Thanks, Vance. I think I was more interested in simply acquiring an unusual cascade specimen, than I was in bringing out the best in the tree. The error of my ways was obvious to me, but I was being pigheaded for the sake of personal vanity.
Humility can be an expensive gift to acquire.
Perhaps, but you moved on. There is an old expression: If it ain't broke don't fix it, but there is another equally valid old expression: You can't fix it if you don't know its broke. I have found with bonsai in my experience, that when I think I have it going in the right direction it is just barely started and no where near where I think it is. In short you have to have the courage to look at yourself, and that's not always easy to do. But once you do you can begin to grow again.
I have always been a proponent for Americans (mostly U.S.A., but I include those south and north of us as well) to practice reproducing bonsai examples of trees we see in OUR environment. I don't know if "American-style" is an appropriate term, but I am 100% convinced there is a credible point-of-view that Americans can bring to the table.
Time and time again we hear how the West cannot truly and fully appreciate the Japanese view of bonsai unless we see it from their perspective. Ironically, when we try to take an approach at bonsai with our own perspective as the guide, we meet with resistance, sometimes with downright hostility towards our approach.
This makes no sense. No one is trying to say that an "American-style" is the superior method to follow. We are only using basic principles in a way the Chinese and Japanese did. The same applies for other nationalities. To mimic what we see in nature, our own unique versions, is completely proper. There is a whole lot of room in bonsai for different ideas. I myself can appreciate more than one.
Every time I hear the subject come up, I immediately think about bald cypress and live oaks. Vaughn Banting and others use bald cypress material to mimic mature BC, some many hundreds of years old. The "flat-top" style, form, technique, etc., is a prime example of an American artist using indigenous material in an artistic reproduction of a full-sized MATURE tree viewed on American soil. I myself love to see examples of bonsai styled in a way that complements old live oaks. In both situations, there is nothing wrong with the philosophy. It is quite proper and satisfies the desire to make bonsai in a way that appeals to us on a personal level. At the same time, I realize there are others who do not share the same perspective, and are completely against the attempt. To that I can only say, to each their own, but when any one person/group/culture adamantly opposes anything other than their very narrow idea of what is correct, it comes time to tell them that regardless of what they think, you will continue on with what you are doing. It is at those times that the individual person has to make a decision on whether to conform to the safety of established opinion, or to take the risk of possible failure. It is those kind of situations that bring the "cream to the top ". This applies to Americans, Europeans, Asians, Africans, Australians, and any other region of the world.
I will say it to the day I die, just because someone is convinced their way is right, doesn't necessarily mean they are right. Use your common sense, accumulated knowledge, and a little humility, in your decision of how to proceed. If you fail, fail knowing that you tried to do something you believed in. If you succeed, be content with that.
Americans practicing bonsai styling in a way that they perceive as natural and correct, based on their own experience of their region, is something I strongly support. I take issue with those who contest that philosophy.
I agree with you John. I think it was Leo Dourocher who said it best: "It ain't braggin' if you can do it". I proposed earlier that there is only one rule in bonsai which must be followed. The bonsai must be Beautiful. Therefore you can do bonsai any way you want as long as you fulfill the prime rule which is after all the earliest foundation of the Art. All this other stuff has come since and is for the most part an analysis of how that beauty was achieved in the past.
I proposed earlier that there is only one rule in bonsai which must be followed. The bonsai must be Beautiful.
I live in central Kansas, near the center of the USA. This area is prairie. There are few trees that predate the invasion of whites.
The trees I grew up around and admire have their lowest branches just above the height that a horse eat or bull could rub against.
When the trees are 3 times that height, the trees are more or less shaped like most books say. The first branch is 1/3 the height of the tree.
But the trees keep growing. An old venerable tree will be up 60 feet, or about 20 m. That first branch is still where I can reach it with my hand.
When I try to shape a bonsai like these trees, I am always told the first branch is too low.
The people who say this can quote many authors. I can only quote the trees.
If the tree you develop in this style is beautiful those who criticize it because of some sort of default set of rules are wrong. However if the tree looks ugly then maybe you should look at it by the old rules to see if you can correct a problem, not necessarily bonsai by the numbers, but the quest for beauty.
Without seeing the tree it is hard to say if I think there is something wrong with the tree. Then there is the question; who cares what I think? However if you have to explane the tree you might have a problem It may be nothing more than allowing maturity to set in, but maybe not.
As to quoting authors. It's easy to fall back on that caveat, it takes the responsibility away from the person offering the criticism. If I can style, or create a bonsai that looks like a tree and it is beautiful I don't give a rat's flatulent emission what some author, dead or alive, has to say about it. MOST authors are doing one of two things.
They are designing trees from their own cultural background or parroting the aforementioned author designing trees from their own background. The one from a cultural point of view is at least honest, the parrot is well----just a parrot and by their response analyzing a tree from an acquired point of view and not their own. The parrot is afraid to go beyond the accepted patterns and principals for fear of criticism, or lack of creative thought. But to be honest, most of these people are just trying to help for the most part, even if they are wrong.
However if you asked what they thought of your tree, or if you are thinking of asking people about your tree you have to expect this kind of thing-----unless the tree is really beautiful. If you get a chance look at Walter Palls gallery on this site. The first thing you will notice about his trees is that they are beautiful. What you don't notice is that most of them do not follow the rules. This is something you really don't notice because these trees follow the fundamental rule of bonsai----They are beautiful. You cannot argue with beautiful.
