Months have passed since I attended the International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC). There have been some excellent and often entertaining posts from other bloggers who attended—many of them from my gluten-free friends. But exactly what I wanted to say on IFBC did not come easily to me … and then life intervened, as it always does. Oh, I was tweeting away with the best of them at the event itself before and after sessions, and even during some sessions (for good and naughty reasons). Plus, I shared IFBC and Seattle photos on my gfe Facebook page right away. Still I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to share here. Sometimes words don't do adequate justice to an event, so I just get overwhelmed trying. I also have a tendency to want to document such happenings chronologically, which can be both tedious and boring. So, still playing catch up as part of my 25 Days to Christmas, I've finally decided that I'm just going to share some thoughts here … in no particular order. They are not brief (no surprise there!), so you might want to grab a snack and a beverage, but I do think that they are a quick read.
1—If you could bottle the feeling of energy and camaraderie at a food bloggers' conference, you'd have the ultimate "feel good—I can do anything!" elixir. Not unlike the VIP mint that was the equivalent of three martinis in the Rock Hudson/Doris Day Movie, Lover Come Back, but I digress. Everyone who attended IFBC and has attended these events in the past knows exactly what I mean. It's quite the heady experience. Heidi (Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom) kept referring to herself as a groupie, because she was so smitten after meeting her gluten-free blogger friends in person. as well as others prominent in the food world. (You must check out her photo with Morgan Spurlock!) We all worry before we attend that very first food blogging conference that we might not fit in and that these people in the food world might walk on water—the food equivalents of Anna Wintour, so to speak. We wonder who we'll talk to, if we'll say the right things, if we'll take the right clothes (okay, I worry about that for every event!), and more. But blogging can bring people together and more importantly food is common ground for everyone—blogger and non-blogger alike. The overall vibe and interaction at IFBC (and other food blogger conferences like BlogHer Food) was just so good that quite frankly we didn't want the event to end. If you are a food blogger and can participate in such events, I recommend participating to experience #1 if nothing else.
2—Morgan Spurlock, noted documentary filmmaker and more, is extremely quick witted, and very motivating. After an highly entertaining tête-à-tête with his interviewer (whose name I cannot recall and I can find nowhere online, but who did a superb job), Morgan's closing statement to do more than "preach to the choir" got everyone thinking. I'm still thinking about it and trying to act upon his advice daily. What else can I do to spread gluten-free awareness and, in general, an appreciation for real food for all and as part of my gfe approach for those who need to eat gluten free? I have some ideas percolating and so far have just tried to be out in the "world" as much as possible, but feel free to share any ideas you might have in comments.
4—Don't be obsessed with taking every photo with the most high dollar camera out there. Wendy (Celiacs in the House) actually WON the photo contest at IFBC using her compact and fairly inexpensive Canon Elph. Yippee for Wendy! Yes, I'm still excited for her. The gluten-free bloggers did a great job of hooting and hollering when she took the stage to accept her prize—a beautiful chef's knife.
6—Sometimes the photos taken (and even published in most cases) by the professionals will surprise you. I'm not a great photographer and the camera I got as a replacement for my previous camera has let me down repeatedly. However, I still found myself looking at some of the photographs taken—oops, I mean pictures made—and thinking, "hmmm, I've discarded photos similar to those." For one thing, I was surprised how many overhead shots were deemed worthy. I was also surprised at Penny's guidance to not get too close to the food when making pictures … "let your food breathe." She also advised that you should only use the hand shot once. Period. I thought that photos of a hand holding a scrumptious food, like a delectable muffin, were cool, so I know I've broken that rule!
7—It's both a very encouraging thing and a shame when you have to fend off other folks to ensure an adequate supply of gluten-free food. If we had the Dr. Rodney Ford inspired Gluten-Free Planet, we wouldn't have to worry about that. But, for this event, we ended up asking people if they had to eat gluten free, posting signs, and just guarding the table. Someone said in her family the gluten-free folks were called gf'ers as in "those gf'ers!" So we said yeah, we're just a bunch of gf'ers. Then I added another similar, two-letter acronym as a prefix. We got a good laugh out of the irony that others were finding our food so appetizing, but in reality, it shouldn't have surprised us. The gluten-free food served was real food, and real food is just incredibly beautiful and delicious (the forbidden adjective!).
9—Group photos are so much fun, but there's always one person who is not happy with their image and would like a "re-do." Sometimes that person is me!
10—It's fun to have company in one's room at Hotel Monaco, especially if his name is Romeo. Oh, what a clever way to take care of your program members, Kimpton Hotels!
11—Always thinking ahead when it comes to food. This advice is not what you think. Don't let great gluten-free food from the conference be carried off uneaten. Diane (The W.H.O.L.E. Gang) was smart enough to ask and get permission from Shauna and Danny to "stuff her pockets" with their amazing bread. So on the flight home she sat beside me and ate their amazingly good bread while I sucked one of the Justin Nut Butter packages dry. It was not one of my favorite moments. LOL However, Diane was the one who packed such a fantastic package of naturally gluten-free food for our flights—her homemade La Cecina, Justin Nut Butters, hummus, sliced cucumbers, and more. So, I really couldn't be upset with her foresight.
12—Kaili McIntrye, Wheatless in Seattle, who was one of the caterers at IFBC is a delightful person and a true gift to gluten-free folks. Her crostini and goat-cheese stuffed pastries were my favorites of all the beautiful and tasty items she served. As she shared on her Facebook page, everyone wanted her food, not just the gluten-free folks, so she had to keep increasing the servings she prepared. She, too, was quizzing folks if they had to eat gluten free and asking them to step away from the table and return after the gluten-free folks had been fed.
12—There truly are such a thing as super nice porta potties. The much talked about porta potties at IFBC were spacious and clean, with flush toilets, running water, flowers, framed pictures on the walls, and mints on the sink. When lines were long, I even resorted to one of the very basic porta potties, which were equally clean because nobody was using them. Although I'm not necessarily a fan of antibacterial hand cleaners, I did appreciate them being available after such visits.
13—Always quiz about a food's gluten-free status until you find your comfort level. Patrolling servers at the Friday opening event stated that lamb "pops" (think lamb chops eaten Renaissance Faire style) were gluten free. However, when Melissa (Gluten Free for Good) inquired of the chef at his display booth and serving table; the chef stated that the lamb pops were not gluten free. I was glad I had not eaten any. But, I certainly enjoyed a host of other foods (and beverages) at that event.
14. It's never much fun to eat standing up, but it's always fun to break the rules. Melissa spied the two empty chairs on the small dais and decided we should sit down. People were chuckling at us because these chairs were clearly reserved for others … more important others. A short while later, Morgan Spurlock and his "mystery" interviewer settled into them. I still can't understand why the POM Wonderful server (think of a young lass who could model for Victoria's Secret and you'd have the right image) did not serve us non-stop POMtinis as she did later to Morgan Spurlock when he occupied the same seat.
15. Numerous articles about the gluten-free diet being a fad or a trend have made me dislike those words … a lot. There was a Q & A at the end of the Spurlock interview and the next trend in food was pondered. One of the answers was foraging. Foraging is a viable option in some areas and one enjoyed by quite a few whole food proponents. However, it's not one I'd feel comfortable doing in my own neighborhood where I can't control the use of my neighbor's lawn care products, etc. Trends tend to be short-term, so even the best answers on returning to whole foods more and more just didn't sit well with me. I don't want to look at trends; I want to look at permanent changes and improvements. Finally, I was grateful that gluten-free food wasn't mentioned as a trend. That might have gotten all of us gluten-free bloggers up off our "seats" on the floor!
16. Theo Chocolate is incredible!!! We received Theo Chocolate in our swag bag and after lunch each day. The only flavor that I did not like was a fennel variety. I was even more impressed when I heard the company's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Debra Music, speak and learned about how Theo Chocolate is a fair trade company and is actually changing the way the chocolate business is done. Read about their history and practices here and more here. Last, while historic chocolate factories are really beautiful and fascinating places, one is not necessarily the best place to hold a multi-day conference with several hundred people.
17. Even when you know that you are about to have a spectacular meal made by Shauna and Danny, using recipes from their brand new cookbook (Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef—now out, of course!), you will want to eat something tasty while you wait and you might even want to eat more when you are done. You know how talking about food and looking at photos of food can make you hungry? Well, imagine hearing about food and seeing food from some of the best in the world. You WILL be hungry! So the gluten-free bloggers still hit the food trucks, which were available for the bloggers for lunch that day. The top two visited by the gluten-free bloggers were the Mexican and Thai food trucks. Mexican food is often gluten free and the same holds true for Thai (love those rice noodles, but be sure to steer clear of gratuitous soy sauce).
19. Presentations work best when the presenter is not ultimately trying to sell something. The presentations that felt like a sales pitch did not work. The ones where the speakers spoke passionately on their topic and/or offered more of a step-by-step guide/tutorial were much better received.
20. There was, and remains, a lot of guidance—as well as a lot of disagreement—on how much and what type of content bloggers should give away. From the IFBC presentation, specifically, I find one of the sanest, most reasonable voices in this area is Dianne Jacob. (FYI–The revision of Dianne's well-respected book, Will Write for Food, was released in July.) While I don't always agree with Dianne, I love the spirit of discussion that she brings to the table. If you are a blogger, I also think you need to trust your gut on this topic.
21. Even when you have an outstanding conference, the time you'll treasure the most is the connections you make and the time you spend with friends away from the conference. I spotted Carrie (Ginger Lemon Girl) with her husband, Michael, as Diane and I walked to our table at the hotel restaurant, Rezas. Smiles and hugs all around! The day spent at Pikes Market with Diane and Wendy was truly treasured time. Diane and I are "old buds" now, but we had never met Wendy before. As you can imagine, we never stopped talking! The same was true when we met Kim (Cook IT Allergy Free) and Heidi. We caught up to them in the hotel lobby and were pretty oblivious to the others who were also waiting in the packed area. There was the joy of meeting one another for the first time and getting to know someone new and terrific, but there was also the comfortable feeling that results from already knowing someone quite a bit through their blogs and other social media.
A kickoff outing to Flying Apron that afternoon brought so many of the gluten-free bloggers together. While many of us headed out from Hotel Monaco via bus, Stephanie (Wasabimon); Emily (formerly Coconut Gal); Dr. Jean Layton (Gluten-Free Doctor Recipes) and her family; Jeanne (formerly Four Chickens, now the Art of Gluten-Free Baking) and her daughter; plus Shauna, Danny, and Lucy met us there. We took up most of this vegan bakery moving furniture around and making ourselves at home, but the staff was non-plussed. And, who knew vegan pizza could be so good? All of us were talking excitedly with multiple conversations going on the majority of the time, so it was hard to take everything in. We were really all taking part in a "crash course" to get to know each other. The bus ride there and back was half the fun, especially when our group sat in the "extendo" part of the bus that did its own thing on the curves. Crazy, but fun!
When were able to get most of the gluten-free bloggers together for dinner on our last night; it was heavenly. That wasn't just because of the food and service at Tom Douglas' Palace Kitchen, although we all agreed that was divine, too. Kim, Carol (Simply … Gluten Free) Wendy, Heidi, Diane, and Melissa were at our table as well as non-gluten-free, but still very welcomed, Susan (Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy). Carrie and her husband were dining on their own. (It turned out their trip was also a pre-anniversary celebration, so they also sought out couple time on their trip.) But, as fate would have it, they ended up at Palace Kitchen and sat right beside us. Unfortunately, Lexie (Lexie's Kitchen) had already headed home. As so many agreed, those few hours dining together at the Palace Kitchen was the time we'd been waiting for … time to just relax with a glass of wine (and even champagne—thank you, Diane!), share a fine meal, and chat. That evening was way too short, but it was a gift.
22. The gluten-free blogging community is outstanding in so many ways. Dedication, quest for excellence, compassion, understanding, and creativity are the main reasons that come to mind. In addition, every single gluten-free blogger I've met to date has been warm and welcoming. If that comes through to you on their blogs, it's because it's not superficial, it's genuine. I'm so honored to be part of this group. And, we're all so fortunate to have you guys as readers. You're why we do what we do—sending you all a huge thanks!
If you want to read more about IFBC from the perspective of the other bloggers who are included in this post, click on the individual links within this post and once at their sites, search on IFBC. Tomorrow, I'll be back with some more "current" stuff!
Such good memories, Shirley. I'm so glad you did this post despite the delay. That was such a fun trip and meeting all of our GF blogging buddies was the highlight.
Hi Marla–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I know re: Romeo! Like I said, the big wigs at Kimpton Hotels are VERY smart. I would have tolerated any minor guest annoyances just because I had Romeo there to make me forget them all. 😉 There weren't any, but I'm sure you know what I mean.
This was great. I like your 25 days of Christmas posts. I feel like I'm in a time machine going back and forth. I love Chirstmas time, but I think this makes me appreciate it even more because I'm not getting too inundated.
Still wish I had gone, but I loved meeting you at BlogHer Food. Now, I won't feel so weird if I do my old posts that are sitting as unfinished drafts. Thanks!
And thanks for clarifying about Jeanne and Stephanie. I had no idea that Jeanne changed her blog. I was saying to myself that I needed to check out that new blog, The Art of Gltuen-Free Baking. Funny! And, I had absolutely no idea that Stephanie (Wasabimon) was her daughter. No clue! Learn something new everyday.
I really liked your take on things. It funny looking at these pictures now that I've actually met some of you. So I have a different context. Cool!
PS – Can't wait to see what's next!
Hey Tia–You are such a doll! Thanks for all your kind words, but let me clarify immediately that Stephanie is not Jeanne's daughter. Clearly I need to rewrite that part, Jeanne was there with her school-age daughter and Stephanie was there as well. So sorry about the confusion. It is true that Jeanne has a new blog though and per my understanding, only uses Four Chickens as her Twitter name now.
I'm glad you liked the post and you know I was thrilled to meet you at BlogHer Food (yep, still got to do that post, too LOL). I wrote this post not too long after IFBC, but just went back and finished it up. I was tempted to change it knowing so many much better now and adoring them all, but felt I better stick with that point in time.
Oh, and yeah, I can't wait to see what's next myself. Just know this … if you plan to blog daily, you will get sick (for days), your son will call with no heat in his apt and an unresponsive landlord when it's 20 degrees outside, etc. It's a challenge for sure!! LOL But stay tuned! Oh, and glad I am inspiring all of you to dust off those old posts. I definitely want to see them published!
I have just put a linky up for gluten free bloggers. Hope you stop over and link up.
Hi Terry–Welcome to gfe 🙂 … it's nice to meet you. Happy to have another blogger sharing their health journey in the hopes of helping others! I was happy to link up—thank you for doing the listing.
Hope you enjoyed my post. I look forward to chatting with you again in the near future!
Wow Shirley, this is such a thorough post. Thank you for sharing it – you clearly have a stellar memory! I loved reading every little tidbit. When I was teaching, I used to have my students watch Supersize Me. I would've been so excited to meet him! Lucky you. I can't wait to go out for dinner with you, hopefully at the GF Expo!
I didn't know a lot about Morgan Spurlock before IFBC, other than Supersize Me, but now I'm a true fan. I'd love to have his ability to respond to questions in an instant with intelligent, clever responses! That's quite the gift, and that's the difference between someone in media and the average person.
Wonderful recap Shirley. Thank you for sharing those bullet points. And yes, we all say not so smart things sometimes, but eh-it's the human condition.
I do hope that I make it to a conference and get to meet the amazing people I have "met" online and in this community.
Hi Erin–You are always the voice of reason. Next time I screw up, I'm citing the human condition! 😉 Love that … thank you!
This is a good reminder that I owe you that photo of us! So sorry! It is coming!
Hi Kim–You're always so very generous with your words–thank you so much! It is such a blessing that all of "us" have met on our blogging trips and stayed connected. Tia made us all laugh with that one (thanks, Tia!). I wish my post could have been longer and more detailed talking about all of you amazing women. Will go back and update it this weekend to include direct links to your posts.
Such a thoughtful and well detailed post…I feel as if I were there (wish, wish.) I know there will never be another one like it…but let's hope at least Romeo will make a cameo!
Btw – what ever became of the GF conference we all buzzed about?
Per standard, I love your insight Shirley, and probably good timing since the IFBC sign-ups are probably just around the corner in the new year.


