier 4 UK General Visa here!
Further details regarding this new route will be announced in due course, so keep an eye on further developments
*The status of each institution will be shown in the register of licensed sponsors.
Learning Service
Home Office Approach to English Language Testing…
i got Doctorate Extension Scheme visa for one year only after my PhD and i wanted to extend my visa for another year is that possible in this case?
The Doctorate Extension Scheme is for up to 12 months for you to work without restrictions or to find an employer that will sponsor you or for you to switch to another category


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All That Jazz: Arcade Fire and Preservation Hall Jazz Band Parade into the Beyond
During the comedown of another riotous and righteous Jazz Fest, Win Butler and Regine Chassagne joined their friend and colleague Ben Jaffe in the Louisiana sun to consider how they got there, and where they're all headed next.
September 17th 2018 by Jennifer Odell
header photo by Paul Costello
Like scores of starry-eyed culture lovers before them, Arcade Fire's Win Butler and Regine Chassagne drifted into their adopted hometown of New Orleans, extending a Jazz Fest visit by a few days that soon turned into years. On paper, Houston-raised Butler and his Haitian-Québécois bandmate and wife, Chassagne, share plenty of roots with New Orleans, which lies just a few hours east of H-Town, was settled by the French, and gained a massive Haitian population after the Haitian Revolution.
But the couple's connection to the city extends beyond geography and ancestry—a fact their friend Ben Jaffe, the artistic director of Preservation Hall, has become well aware of over the past decade. Jaffe's Preservation Hall Jazz Band—who recently signed to Sub Pop—and Arcade Fire team up regularly, especially in any situation where the two parade-prone bands can get away with jumping off a stage and into a crowd, instruments in hand.
As the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival wound down this year, Jaffe sat with Butler and Chassagne in a courtyard behind the historic Marigny home that the Jazz Band uses as its studio. The trio of like-minded musicians invited FLOOD to join as they discussed the cultural connections between Haiti and New Orleans, their new Haitian-focused carnival Krewe du Kanaval, and some of the more insane festival situations they've found themselves in through the years.
Ben Jaffe: Going to Haiti with you and learning about your Haitian roots was eye-opening. It's rare to meet other people who have the same interest and curiosity about music and appreciate other musical centers like New Orleans.
Regine Chassagne: I've always been attracted to New Orleans because I recognize a lot of Haiti in the air—the walls, the people, the music, the way of life. When I was, like, fourteen years old, I would play this song that I learned by myself, "Do You Know What It Means [to Miss New Orleans]," over and over. One of the first cassettes I got was Louis Armstrong and I would just listen to that all the time.
Then every time we came here, we'd play and I'd be like, "Wait, this…place!" And then we'd come back and, "Ah…this place!" And then we played a few years later, and after Jazz Fest we said, let's just stay here for a few more days because it was the end of the tour and every time it was just, "I can't leave this place!"
Ben: You were still discovering Haiti then, too.
Regine: I went to Haiti in 2008 for the first time.
Win Butler: I started to learn about Haiti through Regine's family. Around Christmastime, we'd have dinner with her aunts and uncles, and that was really my first exposure to somewhere where I was the only non-Haitian. Everyone would sit around the table talking about Haiti and music. Sometimes it takes coming from the outside to appreciate what's special about a place. When we come to New Orleans or go to Haiti, it's like there's diamonds in the ground everywhere, and if you're from New Orleans or Haiti you might not see that.
Win Butler, Ben Jaffe, and Regine Chassagne / photo by Paul Costello
Ben: It's interesting how that appreciation for history touches the creative process. When my parents came to New Orleans, part of [their interest in Preservation Hall] was them being outsiders and having their minds blown and not being able to understand how there weren't places that were celebrating this thing that existed here.
Win: I felt that way about Montreal. I'm American. I don't have this burden that a lot of English-speaking people from Québec feel in a French-speaking province. There were so many great people there. I got so much energy coming into it. When you get to combine your energy with other people's, you can always do something a lot more interesting. Krewe du Kanavale is a great example: It's this collision of our world and your world and then we're trying to do something positive with it.
