text:
Home Tech Apple and WhatsApp Are Charged by The PF For Not Delivering Data
Apple and WhatsApp Are Charged by The PF For Not Delivering Data
Apple: Last week, the Federal Police (PF) issued requests to Apple and Facebook, as the owner of WhatsApp, to provide complete data on cell phones seized from Deputy Daniel Silveira (PSL-RJ), currently under house arrest for attacks on ministers of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
According to Metrópoles, the PF delegate responsible for the investigation, Leonardo Reis Guimarães, requested an extra period of 60 days for the investigations, clarifying that he was unable to obtain full access to the total content of Silveira's devices.
Regarding the deputy's Apple device, the PF says that only 2 MB of the material contained in the smartphone were obtained, out of a total of 1.8 GB stored in the iCloud cloud service, informed in the company's report. Facebook, on the other hand, only sent profile photos of the contacts in the account used by Silveira, data irrelevant to the investigation.
Crimes against the honor of the Judiciary and LSN
In the new request sent to the two Big Techs, the PF reiterates what was requested on March 17, that is, the breach of confidentiality and the full extraction of content from the devices. According to a police report, what was expected was: contacts in the address book, data on connections, data on groups, data that "were available on the link provided by the company, but were not extracted before being forwarded to the expertise".
Deputy Daniel Silveira's arrest took place in February, after he released a video in which he defended the removal of STF ministers, praised the AI-5 of the 1964 military coup and called the 1988 Constitution "crap". Minister Alexandre de Moraes justified his decision, stating that the politician's statements were an attempt against the honor of the Judiciary and violated the National Security Law (LSN).
Facundo Pellistri Faced The Problem of "Januzaj" Due to Problems With The Transition to Valencia
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WhatsApp will block anyone who does not accept facebook
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* We had a layoff at my company this week. I survived the cut… this time. But I feel a great deal of compassion for those who were let go, as I will never forget how scary it is to be on the other side of that door.
* Night driving on the freeway. Here I thought rush hour was bad when the sun was out. The time change added a whole new dimension to the 10 million people crammed on a freeway together at the same time.
* I pulled one of the large rocks out of my cichlid tank and replaced it with ornamental plants. The goal being to remove sharp objects from their playground so they stop hurting themselves, but still keep their established territories. Look at me, trying to outsmart the fishies.
* Slasher is going to be OK. He still has some swelling in his urinary tract, so we're watching him closely. But he is going to be OK. Even though we had a bad experience with the first overnight vet we took him to, we found an excellent overnight care facility for the second night. And now he's home at nights, just under observation (and med administration) during the day. Thank God for our timing in finding him. Thank God that our primary vet really knows and loves animals. We almost lost him, thank God we didn't.
* The community pool is still being heated. At this point, I'm fairly certain this is not actually an intended blessing from my HOA. But a blessing it is to me, and I will take it.
* Thanks to Tony and one of his birthday presents to me, the addiction to reign of Pink in my car's CD player has been taken over by Jewel's CD, Perfectly Clear. Hooray for musical variety in my life!
"Oh. I always thought they were too much work because my mom told me to never eat the seeds. She says they build up in your system and make your appendix go bad." She took a step backward and laughed nervously as if my appendix were going to pop out and bonk her over the head.
This lady has lived 48 years, married, divorced, raised two children as a single parent, holds down a demanding job, and yet has never eaten pomegranate arils because her mom told her not to. Now THAT is an obedient daughter.


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Starts to Ship July 26th
In Greek mythology, Nike was the goddess of victory, symbolized as a divine charioteer, flying over the battlefield to reward the victors. When it comes to symbolism, is there a more quintessential representation of the American Spirit than the Betsy Ross flag? A symbol of victory and independence, Old Glory represents the birth of our great country as a sovereign nation and the humble roots of the colonies that these 13 stars represent. We find it disgusting that Nike, a company named after the Goddess of victory, would be so easily swayed into a false narrative that an iconic patriotic symbol of America's independence now somehow – over 200 years later - holds racial and divisive undertones. The social commentary that Nike is trying to impose on this symbol just shows how dismissive they are of the principles that our country was founded on and how out of touch they are with the values of the American public. We at Nine Line are still standing true to our patriotic values, and we encourage the American people to stand with us to make their voices heard. #NoToNike
JUST STAND
TAILGATER HOODIE
Men's T-Shirt - I Stand

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


RETOX deliver a mission statement in 12 blistering tracks, the vast majority of them clocking in at two minutes or less. It's the type of rallying battle cry that inspires lingering and dormant primal urges and too-long-suppressed societal dissatisfaction in those who encounter its punk rock lineage and postmodern crash-and-ban.
Tracks like "You Lost Me At 'It Wasn't My Fault,'" "Greasy Palms" and "Nose to Tail" are all filled with immediacy, urgency and restless energy, no matter which tempos RETOX happen to be pummeling in the songs. "Congratulations You Are Good Enough" features guest guitar work guitarist Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, whose fretwork jumps aboard the careening song. The track builds to a punk rock crescendo with crystal clear production that amplifies every crackling nuance of the band's delivery.
Subcultural iconoclast and artistic visionary Justin Pearson is known in critical circles, amongst contemporaries across a wide variety of genres and to fans of incisively incendiary artistic expression around the world as one of the guiding lights of the groundbreaking outfit THE LOCUST. He resurfaced on record alongside gifted guitarist Michael Crain, dynamic bassist Thor Dickey and powerhouse drummer Brian Evans.


I am ashamed to admit I don't even know half of the wonderful hosts I'm reading about. Guessing that 90% of my viewing is for beauty products and I am such a sucker and believe most of the sales pitch.
Recently, there was a cream they were selling which I hadn't tried and didn't need but the Host said it was wonderful and not tacky. The vendor jumped in quickly with a look of shock on her face saying Oh NO, like none of her products were tacky and I do believe she was sincere. So, I had to try this non tacky cream. Gosh, if it had been any tackier I wouldn't have been able to get out of bed because my face would have stuck to my pillow.
So, having told you all that boring stuff you're probably not interested in, which hosts should I watch. I'm interested in Home Decor and Interior Design. No jewelry, I like to see my sparklies in person.
Help this poor skin care junkie get out of her rut.
They seem to have a lot of Home Decor online but not too many shows.
I buy lots from the Q, especially candles. They have a great selection.
I have to agree with Carlos. I research the things I purchase from HSN by reading reviews and going online too. The forum also is a great resource as people will post reviews about products months or sometimes years after purchasing.
I'm not into the 'beauty' side of HSN, but that was a lesson learned for you. The sad thing is, you can't even always rely on the reviews here on HSN. People write reviews and haven't even used the product, and there are the 'fake' reviews. You should really research a product outside of HSN.
Believe me, I speak as someone that has gotten great stuff here, and as someone that has been burned here. Research is a MUST.
Catherine, I really like Josie but I prefer Prai as well. Again, it's a matter of choice. Seanchai again said, there are lots of women here that share their preferences and the good/bad results that they have had. It's a great place to find out what works and what doesn't.
As for home decor, I love that too…The Q does have a great selection but HSN does too. They just don't do all the shows like QVC does and I wish they did.
HSN is also tied into Ballard Designs and Home Marketplace…go into the HOME dept and go into the alphabetical listings for all brands…you'll be amazed at the names you'll see. LOTS there. Like I said, I just wish HSN did more home decor shows. More than just bed linens.
Like Cindy said, It's really more about the products, your personal skincare needs and your preferences…personally, I use M. Asam. You can check out the products offered by any of the lines by reading the reviews, watching the videos and discussing the products here on the forums. Do some research and pick out a few products to discuss here. Once you order you have 30 days to try out a product and to return it for a refund if it doesn't work for you…just be sure that you haven't used more than 50% of the product prior to returning it. There are some really fabulous products here…have fun looking and don't hesitate to ask about those you are interested in!
Catherine, it's not so much abiout the hosts. They all have their specialties but I see what you mean about being honest about what they are selling and knowing what they are talking about. That's one of the nice things about the forums. You can come here and ask about things and usually get people to answer you that know first hand about the products. That use them and can tell you what they think honestly about them. Women know what women like in products and like you I don't like anything tacky.
Right now, being relatively new to some of the lines, it would be helpful to know what you have tried and what you did and did not like. So many women are huge fans of the Serious Skin Care line. That would be a good place to start.
Several of the makeup lines have good moisturizers and cleansing systems too. Like Benefit, YBF.
Prai is a wonderful skin care line as well. It all depends on how much you can spend too.
I myself personally do not like the Adrienne line at all. That's the Signature A Club line. But that is my preference.
You just need to also look around the forums and see what's been written. There are a lot of women that talk about this here and all you have to do it scroll down…and down…and down on the beauty forum to see them.
She is a pretty lady….i like her at her age now.
She was excellent in the Bob Fosse Musical I can't think of now because I getting tired.
But she looked good at the Golden Globes Sunday Night. Always been a fan of hers.
of show business and a setting like a art school. I can totally relate to Glee.
Another Ryan Murphy productions. Now here I go with my beauty treatment. I ordered a facial brush cleanerr from HSN and it works pretty good. You can do your whole body and feet.
Catherine—-I think you sound like a YBF kind of lady—-Please look at YBF ans watch Stacy in a few videos.