This project, consisting of 3 sites and spanning across 940 acres of US Navy and Air Force land, will be able to generate enough power to support approximately 18,000 homes. The largest of these sites is located at Pensacola NAS Saufley Field, while the other two are at Eglin Air Force Base and Holley Field. These sites combined cover the equivalent of more than 750 football fields!


Ronan started taking photos in 2006 after he got his first camera phone. He became instantly hooked and invested in a DSLR camera. Since finishing school has tried to shoot as often as possible. He only started shooting landscapes at the beginning of 2014 and as you can see from the work below he has taken too it extremely well. Ronan was born and raised in Co. Wicklow and so has grown up around some truly stunning landscapes.
We caught up with him to chat about his love of Irish landscape photography.
Can you remember how you first got into photography?
When I got my first camera phone I began to learn the basics, I eventually moved onto a DSLR and that's when it all took off for me!
I'm a Nikon man, Nikon D5200 to be precise.
In this age of digital photography you have to shoot RAW. RAW files are like digital negatives, the power to develop them is almost infinite giving you much better detail in your images, the secret is to keep the final processed image looking natural. You need to have an eye for a shot and try to bring that into the final image. "It's not what you see, it's how you see it.
Do you have a favourite place in Ireland to shoot landscapes?
I'm blessed to be born in Wicklow, it truly is the "Garden of Ireland"! I frequent Lough Tay and the Wicklow Mountains, along with Glendalough and Glenmalure.
Ireland has such a vast amount of scenic beauty. The different Counties all bring there own feel to the table. The difference in scenery from the Dingle Peninsula to the Giants Causeway is immense, and everything in between of course. Ireland is just beautiful, if only we could put a roof on it!
Find out more about Ronan and his photography by visiting Ronan's Facebook Page.