FLOOD: Festivals can be creative collisions, too.
"Sometimes it takes coming from the outside to appreciate what's special about a place. When we come to New Orleans or go to Haiti, it's like there's diamonds in the ground everywhere." — Win Butler
Win: The cool thing with festivals is it's a much larger and more diverse group of people than any show you're playing on your own. If you're in the right festival at the right time on the right year, and your music is happening for those people in the right way, then there's an energy feedback that can happen with this large group of people that's pretty special. I don't know how to explain what the magic synergy is that makes it happen.
FLOOD: When was the first time your bands shared one of those synergistic festival moments?
Ben: The first time was at Coachella [in 2014]. We met you down in the pit—you came out with your Daft Punk helmets on and everybody went crazy.
Win: Every year that was the joke! Like, "Oh, is Daft Punk gonna play?" So we figured, let's just pretend Daft Punk's playing.
Ben: And then the helmets came off and everybody was like, "Huh? They're Daft Punk?!" It was really the first time we had done an unplanned, unsecured parade into an audience of that size. We're seasoned paraders, but…
Win: People in New Orleans know how to make way and behave. You don't grab the tuba player for a selfie here because everybody here plays tuba.
Ben: We get out there and Win's telling security, "No, I don't want to just march in the pit, we're goin' out there." And they pull the gates open and somehow we get into the audience at Coachella and they're rabid. It was insane, it was like being in a mosh pit. I was like, "This is cool! And nobody has any idea what the fuck's going on right now! This is great! Everybody's completely lost their minds! Win's trying to destroy Coachella and create some chaos!" [Laughs.] That kind of led to everything else since then.
Win: Then we did it in Paris and it was easy—the Parisians are really down.
Ben: The one we did in Madrid was wild.
Win: That one went a little crazy. We left the arena without a plan. I led us outside but there was kinda nowhere to go. We also paraded with you in Cuba. That was cool because it's not really a parading culture, but they definitely got it.
Ben: Well, it's just like New Orleans: there's the rhythm and you're dancing. It was really beautiful.
Win: We also did that before we knew anything about New Orleans. Our shows were always in the crowd.
Regine: Even when we had a stage, we would start and finish in the crowd. For years before I was playing with Arcade Fire, I was playing with my medieval band and we were playing in restaurants, at fairs, at places where you are right in front of the person, where there are no special lights or sounds. Long shows, like eight hours, weddings, on the lawn, in the streets, in the subway…
Ben: That's so much like New Orleans—not having electricity, playing long gigs, anywhere, anytime.
photo by Jennifer McCord
Regine: I think it's a cool challenge to retain the intimate directness of a performance that has no screen and no stage and no lights but to try to use the tools to still get the message and the feeling through. I saw a lot of people on this tour we just did go, like, "Oh my god, I grabbed a stranger's hand on this song and we were just crying together!"
I loved performing in a circle because it kind of made it less about us and more about just being there together. Everybody can see not only us but also everybody else, so it's kind of more about
the moment.
Win: Before we had ever been to Mardi Gras, we had been to Carnival in Haiti and in Trinidad, and we had played in Brazil, so we had some exposure to the universality of that culture.
I kind of miss doing festivals like Lollapalooza in Latin America, where you're on so many dates with all the same bands, all taking the same puddle-jumper flights. You really get to hang out with artists and get to know each other and make friends. We met at Bonnaroo, right?
"After Hurricane Katrina, I just wanted to bring everybody back [to New Orleans]—bring Dr. John back, bring everybody." — Ben Jaffe
Ben: That was hilarious. It was 2011, and we had just broken through to play Bonnaroo. My friend, [photographer] Danny Clinch, was like, "You have to see this band," so he snuck me backstage. It was unbelievable. I had no idea a band could take what they had recorded and bring it to the stage that way. So I'm trying to take it all in on this little platform behind the stage, looking at the stars, and then I hear, "Thank you and goodnight." All of a sudden, the whole band is around me. I didn't know you, and I'm like, "OK, um, how are you doing?" I think you went back to do an encore but for this moment I was in the huddle.