Great example. This is exactly what I was wanting to explain as an American perspective. Vance makes very good points about how the result is what matters. If you style a bonsai with your recollection of a prairie tree as the subject, you are bringing a story, an American story, out of what the material has to offer. Now, it will not appeal to some, or possibly many. That is always a possibility. The most important part of bonsai styling is that the material "speaks" to the viewer. With a little acceptance, people who have never seen a prairie tree like you described (I haven't ever been to Kansas), can still appreciate the story and the emulation that the material signifies. Those who rigidly denounce such attempts as failure to follow proper styling protocol, are in fact holding on too tight and losing sight of what bonsai can really accomplish.
I have never visited Africa, and likely will never make it to that continent. But I have seen enough photos and film of the scenery to appreciate the stark beauty that many have come to admire. The thorny trees that dot an otherwise flat, grassy plain. A giraffe walking between them. I have an acacia bonsai that without exception makes me think "Africa" every time I look at it.
How can that be wrong? Isn't it wonderful that a bonsai can let our minds wander thousands of miles away with just a mere gaze from our eyes? I truly pity the people who will never appreciate this aspect of bonsai.
Walter, I like your mindset with how to style your bonsai. Bonsai is about pleasure, so making yourself happy is extremely important to a successful future. Ignore the nay-sayers, and press on. At the same time, keep humility about your efforts. Everyone who tries makes mistakes. Those who don't try make the biggest mistake of all.
Kind of a side bar on the issue of local inspiration. In Michigan where I live, at one time the State was covered with a rather vast White Pine forest. Over the centuries a lot of this original forest has been logged off for the building of ships and cities. Virgin forest now only exist in small pockets.
But because of this, it is not impossible to see some deciduous trees, that at one time grew in competition with the White Pines, which have remained after the pines were cut. Because of the competition the deciduous trees grew up tall in efforts to reach the light. At some point in their lives the forest was removed from around them as well as the competition for light.
The resulting growth for the deciduous tree/trees was from that point on to develop naturally. The end result is an undisputed deciduous tree development much like the Japanese Broom Style atop a very tall trunk. This is a model, if you tried to put into a bonsai pot, would draw a great deal of criticism as being out of the parameters of the so called rules. Trunk and height of tree in the Broom Style would be quoted and some would reject the tree. Almost the exact opposite of what the prairie style was questioning.
Here is another style That is American in form and exists almost no where else that I am aware of. If you have visited the mountains and forest of the Western United States and probably Canada, you will notice some very huge trees two-hundred to four-hundred feet tall. These giants are unique to North America, the Red Wood, The Douglas Fir and the Western White Pine. If these trees are grown where they do not compete they will grow extremely tall and have great expanses of bare trunk before you encounter the first branch. This form is almost unseen as a bonsai and it should be.
So yes we come back to the illusive American style, what about utilizing American forms? Follow the great rule if you go down this path: The tree must be beautiful. If it is the design will work and it will survive its critics.
I guess the same argument could be made for many species, Vance.
I'm not sure that is valid in all cases, however we already style trees differently in forest or group plantings, to take into account the differences in growth patterns that trees force upon their neighbours.
I don't disagree, I think you are right. My point is not to lock yourself into one way of thinking. Entertain possibilities and see what happens. If you can imagine something that you think will be beautiful then do it.
If you can imagine something that you think will be beautiful then do it.
I like the simplicity of the philosophy, as stated. However, I think that may well be the reason so many beginners make such a mess of things. They start trying to create their own, unique style before they learn what the art is about.
A revolution with one adherent is doomed to failure. Best to learn the ropes and revolutionise from the inside, where you can gain a following.
Hector: You're right, if you have followed what I have said in this post and others in other places you will discover that I am a firm believer in learning the basics. My other love is music. It is possible for a musician to accomplish great things and not even be able to read music. But most of these people in the end take the time to master the basics.
Most of us are not Paul Mc Cartney however and need to learn how stuff is put together. Music theory and mechanics are really fundamental to learning and mastering music. I have also stated that bonsai is the same way.
You learn from the rules but you design from the heart. Where one leaves the other in the dust depends on how well you learn the basics or how gifted you are in the heart. If you don't start with the basics of style you may never learn to listen to the music in your head.
There are also styles, or forms, of trees that must be everywhere, but are never seen in bonsai. Meaning I haven't seen them.
Beautiful trees I have always admired are the trees along riverbanks. As seedlings, they grew near the edge of a riverbank, but as they grew, the soil washed away from their roots. Now as mature trees, their trunks are up to a meter from the bank, hanging there in the air.
Sometimes, the origional taproot will be an extension of the trunk, gowing down to soil down below. But that is optional. Many lack that.
There will always be a root that goes straight into the bank. And 1 or more roots going each direction parellel with the bank for some distance, 1 m to 5m, then into the soil.
For 3 or 4 years, I've been planning such a bonsai.
Seen from the side opostite the riverbank(the back of the bonsai), it looks like a simple broom. You see no nebari at all. It is out of sight below the bank.