text:
CYBER GROUP STUDIOS ANNOUNCES A NEW SLATE OF DEALS FOR MORE THAN TEN SERIES WITH BROADCASTERS AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS WORLWIDE
Cannes, October 17th 2016. On the heels of MIPCOM Junior, Paris-based producer and distributor Cyber Group Studios continues to establish a strong presence worldwide by signing new agreements with buyers including major broadcasters and digital platforms for more than ten series of its catalogue. Deals cover players such as Netflix (Worldwide), HULU (USA), Amazon (India), SVT and RTVE.
Cyber Group Studios is proud to announce a major deal with Amazon India of more than 300 half hours for the launch this autumn of the digital platform. This deal includes Zorro The Chronicles (26x22' HD-CGI), Mini-Ninjas (52x11 2D HD-CGI), Ozie Boo (78x7' + 52x2' HD CGI), Tales of Tatonka (52x13' HD-CGI) and the three seasons of ZOU (156x11' HD-CGI)
Cyber Group Studios strengthens is presence on digital platforms worldwide with sales to Netflix (The long Long Holiday 5x50' or 10x26' HD 2D - CGI), Hulu and Hulu Latino (ZOU 156x11' HD -CGI). In France Cyber Group Studios announces sales of its hit programs ZOU (156x11' HD -CGI) and Zorro The Chronicles (26x22' HD-CGI) to key players such as TF1's TFou Max, Canal Play.
Cyber Group Studios announces as well major presales on its new series in production:
The Pirates Next Door (52x11' HD - CGI), a comedy series based on the best-seller by Jonny Duddle. The program has just been launched and presales have already been closed with France Télévisions (France), SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway), AB Svensk (Scandinavia).
Mirette Investigates (52 x 11' 2D-HD), the first traveling detective comedy for kids produced for TF1 and Canal + (France), WDR (Germany) and TV3 Catalunya (Spain), has been presold to TeleTOON + (Poland), Minimax (Eastern Europe) and RTS (Switzerland) to join the first pre-buyers VRT (Belgium) and Studios 100 (Germany).
Cyber Group Studios is launching the third season of its hit property ZOU (now 156x11' HD -CGI) produced for Disney EMEA. The new season of the series is now presold to Télé-Quebec (Canada), Daewon (south Korea), RTVE-CLAN (Spain), Amazon (India) in addition to Wekids (Great China).
At last Cyber Group Studios is proud to announce new sales for its flagship series Zorro The Chronicles:
Zorro The Chronicles (26x22' HD-CGI), produced by Cyber Group Studios in collaboration with Zorro Production International (John Gertz) which has been picked up by a range of new broadcasters such as RTVE (Spain), Kika (Germany) , SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), AB Svensk (Scandinavia), Latvian TV(Lithuania), AL Jazeera (Middle East), Thai PBS (Thailand), Daewon (South Korea) and Vietcontent (Vietnam).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Home — (B3) Macario Covarrubias bowl in blue.
(B3) Macario Covarrubias bowl in blue.
Apprentice since he was nine years old, Macario would come to the workshops to learn the various techniques of the great master craftsmen of his town of birth, Tonala. At the beginning he went to work with engineer Garay; later he worked in a company of high temperature ceramics, always feeling the need and curiosity to delve into the dissimilar techniques of ceramics. He decided to study art at the University of Guadalajara giving vent to his quest for innovation. 7 inch diameter, 3.5 inches high.


This is a super effect where the Magician has a member of the audience thoroughly shuffle the cards, cut the pack into two piles and choose any one of the packs. After a "do-as-I-do" routine the audience mamber has placed two cards in two different pockets and in an amazing and very amusing way the magician reveals the cards' names..
WITH any pack, after it has been well shuffled by a member of the audience, secretly sight the two top cards.
Riffle shuffle retaining these cards on the top.
Then put the pack down and have a spectator cut it at about the middle and lay the two packets side by side.
Invite him to touch one of the packets.
Whichever one he touches, interpret his choice so that he gets the one with the two cards you have noted on top. Tell him to do just as you do.
Take the bottom card and put it in the center of your heap. He does the same. Put the top card in your right-hand pocket. He does the same. Put the bottom card in the middle and the top card in your left-hand pocket. He does the same. Lastly put the top and bottom cards in the middle. He follows suit.
You say,"It is a most peculiar thing, but through some strange sympathy that exists amongst the cards, the one in my right-hand pocket will indicate to me what the card in your right-hand pocket is, and the one in my left pocket will tell me what the one in your left-hand pocket happens to be."
Take out the card from your right pocket, show it and then deducing from it any plausible or fanciful reason, name the card in his right-hand pocket.
Do the same with the other cards.
You can make this effect really amusing by making the explanation of your deduction some long-winded ridiculously complicated and funny saga.
The putting of the cards from the bottom to the middle is merely to confuse and misdirect the spectator.


Two elegant bows and hem adorn this sturdy Moses basket that will cradle your baby in comfort and style! Indulge your baby in this 100% Dupioni silk Moses basket. Moses baskets are easily portable so your baby can be close at hand, although carrying baby in the basket is not recommended.


text:
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      public string Name { get; set; }
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      public bool Required { get; set; }
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Az Echinopsis macrogona a kaktuszfélék egyik faja, amely Bolíviából származik. Cserjeszerű formájú növény, melynek kékeszöld színű oszlopos felépítésű törzse körülbelül 2-3 centiméter magasra és 5-9 centiméter átmérőjűre nő. Törzsén 6-9 bordázat található. A szürke színű areolából a hosszabb középső tüskék 5 centire, míg a rövidebb oldalsó tüskék 2 centire állnak ki. A hosszúkás, tölcsérvirágzata, mely a törzs tetejéből nő ki, elérheti a 18 centimétert is.

Fordítás

Források

Növényfajok
Kaktuszfélék

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
The Holocaust in Public Memory
The Holocaust was the moral death of Europe, one with which it has since struggled to cope, writes Professor Jeremy Black to mark Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day on 12th April 2018 (and the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising).
A continent whose leaders saw themselves as at the cutting-edge of history, and as destined to rule over much of the world, was horribly compromised for it was not only Germany (very much including Austria) that was responsible but also the many that actively co-operated. This row of infamy spanned Europe, from the authorities to France to the government of Romania. Just as many brave and worthy individuals risked much trying to thwart the Holocaust, so all too many were culpable, whether directly involved or by not doing what they could and should have done to oppose, limit or condemn the process. The excuses were to be many, as the Catholic hierarchy exemplified, but the reality as passing along on the other side of the road, if not, in some cases, crossing it to co-operate.
After the war, there was a process across much of Europe of amnesia as convenient myths were crafted: 'it was all the fault of Hitler,' 'the Wehrmacht was honorable; only the SS was bad,' 'no-one had collaborated.' And so on. Moreover, leaving aside the deniers (not mad as that is a calumny on the insane, but bad), Holocaust diminishment became active from the 1960s as the term was applied broadly, a process that has continued to the present, and, indeed, become more common. From the Left such comparison was a way of attacking whatever they disliked. Thus, in the 1960s, French policy in Algeria, Portuguese in Angola and Mozambique, American in Vietnam, and its hatred of Israeli as a whole, were all castigated accordingly. For example, in Germany, the terrorist Ulrike Meinhof referred to Moshe Dayan as 'Israel's Himmler.' This is a strand that, as the Labour Party in Britain now shows, has continued to the present and drawn on the reification of 'capitalism' and its use for anti-Semitic rhetoric. The anti-Semitism of the radical Left and it shared of Israel is always linked to Holocaust diminishment.
A different strand of Left-wing Holocaust diminishment was that of the Soviet Union, a strand that continues to affect opinion. In its wartime propaganda, the Soviet Union downplayed the Holocaust, with Stalin redrafting war reports in order to direct attention from the extent to which Soviet victims of Nazi killing were Jews. Anti-Semitic policies were pursued by European Communist governments after the war. Zionism was a major charge against Jewish Communists who were purged, but, with a macabre twisting of truth, all too characteristic of both Communists and Nazis, some Jews were accused of wartime collaboration with the enemy. Subsequently, the support shown to Israel by the United States from 1967 and, conversely, Soviet backing for Egypt, Syria, and pan-Arabism, strengthened Communist anti-Semitism. Indeed, in the bizarre world of Soviet propaganda, Zionists were accused of cooperating with the Holocaust in order to give birth to Israel, an opinion recently voiced in Labour circles in Britain.
On the far-Right, there were also strands of diminishment. They looked back to pre-war anti-Semitism and to the attempt to vindicate wartime collaboration with Germany, notably in Croatia, France, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. There was also the emphasis, after the Cold War, not on Nazi killings but on Communist and Soviet oppression, a tendency that had earlier been pronounced among exiles. As Eastern Europeans came to see themselves as victims of Communist rule, who had played no role in the regime (often an overly convenient view), so the suffering of others was neglected. Moreover, the tendency seen earlier in the century to link Communism with Jews, a tendency very much pushed by Nazi Germany and its allies, was revived in the 1990s, with anti-Semitism playing an explicit or implicit role in some populist nationalism. Furthermore, the long-held tendency to emphasize Christian victims of Nazi persecution as much as, or more than, their Jewish counterparts continued. Denial of the Holocaust is currently a criminal offence in much of Eastern Europe, but that is only a limited guide to the diverse complexity of public memory about the war and its place in national historical narratives.
The situation has become even less happy in recent years. The situation in Europe has become more volatile. It is mistaken even to offer a mono-causal explanation whether in terms of a response to socio-economic problems, to hostility to mass-immigration, to a rise in populism/nationalism, or to a response to an uncertainty compounded by Russian expansionism and European Union pretensions. In practice, all play a role, and several elements are reminiscent of earlier periods in European history.
The net effect has been to see an embrace of a present-day blood-and-soil nationalism that has important implications including for the relationship between the past and the present. This relationship is not necessarily explicitly anti-Semitic, although that element is very much there, as in the 2018 Hungarian election. The vindication of earlier movements with which links are drawn, for example Vichy in France, has a clear anti-Semitic dimension. In the 2017 general election there were calls to defend the 'honor' of German soldiers in the war; which is at clear variance with the major scholarly emphasis since the 1990s on Wehrmacht complicity in mass-slaughter.
Another strand of anti-Semitism is new to Europe, that of the growing Muslim population. Holocaust denial, in some form or other, is far from a fringe opinion in the Muslim community. Moreover, this is part of a more general Muslim pattern of the portrayal of Jewish history; for example, the denial of a positive, or any, Jewish role or place in the Moorish-ruled medieval al-Andalus (Andalusia). In France, Muslims have vociferously resisted the emphasis on the Holocaust in the educational process and in public commemoration. 'Death to the Jews!' and 'Gas the Jews!' were shouts at pro-Palestinian rallies in Belgium, France, and Germany in 2014, and the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, referred to a 'new anti-Semitism.' The following year, Robert Badinter, former Minister of Justice, at a speech in Lyon to mark the anniversary of the 1943 round-up of Jews who were taken then to Drancy and Auschwitz, placed anti-Semitism 'masquerading under the name of anti-Zionism' in a sequence: 'When Mohammed Merah, in a Jewish high school in Toulouse, chased and caught a little girl aged eight as she tried to run away, grabbed her by the hair, and shot her point-blank in the head, he was re-enacting the deeds of the SS Einsatzgruppen.'
There are repeated signs of anti-Semitism across Europe and of accompanying physical manifestations in the form of frequent harassment of Jews, especially those distinguished by dress as Orthodox Jews, and attacks on Jewish institutions and memorials, notably gravestones but also synagogues. A greatly disproportionate amount of this violence comes from Muslims and inter-faith collaborative crisis groups have failed to rise to the occasion, in part due to the attitude of many Muslim community leaders. Moreover, European publics have not responded well to the challenge of defending their own civil societies from assault.
On January 24, 2005, in an address to a special session of the United Nations held to commemorate the Holocaust, Secretary General Kofi Annan, declared that: 'the evil which destroyed six million Jews and others in these camps still threatens all of us today; the crimes of the Nazis are nothing that we may ascribe to a distant past in order to forget it. It falls to us, the successor generations, to lift high the torch of remembrance, and to live our lives by its light.'
On the global scale, however, the Western culture for which the Holocaust is a key symbol and warning is of receding consequence. This is particularly true of the rapidly declining demographic, economic, political, cultural, and intellectual significance of Europe; for, in Europe, a major, albeit badly flawed, attempt has been belatedly made to establish the Holocaust as a touchstone against which modern European civil society should be defined. There is also the issue of weakening American power and influence. Instead, the demographic, economic and political weight of China and India are of growing relative importance. For neither state, nor for Japan, is the Holocaust a prominent issue.
Asian views and the technological and social implications of social media present two among the many challenges confronting Holocaust consciousness. It is also necessary to consider how best to address rising generations. Here, popular culture can be arresting. 'Daleks in Manhattan, I,' an episode of the highly popular British television series (for adults as well as children) Doctor Who, was broadcast on April 21, 2007. This had the evil Daleks, the quintessential and longstanding villains who hate everything, embark on 'The Final Experiment.' Their victims are divided between those turned into slaves and others intended as food for the experiment. However flawed, these comparisons indicate the extent to which Nazi policy has become the axis of depravity, and the Holocaust its center, making indeed a hell on Earth.
Professor Jeremy Black addressed a U K Defence Forum briefing dinner in Parliament on 31st January 2018. He is the 2018 Templeton Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute www.fpri.org and Professor of History at the University of Exeter, UK. He is the author of The Holocaust. History and Memory (Indiana UP).


