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GETTING PROFESSIONAL. 121 Act out a teacher-class session giving a short talk about the author and her books.
A) Complete the table with personal and professional abilities. Use the list below. Give the reasons.
Autonomy of Medical Professionals
C) Professionalisms
Cold? Britain Is Actually Getting Hotter
Degrees Getting Too Easy, Say Inspectors
Getting about London
Getting Acquainted with Ancient Traditions
121 Act out a teacher-class session giving a short talk about the author and her books.
Sup2;Listening comprehension
122 As is known, to become an established writer one needs talent, hard work and some good luck.
The story you are going to listen to is about someone who might be called 'a failed writer'
Look at the words you will hear in the story and make sure you understand them. The story is called
His Last Chance
A theatre manager, to settle the matter once and for all, to introduce one's work to the boards
(here, to put on the work as a play in a theatre), a snowstorm, to tear smth up
Can you make any predictions about the plot of the story? Discuss it with your partner.
123 Now listen to the story just once and say why it is called His Last Chance.
Listen to the story again and retell it in the name of
· the theatre manager
· the failed writer
· an actor or actress who might have heard the story
124 Reading comprehension test
Emma Duncan discusses the potential effects on the entertainment industry of the digital revolution
A Since moving pictures were invented a century ago, a new way of distributing entertainment to consumers has emerged about once every generation. Each such innovation has changed the industry irreversibly; each has been accompanied by a period of fear mixed with exhilaration. The arrival of digital technology, which translates music, pictures and text into zeros and ones of computer languages, marks one of those periods.
B This may sound familiar, because the digital revolution, and the explosion of choice that would go with it, has been heralded for some time. In 1992, John Malone, chief executive of TCI, an American cable giant, welcomed the '500-channel universe'. Digital television was about to deliver everything except pizzas to people's living rooms. When the entertainment companies tried out the technology, it worked fine – but not at a price that people were prepared to pay.
C Those 500 channels eventually arrived but via the Internet and the PC rather than through television. The digital revolution was starting to affect the entertainment business in unexpected way. Eventually it will change every aspect of it, from the way cartoons are made to the way films are screened to the way people buy music. That much is clear. What nobody is sure of is how it will affect the economics of the business.
D New technologies always contain within them both threats and opportunities. They have the potential both to make the companies in the business a great deal richer, and to sweep them away. Old companies always fear new technology. Hollywood was hostile to television, television terrified by the VCR. Go back far enough, points out Hal Varian, an economist at the University of California at Berkeley, and you find publishers complaining that 'circulating libraries' would cannibalise their sales. Yet whenever a new technology has come in, it has made more money for existing entertainment companies. The proliferation of the means of distribution results, gratifyingly, in the proliferation of dollars, pounds, pesetas and the rest to pay for it.
E All the same, there is something in the old companies' fears. New technologies may not threaten their lives, but they usually change their role. Once television became widespread, film and radio stopped being the staple form of entertainment. Cable television has undermined the power of the broadcasters. And as power has shifted the movie studios, the radio companies and the television broadcasters have been swallowed up. These days, the grand old names of entertainment have more resonance than power. Paramount is part of Viacom, a cable company; MGM, once the roaring lion of Hollywood, has been reduced to a whisper because it is not part of one of the giants. And RCA, once the most important broadcasting company in the world, is now a recording label belonging to Bertelsmann, a large German entertainment company.
F Part of the reason why incumbents got pushed aside was that they did not see what was coming. But they also faced a tighter regulatory environment than the present one. In America, laws preventing television broadcasters from owning programme companies were repealed earlier this decade, allowing the creation of vertically integrated businesses. Greater freedom, combined with a sense of history, prompted the smarter companies in the entertainment business to re-invent themselves. They saw what happened to those of their predecessors who were stuck with one form of distribution. So, these days, the powers in the entertainment business are no longer movie studios, or television broadcasters, or publishers; all those businesses have become part of bigger businesses still, companies that can both create content and distribute it in a range of different ways.
G Out of all this, seven huge entertainment companies have emerged – Time Warner, Walt Disney, Bertelsmann, Viacom, News Corp, Seagram and Sony. They cover pretty well every bit of entertainment business except pornography. Three are American one is Australian, one Canadian, one German and one Japanese. 'What you are seeing,' says Christopher Dixon, managing director of media research at PaineWebber, a stockbroker, ' is the creation of a global oligopoly. It happed to the oil and automotive businesses earlier this century; now it is happening to the entertainment business.' It remains to be seen whether the latest technology will weaken those great companies, or make them stronger than ever.
A. Which paragraph mentions the following questions (1-8)? Write the appropriate letters (A-G) on your
answer sheet. Some of the paragraphs can be used more than once.
1 the contrasting effects that new technology can have on existing business 2 the fact that a total transformation is going to take place in the future in the delivery of all forms of entertainment 3 the confused feelings that people are known to have experienced in response to technological innovation 4 the fact that some companies have learnt from the mistakes of others 5 the high cost to the consumer of new ways of distributing entertainment 6 uncertainty regarding the financial impact of wider media access 7 the fact that some companies were the victims of strict government policy 8 the fact that the digital revolution could undermine the giant entertainment companies A B C D E F G
B. The writer refers to various individuals and companies in the reading passage. Match the people or companies (A-E) with the points made in questions 9-12.
9 Historically, new forms of distributing entertainment have alarmed those well-established in the business. 10 The merger of entertainment companies follows a pattern evident in other industries. 11 Major entertainment bodies that have remained independent have lost their influence. 12 News of the most recent technological development was published some years ago. AJohn Malone B Hal Valarian C MGM D Walt Disney E Christopher Dixon
C. Choose the appropriate letters A-D to answer questions 13-14.
13 How does the writer put across his views on the digital revolution?
A by examining the forms of media that will be affected by it
B by analyzing the way entertainment companies have reached to it
C by giving a personal definition of technological innovation
D by drawing comparisons with other periods of technological innovation
14 Which of the following best summarizes the writer's views in this passage?
A The public should cease resisting the introduction of new technology.
B Digital technology will increase profits in the entertainment business.
C Entertainment companies should adapt to technological innovation.
D technological change only benefits big entertainment companies.
@ Writing
125 Write a précis of the text you have read using either of the 3 structural patterns: deductive, inductive
or framed.
126 Grammar revision
Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each
space. Write the words on a separate sheet of paper in the following sequence: 1 ……………… 2 …………….. 3……………, etc.
Science Fact and Science Fiction
When writers attempt to anticipate the future, they often only succeed in providing an interpretation of the present. This (1)_______ be seen in the fantasies produced by science fiction writers in the middle of the twentieth century. Almost nothing has turned (2)_______ the way that these writers expected. Although they (3)_______ manage to predict intelligent robots, they completely (4)_______ to anticipate the development in communications technology that would make them possible. This (5)_______ that science fiction written before 1980 now seems absurdly dated, and what strikes you most (6)_______ the curious absence of personal computers, e-mail and the Internet. Science fiction writers, it seems, were remarkably (7)_______ on the uptake when (8)_______ came to grasping the extent to (9)_______ the nature of communication would change.
Instead, their focus was (10)_______ much on rocket technology and space travel. For they (11)_______ not to know that the lunar landings, so exciting at the time, would actually lead nowhere. There are no human colonies on the Moon, (12)_______alone on Mars and the idea that people might eventually populate the cosmos seems even (13)_______ within the realms of possibility now than it did then, despite half a century of bewilderingly rapid technological progress. What's (14)_______, scientists have even begun to ridicule the notion, fundamental to much science fiction, that one day we just (15)_______ encounter intelligent aliens.
127 Reading Comprehension
A. Before reading the passage, look at the words below and make sure you understand them. Write
their Belarusian/Russian equivalents in the gaps.
to long for ……………………………………….. take something in ………………………………. longhand ……………………………………….. to recycle ……………………………………….. play around with…………………………………. thrash out ………………………………………… demoralize…………………………………………. loft ……………………………………………… tease smth out ………………………………… to trek …………………………………………… to slump ………………………………………… to seethe ………………………………………… to get waylaid …………………………………… A Portakabin …………………………………… jumbo …………………………………………… on the go ……………………………………… to sustain ……………………………………… - to want something very much, especially when it seems unlikely to happen soon - to understand and remember new facts and information ᅳsynonym absorb - if you write something in longhand, you write it by hand using complete words, rather than typing it or using special short forms of words - to put used objects or materials through a special process so that they can be used again - to try doing something in different ways, to see what would be best, especially when this is fun - to discuss something thoroughly with someone until you find an answer, reach an agreement, or decide on something - to reduce or destroy someone's courage or confidence - British English a room or space under the roof of a building, usually used for storing things in ᅳsynonym attic to succeed in learning information that is hidden, or that someone does not want to tell you - to make a long and difficult journey, especially on foot - to fall or lean against something because you are not strong enough to stand - to feel an emotion, especially anger, so strongly that you are almost shaking - if you are waylaid, you are delayed when you are doing something - often used humorously to say why you are late - very small building that can be used as a temporary office, classroom etc, and can be moved by truck - larger than other things of the same type - if you have something on the go, you have started it and are busy doing it -if food or drink sustains a person, animal, or plant, it makes them able to continue living
B. Read the sentences and give their Russian equivalents paying attention to the underlined words and phrases.
1 He longed to see her again. 2. He watches the older kids, just taking it all in. 3. I write in longhand with …pencils on recycled paper. 4. Play around with the ingredients if you like. 5. We still have to get together and thrash out the details. 6. The illness demoralized him and recovery took several weeks. 7. Our neighbours have just done a loft conversion (=changed the loft into bedrooms). 8. I mostly use my computer for word processing. 9. I finally managed to tease the truth out of her. 10. The elevator was broken, so we had to trek up six flights of stairs. 11. Carol slumped back in her chair, defeated. 12. He was seething with anger. 13. Sorry, we got waylaid at the bar. 14. …jumbo-sized hot dogs. 15. Even with three top films on the go, Michelle is reluctant to talk about herself. 16. She found it difficult to sustain the children's interest.
C. Read the article taken from a newspaper and do the exercises that follow.
How and where do writers write? With coffee and cacophony or in austere silence? In warm kitchens or in lonely attics? Joanna Trollop follows the muse of successful novelists.
Rose Tremain I've got the study I've always longed for. It looks out onto a big sloping lawn, and as soon as I go into it in the morning, it just takes me in. I like to start the day slowly, giving external attention to breakfast but some internal attention to the writing day ahead. I'm at my desk by ten. I like to be alone then and I like silence. I hate winter. My study has to be at least 70 degrees or I can't concentrate. I write in longhand with Berol Mirado pencils on recycled paper. I'm aware of the need to be fit and well so I eat conscientiously at lunchtime. I stop at 5.30, do exactly 35 minutes of yoga, put on some Mozart or Haydn, and play around with food, which is a wonderful way of engaging other senses than the ones I use all day. Patrick Gale One of the joys of being a writer is that you don't have to have a routine, but when I've got a book on the boil I really don't do anything else. My brain only works until lunchtime and food is vital to keep me going: digestive biscuits are a must and I do confess to the odd chocolate crisis. I work until I'm really hungry and then I take the dog out to thrash out any problems. After lunch, I'll read of coffee, biscuits and raisins, and wait hopefully by the letter box for thepostman. The best creative time is from ten to one. I work on a big black electric typewriter. I don't want a word processor. When I'm working on a novel, I'll put in a seven-day week. Cooking's helpful if I'm stuck. I don't really reward myself at the end of a good day. I'm just relieved to feel less guilty. Susan Hill When I was single, I had a lovely long morning that began at about eight, with nobody to think about but me. There's no doubt it's harder now, having got up at 6.30 and done the school run, and having one's head seething with domestic things. You have to guard against that dangerous, restless time when you return home and can get waylaid so easily. I'm working in a Portakabin in the garden while we convert a barn into my study. I take coffee in there and sit quietly, thinking myself down into the book again. I have little breaks for more coffee, but this doesn't interfere withconcentration at all nor does my - mostly novels by dead authors so as not to get too demoralized. If it's warm, I work in a summerhouse I built, which has a view of the garden. If it's very cold, I shut myself into the loft. I have to confess I work better there. It's where the word processor lives, although I like to work with pencil and exercise book first, to tease ideas out. The evenings are for the box. I love it. I video old films. That's my treat. Jilly Cooper When I'm on a book, I'll work all day, every day. I start about ten, and I'll go on and on, until eight or nine. There's nothing in the middle except a dog walk and a chat to the horses. There's not even any food really, because I'm always trying to lose weight. The room where I work is serious chaos. The room faces south, so my typist Monica and I trek about to whichever surface has no sun and the least mess. I keep longhand notebooks of all the events and characters in the current book and a file for each chapter. If Leo's here, it's great, because he'll usually cook supper. By then I'm only fit to slump in front of the telly. Julian Barnes When I get to my desk at about ten, I find I don't very much want to be there. Luckily this feeling passes. My desk is in a light, upstairs room painted Chinese yellow. There are two prunus trees outside, which bullfinches seem to like, and once I saw a jay. I'm fairly easily distracted, and will roam off to get mugs stunning view. I stop at lunchtime and that's it really. I use jumbo economy pads and write in longhand. I prefer pencil. I used to type the manuscript myself but then I found a wonderful lady who can read my writing. I'm useless with machines and their noise Sir Fitzroy Maclean I wrote Eastern Approaches 45 years ago, and I've had a book on the go ever since. I travel all the time and I get on with writing wherever I am, buses, helicopters, airports, anywhere. In 1946, in America, I bought a portable typewriter but when I'd typed 150,000 words on it, I thought, 'Never again.' I like yellow spiral-backed pads and those floating ball pens. My ideal is to write in the library, or in my specially insulated room at home in Scotland, or at the kitchen table in London, sustaining myself with a huge pot of China tea. If I'm travelling, I take a flask for tea - it's vital. I like regular meals and I'm inclined to sleep after lunch. My book is my first thought every day, and it's my escape from real life. I don't need a reward at the end of a day. The writing is a prize in itself.
D. Match the question numbers (1-15) with the writers' names (A- F). Some choices may be required
more than once.
Which writer(s) - admits to being able to work anywhere?
- refer(s) to someone who helps with the typing?
- has used a word processor?
- can only work when the room is a particular temperature? A Rose Tremain
- uses a typewriter? BPatrick Gale
- used a typewriter in the past?
- undertakes domestic duties before settling down to write? C Jilly Cooper
- experiences initial resistance to starting work? D Julia Barnes
- enjoy(s) frequent coffee breaks? ESusan Hill
- mentions the need for peace and quiet?
- refers to a previous working routine? F Sir Fitzroy Maclean
- have more than one workplace?
- doesn't stop for lunch?
- exercises indoors?
- watch(es) TV to relax?
E. Now look back at the passage and summarize the information about the writers' routines and habits.
1) where they prefer to work;
2) when they start their work
3) how long they normally work a day
4) whether they have breaks and how long they last
5) what their distractions are, if any
6) what tools they use for writing
7) whether they have their works typewritten or whether they do it themselves
8) how they relax after a working day
F. Explain what they mean. Pay attention to the underlined words and word combinations.
Rose Tremain:
- It looks out onto a big sloping lawn, and as soon as I go into it in the morning, it just takes me in.
- My study has to be at least 70 degrees or I can't concentrate.
- ….and play around with food, which is a wonderful way of engaging other senses than the ones I use all
Patrick Gale:
- One of the joys of being a writer is that you don't have to have a routine, but when I've got a book on
the boil I really don't do anything else.
- …digestive biscuits are a must and I do confess to the odd chocolate crisis.
- After lunch, I'll read - mostly novels by dead authors so as not to get too demoralised.
- It's where the word processor lives, although I like to work with pencil and exercise book first, to tease
ideas out.
- The evenings are for the box.
Susan Hill:
-There's no doubt it's harder now, having got up at 6.30 and done the school run
- I use jumbo economy pads and write in longhand.
- I'm useless with machines and their noise would drown the words in my head.
Jilly Cooper:
-The room faces south, so my typist Monica and I trek about to whichever surface has no sun and the
least mess.
Julian Barnes:
-. When I'm working on a novel, I'll put in a seven-day week.
- Cooking's helpful if I'm stuck. I'm just relieved to feel less guilty.
Sir Fitzroy Maclean
- I wrote Eastern Approaches 45 years ago, and I've had a bookon the go ever since
G. Write a précis based on the texts you have read. Use either of the 3 structural
128 It is common knowledge that works of classical writers have always remained a source of inspiration for film-makers. For example, almost all of Shakespeare's works have been staged and filmed or inspired film directors for their new interpretations.
You will hear a person's opinion of a film version of a Shakesperian play. Look at the words below.
Can you guess the name of the film?
Romeo, Juliet, Verona, the Montague family, the Capulet family, Leonardo de Caprio, Clair
Daynes, Miami, America
129 Who is who? What is what? Which of them belong to the original version and which are modern?
Can you give the play's original plot in brief? Work with a partner.
130 Listen to the recording and concentrate on the innovations the filmmakers introduced.
1 The film is set in …………………………………………………………………………………
2 The film opens and closes with a ………………………………………………………………
3 There's a great …………………………………………………………………………………….
4 Some of the most important lines are …………………………………………………………..
131 Listen to the recording again and answer the questions. Write one-three words only.
1 What is Romeo's family name? ………………………………..
2 What is Juliet's family name? ………………………………..
3 How did the speaker feel at the end of the film? ……………………………….
4 How did she rate the film? ……………………………….
132 1 Why do you think the filmmakers left the original text and plot but placed the characters in a
modern and recognizable setting?
2 The speaker says that the film "has helped young people to enjoy this Shakspeare love story
in a new way?" How?
3 How would you interpret the message of the film in a new modern light?
133 Look at the picture and read the statement by Ernest Rhys, a renowned English man of letters.
WORDS LIKE FLOWERS, HAVE THEIR COLOURS, TOO
In your opinion, what is the concept or message of this still life? Discuss it with your partner and then with the group.
134 Read carefully an extract of two versions taken from the same novel and say what differs them from each other. Pay attention to the italicized words.
Version 1 Version 2
There was music from my neighbour's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went, floating among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars. In the afternoon by the shore I watched his guests swimming in the Sound, or lying in the sun on the hot sand, or water-skiing from his two motorboats. There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor-boats slit the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam.
The words in italics refer to what is known as figures of speech which represent intentional deviation from literal statement or common usage. Read more about figures of speech in the passage below.
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Grammar revision | Read the following advertisements and explain the use of pun.
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In a recent ruling that will have a bearing on the buyback activities, the Bombay High Court held that the premium paid for buyback of shares shall be tax deductible as business expenditure. (CIT v. Chemosyn Ltd).
Companies resort to buyback of shares for a variety of reasons. Lack of investment opportunities in their core business, companies that are cash-rich, provision of exit route to shareholders, exercising put/call options under investment agreements.
In this instant case, the assessee was directed by the Company Law Board ('CLB') to buy back the shares, to facilitate the smooth running of the company. There was a dispute between the two groups of shareholders of the taxpayer company, following which CLB directed the company to buy back shares at a premium price. The Tribunal had relying on the decision in the case of Echjay Industries Ltd v.DCIT 88 TTJ 1089 (Mum ITAT) and on identical facts and circumstances, held that the premium paid on buyback was a revenue expenditure.
Similar tax deductions have been held by the Pune ITAT in DCIT v. Brahma Corp. Hotels & Resorts Ltd. (ITA No.772/PN/2013) and Mumbai ITAT in USV Ltd., Vs. JCIT (ITA No.376/M/2001).
In all the above judgments, it may also be noted that the facts regarding the slowdown of business via low profit numbers and the subsequent recovery post the settlement were recorded as evidence to prove the nexus to the smooth functioning of the business.
The key contention of the revenue in the above cases was that the improving profit margins show that the company has been granted an enduring and long lasting benefit even though no new assets are created. Further, as the receipt of premium on issue of shares is being treated as a capital receipt, expense of same nature should also be treated as 'capital'. These contentions were negated by the Tribunal by holding that even though an enduring benefit arises; such benefits could not be construed as fixed capital assets.
One key point cited by the Supreme Court in the capital v. revenue discussion in the case of CIT vs. Ashok Leyland Ltd. (1972) 86 ITR 549 (SC) is that firstly, the enduring benefit in itself is not a conclusive test. Secondly, it is necessary to consider whether the enduring advantage consisted merely facilitating the assessee's operation or enabling the management and conduct of the assessee's business to be carried on more efficiently or more profitably while leaving the fixed capital untouched, then such expenditure would be on revenue account. Thirdly, the question must be viewed in a larger context or business necessity or expediency.
The buyback of shares in the instant cases are driven by the need to secure harmony and a smooth management of the company. Such buybacks involve an expenditure incurred for a smooth and efficient functioning of a company to avoid a possible winding up and therefore are in the nature of business expenditure. Business expenditure, under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961 ('IT Act') are deductible while computing the total income of the tax payer.
There are broadly two kinds of buyback under Companies Act, 2013. (A) Buyback under Section 68 of Co Act (Section 77A under Companies Act, 1956) or (B) Buyback pursuant to National Company Law Tribunal order under Chapter XV. While the above judgments apply to buyback under type (B) above, which again needs to be determined on a case to case basis, it would not be applicable to a buyback under Section 68 of the Co Act, especially considering that such buyback proceeds are exempt in the hands of the shareholder as per Section 10(34A) of the IT Act, while being subject to a distribution tax at a rate of 20% under Section 115QA of the IT Act.