Seen from the river side (front of the bonsai), there will be this wide nebari growing on an almost vertical bank, with a broom style tree above it.
I have had to look into ways to firm soil so it won't fall forward. And I've had to get conforable with my ability to do a broom style and work on nebari. And I've had to design a pot that would work.
I guess I've stalled long enough, I'll start this spring.
But why hasn't this been done? This sort of tree must occur anywhere there is soil erosion, which is anywhere on Earth.
I could understand it as part of a Penjing composition, Walter.
I swear I've met others with the same lack of appreciation, though applied to balance, artistic ability and attitude to bonsai. I meant those, rather than any slur on what you've written. Sorry.


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Does CluePoints have a software product that can be used by sponsors or CROs instead of using the service approach?
Yes! CluePoints has developed a Software as a Service (SaaS) version of the solution which was launched in June 2014 to let the sponsor or CRO perform analyses themselves. The SaaS (web application) provides an analytics and visualization suite where customers can have an online view for interrogation of the results from the SMART engine.
On the portal, the sponsor can upload clinical data for assessment, visualize the findings and interact with the analysis. The web application is designed to make the understanding of results as intuitive as possible. The analyst can set-up the engine, construct and manage data dictionaries within the system, select the appropriate statistical tests and perform the complete CSM process. An action follow-up/ tracking system module is also available in the web application. The company has been beta-testing the portal with current customers while obtaining feedback on preferred data visualization options.
We have documented appropriate training material since we believe that the biggest challenge for any analyst is to be appropriately coached in how to process the data to get the best out of the CluePoints solution. We provide videos for all the different features in the web application, and we also organize online and face-to-face training sessions with our customers.
We are continuously improving our web application thanks to our customers' feedback. They allow us to find new requirements and define priorities that are executed using an Agile product development methodology.
What is the recommended frequency for analyzing data with CluePoints?
Ideally, the frequency of analyses of operational data would match traditional schedule for on-site monitoring with CluePoints being deployed every 6-8 weeks. We usually run analyses of the clinical data every three months, but this is dependent on the size and shape of study and its enrolment rate.
Some of the most powerful work that we have done in analyzing both clinical and operational data on behalf of sponsors is to determine where issues exist on an ongoing basis.
This allows operational teams to take corrective action, re-address the monitoring plan and to improve Key Risk Indicators associated with that particular study.
If these kinds of analyses are undertaken early in the study, and especially during the ramp-up phase, then the more effective it will be to make sure issues are ironed out quickly, particularly regarding site training and coaching.
How is the FDR Bubble Plot Calculated?
SMART™ calculates a score between 0 and 1 for each center. The smaller the value of the score, the greater the difference in the data identified at that specific center compared to all other centers. The score can be interpreted as a P-value (technically, it uses an aggregate of the P-values of all tests comparing a center to all other centers).
Is CluePoints using Bayesian type analysis to do real-time type analysis of the data in the process to be able to show sites drifting into risk territory?
There are some fairly sophisticated statistical modules but nothing Bayesian as of yet. However, we do run CluePoints repeatedly in the same study and analyze the incremental data. A center that may have been normal at one run can become abnormal or outlying in the next run, and that is quite an important finding.
How many studies has this solution been used on?
As of January 2019, CluePoints has been utilized in more than one hundred studies since the company's inception in October 2012. The SMART engine took over a decade to develop and has analysed many studies in the R&D phase. The first publication CluePoints released about the tecniques used in SMART date back to 1999 (Buyse M, George SL, Evans S, et al., for the ISCB Subcommittee on Fraud). The role of biostatistics in the prevention, detection and treatment of fraud in clinical trials. Stat Med 18: 3435-3452, 1999).


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16 November, 2017	0 comments
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As per a Pixel User Community post , some Pixel 2 XL owners have been noticing dead spots close to the bezels, specifically on the right-hand edge of the screen. The assumption is that the issue causing the problem is overzealous accidental touch protection logic, something easily fixable with an OTA update. It's a software issue and Google is already said to be working on fixing it.	Read More »
India's Best Selling Smartphone Gets a Flat Rs
The company has slashed the price of both the variants of the Redmi Note 4 by Rs 1,000 in India. Manu Kumar Jain, VP of Xiaomi India tweeted, "We are announcing a permanent price drop of Rs. The camera department on the Redmi Note 4 includes a 13-megapixel primary camera with f/2.0 aperture and PDAF, as well as a front 5-megapixel snapper with an intelligent beautification mode.	Read More »
Android 8.1 Developer Preview shows which apps drain your battery
Action required: If you aren't already doing so, you must explain to users how your app is using the 'android . permission .BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE' to help users with disabilities use Android devices and apps. You do not want apps that clog your storage. Take LastPass for example, as this app uses the Accessibility Services API to distinguish the password field in other types of apps.	Read More »
North Korean soldier defects at Joint Security Area
Meanwhile, the two agreed for Moon to visit Xi in China in December to hold another round of summit talks, while Moon invited Xi to South Korea during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, which falls in February next year, the spokesman said. Read More »
Galaxy A5 (2018) existence confirmed by Samsung on its Korean website