Win: Ben's one of those dudes where if he's backstage, he looks like he's supposed to be there because he's basically been there for his whole life.
Ben: We met again at One Eyed Jacks, late one night after a Voodoo Fest show. After Hurricane Katrina, I just wanted to bring everybody back [to New Orleans]—bring Dr. John back, bring everybody. We sponsored a stage at Voodoo and then we created this whole area where everybody could hang backstage.
Win: When we were in the finishing stages of [Everything Now], we played Voodoo Fest and we had the crowd sing a snippet of the main melody of [the title track], which is difficult, trying to get a lot of people to sing a song they've never heard before. But it made it onto the record—kind of a big sing-along crowd bit in the breakdown.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band / photo by Jennifer McCord
Ben: A festival can also leave the window open to create something new. Like us creating Krewe du Kanaval was something we thought was needed here.
Win: In a way, Krewe du Kanavale was paying tribute to the original Heritage Fest by having it in Congo Square.
Ben: My dad was one of the founding members of Jazz Fest and they didn't have a crew to clean up Congo Square after the festival the first year, so my mom and George Wein's wife ran to the A&P and grabbed trash bags and cleaned up at the end of Sunday. To be able to do something this significant and for it to actually have a profit to share with our foundations is unbelievable. There's a Haitian community that's already engaged in the city, so it was about, how do you make everybody more aware of what's here already and celebrate that?
FLOOD: Then the profit went to support the Preservation Hall Foundation, which works to preserve New Orleans' music and cultural traditions, and the KANPE Foundation, which started around the same time.
"I think it's a cool challenge to retain the intimate directness of a performance that has no screen and no stage and no lights but to try to use the tools to still get the message and the feeling through." — Regine Chassagne
Regine: KANPE means "to stand up" in Haitian Creole, so the goal was to have the families in the community stand up on their own and have a decent livelihood. I'm really happy about how it's working. KANPE works in rural Haiti in villages that are isolated and have basically no resources. We started in 2010 in a village that's very hard to access. We chose that place in collaboration with other organizations that determined it would basically be the worst-off place we could go. The idea is focusing on one area but attacking the spokes of the wheel of the cycle of poverty at all different angles at the same time. There's a lot of progress done that way, because you don't just need one thing to get your life back together. It needs to be constant and it needs to be all of it.
Win: It's like with Ben after Katrina. A lot of the stuff he was working on had to do with getting musicians back but also getting health care for musicians, getting their homes back, getting people access to their instruments. It isn't just one thing, and it comes from this place of love.
Regine: It comes from a place of love and of listening. It's like music. If you're gonna help somebody, you really gotta sit down and listen because the answer is there. FL
This article appears in the 2018 FLOOD Festival Guide, presented by SiriusXM and Toyota. You can check out the rest of the magazine here.
Arcade FireBen JaffeCoverFestival Guide 2018Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Noga Erez Against the Machine
My Morning Jacket: The Last American Band
Yola Takes a Stand
girl in red: Life Is Good, For Now


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Merdeka! The Struggle for Freedom in...
We are suffering here
Eyes Don't Want to See, But We Know
West Papua... Today
Identity Transduction Arts, Series 1.3: Way To Be
West Papua: Indonesia Uses Soldier Deaths to Escalate Conflict
Australia, Indonesia, News, West Papua
Source: Green Left (Australia)
By Duncan Roden
"As long as Papua is still seen as a land to make profit, the problems here will not go away."
–Lukas Enembe, Newly-elected Governor of Papua
Eight Indonesian soldiers were killed on February 21 in West Papua. The attacks were claimed by the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (TPN-OPM).
The Attacks
The attacks came after a series of violent crackdowns by Indonesian authorities on a growing movement of peaceful protest by Papuans calling for end to Indonesian occupation and for self-determination.