text:
Dask-PatternSearch
==================

|Build Status|

**This project is in alpha phase.**  Please join the discussion and experiment
with it, but be aware that it may eat your cat.  Better documentation coming soon.

The Pattern
-----------

.. image:: docs/source/images/stencil120.gif
    :alt: 120 point stencil

Installation Instructions
-------------------------

I recommend ``conda``, and right now ``dask-patternsearch`` depends on the
development version of ``distributed``.  In your conda environment, run::

    conda install dask distributed -c conda-forge
    pip install git+https://github.com/dask/dask.git --upgrade
    pip install git+https://github.com/dask/distributed.git --upgrade
    pip install git+https://github.com/eriknw/dask-patternsearch.git --upgrade

Python 2.7 and 3.4, 3.5, and 3.6 are tested.

Getting Started
---------------

Here is a simple example optimizing a trivial sphere function with minimum at 0.

.. code-block:: Python

    >>> import numpy as np
    >>> import distributed
    >>> from dask_patternsearch import search

    >>> def sphere(x):
    ...     return x.dot(x)

    >>> client = distributed.Client()
    >>> x0 = np.array([12.3, 4.5])
    >>> stepsize = np.array([1, 1])
    >>> best, results = search(sphere, x0, stepsize, client=client, stopratio=1e-4)
    >>> best.point
    array([ 0.,  0.])

Useful Links
------------

http://www.cs.wm.edu/~va/research/sirev.pdf

.. |Build Status| image:: https://api.travis-ci.org/eriknw/dask-patternsearch.svg?branch=master
   :target: https://travis-ci.org/eriknw/dask-patternsearch


text:
Die Oblast Moskau im Föderationskreis Zentralrussland der Russischen Föderation gliedert sich in 36 Rajons und 36 Stadtkreise (Stand 2014). Der Verwaltungssitz befindet sich in der russischen Hauptstadt Moskau, die selbst nicht zur Oblast gehört, sondern ein eigenständiges Föderationssubjekt bildet, das außer im Südwesten von der Oblast umgeben ist.

Fünf der Stadtkreise werden von geschlossenen Städten und Siedlungen (SATO) gebildet. Die Rajons unterteilen sich in insgesamt 114 Stadtgemeinden (gorodskoje posselenije) und 193 Landgemeinden (selskoje posselenije).

Zur letzten größeren Veränderung kam es, als am 1. Juli 2012 die Stadtkreise Schtscherbinka und Troizk sowie insgesamt 3 Stadt- und 15 Landgemeinden der Rajons Leninski, Naro-Fominski und Podolski, außerdem kleinere Territorien der Rajons Krasnogorski und Odinzowski an das Föderationssubjekt Stadt föderaler Bedeutung Moskau abgegeben wurden. Die Fläche der Oblast verringerte sind dadurch um etwa 1.480 km², entsprechend 3,2 %, und die Einwohnerzahl sank um etwa 235.000, entsprechend 3,3 %.

Stadtkreise

Rajons

Anmerkungen und Einzelnachweise

Moskau Oblast
Geographie (Oblast Moskau)


Could Kaplan Shake Up District Four Race?
It was no big surprise Wednesday when Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland's At-large Council member, said she was officially running for mayor. She's been more than hinting that she wants the city's top job since early spring.
The Bay Citizen, the new online news partnership between UC Berkeley and The New York Times, concerned itself chiefly with the lesbian angle. If she wins, Kaplan would be the only openly gay mayor in the Bay Area. Oakland would be the third largest city in the country, after Houston and Portland, to have an out mayor. The Bay Citizen noted that Oakland has one of the largest lesbian populations in the nation.
Kaplan has another advantage. She's already won a citywide election, 84,000 Oaklanders have already cast a vote for her. Look at this map of the precincts that backed her when she ran for City Council just two years ago. Kaplan's precincts are orange. Kerry Hamill's are blue.
The question for voters in Montclair is what will this mean for the District Four race. Is it possible that Jean Quan could decide that a split progressive vote would be no match for Perata, and opt to run as the incumbent in District Four for a third term? If that happened, would any of the contenders vying for her seat have a prayer? Quan has until August 6 to change her mind.
Update: As she said in a comment below, Jean Quan says she has absolutely no intention of leaving the mayor's race. Richard Cowan, her chief of staff, said the same thing in a phone conversation this morning.
Should be interesting. Time for Quan to move on.
Jean Quan has bided her time long enough. That ego can not be restrained by the boundaries of district 4 any longer. First she bankrupt the school district, then the city and now she must finish it off by fulfilling the Dellums agenda of breaking the city beyond repair!
Well she does have 1 thing going for her- she didn't get us into this mess. Perata & Quan have been at the helm of bad public policy for far too long, and now those chickens are coming home ot roost. I mean failure in backing public employee unions, their bloated pay and benefits that are outstripping citizens ability to pay. These have been horrendous contracts. Now I don't believe that Kaplan can or will do anything about public service employee unions, she's as left as they come so unless a budget hawk (and I wouldn't mind one with a liberal heart but do they exist?) enters the race we're pretty much screwed. Again. BTW did you know that Oakland's sewer rates are going up, we pay the highest taxes, bond money is misused and for what???
My friends have been ringing my phone about this for the last half hour.
I understand that a new person is now writing this blog…and Adam may or may not be a supporter of Rebecca.
I don't know. All I know is that he talked with one of my staff members who told him categorically that I am not dropping out of the race.
I have been home all day working. Could have called me. I don't appreciate what looks like an attempt to break my momentum. I have held about 130 house meetings, recruited about 600 volunteers, and have walked many dozens of precincts. I have endured a week of tough attacks and we have answered every call and email.
I regret having to give up my seat here, I have served this community for nearly 20 years out of love for Oakland and my neighbors.
My phone has been off the hook about this posting.
I understand that Debbie Richmond has moved and that this blog is now being written by the Oak Book owner, Alex Gronke. Who may or may not be supporting Rebecca.
I don't know. I do know that when he called one of my staff members we categorically denied that I was reconsidering. He could have called me. This is a disappointing entry which seems to be aimed at slowing down my momentum.
In the last months I have held 130 house meetings, gathered nearly 600 volunteers, and walked many dozens of precincts. I have withstood a week and small fortune of political attacks. It's made me more committed to the race and to Oakland.
Giving up my council seat is not a decision I took lightly. I have love and have worked hard for this community for nearly 20 years. I hope this blog is not going to be another political battleground.
We regret that anyone thought we were choosing sides in this race, or trying to dampen Ms. Quan's momentum. Debby Richman built this blog into a community resource over the course of two years by being relentlessly fair and accurate in posts that ranged from the lighthearted to the profoundly serious. We, the editors and writers of OakBook, fully intend to continue Debby's commitment to fairness and accuracy. We agree with Ms. Quan that a political battleground where people and ideas are not given a fair hearing is the last thing District Four needs. We will work hard to make sure it remains the valuable forum Debby built with her intelligence and hard work.
It would seem the more logical conclusion is that Rebecca Kaplan's entry into the Mayoral Contest would shake up the at-large seat more than the District 4 race. But more important, her entry further enlivens an already lively mayoral contest.
Jean Quan certainly knew that she had to give up her district 4 seat in order to run. At no time did Jean Quan predicate her running for mayor on who her opponents were or might be. Her decision was based on the conviction she has a deep understanding of the issues facing this city (and, I might add, those same issues daunt many other municipalities nation-wide) how we came to this place and, more importantly, where we have to be if we are to become a vibrant and attractive place to live and work. The citizens of Oakland will make their choice based on candidates records and vision for the city. I think this is more important to the citizens of Oakland than slicing and dicing the electorate based on sexual preference or other labels.
Speculating without getting comments or even a preponderance of evidence seems kind of silly. If it's political intrigue that is grabbing at you, then at least first build up the case.
I'll give you an example: Jean comments here about withstanding a week of political attacks. This undoubtedly refers to the robocalls and printed flyers attacking her for calling for firing 200 OPD Officers. Which she never did. Ignacio did.
Now these flyers have been linked to supporters of the Don. & it takes time to organize the production and printing of them, about 4-5 weeks without backlogs. (IF a print shop has other business, then maybe longer).
Yet Ignacio's call to fire 200 officers started only about 2 weeks before the robo calls and flyers.
This timeline (if even close to accurate) has to make one wonder: Was this a set-up?
There is something really unseemly about someone who wants to be Mayor of a big city whining in the comments section of a blog.
The blog author raised interesting questions. It is legitimate to wonder if Quan may drop out. There is little enthusiasm, it seems, for her candidacy. It's not even clear she can win her own district in a Mayor's race.
It doesn't appear she's very popular.
So, given all of that and that her campaign looks stalled, wondering if it might end soon is a valid question.
Coming here and moaning that she's been treated unfairly makes Quan look like she isn't ready for the big stage.


