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LEARNING FROM YANN HOROWITZ, THE GAY SOUTH AFRICAN SKATER
June 26, 2017 / Christian Kerr / INTERVIEWS
photo: adam kent wiest
June is Pride Month in the United States, where we set aside a few of the hottest weeks of the year to celebrate the diversity of the LGBTQ community. In skateboarding, that usually means either dredging up our culture's rocky past, or highlighting our culture's few openly gay advocates like Brian Anderson or Vanessa Torres. While these stories are still important and worth repeating, it's also good to widen our scope of skating's LGBTQ community and add some new voices to the chorus.
So, with that in mind, meet Yann Horowitz, a ripping skater from South Africa who also happens to be gay. You may not have heard of him before but Yann came out back in 2013 and has been putting on for his scene ever since.
And to top it all off, the boys over at Familia Skateboards rush delivered Yann's part from their forthcoming video to premiere here with this interview. Thank you, homies!
Which came first, skateboarding or knowing you were gay?
Knowing that I was gay for sure. I realized I was gay at a young age, like 9 or 10 years old. Funny enough I was an artistic gymnast at the time. I was going to drop out of school to train for the Olympics and I just decided that there was no freedom for expression there, it's all very linear with no space to express yourself how you want to, so I decided to drop gymnastics at 13 and then skate.
Do you think it would've been easier to come out if you were a gymnast instead of a skater?
I mean, probably [laughs]. I think gymnastics as a whole is considered a homoerotic sport. When I first realized I was gay, I knew I was part of this niche – I don't know if niche is the right word – but I was part of this other side of society that not everybody gets to experience. So as you get older and teenagers start sharing certain words and the way people act or treat gay people, I just decided to suppress it. I'd just do what I wanted to do and get good at it. Then once I solidified my space in the scene I could come out. I just waited for everyone I knew to be at the right age to be able to navigate the news in a mature manner.
When you were young would kids say stuff like "that's gay" as a diss?
Pretty much all the time. It was always like, "that's gay," or, "don't be a fag." It's classic kid stuff and everyone was kind of using that, but obviously, deep down every time you hear it, it kind of kills you inside and it made me suppress it more. It's funny because when I did come out, a lot of my friends took me aside and were like, "If I ever said that was gay or fag or whatever, we take it back and we love you. If we knew we wouldn't have said it," you know it was really cool on their part. But as a teenager you tend to be a little more hard on yourself, just trying to find your way through puberty and finding yourself.
photo: sam clark
You wanted to establish yourself in the skate scene before you came out?
Yeah, I don't think it's that I had to establish myself first, I was just lucky that I had. I was lucky that I'd been in the magazines a lot and that I was quite a well-respected skater in South Africa. I think that made it a little bit easier. Really I was just worried I was going to come out and it was going to end up becoming a gimmick in a way. I really didn't want to ride on the whole 'being gay' thing, I wanted to be known as a skateboarder before first.
So when did you finally come out?
Well, I was kind of imploding around 18 or 19. I hadn't really told anyone yet, and I was getting to the point where I was self-medicating too much to escape. So I made a deal with myself that at 21 I was going to come out to my family and if I didn't – this might sound a bit heavy – I was going to kill myself. So at 21 I came out to my sister, then my parents, then the rest of my family, then slowly through friends. Then I came out in a skate interview shortly after that, just to like get it out of the way. I came to the point where I had enough people around me that loved me, I didn't really give a fuck if anyone gave a fuck.
"At 21 I was going to come out to my family, and if I didn't, I was going to kill myself"
Did you know anything about the American skaters who had tried coming out, I'm thinking specifically of Tim Von Werne or Jarrett Berry?
I kind of read into their stories, knowing they kind of disappeared, and it did freak me out. I had to mentally prepare myself for backlash and possibly getting ostracized by the skate community. It's all an internal struggle. I was so worried about what other people thought that it was slowly killing me. Eventually I just decided that if skating didn't want me then I would find something else that would. But low and behold I'd forgotten that skaters are fucking amazing and the whole skate scene welcomed me with open arms and obviously life just got way better from there.
When did you first hook up with a guy, before or after you came out?
I was so scared that someone was going to find out that I had hooked up with a guy and spread the word before I could. The fear of getting outed was so strong I suppressed the urge to hook up with guys in an unhealthy way. I wanted to be straight because I thought life would have fewer bumps along the way. Straight people don't have to come out, face rejection from family, feel outcast. But when I realized it wasn't really a choice I got the courage to start talking to my family and good friends. So once everyone knew I was gay I could flirt with men freely and stop hiding all the time.
