text:
Last Rites for the United States, and Himself
A Review of Last Rites, by John Lukacs
by Walter C. Uhler / March 3rd, 2009
In 1990, at the age of 65, John Lukacs wrote a well-received "auto-history" entitled Confessions of an Original Sinner. Now, almost twenty years later, Mr. Lukacs has given his readers part two: Last Rites. The book not only appears to constitute a valedictory for an erudite and influential 85 year old man — who admits that his curiosity, reading and appetite for life are weakening — but also the swan song for the five hundred years of European culture carried forward, until recently, by the United States.
Which is to say that Mr. Lukacs sees signs of America's decadence all around: academics who neither buy nor read books, the widespread decline of serious reading, "the rapid deterioration of attention, the nervous constriction of its span," an "unwillingness to think," the rise of pictorial culture (a new "Dark Ages of symbols, pictures, images, abstractions"), and, most ominously, the emergence of a militaristic political conservatism in the United States.
He notes: "In 1950 there was not one American public or political or academic or intellectual figure who declared himself a 'conservative.' By 1980 more Americans declared themselves 'conservatives' than 'liberals.'" Accompanying this rise of political conservatism was a "militarization of the popular imagination" that abetted the replacement of normal patriotism with aggressive nationalism.
Relying upon such ugly nationalism, the President and Vice President who occupied the White House prior to the Obama administration believed "that going in Iraq and crushing its miserable dictator in a quick war would be popular, resounding to the great and enduring advantage to…[their] reputation and to the Republican Party's dominance in the foreseeable future. There have been many American presidents who had chosen to go to war for different reasons: but I know of no [other] one who chose to go to war to enhance his popularity."
Sick, but widespread, American nationalism also goes far to explain why the opinion elite, the mainstream news media and the misinformed public would lend their support to an unprovoked, illegal, and thus evil, war of aggression. It wasn't the behavior one would expect from a civilized people.
(Writing about the fate of liberalism in the United States, Mr. Lukacs asserts, "Ten years after the 1960s it was just about dead. It belonged to the past; it had nothing more to achieve; it was exhausted. Its tasks had been done." Unfortunately, Last Rites is silent about America's recent economic collapse and the overwhelming decision by America's voters to elect a liberal, Barack Obama, to direct its recovery and, perhaps, its transformation.)
Nevertheless, Last Rights leaves much to be desired, especially when compared with two recent and exceptionally thoughtful books by Mr. Lukacs — Democracy and Populism: Fear and Hatred and George Kennan: A Study in Character. Beyond the swan songs, it's a watered-down goulash containing sketches of his life in Chester County, Pennsylvania, tender memories of his native Hungary and brief vignettes capturing the loving and lovely essence of each of his three wives. It also is weakly seasoned by Mr. Lukacs' poorly reasoned epistemological "grand truth," which he presents in Chapter One: "A Bad Fifteen Minutes."
Knowledge, according to Mr. Lukacs, is neither objective nor subjective, but always personal and participant. "Every person has four relationships: with God, with himself, with other human beings, and with other living beings." Moreover, our knowledge is participant, because there cannot be "a separation of the knower from the known."
Although Mr. Lukacs acknowledges that matter existed before the human mind, its preexistence is meaningless, because "without the human mind we cannot think of its 'existence' at all. In this sense it may be argued that Mind preceded and may precede Matter (or: what we see and then call matter)."
Going further, Mr. Lukacs concludes: (1) "What happens is what people think happens." Thus, he denies the possibility of "objective" history. Yet, inconsistently, he objects to those who define history as "the narration of actions worth remembering." Worse, he insists, "every person is a historical person." (How about the millions of persons over the ages, who have died without leaving a trace?)
Mr. Lukacs also insists, "The human mind intrudes into causality, into the relation of causes and effects." For Mr. Lukacs, this conclusion — famously demonstrated by Heisenberg – leads to another: science is little more than a "probabilistic kind of knowledge with its own limits."
Now, I also have doubts about science, and not only about quantum physics. We've yet to satisfactorily explain how life originated on earth. Moreover, my mind reels when I read that within the first one-thousandth of a second after the big bang, a particle smaller than an atom expanded instantaneously to the size of a galaxy.
Yet, "uncertainty" with regard to quantum physics, the origin of life or even the scientific working backward from the expanding universe to the big bang hardly justifies doubt about whether water is H2O and it certainly does not support Mr. Lukacs, when he asserts: "When I, a frail and fallible man, say that every morning the sun comes up in the east and goes down in the west, I am not lying. I do not say that a Copernican or post-Copernican astronomer, stating the opposite, that the earth goes around the sun, is lying…But my commonsense experience about the sun and the earth is both prior to and more basic than any astronomer's formula."
Thus, when Mr. Lukacs further asserts, "the known and visible and measurable conditions of the universe are not anterior but consequent to our existence and to our consciousness," he believes that he has eviscerated the "Copernican/Keplerian/Galilean/Cartesian/Newtonian discovery" that removed both man and the earth from the center of the universe. Yet, he's accomplished no such thing. Newton's law of universal gravitation continues to bring to earth every consciousness convinced that it can remain aloft forever. Moreover, the brick wall will have its say, notwithstanding the fearless consciousness of every man determined to run through it. In a word, the "known" demands due respect from the "knower."
This has enormous implications for man's freedom, a matter Mr. Lukacs barely mentions. Ask any technophobe who has suffered through the upgrade of a computer program and subsequently found himself compelled to learn new ways to accomplish the same old tasks. He'll tell you that he felt like a helpless slave, subject to a new program (and, thus, the whims or insights of some distant technician). Yet, as the Russian philosopher Nicholas Berdyaev observed, virtually every type of "objectivized" knowledge poses such a threat to man's freedom.
In his book, Slavery and Freedom, Berdyaev defined objectivized knowledge as "the most 'objective' in the sense of verified truth." Thus, "the most objectivized knowledge is mathematical. It is the most universally binding and it is the concern of the whole of civilized mankind. But it is the most remote of all from human existence, from knowledge of the meaning and value of human existence."
Before Mr. Lukacs, it was Berdyaev (following Kierkegaard and Dostoevsky) who asserted the primacy of the conscious subject over the created object. But, unlike Mr. Lukacs, Berdyaev also explained how the conscious subject often enslaves himself by falling "into the power of the exteriorization" — the objectivized knowledge — he has created.
(It was Dostoevsky's famously rebellious "Underground man," who boldly asserted man's freedom, when he observed: "Consciousness…is infinitely higher than two times two.")
Finally, Mr. Lukacs' epistemological grand truth must be faulted for failing to subject his own Christian faith to the same "crucible of doubt" (as Dostoyevsky called it) that he employs to attack the claims made by science.
Crucible of doubt? Yes. Consider the work of Harold Bloom who asserts, in his book, Jesus and Yahweh: "There is not a sentence concerning Jesus in the entire New Testament composed by anyone who ever had met the unwilling King of the Jews, unless (and it is unlikely) the General Epistle of James truly is by James his brother, rather than one of James's followers."
Crucible of doubt? Yes. Consider the story of the "virgin birth" found in Matthew and Luke. According to biblical scholar, Paula Fredriksen, "The tradition that Jesus' mother was a virgin…draws on a prophecy available only in the Greek version of Isaiah 7:14: In the original Hebrew, the word that stands behind the Septuagint's parthenos, "virgin," is aalmah, "young girl." [Paula Fredriksen, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, p. 27].
Crucible of doubt? Yes. Consider the world's foremost New Testament scholar, the late Thomas Metzger, who examined virtually all of the New Testament witnesses (sources) and tells us that "the last twelve verses of Mark (xvi. 9-20) are lacking in the two earliest parchment codices." Thus, he concluded, "Mark was not responsible for the composition of the last twelve verses of the generally current form of the Gospel." Yet, it is those twelve verses that tell us about the risen Jesus first appearing to Mary Magdalene and, subsequently, to the eleven – to whom he said "go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature."
Crucible of doubt? Yes. Consider the exceptional work of America's foremost Jesus historian, John Dominic Crossan. Writing in his book, The Birth of Christianity, Crossan informs us that that it was not at all unusual in the Greco-Roman world for humans to believe that a holy spirit or god could join with a human to produce offspring. Thus, back then, the story of the Holy Spirit and Mary had nothing on The Aeneid (the epic story in which the union of the Trojan, Anchises, with the goddess Aphrodite results in the birth of Aeneas), or the birth of the historical figure, Augustus, whose mother, Atia, supposedly was impregnated by Apollo. (Does anyone, today, actually believe that Apollo impregnated Atia?)
Concerning Jesus' resurrection, Crossan notes that, even today, it's not all uncommon for those grieving a recent death to feel an "intuitive, sometimes overwhelming 'presence' or 'spirit' of the lost person." Thus, when one considers the fact that people crucified around Jerusalem were rarely buried in private tombs — because "it was actually nonburial that made being crucified alive one of the three supreme penalties of Roman punishment" — there's good reason to question pseudo-Mark's claim that Mary Magdalene saw an empty tomb and was the first to see the risen Jesus. (Crossan even goes so far as to assert that Mark "created" the story of Jesus' burial by Joseph of Arimathea.)
Crucible of doubt? Yes. New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman, writing in Lost Christianities, notes the following contradictions within the Gospels: "Did Jesus die during the afternoon before the Passover meal was eaten, as in John (see 19:14), or during the morning afterwards, as in Mark (see 14:12, 22; 15:25)? Did Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt after Jesus' birth as in Matthew (2:13-23), or did they return to Nazareth as in Luke (2:39)? Was Jairus's daughter sick and dying when he came to ask Jesus for help as in Mark (6:23, 25), or had she already died, as in Matthew (9:18)? After Jesus' resurrection, did the disciples stay in Jerusalem until he had ascended into heaven, as in Luke (24:1 – 52), or did they straightaway go to Galilee, as in Matthew (28:1 – 20)?"
If Mr. Lukacs is aware of such evidence, it hasn't prevented him from asserting that "the coming of Christ to earth may have been the central event of the universe: that the most consequential event in the entire universe occurred here, on this earth two thousand years ago."
Yet, beyond his failure to subject his Christian faith to the crucible of doubt he employs against the claims of science, Mr. Lukacs also knows that he is vulnerable to being hoisted by his own "grand truth" petard — which is why he feebly asserts: "But God is more than our invention. And to those who think that God is nothing but our invention my question is: Why? What makes human being s want such an invention? Is it not that a spark of God may exist within us?"
Such flaws in Last Rites render it a disappointing valedictory from such an erudite and accomplished gentleman.
Walter C. Uhler is an independent scholar and freelance writer whose work has been published in numerous publications, including Dissident Voice, The Nation, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the Journal of Military History, the Moscow Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. He also is President of the Russian-American International Studies Association (RAISA). He can be reached at: waltuhler@aol.com. Read other articles by Walter C., or visit Walter C.'s website.
This article was posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 8:00am and is filed under Beliefs, Book Review, Culture, History, Philosophy.
MrCynic3 said on March 3rd, 2009 at 6:30pm #
Mr. Uhler,
You wrote about Bush and his attack on Iraq :
"There have been many American presidents who had chosen to go to
war for different reasons: but I know of no [other] one who chose to go to war to enhance his popularity."
I don't know is this your opinion or John Lukas' opinion?