Voavah is located in the Baa Atoll, the Indian Ocean's first UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve—a 1,200- square-kilometre (463-square-mile) expanse of ocean that's home to the world's largest manta ray population and one of its richest coral reef systems.
15 marine biologists to strengthen the island's conservation e;orts, with guests able to join all sorts of hands-on experiences.
An easy 40-minute seaplane transfer from Malé International Airport, Voavah Private Island is remote but easy to reach, with the Four Seasons service extending to many additional extras to help maximise the sense of escapism, privacy and security, from CIP services to private jet–handling assistance.
Whether visiting with a family group intent on excitement, travelling for a complete relaxation retreat, or gearing up to party hard all day and all night, you'll find year-round appeal in Voavah's activities.
Wellness o;erings include yoga, meditation and pranayama (breathwork), enhanced by beauty treatments and on-call Rossano Ferretti hair consultants.
Moonlit sandbank dinners, castaway picnic lunches, pool parties, pop-up shisha bars, and Robinson Crusoe–style kids' picnics hint at some of the dining and entertainment magic that can be conjured by the culinary and recreation team. Kids can try everything from learning to fish and stargazing to embarking on a treasure hunt cruise of their very own.


text:
Q: How does the 'prototype' object have access to the newly created object for 'this'? var Person = function() {
    this.name = "Jay";
}

Person.prototype.getName = function() {
    return this.name;
}

var jay = new Person();
console.log(jay.getName()); // Jay
console.log(Person.prototype); // { getName: [Function] }

When I call new Person() I think it sets jay's internal [[prototype]] property as Person.prototype object. So I understand that when I try to access a property that doesn't exist like getName it will check the object's [[prototype]] which is Person.prototype for getName. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
What I'm confused about is how the Person.prototype object is able to access jay from this? From what I understand this refers to the object invoking the method, which is Person.prototype not jay, and this object doesn't hold name property.

A: You're confusing "the place where the method is defined" with "the object performing the method." It is defined on Person.prototype, but the method is invoked on that particular object.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Jason Merritt/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Anna Faris' First Comments Since Her Split With Chris Pratt Are Worth A Listen
By Keiko Zoll
It's been more than a week since one of Hollywood's most cherished couples, Anna Faris and Chris Pratt, announced their divorce after eight years of marriage. The announcement caught fans by surprise, and has left many unusually saddened by their split. On Tuesday, Anna Faris made her first comments about her split with Chris Pratt on her podcast, Anna Faris Is Unqualified. Though very brief, it was reassuring to hear Faris speak publicly for the first time since she and Pratt announced they were legally separating in a joint statement on Aug. 6.
This week's episode of Anna Faris Is Unqualified featured a pre-recorded interview with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, hosts of the popular My Favorite Murder podcast. At the start of her podcast, Faris acknowledged her fans. "Hey, dear listeners: I just want to thank you all so much for all the love I've been receiving, and I truly love you," Faris said. After the brief acknowledgment, her podcast resumed as normal. While she didn't mention her divorce or Pratt by name, it's evident by the weariness in her voice — even with just those few words — that Faris has had a rough time since the announcement.
Jesse Grant/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Faris has often talked about her relationship with Pratt on her podcast. Before her latest podcast episode, Faris spoke about feeling lonely: "I play a character on Mom, I play a character in movies, but I also play a public character," Faris said in the Aug. 1 podcast episode. "There's definitely a loneliness and, like, an internal element to being a performer. I feel like I have to laugh." Five days later, she and Pratt announced their separation. The loneliness that Faris described seems more than believable, given that Pratt has had a meteoric rise in his career in the past year, leaving Faris at home with their 4-year-old son, Jack.
Even though the pair have separated, Us Weekly reported Faris and Pratt are still living together. The couple has said publicly they want to ensure their son Jack has a "normal childhood," as Faris told HuffPost Live in 2016, leading many fans to believe that Faris and Pratt are committed to co-parenting together. Their joint statement released on social media seems to reinforce this idea, too.
The breakup of a marriage is no easy endeavor, no matter how famous a person might be. While neither Faris nor Pratt owe their fans any comment about their separation beyond their official statement, Faris was generous enough to give fans a glimpse of what she's going through, however brief the glimpse may be.


text:
Used Sports Cars under $20K
March 20th, 2017 by PreAuction Sales Center
View the best used sports cars priced under $20,000.
The 2010 Ford Mustang beats its competitors with top safety scores and a large trunk. A redesigned cabin also helps the Mustang stand out in its class.
The 2010 Mazda MX-5 is a perennial reviewer favorite for its athletic handling and stellar fuel economy.
The 2009 Ford Mustang ranks high due to its stellar safety score, excellent handling and useful second-row seating
The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro ranks high for its powerful base engine and nimble handling, but some reviewers said it has a claustrophobic interior and poor rearward visibility.
With exceptional handling and a powerful V6, reviewers agreed that the 2009 Nissan 370Z is one of the most fun-to-drive cars in the class.
The 2011 Ford Mustang is a great choice for anyone who wants a powerful base engine and nimble handling. The Mustang also has one of the highest safety scores in the class.
Available as a coupe or convertible, the 2010 Nissan 370Z has good performance. However, there are other affordable sports cars that offer stronger engines.
The 2009 Mazda Miata is at the top of its class with responsive steering and a peppy engine.
If you're looking for classic roadster style and engaging performance, reviewers said the 2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata delivers both in spades.
2013 Scion FR-S
According to the automotive press, the 2013 Scion FR-S has nimble handling, communicative steering and a precise shifter, which make it incredibly fun to drive.
The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro has agile handling and a powerful base engine, but reviewers said that the Camaro's interior is cramped and features too many cheap plastic surfaces.
2009 Mazda RX-8
A weak engine drags the 2009 Mazda RX-8 to the lower end of the class.
Test drivers were impressed with the 2013 Subaru BRZ's overall engaging and satisfying driving experience.
The 2010 Mazda RX-8 has an underpowered engine and poor fuel economy. However, test drivers liked the RX-8's roomy back seat.
An underpowered base engine makes the 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe rank near the bottom of the affordable sports cars class.
2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse
Available as a coupe or convertible, the 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse has some of the best fuel economy ratings in the class. However, the Eclipse falters with poor rearward visibility.
Although the 2011 Mazda RX-8's small rotary engine caught reviewer's attention, it left them wanting more power. On top of that, the RX-8's fuel economy is among the lowest in the class.
With its low reliability score and an underpowered engine, it's no wonder the 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse is at the bottom of the class.
The 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe ranks near the bottom of the class due to its cramped rear seat and underpowered base engine.
The 2010 Mitsubishi Eclipse suffers in the rankings due to an underpowered base engine and boring performance.
0 comment(s) so far on Used Sports Cars under $20K
844-MY PRICE:(844) 697-7423


Artem Rebrov has today undergone successful surgery on his right shoulder. The surgery itself was carried out by professor Alessandro Castagna, one of the leading GPs in Europe, who specialises in shoulder injuries.
We'll keep you updated on our goalie's recovery!


We offer our youngest attendees many interesting ways to learn about the love of Jesus Christ, and encourage them to build a lifelong relationship with Him. In the process, they also enjoy numerous ways to share their talents, have fun, and make new friends.
Nursery services with professional caregivers are available for infants through age 2 from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Our infants start to learn about God's love early with their own Sunday School! As they grow, they can learn some favorite Bible stories and see Christ's love modeled in action. The nursery is located near the sanctuary, conveniently located next door to the Parents of Young Children Sunday school class, which meets in the library.
At 9:45 a.m., preschoolers and kindergarteners (ages 3 – 6) gather together for a "Little Angels" choir rehearsal, where they have the chance to practice for periodic performances. Following rehearsals, they move to individual classrooms incorporating many fun, age-appropriate activities to reinforce weekly Bible lessons.
Elementary-aged children (grades 1 – 5) also meet at 9:45 a.m. for assembly, and then at 10:00 am divide into groups.
Children are welcome in worship! In the 11:00 am service, children are a part of worship for a time of singing, praise, and an occasional baptism. Following a Children's sermon (unique to the 11 am service), Worship Care is provided for three-year-olds through kindergarteners.
Of course, being a committed Christian is not limited to just Sundays and with that in mind, Kingswood also offers a host of other programs and events for kids. On Wednesdays, the John Wesley Choir meets to practice and perfect their singing for periodic performances at church services, while every Christmas and spring they put on special pageants.
Kingswood is also proud to call several scouting units home.