Qualcomm has presented this year an ultrasound authentication solution that can be integrated with OLED displays , but announced that the official launch of the technology will take place after mid-2018. So there is a chance the Galaxy A series for 2018 could come with a new "Infinity Display " without any home button on the front. Like Galaxy A5 (2018), the new A7 (SM-A720x) series is also expected to feature design, but bigger 5.7-inch/6.0-inch full HD+ (2160x1080p) screen with ...	Read More »
Trump is 'trying to delegitimize' the intelligence community's assessment on Russian Federation
Trump told reporters on Saturday , following his meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, that he believed Putin meant it when he said Russian Federation did not interfere in the 2016 race. Asked to elaborate on what threat Russia poses to the US, Clapper said that new evidence that's come out since the intelligence community first published its findings in January "further reinforce the depth and magnitude and scope and aggressiveness of Russian ...	Read More »
Here is What the Celestial Event Means — Venus Jupiter conjunction
Image caption Venus seen crossing the sun. The two planets Venus and Jupitar will get together in a brief passing moment in the November sky and early risers can get a clear view of the eastern horizon. Venus is known as the brightest planet and it always follows up as the second one and will be "snuggling "with Jupiter". People residing in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the conjunction foor a good one hour as Venus will rise at 5:56 AM and Jupitar at 5:58 AM.	Read More »
But Only for iPhone X
It matches your image to fit the background, adding effects to make you appear as a blue hologram or a glamorous jet-setter. Apple has rolled out an update for Clips , its free iOS app to edit and share mobile videos on iPad and iPhones. Read More »
South Park: Phone Destroyer is out right now on Android
The gameplay itself is a combination of a collectible card game (CCG) and a real-time tactical RPG. Phone Destroyer , now out on iOS and Android , is a card-based combat game in which players summon South Park characters. Gamers who are interested will be able to download the game via the iTunes App Store or Google Play . Everything can be earned in the game without paying, but you can choose to spend real world money if you wish.	Read More »
Escort Shoots Man In Head Because He Was Dreadful In The Bedroom
Wallen, who is the mother of one, was arrested in Skagit County and wrote that she confessed to the crime. Authorities found the man three days later, slumped against his bedroom wall with dried blood on his head. He said he thought it sounded like a hammer at first until he talked to the detectives. "It's just kind of shocking to think perhaps that was maybe - maybe those were the shots".	Read More »
Nintendo's plan to make sure everyone can get a Switch in 2018
The above shows an overlay of sell-through figures together with Wii and Wii U data for the first years after release. The Switch has been an unequivocal success for Nintendo, but if there's one area where the company has faltered, it has been producing enough supply to meet the voracious demand. Read More »
People In Puerto Rico Receive Internet With Project Loon
In October, Google parent Alphabet was granted an emergency license by the Federal Communications Commission to use Project Loon to try to restore cellular services in Puerto Rico . The balloons themselves work from ground networks surrounding users in unconnected areas. The research and development project uses high altitude balloons which have solar-powered electronic devices.	Read More »
Just Dial rallies 20% on takeover talks by Google
Interestingly, in a post-earnings call on 31 October, an analyst had asked Just Dial about market speculations regarding its takeover by Google. Shares of Just Dial soared to day's high of Rs 551.25 on Friday, registering an over 20 per cent rise from its closing price of Rs 459 yesterday after a media report said the local service search provider was in talks with search giant Google for possible sale of business. Read More »
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Living a Healthy Lifestyle Can Lower Genetic Risks of Dementia
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Here's how Google plans to celebrate 50th year of Apollo 11 mission

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Evan Fox- Babe. You rock.
Christian Fox- for building our grow boxes with Evan and for kicking off the whole process!
Grandpa Hutch- for teaching Evan how to prep and frame for a concrete pour, for letting us borrow your tools including a 1972 skill saw, and for stopping by on the reg just to tell us its "looking good"
Scott, Anna, & Joshua Barclay- for temporarily adopting Winston and generously sharing your trampoline for all those hours he was outside "helping Daddy"
Josh Tigard & Company- for letting us borrow all your tools and for a screaming deal on the beautiful concrete job!
The Lone Peak Seminary staff including Brothers Harper, Line, Black, and Fillmore- for hauling sod with a minivan and bringing the blessed green stuff to rest at last.
Picking up the window well covers... the first of many, many times we wished we owned a truck during this process. The Jetta handled it like a champ.
Building beautiful cedar grow boxes... which will be put to use next summer I promise!
And finally bring on the green stuff!!
And then celebrate this guy with his very first grill and a yummy steak dinner on the patio!
Please come over and play baseball and eat BBQ with us every day for the rest of the summer.
You'll have to read my comment to Ev... SO PROUD!!! I understand all the freakin work that went into it and it's GORGEOUS! I shall be over for a BBQ next week sometime, so pick the day!!
It looks AMAZING! You guys worked SO hard. Let's have a party!


The financial crisis supposedly "changed everything." But it really hasn't.
Six years after the recession started, five years after the crash, and four years after the recovery began, the share of the country with a job has declined by more than 7 percent. And yet ... corporate profits are crushing, again. The stock market is setting weekly nominal records, again. Home prices are rising, again. Finance is flush, again.
The financial crisis supposedly "changed everything." It really hasn't. Why not?
Here's where I feel like I'm supposed to tell you to get mad, and how to get mad. But the thing is ... get mad at what, exactly? At whom? The lesson of this story -- and of the graph that leads this piece -- isn't as simple as: There is one thing to blame, and we know what it is. It isn't as simple as: Washington cares more about bank profits than bankrupt people.