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Category: Industry
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Ranking: The 10 Greatest Factions In Wrestling History
by Jacques Martin
A professional wrestling faction can be a very special thing when done correctly. Finding the right performers and the proper persona for a group is important. However, the chemistry between members is often what distinguishes a great faction from a forgettable one.
Below are 10 examples of stables that had some or all of the ingredients that it takes to succeed in the world of sports entertainment. In an attempt to separate the great from the truly elite, we have decided to rank the 10 top factions the wrestling world has ever seen.
RELATED: The 10 Youngest Current WWE Wrestlers
10 The Dangerous Alliance
The Dangerous Alliance was a faction founded (and led) by Paul Heyman in 1987. Back in those days, Heyman went by the name Paul E. Dangerously – hence the name Dangerous Alliance. The group started out in AWA, but reached the height of its popularity in WCW in the early 1990s, and later reformed in ECW.
In truth, the faction never stayed together (or in any one place) long enough to build the kind of lasting legacy some of the other groups on our list have. However, it did have several high profile members, including Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, and Madusa. It also helped launch the career of a man who would later come to be known as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
9 The Wyatt Family
Led by their enigmatic leader Bray Wyatt, The Wyatt Family was one of the most freighting factions to ever set foot inside a wrestling ring. The cult-like group consisted of large, bearded men who looked like something out of a horror film. The core members were Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and Erik Rowan. However, other stars like Braun Strowman, Randy Orton, and even Daniel Bryan were involved at one point or another.
While all the core members of the Wyatt Family were convincing in their roles, it was Bray Wyatt (particularly his mic work) that stood out. The group provided a platform for Bray Wyatt to prove he was a main event talent and positioned the other members to have noteworthy runs in WWE.
8 The New Day
Historically, comedy factions haven't fared well in professional wrestling – they tend to get stale rather quickly and usually have limited upside. That being said, the New Day has stayed relevant and remained popular for several years now. The trio, which formed in 2014, consists of Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods. In total, The New Day has won the WWE Tag Team Championship 5 times. Recently, Kofi Kingston won the WWE Championship, which has heightened the group's profile.
RELATED: Ranking the Top 10 Entrances In The WWE Right Now
With Kofi Kingston getting a main event push, it will be interesting to see if The New Day can continue to gain momentum, or if the wind up going back to becoming a mid-card comedy faction. If they can stay hot (particularly Kofi Kingston), The New Day could end up further down the list in short order.
7 The Hart Foundation
Not to be confused with the Hall of Fame tag team The Hart Foundation, The New Hart Foundation faction originally formed back in March of 1997. The pro-Canadian stable boasted an impressive roster including the likes of Bret Hart, Jim Neihart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, and Brian Pillman. The anti-American group was the focal point of WWE television throughout their run. Moreover, the stable also got their hands on every major WWE title over their relatively short time together – including the WWE Championship – which was held by Bret Hart.
Unfortunately, due to Bret Hart's departure from WWE in late 1997, the group lasted less than a year. If they stayed together a bit longer, with the talent they had, The New Hart Foundation could have given some the top factions on our list a run for their money.
6 Evolution
Evolution was the dominant faction in WWE in the mid-2000s. The group was led by Triple H and included big-name stars like Ric Flair, Batista, and Randy Orton. They were a heel (villainous) stable who liked to bend the rules. In truth, the group was essentially a revised WWE version of The Four Horsemen and even had the latter's leader (Ric Flair) as a member. Evolution has a main event-level faction which held most of the major titles and was the centerpiece of WWE television at the time.
RELATED: Legendary Ladies: Ranking The 10 Best WWE Women's Champions Of All-Time
While WWE tends to overate the faction's impact, the group was still quite successful in solidifying both Randy Orton and Batista as main event players.
5 The Bullet Club
The Bullet Club started was a little known faction who performed in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NLPW) that went on to become an international phenomenon. It was none other than Prince Devitt (aka Finn Balor) who started the group back in 2013. At one point or another, The Bullet Club featured just about every top wrestler who wasn't signed by WWE. The faction was also prominently represented in Ring of Honor Wrestling (ROH). Notable alumni include A.J. Styles, Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega.
Today, it's nearly impossible to go to any wrestling event without seeing a sea of Bullet Club t-shirts in the audience. The factions success proved that there was a significant market for pro wrestling outside of WWE and helped pave the way for promotions like AEW
4 The Shield
While they have reformed periodically since, The Shield debuted in 2012 and went on to become one of WWE's top attractions, until they disbanded in 2014. The Shield consisted of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose – all three of which would go on to capture world titles as singles competitors.
The Shield has a complex legacy. One of the things that makes them unique is that they became a main event draw without having any previously established stars in the group when they debuted. Moreover, they helped Seth Rollins become the Superstar he is today. Unfortunately, The Shield was also the launching point for Roman Reigns main event push, which caused a lot of fans to sour on WWE as a whole.
3 The Four Horsemen
The Four Horseman are pretty much the blueprint for every heel (bad guy) faction that followed. Founded in 1985, the Horsemen never met a rule they didn't break. Led by the legendary "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, the original team also featured Arn & Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and manager James J. Dillon. They were the first faction to emphasize their opulent lifestyle and ability to attract women – concepts that have since become mainstays in professional wrestling.
RELATED: 10 WWE Factions We Forgot Ever Existed
The only downside here is that The Horseman spent their peak years in promotions like AWA and WCW, back when WWE (then WWF) was the big game in town. A lot of fans didn't fully get to appreciate the group until the Monday Night Wars when it was past its prime.
2 D-Generation X
Founded in 1997, D-Generation-X is a faction that defined the Attitude Era. They were known for crude over the top humor that often tested the boundaries of what was acceptable to show on cable television. The original members are Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, and Rick Rude. Stars like X-Pac, Billy Gunn, and Road Dogg would later find success as members of the group.
The stable's antics helped WWE take back momentum during the Monday Night Wars, when pro wrestling was at the height of its popularity – though acts like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock arguably played a more significant role in WWE ultimately emerging the victor.
1 The New World Order
At their peak, the New World Order (NWO) was the most popular faction in the history of professional wrestling. WWE would like fans to believe that DX was the greatest faction of all-time since the NWO was a WCW creation but fans who are old enough to have lived through the Monday Night War know better. While the NWO would eventually feature seemingly half of WCW's roster – Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash were the guys that really got the ball rolling.
The group played a key role in almost putting WWE out of business, and helped reintroduce pro wrestling to a mainstream audience. One could reasonably argue that the formation of the New World Order signaled the beginning of the golden age of wrestling in the late-1990s.
NEXT: 10 Luke Harper Matches That Prove Vince Is Sleeping On Him
Tags: wwe, bray wyatt
The 10 Most Violent And Bloody Matches In ECW History
The 5 Most Vicious Finishers in WWE Today (& 5 That Just Look Weak)
5 WWE Rivalries That Made Stone Cold Steve Austin (& 5 That Ultimately Disappointed)