Dads are far more than just labour support; they play an important and active role in the birth of their child. A man's role and involvement begins long before the contractions start. Even though outdated stereotypes may tell you otherwise, dads are now just as involved in the research, planning and decision-making processes of birth. Long gone are the days of childbirth being a concern for women; it's now a team game as couples prepare to share this peak experience.
Home births are relatively rare in western society. Recent statistics indicated that the number of home births are around 1.5% in the US, 1% in Australia and 2.5% in the UK. Yet the number of people choosing to give birth at home is slowly rising, and as with all trends, celebrities are helping to lead the way. In fact, celebrity homebirth dads are more common that you might think.
The Hunger Games actor and his wife, Laura Louie, opted to have not one, but three home births! The couple welcomed each of their three daughters at their family home in Hawaii, the same home in which the couple held their wedding ceremony.
You can't get more masculine than Die Hard, can you? Not many people would walk over to John McClane and announce that home births are for hippies, would they? Bruce Willis and Demi Moore welcomed all three of their children in the safe and relaxing environment of their home.
Comedy actor, Owen Wilson and his then-girlfriend, Jade Duell, wanted their son to be born into a relaxing, calm and safe environment. The couple decided that their home was the ideal place for the birth. After announcing this before the birth, the couple were slated in the press for choosing a home over a hospital birth. The couple wisely ignored the naysayers and just a few days later welcomed their son at home in Maui.
The ER star is a big supporter of home births, and has even become a home birth activist since the birth of his son, Owen. Noah and his wife, Tracy, were keen to have their son at home because they wanted a peaceful and calm start to his life. In particular, they wanted to be away from the glaring lights of a hospital room, the hustle and bustle of a ward, and the lack of privacy.
Another much-loved TV doctor chooses to give birth away from the hospital. The actor who played Dr Cox and the hit show Scrubs, and his wife, Nicole, decided on a home birth to bring their daughter into the world. As a doula, Nicole was experienced in attending births and knew exactly what she wanted for her family. With the help of a midwife, John and Nicole's daughter, Billie Grace, was born in a birthing pool at the family home.
John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, chose to have their second son at home. As Scientologists, John and Kelly were keen to practice the religion's 'quiet birth' method. The aim is to try and create as peaceful, relaxing and quiet an environment as possible, with talking kept to a bare minimum. Where better to create that experience than at home?
To those who have watched an episode of Man Vs Wild, this one may come as no surprise! Bear Grylls, the host of Man Vs Wild, is another fellow celebrity homebirth dad. He actively supported his wife, Shara, to give birth on their houseboat. Both Bear and Shara aren't fan of hospitals, and figured a homebirth would be ideal.
Actor Hugo Weaving, who starred in V for Vendetta, the Matrix, Lord of the Rings and many other big screen movies had a homebirth with his partner, Katrina Greenwood. Not only did they have a homebirth, but they were three weeks post dates at the time. The pair decided on having a homebirth the night before their son, Harry, was born in 1988. After the homebirth, which involved 12 hours of labour, the family all slept together in a big bed, a moment that was very special for both Katrina and Hugo. The positive experience led to Katrina becoming trained in birth education.
Funny man Jim Gaffigan, hailing from the United States, not only has 5 children, but he's had a homebirth too. Jim is fast becoming known around the world for his blatantly honest, real life humour about family and everyday life.
In the hilarious skit below, Jim talks about his parenting and homebirth experience. It's a must watch!
Very funny and so true!


International shrink-wrap supplier Dr. Shrink is holding its inaugural Shrink Off contest Sept. 28-30 at the 2010 International BoatBuilders Exhibition in Louisville, Ky.
Taking place at the Kentucky Exposition Center, the Shrink Off will be held daily at noon in the IBEX Outdoor Demonstration Area, located directly outside the main Hall B entrance.
To enter, wrappers can e-mail sales@dr-shrink.com with their name, company name and phone number or sign up at booth No.1334 during the show.
Contestants can enter individually or as a team.
Participants will be judged on neatness of the final wrap and speed. The daily winner will receive a blue shrink-wrap cape and a Shrinkfast 998 heat tool kit worth $650.


text:
Assistant Professor, Graduate Special Education/Educational Diagnostician #443410
Education, Child Development & Family Studies, Special Education
Tenured & Tenure-Track
Posting Number:
FTE:
Commensurate
Job Summary/Basic Function:
Lamar University invites application for a tenure-track, faculty position in our graduate special education/educational diagnostician programs.
The successful candidate will maintain an active research and publication agenda; provide guidance and leadership in the graduate programs in special education and specialization program for educational diagnosticians; work collaboratively with the special education coordinator and department chair; teach graduate courses; supervise practicum students; advise, mentor, and provide research supervision to graduate students; fulfill service responsibilities to the department, college, university and profession; work in collaboration with other colleagues in the College of Education and Human Development as well as with our community partners; aid with recruitment activities; and develop new partnerships.
What You'll Do – Position Duties
As a member of our team, you will have an impact on our clients through accomplishment of the following responsibilities:
Lamar University is a diverse and accessible global university for life-long learners with a passion for broad-based community engagement. As a vital contributor to the socioeconomic wellbeing and resilience of the Gulf Coast region, our expertise is recognized locally and beyond. Lamar University is home to more than 17,000 students and is among the fastest growing Texas colleges and universities. LU is a member of The Texas State University System, which is the first higher education system of Texas and maintains the lowest average tuition and fees of any university system in Texas. With more than 100 degree options and a community that cares, Lamar students are always proud to be Cardinals.
Lamar University is committed to fostering a culture of diversity where students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds can learn, work, and serve.
Benefits – Job Perks:
At Lamar University one of the ways we show value to our team members is by offering the following perks:
Our Comprehensive Benefits Package
State of Texas Retirement plans
Tuition covered at 100% for employees, spouses and/or eligible dependent
Paid time off – vacation, sick, and holidays.
Minimum Qualifications (Education & Experience):
What You'll Need to Succeed – Minimum Qualifications
To be successful in this role and a great addition to our team we need you to come with the following:
An earned doctorate in Special Education or Related Area.
Diagnostician Certification required and must be maintained.
Established research record or evidence of a viable research agenda.
Commitment to the profession as evidenced by knowledge and/or experience in P-12 school administration.
Relocation may be needed. Required to have a consistent presence on campus.
Preferred Qualifications (Education & Experience):
In addition to the amazing qualifications and experiences listed above, if we had our say, we would also look for:
Experience in online education and course development is preferred.
Lamar University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
Veteran's Preference:
Lamar University is proud to provide employment preference to veteran applicants in accordance with Texas 805 Government Code, Section 657.003.
Security Sensitive Statement:
This position is security-sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215, which authorizes the employer to obtain criminal history record information.
Lamar Expectation of Quality:
Employee will support the mission of Lamar by providing high quality, professional services, timely responses and solutions to customer requests.
Open Until Filled:
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Interested candidates should apply online at https://jobs.lamar.edu and include a curriculum vitae; letter of interest; statement of teaching philosophy; statement of research interests; and names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of three references. Review of applications will start immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Quick Link for Direct Access to Posting:
https://jobs.lamar.edu/postings/11760
Texas Roots. Infinite Possibilities.
Lamar University students enjoy small classes where they can build lasting friendships with professors and peers. The 270-acre campus is in Beaumont, Texas, located about 90 miles east of Houston and 25 miles west of the Louisiana border. A comprehensive public university, Lamar gives students a chance to explore a variety of interests to prepare them to succeed in whatever fields they choose.
A member of the Texas State University System, Lamar University offers 63 undergraduate, 47 master's and nine doctoral degree programs. The university has more than 13,000 students enrolled in five academic colleges - Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Fine Arts and Communication. Lamar also offers the College of Graduate Studies and academic programs such as the Center for General Studies.
Students have access to numerous opportunities for scholarships, undergraduate research and study abroad programs. Lamar University students have:
Performed research for NASA and flown experiments on NASA reduced-gravity flights.
Presented original research at academic conferences as undergraduates in fields including mathematics, business and sociology.
Enjoyed a 73 percent acceptance rate to medical and dental schools in recent years, compared to a 39 percent acceptance rate statewide.
Gone on to lead major companies and make a name for themselves in fields from art and music to nursing and engineering.
Students can participate in or cheer on their peers in more than a dozen NCAA Division I sports. Last year, the Cardinals were Southland Conference champions in men's golf, cross country and women's tennis. The volleyball and men's basketball teams were regular season co-champs and the women's basketball team was Southland Conference East Division champion. The LU baseball program has produced several major leaguers. The women's soccer program is entering its second season. The golf team has topped national rankings in recent years.
LU is beginning to rebuild a football program. A coach was hired in 2008. The stadium and athletic complex are being renovated, and the Cardinals plan to return to the gridiron in 2010.
A building boom at Lamar University in the past decade has given students access to state-of-the art facilities for learning, playing, dining and living.
Residents of Cardinal Village, the modern residence halls, have private bedrooms, high-speed Internet and amenities including an outdoor pool, basketball courts and community centers. The new dining hall offers a bistro ambience with international and American cuisine.
Working out in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center is like a trip to an exclusive gym where students have an automatic membership. Features include a 43-foot climbing wall, an elevated jogging track, new cardiovascular and weighttraining equipment, and courts for sports such as basketball, racquetball and indoor soccer. Competitive types can participate in intramural sports ranging from basketball and flag football to dodgeball, cricket and pool.
Making friends and building a social network is easy at Lamar with more than 100 clubs and organizations registered on campus. Through campus organizations, students can:
Join a fraternity or sorority
Get involved in community service
Delve into a cause
Nurture spiritual beliefs
Start networking in future professions
Do all of the above.
LU is a short drive from many outdoor adventures: a day at the beach, canoeing or fishing on area rivers and bayous, hiking in the Big Thicket National Preserve. Shopping and entertainment options also are nearby including theaters, museums and live music venues large and small.
Lamar University was founded in 1923 as South Park Junior College a few blocks from the current location. The name changed to Lamar College in 1932 to honor Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas and the "Father of Education" in Texas. In 1951, the school became Lamar State College of Technology, a state-supported four-year institution, the first junior college in Texas to make such a transition. The name changed to Lamar University in 1971. The university joined the Texas State University System in 1995.
Visit/Apply
Visit campus to learn more about all Lamar University has to offer. Guided campus tours normally are scheduled at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To arrange a campus visit, call (409) 880-8316 or e-mail [email protected]
To apply for admission, financial aid and scholarships, go to http://lamar.edu/admissions
Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Assistant Professor, Academic Clinician