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Q: How to add a marker on an image uploaded by user? I'm trying to build a website where user can upload an image and interact with the tools that given. However I cannot do what i want exactly. I want to add a marker on the image but the thing I did (searched and found) adds the marker all around the body part of the website. How can I restrict it only img part?

<!DOCTYPE html>

  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <title></title>

  <input type="file" onchange="previewFile()">

A: First you will need a container of preview image to catch the marker within the image.

Then set the CSS of the container as the following.
The position of container should be relative to catch the position: absolute element.
.img-preview{
     position: relative;
     overflow: hidden;
}

When clicking the document, you have to append into the marker inside the container in order to make it stay inside the container. Then subtract the container's top and left position from element's position to adjust. (because position: absolute element top and left will start from position: relative parent)
$(document).click(function (ev) {
    var prevPos = $(".img-preview").position();
    $(".marker").remove();
    $(".img-preview").append(
        $('

').css({
           position: 'absolute',
           top: (ev.pageY-prevPos.top) + 'px',
           left: (ev.pageX-prevPos.left) + 'px',
           width: '10px',
           height: '10px',
           background: '#000000'
        })
    );
});

That's it!
In case if you want to see the result.

<!DOCTYPE html>

    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title></title>

    <input type="file" onchange="previewFile()">

A: try this code
var image = "https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQxFoh469eOsZQkuPOLpZn3R6yyIExkZCxOxf4ywfeY3v330EwP3Q";
var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
        position: location,
        map: globalMap,
        icon: image
});

For futher information visit How can I modify the markers?

A: dont know exactly what you mean, but if you try to set your "marker" only inside of images try this:
replace
$(document).click(function (ev) ....

with
    $('img' /* or '#myImg' */).click(function(ev) {
      $(".marker").remove();
      $(this).parent().append(
        $('
').addClass('marker').css({
          position: 'absolute',
          top: ev.pageY + 'px',
          left: ev.pageX + 'px',
          width: '10px',
          height: '10px',
          background: '#000000'
        })
      );
    });

the onClick listener now listens only to clicks on the image

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Also in 2017 will ZPV Piranha use their magic in the pool and turn it into a great party. There will be bars in the pool and on the side. You can dance in the water or on the side or even stay warm under the heaters.
The DJ will make sure there is good music. It will be a good moment to relax and have fun with your 'doegroep'!
No kiddo? Also with you studentcard you can get in for free!
Next PostNext Trainings schedule from 18th of september!


The trial is a collaboration between ADRI, the Sydney-based biotech company EnGeneIC Ltd and three hospitals in Sydney. The treatment consists of EnGeneIC's EDV(TM)nanocell delivery system, loaded with microRNA mimics developed by ADRI scientists, designed to restore levels of a family of microRNAs that are present at reduced levels in mesothelioma and lung cancer patients. The trial was made possible by a generous bequest by the Andrew Lloyd family, grants from the Cancer Institute NSW and Work Cover, and additional financial support from the John T Reid Charitable Trust and James Hardie Industries.
The paper describes the results the first cohort of 6 patients, all with mesothelioma, and includes details of the near-complete response in one patient. The trial – designed to investigate safety and optimal dose – is ongoing, with additional trials planned for the future.


Discontinued and replaced with the HD Color Touchscreen Keypad HSS301. It is black and works off WI-FI just like the GE one. You can control the alarm system, lighting, thermostats, and cameras all from one keypad. (assuming you have ADT Pulse light switches, thermostats, and cameras of course) If you have a deadbolt you can control that as well.
This is the Netgear 7″ADT Pulse Color Touchscreen called the HS101ADT.
Discontinued and replaced with the HD Color Touchscreen Keypad HSS301.
It is black and works off WI-FI just like the GE one.
You can control the alarm system, lighting, thermostats, and cameras all from one keypad. (assuming you have ADT Pulse light switches, thermostats, and cameras of course) If you have a deadbolt you can control that as well.
The greatest advantage of adding one of these keypads (besides it looking really cool and you can impress all your friends) is that if you are home you do not need to log into ADT Pulse on your phone, tablet, or computer to gain access to the system. If you have this keypad it is ALWAYS logged in and very easy to use. Watch this video to learn more.
In order to add it just click on the Systems Tab and then Manage Devices. The first tab on the top is Touch Screens. You can have 4 touchscreens. Select the touchscreen and type in the Mac ID. Then click continue. They learn in very easily.
If you do not have ADT Pulse yet and want to upgrade please call ADT and upgrade your service first. After you have ADT Pulse you can come here and purchase these ADT Pulse products. You can add them all yourself usually.
If you want to get ADT call me at 1-800-871-2119 or EMAIL me.
If you refer someone to me that gets ADT with me I will give you a $100 thank you rebate check.


Mathew Wyatt brings to the group the resources of a large insurance agency organization. Combined, his team has over a hundred years of direct insurance experience, and Matt himself has been dedicated to the life, health and disability ares of insurance in particular for over two decades. His organization has been recognized as one of the top half dozen such businesses in the Pacific Northwest. If you have a tough question, he has a clear answer.
With the staff to take care of every situation, Matt's organization's expertise will help you find the perfect coverage for your unique life situation.
Matt will help you negotiate your way through the labyrinth of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) to find the very best options for you.


It is common to value Personal Goodwill separately in divorce cases when State statute treats personal goodwill as a non-marital asset. Occasionally, but not often enough, personal goodwill is separately valued for tax purposes when the assets of a C Corporation are sold and the personal goodwill can be separately identified to avoid double taxation and obtain capital gains tax. The valuation of personal goodwill is a two-step process. Step one is the identification of the attributes associated with the existence of personal goodwill. Step two is to value the attributes held by the key person.
The existence of goodwill should be questioned in every asset transaction. In most privately held businesses, personal goodwill exists and is seldom contractu- ally held by the business. Generally, the value of the personal goodwill is attempt- ed to be captured in the non-complete agreement. However, the non-complete may not adequately address the total value of the personal goodwill, if at all.
Does a non-compete agreement between the corporation and the key employee exist?
Does the corporation have a contractual right to the future services of the key individual's personal abilities, specialties, skills and expertise?
Does the key employee have the experience, ability and capability to establish and operate a separate company?
Is the location of the Company important to the value of the business?
Is the name of the Company important to the value of the business?
Has the Company contractually protected and secured its ownership and documented the Company processes, trade secrets, customer lists, and systems? Many of the processes, trade secrets, systems and customer relationships resonate in the personal ability, skill, experience and other personal characteristics or qualification of the key person and would remain with the key person if he or she left the Company.
Does the corporation have an agreement with the key person assigning his or her future income to the corporation?
What are the intentions of the key person and the buyer and seller?
What contracts exists between the key personal and the Company, if any?
Is general public patronage and encouragement received from constant and/or habitual customers on account of the Company's local position, common celebrity, reputation for skill or affluence, punctuality, other accidental circumstances or necessities or even from ancient partialities or prejudices?
In many closely-held businesses, these key factors are seldom contractually trans- ferred from key individuals to the business entity. When the existence of personal goodwill can be proven with an analysis of the key factors above, there is an op- portunity to separately value the personal goodwill from the enterprise goodwill.