Of course, they had been repeated frequently osencontros. Now it also took the initiative of the search. They very liked to deconversar. They were seemed in some things. in what they differed if completed naverdade. Five or six weeks correramassim, One day, being in a store in the center of the city, I do not know well where it was, it saw it to enter folloied of the sister, and estremeceu. It looked at for it; if she oconheceu did not say it in the face, that if showed impassvel. Of another time going to the market, she gave with the eyes in the beautiful young woman; but she was the same that she looked at herself for the nothing; amoa was not moved; it did not modify in nothing its beautiful face.
It intrigued that it. Would have elefeito something of made a mistake? It would have it hurt of some form? It left that the end of semanaacabasse to make contact. He was curious to understand that behavior. The hours seemed sluggish, as if they dragged and they delayed to pass. Second fair arrived. Clock looked at parao. It was still early. As he was anxious.
It bound thus exactly. For suasurpresa, exactly that hour, it took care of. It said who to precisavamconversar. The voice of it was not of the best ones. A distant tone if perceived. Eleconcordou and suggested a meeting. It accepted. Still she had that to face all tomorrow. The meeting was in the end of the afternoon. The worse hypotheses populated suamente. How it could be so pessimistic? Two hours before it already seencontrava in the marked place. He played to count regressively to kill otempo. He added the numbers of the plates of the cars that passed for the street. Of tudofazia so that these interminable one hundred and twenty minutes passed.