In the first attack, a military post in Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya, was raided. One soldier was killed and another injured. About an hour later, another armed group ambushed Indonesian soldiers. Seven soldiers and four civilians being escorted by them were reported killed.
The Jakarta Globe reported that Papua Police Chief Tito Karnavian said Goliat Tabuni, head of TPN-OPM, had personally claimed responsibility for the killings in a phone call, linking the attacks to the recent district elections. The election ballots were due to be counted two days after the attacks.
The TPN-OPM, however, released a statement that day denying any link to the elections. The statement, signed by Teryanus Satto, claimed the shooting of soldiers in Puncak Jaya was carried out by the TPN-OPM under its commander, General Goliat Tabuni, and had nothing to do with the district's elections or anywhere else in Papua.
However, it said the TPN-OPM "do reject the programs of the Indonesian government, including the district elections in Puncak Jaya or elsewhere in Papua land".
In a statement to West Papua Media, TPN-OPM spokesperson Nikolas Tabuni said the area of the new military post is "formally claimed to be owned by the TPN OPM" and is "under indigenous customary law of the indigenous community of that area".
Tabuni said the Indonesian military ignored TPN-OPM's letter asking for the post to be abandoned, leading to the attack.
The Jakarta Globe reported newly elected governor Lukas Enembe saying the problems in the province were as much due to high unemployment, poverty, and underdevelopment, as pro-independence and anti-government sentiments.
The paper said the Central Statistics Bureau found the poverty rate in Papua province was 31% as of September last year. More than 1.1 million people in the territories two provinces live below the poverty line.
Enembe said:
He also drew attention to rampant corruption impeding development. The Jakarta Post reported that this was raised by the Regional Representatives Council (DPD). Papua DPD member Ferdinanda Ibo Yatipay said:
"Ten years after the granting of special autonomy status [to West Papua], no new infrastructure in the transportation, education and health sectors has been built, while the largest chunk of special autonomy funds has been used to finance the bureaucracy or been stolen by corrupt local elites and powerful officials from Jakarta."
DPD deputy chairperson Laode Ida also urged the withdrawal of non-garrison, elite troops from West Papua as essential to stopping the violence, saying:
"Their presence and their irregular operations have triggered attacks on garrison troops and innocent civilians."
Indeed, the Jakarta Post reported Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Admiral Agus Suhartono acknowledging that the soldier killed in Tingginambut was a member of the army's Special Forces Command (Kopassus).
This unit's activities have drawn condemnation from human rights groups for atrocities committed throughout Indonesia, as well as West Papua. However, Suhartono denied that Kopassus' presence at the military post meant the force had been carrying out special operations in the region, saying: "The slain Kopassus member had been stationed there for quite a long time."
The Jakarta Globe reported that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a cabinet meeting that the government would seek to improve the living standards of Papuans and would not use a military approach to restore peace in the affected provinces.
However, Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said in a press conference that the government is prepared to send more weapons and made it clear that:
the government has "a clear and firm stance on any party who is trying to disrupt public security or refuses to acknowledge the sovereignty of the unitary state of Indonesia in Papua."
Despite the president's words, Indonesia's devotion to protecting its "unitary state" despite the wishes of the Papuan people who were forcibly incorporated into Indonesia in a fraudulent "act of free choice" in 1969 means the wishes of the Papuan people will continue to go unheeded.
In its statement on its attacks, the TPN-OPM said:
"[We are] not asking for anything from the government of Indonesia. TPN-OPM demands the political rights of the Papua nation for independence and to be fully sovereign so that they sit equal with other countries in the world."
West Papua Regional Legislative Council deputy chairperson Jimmy Demianus Ijie said in the Jakarta Globe:
"We've never enjoyed Indonesia's independence. What we have is only blood and tears.
"Let's talk about our unity. Why is the government afraid of opening a dialogue with Papua? Today, there are many military personnel in plain clothes in Papua, as if a big war is happening here."
He said the Papuan people love Indonesia, but want to be freed from poverty and to look after the interests of future generations.