Anyway this is very naive and uniformed opinion about the mechanics
of going to war in this country.
No president no matter how powerful he is, just say let us have a war.
Going to war is the result of the ruling elites decision and after a long
ponering and discussions. Whether
that decision was wise decision and is good for the country or for the benefits of special interests is a good point to ponder.
is debatable
"My previous post had a let of spelling mistakes "
Anyway this is very naive and uninformed opinion about the mechanics
poneridng and discussions. Whether
Deadbeat said on March 3rd, 2009 at 9:45pm #
"Aggreesive Nationalism" wasn't the only reason why "America" went conservative. There was an immense backlash against all of the social movements especially the civil right movement and integration. Ronald Reagan inaugrated his Presidental Campiagn in Philedelphia, Mississippi where Civil Right workers were murdered. As MLK identified the triad of militarism, racism and capitalism. There should not be an effort to yanks these ideologies apart. It is better to understand how it all works together.
bozh said on March 4th, 2009 at 9:46am #
in my knowledge, all wars are waged for land; everything on it and in it; conqurees either wanted or not wanted.
?all leaders want to glorify selves.
only the trojan war was not- if homer is to believed- fought for land; provided that war ever happened.
so, the evaluation that each prez waged his war[s] for diff't reasons and sans factors/causes for them, cannot stand.
the word "reason" is an overgeneralization; specifying a cause or a factor wld be by far more illuminating.
shabnam,
it appears to me unlikely to a very high degree that US aggressed against iraq to hand part[s] or all of it to 'jews'.
and torahic claim for lands btwn the two great rivers notwithstanding.
lotsof impious amers died to obtain iraq. even christians may not be elated with giving iraq to the people of a cult which they never accepted and actually persecuted for 2K.
as an aside, in rereading Noam Chomsky, an interview with david barsamian, published 1992, they both use solely the labels "palestinian" and " palestinians" and not "palestinian arabs".
but in the Chomsky's Reader, 1984 , chomsky oft uses the label "palestinian arabs" .
but i'm not sure if he now thinks of the palestinians as also descendants of canaanitic peoples and hebrews.
or of the 'eurojews' as an admixture of many folks; having no connection at all to either hebrews or judeans.
i hope chomsky wld read DV. thnx
Barry said on March 4th, 2009 at 11:12am #
I think the US war on Iraq was fought for several reasons. Firstly, the Neocons wanted it, and were actively pushing for attacking Iraq for a number of years. This largely has to do with maintenance of Israeli regional hegemony. It has also to do with petroleum and natural gas – to some degree ownership of these resources thru American corporations, but at the very least, to control of supply and pricing. In this matter, the neocons would find a reinforcing reason for attack – but oil control is perhaps even more important to the Paleocons. It is understood by Paleocons that if the US does not gain control over world oil supplies, a rapidly strengthening China is likely to. Further, there is always the imperial goal of opening any and all markets for capital penetration. So Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, et al all had material reasons for destroying Iraq.
Bush's reasons are likely more psychological in nature – he wanted to prove himself in the eyes of his father, and to surpass his father who he believes failed to take Saddam. He saw his mission as finishing the job his father started. Further, the ever so simplistic Bush believes that any president worth his salt has a succesful war he can claim his own. Reagan had Granada, Bush Elder had Panama, Clinton had former Yugoslavia. None of Bush's tangle of superstitions can be said to be the reason the US attacked Iraq but instead made it easy for Cheney and Rumsfeld to forge ahead.
War also provides opportunity for major internal change – that is, in time of war the nation can be made over. Constitutional amendments can be suspended (we now read that the First Amendment – free speech – was about to be punted away by Bush/Cheney), privacy rights can be tossed out the window so not just your phone but your entire life can be tapped, major economic changes such as privitization of capital can be pushed through (turning Social Security over to Wall Street sharks), ending taxes on unearned income, etc. Those who beg to differ can be branded as traitors, anyway, we all know the drill here – its about Shock Treatment to the nation – something Naomi Klein wrote about extensively. This shock treatment is not why the US invaded Iraq but are some of the sweet benefits that putting the nation on a wartime footing brings to our ruling elite.
Two other things – I don't think invading Iraq was about actually turning Iraq over to Israel or the Jews, that's beyond the possible. It's about regional hegemony. Israel wants no one to challenge it or support the Palestinians. This is the impetus for punishing Iran now – it is the only effective supporter of Hamas and Hezballah.
I agree with Deadbeat that the nation's move toward conservatism was and is about race. That is, the driving force of conservatism is racism and the notion that non-whites – and blacks in particular – are trying to get something for nothing while imposing their culture upon the nation. The rise of conservatism accompanied the voting rights and civil rights laws of the fifties and sixties. Republicans tapped into it in the South and virtually all whites switched sides. By the late 70s, much of white America joined in the switch.
bozh said on March 4th, 2009 at 12:42pm #
barry,
socalled israeli regional hegemony wld have never been established w.o. christian support.
and israel, i deduce, wld not have existed past 1955 w.o. christian support and/or judeo-christian money and diplo.
and once US accepted Israel {causes/aims still unknown} and began to pour even more money into Israel; supplying it with training/arms, israelis knew they are unstoppable in their quest for greater US/Europe/Israel.
most israelis may brush aside or not even espy their utter dependency on the christian world.
israel, when armaments and money she receives are taken into account, is one of the least independent countries i know of.
and precisely because of that, its cunning leadership welcomes nato and US wars and the attack on iran with even wmd.
israeli leadership wld certainly be/feel much less dependent on nato lands with an independented kurdistan.
taming or breaking up iran, iraq, syria and helping set up a kurdistan that wld include parts of syria, turkey, iraq, and iran wld be much gladhanded by 'zionists'.
more cld be said. thnx
Barry said on March 4th, 2009 at 6:50pm #
Israel has always been on welfare of one stripe or another – reparations, aid from East and West, and American Jewish donations in the billions. (And its tax deductible. You can give money to the Jewish National Fund which purpose is to buy land for Jews and never sell it to gentiles – and take a deduction for it.) Then when aid from the US kicked in big-time during the Johnson Admin. Israel was home-free. Israel, a developed nation, gets more welfare than any collection of poverty-stricken nations we can compile – and they get it on the terms that it dictates. Indeed, any time the US can sow havoc in the region gets a thumbs-up from Israel – in fact, they probably suggested the idea.
Nonetheless, as I do believe in self-determination for all peoples, and the Kurds have been desiring autonomy or independence for many decades, as far as I'm concerned, a Kurdish state would be the only positive outcome of the US invasion. I'm not certain that it would extend beyond Iraq. Israel would certainly be interested in an independent Kurdistan (they've advocated the break-up of Iraq as you know), but the world is a complicated place. I don't know if Israel lives or dies based on an independent Kurdish state.
Shabnam said on March 4th, 2009 at 10:35pm #
I suggest to people that learn history of the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa then bring 'self determination' rhetoric where Gilad Atzmon defined it as "The Right to Self-Determination – A Fake Exercise in Universalism", where it has been used by the Western powers in their game of 'divide and rule' where they have promised an ethnic group who wants to be a pawn, like the Kurds, 'self determination' in order to receive their services, usually terrorist activities, against a country that is targeted for destabilization and partition to create WEAK STATES to help the process of domination. A "self determination" at a time where western 'progressives' are preaching about 'globalization' and disappearance of borders for betterment of people, we in the middle east region witness people like Chomsky supports partition of Iraq and creation of Kurdistan which is Israel's goal. No one in the region benefits from an independent Kurdistan EXCEPT Israel. The US also do not benefit from an independent Kurdistan EXCEPT Israel.
Shimon Peres repeatedly reminds us about the 'globalization' and power of economic progress yet this liar everyday kills to steal more land and resources. We the people of the region are not going to allow ANOTHER ISRAEL IN OUR REGION. Creation of Israel has been a disaster to all states in the region but you; the West has benefitted from our children death bodies.
The European colonists do not belong to our region and you should have taken responsibility to give the best part of your fuck**g land to them because as a result of your crime "self determination" our region has been ruined and our children have been massacred and our environment has been polluted by your WMD while you were in school or Theatre enjoying yourself and planning your future.
You must know Kurdistan was part of Iran. The Kurdish territories located in Iraq and Turkey was taken from Iran in 1514 in the Battle of Chaldiran where Savavids Iran was invaded by Ottoman Empire. Today, the US imperialism and Zionism have a plan to destabilize the regional states including Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and other states to create mini states in order to control and dominate the region and its resources more effectively. What a state of 2 million people like Kosovo can do besides being a puppet state? Iranian people refuse to be subjugated to this kind of humiliation. The Kurds must understand that we should be working together, not against each other, to strengthen our economies and our societies. The regional countries must put aside their petty differences and join together, like European Union, to be able to fight against occupiers, Zionists and imperialists. We never allow another Israel, ever.
People must understand if there is creation of Kurdistan, then there is going to be more wars in order to expand their tribe like Israel. Israel is seeking to establish 'greater Israel' therefore; Israel feels she needs non-Arab states as an ally. Israel is interested in breaking up Iran into Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Baluchistan, Luristan and more. Imperialism and Zionism look at Iran like another Ottoman Empire. Muslims have never been humiliated the same degree as today. The entire region is under domination. You, of course, benefited from this arrangement, on our expense, controlling our economy and killing our children. Therefore, The Kurds must find a way to address their grievances by working with people of the region not against them. After all, the Kurds are not the only victims. We all have suffered from the western domination. The Kurds try to use victimization card, like the 'Jews' to buy sympathy. Different ethnic groups have lived together for thousands of years peacefully. We all are Iranians.
Since World War I Kurds have placed their trust in the United States to support their bid for nationhood, they provided cover for CIA operations against Iraq. The CIA has been meddling in Iraq with disastrous consequences for over four decades. After working with the corrupt Nuri Said, the USA went after Abdul-Karim Qassem, who eliminated the old British agent Nuri in 1958. Among those whom the CIA recruited to do its dirty work were the Iraqi Baath Party, including Saddam Hussein. The Baath did finally succeed in overthrowing and killing Qassem in 1963. The CIA let the Baath into power and gave them a long list of Communists to be killed. A secret agreement was reached between the CIA and Mulla Mustafa Barzani in August 1969. Barzani had promised to turn oil fields over to the U.S., repeatedly saying that he wanted Kurdistan to be the 51st state.
American used the Kurds many times for their agenda and then left them to be attacked by Saddam because they had other powerful states under their control, Iran, Turkey and the Arab States. But Israel continued working and relying on Kurds to get information on Saddam by building a hospital in the north of Iraq and put her agents, Mossad, as doctors in charge.
The Kurds should cooperate with others in the region not against them as enablers for the enemy of the region, zionism and imperialism. That's why the Kurds are not trusted and look upon as PAWNS.
https://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/03/the-right-to-self-determination-a-fake-exercise-in-universalism/