Starting a new project for some drawers in pine.
Starting a new project in the shop after some downtime. I wanted to work on a couple skills, and try out a few new ones, so I grabbed a left over pine board (with knots, and voids, and all) and set out to make set of small drawers for my wifes sewing room.
Last night I fit the last two corners of dovetails, and it went together pretty well. This is a minor miracle for me really, as I've had a hand of these simple dovetail project go awry at this point, so I was very happy to see this come together. I used a much improved marking system to make absolutely sure I had lined it all up right this time, and not repeat the mistakes where I cut the pins on the wrong side, or similar rookie mistakes.
Using my new marking knife from Blue Spruce.
Simple layout of tails with a divider to step it out, and the Lie Nielson dovetail marker.
Sharpening and stropping my chisels before I set to work.
Cutting the waste out with my bow/turning saw right to the line.
All in all I was pretty happy with things, except for the two times I cut my self on my chisels. I did this over two different evenings, and in true "Underhill" style managed to nick my fingers both times with the super sharp chisel.
Next steps are going to push me into new areas. I'm going to make this a three drawer chest (with a little luck, and hopefully some small amount of skill). I'm going to cut some dados and build out some drawer supports. If all goes well, then I'll start building some drawers for it, and maybe even carve the fronts with some strapwork designs I've discovered.


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Tiffanie Rae Pierce Pleads Guilty in Murder – Dismemberment Case
Tiffanie Rae Pierce entered pleas of guilty to two charges on Thursday in a case in which two people were murdered and their bodies dismembered and placed in vats of acid.
During her appearance before District Judge James Wheelis, Pierce specifically said she was guilty of attempted deliberate homicide by stabbing or slashing the throat of a young woman who was at a house on on Montana Street.
As Judge Wheelis was leading Pierce through the plea agreement, she broke down in tears and left the courtroom with her attorneys for about 10 minutes, but returned composed and ready to continue.
Prosecutor Jennifer Clark walked Pierce through the admission.
"In count one, you say that you slashed the victim, correct?" asked Clark.
"Yes", said Pierce.
"And you did that multiple times?"
"And one of those was across her throat," she asked.
"Probably, it was dark and I couldn't see," replied Pierce.
"And, you admit that that would likely cause her death?" continued Clark.
"Yes, if I were to slash someone in the throat, then I suppose that could cause her death," Pierce said.
This charge stemmed from a previous assault at a home on Montana Street.
The other charge was accountability for deliberate homicide in the death of Marilyn Pickett on August 17, 2017. Clark questioned Pierce about Pickett's death.
"You aided Augustus Standingrock in the death of Marilyn Pickett," she said. "Would you agree that you did that by tackling Marilyn when she tried to run and holding her?" asked Clark.
"I didn't tackle her," said Pierce. "I prevented her from leaving, yes."
Clark continued.
"And by preventing her from leaving that assisted Augustus Standingrock in committing the homicide?" asked Clark.
Pierce replied simply "Yes."
Following the plea hearing, Clark said both of the agreements call for two life sentences for Pierce and Standingrock. The plea agreement also waives their right to appeal the sentences.
Lisa Kaufman, co-counsel for Pierce said the plea agreement did not admit that she actually committed a homicide.
"We entered into a voluntary negotiated plea agreement and she pleaded guilty without any sort of admission that she killed anybody, because she didn't," said Kaufman. "She was only 23 years old when she was arrested and had never been in trouble in her life. She has no criminal record and this was a frightening, terrifying experience for her. In an effort to support her I was willing to give her a hug that she was missing from her family because she's in jail."
Judge Wheelis has requested a pre-sentence investigation, and the sentencing date will be set following that report.
Filed Under: deliberate homicide


In July of 2017, President Trump announced that he would ban transgender people from serving in the military with limited exceptions.
The lower court said that they were going to stop it from going into effect, but Trump went straight to the high courts, asking them to let the transgender ban take effect. The court heard the case and voted to approve the ban.Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the newest judge, agreed with Trump to let the transgender ban pass.
Right now it is an effect on banning transgender people from the military, but the future of it remains up in the air.


Thigh lift is a surgical procedure that addresses the sagging skin in the thigh area. Patients choose this procedure to target the accumulation of excessive skin and fat from the inside of the thighs which are the result of the natural aging process, genetics or fluctuations in weight. Patients opt for this procedure after failure or trouble in eliminating excess fat through diet and exercise, or to treat the reduced skin elasticity that occurs with aging.
Thigh lift is performed under general or local anesthesia. The procedure involves an incision that is made at the junction of the thigh and pubic area. This incision can extend downward to the thigh through which the underlying tissue is reshaped, tightened and the skin is reduced for a smoother pleasing contour.
After surgery, there will be some degree of discomfort, bruising and swelling, which may last for a few days. Strenuous activities must be avoided for several weeks and a compression garment must be worn for the recommended period of time. Dr. Said will give you detailed instructions on how to best handle your recovery.
The risks and complications associated with thigh lift include bruising, swelling, infection, hematoma, seroma, poor wound healing, tight feeling in the thighs and unfavorable scarring.
The outcomes are long-lasting and you will have firmer thighs that are proportional to your body shape.