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Updated: King's power
For some time there have been rumors that King Vajiralongkorn was seeking to take full control of the Crown Property Bureau. A Royal Gazette announcement on the weekend and reports in the Thai and international media make that takeover official.
Interestingly, the takeover of the CPB by the king was discussed by Andrew MacGregor Marshall in his book A Kingdom in Crisis. He said:
The prospect of Thaksin [Shinawatra] and the crown prince using the vast wealth of the Crown Property Bureau to transform Thailand and elevate a new ruling class at the expense of the old terrifies the oligarchy that runs the country.
If the oligarchs were terrified, half of that prediction have now come about. The Thaksin part of the equation seems to have been nullified by the 2014 coup and the military dictatorship's efforts to destroy Thaksin and other identified enemies of regime, crown and tycoons.
At least that's what they must be hoping.
Khaosod reports that the puppet National Legislative Assembly has passed a new law on the control of the Crown Property Bureau. (We assume that the NLA again met in secret session to do this deal for the king. We assume this because the previous new laws made following demands from the king have been made secretly.)
This new legislation, passed on Sunday, gives the king "sole authority over royal assets." This is claimed to be the first change made to the law since 1948.
Whereas previously the Ministry of Finance and its minister had nominal roles in managing the CPB and its board of directors, this is now gone. Now, "the power to appoint a board of directors to manage the crown property rests solely with King Vajiralongkorn, and not a government official as delineated in previous laws."
As Khaosod notes, this is the "latest move by the military government to cement King Vajiralongkorn's control over palace affairs."
Yet it is far more than this. Allowing for the growth of property prices, the CPB probably controls assets of $40-60 billion. Arguably, it is the most powerful and wealthiest conglomerate in the country.
The king now controls this mammoth business empire. More importantly, the new law also "prohibits any effort to take away any part of the royal assets without the king's approval." This provision has potentially wide-ranging implications for the future of the monarchy and further reduces the state's authority over the monarchy.
The king now controls all aspects of the monarchy's wealth and power, and in legal terms, he is now the most powerful monarch since 1932 and, on paper, is more or less independent of the state's control that was established in 1932 and the years after.
As an AFP report notes, this is the "latest move by an increasingly assertive monarch to consolidate his power."
While the previous king relied on networks of influential alliances, the power of the military and a personal capacity to politically intervene when he deemed this necessary, the new king is acknowledging his unpopularity and has joined with the military junta to consolidate and expand the monarchy's economic and political power.
Update: Reuters adds some further detail to this change. It notes that the changes to the law "places the management of crown property under the direct supervision of the king. It states that the bureau's properties, in addition to the king's private properties, will be managed 'at His Majesty's discretion'." It allows the king to "assign the Crown Property Bureau, any individual or agency to manage the properties and assets."
Clearly the old claim that the CPB was not exactly the monarch's property is out the window. The king's personal property is indistinguishable from that of the CPB.
Interestingly, "Crown property, but not the king's private property, had previously been exempted from tax," and the "amended law says both could now be subject to tax, though it did not elaborate," suggesting that there's plenty of wriggle room.
Tags: 1932 revolution, A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, Crown Property Bureau, king, military dictatorship, National Legislative Assembly, Vajiralongkorn
Reviews and reads
Readers might be interested in two more reviews of Andrew MacGregor Marshall's A Kingdom in Crisis. We posted on earlier at least eight earlier reviews of the book, and these reviews can be found here.
The first is probably already widely known as it is by Andrew Walker at New Mandala. In a lengthy review, Walker states:
It certainly is a myth-busting tour-de-force showing how Thai kings, and the elites that surround them, have regularly generated political crises, which also reflect competition between narrow sectional interests. However, whether or not the book will achieve its myth-busting objective is hard to tell. Most readers, I suspect, will already be converts to MacGregor Marshall's position. By contrast, those who subscribe to the royal mythology will probably be confirmed in their view that unsympathetic Westerners like MacGregor Marshall are determined to slander the royal institution.
Walker concludes:
… Marshall's preoccupation with the succession points to a broader problem with this book.
Despite its provocations and iconoclasm this is very much a royalist account of Thai history. Like Thailand's royalists, MacGregor Marshall places the king at the heart of the Thai polity. In A Kingdom in Crisis, contestation over royal power is the engine room of 21st century Thai politics, as it has been over the past millennium (p 213).
The mass of people sometimes do feature, but they are peripheral to MacGregor Marshall's central purpose. When they do enter into the narrative, it is as an undifferentiated mass of "ordinary people" who are struggling against the elite in pursuit of "greater freedom and a fairer society" (p 109).
This two-dimensional and a-historical model — a cut-throat elite ruling over a repressed population — is classic orientalism and contributes little to an understanding of the complex and cross-cutting social and economic forces that have brought Thailand to its contemporary political impasse.
The other review is by Jim Glassman in the journal Pacific Affairs. The review can be freely viewed. The review begins:
The publication of Andrew MacGregor Marshall's A Kingdom in Crisis has been a much-awaited event among Thai scholars. Marshall, a Scottish journalist who used to work for Reuters, has been releasing large pieces of this study for a number of years now, at his "#thaistory" blog. The book adds something to this material but will not be a huge surprise to those who have read his work at the blog site.
Glassman adds that the book is really rather thin:
Given the relative paucity of accessible and critical English-language writing about the Thai monarchy, and the risks that such writing entails, A Kingdom in Crisis should be considered a significant accomplishment, and Zed Books should be given credit for being willing to publish it….
For many scholars and people fairly familiar with Thai politics, some of Marshall's analysis will nonetheless prove fairly thin gruel. It is not only that there has actually been a string of books in recent history that raise telling issues about the monarchy and challenges of succession—for example, the works by Benedict Anderson, Paul Handley, Soren Ivarsson and Lotte Isager, William Stevenson, David Streckfuss and Thongchai Winichakul, which the author cites, as well as works by Kevin Hewison, Rayne Kruger and Somsak Jeamteerasakul, which he doesn't cite—but Marshall's explanation of the current crisis is somewhat one-sided.
Acknowledging shortcomings in the book, Glassman concludes:
A Kingdom in Crisis is a useful read, particularly for those unfamiliar with the roles of royalist-military elites (and their international allies) in shaping Thailand's ongoing struggles for democracy. It will certainly find its place on the bookshelves of Thai democracy activists—provided they do not live in Thailand.
In the same issue of Pacific Affairs there is an article which is of interest because it is based on a survey of serving military officers. The authors of "Professionals and Soldiers: Measuring Professionalism in the Thai Military" are Punchada Sirivunnabood of Mahidol University and Jacob Isaac Ricks of Singapore Management University. The abstract states:
Thailand's military has recently reclaimed its role as the central pillar of Thai politics. This raises an enduring question in civil-military relations: why do people with guns choose to obey those without guns? One of the most prominent theories in both academic and policy circles is Samuel Huntington's argument that professional militaries do not become involved in politics. We engage this premise in the Thai context. Utilizing data from a new and unique survey of 569 Thai military officers as well as results from focus groups and interviews with military officers, we evaluate the attitudes of Thai servicemen and develop a test of Huntington's hypothesis. We demonstrate that increasing levels of professionalism are generally poor predictors as to whether or not a Thai military officer prefers an apolitical military. Indeed, our research suggests that higher levels of professionalism as described by Huntington may run counter to civilian control of the military. These findings provide a number of contributions. First, the survey allows us to operationalize and measure professionalism at the individual level. Second, using these measures we are able to empirically test Huntington's hypothesis that more professional soldiers should prefer to remain apolitical. Finally, we provide an uncommon glimpse at the opinions of Thai military officers regarding military interventions, adding to the relatively sparse body of literature on factors internal to the Thai military which push officers toward politics.
Meanwhile, at the Journal of Contemporary Asia, a third paper from the forthcoming Special Issue, Military, Monarchy and Repression: Assessing Thailand's Authoritarian Turn, has been published. "Inequality, Wealth and Thailand's Politics" is by well-known political economist Professor Pasuk Phongpaichit of Chulalongkorn University.
The abstract for the paper states:
Acemoglu and associates argue that resistance to democratisation will be stronger where inequality is high. Piketty shows that shifts at the upper end of the distribution may be historically more significant than overall measures of inequality. In Thailand, the high level of income inequality has eased slightly since 2000, but there is a '1% problem' as peak incomes are growing faster than the average. Newly available data show that inequality of wealth is very high. At the top of the wealth pyramid, family holdings of commercial capital are growing. A significant proportion of top entrepreneurs have emerged within the past generation. A second tier of the wealth elite has developed over the past generation from rising property values, financial investments and professional incomes. Although their individual wealth is much less than the corporate elite, their numbers are much greater. The existence of the prospering '1%' and the emergence of the second-tier wealthy may corroborate Acemoglu's proposition, but there are tensions within the wealth elite which may favour democracy.
Tags: A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, Andrew Walker, Ben Anderson, David Streckfuss, inequality, Kevin Hewison, military, Pasuk Phongpaichit, Paul Handley, Rayne Kruger, Saying the Unsayable, Somsak Jeamteerasakul, Thongchai Winichakul, wealth distribution, William Stevenson
Prince's purge?
As readers will know, the most recent palace-associated lese majeste purge has been murky and baffling for many, PPT included. Because there is so much censorship on the one hand and social media speculation on the other, it has been a guessing game.
Trying to make sense of this, a story at Asia Sentinel – Thailand's Crown Prince Starts Another Purge – is likely to be big news for several claims it makes. Because of the powerful interests involved, the deaths of several caught up in the events and the lese majeste law, the article is written anonymously, simply tagged "Our Correspondent."
Because Asia Sentinel is often blocked in Thailand, the story will circulate clandestinely and the military junta will try to prevent it getting out.
Some of the claims and points made deserve consideration. First, a bit like Andrew MacGregor Marshall's widely read A Kingdom in Crisis, succession is cast in terms of ancient battles, with this opener:
As Thailand's royal interregnum approaches, the country's ruling class has been seized by what amounts almost to a reign of terror, with Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn apparently clearing out his enemies in a fashion that goes back to the installation of a long line of Rama kings.
This is scenario one. The article is undoubtedly correct in assessing that The Dictator, "Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha … appears to have accepted Vajiralongkorn as the next king and is seeking to manage the situation the best way he can." Yet another scenario, not mentioned in the article, is that the military junta and perhaps even some Privy Council members are conducting the purge, cutting the prince off from his networks of support and loot, thus making him dependent on the junta, military and Privy Council (scenario two).
The article does lend some credence to second scenario when it observes that "Vajiralongkorn is so thoroughly detested in royal circles that efforts have been vainly made to sideline him for his associations with Chinese gangsters, his womanizing and his refusal to adhere to royal rules." However as an unnamed source declares in the Asia Sentinel story, "There is no longer any doubt that the prince will become the king." If that is so, then controlling his funds and advisers might make sense.
The widespread fear that surrounds the most recent purge is also noted. With the king not having been seen for some time, and rumors that he may have already passed, no one dares speculate for fear of jail or worse.
Describing the "four-times-married" 63 year-old prince as a "wastrel," he "spends most of his time in Germany although he has made recent periodic trips back to Thailand to seek to rehabilitate his image, most principally through a series of bicycle rides in honor of his ailing parents."
It is these bike rides that seem to be at the center of the current purge, with "a source in Bangkok" revealing that "the prince has become enraged over allegations that people in his entourage have apparently been profiting from the sale of 'Bike for Mom' and 'Bike for Dad' souvenir and promotional items."
While other reports have mentioned CP tycoon Dhanin Chearavanont, this article claims that the purge follows complaints about "Suriyan Sucharitpolwong, better known as Mor Yong, the prince's soothsayer, allegedly because he went to spirits [and Chang beer] tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, Thailand's second-richest man, to ask for funds for the Bike for Dad event." Such "asks" have been common and accepted in the past, so it isn't clear what has gone on in this case, but "Charoen is said to have complained to Princess Sirindhorn, who told her brother in Germany. That has blown up into a major incident with the arrest of the fortune teller and others. Dozens of army and police officials are believed to be under fire."
There's a couple of things here. First, the link between the prince and his sister has sometimes been seen as distant and competitive, and this claim would not support that. Second, the scenario one claim made in the article seems difficult to fit with the terror and vengeance of the arrests and investigations. Sure, the "Prince is said to be trying to whitewash his image ahead of the succession," but skimming is the norm for those close to the palace. Why get flustered about it now? The story says: "He [the prince] is also said to be outraged that most of the people who have helped run his networks over recent decades have been skimming money from them too." A source is quoted: "I have no idea why the prince would be so angry about this, because it's standard for everybody to take their cut. But anyway, the prince is sending a message to everybody — don't fuck with me ahead of the succession."
Unless it is scenario two.
The story also directly refers to another social media event that has terrified local media:
In the latest purge, two top police officials have died mysteriously and a third has disappeared. Major General Phisitsak Seniwong Na Ayutthaya, the prince's main bodyguard, died in mid-October. Local media have been so terrified by the situation that they have hesitated to name Phisitsak in print. His family was told he had committed suicide by hanging himself with his shirt.
As is well-known, Police Major Prakrom Warunprapha, caught up in this latest purge also died while in military custody, with the military junta claiming he committed suicide by hanging himself. In the purge late last year, another police officer died when he fell, committed suicide or was pushed from a hospital window. Another senior police officer associated with the organizing of the biking events has "disappeared" and an army officer has gone into hiding across the border.
These deaths have been the subject of considerable conjecture, with some saying that the two most recent "suicides" are suspicious, not least because:
Sources in Bangkok say both were beaten and tortured. Instead of releasing the bodies to their families, as is the case for most Buddhist deaths to give time for making merit and preparing the bodies for the afterlife, the two were rushed to crematoriums and immediately burned. The gossip in Bangkok is that officials wanted to hide the evidence of torture.
In a final nod to the rumors and speculation, the article states:
"What is interesting [and worrying] is that it's not just the major players who are being caught up in the purge, even peripheral figures, such as former police spokesman Prawuth [Thawornsiri], are being targeted," a source said. "The prince is being egged on by his latest wife, who is encouraging this behavior. Presumably, this was a way of saving face and pretending he was not involved in the corruption. In fact, he was fully involved in it, just as he was with Srirasmi's family's shenanigans."
Scenario one or two? Whatever is going on, it is murky, dirty, dangerous and, ultimately, threatening to the regime.
Tags: A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, Asia Sentinel, Charoen Pokphand, Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, CP Group, crown prince, Dhanin Chearavanont, lese majeste, monarchy, Prakrom Warunprapha, Prawuth Thawornsiri, Prayuth Chan-ocha, Princess Sirindhorn, Privy Council, Srirasmi, succession, Suriyan Sujaritpalawong, Vajiralongkorn
Ünaldi review available for free download
A reader has told us that Serhat Ünaldi's review of Andrew MacGregor Marshall's A Kingdom in Crisis is now available for free download at the Journal of Contemporary Asia. We looked, and it is.
Tags: A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, Journal of Contemporary Asia, Serhat Unaldi
A Kingdom in Crisis reviewed VIII