Ijie calls for dialogue and equality within the Indonesian state, but reports of a huge military operation in the areas of the shootings shows why many Papuans support independence as the solution to the conflict.
West Papua Media said that at least 1000 TNI troops are occupying villages around Puncak Jaya, searching for suspects to the shootings. Villagers are being forced to hand over food and subjected to interrogation.
It seems that Yudhoyono's benevolent words are not being realised on the ground. According to WPM sources, as of February 26, at least 18 houses, five churches, two schools and a library have been razed by the combined police/TNI forces.
Animals and food gardens are also being destroyed, sparking fears of an impending humanitarian disaster. Thousands of local people have already fled their homes. The occupied villages could potentially be used as staging posts for destroying the TPN.
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act of free choice, Agus Suhartono, army, Djoko Suyanto, DPD, equality, Ferdinanda Ibo Yatipay, freedom, genocide, Goliat Tabuni, green party, human rights, independence, Jakarta Post, Jimmy Demianus Ijie, Kopassus, Laode Ida, Lukas Enembe, military, Nikolas Tabuni, OPM, police, Police State, politics, poverty, Puncak Jaya, quality of life, Regional Representatives Council, revenge, revolution, special forces, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Teryanus Satto, Tito Karnavian, TPN, vengeance
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The Game Incubator and Sweden Game Arena will be present at Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, CA, March 21-23.
Sweden Game Arena will once again exhibit at Game Developers Conference, together with a party consisting of The Game Incubator, Stunlock Studios, Guru Games, Ludosity, Carry Castle, IGDB, Brimstone Games, Babloon Studios, Hiber VR and Devkittens and the University of Skövde. Representatives from the organisation Swedish Games Industry will be present as well, and this year they will also be accompanied by Coffee Stain Publishing.
- We are truly pleased to have Coffe Stain joining us on site at GDC as they are a fantastic example of a studio that started its path to glory at the University of Skövde followed by a few years in The Game Incubator and today has become a successful company with its core production team remaining here in Skövde, says Magnus Ling, spokesperson for Sweden Game Arena.
Per Micael Nyberg, business developer at The Game Incubator, is looking forward to GDC.
- My main goal at GDC and GC is to represent TGI, look for new business opportunities as well as support our startups. Other than that I hope to continue expanding my large network in the Asian region as I believe, and know from experience, that the key to the future lies in deeper collaboration with the east.
14/12Sunscale Studios släpper sitt första spel "Hyss"


Brijesh Tripathi credits his success to Anil Kapoor who is a messiah for him because the actor helped him in choosing the films. He only introduced him to Rajkumar Santoshi and later many others shaped up this director career. In a tete-e-tete with Bollywood & TV Reporter the director talks about his journey and also about his turning point in life through this film.
Tell us more about the film?
The movie is close to my heart and I believe will be close to any Indian's heart, our soldiers are doing so much for us and are risking their lives so that we can stay safe, my this movie is a dedication to the Indian Army and their families who support these heroes to provide selfless service to our country.
Inform us how did you convince Narandas Lalwani for the film?
I was knowing that Naraindas Lalwani a well-known business from Dubai and being an NRI he has a lot of respect for our country India. And I was also aware that he is planning a story based on the Indian defence forces. I was already having the script and I was in search of producers and financers who can take my vision ahead, but no one came forward. I met Naraindas Ji and understood from him that what type of patriotic film he is thinking about. Taking the opportunity I narrated the story which I had written long back and it was liked by him. He gave me the green signal to also direct it and thus in this way I convinced him to produce the film.
Brief us about the title of the film and how did you get it?
This is thing that has a historic touch to it. My producer was forcing me once to accompany him to the border but I refused it initially but later I realized that I was disrespecting him because he insisted me to do so saying that I will learn a lot. When I made my mind to go along with him what I found was very exciting for me. I saw a board which had a post were 609 was written on it. So for a while I was like this is it and in this way I got the title of my film.