The frustrating lesson is: Lots of people messed up inside of a messed-up system.
Take, for example, the protagonist of the U.S. government's recovery efforts: the Federal Reserve. The Fed's go-to weapons -- cutting short-term interest rates to zero and quantitative easing (giving the banks cash for their less liquid assets) -- accomplished many important goals. It not only averted a meltdown, but also set the stage for record-breaking years of profits. Meanwhile, median household incomes are still declining. Unemployment is still more than 7 percent.
This is a failure of Fed leadership. It's absurd for Bernanke to focus on historically low inflation while the employment-population ratio continues to drop. But it's the system, too. The Fed is not designed to easily and immediately put money in the hands of households. A first-order effect of QE is that banks have more dollars to lend. A second-order effect is that families and firms that want loans (for mortgages, for offices) will get better terms. A third-order effect is that people with money will be more confident in the economy when they think the Fed has its foot firmly planted on the accelerator. All of this should help typical, cash-strapped families. Richer companies can hire more people and good feelings breed good feelings. But the Federal Reserve doesn't write checks to households. It doesn't drop money from helicopters on Sun Belt exurbs.
The federal government can "drop money" into bank accounts. In fact, it did. It's called a tax credit. It was a part of the 2009 stimulus -- a huge, historic, essential effort to help American families, directly. But the stimulus was also way too small. Whose fault was that? The White House, for being so famously wrong about how bad unemployment would be? The Bureau of Economic Analysis, for being so famously wrong about how fast the economy was shrinking? Republicans, for rejecting every follow-up effort to stimulate the economy? Washington, for clearly and repeatedly preferencing the values of the rich over the poor?
The answer is ... yes. They were all all fault. For different reasons. Washington's fiscal policy has been a tactical, statistical, philosophical, and moral failure.
But once again, there are personal failures and systemic failures. The Republican Party's attention to the debt over the last five years -- interrupted occasionally by threats to default on it -- has helped starve state budgets, leading to more than 700,000 jobs being cut from total government since the recession began. But the never-ending election cycle that dominates Washington turns representatives from both parties into telemarketers for the rich, depriving electeds of feedback from their poorest and neediest constituents. Long-term unemployment might be the most important economic crisis of the next few years. On Capitol Hill, it's literally difficult to find people who care about it. Their attention is simply ... elsewhere.
In the opening months of the crisis, the tools and attention of the economy's protectors were focused on the banking system -- whose failure would have precipitated an economic meltdown for everyone. But soon, the banks were recovering and Americans weren't. We could have done more. We should have. We didn't. It was a failure of bad thinking inside a bad system.


An anniversary wish or message is a special emotion which you let them know how lovingly you think about their relationship. It is again that day of the wedding anniversary of your son and daughter in law. Maybe they no longer live with you and are settled far away from you. But, you may not let the distance be an obstruction for wishing them an anniversary. Your wishes and blessings will benefit them and they will feel really happy about it.
Our collection of beautiful anniversary wishes also consists of those wishes and messages which you can send them on their wedding anniversary day. This will make them feel special and a strong bond of love and concern will be created in between you and your son and his wife. Togetherness shared with life partner is the most everlasting and special moment. It is important to celebrate with great joy. It is also important to count your blessings upon a couple of their special day.
You can wish the couple by simply selecting some of the best anniversary wishes from our site which you send them in form of texts, hand-written letters or inscribe them in cards. You can also simply mail them or post in social networking sites. Choose a variety of anniversary wishes for your son and daughter in law from this article.
Dear Daughter-in-law, Ever since you came in my son's life I can see him changing into a dependable person. Thank you for being there for him. Happy Anniversary to you both!
Sending you both lots of blessings on the special day. Wish you a very happy anniversary!
Dear Son and Daughter-in-law, May you both celebrate more such milestones together. My love and blessings are always with you. Enjoy the day!
I feel very blessed to have a son and daughter-in-law in my life. You both make a perfect couple. Happy Anniversary!
On this day, I and your Dad wish you a lifetime of happiness together. May you always keep on loving each other the same way you do now.
Congratulations to the beautiful couple who brighten up my life just by being a part of it. Happy Anniversary!
Dear son, You make me proud every day by being such a humble husband. Be the way you are. Wish you a very happy anniversary!
Anniversary is a time to relax and look back at the times spent together. May you both reminisce the good on this day and find more reasons to love each other. Lots of love from Mom and Dad.
You both make an amazing couple. Happy anniversary my beloved son and daughter-in-law.
It is a complete happiness to have both of your in our life. You together make a lovely pair. Happy Anniversary dear son and our daughter who has made us her second parents.
Blessings and love are being sent to you. Celebrate your marriage with a great party.
On this day, you were married. Now, this anniversary is an occasion to remember your togetherness. Happy anniversary to both my children.
On your anniversary, I and your Dad wish for more happiness in near future to fill up your life. Happy anniversary dear son and daughter in law.
Congratulations to the most wonderful couple, who brightens up our life every day. May this anniversary brings luck and success in your lives.
This was the day when you became one and gave us sheer joy. Happy Anniversary my dear ones.