It is some time since we posted on the initial reviews of Andrew MacGregor Marshall's book A Kingdom in Crisis: Thailand's Struggle for Democracy in the Twenty-First Century. Earlier reviews can be found here.
At the Journal of Contemporary Asia, there is a new and longer review, by academic Serhat Ünaldi. Unfortunately, the review is currently behind a pay wall, so we try to give a feeling for it here.
The review draws comparisons between the excitement surrounding the publication of the acclaimed book by Paul Handley, The King Never Smiles in 2006 and the reaction to the publication of A Kingdom in Crisis. Ünaldi argues that Marshall's book is an "important contribution." He states that "it informs a wide audience about the damaging political role of the monarchy…". The reviewer is less happy, however, with what he says is the author's failure to adequately acknowledge "an already existing corpus of literature that deals critically with Thailand's monarchy."
Handley was also criticized for failing to acknowledge a wider literature, yet that criticism was less significant in 2006 than it is now, 10 years after and with far more critical work being readily available.
Ünaldi is also critical of the "focus on the succession as the key factor in the ongoing political crisis…". The reviewer argues that this focus "is unnecessarily narrow and should have been complemented by an analysis of structural forces as drivers of change."
Tags: A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, Journal of Contemporary Asia, Paul Handley, Serhat Unaldi, The King Never Smiles
A Kingdom in Crisis reviewed VII
As we often do, below we re-post Ji Ungpakorn's latest post:
Book Review: "A Kingdom in Crisis" by Andrew MacGregor Marshall
Giles Ji Ungpakorn
Andrew MacGregor Marshall's book "A Kingdom in Crisis: Thailand's Struggle for Democracy in the Twenty-First Century" is misnamed because it has nothing to do with Thailand's struggle for democracy. The reason for this is that Marshall is of the "elite-gazing school" and mass movements from below do not feature in his book.
The book is a tabloid account of gossip about the dysfunctional and parasitic Thai royal family, with the aim of trying to prove that the political crisis is all about the "succession question" after King Pumipon dies. It will be a book which offers much entertainment to those who enjoy reading "Hello!" magazine.
Even in terms of analysing the Thai monarchy, Marshall fails to grasp the fluidity of support for the king throughout his reign. Popular support for any national leaders, anywhere in the world, rises and falls with circumstances. Support for the Thai king is no exception to this phenomenon, unless one believes that the majority of Thais are too brainwashed and stupid to think for themselves. Marshall is often in danger of sounding patronising towards ordinary people due to his tone throughout the book.
Marshall's concentration on the "secrets" and cosmology of the royal family means that he also fails to grasp the changes to the monarchy throughout history and the Bourgeois Revolution against feudalism staged by King Chulalongkorn. He merely quotes Duncan McCargo who mistakenly believes that Chulalongkorn's "reforms" were designed to "prevent change".
By claiming that the anti-monarchy sentiment observed on the streets of Bangkok in September 2010 was a novel and momentous event, Marshall sweeps away the fighting history of the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) in the 1960s and 1970s and ignores the fact that in that era millions of Thais opposed the monarchy. The only academic references to the CPT that he quotes come from out of date right-wing academics.
Marshall ignores progressive Thai writers, failing to engage in any argument with them. He does not have the courage to admit that the king's power is a matter for debate. He relies almost entirely on mainstream writers, writing in English. So for him the 1932 revolution is merely a coup by a small group of bureaucrats and soldiers. This has been the conservative line for decades. Marshall has clearly not read Nakarin Mektrairat's research into this period of history.
Readers hoping for a better understanding of Thai politics will gain nothing from this book. Marshall totally ignores what I regard as the real cause of the crisis; Taksin's unbeatable electoral alliance with the majority of the electorate through his concrete pro-poor policies, introduced immediately after the 1996 economic crisis. Universal health care is obviously not one of Marshall's interests.
Marshall's tabloid account of royal gossip is one thing. But the worst part of the book is when he absolves Abhisit and Prayut of any wrong-doing in killing 90 redshirt protesters. He allows himself to get carried away with the myth about "Taksin's armed Men in Black", but fails to offer a single shred of evidence, including photographs or reliable eye-witness accounts. Yet we know that no soldiers were killed or wounded by these Ghosts in Black throughout May 2010. This is an important issue today since the junta leader Prayut, who was in charge of the soldiers at that time, denies that soldiers killed anyone. Marshall is myopic in looking at the big picture of a military coup eventually installing an unelected Abhisit government, which then proceeded to use heavily armed soldiers and "free fire zones" against un-armed pro-democracy protesters.
Marshall seems to show little interest in the struggle for democracy and the necessary strategies and tactics we need to use. He seems to be only interested in selling royal gossip and Z Books seems to go along with this commercial enterprise. Marshall's easy success in getting Z Books to publish his work speaks volumes about his publishing connections and the deteriorating standards of this so-called "radical" publishing house.
Tags: A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, Giles Ji Ungpakorn, monarchy
Andrew Marshall gets his lese majeste charge
As we are sure many readers will already know, ultra-royalist Wanthongchai Chamnankiton has filed a lese majeste complaint against Andrew McGregor Marshall "for writing books and articles allegedly defaming the King."
Wanthongchai has accused Marshall of "writing a book and running nine websites whose content violated Article 112 (the lèse majesté law), Article 116 (on instigating an uprising) of the Criminal Code, and Article 14 of the Computer Crime Act (for publishing illegal content on a computer system)" and more. Marshall's A Kingdom in Crisis had already been banned not long after it came out.
PPT would be interested to know which nine websites. We only know Marshall's Zen Journalist site, which is not very active, without a post this year. It has been blocked for a long time in Thailand. Have we missed eight others?
Wanthongchai wants the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) to immediately block any site which publishes Marshall's works.
Tags: A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, lese majeste, Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, Zen Journalist
Banning a book
Yet another book about the monarchy has been banned in Thailand.
Prachatai reports that "police on Wednesday banned A Kingdom in Crisis, written by embattled former Reuters journalists Andrew McGregor Marshall due to lese majeste." We are not sure how Marshall is "embattled," but this book was always going to be banned.
It is banned because it comments on the role of the monarchy in the political crisis, arguing that the crisis must be understood in terms of succession.
The ban "was published on the Royal Gazette on Wednesday." It si added that "police claimed that based on the book reviews published on the South China Morning Post, published on 4 October and the Independent, published on 8 October, the book contains content defaming the Thai monarchy." Reading the book itself probably is too difficult.
Police are now empowered to ban the book and it means that "those who distribute or carry the book can received up to three years jail term and a fine of 60,000 baht (1,827 USD)."
Tags: A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, succession
A Kingdom in Crisis reviewed V
Lee Jones has published what seems to be the first academic review of Andrew MacGregor Marshall's A Kingdom in Crisis. Some clips from its top and tail. Read all of it:
Andrew MacGregor Marshall's A Kingdom in Crisis has been eagerly and long awaited by many Thailand watchers. Having resigned from a senior Reuters post in 2011 to publish a series of articles on Thailand's political crisis based on leaked US diplomatic documents, "AMM" has become a vociferous critic of Thai elites and especially the monarchy, developing a wide following on social media. A Kingdom in Crisis was anticipated as the definitive statement of AMM's most controversial thesis: that "an unacknowledged conflict over royal succession is at the heart of Thailand's twenty-first political crisis" (page 3). However, despite its many merits, the book does not quite clinch this argument.
A Kingdom in Crisis is a bold, uncompromising and highly critical survey of Thailand's ongoing political crisis. The focus, however, is squarely on the monarchy, rather than on its place within Thailand's broader polity and political economy. The first nine chapters all relate to the period before 2000, delving into ancient history to underscore the brutality of the absolutist monarchy and the normality of power struggles over the succession. Only three chapters then deal with the current conjuncture and make AMM's central argument. The background is, of course, interesting and useful, and although it may contain little new for Thailand specialists….
… Fundamentally at stake here is the basic explanation of the last ten years of Thai history. Was an extant concern with the royal succession merely "catalys[ed]" by Thaksin's rise (page 155)? Would it have caused political conflict whenever Bhumibol died? Or is the concern of the Yellow Shirt faction primarily with Thaksin's mobilisation of the masses into Thai politics and his growing monopolisation of political and economic power? From the latter perspective, the king's looming death is problematic not because traditional elites fear radical personal retribution from Vajiralongkorn as a powerful individual, but because, as Thaksin increasingly colonised the state apparatus, they came to fear losing direct control of yet another institution – an extremely important one – that they had long manipulated for their benefit. Crucially, this concern would have been minimal in the absence of the political movement headed by Thaksin. He was, as AMM notes, seeking to "flush out the ghosts" (page 219), to thrust aside rival networks and colonise the state apparatus with his own cronies. Elites have always done this. What made Thaksin uniquely dangerous was his colossal popular support and unprecedented parliamentary majorities. Power no longer alternated among rival factions, with venal elites horse-trading in parliamentary coalitions to carve up the spoils of office between them. Thaksin's faction appeared to have found a winning formula for permanent control of state power. Unable to defeat him at the polls, anti-Thaksin elites were forced to rely upon institutions that they manipulated or controlled: the courts, the election commission, the army and, of course, the monarchy – both to whip up the Yellow Shirt protests and to legitimise judicial and military coups. In other words, it is Thailand's violent and bitter social conflict that has lent such importance to the succession, not the other way around.
This perspective explains why, even in private discussions, anti-Thaksin elites are primarily concerned not with Vajiralongkorn, but with Thaksin. It also explains why their primary efforts have not been directed at altering the succession – despite having an opportunity to do so under the 2006-2007 military regime when, as AMM notes, Prem indirectly controlled the state, yet mysteriously made no "arrangements with Bhumibol to keep Vajiralongkorn off the throne" (page 167). Instead, they have overwhelmingly concentrated on rigging the Thai constitution and state apparatus to prevent Thaksin-aligned parties from regaining their popular majorities. That is, after all, the clear goal of the current military regime. If the elite clustered around the palace are really so fearful of Vajiralongkorn, why, since they have twice been able to use the king to endorse their armed seizure of power, do they not also use him to install their allegedly preferred heir, Princess Sirindhorn, at least as regent? According to AMM, precedents and legal procedures enable a female succession, and Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit are now physically and mentally incapacitated (page 199) – so they could not resist. The only reasons can be that these elites are not sufficiently concerned or that they fear a split within the security forces, since several army units are technically commanded by Vajiralongkorn. Even if the latter were true – and I have seen no compelling evidence for it – it would again be a case of potential social conflict – a possible civil war –shaping the succession crisis, not vice versa.
So is the monarchy an important element in Thailand's political crisis? Undoubtedly, and we are indebted to Andrew MacGregor Marshall for revealing the sordid soap opera of the succession. But is the succession really "the heart" of Thailand's crisis? I, for one, remain to be convinced.
Tags: A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, Lee Jones, lese majeste, monarchy
A Kingdom in Crisis reviewed IV
For earlier PPT posts about reviews of Andrew MacGregor Marshall's A Kingdom in Crisis: Thailand's Struggle for Democracy in the Twenty-First Century, go here, here and here.
The latest review of this book is at Asia Sentinel and by John Berthelsen. The review begins largely where the book begins:
… according to Kingdom in Crisis, an authoritative new book on the eight-year-old Thai political crisis by former Reuters journalist Andrew MacGregor Marshall," ít became clear that everything had changed for Thailand's monarchy." To that point the king had arguably been the most venerated monarch in Thai history. But now [19 September 2010] "hundreds of people were shouting a crude insult and inflammatory accusations at an unthinkable target. The 'bastard' was King Bhumibol Adulyadej."
How Thailand got to that point is a sad and dispiriting tale and one that is unlikely to end soon despite the May 22 coup perpetrated by Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, which has put tight screws on society – so tight that the government is pursuing dissidents far overseas, running a communications lockdown of the country itself, and seeking to institute Orwellian rules of order today.
PPT isn't at all sure that the king was venerated as much as propagandized and we are not convinced that the "tale" is entirely dispiriting. Indeed, the review suggests why a crisis is not always dispiriting:
What has occurred in Bangkok is a war for the country's very soul between the centuries-old web of interests centered in the capital city, made up of the courtiers in the palace and the business community and others who support them. They are arrayed against millions of formerly poverty-stricken rural dwellers in the northeast of the country who were awakened starting in 2001 by telecommunications billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, who instituted a series of strong populist measures in the northeast to better their welfare and into the process becoming by far the most popular monarch Thailand had ever seen.
That Thailand's "most popular monarch" was faced off by some who supported Thailand's most popular elected politician is at least some cause for optimism that the purported "centuries-old web of interests" that makes up the ruling class was and remains challenged by rising popular forces. As an aside, PPT would point out that the "centuries-old web of interests" is not that at all. The web of interests that revolve around the current monarch are a creation of the past 50 or so years. What troubled this class, according to the review's account, and as:
Marshall relates in painful detail, Vajiralongkorn horrified the vast palace machinery and the aristocrats who were connected to it. The thought of seeing him become the monarch upon the failing king's death, especially as a tool of the wily Thaksin, was more than they could deal with. The palace itself split, with Queen Sirikit backing her son's succession and others attempting to replace him with the vastly more popular Princess, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. When Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party won its second election in 2005 and raising further Vajiralongkorn's prospects, that was pretty much enough. A combination of the elites, the military and the royalty combined to foment the 2006 coup that drove Thaksin from power.
… The elites, over the eight years of turmoil that appear to have ended Thaksin's government aspirations for a considerable amount of time, but also managed to destroy the credibility of virtually all of Thailand's government institutions including the courts, the police, the government and the political parties that stood in Thaksin's way. And, according to Marshall, they have largely managed to destroy the credibility of the one institution they were trying to save, the monarchy itself.
For the reviewer, Marshall account is of a king who "was never either particularly wise or particularly benevolent, or democratic." Berthelsen describes the book as an "invaluable adjunct, a continuation to Paul Handley's pathbreaking history of Thailand, The King Never Smiles, published in 2006." Handley's book has undoubtedly been truly seminal for Thailand, and Marshall's book may have an impact, but it will always be Handley who shattered the myths (for an Asia Sentinel review of Handley's book, click here).
PPT notes that Berthelsen seems to think that "Marshall is overly critical of Bhumibol," and laments that "the 86-year-old king sought to do what he believed was right for his subjects, clearly unlike his son, who continues to split the elites, running the danger of destroying the institution." We doubt Marshall would agree with the assessment of the king. After all, to do so would mean accepting the violent and murderous attacks on political opponents, often in his name, often with his approval, a massive looting of the country by the royalist elites, many military putsches and the trashing of numerous constitutions.
Handley concluded his book with a claim that the king "has sealed his own reputation, and it is unlikely to be undone." Marshall's book is more likely to be seen as correcting that claim, showing the failures of the king and undoing that reputation.
Karma doesn't get a mention, but maybe it should have. Berthelsen concludes:
It tells a depressing story of the end to the world's longest royal reign. The king and queen themselves have apparently had debilitating strokes that have reduced them to the status of department store dummies, but continue to be trotted out at ceremonial occasions to stare blindly into space by palace factions determined to use them for their own ends.
Tags: A Kingdom in Crisis, Andrew Macgregor Marshall, king, monarchy, Paul Handley, Princess Sirindhorn, Queen Sirikit, The King Never Smiles, Vajiralongkorn