I had been eyeing this window display for a number of months now, but finally, I had my camera and grabbed the picture. It is kind of crazy to think how many window displays are in NY and how each (sleek or tacky) tries to tell the story of what is inside the store its representing.
Sitting behind us at the game last night were a team of Japanese kids supporting their man Hideki Matsui. Matsui gave them a real show by hitting two homeruns leading the Yankees to a 16-3 win against the White Sox.
After a week of not picking up the camera (so bad), I finally found a subject that inspired me. As I entered the home of the host of our first photo group yesterday, I was greeted by countless doggies. This was one of Jimmy's cuties.
I don't care how hot it gets. I would take a summer day over a winter one, especially if it means having a perfectly grilled hamburger while lounging on the grass.
Something pretty to look at.
The silhouette, a technique I have rarely attempted in photography, at least intentionally, can be effective if done right. Again, Coney Island provided the perfect back drop, so with a few adjustments on my manual setting, this is what the camera saw.


It is notified for the information of all concerned that the first Convocation of University of Haripur is tentatively scheduled to be held in last week of March or first week of April, 2019 at university campus for the students who have completed degree programmes in the academic years 2013, 2014, 2015.
All the students who already enrolled for convocation are eligible to attend the ceremony; new applications shall not be entertained. They are requested to fill registration form online (without fees) to ensure their presence in the convocation. They are also requested to download and fill registration form (without fees) and send it to the office concerned with in due dates to ensure their presence in the convocation. All the PhD scholars who will complete their degree till last date of Registration date are also entitled to attend the ceremony on the condition to register with fees mentioned in the registration form.
The application can be submitted online (Website www.uoh.edu.pk) from 1st February, 2019. The last date for submission of online application is 28th February, 2019. The convocation fee and guest fee for PhD scholars can be deposited in account no. 3139088108, National Bank of Pakistan (University Branch), Haripur.


Congratulations to Molly Works on placing first in the two mile (3200M) and second in the one mile(1600M) at the Sparta Invitational track meet last Friday. Also, congratulations to Zach Bickel who ran 2:12.88 in the half mile (800M) moving him in to fifth place on the all-time New Athens top five list. The boy's track team is scheduled to compete at Sparta on Thursday.
The baseball and softball teams have home games scheduled today against Steeleville.
Juniors will be taking the PSAE/ACT tests on Wednesday and Thursday.
Students are asked to not litter in the high school parking lot. Students who are seen doing so are submect to losing their parking priviliges.


text:
Q: Which database does Stack Overflow use behind-the-scenes? Stack Overflow is developed using ASP.NET and C#. I found this fact in various answers here. So, I was wondering which database Stack Overflow uses. Is it Microsoft SQL Server, as would be expected with ASP.NET, or some other platform entirely?
Also, what about the membership and authentication? Does it rely on the regular membership classes and tables shipped with the ASP.NET Framework, or they have developed their own user classes, database-tables, etc.?

A: As far as the database goes, SQL Server 2008 R2.  See this other post for all the gory details on the technology stack used to build SE.  LINQ-to-Sql and Dapper are both used for data access concerns.

A: I think SQL Server: http://sqlserverpedia.com/wiki/Interesting_StackOverflow_Database_Queries