What is your expectation from this film?
I never keep any expectations. For me what is more important is that I should give my 100 percent to give something unique and also a message oriented film to the audience which I have done during the making of this film. And the reason I know that audience will definitely come to theatres to watch my patriotic film.


Relocation is a stressful experience when you move with kids, study conducted in USA show that about 20 percentage of population in age up to 4th year, moving with his family per year. Environment changes can annoy daily life of new born, because of that need of preplan of process of moving for new location, here full service movers provide few aspects take in account during moving with new blood.
Move as usual as business move but keep in mind that infant cannot get affected his daily dos and don'ts, like feeding and nourishing. If possible give some idea of your relocation to your child then he can also enjoy this stressful event up to his capacity and respond with curiosity about move toward new location, and this is the perfect way of get ready for move with child/kids. Give little bit space for your kid in process of packing and preparation of move, he or she can enjoy such new thing and get prepare his mind to new changes.
During the moving days try to give full space for your child for express his feeling and space for little walk in compact space in van or car, for this purpose makes such arrangement in prior, as well as take few minutes of break during journey and give him/her chance to take walk round the side of way, because of that he or she forgets stress of moving and climate change, and he can respond well for dramatic changes in daily rotten. Take a keen look before starting the move and make special arrangement for daily feeding durable.


Last year marked our 75th birthday, and we invited nine Wellcome Trust-funded centres across the UK to help us celebrate. During September – December 2011 the centres went out into their local communities to tell the story of the past 75 years of biomedicine and the challenges that the next 75 years will bring.
This film by Keira Freeman shows a sample of what they got up to and what breadth of activities 'public engagement' can encompass. The Centres' ideas ranged from school visits and A-level study days to panel discussions and exhibitions.


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Flights to Trivandrum!
Why visit Trivandrum?
Trivandrum, known as the "evergreen city of India" is the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala on the Arabian Sea. Trivandrum is mythical city sprinkled with British colonial architecture, historical structures, museums, art galleries, bars and restaurants. It's also famed for its particular greenery and parks that can be seen when staying in any part of the city, which is quite uncommon for any busy Indian city. The old quarter East Fortof and surroundings is a protected landmark which dates back to the Royal days. Kuthiramalika Palace Museum, Padmanabha Swamy Temple, The Napier Museum and Sree Chitbra Art Gallery are some of the attractions that should not be missed. Cheap flights to Trivandrum from London Stansted will make for a once in a lifetime trip to an evergreen city.
Best month to travel to Trivandrum
The best time for UK to Trivandrum flights is during the winter season from October to February. Temperature range is between 17 °C and 33°C. This season is the most pleasurable for scouting city's attractions.
Flights from most UK airports such as flights from Manchester (MAN) to Trivandrum (TRV) fly into Trivandrum International Airport
London to Trivandrum: 10 hours 12 minutes
Manchester to Trivandrum: 10 hours 23 minutes
Glasgow to Trivandrum: 10 hours 35 minutes
British visitors are required to present an e-Tourist visa upon arrival to India that is valid for 30 days. British passport holders will be able to apply for this visa online which makes it more accessible and convenient. Your passport must be machine readable, with 2 blank pages for your visa and valid for a minimum of 180 days at the time of your visa application.
Love Trivandrum? Why not visit Goa city next!


Extraordinary wines – Hug yourself with wholesome hedonism and suspend time for a while. Extraordinary wines are not for everyone; just those who know how to reap life's satisfactions. We do not pursue perfection at Baron Di Pauli, but we do value each detail for its true worth, nurturing exceptions to craft exceptional wines. We look on every harvest as a challenge in vineyard, cellar and glass. The result – our wines – brings us the pleasure of astonishing your senses.


It's not every day that an educational institution gets to create a building to help bring its vision and mission to life. But that's exactly the opportunity being seized by Sheridan in the creation of a second building that will more than double capacity at its Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga.