text:
Global Dimension
Remembrance Day for Lost Species
Taking place on 30th November every year.
A chance to explore the stories of extinct and critically endangered species, cultures, lifeways, and ecological communities.
Why this topic matters
Remembrance Day for Lost Species, November 30th, is a chance each year to explore the stories of species, cultures, lifeways and habitats driven extinct by unjust power structures and exploitation, past and ongoing.
It emphasises that these losses are rooted in violent, racist and discriminatory economic and political practices. It provides an opportunity for people to renew commitments to all that remains, and supports the development of creative and practical tools of resistance.
Participate in Remembrance Day for Lost Species by holding – or joining – any kind of memorial to lost species or places. This could take the form of an art project, a procession, lighting a candle, planting a tree, or any kind of action you like.
One of the key points in WWF's 2014 Living Planet Report was that since 1970 (ie: in under two human generations) the populations of vertebrate species have reduced by half. It is likely that worse is to come as climate change and habitat loss, much of these due to human impacts, lead us into what could be the Sixth Mass Extinction. The symbol shown here represents extinction. You can find out more about it on the Extinction Symbol website. The following film clip, 'Toll a bell on Remembrance Day for Lost Species', higlights many of the species that once co-existed with humans, but are now extinct: [embed]https://youtu.be/xT1vp5HfBq4[/embed]
Find out more about species that are under threat, and why, from The Extinction Crisis page at the Center for Biological Diversity; or from some of the 'Threats to Biodoversity' topics on the Arkive website. Students could take the opportunity offered by this Day to learn about different extinct species, create art or written work about them, and hold a memorial ceremony in class or as a whole school. You can find examples on the ONCA Gallery website and The Remembrance Day for Lost Species Facebook page. Taking Action: The Arkive website has suggestions for 'How You Can Help' save endangered species. More teaching resources: Browse through resources on the topic of Biodiversity or Conservation.
Each month we share the latest resources, news and events from Global Dimension.
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text:
WHO YOU WORK WITH MATTERS ®
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Five Luxury Real Estate Trends to Watch in 2022
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Deals for The Home: Top 10 Labor Day Sales to Save Money and Add Value to Your Home
Tim Smith's name is synonymous with the coastal Orange County real estate market, where his well-established reputation and unmatched market knowled...
Aug 31 5 minutes read
When it comes to selling your home, the bells and whistles really do matter. It's about more than staging your house with updated decor; it's a matter of modern flooring, new appliances, and all the details. Of course, adding value to your home isn't cheap, but these ten Labor Day sales will help you do it on a budget.
Home Depot & Lowe's
Both Home Depot and Lowe's always come through with Labor Day sales to help you get your looming projects done. Whether you're saving up to 40% off appliances or 30% off tools to power your DIY projects, either of these stores will help you add value to your home this year.
What to look for: Appliances, flooring, and major upgrades, like toilets, showers, and countertops.
Smart home gadgets, be it cameras, alarms, or thermometers, are a great way to improve the efficiency of your home and bring it into the modern era. Best Buy has you covered with all sorts of deals that can save you up to hundreds of dollars.
What to look for: Appliances and smart home technology.
Save up to 70% at Wayfair to help you stage your home right. Wall decor, patio furniture, rugs, and so much more is on sale, giving you an excellent opportunity to show off your home's best features—and enjoy them in the meantime.
What to look for: Area rugs, bedding, indoor/outdoor furniture, and other staging must-haves.
Looking for high-end interior decor? Macy's is the place to go, especially if you need blinds, drapes, and other window treatments to dress up your home. Macy's is also famous for its furniture selection and home accessories, like high-end bedding and rugs.
What to look for: Area rugs, bedding, blinds, curtains, drapes, and high-end finishing touches.
Amazon has lots of great deals for the home, from tech to finishing touches, and Prime 2-day shipping makes it easy to get projects done fast. Look for electronics along with deals for the garden so you can dress up your landscape, too.
What to look for: Finishing touches, smart home technology, and outdoor furniture.
A clean home is a happy home, and Labor Day sales are a great time to invest in some high-quality Dyson cleaning products. Whether you're eyeing a vacuum to help you tidy up or a fan that filters the air to keep your home fresher and your family healthier, Dyson has top-end products that can definitely help with home maintenance.
What to look for: Tech to help with home maintenance, like air purifiers or vacuums.
While you might not think of "home investment" when you first think of Costco, this wholesale warehouse has plenty of Labor Day sales that can help you boost your home's resale value. Think high-end stainless steel appliances and even lower dollar items, like area rugs and organizers.
What to look for: Appliances, area rugs, organizers, and functional finishing touches.
Closet Factory
Depending on your neighborhood, upgrading your home's closets—especially in the kitchen pantry and master suite—can give you a huge bang for your buck. Brands like Closet Factory offer great Labor Day deals, too, so you can cut costs while getting a custom-fitted closet any potential buyer would love.
What to look for: Custom closet organization and storage solutions.
Houzz can help you find all the best deals this Labor Day, and one thing you should pay special attention to is the small-dollar upgrades that can make a huge difference when you put your home on the market. Think light fixtures, for instance. While they have everything under the sun, these deals are the best to look out for on Houzz this weekend.
What to look for: Light fixtures and other small-dollar home upgrades.
Overstock's Labor Day Deals run the gamut from appliances and furniture to lighting, bedding, outdoor furniture, and so much more. However, some of the best deals to spot this Labor Day at Overstock include sales on small things—think door hardware, window dressings, and minor changes you may have been putting off.
What to look for: The big stuff and the small stuff, like door hardware.
Are you preparing to sell your home? Take the first step and find out how much your home may sell for today.
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text:
University of Massachusetts Medical School eScholarship@UMMS Gallery Expert Gallery
Selected Works of Kathleen Biebel
Recovery Services and Outcomes in a State Psychiatric Hospital
University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications
Bei-Hung Chang, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Jeffrey L. Geller, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Kathleen Biebel, University of Massachusetts Medical School
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Quantitative Health Sciences; System and Psychosocial Advances Research Center, Department of Psychiatry; Public Sector Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry
Mental and Social Health,
Psychiatry,
Psychiatry and Psychology and
Rehabilitation and Therapy
Recovery has emerged as a focus of mental health rehabilitation in the past decade. Many have suggested that various domains of recovery-orientated services are integrated to an efficacious mental health care system. In this study we examined the association of domains of recovery-oriented services with recovery outcomes among inpatients in a state psychiatric hospital. A convenience sample of 36 hospital patients participated in a survey that included two standardized scales, with one measuring 6 domains of recovery-orientation of hospital-based services and one measuring 5 aspects of patients' recovery outcomes. We used regression analysis to estimate the association between recovery-oriented services and recovery outcomes adjusting for gender, race, and education. Nearly 90% of patients had lengths of stay of more than 3 months. On average, patients reported receiving moderate levels of recovery-oriented services. Nevertheless those who reported receiving higher levels of recovery-oriented services also reported better recovery outcomes. Specifically three domains of recovery-oriented services, i.e., life goal vs. symptom management, individual tailored, and diversity of treatment options, are associated with better overall recovery and 3 specific aspects of recovery, namely willingness to ask for help, goal and success orientation, and reliance on others. The data from a small sample of patients at a state psychiatric hospital suggest that self-reported recovery-oriented services received are associated with better recovery outcomes. Future larger studies are warranted to confirm the study findings, and to examine whether a contemporary recovery-focused care model can facilitate even greater recovery outcomes.
Inpatient,
Recovery outcomes,
Recovery services,
State psychiatric hospital
DOI of Published Version
Psychiatr Q. 2018 Mar 3. doi: 10.1007/s11126-018-9570-y. [Epub ahead of print] Link to article on publisher's site
Link to Article in PubMed
Bei-Hung Chang, Jeffrey L. Geller and Kathleen Biebel. "Recovery Services and Outcomes in a State Psychiatric Hospital" (2018) ISSN: 0033-2720 (Linking)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kathleen_biebel/70/
Contact Kathleen Biebel