WATCH IDENTIFICATION EVENT. 1 to 3 p.m. Do you have a special watch and would like to learn more about it? Micah Tasker of TheVintageWatchMan.com will help you learn about the history of your watch. Museums are restricted by law, so no appraisal values will be given. American Clock and Watch Museum, 100 Maple St., Bristol. $10 for each watch. Admission included with fee. (860) 583-6070.
ANNUAL TAG, PLANT, AND BAKE SALE. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Grace Lutheran Church, 222 Farmington Ave., Plainville.
SINGLES MEMORIAL WEEKEND PICNIC. 2 p.m. Sponsored by Singles Social Connecticut. For picnic bring appetizer, side dish or dessert. If no food, pay extra $5. Admission is $5 for members, $15 for guests. 46 Swan Ave. at Sound View, Old Lyme. Reservations. (860) 582-8229.
MEMORIAL DAY PARADE. 2 p.m., Forestville. Rain date is Sunday, May 28 at noon.
SPRING TAG SALE. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tag sale items, jewelry, baked goods, hot dogs, vendors. More free selling space for three vendors. Zion Lutheran Church, 27 Judd St., Bristol. (860) 582-0671.


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Your special occasions are very important to you, and in turn, are very important to us! Let us assist you in planning your next Perfect Occasion!