You are a lovely couple and totally deserve the world of happiness. Ηappy Anniversary Dear Sοn and Daughter in Law.
A happy anniversary to my lovely son and beautiful daughter- in law. You too are always cared and loved. Missing you all on your best day. Enjoy each moment of this celebration.
Blessings are sent with lots of love and affection. May you all have a happy anniversary and keep good health with long life.
With lots of love, blessings, and hug….. I wish my son and daughter in law a very happy wedding anniversary.
Life is full of happiness and sorrow. Yet you both have managed to score well. A very loving wishes for completing your one year of married life.
You two are the strength of our home and your presence completes our family. Heartiest wishes for your wedding anniversary.
May your bond of love gets firmer every day, May you have respect, love, and care for each other. We are always with you in time of need. Now get ready to celebrate your anniversary with a candlelight dinner at the restaurant which we have secretly booked it for you.
I wish and pray that you both be blessed by the almighty God and walk in his direction of your life's journey. Happy wedding anniversary.
May your everyday be filled with love, happiness and special moments, especially your wedding anniversary… Heartiest wishes for the same.
You both are our pride and make our life complete, be happy both of you…… Happy wishes for your anniversary.
You have been such an amazing partner, and today is the day of great celebration. Enjoy to the fullest and best wishes and love on this great day.
Our son and daughter-in-law are the greatest kids in this world. We love you both very dearly. Cheers to your togetherness… and celebrate your anniversary.
Marriage is the fantastic exam of life. I see that you both are faring quite well. Stay blessed and enjoy the day of your anniversary.
Dear Daughter-in-law, I always wished to have a daughter in my life and then you came and filled the void. Lots of blessings to you on this special day. Enjoy!
I thank God every day for blessing me with such an amazing son and daughter-in-law. May you both always find happiness and joy. Happy Anniversary.
On this day, I and your Mom are sending you loads of blessings. May you both shine together like no other. Wish you a very happy anniversary!
I wish that my son and daughter-in-law always be happy together. You both make me charged up with happiness. Enjoy the day!
I feel so lucky to see my son so much in love. This all have been possible because of you, my beloved daughter-in-law. Thanks for making him a better person. Happy Anniversary!
Sending you lots of love and good wishes on this special day. Have fun!
No matter what never lose the love that binds you both together. Wish you a very happy anniversary!
May the sunshine of happiness always guide your way. Our blessings are always with you two. Happy Anniversary. Love, from Mom and Dad.
Happy Anniversary! Congratulations on spending another year together.
Happy Anniversary, my children. May you celebrate many more years together withstanding the tests of time to emerge happier and stronger.
May the light of love always protect you from the clouds of misunderstandings. Happy Anniversary to you both!
Hold each other's hand and never let go even in the hardest of times. That's how you make a marriage work. Wish you a very happy anniversary!
Sending you blessings and love so that you continue to grow together. Enjoy the day!
The sweetest of anniversaries are a result of getting through the most bitter of all moments of life- hand in hand and heart to heart. Happy anniversary!
I and your Dad are very proud of you both. Keep loving each other the way you do. Have fun!
We just want to let you know how happy we are for you both to be celebrating another year of love and happiness. May this love continues to blossom with each passing day. Happy Anniversary!
So, here are some of the beautiful messages and wishes to cheer up your son and daughter in law on their special day. Careful selection is very important, so make your choice of wishes and messages wisely.


text:
One Housing Developer's View of the Current Capital Markets
Every single major investor, institutional family office from overseas, has hit the stop button, according to Ari Rosenblum, co-founder and CEO of Vie Management.
When the coronavirus started to spread around the globe, Ari Rosenblum, co-founder and CEO of Vie Management, was fielding a lot of calls.
"At first, there was a surge in inquiries for investment opportunities into the US because there was a perception that the US was going to be able to do a lot better than Europe and the Middle East," Rosenblum says.
But over the last few days, "capital is pencils down," according to Rosenblum. Everything has come to a stop.
"To be clear, every single investor has hit the stop button," Rosenblum says. "We have had multiple conversations with multiple large sources of capital, and the message is nothing is moving anywhere. There's no liquidity in the system at this moment."
To make his point, Rosenblum points out the sudden, surprising illiquid US Treasury market. "You've seen the capital markets become completely paralyzed, liquidity dry up, and a rush to the US dollar at the expense of any other asset," Rosenblum says. "Even US Treasuries late last week couldn't get a bid. No one would buy a US Treasury. If no one is buying a US Treasury, you know you've got a real problem."
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been closing deals, but that may end, according to Rosenblum. "Last week they were still closing deals," he says. "But they will not lock rates on new business, and they don't seem to be taking applications on new deals." Rosenblum says there are a couple of reasons for this. "If you can't find a bid for a US Treasury bond, how are you going to sell a bond backed by a multifamily apartment complex, and if there aren't courthouses open, how can they record a mortgage?"
While the business effects are dramatic, Rosenblum says people must remember the human toll.
"It's important for our industry to be realistic about what is happening," Rosenblum says. "This is a humanitarian crisis first. Our industry must make sure first that the human beings we house and serve every day are taken care of to the best of our ability. For right now, that should be our only focus. We must all help stop the spread of this virus. Go the extra mile and do what seems over the top because you'll be remembered for it, and you'll help save lives."