Outside of the skate scene, is there a stigma against homosexuality in South Africa?
Well, Mandela legalized gay marriage in 1996, so we've always been pretty progressive in that way. Even though South Africa as a whole can be quite conservative in some ways, basically Cape Town is quite a metropolitan gay hub. But it actually just depends on which social circles you're in, but I don't really hang out with people that think backwards.
photo: clark
So I know you lived in London and Barcelona for a few years, what was that like coming from South Africa?
I grew up in this tiny beach town called Umdloti which is near Durban. I saved up all this money from competitions and stuff and as soon as I finished school I bought a one-way plane ticket to Barcelona. I was 18 years old, and I thought I was grown already. But as soon as I got there I realized like, "Holy shit, I'm still a child." I went to MACBA with all my bags and I slept on a park bench for the first two or three nights. Slowly but surely I kind of made my way into the scene there, and ended up staying with Thomas Winkle [filmer] for a while, He kind of saved my back and let me stay with him for 6 months. It really opened my eyes to what skateboarding can be.
Eventually I ran out of money in Barcelona, I had maybe 4 euros to my name, But I managed to scrounge myself a flight to London with the plan to make some pounds and keep traveling – but it doesn't really work that way in London. I got there and ended up getting trapped there for a year and two months. I had to get a full-time job to pay the bills and everything. I hardly had time to skate, and that's why I went there. I just couldn't do that anymore. I was really young, I didn't know what I was doing, and I was still in the closet which kind of made it all way too much.
Do you think traveling was more difficult because you were still in the closet?
Yeah, it was. You skate hard during the day, then everyone is chasing girls every night. Guys are bringing back these girls and I'm hanging out, but then people start to question, like, "You've never really been bringing back girls since you've been in Barcelona." It's one of those things where I would just make up excuses or just get drunk and numb myself so they had no reason to question me. It was definitely way harder and that's why I had to eventually come back home. I wanted to be closer to friends and family. I needed the warmth of the people I knew.
You had substance abuse problems and thoughts of suicide when you were in the closet, did that fade after you came out, or do you still battle with those issues?
I used to use substances to numb myself. It was easier to get completely faded and forget how unhappy I was then to deal with the issues that was happening inside me. When I came out there was obviously room to celebrate, but I did want to leave that old me behind. It's easier said than done, but I'm working on a life with healthier choices and a little more moderation.
What's the South African skate scene like? It's wild to me how little mainstream coverage there is of skating there.
For an African country, the scene is big, but compared to the States it's tiny. Everyone knows everyone, no matter what city you're in. If you go to Johannesburg you're going to know most of the scene same as if you go to Durban. In a way, it's actually beautiful. In the States you guys have so many different magazines fighting for your attention, where in South Africa we have one skate mag that comes out every two months. That's about it. It's all very small but strong.
Is it possible to pay your bills just through skateboarding?
That's always the question I get [laughs]. There is very little money in skateboarding here. If you're on a company that sponsors surfers or anything else, the surfers will be the ones paying the bills. It's pretty hard. I get a small salary from adidas, but I still have to work a part-time job bartending or DJing on the side to pay the bills and get by. As long as I have the freedom to skate, then I'm happy.
How is skating perceived by non-skaters there? Are there fashionistas wearing Thrasher gear and all that?
Oh dude, everywhere, it's crazy. Skateboarding has always kind of influenced fashion in one way or another, and now there are so many companies putting out those fake Thrasher shirts. It's easy to spot someone that's just catching a ride on the hype train though. I think skate fashion has infused really well with the fashionistas, but I think skateboarders as a whole are looked down upon here. Being someone my age, when I have a skateboard in my hand, I can tell people are like, "What the fuck is this dude doing?" They don't really understand it.
You've grown up as a white minority in post-Apartheid South Africa. What was that like?
I was brought up in an integrated school and it was one of the first years that schools were integrated, which is kind of crazy you know? 1995 is not that long ago. So growing up, I was taught nothing but love for race. But I think, even today, there's still a lot of angst and hatred in society here, just through what had happened. The situation is getting better, but it is still going to take a while until South Africa sees something like equality.
Obviously being a white male in South Africa, there is a stigma of white privilege, there's definitely reverse racism happening, the whites are the minority and we are very much frowned upon and looked at as "hate-mongering whites." But my generation that grew up in integrated schools and without the Apartheid regime, we are all doing our best to integrate ourselves… Skateboarding helps. Skating doesn't see race. Skating doesn't see gender.