A: The Stack Overflow blog talks some about about their usage of OpenID.
And the development team has even created their own open source OpenID provider called StackID.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
May 21, 2008 by EmanuelLevy
Sony Classic Release April 24, 2009
Cannes Film Fest 2008 (Certain Regard)–"Tyson," James Toback's intimate and highly sympathetic portrait of Mike Tyson, the heavyweight champion who for many people still represents one of the most primitive and "baddest" human beings, sheds light on the life of its notorious protagonist, trying (but doesn't always convince) to explain the man's demons, and his sinking into the lowest depths of conduct.
Even so, the docu, which received its world premiere at the 2008 Cannes Film Fest's sidebar Un Certain Regard, deserves a look by audiences, who may learn a thing or two they didn't know about Tyson, the subject of several TV movies, numerous news shows and interviews. Theatrical prospects are good for a limited release of a docu that would get larger exposure in ancillary markets, TV and DVD.
It's good to see Toback practicing again his skills behind the camera after several artistic and commercial flops, including "Exposed," "Black and White," and "When Will I Be Loved." Arguably, with the exception of Paul Schrader, it's hard to think of another 1970s intelligent filmmaker, who enjoyed a brilliant beginning, with such efforts as "Fingers" and "The Pick-Up Artist" (with Robert Downey Jr.), but then for various reasons experienced a tremendous decline.
Toback has been more successful as a scribe, penning the gangster biopic and multiple Oscar-nominee "Bugsy" (with Warren Beatty), but that was in 1991. Toback's last decent (but decidedly not great) film was "Two Girls and a Guy," a decade ago, a serio-comic examination of a menage-a-trois, rumination on the incompatibility of romantic monogamy and sexual curiosity, starring Robert Downey Jr., Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner.
"Tyson" is Toback's second non-fictional work after "The Big Bang," his 1999 feature that explores the intricate connections between orgasm, sex, love, madness, murder, crime, death and the origin and fate of the cosmos. I recommend that you rent this eccentric docu, whose cast includes a philosopher-nun, an Auschwitz Holocaust survivor, a gangster, a cosmologist, a jazz saxophonist, a basketball star, a concert violinist, and two children.
Adopting the format of a lengthy, in-depth interview, "Tyson" is a non-judgmental work that examines the rise and fall of the boxer-celeb, who comes across as a more complex, interesting, alert, and even funny man than given credit to. The key to Toback's docu is based on Tyson's own observation, "They can judge me but they will never understand me." Nor does Toback, for that matter.
Toback has first met Tyson two decades ago, when actor Anthony Michael Hall brought him to the set of "The Pick-Up Artist," in the Museum of Natural History, to meet Downey Jr. They continued to see each other and kept in touch, when Tyson got out of prison after three and a half year stint for a false rape conviction. In fact, Toback created a role for Tyson in his film "Black and White, giving the celeb what he describes as the leeway to riff on the abyss of prison misery," which Tyson played with great power.
In the docu, which uses for the most part Tyson's own words and often bizarre, pseudo-intellectual observations, the champ recalls his tough childhood, growing up in poverty and misery. Looking at a man like Tyson, it's almost hard to believe that he was bullied and humiliated as a young boy, and that his future life had been shaped by those traumatic episodes.
Introduced to boxing at the young age of 12, Tyson acknowledges the influential role of his first major trainer, the legendary Cus d'Amato, who became a father-mentor figure. He relates in a rather candid and engaging mode how boxing brought not only a semblance of order, discipline, and structure to an otherwise messy, hard life, but also a greater sense of self-esteem and even pride. Indeed, in 1986, at age 20, Tyson became the youngest man ever to win the heavyweight championship, when he defeated Trevor Berbick. It was barely a year after D'Amato's death, which means that the most important man in Tyson's life never got to see him at his greatest moment of fame and glory.
Shortly after, like other rages-to-riches stories of many showbiz celebs, abuse and degradation begin with excessive drinking, drugs, and all kinds of women. Tyson admits to have gone through several rehabs in order to get clean and sober.
Cinematically, "Tyson" is a rather conventional, straightforward docu, with Toback the interviewer asking direct, often confrontational questions (but not appearing on screen), while his camera zooms in on his subject with some revelatory close-ups. Split screen and overlapping soundtrack in which we hear Tyson's conflicting voices and emotions occupying a mind that's truly a battlefield.
A shrewd filmmaker, Toback knows when to insert humorous anecdotes and how to variegate the tone of his 90-minute work so that it will not appear as a talking-head film. To that extent, he includes archival footage of major Tyson fights on the ring with Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Buster Douglas, as well as TV interviews and old newsreels.
One of the film's highlights is a revelatory Barbara Walters interview, in which Tyson and former wife-actress Robin Givens share some candid thoughts, including Givens' testimony of Tyson's manic-depressive manner and both physical and mental abuse. "We were just kids," Tyson later says about his brief (only eight months) marriage.
Ultimately, what's interesting about Toback's approach is its effort to understand Iron Mike's deep rage and inner demons, speculating that they may reflect lifelong damaging low self-esteem. Some of the anger was obviously channeled into his work, as he remarks, "You could say that my job was to hurt people."
Toback seems too accepting of Tyson's "blackouts," those dark moments that unleashed his worst, animalistic instincts, leading to outrageous (mis) conduct in both public and private life. The helmer refuses to clinically diagnose his subject, but it's never entirely clear how much he believes his protag's subjective theories and whether he thinks they serve as sufficient or rational explanation for irrational behavior. For that goal, another, more detached and probing work would be needed. (A colleague remarked at the end of the press screening that "Tyson" suggests a clear case of brain damage).
In the end, we are left with a partial portrait that humanizes Tyson, showing him as softer and more self-conscious than his long-enduring public image had allowed, but shies away from real illumination of a man, who's still struggling with achieving a peace of mind.
A Fyodor Productions and Green Room Films presentation.
International sales: Wild Bunch, Paris.
Produced by James Toback, Damon Bingham.
Executive producers: Mike Tyson, Harlan Werner, Nicholas Jarecki, Henry Jarecki, Bob Yari.
Co-producers: Warren Farnes, Salaam Remi, Nas.
Directed by James Toback.
Camera: Larry McConkey.
Editor: Aaron Yanes.
Music: Salaam Remi; song "Legendary" by Nas.
Sound: David Gekler. Supervising sound editor: Byron Wilson.
Re-recording mixers: Skip Lievsay, Brad North.
Running time: 90 Minutes.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Tag: US National Pro Road Champion
Guests: Dr. Eric Marcotte; Steph Routh; Sarai Snyder
In Cleveland, it's all about that basketball player; but, here at the Outspoken Cyclist, it's about bicycling – the Tour de France, The Giro Rosa, and more! (LeBron WHO?)
So, first up we go out to Scottsdale, AZ. I am honored to welcome our U.S. National Road Champion – Dr. Eric Marcotte. What you might find most interesting is not that he won that race; but, rather his philosophy on HOW to win races and what is necessary to have the physical, mental, and emotional strength to take home that first place prize.
Eric also tells us about his team – Smart Stop – and where they might be headed in the months and years ahead.
Then we leave Scottsdale, AZ and boogey up to Portland, Oregon to speak with Steph Routh. Steph is the "Mayor of Hopscotch Town" and a "funnist" (you'll have to listen to learn what that is.) In any event, she is FUN! We talk about many of the things she's done (a lot), and the Alice B. Toeclips award she won.
Her new book, How to Move By Bike was just published by Taking the Lane Press and details the steps necessary to recruit all your friends, load up their bikes with your stuff, and pedal it all to your new abode.
Finally, we welcome Sarai Snyder back to the show. Sarai, who is the founder of Girl-Bike-Love and Cyclo-Femme, has just launched an exciting new initiative – "Women Race Bikes" – a platform to showcase women's racing in the U.S. as well as worldwide. In an effort to get more coverage for women's racing, WRB is working with Tour Tracker to upload a brand new platform for race announcing and Sarai will tell us all about that and why WRB is an important idea as women's racing begins to expand and blossom.


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Ontario's economy lurches from disaster to disaster
It's now the largest federal total transfer recipient in Canada.
November 28, 2014	Livio Di Matteo
Ontario's economic prospects have declined, and despite Finance Minister Charles Sousa's insistence he can balance the budget, there are implications for the province's fiscal position and future standard of living.
A lower dollar has helped employment to rebound, but the province's economic fall from grace over the last 20 years is evident from a number of key economic indicators.
While still the largest economy of the 10 provinces, its share of provincial output dropped from 42% in 1990 to 37% by 2013. Real per capita GDP was the second highest (after Alberta) in 1990 but has dropped to fifth place, behind BC but above Manitoba. Real per capita GDP growth has been among the lowest in the country.
Ontario's economy reached a crucial point after the 1980s economic boom that saw free trade with the US and a shift away from the traditional east-west economic alignment. After the jarring recession of the early 1990s, its decline was forestalled by both a combination of a lower dollar and booming US economy, which drove Ontario's export sector, and a public sector restructuring that lowered taxes.
But this boost petered out in the early 21st century with the return of more interventionist government economic policy and a corresponding increase in taxes, plus a flawed green energy industrial strategy that raised energy costs. Economic productivity faltered and the 2009 tilt into recession was compounded by an appreciating Canadian dollar and Ontario's trade dependence on the US for its manufacturing exports.
Ontario has demonstrated poor GDP growth, productive capital investment and private sector employment creation. This economic decline is reflected in the deterioration of public finances as it seeks to maintain a high level of public spending despite weak economic productivity and revenue growth. The result is persistent deficits and rising debt.
Ontario has three times the population of BC but a negative gross operating balance that is 10 times worse. According to new Statistics Canada government finance statistics for the 2008 to 2012 period, Ontario's government had a negative cumulative gross operating balance – in essence accumulated deficits – of $84 billion. The next worst performer was BC, with a negative cumulative gross balance of only $8 billion.
Moreover, Ontario's net public debt of $267 billion represented 50% of provincial net debt in 2013. It's only by the grace of low interest rates that Ontario's debt service costs have not been more problematic.
Despite having the lowest per capita public expenditures in the country, Ontario has acquired a structural gap between its revenues and expenditures with its expenditure-to-GDP ratio consistently above its revenue-to-GDP ratio. Ontario needs to cut expenditures, raise revenues or engage in some combination of the two. However, given the anaemic economy, raising taxes would be counterproductive while cutting expenditures is politically unpopular.
Ontario tends to blame the federal transfer system for its chronic deficits and argue for an improved federal fiscal framework that better supports the province. Yet the evidence shows Ontario is already a much greater beneficiary of the federal transfer system. With its large population, per capita federal cash transfers are the third lowest in the country – ahead of only Alberta and Saskatchewan. But between 1990 and 2013, per capita transfers in Ontario grew the fastest of all provinces and its share of total federal cash transfers rose from 23% to 32%, supplanting Quebec as the largest federal total transfer recipient.
Ontario must boost its economic productivity and innovation, diversify its export sector to take advantage of the Asia-Pacific region, reduce the cost of electricity, and provide better value for its public sector services. And the economy must grow to provide a stronger revenue base for its public services.
It's a travesty that in a generation, Ontario has gone from being a high-flying economic eagle to a lurching albatross seeking to benefit from a gust of federal cash transfers.
This article is distributed by Troy Media in Calgary. Visit www.troymedia.com.
Economy General Government Manufacturing economics Government manufacturing
NL has fastest growing economy thanks to oil production: report
Canadian economy in for a very bumpy ride
Business leaders' confidence sours on Canadian economy: survey
Statistics Canada says economy contracted 0.1% in February [UPDATED]
Corporations play a vital role in society
Growth Tips: Solving customers' problems with value