text:
Q: Prove that a sequence is well defined I would like to know how to prove that the sequence
$$
\begin{array}{rcl}
a_1 &=& \ln(1) \\
a_2 &=& \ln(1\times \ln(2))\\
a_3 &=& \ln(1\times \ln(2 \times \ln(3))) \\
 & \vdots& \\
a_n &=& \ln(1\ln(1\times \ln(2 \times \ln(3\times ( \cdots (n-1)\times\ln(n))\cdots))) \\
 & \vdots &
\end{array}
$$
is well defined.

A: Define a sequnce of functions $f_n\colon [1,\infty)\to\Bbb R$ (for $n\ge 2$) as follows:
$$f_2(x)=\ln(2 x)$$
and for $n\ge 3$,
$$f_n(x)=f_{n-1}(\ln(nx)).$$
This is valid because for $n\ge 3$ and $x\ge 1$, we have $\ln(nx)>\ln e=1$, so $\ln(nx)$ is in the domain of $f_{n-1}$.
Now for $n\ge2$, your $a_n$ can nicely be written as
$$ a_n=\ln(f_n(1)).$$


text:
Q: Google Data Studio can't explore Big Query time partitioned table When trying to explore a Big Query Table in Google Data Studio after having connected to it I get the following error. Any Ideas how to handle that or what it means?

The query returned an error.
Unrecognized name: _PARTITIONTIME at [1:167] Error ID: a6e0a88c

A: In your Data Studio editor, click resources --> manage added data sources  then go to edit connection.
There is an option to use _PARTITIONTIME as the time dimension.
I suspect Data Studio has picked up this magic field and tried to use it as a time datatype and there is some incompatibility going on. I think this field is really metadata so shouldn't be used. Data Studio should really ignore it and not try to be too clever in finding your fields and inferring their usage & type from their names ( Although, mostly that is helpful ).
Unticking that option, clicking back to the report with Done will let you resolve the issue.


The music lovers had a surprising moment in the national capital as Assam's music sensations Zubeen Garg and Angaraag Papon Mahanta shared the stage at North East Festival in India Gate on Friday night.
With their duet performance on the stage at the North East Festival, the music sensations from Assam enthralled a large gathering of music lovers.
To woo their fans from Assam, both the singers churned out a soulful Bihu number which received thunderous applause from their admirers.
Zubeen, who was present at the back stage to cheer for him, joined Papon when the organizers announced that theFeeling Bluehit-maker was also present in the venue. When the fans of Zubeen went crazy to witness the performance of Zubeen too, both the singers performed together to the satisfaction of both the singers.
Zubeen garg will again perform at the North East Festival stage tonight.
Informing about the festival, Zubeen Garg on his Faceook page on Friday stated that music, food, fashion, craft, sports North East Festival will have it all.