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WhatsApp to end support for all Windows phones from December 31
Technology By John Doe 2019-05-09
California (Online): If you are still using Windows Phone in 2019, you now have another reason to buy a new Android or iOS based device! WhatsApp is ending support for all smartphone running Windows OS from December 31, 2019.
This means that the not only Windows phones would not receive any future update for WhatsApp, but the app will completely stop working on these smartphones.
The Facebook-owned instant messaging app, WhatsApp has announced that it won't be supporting the Windows powered phones from December 31, 2019. WhatsApp's statement is in line with Microsoft's decision to end the support for Windows 10 Mobile devices in December.
It should also be noted that WhatsApp support for Android versions 2.3.7 and older, and iPhone iOS 7 and older will also end after February 1, 2020. Earlier, WhatsApp support ended for Windows Phone 7 on December 31, 2016.
"Because we will no longer actively develop for these platforms, some features may stop functioning at any time," WhatsApp says. While the app may initially continue to work, you'll likely start encountering major bugs as WhatsApp continues to make changes on its end and Windows phone grows stale.
The phones with Windows 10 Mobile Creators Update will lose support in June and the last standing force of Microsoft's mobile hardware will also stop receiving software updates after December 2019.
Windows Phone, a discontinued operating system from Microsoft, has a mere 0.28 percent mobile OS market share, according to Statcounter. This, for reference, is against Android's 74.85 percent.
The operating system powered a handful of Nokia Lumia phones such as Lumia 638 and Lumia 540 among others.
Microsoft has already ended support for all versions of Windows Phone and even asked Windows users to move to Android, iOS and other platforms.
"Following Microsoft's recent decision to end support for Windows Mobile devices in December, WhatsApp will release its final update for Windows phones in June. WhatsApp will continue working on Windows phones through the end of the year," said a WhatsApp spokesperson.
Prior to Windows Phone, WhatsApp has ended support for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Nokia S40, Nokia Symbian S60, Android 2.1, Android 2.2, Windows Phone 7, iPhone 3G/iOS 6.
WhatsApp has also announced ending support for Android versions 2.3.7 and older after February 1, 2020, and iPhone iOS 7 and older after February 1, 2020.
WhatsApp in recent time became aggressive with the features and introduced many features in quick succession, which includes the sticker features or group calling features.
Tags:WhatsApp, Windows phones, December 31
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Facebook overhauls design as it pivots to private messaging
Samsung denies new Galaxy phone burnt from malfunctioning


StartupAUS, Australia's national startup advocacy group has released a report titled Crossroads – Fifth Anniversary edition.
These ideas are proposals only, and whether they are considered by government will remain to be seen. The report suggested the moratorium be applicable to software claimants with less than $20M in turnover as well as prevent audits if the claim is similar in scope to previously submitted claims, is not more than 50 percent larger than the previous year and if the claim has been prepared by a specialist R&D advisor.
In the interim, companies claiming the R&D Tax Incentive for software activities should ensure they are familiar with the latest guidelines for software R&D published by AusIndustry and the ATO.


Hello, I am using snagit editor version 13.1.4. I have noticed lately that when I open an image file to edit in snagit, it discolors the image, usually making it look like a filter is applied. Does anyone know how to prevent this? I just want to edit my original image!