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A2Votes
Requests for Automatic Mailing of Absent Voter Ballot Applications
Election Inspectors
Filing Petitions
"I Voted" Sticker Design Contest
Home » Departments » City Clerk » Elections
Quick Links:
Michigan Voter Information Center: check your voter registration, absentee ballot status and view sample ballots.
Michigan Secretary of State Elections and Voting FAQs
Polling Place Location Information
Ballot Drop Boxes
Information for Absentee Voters News Release (Oct. 10, 2020)
Election Day Line Tracker - Know before you Go!
Get your digital "I Voted" sticker at A2Votes!
City Elections are held in the City of Ann Arbor every even year. Elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in August (Primary) and November (General). Polling places are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on election days. The City Clerk is the City's chief elections officer and is responsible for the administration of all City Elections.
Notice of City Election Commission Meeting and Participation in Statewide Risk Limiting Audit
A meeting of the City Election Commission is scheduled for 9:30 A.M. on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at Larcom City Hall, 301 E Huron St, Basement Conference Room, for the purpose of participating in a statewide risk limiting audit of ballots cast at the November 3, 2020 General Election. Regular business of the City Election Commission, including recommending legislative priorities, will also be conducted at this meeting.
A risk limiting audit is conducted to confirm the accuracy of ballot tabulation machines. This entails hand-counting thousands of randomly selected ballots statewide. The City of Ann Arbor will participate by pulling and counting ballots selected by the State for City precincts.
The public can watch this process live via Zoom:
Webinar ID: 948 0491 5200 Passcode: 886361
or Join via Phone: 877 853 5247 (Toll Free) or 888 788 0099 (Toll Free)
Notice of Absent Voter Ballot Pre-Processing Activities
Please take notice that the City of Ann Arbor will conduct absent voter ballot pre-processing activities on Monday, November 2, 2020, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and concluding no later than 8:00 p.m. at Huron High School, 2727 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 in the cafeteria.
Notice of PreProcessing of Absentee Ballots 101420.pdf
Published in compliance with Section 168.765 of Michigan Election Law.
Jacqueline Beaudry
Ann Arbor City Clerk
Publish: October 14, 2020
City Clerk's Office Extended Hours!
The City Clerk's Office is open extra hours in October!
Wednesdays, October 7, 14, 21 and 28, we are open to the public from 8am until 7pm. Come visit us to register to vote or get your absentee ballot!
The City Clerk's Office is also open to the public Saturdays, October 24 and 31 from 8am until 4pm.
City Clerk's Office Closed to the Public on Wednesday, November 4
Please note that in anticipation of a late Election Night, the City Clerk's Office will be closed to the public during regular business hours on Wednesday, November 4 to allow staff time to rest and to focus on the final closing details of the election. We appreciate your patience as we prioritize our work around the integrity of a safe and secure election.
Absentee Ballot Envelopes - Postage paid for November 3!
With support from the Michigan Secretary of State and federal CARES Act funding, absentee ballot return envelopes for the November 3 General Election are postage paid return. The USPS recommends mailing ballots at least 7 days in advance of the election.
Michigan's absentee ballot envelopes have changed with a new design and all new look. Don't miss them coming to a mailbox near you soon! All ballots being sent to voters via the mail will now come in a white and blue envelope. The ballot inside has not changed, but the return envelope is also new, with a white and green design. The Post Office has been alerted to the new look and we hope this will alleviate any delivery mistakes - green envelopes come back to City Hall for processing! Please contact the City Clerk's Office if you have any questions about your absentee ballot or if you need to apply for one.
Upcoming Elections - Statewide General Election (Presidential Election) on Tuesday, November 3
Get Election Night Results here!
The next election in the City of Ann Arbor is the Statewide General Election on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. This election, in addition to the election of the President of the United States, includes local races, including City Council Members, City Charter amendment proposals and other State and County offices. More information on all ballot proposals can be located on the County Clerk's web page.
The last day to register to vote by mail, or with any designated voter registration agency (e.g. County Clerk, Secretary of State Branch Office, etc.), for the November 3 election is Monday, October 19, 2020. After this date, voters can still register in-person at the City Clerk's Office with proof of residency until 8:00 P.M. on Election Day.
The Ann Arbor City Clerk's Office will be open for in-person voter registration and absentee ballot requests on Saturday, October 31, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Voters registering to vote within 14 days of an election will be required to provide proof of residency.
Returning your Absent Voter Ballot
A recent court ruling has reversed a prior decision to allow receipt of postmarked ballots after Election Day. Voters MUST return ballots no later than 8 p.m. on Election. The City Clerk's Office recommends that voters return ballots in advance of Election Day, and no later than Election Night at 8 p.m. Voters can return ballots in person at City Hall or one of our secure drop boxes located around town, or via mail or other courier.
The City Clerk's Office has an indoor ballot drop box in the north vestibule of City Hall as well as a new large drop box on Ann Street for drive-up convenience. These ballot boxes are accessible 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. We recommend that voters use the drop boxes or hand-deliver to the City Clerk's Office on the 2nd Floor during the last week before the election to ensure delivery and receipt by Election Day.
Ballot Drop Box Locations
Any Ann Arbor resident voting absentee can return their ballot in one of the secure drop boxes. Following is a list of all drop box locations (or view the map at https://www.a2gov.org/departments/city-clerk/Elections/Documents/offical_ballot_drop_box_map%202020.pdf (PDF)); directional signage at some outdoor locations will provide guidance to the boxes:
Larcom City Hall, 301 E. Huron St., always open — Located inside the building, at the north entrance.
*Larcom City Hall, on Ann Street — Located outside the building by the customer service drop box, on the north side of Ann Street, just east of Fifth Avenue.
*Veterans Memorial Park Ice Arena and Pool, 2150 Jackson Ave. — Parking lot.
*Ann Arbor Fire Station 5, 1946 Beal Ave. — Outside.
*Cobblestone Farm/Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Customer Service Center, 2781 Packard Road — Outside.
*Ann Arbor Fire Station 6, 1881 Briarwood Circle — Northwest side of building, Eisenhower entrance, outside.
*New satellite Ann Arbor City Clerk's Office: University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St., 10 a.m.–7 p.m. only — Located inside in the Stenn Gallery on the first floor. Please note, entrance is permitted only following clearance from COVID-19 health screening, which will be conducted by personnel onsite. For more information on this satellite office, visit https://www.a2gov.org/news/pages/article.aspx?i=734.
Absentee Ballot Applications
Mailing of Absentee Ballot Applications for November 3 Election
The Michigan Secretary of State's Office mailed all registered voters in the State of Michigan absentee ballot application forms by mail in early June. These absentee ballot application forms contained an option to receive ballots in the mail for both the August 4th Primary and the November 3rd General Elections. Voters who completed these forms requesting ballots for both elections, or any other request form, do not need to reapply for a November ballot. Active voters who did not apply for an August and November ballot over the summer will be sent another application form by the City Clerk's Office in early September. This form will allow voters to request a November ballot. Any voter registered in the City of Ann Arbor who is interested in receiving a ballot by mail should return a completed signed application to the City Clerk by mail or in person at 301 E. Huron Street, 2nd Floor, Ann Arbor 48103; by fax at 734-994-8296; or email at cityclerk@a2gov.org. Faxed and emailed forms can be in any file format (PDF,JPEG, etc), but must include the voter's signature. Voters no longer need a reason to receive a ballot by mail in advance of Election Day.
NEW! Voters with a Michigan driver's license of State ID can apply online for a ballot here!
Voters who have returned application forms to the City Clerk can expect ballots to be available and mailed beginning September 24.
Absentee Ballot Envelopes - New for 2020!
Permanent Polling Place Change, Ward 1, Precincts 1 and 12 (1-1 and 1-12) Relocated to Michigan Union
The City Clerk's Office has been notified by the University of Michigan that the Michigan Union, located at 530 S. State Street, which has been under renovation for nearly two years, will reopen in January 2020. Voters assigned to these Precincts (Ward 1, Precinct 1 and 12) will be permanently relocated back to the Michigan Union, beginning with the March 10, 2020 Presidential Primary. All affected voters in Precincts 1-1 and 1-12 will receive a new voter ID card alerting them of the new polling place assignment. Voters can look for the cards in mid January. Please email or call the City Clerk for more information.
Permanent Polling Place Change, Ward 1, Precinct 4 (1-4) Relocated to City Hall, 301 E. Huron Street
Voters previously assigned to Precinct 1-4 at Second Baptist Church, 850 Red Oak Drive, will be assigned to City Hall, 301 E. Huron Street, beginning with the March 10, 2020 Presidential Primary. All affected voters in Precinct 1-4 will receive a new voter ID Card alerting them of the new polling place assignment. Voters can look for the cards in mid January. Please email or call the City Clerk for more information.
Permanent Polling Place Change, Ward 5, Precinct 3 (5-3) Relocated to Ann Arbor Open at Mack, 920 Miller Avenue
Voters previously assigned to Precinct 5-3 at Second Baptist Church, 850 Red Oak Drive, will be assigned to Ann Arbor Open at Mack, 920 Miller Avenue, beginning with the March 10, 2020 Presidential Primary. All affected voters in Precinct 5-3 will receive a new voter ID Card alerting them of the new polling place assignment. Voters can look for the cards in mid January. Please email or call the City Clerk for more information.
Election Day Line Tracker
Check the number of people waiting in line at your City polling place and view estimated wait times before you stand in line. Line counts are updated by the City's election inspectors in real time on Election Day!
The Election Day Line Tracker includes photos of each building, as well as links to maps and directions. Know before you go!
Prefer to vote by mail or absentee? Sign up for our permanent absent voter application list and skip the lines!
Selfie Stations at Polling Places
Voters looking for the perfect backdrop to help showcase their civic pride can look no further than their polling place. Whether returning an absentee ballot at Larcom City Hall on Election Day, or voting at a precinct, voters can pause for an "I voted" selfie. Special "I voted, #A2Votes" posters will be featured at polling places; and there will even be an "I voted, #A2Votes" banner in the first floor lobby of Larcom City Hall. Tag us on social media using #A2Votes.
"I Voted" Sticker Design Winning Stickers Coming November !
Update - Thank you to all of the artists, of all ages and backgrounds, who submitted entries in the City's "I Voted" Sticker design contest. The three winning designs are being printed now for distribution in absentee ballots and at polling sites on November 3! Don't forget to share your voting pride on social media using the hashtag, #A2Votes.
November 2018 - Passage of "Promote the Vote" Brings Changes to Election Law
The passage of Proposal 3 in November of 2018, enshrined in the Michigan Constitution various changes related to the voting process, including the following new voter rights:
Protecting the right to vote a secret ballot.
Providing voters the option to vote a straight party ballot.
Allowing citizens to register to vote by mail until 15 days before an election.
Citizens can also register to vote in person with the City Clerk's Office until 8:00 P.M. on Election night with proof of residency.
Allows for all registered voters to vote an absentee ballot without providing a reason.
With this change to the Michigan Constitution, the City of Ann Arbor has simplified the process for enrolling on the City's Automatic Absent Voter Application List. If you are interested in signing up to be on the list to automatically receive an application each election, an online request form is available here.
Special Elections
Special elections may be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May as needed, or in August or November of odd-years when regular elections are not normally held.
Sign up to receive election
e-mail updates.
CityClerk@a2gov.org
The City Clerk's Office currently closes from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. daily for lunch.