text:
Gabriel Quintanilha is based in Rio de Janeiro. Gabriel has been an attorney at law since 2006. He is also Professor of Tax Law at Fundação Getulio Vargas – FGV and IBMEC. Author of books and articles published in Brazil.
www.quintanilhatributario.blogspot.com
gquintanilha
Professor Gabriel Quintanilha
Writes about:
Brazilian taxation; Tax planning; Fiscal Transparency; Tax havens; BEPS.
Frequency of writing:
Contact Gabriel:
gabriel@gabrielquintanilha.com.br
Articles by Gabriel Quintanilha
By the end of 2018 the Brazilian government created a new way to interact with taxpayers, a mechanism to prevent tax advantages for companies over their competitors. With the new system, a company can inform the authorities if another market participant has obtained a court decision to pay less taxes.
A new opportunity to Brazil: What to expect from Bolsonaro's government
For the first time in more than 20 years, on liberalist candidate won the elections in Brazil. The economic team, led by Paulo Guedes, has the opportunity to make important changes in the basis of Brazilian economy and the moment is really appropriate.
A cryptocurrency is a new way of exchange that uses encrypted information to permit one person to use it to buy goods. It is a virtual money that does not exist in real world.
Brazilian Tax Reform
Brazilian tax legislation is outdated, amended, adapted and, of course, an obstacle to the country's growth. Although the political scenario is not favorable, the economy has shown signs of recovery and a slight warming with the falling interest rates and the increase of production.
BRAZIL and OECD
The Brazilian application to join the OECD was formalized on May 30, 2017 through a letter from the Brazilian government.
Stock-for-stock merger taxation in Brazil
When there is a merger or acquisition, there are different possible ways that the acquiring company can pay for the acquired company.
Brazil Charges Taxes from Indirect Subsidiaries
The Administrative Council of Tax Appeals (Carf) defined that the profit of indirect subsidiaries must be taxed even if the companies are established in countries with which Brazil has treaty to avoid double taxation.
Brazilian Federal Revenue sets a new rule defining countries with privileged tax regimes
Normative Instruction 1.683 RFB / 2016, published in Official Gazette by the end of December, amends Normative Instruction 1.037 RFB/2010, which lists countries or dependencies with favored taxation and privileged tax regimes.
Rio De Janeiro's Bankruptcy
If the State of Rio de Janeiro was a company, it was almost declared bankrupted. The State's declaration of financial emergency was in June 2016, when it legally declared insolvent because of inability to pay debts.
The Voluntary Disclosure Program in Brazil – A good idea?
The Brazilian Voluntary Disclosure Program (RERCT), created by Law No. 13,254/16, has generated many questions and consequently, a great amount of consultation in my office.
Tax Planning: Investment or Expense in Brazilian Economic Crisis
Brazil is one of the countries with the highest tax burden in the world. In a recent study, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – OECD, concluded that the Brazilian tax burden is the highest in Latin America. In 2012, according to the OECD, Brazil was the 15th country with the largest tax burden in the world.
The end of banking secrecy in Brazil
Since the enactment of Complementary Law 105/2001, the Internal Revenue Service of Brazil has adopted an expedient at least absurd in its oversight acts: the breach of bank secrecy taxpayer without prior judicial authorization.
Brazilian High Tax Rates and the Increase of Poverty
By the 3rd of May, Brazilians have paid seven hundred billions reais (Brazilian currency) in taxes. This amount is really high, considering Brazil's economic and political crisis.
Fiscal Pedaling: Brazilian Artificial Accounts
Currently in Brazil the most widely discussed topic in political circles is the "fiscal pedaling" practiced by the federal government during the year of 2014, which was proven and still practiced in the year of 2015.
Back to Specialist Writers
Other Specialist Writers
Other Specialist Writers Andreas Adoe Carlos Eduardo Navarro Daniel Zugman Dr. Mihaela Göndör E. Pete Lewis Enza Sonetti Erwin Blanco Gabriel Quintanilha Hugo Reis Dias Ivan Kanel Jennifer Ebrecht Kishenjeet Dhilon Ksenija Cipek Lorenzo Savastano Marina Andrade Robert Wood Rui Miguel Pereira Sampaio Satwaki Chanda Shaomei Chen Thomas Elser Virginia La Torre Jeker J.D.


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Un sac de billes és una pel·lícula francesa dirigida per Jacques Doillon el 1975, a partir de la novel·la homònima de Joseph Joffo.

Argument
Narra les peripècies d'una família jueva que viu a París i que, en ser ocupada la capital, marxen al sud, on les coses semblen estar tranquil·les. Però també aquesta zona és ocupada i dos dels nois han d'intentar primer salvar-se de la persecució dels jueus i després guanyar-se la vida amb el seu enginy.

Repartiment
 Richard Constantini: Joseph
 Paul-Eric Shulmann: Maurice
 Joseph Goldenberg: El Pare
 Reine Bartève: La mare
 Hubert Drac: Henri
 Gilles Laurent: Albert
 Michel Robin: Mantelier
 Dominique Ducros: Françoise
 Stephan Meldegg: Oficial perruqueria
 Axel Ganz: Oficial perruqueria
 Pierre Forget: El mestre
 Marc Eyraud: El capellà del tren
 Hélène Calzarelli: La jove del tren

Enllaços externs
 Pàgina de la pel·lícula a l'IMDb

Pel·lícules de França del 1975

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


blue matrix adapted to the other themes I use I did not make the icons or backrounds (stop saying i stole this theme when it clearly states that i did not make the background or icons. I made this when i was like 12 so i can't een remember who did it).
Contains content from Zirhk, Suave.
Some icons dont look diffrent?
Hey friend, how can I download some theme here in zip format ? I have made and own theme, but the site does not allow me download it.


Lakewood, New Jersey teachers are planning to not return to their teaching duties today unless the school chooses to ban unvaccinated kids. 50 teachers sent a letter with their demand to school administrators.
The Ocean County Health Department has gone on record to indicate the school has the right to bar entry to unvaccinated students.
The teachers' ultimatum has allegedly been met with the threat of lawsuits from parents of unvaccinated kids. The parents may sue the school for banning their children.
Ocean County is reporting 12 cases of measles.
There is no word as to whether or not the infected individuals are vaccinated.
New Jersey is known for its less than tolerant position on numerous issues, vaccines included.
Be the first to comment on "NJ Teachers Threaten Mass Walkout If Unvaccinated Allowed On Premises"


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Home Home Slider Will identify all illegal immigrants, deport them: Amit Shah in RS
Will identify all illegal immigrants, deport them: Amit Shah in RS
News Mobile Political Bureau
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Speaking on illegal immigrants issue in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government will identify all illegal immigrants residing in the country and deport them as per the international law.
Shah said, "We will identify all the illegal immigrants and infiltrators living on every inch of this country and deport them as per the international law."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha: We will identify all the illegal immigrants and infiltrators living on every inch of this country and deport them as per the international law. pic.twitter.com/IqSYQMcqK1
— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2019
His comments in the Upper House comes a day after the Central government has observed that it has adopted a multi-pronged approach to ensure effective surveillance and domination of international borders to check infiltration of illegal immigrants.
While the Ministry of Home Affairs had said in a written reply to Parvesh Sahib Singh in Lok Sabha that physical infrastructure like border fencing, floodlighting, construction of border roads and establishment of border outposts have been created.
It had informed that border guarding forces conduct regular patrolling and establish observation posts and carry out anti-tunnelling exercises to stop illegal infiltration. However, some illegal immigrants are still able to enter into India in a clandestine and surreptitious manner, mainly due to difficult mountainous and riverine terrain in parts of the long international borders.
ALSO READ: SC refuses to grant urgent hearing on plea seeking extension of NRC July 31 deadline
The Ministry had said that to deal with such illegal immigrants, the powers of the Central government under Section 3 of The Foreigners Act, 1946, have been enforced to detect, detain and deport illegal foreign nationals.
The exercise to update NRC 1951 is being conducted under special provisions in respect of State of Assam under The Citizenship Act, 1955 and The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, it had read.
The apex court is monitoring the NRC exercise aimed at identifying illegal immigrants in Assam, which has been facing an influx of people from Bangladesh for decades.
Last month on June 26, over a lakh people were excluded from the draft NRC in Assam after an additional list of exclusions was published.
The NRC containing the names of Indian citizens was prepared in 1951. When the draft NRC was published on July 30, 2018, there was a huge controversy over the exclusion of 40.7 lakh people from it.
The final list of the NRC is set to be published on July 31 this year.
(With ANI inputs)
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Actor James Woods shares on Twitter that his talent agent dropped him on Independence Day; comedian Joe Piscopo weighs in.
The treatment of conservatives in Hollywood – like James Woods, the Academy-nominated who was dumped by his agent on the Fourth of July for his political views – is "inexcusable," according to comedian Joe Piscopo.
Woods, best known for his roles in the films "Casino", "Videodrome" and "The Virgin Suicides", received an email (subject: well…) on Wednesday from his agent Ken Kaplan, who wrote that he could no longer represent the actor.
But Piscopo said that both sides of the political aisle need to end the hyper-partisanship and put aside their beliefs.