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text:
Prognosis 2012: Towards a New World Social Order
Richard K. Moore | Global Research
Historical background – the establishment of capitalist supremacy
When the Industrial Revolution began in Britain, in the late 1700s, there was lots of money to be made by investing in factories and mills, by opening up new markets, and by gaining control of sources of raw materials. The folks who had the most money to invest, however, were not so much in Britain but more in Holland. Holland was the leading Western power in the 1600s, and its bankers were the leading capitalists. In pursuit of profit, Dutch capital flowed to the British stock market, and thus the Dutch funded the rise of Britain, who subsequently eclipsed Holland both economically and geopolitically.
In this way British industrialism came to be dominated by wealthy investors, and capitalism became the dominant economic system. This led to a major social transformation. Britain had been essentially an aristocratic society, dominated by landholding families. As capitalism became dominant economically, capitalists became dominant politically. Tax structures and import-export policies were gradually changed to favor investors over landowners.
It was no longer economically viable to simply maintain an estate in the countryside: one needed to develop it, turn it to more productive use. Victorian dramas are filled with stories of aristocratic families who fall on hard times, and are forced to sell off their properties. For dramatic purposes, this decline is typically attributed to a failure in some character, a weak eldest son perhaps. But in fact the decline of aristocracy was part of a larger social transformation brought on by the rise of capitalism.
The business of the capitalist is the management of capital, and this management is generally handled through the mediation of banks and brokerage houses. It should not be surprising that investment bankers came to occupy the top of the hierarchy of capitalist wealth and power. And in fact, there are a handful of banking families, including the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers, who have come to dominate economic and political affairs in the Western world.
Unlike aristocrats, capitalists are not tied to a place, or to the maintenance of a place. Capital is disloyal and mobile – it flows to where the most growth can be found, as it flowed from Holland to Britain, then from Britain to the USA, and most recently from everywhere to China. Just as a copper mine might be exploited and then abandoned, so under capitalism a whole nation can be exploited and then abandoned, as we see in the rusting industrial areas of America and Britain.
This detachment from place leads to a different kind of geopolitics under capitalism, as compared to aristocracy. A king goes to war when he sees an advantage to his nation in doing so. Historians can 'explain' the wars of pre-capitalist days, in terms of the aggrandizement of monarchs and nations.
A capitalist stirs up a war in order to make profits, and in fact our elite banking families have financed both sides of most military conflicts since at least World War 1. Hence historians have a hard time 'explaining' World War 1 in terms of national motivations and objectives.
In pre-capitalist days warfare was like chess, each side trying to win. Under capitalism warfare is more like a casino, where the players battle it out as long as they can get credit for more chips, and the real winner always turns out to be the house – the bankers who finance the war and decide who will be the last man standing. Not only are wars the most profitable of all capitalist ventures, but by choosing the winners, and managing the reconstruction, the elite banking families are able, over time, to tune the geopolitical configuration to suit their own interests.
Nations and populations are but pawns in their games. Millions die in wars, infrastructures are destroyed, and while the world mourns, the bankers are counting their winnings and making plans for their postwar reconstruction investments.
From their position of power, as the financiers of governments, the banking elite have over time perfected their methods of control. Staying always behind the scenes, they pull the strings controlling the media, the political parties, the intelligence agencies, the stock markets, and the offices of government. And perhaps their greatest lever of power is their control over currencies. By means of their central-bank scam, they engineer boom and bust cycles, and they print money from nothing and then loan it at interest to governments. The power of the banking elites is both absolute and subtle…
"Some of the biggest men in the United
States are afraid of something. They
know there is a power somewhere, so
organised, so subtle, so watchful, so
interlocked, so complete, so pervasive
that they had better not speak above
their breath when they speak in
condemnation of it."
— President Woodrow Wilson
The end of growth – capitalists vs. capitalism
It was always inevitable, on a finite planet, that there would be a limit to economic growth. Industrialization has enabled us to rush headlong toward that limit over the past two centuries. Production has become ever more efficient, markets have become ever more global, and finally we have reached the point where the paradigm of perpetual growth can no longer be maintained.
Indeed, that point was actually reached by about 1970. Since then capital has not so much sought growth through increased production, but rather by extracting greater returns from relatively flat production levels. Hence globalization, which moved production to low-waged areas, providing greater profit margins. Hence privatization, which transfers revenue streams to investors that formerly went to national treasuries. Hence derivative and currency markets, which create the electronic illusion of economic growth, without actually producing anything in the real world.
If one studies the collapse of civilizations, one learns that failure-to-adapt is fatal. Continuing on the path of pursuing growth would be such a failure to adapt. And if one reads the financial pages these days, one finds that it is full of doomsayers. We read that the Eurozone is doomed, and Greece is just the first casualty. We read that stimulus packages are not working, unemployment is increasing, the dollar is in deep trouble, growth continues to stagnate, business real estate will be the next bubble to burst, etc. It is easy to get the impression that capitalism is failing to adapt, and that our societies are in danger of collapsing into chaos.
Such an impression would be partly right and partly wrong. In order to understand the real situation we need to make a clear distinction between the capitalist elite and capitalism itself. Capitalism is an economic system driven by growth; the capitalist elite are the folks who have managed to gain control of the Western world while capitalism has operated over the past two centuries. The capitalist system is past its sell-by date, the banking elite are well aware of that fact – and they are adapting.
Capitalism is a vehicle that helped bring the bankers to absolute power, but they have no more loyalty to that system than they have to place, or to anything or anyone else. As mentioned earlier, they think on a global scale, with nations and populations as pawns. They define what money is and they issue it, just like the banker in a game of Monopoly. They can also make up a new game with a new kind of money. They have long outgrown any need to rely on any particular economic system in order to maintain their power. Capitalism was handy in an era of rapid growth. For an era of non-growth, a different game is being prepared.
Thus, capitalism has not been allowed to die a natural death. First it was put on a life-support system, as mentioned above, with globalization, privatization, derivative markets, etc. Then it was injected with a euthanasia death-drug, in the form of toxic derivatives. And when the planned collapse occurred, rather than industrial capitalism being bailed out, the elite bankers were bailed out. It's not that the banks were too big to fail, rather the bankers were too politically powerful to fail. They made governments an offer they couldn't refuse.
The outcome of the trillion-dollar bailouts was easily predictable, although you wouldn't know that from reading the financial pages. National budgets were already stretched, and they certainly did not have reserves available to service the bailouts. Thus the bailouts amounted to nothing more than the taking on of immense new debts by governments. In order to fulfill the bailout commitments, the money would need to be borrowed from the same financial institutions that were being bailed out.
With the bailouts, Western governments delivered their nations in hock to the bankers. The governments are now in perpetual debt bondage to the bankers. Rather than the banks going into receivership, governments are now in receivership. Obama's cabinet and advisors are nearly all from Wall Street; they are in the White House so they can keep close watch over their new acquisition, the once sovereign USA. Perhaps they will soon be presiding over its liquidation.
The bankers are now in control of national budgets. They say what can be funded and what can't. When it comes to financing their wars and weapons production, no limits are set. When it comes to public services, then we are told deficits must be held in check. The situation was expressed very well by Brian Cowan, Ireland's government chief. In the very same week that Ireland pledged 200 billion Euro to bailout the banks, he was being asked why he was cutting a few million Euro off of critical service budgets. He replied, "I'm sorry, but the funds just aren't there". Of course they're not there! The treasury was given away. The cupboard is bare.
As we might expect, the highest priority for budgets is servicing the debt to the banks. Just as most of the third world is in debt slavery to the IMF, so the whole West is now in debt slavery to its own central banks. Greece is the harbinger of what is to happen everywhere.
The carbon economy – controlling consumption
In a non-growth economy, the mechanisms of production will become relatively static. Instead of corporations competing to innovate, we'll have production bureaucracies. They'll be semi-state, semi-private bureaucracies, concerned about budgets and quotas rather than growth, somewhat along the lines of the Soviet model. Such an environment is not driven by a need for growth capital, and it does not enable a profitable game of Monopoly.
We can already see steps being taken to shift the corporate model towards the bureaucratic model, through increased government intervention in economic affairs. With the Wall Street bailouts, the forced restructuring of General Motors, the call for centralized micromanagement of banking and industry, and the mandating of health insurance coverage, the government is saying that the market is to superseded by government directives. Not that we should bemoan the demise of exploitive capitalism, but before celebrating we need to understand what it is being replaced with.
In an era of capitalism and growth, the focus of the game has been on the production side of the economy. The game was aimed at controlling the means of growth: access to capital. The growth-engine of capitalism created the demand for capital; the bankers controlled the supply. Taxes were mostly based on income, again related to the production side of the economy.
Filed under Afghanistan, America, China, Europe, Geopolitics, GlobalResearch, History, human rights, media, Middle East, New Conflicts, New Great Game, New World Order, Pakistan, war-on-terror, World, Zionism Tagged with 2010, 2012, 9/11, Afghan War, Afghanistan, Al-Qaida, America, aristocrats, Barack Obama, Bill of Rights, Britain, capitalist supremacy, capitalists, capitalists vs. capitalism, carbon credits, carbon taxes, China, CIA, coming global conflict, coming war, Congress, Copenhagen, covert false-flag operations, Defence, empire, Eurozone, False flag operations, France, Gen. Kayani, General Motors, geopolitical configuration, Greece, Ground Zero, Gulf of Tonkin, Haiti quake, health insurance coverage, Holland, Homeland Security, IMF, India, Indian Occupied Kashmir, Industrialization, Iran, Iraq, ISAF, Islam, Islamabad, Israel, Katrina, Mass Destruction scam, Mayan Calender, Middle East, modus operandi, Monopoly, Mossad, Muslim World, Muslims, nations, NATO, New Conflicts, New Great Game, New World Order, New World Social Order, News, Nuclear war, Obama, Pakistan, Politics, populations, predictions, President Woodrow Wilson, privatization, prognosis 2010, Propaganda, Prophecy, real world., Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Russia, so-called War on Terrorism, Somalia, Soviet model, Taliban, Terrorism, The carbon economy, the UN, UK, United States, USA, war-on-terror, Wars, World, World Trade center, World War 3, Yemen
House Of Rothschild: No One Can Understand What Has Happened To The Planet Without Reading This
The History Of The House Of Rothschild
By Andrew Hitchcock
The Rothschilds have been in control of the world for a very long time, their tentacles reaching into many aspects of our daily lives, as is documented in the following timeline. However, before you jump to the timeline, please read this invaluable introduction which will tell you who the Rothschilds are as oppose to who they claim to be. The Rothschilds claim that they are Jewish, when in fact they are Khazars. They are from a country called Khazaria, which occupied the land locked between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which is now predominantly occupied by Georgia. The reason the Rothschilds claim to be Jewish is that the Khazars under the instruction of the King, converted to the Jewish faith in 740 A.D., but of course that did not include converting their Asiatic Mongolian genes to the genes of the Jewish people.
You will find that approximately 90% of people in the world today who call themselves Jews are actually Khazars, or as they like to be known, Ashkenazi Jews. These people knowingly lie to the world with their claims that the land of Israel is theirs by birthright, when in actual fact their real homeland is over 800 miles away in Georgia.
So, next time you hear an Israeli Prime Minister bleating about the so- called persecution of the Jews, consider this, every Prime Minister of Israel has been an Ashkenazi Jew. Therefore when all these Prime Ministers have curried favour with the West for their re-establishment of a Jewish homeland, they have knowingly and deliberately lied to you, as they were never from that region, and they well know it, because it is they who call themselves Ashkenazi Jews.
The Book of Revelation, Chapter 2, Verse 9, states the following which would appear to be about these Ashkenazi Jews:
"I know thy works, and tribulation and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, butare the synagogue of Satan." The most wealthy bloodline in the world bar none and the leader of the Ashkenazi Jews in the world today is the Rothschild family. As you will see in the timeline, the Rothschilds have obtained this position through lies, manipulation and murder. Their bloodline also extends into the Royal Families of Europe, and the following family names: Astor; Bundy; Collins; duPont; Freeman; Kennedy; Morgan; Oppenheimer; Rockefeller; Sassoon; Schiff; Taft; and Van Duyn. However, these are not the only bloodlines to worry about. You are probably aware of the centuries old pratice undertaken by many Ashkenazi Jews whereby they would change their name, in order for them to appear part of the dominant race of the country in which they lived, so as they could obtain influential positions in that country, which they would then exploit to serve their real masters elsewhere. There is plenty of evidence to prove the Rothschilds continue that deceptive tradition.
Furthermore the Rothschilds are known to sire many children secretly that they can put into positions of power when required. This started with the very first man who took the name Rothschild, who had a secret sixth son. Finally, remember the world is a diverse place, I could if I wanted change my name to Rothschild, or any of the names listed above, and that would not make me part of this family anymore than converting to Judaism in 740 A.D. will make these Ashkenazis Jewish.
Please, therefore, do not automatically assume someone you see with the name Rothschild or any of the names listed above are part of the Rothschild criminal network. Furthermore and most importantly, the majority of Ashkenazi Jews are innocent and not part of this network. Check the facts out for yourself first, this article is designed to inform people who the enemy is, not single out people of a particular race or people with a particular surname, who may have nothing to do with this Rothschild criminal network.
1743: Mayer Amschel Bauer, an Ashkenazi Jew, is born in Frankfurt, Germany, the son of Moses Amschel Bauer, a money lender and the proprietor of a counting house.
Moses Amschel Bauer places a red sign above the entrance door to his counting house. This sign is a red hexagram (which geometrically and numerically translates into the number 666) which under Rothschild instruction will end up on the Israeli flag some two centuries later.
1753: Gutle Schnaper, an Ashkenazi Jew (future wife of Mayer Amschel Bauer), born to respected merchant, Wolf Salomon Schnaper.
1760: During this decade Mayer Amschel Bauer works for a bank owned by the Oppenheimers' in Hanover, Germany. He is highly successful and becomes a junior partner. Whilst working at the bank he becomes acquainted with General von Estorff.
Following his father's death, Bauer returns to Frankfurt to take over his father's business. Bauer recognises the significance of the red hexagram and changes his name from Bauer to Rothschild, after the red hexagram or sign signifying 666 hanging over the entrance door ("Rot," is German for, "Red," "Schild," is German for, "Sign").
Now Mayer Amschel Rothschild, he discovers that General von Estorff is now attached to the court of Prince William IX of Hesse-Hanau, one of the richest royal houses in Europe, which gained its' wealth by the hiring out of Hessian soldiers to foreign countries for vast profits (a practice that continues today in the form of exporting, "peacekeeping," troops throughout the world).
He therefore makes the General's re-acquaintance on the pretext of selling him valuable coins and trinkets at discounted prices. As he plans, Rothschild is subsequently introduced to Prince William himself who is more than pleased with discounted prices he charges for his rare coins and trinkets, and Rothschild offers him a bonus for any other business the Prince can direct his way.
Rothschild subsequently becomes close associates with Prince William, and ends up doing business with him and members of the court. He soon discovers that loaning money to governments and royalty is more profitable than loaning to individuals, as the loans are bigger and are secured by the nation's taxes.
1769: Mayer Amschel Rothschild is given permission by Prince William to hang a sign on the front of his business premises declaring that he is, "M. A. Rothschild, by appointment court factor to his serene highness, Prince William of Hanau."
1770: Mayer Amschel Rothschild draws up plans for the creation of the Illuminati and entrusts Ashkenazi Jew, Adam Weishaupt, a Crypto-Jew who was outwardly Roman Catholic, with its organization and development. The Illuminati is to be based upon the teachings of the Talmud, which is in turn, the teachings of Rabbinical Jews. It was to be called the Illuminati as this is a Luciferian term which means, keepers of the light.
Mayer Amschel Rothschild marries Gutle Schnaper.
1773: Amschel Mayer Rothschild born, the first of Mayer Amschel Rothschild's sons. He like all his brothers who follow him, will enter the family business at the age of 12.
1774: Salomon Mayer Rothschild born.
1776: Adam Weishaupt officially completes his organisation of the Illuminati on May 1 of this year. The purpose of the Illuminati is to divide the goyim (all non-Jews) through political, economic, social, and religious means. The opposing sides were to be armed and incidents were to be provided in order for them to: fight amongst themselves; destroy national governments; destroy religious institutions; and eventually destroy each other.
Weishaupt soon infiltrates the Continental Order of Freemasons with this Illuminati doctrine and establishes lodges of the Grand Orient to be their secret headquarters. This was all under the orders and finance of Mayer Amschel Rothschild and the concept has spread and is followed within Masonic Lodges worldwide to the present day.
Weishaupt also recruits 2,000 paid followers including the most intelligent men in the field of arts and letters, education, science, finance,and industry. They were instructed to follow the following methods in order to control people.
1) Use monetary and sex bribery to obtain control of men already in high places, in the various levels of all governments and other fields of endeavour. Once influential persons had fallen for the lies, deceits, and temptations of the Illuminati they were to be held in bondage by application of political and other forms of blackmail, threats of financial ruin, public exposure, and fiscal harm, even death to themselves and loved members of their families.
2) The faculties of colleges and universities were to cultivate students possessing exceptional mental ability belonging to well-bred families with international leanings, and recommend them for special training in internationalism, or rather the notion that only a one- world government can put an end to recurring wars and strife. Such training was to be provided by granting scholarships to those selected by the Illuminati. Read more of this post
Filed under America, Geopolitics, History, New Conflicts, New World Order, war-on-terror, World, Zionism Tagged with ADL, America, and fiscal harm, and Van Duyn., anti-Semitism, Ashkenazi Jew, Ashkenazi Jews, Barack Obama, blackmail, Britain, Bundy, Caspian Sea, Collins, Crypto-Jew, Dajjal Illuminati, duPont, economic collapse, economic crisis, Faith, Freeman, Georgia, Great Britain, House of Rothschild, illuminati, Israel, Jews, Kennedy, Khazars, king, Mogolian, Morgan, New Conflicts, New World Order, Oppenheimer, public exposure, Rockefeller, Rothschild, Rothschilds, Sassoon, Schiff, Taft, threats of financial ruin, Timeline, United States, USA, war-on-terror, World War III, Zionism, Zionist, zions