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Israel - Liga Bet tips and stats for Thursday (23 January 2020)
Hapoel Ramot Menashe - Ironi Nesher
Hapoel Ramot Menashe have lost their last 5 games.
Hapoel Ramot Menashe have conceded over 0.5 goals in their last 5 games.
Hapoel Ramot Menashe have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Ironi Nesher have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Hapoel Kiryat Ono - Hapoel Hod Hasharon
Hapoel Kiryat Ono have won over 2.5 corners in their last 4 games.
Hapoel Hod Hasharon have scored over 0.5 goals in their last 7 games.
Hapoel Hod Hasharon have won over 2.5 corners in their last 6 games.
Bnei Bir al-Maksur - Maccabi Ma'alot Tarshiha
Bnei Bir al-Maksur have under 3.5 goals in their last 7 games.
Bnei Bir al-Maksur have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 7).
Beitar Yavne - Shikun HaMizrah
Beitar Yavne have lost their last 5 games.
Beitar Yavne have over 2.5 goals in their last 4 games.
Beitar Yavne have conceded over 1.5 goals in their last 5 games.
Beitar Yavne have won over 2.5 corners in their last 4 games.
Shikun HaMizrah have over 1.5 goals in their last 7 games.
Shikun HaMizrah have scored over 0.5 goals in their last 12 games.
Shikun HaMizrah have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Hapoel Kfar Bara - Beitar Ramat Gan
Hapoel Kfar Bara have over 1.5 goals in their last 6 games.
Hapoel Kfar Bara have conceded over 1.5 goals in their last 6 games.
Beitar Ramat Gan have under 3.5 goals in their last 7 games.
Beitar Ramat Gan have conceded over 0.5 goals in their last 6 games.
Hapoel Tuba-Zangariyye - Beitar Nahariya
Hapoel Tuba-Zangariyye have scored over 0.5 goals in their last 7 games.
Hapoel Tuba-Zangariyye have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 6).
Beitar Nahariya have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Bnei Eilat - MS Be'er Sheva
Both teams to score in the last 10 games of Bnei Eilat.
Bnei Eilat have over 2.5 goals in their last 10 games.
Bnei Eilat have scored over 0.5 goals in their last 10 games.
Bnei Eilat have conceded over 0.5 goals in their last 25 games.
MS Be'er Sheva have over 1.5 goals in their last 4 games.
MS Be'er Sheva have conceded over 0.5 goals in their last 4 games.
Bnei Eilat have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Both teams to score in 100% of the games of Bnei Eilat in the last 2 months (total games 8).
MS Be'er Sheva have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 7).
Hapoel Sandala Gilboa - Maccabi Ahi Iksal
Hapoel Sandala Gilboa have over 2.5 goals in their last 4 games.
Hapoel Sandala Gilboa have conceded over 0.5 goals in their last 9 games.
Hapoel Sandala Gilboa have won over 3.5 corners in their last 5 games.
Maccabi Ahi Iksal have over 1.5 goals in their last 4 games.
Hapoel Sandala Gilboa have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 7).
Maccabi Ahi Iksal have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 6).
Pardes Hanna-Karkur - Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt
Pardes Hanna-Karkur have conceded over 0.5 goals in their last 17 games.
Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt have over 2.5 goals in their last 4 games.
Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt have scored over 0.5 goals in their last 4 games.
Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt have won over 2.5 corners in their last 14 games.
Pardes Hanna-Karkur have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 7).
Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel - Hapoel Bnei Musmus
Both teams to score in the last 5 games of Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel.
Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel have over 1.5 goals in their last 5 games.
Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel have scored over 0.5 goals in their last 5 games.
Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel have conceded over 0.5 goals in their last 7 games.
Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel have won over 2.5 corners in their last 5 games.
Hapoel Bnei Musmus have under 3.5 goals in their last 14 games.
Hapoel Tirat HaCarmel have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Hapoel Bnei Musmus have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 7).
Ironi Modi'in - Dimona
Ironi Modi'in have over 3.5 goals in their last 4 games.
Dimona have over 1.5 goals in their last 8 games.
Dimona have scored over 0.5 goals in their last 8 games.
Ironi Modi'in have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Ironi Modi'in have over 2.5 goals in 88% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Dimona have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).
Maccabi Bnei Raina - Maccabi Neve Sha'anan
Maccabi Bnei Raina have scored over 0.5 goals in their last 7 games.
Maccabi Bnei Raina have won over 4.5 corners in their last 4 games.
Maccabi Neve Sha'anan have over 0.5 goals in 100% of their games in the last 2 months (total games 8).


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Violence tests Obama's foreign policy
Konrad Yakabuski
If Republican nominee Mitt Romney flubbed his first major foreign-policy gambit, Democrats should be careful about gloating too much. The volatile political climate in Egypt, Libya and other Arab Spring countries is a far bigger test for President Barack Obama and his kinder, gentler foreign-policy approach. And should the violent anti-American protests persist, U.S. voters could come to prefer Mr. Romney's tough talk.
Mr. Obama came to office promising "a new beginning" between the United States and the Muslim world. Yet, the conciliatory talk did not seem to win the United States many new friends as the Arab Spring unfolded. If anything, U.S. influence in a region critical to American interests has declined. The consequences could be far-reaching and, unless the protests die down soon, Mr. Obama could be on defensive for the rest of the campaign.
"The Obama administration had a view that if only we showed the Arab and Muslim worlds that we cared, things would change," noted Georgetown University international affairs professor Robert Lieber. "But public opinion shows that the United States is no more popular in large chunks of the Middle East that it was under George W. Bush."
If the Arab Spring continues to foment anti-American sentiment, Mr. Obama may have to adopt a more hard-line approach – such as threatening to withhold aid to Egypt and backing the Muslim Brotherhood's secular opposition. It would not be his first about-face. He wound up embracing many of Mr. Bush's antiterrorism policies after campaigning against them in 2008. The prison at Guantanamo Bay is still open and Mr. Obama has ordered more drone attacks on terrorist targets in his first term than Mr. Bush did in two.
Rhetorically at least, Mr. Obama has already started to embrace the tenets of American exceptionalism, the idea the United States has a special mission to spread its values around the world.
"We believe that [basic freedoms] are not just American rights. We believe they are universal aspirations," Mr. Obama said at a campaign rally in Colorado on Thursday. "That's our light to the world. And our task as the most powerful nation on Earth is to defend and protect and advance our people, but also to defend and protect and advance those values at home and around the world."
It was a striking new tone from a President who, earlier in his term, said: "I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."
The shift was no coincidence. If Mr. Romney was largely seen as bungling his response to the protests, at least one aspect of his critique of the administration's conduct had the Obama campaign worried enough to beef up Mr. Obama's campaign speeches.
"Apology for America's values is never the right course," Mr. Romney said after the U.S. embassy in Cairo released a statement condemning the anti-Muslim video that sparked the protests.
The comment echoed Republican accusations that Mr. Obama, eager to build bridges with the Arab world, has been too sheepish about promoting American values.
Mr. Obama's national security successes – killing Osama bin Laden and ending the war in Iraq – have so far insulated him against such attacks. Most voters still give him high marks for his handling of foreign policy. But that could change if the President's largely "hands off" approach toward the Arab Spring allows anti-American forces to gain traction in the Middle East.
In his seminal mid-2009 speech in Cairo, the very city where the anti-American protests began this week, Mr. Obama did not apologize for America, as Mr. Romney charges. But unlike Mr. Bush, he did admit that the United States is not always right. By historical standards, that was a major concession.
"No system of government can and should be imposed upon one nation by any other," Mr. Obama said. "America does not presume to know what is best for everyone."
Yet, despite the fact that the U.S. had pressed the Egyptian military to speed up the transfer of power to Egypt's democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi this week put pandering to an anti-U.S population before nurturing a strategic partnership with the U.S. And for all his early overtures toward Iran, Mr. Obama does not appear to have stopped that country's march toward nuclear capability.
Meanwhile, the strongest American ally in the region feels forsaken, driving U.S.-Israel relations to arguably a historic low. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week warned the United States that, because of its failure to send Iran an ultimatum, it had "no moral right to place a red light" before a potential military strike by Israel.
Mr. Obama made "the tacit assumption that the major determinant of how other countries act toward us is primarily a reaction to what the United States says and does, rather than primarily [a function of] their own history, ideology, beliefs, interests and the personalities and choices of their leaders," said Prof. Lieber, a former foreign policy adviser to Bill Clinton. "The administration bent over backwards for two years to engage Iran, when it was clear that it wasn't us, it was them."
Bruce Jentleson, a Duke University international affairs professor and a national security adviser to the Obama administration, rejects the Republican criticism of Mr. Obama's approach to foreign policy.
"Their version of leadership is a lot of bluster. It's more about rhetoric than results," Prof. Jentleson insisted. "There is a basic understanding in the Arab and Muslim world that this President and administration are trying to work in a relationship of mutual respect and trust."
That may be true. But for now, Mr. Obama's approach is being put to the test.
Follow Konrad Yakabuski on Twitter: @konradyakabuskiOpens in a new window
Mideast leaders call for restraint as film protests continue
Violence escalates in Arab and Muslim worlds over inflammatory anti-Islam film
Violence escalates in Arab and Muslim worlds over anti-Islam film
Protesters storm U.S. embassy in Tunisia as anger over anti-Islam film grows
Toronto group hopes to screen anti-Islam film in name of tolerance
U.S. ratchets up security in face of fury in Arab world


After the cone splice post, I received some email. One reader suggested I drill a hole with the cone bit into a block of wood and then saw it exactly in half. I would then have a perfect form to test fit my cones as I turn them. That was a forehead slapper. I don't know why I didn't do that right away. It definitely makes the repair quicker. You could even stick some PSA sandpaper down into the block to do the final shaping if you wanted.
The other thing I forgot to mention is double cone splicing. This is a beautiful solution to legs and stretchers that snap in half.
Any other ideas expanding on this method of repair?