Scheduled to open in fall 2016, the new building is designed to facilitate creativity and collaboration while respecting a commitment to sustainability and accessibility. It also strives to achieve Mississauga's vision to transform the downtown. Sound lofty or unachievable? Not according to lead architects Daniel Ling and Daniel Teramura.
At its base, the Creativity Commons is found next to a café and an architectural model making room, creating a chance for interaction. "The café has wall panels that people can sketch on and that open so other people can see into the commons. These are the types of informal and unexpected moments we want to facilitate" says Teramura.
Given Sheridan's commitment to decrease overall energy and carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, sustainability was another key requirement. "Its performance had to tie in to pedagogy. The building is meant to demonstrate sustainability of design and construction given that architecture and interior design students will study there," says Ling.
Designed as a living lab, the building achieves efficiency through a smart system that automates and controls energy use. Add to that the strategic placement of windows, a mechanical system that features on demand ventilation, heat recovery and chilled beams, as well as energy-efficient LED lighting and the use of solar energy to partially heat water and you've got a building that will consume roughly half of what's used by most commercial buildings of comparable size in Canada.
"Accessibility is integrated into the mainstream building experience from the outset, rather than being an afterthought," adds Ling, putting the focus on inclusivity. "It's reflected in the choice of colours and finishes in the interior to be mindful of anyone with loss of vision." Turn radiuses for wheelchairs were considered in specifying the width of aisles and functional areas were grouped together to limit the need for travel to better meet the needs of users with mobility loss.
With respect to the exterior, the goal was to have a building that would complement rather than duplicate the existing one on campus, contribute to Mississauga's cityscape, and age gracefully.
"The façade of the building opens up like a curtain and reveals certain elements on the inside, allowing us to use glimpses of student energy to animate the street," says Ling. "We've also added a continuous bench on the outside to encourage people to sit up against the building, softening the edge and giving it a human scale." A bridge on the third floor physically joins the two buildings and serves the important purpose of housing data cables to share connectivity.
With the project now reaching the end of the design development phase, Teramura and Ling are looking forward to construction beginning and to seeing their interpretation of Sheridan's vision come to fruition. Both agree that the contrast between the simple, yet elegant exterior and the depth of experience and complexity of the special qualities on the inside is what will give this building its unique character.


With three decades of incentive, rewards and conference experience under his belt, Mike started his event management career whilst living in South Africa but now calls Australia home. With a pedigree in managing conference and incentive programs for clients in the automotive, pharmaceutical, carpeting and retail sectors, it's not surprising that Impact has grown from its birth in 2000 to a highly trusted organisation. These days, when Mike isn't strategising, planning or advising, he sits on several client advisory boards such as Fairmont/Raffles/Swissotel and Marriott Hotels & Resorts. He also steals away to the game reserves of southern Africa whenever possible.
Need to get the job done? Ask Anne. For 25 years she's been making magic happen with corporate conferences and incentive reward programs for blue chip clients in the financial, retail, automotive and IT industries. Anne has organised hundreds of events around the globe from intimate gatherings to large conferences and has spent her varied career working in Sydney, Melbourne and Shanghai. Anne joined Impact in 2010 and brings a wealth of experience and drive which motivates her daily to create high quality, memorable events that exceed her client's expectations. She is 100% dedicated to delivering flawless events for her clients. Every time.
Kevin's passion is travel. He spent the first part of his career working at the Sigma Company in sales, marketing and purchasing before being bitten by the travel bug and travelling extensively throughout Europe. On returning to Australia he trained as a travel consultant, and worked in several travel agencies for a number of years. He continued his progression by moving into travel wholesaling for 13 years enabling him to learn another side of the industry. Kevin joined Impact in 2008 and has since found his niche as Operations Manager. His strong attention to detail, operational excellence and broad travel knowledge makes him an integral part of the Impact team. He finds his avid interest in photography and food mixes well with travel and he doesn't intend to stop exploring anytime soon.