text:
Q: Images in UITableView changes as I scroll I'm trying to create a feed just like the one in facebook. The problem is, the image on the succeeding rows will load the images from the initial rows and then correctly load their corresponding load. When you go to the top rows, the images previously loaded are gone. I've tried lazy loading but the problem persists. You could view the video to understand the problem better. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbgYM-1xYN4)
The images are asynchronously loaded and are fetched from our server.
Here are some Code:
#pragma mark - Table view data source

- (NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInTableView:(UITableView *)tableView
{
    return 1;
}

- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section
{

    return [latestPosts count];
}

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
     NSDictionary * dataDict = [latestPosts objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];

    CardCell *cell = [self.feedTable dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:@"CardCell"];
    if (cell == nil) {
        cell = [[CardCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:@"CardCell"];
    }
    [cell layoutSubviews];

    NSURL *imageURL = [[NSURL alloc] initWithString:[dataDict objectForKey:@"post_holder_image"]];
    NSURL *postImageURL = [[NSURL alloc] initWithString:[dataDict objectForKey:@"post_image"]];
    dispatch_async(dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_BACKGROUND, 0), ^{
        NSData *imageData = [NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:imageURL];
        NSData *postImageData = [NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:postImageURL];
        dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
            cell.brandImage.image = [UIImage imageWithData:imageData];
            cell.postImage.image = [UIImage imageWithData:postImageData];
        });
    });

    cell.brandName.text = [dataDict objectForKey:@"post_holder"];
    cell.postDateTime.text = [dataDict objectForKey:@"post_datetime"];
    cell.postMessage.text = [dataDict objectForKey:@"post_content"];

    return cell;
}

A: Use below method of UITableViewCell in your custom cell and set the image property to nil.
hope it will work for you.
-(void)prepareForReuse{
    [super prepareForReuse];

    // Then Reset here back to default values that you want.
}

A: There are a few problems with the above.
As mentioned above you need to use a image as a placeholder (i.e blank white or an image of your choice) in the cell init code AND cell reuse.
You really  need to cache your images, only download an image once and then store it in a dictionary. i.e.:
            UIImage *cachedImage = self.images[user[@"username"]];
            if (cachedImage) {
                //use cached image
                [button setBackgroundImage:cachedImage forState:UIControlStateNormal];
            }

            else {

                //download image and then add it to the dictionary }

where self.images is an NSMutableDictionary. You could also look into NSCache. If you don't cache the images you will find the table is very laggy when scrolling for a large number of rows because of the image conversion from data.
However this will  not completely fix the problem if you start loading a table and scroll up and down very fast the images will appear to be in the wrong places and move around until they are all loaded. Cell reuse will confuse where to put the image. Make sure you put [tableView reloadItemsAtIndexPaths:@[indexPath]]; in your download block i.e.:
NSURL *imageURL = [[NSURL alloc] initWithString:[dataDict objectForKey:@"post_holder_image"]];
    NSURL *postImageURL = [[NSURL alloc] initWithString:[dataDict objectForKey:@"post_image"]];
    dispatch_async(dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_BACKGROUND, 0), ^{
        NSData *imageData = [NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:imageURL];
        NSData *postImageData = [NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:postImageURL];
        dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
            cell.brandImage.image = [UIImage imageWithData:imageData];
            cell.postImage.image = [UIImage imageWithData:postImageData];
            [tableView reloadItemsAtIndexPaths:@[indexPath]];
        });
    });

A: You need to set imageview.image nil or you should set your placeholder image while reusing cells. Here is same question Async image loading from url inside a UITableView cell - image changes to wrong image while scrolling
Other than that if you are not using parse.com api ect. you can check https://github.com/rs/SDWebImage or https://github.com/AFNetworking/AFNetworking
There are tons of answer about this topic.
[cell layoutSubviews];
cell.brandImage.image = nil;
cell.postImage.image = nil;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


(01-07-2019, 10:52 AM)jowens1126 Wrote: I hate the originals. It makes it a big pain in the but to do anything under the hood. Not to mention that they are not the easiest things to remove without taking the hood off.
I don't think the originals are that bad. I can have them off in less than 5 minutes and definitely don't have to remove the hood.
well I have really big hands and arms, plus I'm getting up in age and things like that it seems like I have to be a contortionist to get the bolts in.
If the bolt+nuts are the originals or of similar quality, there are in and out in matter of seconds.
I use a L shaped key on nut, and socket/rachet on head.
If it takes ages to get them loose, the threads are likely corroded/rusty and could use some brushing/grease.
The position you need to take to have a good grip isn't the most friendly for sure, but how often do you need to remove/place back these?
I have two objections for the stock braces, appearance and getting in the way. The aftermarket ones look better and don't get in the way as much but also require a monte carlo brace to make up for the loss of lateral support that the original ones provide. The monte carlo braces get in the way of more things that I need to get to more often, like the distributor. So, for now I'll stick with the original, until, if and when I make one that I believe accomplishes functionality and appearance.
Just for alternative ideas here is a picture of what I did. I really dig most of Total Controls products, but not that brace.
That's clean looking and functional. It will definitely provide better support longitudinally and transversely than the one from TCP.
I dont need to remove the hood either.
However, what may be of use is to have a bracket like that at the cowl. That may stiffen that end a bit but not sure if needed. It will be easy to replicate with a 1/2" wide plate.
Could you make a close pict at the tower, to see how they connect please?