text:
Home World Taliban to visit Pakistan amid stalled US talks
Taliban to visit Pakistan amid stalled US talks
The Taliban delegation will reportedly inform Pakistan's leadership of factors that derailed the talks with the US.
A delegation of Taliban members, led by one of the group's founders, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, will discuss "important issues" with Pakistani officials in capital, Islamabad, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter.
The Taliban delegation on Wednesday would inform Pakistan's leadership of the factors that derailed the talks with the United States aimed at striking a deal allowing US and other foreign troops to withdraw in exchange for Taliban security guarantees, said a Taliban official, who declined to be identified.
Pakistan has been a key supporter of the Taliban from the group's founding in the midst of Afghanistan's civil war in the early 1990s.
Since Trump ended talks with the Taliban, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan and other officials have been urging the US to resume talks on ending nearly 18 years of fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan.
The Taliban and the US said last month they were close to reaching a deal, despite concerns among some US security officials and within the Afghan government that a US withdrawal could plunge the country into even more conflict.
It was not clear whether the Taliban delegation would also meet Imran Khan.
Revival of US-Taliban dialogue?
"The Taliban delegation's visit to Islamabad comes as Zalmay Khalilzad is also in town," Arif Rafiq, president of Vizier Consulting, a New York-based political risk advisory company, told Al Jazeera.
Khalilzad is the Trump administration's special envoy for the Afghan peace talks.
"That could signal a potential revival of the US-Taliban dialogue in the weeks ahead," said Rafiq, adding that it was unlikely Trump has closed the door to a resumption of talks with the Afghan group.
"But he [Trump] would like a comprehensive ceasefire and intra-Afghan dialogue to begin immediately. Those demands, combined with Afghanistan's ongoing electoral process, are among the factors that make it difficult for the Taliban to make such concessions before the conclusion of a deal with the US," Rafiq said.
A spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani could not be immediately reached.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar
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Made of solid reclaimed Douglas fir beams and joined with blind 1" thick dowels, this bench is sturdy. Remnants of its history linger: cracks from when it was a tree, nail holes from its life as structural members. While making the leg structure, the name of the shape was elusive to the builder and everyone around her. (It's not a parallelogram...) Finally, a few days later, it came to her: "It's a trapezoid!"


"The Colt AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56×45mm, magazine-fed, gas-operated semi-automatic rifle. It was designed to be manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials. It is a semi-automatic version of the United States military M16 rifle" (Wikipedia).
It killed 17 students on February 14th 2017.
This is not a blog about the 2nd Amendment.
This is an elegy for Sandy Hook, for Columbine, for Marshall County, for Salvador Castro, for Marjory Stoneman Douglas, for every place where children and parents are mourning the loss of school friends, sons, daughters.
"It could've been us." and "Your silence is killing us." said student placards at South Broward High School.
"We don't deserve this," she said. "We need to be safe. There's nowhere to be safe. … We can't even go to school," said Ianna Seemungal, 17.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3 My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?
4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.
"How are we allowed to buy guns at the age of 18 or 19? That's something we shouldn't be able to do," Lyliah Skinner who survived the latest shooting.


text:
Trinidad est une marque de cigares cubain classé dans le sommet (alto) de la pyramide des marques selon la société  qui la commercialise.

Histoire de la marque

La marque Trinidad est créée en 1969. Elle prend le nom d'une des trois villes historiques de l'île de Cuba. Comme son homologue Cohiba, elle n'est pas destinée à la commercialisation et sa gamme ne comprend qu'un seul module, appelé Fundadores (grand panatella).

Elle sert alors de marque promotionnelle, essentiellement par le biais de cadeaux diplomatiques.

C'est en 1997 seulement que la marque est commercialisée, sans perdre son caractère de marque avant tout destinée aux cadeaux diplomatiques. Elle ne représente à l'heure actuelle cependant que 0,2 % de la production annuelle de cigares cubains, ce qui explique sa faible notoriété.

Gamme

La gamme Trinidad comprend quatre modules :
 Fundadores (Ø , L ) ;
 Robusto extra (Super Robusto, Ø , L ) ;
 Coloniales (Mareva, Ø , L ) ;
 Reyes (Ø , L ).

Marque de cigare
Entreprise ayant son siège à Cuba

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Resin Collection
Crystal Crown Collection
Ice Crystal Collection
Lustrous Pearls
By I Gems16/01/2019No Comments
What are Pearls?
A Pearl is a type of Gemstone which is described as a hard-glistening object that is produced within the soft tissue of an Oyster or a shelled Mollusc.
Just like the shell of a Mollusc, a pearl is hard and has a smooth stone like feel, which has been deposited in concentric layers.
Pearls come in different shapes, the "perfect" Pearl has a smooth round shape while others have an irregular shape which are known as a Baroque Pearl.
Natural Freshwater Pearls are more highly valued and that's when they are considered as Gemstones, as they symbolize Purity and Beauty which makes it a feminine feature to wear.
There are many types of Pearls, but the most commonly known ones are Natural and Cultured.
The difference between these two are that Natural Pearls are the most valuable ones are they spontaneously occur in the wild and are extremely rare.
Cultured Pearls come from the Pearl Oysters and Freshwater Mussels and these are the ones that are commonly sold everywhere.
Man-made Pearls are also very common and inexpensive as their quality of their Pearlescence is quite poor and less lustrous.
How is a Pearl formed?
The process of a Natural Pearl begins when a foreign substance, like an insect or even a grain of sand slips into an Oyster. As this is like a bacteria substance to the Oyster, the Oyster then begins to form a barrier around that foreign object and will protect itself by keep layering it with a nacre substance that is used to create the shell of the Pearl. This then will eventually stop then form a Natural Freshwater Pearl.
The Cultured Pearls are created by in the same process as Natural Freshwater Pearls, however Cultured Pearls are produced when the foreign object is inserted by harvesters. So, what they do is they will open the Oyster Shell and cut a slit in the Mantle (soft tissue) in the Oyster and then insert small irritants, although inserting irritants doesn't need to be done as cutting the Mantle will trigger the process to create a Cultured Pearl.
What are they used for?
Pearls have been used for many things. Most commonly they are used to create jewellery. They have been crushed down to be used in medication and have also been used to decorate clothing for the rich.
At Ishaq Gems, we use Freshwater and Cultured Pearls to create our lovely jewellery sets.
We only use the finest quality materials.
Mixed Crystals Crown Necklace £9.95
Peridot Crystals Crown Necklace £9.95
Turquoise Crystals Crown Necklace £9.95
Aquamarine Crystals Crown Necklace £9.95
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text:
Foreign Occupation and National Pride: The Case of Iraq
Investigators from such disparate fields as public opinion research and comparative history agree that foreign occupation tends to provoke nationalist awareness. Engaging this growing body of literature, we focus on the affective side of nationalism—the feeling of national pride—and argue that foreign domination by itself does not necessarily incite this feeling among all members of the population under occupation. Rather, (a) the perception of the occupation held by the public is related to national pride, and (b) this perception is anchored in communal attributes. A survey of Iraqis (N=2, 700) in 2004 found that the only common factor that is linked to national pride for the Sunnis, Shi'is, and Kurds is attitude against foreign Muslim militants. In addition, for the Sunnis, it was linked to attitudes against foreign presence and in favor of the Baath party. For the Shi'is, national pride was inversely related to their attitudes toward American moral values. For the Kurds, national pride is linked to attitudes toward the political issues over which the Sunnis and Shi'is have consensus— attitudes against foreign presence an d disbanding the former Iraqi army, and a rejection of American moral values. Implications for the study of national pride are discussed.
Moaddel, Mansoor, Mark Tessler, and Ronald Inglehart. 2008. "Foreign Occupation and National Pride: The Case of Iraq." Public Opinion Quarterly 72 (January): 677-705. http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/abs/5367
Mansoor Moaddel


Prepare for adventure on the water with the Newport H2 from KEEN. The outsole, with its perforated section profile and 3mm lugs provides optimal traction and is responsible for adverse weather and terrain conditions ideal. The washable polyester outer fabric tissue was treated with Aegis Microbe Shield ® anti-odor. The patented toe protection from KEEN will accompany you in all ways, both in the water off the trail.
Note the fit of the Keen Newport H2: This model is about a 1/2 size smaller.
All KEEN water sandals are machine washable. Use dry wash just a little detergent, gentle cycle in your sandals and leave them on the air.
The antimicrobial protection fights causing bacteria and fungi, odors, stains and product damage. In addition, the Aegis technology does not use any environmentally harmful materials.


Faust, Lydia Lunch, Blurt and These New Puritans are among acts appearing at Chapter One, the first installment of a series of artistic and musical events in London.
Chapter One takes place at the Union Car Park in Southwark this Saturday, October 11th. Faust, Lydia Lunch, S.I.N.S., Blurt are on the bill, along with Factory Floor (soon to be immortalised in a Quietus new band Escape Velocity piece), and These New Puritans, though that might be a secret.
Check the Quietus later for a Lydia Lunch interview, and Thursday for an Escape Velocity piece on Factory Floor.


Dr. Ruthann Russo, instructor in the Saybrook University School of Mind-Body Medicine, will conduct a webinar on November 12 at 5:30 PM Pacific. She will provide information on professional affiliation and certification opportunities available through the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) as a result of the recent merger of The American Holistic Medical Association, the American Board of Holistic and Integrative Medicine, and the Journal for Global Advances in Health and Medicine.
Ruthann Russo, PhD, JD, MPH, Lac, is a licensed, board certified acupuncturist, certified health coach, mind-body medicine practitioner, and yoga teacher. She is currently the Director of the Center for Acupuncture & Mind-Body Health in Spring Lake, NJ and an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School of Mind-Body Medicine at Saybrook University. As part of her research efforts, Ruthann has designed mind-body workplace wellness programs for Fortune 100 Corporations. She has been exploring the role of individual wellness planning using a web-based theory-driven model that she designed as part of her doctoral dissertation research. She has written 11 books including 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare: The Essential Guide for Crafting Your Healthcare Plan and has presented and published articles extensively on the topics of integrative medicine and healthcare ethics.
Space is limited. The Webinar will take place at 5:30 PM Pacific on November 12.