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IU President Adam W. Herbert greets Ellen Hurwitz, president of the American University of Central Asia, during her recent visit to the Bloomington campus.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The recent pro-democracy revolution in Kyrgyzstan turned world attention on this Central Asian nation. One institution is already in place in the capital city of Bishkek that is certain to improve the nation's chances of making a successful transition to democracy -- the American University of Central Asia.
AUCA, which currently enrolls some 1,100 students, has been closely involved in scholarly exchanges with Indiana University since it was founded in 1997. Today (April 13), that relationship was strengthed with the announcement that IU will receive a $15 million grant to establish an endowment fund for AUCA. The United States Agency for International Development will provide $10 million, and the Open Society Institute, founded by philanthropist George Soros, will provide the balance. The endowment's financial assets will be managed by the Indiana University Foundation and will help to underwrite AUCA's operational costs.
Housed in a building that once was the home of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan, AUCA students are studying business administration, economics, journalism, and Western legal and political systems. Some are working toward master's degrees in business administration.
Just a short walk from the Parliament building where throngs of democracy supporters last month forced the ouster of President Askar Akayev, these students are learning everything they will need to establish democratic government, rule of law and a free-market economy.
Patrick O'Meara, dean of international programs at IU, said AUCA is unlike any other university in Central Asia.
"It is the first and only institution of higher education in the region that operates according to the American model with a credit-hour system, an American-style curriculum, and a commitment to academic integrity and honesty," O'Meara said. "If IU wants to have an impact on the world, we have to be ready to support such efforts."
O'Meara pointed out that many AUCA faculty and students are actively contributing to the democratic transformation taking place in Kyrgyzstan as journalists and political activists and through work in non-governmental organizations.
He said the grant will enable IU to help AUCA promote diversity and transparency in their operations and improve the quality of their academic programs. He added that more than 40 Indiana faculty and staff, who otherwise might never have had the opportunity, will be able to teach, consult and conduct research in Central Asia.
AUCA courses are taught in English by professors who have studied in the United States or who have benefited from exchange visits by American educators. Over the past five years, more than 35 AUCA faculty and administrators have visited IU's Bloomington campus or other higher education institutions in the state. Nearly 40 faculty members from IU and other institutions have spent time with their counterparts in Bishkek.
The IU banner hanging in the main entranceway to AUCA signifies the close collaboration between the two institutions. AUCA President Ellen Hurwitz underscored the importance of this relationship to her university.
"Recent events in Kyrgyzstan motvate us to charge ahead aggressively in developing long-term financial independence," Hurwitz said. "We are profoundly grateful to our partners who recognze our strategic value and who champion our cause."
AUCA got its start in 1993 as the Kyrgyz-American Faculty with just 42 students. Former Vice President Al Gore visited the fledgling school in December of that year and proposed that the school be developed as a model institution of higher learning for the region. Subsequently, the government of Kyrgyzstan, the U.S. Department of State and the Open Society Institute signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to provide various kinds of support for the young university.
In recent years, the university's distinguished visitors have included Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill and George Soros. Soros attended AUCA's commencement in May 2003, at which time he committed funding for the AUCA endowment as well as matching funds for a new dormitory.
IU's involvement with AUCA began in 1999 when the university's Office of International Programs was awarded a $1.9 million grant from the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The project included IU and member colleges and universities of the Indiana Consortium for International Programs. ECA awarded IU and ICIP a $650,000 follow-on grant in 2003.
In the last few years, 19 AUCA junior faculty have received master's degrees at IU Bloomington, IUPUI and Ball State University. DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., has provided much of the administrative training for AUCA administrative staff.
In 2002, USAID approached IU with a request to manage an endowment for AUCA. Having made substantial investments in AUCA, USAID and OSI wanted to institutionalize their commitments through the endowment. Today's agreements will establish the legal, administrative and financial components of the endowment for a period of five years, with the possibility of a renewal for an additional five years.
AUCA expects to establish its own foundation in the United States and assume responsibility for management of funds from the newly established endowment. Until then, an advisory board will guide the distribution of funds. The board includes John O'Keefe, former U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan; William Newton-Smith, chair of the OSI subcommittee on education; Cliff Brown, USAID country representative to Kyrgyzstan; AUCA's Ellen Hurwitz; two at-large members; and representatives from IU.


text:
What SOAS furore reveals about shadowy work of Prevent
Malia Bouattia
Published date: 26 February 2018 14:19 UTC | Last update: 4 years 11 months ago
The recent focus on SOAS sheds light on a series of important aspects of the way Prevent operates in universities, and in general
Recent discussions about the implementation of the Prevent agenda at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) raise a series of important issues about the nature of the policy and the way it is being implemented - both in our universities and beyond.
Indeed, what has been striking is the difficulty of establishing what exactly has been going on. SOAS vice chancellor, and former Blair associate during the war in Iraq, Valerie Amos, appeared to be claiming that SOAS had not participated in the Prevent agenda but that it was coming under increasing pressure to do so.
Yet when asked, SOAS stated that no official pressure was being applied at all.
Furthermore, students and staff members, who were approached by Middle East Eye had a very different take on matters. They all confirmed that SOAS was complying with Prevent, had done so in as limited a way as possible, and was increasingly pressured by HEFCE - the official university funding body - to implement harsher and more draconian policies.