When start to compare anti wrinkle eye cream ingredients, you certainly will be overpowered. There are so many available today that may practically impossible to know what will work the good. So, how do you choose preferred anti wrinkle eye ointment?
Skin aging is inevitable as time marches on, but it does not have to get obvious. There are a number of substances that can performed to make skin look more youthful. Anti wrinkle creams and lotions are the very best weapons that people have against sagging, wrinkled skin. As well as the proper skin care, anti aging cream can create a huge difference in the look the pores and skin.
What will be the best natual skin care for getting? Almost every other person I meet asks me this subject. Having spent a good portion of daily life researching about skin care, I am glad we am in a position to reply to their ponder. The answer to that question is less complicated than you believe. Shall we take a look?


text:
Practical Use Of Mediation Process A Success In Federation
A Mediation Session Runs For Three Hours
August 28, 2009 (SKNIS)
The process of mediation is still new to many persons in St. Kitts and Nevis, but Justice Francis Belle has testified to the successes of assisted negotiations and its practical usage in society.
The High Court Judge was the featured guest on this week's SKNIS Perspectives, where he discussed the Court Connected Mediation Programme "" a regional initiative of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court that officially began mediating cases in St. Kitts in March 2006.
This process involves an agreed referral of minor civil matters to a trained mediator who will engage disputing parties in an impartial way to help find common ground. A mediation session runs for three hours and costs $1,000.00 which is shared by the parties involved. Officials typically determine if the matter can be solved via mediation after the first session. If the parties are close to a compromise, a second session is held. Cases that are not successful however, are sent back to the court for trial.
"Mediation can allow persons to get to the bottom of feelings they may have and it fosters dialogue generally, rather than argument," Justice Belle explained, while highlighting some of the benefits.
"It fosters persons being able to try to understand each others point of view, understand each others needs and their feelings about certain things; and [it allows them] to work on these things so at the end of the day, it is more likely that an agreement arrived at, through mediation will be adhered to, than an agreement ordered by the court."
Approximately 50 percent of the cases referred to mediation by the Judge are resolved, placing it on par with the regional average. Justice Belle disclosed that the skills involved in negotiations can have a positive impact on the Federation's youth.
"What I see as a Judge who has to deal with "¦ very serious criminal matters, is that a lot of times when persons commit acts of violence for example, they really don't seem to have thought about it," he stated, noting that upon reflection, individuals have to "˜come to grips' with the physical and emotional harm they caused. " "¦ If they were more practiced in the idea of looking at the situation in a creative manner [and to consider] various options, then they probably would have taken the option that is safer and more sensible."
The High Court Judge stressed that the mentality of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" is not practical and this message will be taken to the community as committee members have been asked to interact regularly with youth organizations, faith-based institutions and others.
In the meantime, persons have expressed satisfaction with the process.
"Mediators are fairly happy that sometimes cases that don't even appear as though they can be resolved are indeed resolved and, there are lawyers who are saying they are really happy that the court referred certain matters to mediation," Justice Belle revealed.
While for the most part cases have dealt primarily with civil disputes, plans are being considered to have the mediation process expand to family law matters.
Persons interested in learning more about mediation or those who wish to become trained mediators are encouraged to contact the Mediation Coordination at the Basseterre High Court at telephone 465-7003.
Categories Nevis News Tags Nevis, St. Kitts
CTU Head Pledges Support To Federation After Successful Roadshow
CSME Forges Ahead In Regional Exchange


text:
Home / Evil Stalks the Night
Evil Stalks the Night
By KathrynMeyerGriffith
Genre: Action Adventure, Horror, Mystery, Suspense Thrillers
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Twenty years ago psychic Sarah Summers fled from the evil that lurked in the woods behind her childhood home after it killed most of her family, but a nasty divorce and financial hardships forced her back when nothing else could have.
With her son, Jeremy, she returns to her inheritance, her grandmother's dilapidated house, and tries to begin a new life. She meets a police detective, Ben, who falls for her, and she prays her fresh visions of bloodshed and death deep among the dark trees aren't true.
Then the murders begin again and Sarah is hurtled back into the familiar nightmare that has haunted her her whole life. The evil in the woods is awake again and this time it wants her last remaining brother, Jim; her son…and her.
With Ben and Jim's help can she defeat it this time…and live? ***
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stalks-Night-Kathryn-Meyer-Griffith-ebook/dp/B0...
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What Lies Beneath the Graves
WITCHES AMONG US- 4th Spookie Town Murder Mystery
I've been an author for over 48 years and have had 28 books published since 1984. Kathryn Meyer Griffith rdgriff@htc.net
About Kathryn Meyer Griffith…
Since childhood I've been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I'd already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-eight years ago now, and have had twenty-eight (six romantic horror, five thrillers, two horror novels, three romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and nine murder mysteries) previous novels and thirteen short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press. But I've gone into self-publishing in a big way since 2012; and upon getting some of my older books' full rights back for the first time in 33 years, have self-published all of them along with my newer novels. My five Dinosaur Lake novels and five Spookie Town Mysteries (Scraps of Paper, All Things Slip Away, Ghosts Beneath Us, Witches Among Us and What Lies Beneath the Graves) are my best-sellers.
I've been married to Russell for over forty-one years; have a son, two grandchildren and one great granddaughter and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois. We have a quirky cat, Sasha, and the three of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I've been an artist, and a sometime folk/classic rock singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I'll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.
2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *Finalist* for her horror novel The Last Vampire ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS * Finalist * for her thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.
*All Kathryn Meyer Griffith's books can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/ld4jlow
*All her Audible.com audio books here:
http://tinyurl.com/oz7c4or
Novels and short stories from Kathryn Meyer Griffith:
Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Blood Forged, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire (2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS*Finalist* in their Horror category), Witches, Witches II: Apocalypse, Witches plus Witches II: Apocalypse, The Nameless One erotic horror short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper (The First Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Things Slip Away (The Second Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Ghosts Beneath Us (The Third Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Witches Among Us (The Fourth Spookie Town Murder Mystery),What Lies Beneath the Graves (The Fifth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Egyptian Heart, Winter's Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don't Look Back, Agnes, A Time of Demons and Angels, The Woman in Crimson, Human No Longer, Four Spooky Short Stories Collection, Forever and Always Romantic Novella, Night Carnival Short Story, Dinosaur Lake (2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS*Finalist* in their Thriller/Adventure category), Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising and Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation, Dinosaur Lake IV: Dinosaur Wars, Dinosaur Lake V: Survivors, Memories of My Childhood (short story collection) and Christmas Magic 1959 short story.
Her Websites:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathrynG64
My Blog: https://kathrynmeyergriffith.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kathryn-Meyer-Griffith/579206748758534
http://www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/889499.Kathryn_Meyer_Griffith
http://en.gravatar.com/kathrynmeyergriffith
https://tinyurl.com/ycp5gqb2


text:
Assistant thinks on the fly, and other Android updates coming soon
By Adam Turner
May 9, 2019 — 2.51pm
As well as getting smarter, Google Assistant is also getting faster as Google brings a range of new features to Android.
As Android Q Beta 3 was released for early adaptors, along with details of the more affordable Pixel 3a and 3a XL smartphones, Google unveiled a raft of new Android features at this week's Google I/O developer conference in California.
The augmented reality navigation built into Google Maps will be accompanied by the integration of AR into search results, at first on the Pixel 3. Google demonstrated the ability to view 3D models of animals and human anatomy and then use AR to superimpose them on the phone's view of real world, bringing a six-metre great white shark to life on stage.
The technology can also be used to see a rotatable 3D image of online shopping items and then view those items in the real world, such as seeing how a virtual pair of new shoes looks alongside a real-world outfit.
Meanwhile, Google's machine learning capabilities underpin the new Live Captions accessibility feature in Android Q, which can superimpose real-time audio captions over video playing in any app. Some apps and devices should also be able to send captions to a television via Chromecast streaming, with the long-term goal to offer live translated captions.
When it comes to privacy, Google's Incognito mode is extending beyond the Chrome browser and YouTube to also apply to search results and Google Maps. When enabled, it will ensure that activities aren't linked back to a specific Google account. The move comes as Google introduces the ability to automatically delete old user data, such as search and location history, after three or 18 months.
Android's Google Duplex is also expanding, after last year's demonstration of a Google Assistant calling a restaurant and impersonating a human to book a table, with the person on the other end unaware they were talking to a machine. Duplex, which is available only in the US, is set to gain the ability to automatically complete complex multi-page forms based on user preferences, to automate processes such as booking a car rental via a mobile website.
Other upcoming Android features include system-wide dark mode, folding phone support, genderless emoji and improved family controls.
One of Android's biggest changes is the move to run Google Assistant completely on the device; allowing it to comprehend spoken requests and execute many tasks instantly rather than needing to connect to internet and wait for a response.
The "next-generation Google Assistant" will come to the flagship Pixel handsets later this year but may eventually come to other devices.
The move to run Google Assistant onboard is possible thanks to Google's advancements in deep learning, which have helped it condense the 100GB of data required to power Google Assistant down to less than 1GB.
In return, Google Assistant responds to requests up to 10 times faster. An on-stage demonstration saw it respond instantly to a string of different commands – from sending messages to checking the weather forecast – without the traditional lag time.
The improvement is part of a push to make interacting with Google Assistant less laborious and more intuitive. This includes "Continued Conversation"; removing the need to say "OK Google" before each request in an ongoing conversation.
The onboard storage and processing power required to run Google Assistant independently restricts which devices can be used. This will change as the technology continues to evolve, as demonstrated by the work invested into bring many high-end smartphone features from the Pixel 3 to the less powerful Pixel 3a.
The author travelled to California as a guest of Google.
Adam Turner is an award-winning Australian technology journalist and co-host of weekly podcast Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News.Connect via Twitter or email.
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