When you've been faced with a difficult situation or taken on a big challenge in the past, have you ever been given the advice "just think positive" or "just think how great it will feel" once you've accomplished your goal. As I've discussed in a previous post, positive thinking can actually work against you if all you do is fantasize about how great it will be to have your desired outcome. Instead, you need to have a realistic, balanced view of what success looks like and the obstacles that could prevent making that outcome a reality. But there's another piece of the puzzle that plays a vital role in determining your level of motivation, and therefore your ability to achieve your desired outcome. That missing piece is your expectations of whether you can and will achieve the goal.
Research by Professors Gabriele Oettingen, Ph.D. of New York University and Doris Mayer, Ph.D. of the University of Hamburg found that positive expectations predict higher effort and successful performance, which means they enable the motivation that produces those efforts. The opposite is true for positive fantasies, which lead to lower motivation and less success than negative fantasies. I discussed why that happens in my previous post. Thinking about a desired outcome and then the reality of what could realistically prevent you from achieving it (known as mental contrasting) can sometimes motivate you to take action to address the discrepancy between the two. But it doesn't always work that way, which is where expectations come into play.
Expectations are "activated" only when you create that mental discrepancy between the desired outcome and your current situation and you believe you have a high probability of success. If you believe that your probability of success is low, you tend to disengage from the desired outcome, reducing your motivation to do anything that will attempt to move you toward your stated goal. This makes sense because, no matter how badly you may want something, if you know it's completely unrealistic for you to achieve or acquire it, you won't even waste your time and energy trying.
There are two primary reasons for this behavior. The first is purely an instinctive, energy-conservation reaction. Your brain naturally tries to preserve your body's limited resources for situations where they are truly needed. If it believes that your energy would be wasted by pursuing that goal, it won't mobilize the physiological and psychological resources to move you in that direction.
The second reason is social. As I've discussed in other posts, human beings are strongly influenced by the opinions, behaviors and expectations of other people.
Your brain is hard wired to submit to social norms and to avoid anything that may result in being rejected by your "tribe", which it essentially equates to a death sentence. So your brain will resist the pursuit of any goal that it knows is a losing proposition because that means not only a waste of precious resources, but the potential for social ridicule.
When you look at it from an extreme, black-and-white perspective like this, it's very easy to see how expectations would influence your motivation. Where it gets much more gray and, consequently, difficult to predict is when you're less sure of your confidence level. Or even worse, when your confidence is high at a conscious level, but you have something that subconsciously resists pursuit of your goal.
Does this really apply to me?
This study isn't the only one to arrive at this conclusion, either. Professors Albert Bandura, Ph.D. of Stanford University and Edwin A. Locke, Ph.D. of the University of Maryland published a review of the scientific literature on the topic in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
They performed nine large-scale meta-analyses of research covering a diverse range of contexts, in both laboratory and field settings.
A meta-analysis is a statistical method that combines the results from multiple studies. There are a variety of reasons meta-analyses are performed, but some of the primary ones are to identify general trends that apply to different contexts and population groups, to resolve uncertainty when studies disagree, and to minimize the effect that a bias in any one study will have on the broader conclusions.
Drs. Bandura and Locke's analysis found "converging evidence" that self efficacy contributes significantly to a person's motivation and the resulting level of effort expended.
Self efficacy is a term for your general belief in your ability to bring about things or changes in your life that you desire.
One somewhat surprising conclusion of this review is that self-efficacy has an even stronger effect on your actions than your past performance does. So, even if you haven't always had success on something in the past, if you genuinely believe in your capacity to make it happen, your motivation to keep trying will not be dampened significantly.
It's important to note, however, that expectations for success do not necessarily mean that you currently possess the skills or abilities necessary to achieve the goal. It simply means that you believe you will be able to figure it out as you go and, just as importantly, sustain the energy, focus and positive outlook to make it through the challenges you will undoubtedly encounter along the way.
Your expectations can be influenced by other people, like when you witness someone doing and achieving the thing you aspire to. It makes the possibility of your success seem much more tangible and realistic. They can also be influenced by people with experience or perceived authority on the topic or whom you trust. Have you ever watched an informercial or sales video online for a new fitness program or work-from-home business? You've probably noticed that they focus heavily on two things: building authority by showing you their "credentials" (i.e. the results they've been able to get) and examples of other "regular people" who have had success using their program.
The research shows that this boost in expectations is short-lived, though, which is part of the reason those videos push so hard to get you to buy now. They use all kinds of incentives and scarcity tactics to take advantage of your temporary belief that it is possible to get those six pack abs or to double your income while working from home. Once that high wears off, however, and the reality of doing the actual work kicks in, you're left with the strongest determinant of your motivation: whether or not you genuinely believe it's possible to accomplish. If you don't, you can't significantly change that belief, at least not quickly.
You may be able to shift your expectations slightly by educating yourself about what it takes to be successful. But the only way to change it significantly is to overcome whatever you think is currently preventing your success. Changing that belief may be as simple as developing a skill that you don't currently possess. But it could also mean overcoming limiting beliefs that stem from your childhood. As such, the amount of time it takes can vary dramatically. Ultimately, you need to decide how important your goal is to you and whether it's worth the investment of time and energy it will take just to get to a point where you believe you can start working toward the goal.
Assuming you don't have some kind of limiting belief that makes your goal a non-starter, what should you do? You need to think about how realistic it is that you will be able to commit to and do the things that are necessary, and whether those actions will ultimately produce the desired result. High expectations of success lead to strong performance, and strong performance leads to high expectations of success. It's a self-perpetuating cycle, but it relies on you genuinely believing that you are capable of accomplishing your desired outcome.
When you have a goal or desired outcome that's important to you, if you follow this process, you will greatly increase the likelihood that you will develop and sustain the motivation necessary to make it happen.
Nice one. If we improve our expectation automatically motivation will improve.


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Kunststofftechnik GmbH
Quality-Management
111 years – Technique made of plastic and metal
BILORA purchased their first plastic injection molding machine on July 26, 1961. It was the first step in recognizing the benefits of this new technology. Previously plastics were looked upon as a cheap low quality material with little use other than the manufacture of toys etc. and no substitute for metal. The technological breakthrough recognized that lower cost, little or no post processing, finished surfaces and light weight, plus the elimination of many assembly operations were just some of the advantages of the high grade plastic injection molding world BILORA had now entered.
The first machines were installed in the main plant "Plant 1". This would remain so until 1977. The first parts manufactured from these machines were finished dish photo stands. Gradually, other metal parts were replaced by plastic parts resulting in high cost savings.
The area of plastic processing is becoming increasingly important. There are soon 6 brand new machines in Plant 1, all of which are fully automated. Now it is becoming apparent not only in BILORA, that the use of plastic in many areas has big advantages. Without interfering with the camera or tripod manufacturing, BILORA begins to receive more and more orders for the plastic and metal-working side of their business. An ever increasing demand plus an intensive developed program of their own saw the plastic department become a more and more important part of the comany.
The production of cameras becomes uneconomical in the face of stiff competition from the far East and BILORA sadly ends the production.
It is now clear, that there is a stronger second arm to BILORA's business and it is time to expand. First production will be moved into a rented unit.
Many local industries know of BILORA's expertise in the field of plastic processing and their participation in design and development work with them. This leads to an ever expanding clientele from all over Germany and the department becomes more and more important.
The long-overdue new "Plant 2" in the Mermbacher road starts in this year. Even the released space due to the ending of box-camera production, that was no longer sufficient to keep pace with the rapid development.
The new plant when completed with its impressive 16,000 m², delivers a modern injection molding facility with production, warehouse and shipping. The offices, tripod manufacturing and machining assembly department and Paint Shop Pro will remain in Plant 1. In January 1978, the new site started operations.
In the following years, the contract manufacturing business was consistently expanded, although tripod manufacturing was still BILORA's flagship.
In 1991 it was decided to end Tripod manufacturing in Radevormwald. Competition from low-cost countries was too strong, along with the shrinking market due to constantly improving electronics in cameras, resulting in the introduction of the pocket camera, which had no need for a tripod. The production was awarded on license to a manufacturer in Taiwan.
The continued good performance of the contract manufacturing at the beginning of the 1990s resulted in a further need for even greater production capacity. It was decided to expand the building on the Mermbacher road by further 4,000 m² production area. The basement of this new building houses the tool shop and tool storage space, allowing greater flexibility for this department to operate.
This phase of construction was completed in 1992.
Remained operations at the main Plant 1 at the Kaiserstrasse was for assembly, machining, packaging and storage areas of about 4,000 m².
This year the two divisions of "Photo" and "Custom work" had developed to such an extent, that a separation was necessary. Consequently the KUERBI OTTO TOENNES GmbH was founded to concentrate on the photo business, making the two companies independent of each other. The KUERBI & NIGGELOH BILORA GmbH focused on the production of plastic items. Working at this time under one roof, but legally completely independently of each other. In 2007, once again a lack of space became a problem and the photographic section moved into new premises in Radevormwald.
From the 1990s until today, the modernization and extension of the production has pushed ahead consistently. Investments took place in modern production technology, as well as in a modern and certified quality assurance department. CAD jobs were created as well as CAD / CAM production at the tools shop. The by now 40 plastic injection molding machines (only of type "ARBURG") have to a large extent automated take out robots and advanced controls. The raw material is being prepared centrally over a drying system with vacuum distribution.
BILORA today offers its customer a complete service, ranging from design and development work, as well as advice on tool manufacturing and maintenance through end product production up to additional services such as assembly, printing and also a modern logistics, which is made possible by state of the art computing and software in all devisions.
Kürbi & Niggeloh BILORA becomes BILORA Kundstofftechnik GmbH. The change of its name underlines the focus of the core business – tool making, plastic injection molding and finishing.
The production capacity is increased by an Arburg 470C incl. take out robot. In the area of tool manufacturing an investment is made in a CNC machining center. The work area is 1.000mm x 560mm x 600mm.
Several injection molding machines and auxiliary equipment have been invested.
All rights reserved © BILORA Kunststofftechnik GmbH
Offices & Site 1: Uelfe-Wuppertal-Straße 1-3, D-42477 Radevormwald
Site 2: Mermbacher Straße 21, D-42477 Radevormwald
Tel.: +49 (0)2195 - 673-0 | Fax: +49 (0)2195 - 673-59
E-Mail: info@bilora.com