Rebecca is a seasoned events professional with 11 years industry experience. Vivacious and adaptable, she's a fabulous asset to the Impact team and our clients. She has recently moved into the role of Account Manager having gained experience as an Event Coordinator and developing a reputation for excellence. Rebecca's astute attention to detail and dedication to impeccable client outcomes sets her apart in the industry. A quick learner, Rebecca is also adept at balancing multiple priorities, a skill that's only enhanced by her other role as a mum of two.
Hayden is a bright addition to the Impact team with his enthusiasm and strong client management skills. A keen world traveller since childhood, Hayden's interest in the travel sector dates back to family holidays to the US, Hawaii and Fiji and has only grown since. With a Bachelor of Tourism Management, Hayden ventured from New Zealand to London for a 2-year working stint as Concierge at the prestigious Marriott Hotel Park Lane. Absorbing valuable skills at the Marriott, Hayden was also able to indulge his wanderlust with regular European holidays. An adventurous spirit and sports obsession has seen Hayden travel to some of the world's top sporting events. Hayden now brings his travel and events passion to work, coordinating a variety of accounts and marketing initiatives for Impact.
Behind our team we also have a group of very talented individuals taking care of our IT, graphic design, staging, production and accounting needs delivering creativity, security and peace of mind to our customers.


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Can we control dreams?
Is the movie Inception really science fiction? Released in 2010, the film directed by Christopher Nolan features the character of Dom Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), tasked with implanting an idea in an individual's mind while they are dreaming in order to commit the perfect crime. But there's no ulterior motive behind this study, which discusses the development of a device used to for what scientists call "targeted dream incubation."
The research led by Adam Haar Horowitz (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT) aimed to demonstrate the possibility of manipulating people's dreams during the first phase of sleep via an electronic device. This first phase of sleep corresponds to what Alfred Maury termed "hypnagogia" in 1848, a transitional state of consciousness during the onset of sleep. Haar Horowitz described it as follows: "This state of mind is trippy, loose, flexible, and divergent. It's like turning the notch up high on mind-wandering and making it immersive — being pushed and pulled with new sensations like your body floating and falling, with your thoughts quickly snapping in and out of control."
As the study's authors point out, previous research in neuroscience has shown that this hypnagogic state shares many similarities to REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the fifth and final stage of the sleep cycle, in terms of dreamlike sensations and brain waves. But there is one important difference: people can hear and process audio stimuli during hypnagogia, something not experienced during REM sleep. Targeted Dream Incubation (TDI) uses this "door ajar" to gain access to dreaming.
Scientists have developed a specific protocol that uses an innovative portable electronic device, Dormio, to automatically generate dream incubations. Dormio consists of an application linked to a wearable sleep-tracking sensor. The device can not only record "dream reports," but can also guide dreaming toward specific themes by repeating targeted information at the onset of sleep, allowing it to be integrated into the content of the dream. Dormio was designed by a multidisciplinary team at the MIT Media Lab. This sleep-tracking device can thus induce certain themes into dreams by following hypnagogia and providing audio signals based on incoming physiological data.
What's the point of TDI? Upon waking, the content of a guided dream can be used to accomplish tasks such as creative writing. A first pilot study in 2018 demonstrated increased creativity in six people. As part of his thesis work, Haar Horowitz conducted this new, larger study (49 participants) which extended the initial results. He says, "we showed that dream incubation is tied to performance benefits on three tests of creativity, by both objective and subjective metrics." Concretely, when the protocol prompted subjects to think of a tree, 67% of the verbal dream reports made direct references to trees upon awakening from a hypnagogic state.
According to the authors, the TDI method and Dormio technology could be used to improve learning through memory consolidation techniques that already occur during sleep, or facilitate problem solving by prompting people to consciously remember their thoughts during the hypnagogic state.
Source: Adam Haar Horowitz, Tony J. Cunningham, Pattie Maes, Robert Stickgold. "Dormio: A targeted dream incubation device", in Consciousness and Cognition, August 2020 // MIT website : https://news.mit.edu/2020/targeted-dream-incubation-dormio-mit-media-lab-0721