text:
What was Lukashenko thinking?
All that's so far certain about Alexander Lukashenko's decision last Sunday to force down a Ryanair flight on its way from Athens to Vilnius is the immediate outcome. Roman Protasevich, an exiled Belarusian journalist on board, was arrested after the plane landed. Criminal charges have been outstanding since November – because he helped run a Warsaw-based Telegram channel that circulated material hostile to Lukashenko after August's contested presidential election – and within 24 hours, the authorities had what they wanted. The 26-year-old, his face visibly bruised, appeared on state television to assure the world that he had been 'treated with respect' and was co-operating with the police. Wringing his hands, he kept the rest of his statement short: 'I confess to organising mass protests in Minsk.'
According to his fellow passengers, Protasevich had been visibly afraid as the plane descended. While trying unsuccessfully to stash his phone and laptop, he had said he was going to be executed. With luck, it won't come to that (the charges laid so far carry a maximum of fifteen years imprisonment), but Lukashenko's Belarus isn't somewhere you want to rely on luck, and Protasevich is definitely in jeopardy. Last month, the Belarusian secret service (still called the KGB) designated him a 'terrorist'. One of the penalties for terrorism in Belarus is a bullet to the back of the head.
Yet more ominous observations are prompted by the biggest mystery surrounding last Sunday's events: why Lukashenko scrambled a MiG-29 against a commercial passenger jet in the first place. The official explanation – a bomb threat emailed to Minsk airport at some uncertain time by 'the soldiers of Hamas' – is so unconvincing that only Moscow says it merits investigation (Hamas, meanwhile, claims someone is out to sully its good name). If Lukashenko was hoping to confound the world, the best he's done is fortify a few apologists: the kind who excuse dictators' brutalities by observing that liberals do bad things too.
The most plausible explanation is idiosyncratic. Lukashenko has long despised Nexta Live, the Telegram channel Protasevich used to work for. Two months ago Nexta's 22-year-old founder, Stepan Putsila, posted a YouTube video accusing the Belarusian president of corruption on a grand scale. The idea of silencing Putsila has doubtless crossed Lukashenko's mind, but violations of Polish law would take careful planning. Breaching aviation conventions, less so. And after Lukashenko learned from either his KGB or Russian intelligence that Nexta's former editor-in-chief was expected in the vicinity – just ten thousand metres overhead – the chance to lunge was too tempting to forego.
It has provoked justifiable international concern, but fits a pattern of domestic repression that's also worth noting. In early May, Lukashenko dishonourably discharged more than eighty senior security officials – among them, Roman Protasevich's father – as part of a jittery response to information from the Kremlin about a supposed coup attempt. On 18 May, he ordered a series of paramilitary raids that have decapitated the biggest independent news organisation in Belarus (Tut.by). Twenty-nine journalists are now behind bars (more than a tenth of the total jailed worldwide in 2020), and two new laws rubber-stamped last Monday by parliamentarians in Minsk have further criminalised journalism and restricted telecommunications. The political prisoner population – 436 on 27 May, according to the human rights monitoring group Viasna – will surely grow.
The tough gestures, including last Sunday's arrest by fighter jet, are meant as shows of strength, but betray the opposite. Lukashenko's increasingly paranoid, vengeful perspectives are being influenced by Russia as never before. He was so disturbed by Tut.by in the run-up to the election last August that he started to describe his opponents as tutbajowcy – but Tut.by is the Yahoo of Belarus, an economically dynamic conglomeration of online services that includes the most popular news portal in the country. Trying to extinguish it could be described in several ways – regressive, desperate, nihilistic – but it isn't a long-term plan.
It's still hard to imagine Belarus without Lukashenko – 27 years into his dictatorship, he's been in charge for longer than a quarter of Belarusians have been alive – but one person is certainly imagining it. On 9 May, Lukashenko signed an emergency decree providing for collective rule by the National Security Council in the event of his death by 'assassination, terrorism, external aggression or other violent act'. It's characteristic of his inclination to melodrama and self-pity, but also reflects a mood more volatile than ever before. 'He now realises that if he loosens his grip, it's over,' I was told by the Belarusian-Polish journalist Nikita Grekowicz, 'so he's tightening it hard.' Flight FR4978 was brought down for no good reason – but in Belarus, there's a bomb on board.
30 May 2021 at 12:35pm
"... best he's done is fortify a few apologists: the kind who excuse dictators' brutalities by observing that liberals do bad things too."
I'm no apologist for Lukashenko or his goons, but I do find it somewhat falling that the media in the West are so compliant in painting the country as beyond the pale, when we have several journalists who have challenged power in the West imprisoned or else in self-imposed exile.
Let's not forget that these kinds of shenanigans are far from off limits (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evo_Morales_grounding_incident) for our pious and noble leaders in the free world.
No doubt Lukashenko is a shit and I pity the poor young journalist who's fate is now in his hands. It just makes me want to vomit to read all about it from those (and I'm *not* referring to Mr. Kadri here) that stay silent or worse lend their support when the powers that be on their shores take action against dissent that is every bit as ghastly.
1 June 2021 at 5:33pm
Netherwood says:
Hmm, I had hoped for a more nuanced approach to this from the LRB. Why? Because I'm the kind who excuses dictators' brutalities by observing that liberals do bad things too? No (and nice attempt to shut down the debate from the author there), it is because I think there is more to this than we are being told by Kadri, or his friendly activists.
Of course, liberals have been doing bad things; Belarus did not invent extraordinary rendition or Guantanamo Bay, nor did it ground and search the plane of the Bolivian president. No doubt that was for democratic reasons, but it doesn't help politicians who are trying to claim the moral high ground now.
This article and the media's narrative is poor because there is more to this story than we are being allowed to see. For example the suggestion that Belarus sent a fighter to force the Ryanair flight to divert is wrong. You can read the transcripts between the pilot and ground control. The flight diverted to Minsk because it was told it would blow up over Vilnius. The bomb threat came in 2 emails, one after the other. The Lithuanian police said that the flight diverted to Minsk after consulting Ryanair's management, not after swerving to avoid a MiG. It seems relevant, but complicates the argument against Belarus, I suppose.
As for the people arrested, they are complicated too. Calling Protasevich a journalist sits well if you want to appeal to readers here, sure, and he did some time at Radio Liberty, but a bit of context is needed. He was an activist, and it looks like he took his activism as far as to volunteer to fight for the far-right Azov Battalion in Ukraine in 2014, being wounded in the fighting there. That battalion is composed of neo-Nazis. Quite why he was then welcomed by the State Department and Warsaw I leave to others to determine. And his girlfriend? She apparently helps run the Black Book of Belarus which makes public the home addresses of police officers, judges and supporters of the regime, why else but for some kind of retribution sooner or later. In Ukraine, Myrotvorets, which exposes pro-Russian voices and often leads to them getting beaten up, is a similar doxing operation run by similar people.
Perhaps it is a bit fanciful to be asking for a bit more balance when we seem to be caught up in an operation to change the regime in Minsk by manipulating divisions in society there. This was something we did so successfully in Ukraine and, in return, we got cheap labour, a country loaded with debt, arms sales up, privatization in full swing, agricultural land being sold for a pittance. And the added bonus - we can carry on like this whilst also blaming Putin for destabilizing the region
3 June 2021 at 12:19pm
Clive says: @ Netherwood
This is an excellent comment. Much more informative than my error-strewn brain-fried rambling above.
All the President's Email
Richard Ovenden
Politicians' papers are not only historical documents. They are also repositories of legal and evidential facts, as became clear in 1974 when...
Britain's Closest Ally in the Gulf
Over the past week there have been daily demonstrations in towns and cities across Oman. Public protests are rare in the Persian Gulf monarchies....


text:
Them: Adventures with Extremists is a book by British journalist Jon Ronson published in 2001.

The book accompanied Ronson's documentary series The Secret Rulers of the World, which covered similar topics and depicted many of the same episodes. Both the series and book detail Ronson's encounters following theorists and activists residing on the fringes of the political, religious, and sociological spectrum.

Plot
Ronson chronicles his travels and interviews with "extremists" and attempts to uncover the mystery behind the "tiny elite that rules the world from inside a secret room". The book is written on the premise that perhaps extremists are not all that crazy, and as different as they may seem to be, they have a lot in common with each other (specifically the belief that a small group of very prominent people controls the fate of the entire world). From Omar Bakri Muhammad ("Osama bin Laden's man in Great Britain") to Thomas Robb (Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan), Ronson exposes the hilarity and absurdity of their missions, but also, at times, their startling sanity.

His adventures lead him from Britain to Ruby Ridge, Idaho, to Waco, Texas, to Portugal.

Alongside subjects covered in The Secret Rulers of the World, Ronson also describes encounters with radical Islamic activist Omar Bakri Muhammad, Ku Klux Klan leader Thomas Robb, Northern Irish politician Ian Paisley and film director Tony Kaye. Omar Bakri Muhammad, Thom Robb, and Ian Paisley were the subjects of the earlier Ronson documentaries, Tottenham Ayatollah, New Klan, and Dr. Paisley, I Presume.

Much of this book is dedicated to the meeting places of the Bilderberg Group.

References

External links
 Booknotes interview with Ronson on Them, March 24, 2002.

2001 non-fiction books
Political books
Religious studies books
2001 in religion
Books about conspiracy theories
Books by Jon Ronson
Books about the Ku Klux Klan


CLEARWATER — Wolfpack Luke Henn and Hayes Miller earned a trip to the medal stand Friday, competing at the Cyclone Invite Wrestling Tournament.
Henn, a sophomore, finished third in the 132-pound weight class. Miller, a senior, placed fourth in the 138-pound class.
The Wolfpack had just three wrestlers competing in the tournament as Logan Henn was held out due to injury, but is expected to compete at districts this week in Oakland (see separate story).
Burwell won the tournament with 163.5 points, edging out Elkhorn Valley at 172. Other team scores were Clearwater/Orchard 85, West Holt 83.5, Winside 81, Plainview 77, Howells-Dodge 65, North Central 64, St. Mary's 47.5, Fullerton 42, West Point-Beemer JV 36.5, Osmond 31, EPPJ 17, Sioux City West 9 and Lutheran High Northeast 1.