The two schools at the top of the list are both big state research universities, the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley. They were No. 2 and 1 last year, but this year they've switched places. UCLA edged ahead of Berkeley because its yearly net price, $14,200, is lower than Berkeley's $17,200, and it has a greater share of students receiving federal Pell Grants, 35% versus 31% at Berkeley.
The study, performed by researchers from the University of California–Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, examines data from the General Social Survey, an assessment conducted every two years to gauge American public opinion toward a range of social issues, including immigration. The researchers then compare this data with mortality rates in the chosen communities to examine whether anti-immigrant sentiments affect mortality rates among members of those communities.
The $367-billion figure Newsom used comes from a 2016 study done in part by Gerald Kominski, a professor of health policy at UCLA. Kominski agrees that, in theory, additional revenue might not be necessary if all of that money spent on health care in California can be funneled to a single state health care agency.
Dr. Karol Watson, director of the UCLA Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Health Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine, says that heart disease seldom results solely from a single source, even chemotherapy, but rather tends to be a more cumulative process. Watson was a co-author on the AHA statement and says radiation therapy — especially in patients with breast cancer in the left breast, which sits right over the heart — can also cause damage to the heart.
"This is really a whole new view of mitochondria and what they can do," said lead author Dr. Orian Shirihai, a professor of medicine in endocrinology and pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The finding, published in Cell Metabolism, may one day lead to new treatments for obesity, fatty liver and other metabolic diseases, he added.
The study, which was an international collaboration with King's College London, MRC Harwell, the University of California in Los Angeles, University of Pennsylvania and others, also showed that the effects of these gene variations were specific to females.


text:
Q: How can I modify the aesthetics of a graphic made by the decompose function? I need to decompose my time series using the function decompose() but I have to change some of the aesthetics of the graphic in order to fit in my work. I need the variables (trend, seasonal, random,...) to be on an opposite side of the scales for example. Is there any function that I could use?
Thank you!
ts <- ts(daily2018$UI, frequency = 365.25, start = c(2012,1,1))
d<-decompose(ts)
plot(d)

My graphic looks like this:

and some of my daily2018 is:(I could not post the entire dataset)
structure(list( Ano = c(2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012, 2012,
2012), UI = c(18.0647497177124, 51.0355095863342, 47.5402774810791,
340.893737792969, 247.539836883545, 399.510726928711, 122.39359664917,
98.836296081543, 35.0952081680298, 50.6278982162476, 87.2319049835205,
77.6166572570801, 112.672420501709, 2.67568874359131, -392.484573364258,
618.681500434875, 692.416625976562, 236.788291931152, 51.255313873291,
71.8802337646484, 345.232437133789, 236.85432434082, -0.00471636652946472,
-27.9389114379883, 146.920881986618, 341.540222167969, 1208.46826171875,
454.171142578125, 94.2786865234375, -23.250904083252, 6.60693836212158,
11.3990550041199, 461.585052490234, 110.249738693237, 282.145706176758,
30.0083067417145, 922.615142822266, 665.348541259766, 280.90966796875,
129.148958206177, 97.8483505249023, 151.280666351318, 41.1154479980469,
462.513458251953, 223.375587463379, 243.899364471436, 91.236083984375,
-33.4530096054077, 419.289459228516, 216.38060760498, 223.88525390625,
42.9771499633789, 63.462251663208, 135.543815612793, 103.11067199707,
-2.97302103042603, 50.1539402008057, 31.7654695510864, 4.74521112442017,
116.475090026855, -31.0308532714844, 95.1957511901855, -74.0424919128418,
74.0312874317169, 370.580841064453, 439.345306396484, 288.222801208496,
245.310737609863, 163.978561401367, -43.6043725013733, 90.422176361084,
13.5707854032516, 35.8152360916138, -251.285369873047, -396.40592956543,
27.4398317337036, 119.581299781799, 374.314788818359, 895.551239013672,
583.116119384766, 83.0863494873047, -162.666477203369, -326.430221557617,
-219.034694671631, 246.566764831543, 142.276351928711, 167.783622741699,
116.547183990479, -962.846618652344, -199.737373352051, 581.776489257812,
127.202213287354, 243.02904510498, 546.869003295898, 322.698364257812,
416.055419921875, -35.2042512893677, 4.76407432556152, 59.2325496673584,
109.642734527588, 39.2587299346924, 70.3620586395264, 3161.94677734375,
1006.70434570312, 2140.01275634766, 2786.77355957031, 1705.16961669922,
944.830413818359, 655.952301025391, 338.197479248047, 63.7034378051758,
519.655364990234, 658.758819580078, 443.135345458984, 365.920120239258,
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113.872447013855, 115.648100852966, 365.883389472961, 2044.16656494141,
-32.7207946777344, 24.2001395225525, 1416.10055541992, -49.864501953125,
953.696166992188, 1353.91192626953, 331.314163208008, 755.130172729492,
504.707885742188, 1100.87829589844, 410.127822875977, 1059.75042724609,
1814.80114746094, 732.802597045898, 2145.48461914062, 2912.95367431641,
210.142471313477, 39.4968557357788, 380.054672241211, 278.151397705078,
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624.232055664062, 391.584182739258, 586.699615478516, 1279.32067871094,
3932.2900390625, 789.148895263672, 474.529556274414, 316.368942260742,
589.92162322998, 107.363967418671, 3477.34375, 241.996397972107,
350.299514770508, 3326.77624511719, 2569.17126464844, 4582.50708007812,
1923.22076416016, -61.1435556411743, -85.2687129974365, 217.463203430176,
517.184478759766, 172.391616821289, 1056.78869628906, 2622.95007324219,
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2862.19885253906, 2368.9833984375, 380.631881713867, 276.73908996582,
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), class = c("POSIXct", "POSIXt"), tzone = "UTC")), row.names = c(NA,
200L), class = "data.frame")

A: Your example isn't reproducible with the data/code you posted, specifically Error in decompose(ts) : time series has no or less than 2 periods. Here is something that might be useful to you though. I'm not sure if this is what you meant by "I need the variables (trend, seasonal, random,...) to be on an opposite side of the scales"...
EDIT: In response to your comment, you can convert a decomposed.ts object to a dataframe using the dts2 function from the ggplottimeseries package. I implemented some of the code from that function below.
co2_decomp <- decompose(co2)

#-------------- from the ggplottimeseries package ----------------------#
df <- as.data.frame(cbind(observation = as.numeric(co2_decomp$x),
                         trend = as.numeric(co2_decomp$trend),
                         seasonal = as.numeric(co2_decomp$seasonal),
                         random = as.numeric(co2_decomp$random)))
df2 <- reshape2::melt(df)
df2$date <- rep(lubridate::date_decimal(as.numeric(time(co2))), ncol(df))
#------------------------------------------------------------------------#

library(ggplot2)
ggplot(df2, aes(x = date, y = value)) +
    geom_line() +
    facet_wrap(~variable, ncol = 1, scales = 'free_y', strip.position = 'right') +
    ggthemes::theme_base() + # optional
    theme(plot.background = element_blank()) # optional


High Weald's Young Famers again performed well against stiff opposition at the South of England Show, last week (11- 13 June 2015).
As soon as we came back from the Heathfield show, we started to prepare for the South of England Show, held at Ardingly in West Sussex. This is a major summer show held over three days. A small but quality team of four beef cattle and one dairy heifer were prepared by our Young Farmers and left for the showground on Wednesday afternoon.
As the classes were split over three days, only the students showing that day attended the show. We had two senior members of the show team and parent helpers looking after them.
Our dairy heifer Pearl, prepared and shown by Archie Reynolds, did very well with strong competition and was well placed.
In the beef handlers competition, again our students performed well with stiff opposition, Kiri Bass won her class. The high point for us was in the commercial beef competition, our four beef cattle were all placed again against professional opposition, our 18 month Belgium Blue X Heifer called Margo was selected as the champion commercial animal – a fantastic result for a small school farm. Joe Gill-Gowes and Kiri Bass had spent hours training and preparing Margo and it was worth it.
Yet again, parent helpers came, stayed and supported us which is so much appreciated.
The team arrived home at 7.30pm on Saturday evening, tired but happy. Our next outing is to the Kent County Show at Detling in July – the preparations have already started!


text:
Lizzo Calls Out TikTok for Taking Down Her Swimsuit Videos: 'We Need to Talk'
Lizzo isn't happy with TikTok.
On Wednesday, Lizzo posted a video where she repeatedly sings the words, "I know," to the camera, but the real message is in the text overlay as the Cuz I Love You artist addresses the inexplicable removal of the clips she has shared of herself in bathing suits.
"TikTok keeps taking down my videos with me in my bathing suits," the clip reads. "But allows other videos with girls in bathing suits. I wonder why? Tiktok... we need to talk."
With the video, Lizzo seems to be implying that TikTok removed the posts due to her body type. Lizzo has previously addressed the issue and said that she's comfortable and confident while also pointing out the double standards when it comes to people's bodies.
"When people look at my body and be like, 'Oh my God, she's so brave,' it's like, 'No, I'm not,'" she previously told Glamour. "I'm just fine. I'm just me. I'm just sexy. If you saw Anne Hathaway in a bikini on a billboard, you wouldn't call her brave. I just think there's a double standard when it comes to women."
"I don't like it when people think it's hard for me to see myself as beautiful," she continued. "I don't like it when people are shocked that I'm doing it."
Her body has become a topic of constant discussion with Jillian Michaels recently asking, "Why are we celebrating her body?" The fitness guru and TV personality eventually walked back her remarks.