Implementation of Prevent is not a legal obligation as such, but institutions are being effectively coerced by extra-legal bodies to implement a so-called voluntary policy
This story, beyond exposing some of the details of how Prevent functions, highlights crucial details of how the government's so-called anti-radicalisation programme functions. This is particularly important because of two factors.
Since 2011, universities have been targeted as a prime concern for the government's counter-extremism policy. In addition, the Counter Terrorism and Security Act, passed in 2015, made so-called "safeguarding" (that is reporting on imagined radicalisation) a legal duty for all civil servants.
Given that Prevent functions on the assumptions that thoughts and ideas, rather than criminal actions, should be policed and kept under surveillance, education as a hotbed for the exchange and challenging of ideas becomes a key area of focus.
In this context, the recent focus on SOAS sheds light on a series of important aspects of the way Prevent operates in universities, and therefore also in general.
Firstly, it is striking that Prevent works in the shadows. It functions outside of the public eye and is dependent on blurring its own edges. Indeed, it is striking that SOAS management is able to both declare that it is complying with the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (CTSA), and assure people that it is not implementing Prevent.
British Prime Minister meets students at a school in south London. A third of referrals to Prevent came from the education sector (AFP)
It can both reassure the state that it is taking the necessary steps demanded of it, while also telling students there is nothing to worry about.
This lack of clarity is not solely down to shortcomings in the honesty of managers at SOAS. It sheds light on the way Prevent functions as a disciplining tool exactly because it is unclear where and how it is implemented.
The knowledge of the CTSA, and by extension of Prevent, is enough to serve as pressure on staff and students to police themselves to think twice about their contributions in class, course material, or organised events.
The fact that it remains constantly unclear whether SOAS management is snooping on them, or how, strengthens this tendency by blurring the lines of what is acceptable and what isn't, and creates an atmosphere of worry, suspicion, as well as normalisation of the new order.
Between legality and financial coercion
Secondly, it is striking that Prevent is being enforced in a space between legality and financial coercion. On the one hand, the CTSA makes "safeguarding" a legal obligation. On the other, Prevent remains a "voluntary scheme" - although the consequences of refusing to participate in de-radicalisation training remain unclear.
It is therefore technically possible for universities to do the first without complying with the second.
It seems that at first this was the position of SOAS and other universities in 2015. They simply considered that they had enough existing processes in place to cater for vulnerable students.
However, through bodies such as HEFCE for universities, Ofsted for schools, or the Charity Commission for students' unions, so-called "good practice" is established and effectively imposed on institutions.
Valerie Amos appeared to be claiming that SOAS has not participated in the Prevent agenda but that it was coming under increasing pressure to do so (AFP)
Let's say that the first year SOAS doesn't change any of its "safeguarding" procedures, but other universities do. In the same period, King's College London starts monitoring emails, Westminster University installs swipe cards and cameras to monitor the prayer room, and a series of other universities start screening speakers under Prevent guidelines for student and academic events.
This then allows HEFCE to come back to SOAS the next year and tell them that their existing approaches are no longer sufficient, that there is new "best practice" in the industry, and that therefore it will need to either catch up or face losing its funding or accreditation.
The same happens with students' unions under the pressure of the Charity Commission.
A kafkaesque situation
The implementation is, therefore, not a legal obligation as such, but institutions are being effectively coerced by extra-legal bodies to implement a so-called voluntary policy.
It is clear that the whole system has a total lack of accountability. The government can continue to claim that they are not forcing anybody to implement anything. Managers can say that they have no choice if they want to keep running their institutions.
And bodies such as HEFCE or the Charity Commission are not democratically elected and therefore difficult to hold to account. The logic is further maintained through regular witchhunts in the media, which put additional pressure on managers and institutions.
REVEALED: How SOAS is facing growing pressure to comply with Prevent
Students and staff are, therefore, stuck in a kafkaesque situation where no one is in charge, nothing is obligatory, and there is nowhere to appeal - yet our spaces of learning, the trust relations between students and staff, and the basic tenets of academic freedom are being undermined.
All the while we are told repeatedly that free speech on campuses is at risk because of the open, public, and democratic campaigns run by Palestine solidarity activists, feminists and anti-racists.
The lack of clarity of Valerie Amos should not give us the impression that she is an innocent cog in a broader machine, just trying to do the best she can. It is in fact part and parcel of the policy, and she is playing her part strikingly well.
- Malia Bouattia is an activist, the former President of the National Union of Students, co-founder of the Students not Suspects/Educators not Informants Network and presenter/panelist on British Muslim TV's Women Like Us.
Photo: SOAS library (Twitter/screen grab)
UK Home Office challenged over independence of Prevent review
Prevent review: Delays highlight a process in shambles
UK government warned of 'widespread illegality' over Prevent data
What Prevent referral figures don't say: The impact on Muslim young people
Sadek Hamid
Prevent must be 'revamped' says UK's top counter-terrorism police officer


showing that the two integer sequences are equal.
pretty fuzzy on formal logic, so we should ask Andrew.
sub-parts, he used 7 intermediate theorems.
> I can now prove that the diagonal is indeed A000055.
> show that any such classification arises from such a tree.
> any of the binary partitions.