So you think skateboarding is immune to these type of politics?
I think it always has been. As long as you're skating and you're down, there's no need for drama or politics. Skating is the ultimate leveler. It doesn't matter how rich or poor you are, or what race you are, we'll all go skating together and have fun.
"Skateboarding helps. Skating doesn't see race. Skating doesn't see gender."
How is this kind of discrimination being combatted? Are there laws against hate crimes or hate speech?
South Africa is one of the first countries in the world and one of the only in Africa to allow same-sex marriage and guarantee rights for the LGBT community through our constitution. Obviously deep seeded racial issues are still very much prevalent in modern day South Africa, but the topic of race and racism is not something that is shoved under the rug here. We are forced to deal with the issues of segregation and discrimination in everyday life. There is more of a conscious about this given the legacy of Apartheid.
I always hear stories about how dangerous it is in South Africa, including one you shared in another interview about you and your boyfriend being robbed at knifepoint. Is that all overblown, or is that actually how it is?
That's definitely overblown. It happens and it is a reality, but if you go anywhere in the world there are robberies and death and everything. That year I spent in London I felt more unsafe than I have my whole life in South Africa. I think a lot these companies that come here for tours usually end up talking about how gnarly South Africa is as a whole. In a way it's kind of upsetting because it's a beautiful country, and for what we've gone through to get to where we are now, it's the last thing we should be talking about. We should be talking about the positives and not the negatives.
photo: adriaan louw
We're probably going to headline this with something that pigeonholes you as a "gay skater," because of the clicks, of course. Do you feel that the skateboard media portrays the LGBTQ community too one-dimensionally?
I think so. In a way, it's kind of hard to bring it up. I'm super proud to be gay, and it just so happens that I'm a skateboarder as well. Sometimes I'm asked questions like I'm handicapped, things like, "Ahh, it's amazing! You're gay and you skate, how do you do it?" Like no, I skate and I'm gay. In my mind, that shouldn't change anything, but obviously not everyone thinks like that.
Does it sometimes feel like a burden to be a spokesperson for gay skaters since there are so few that are openly out there?
I wouldn't say it's a burden. I'd love to inspire. That'd be one of the main goals, to inspire younger skaters to come out, to your friends, or in interviews, or wherever, just to achieve that self-actualization of freedom and love. Once you come out on your own, it's yours, and there's nowhere to go but up after that.
Do you have any advice for younger skaters looking to come out of the closet?
Coming out is the toughest and possibly one of the scariest things I've had to conquer in my life. Once I stopped being so critical of myself and stopped worrying about what other people think of me it got way easier. Learn to love yourself and own it! If people in your life don't agree with it then they shouldn't be in your life in the first place. Take your time but realize that once you're out all that anxiety and resentment against the world disappears and there is nothing but love and compassion from then on. Be Proud, be strong, and be yourself.
Words: CK
Skate Photos: Sam Clark
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Buying fruits and vegetables that are "in season" means that the time of year is right for growing in your area. Seasonal produce costs less because it is often grown nearby, and the cost of delivering to your grocery store is less. Produce is also more nutritious and flavorful during its peak seasons. Click the images below to view and download a printable version of each guide.


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Department Executive
La Trobe University > Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences > About us > Department Executive
Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences Executive
The Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences is led by an executive team who understand the importance of an outstanding student experience and creating the right environment for research excellence.
Dr Christopher Lenard
Dr Christopher Lenard is Head of the Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. He is a mathematician who specialises in graph theory. Dr Lenard is an active contributor to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's Mathematicians in Schools Program and, more generally, to outreach programs at local schools. He has received La Trobe University awards for teaching excellence.
Dr Toen Castle
Dr Toen Castle is Director of Learning and Teaching in the Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. He is a mathematician who is interested in applying mathematics, as opposed to applied mathematics. His research interests include the mathematics of kirigami – the fusion of origami with perforated paper – which has applications in the natural world and material science. Dr Castle is also co-founder of the Department's Mathematics Enrichment Program for high school students in Bendigo.
Dr Amanda Shaker
Dr Amanda Shaker is a Teaching Focussed Lecturer in the Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and the Deputy Director of Learning and Teaching in the School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. She teaches statistics in a diverse range of disciplines and is passionate about making it fun and interesting for all students. Dr Shaker's contribution to learning and teaching has been recognised with multiple awards, including an Australian Award for University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2020. She specialises in the scholarship of learning and teaching including statistics anxiety, assessment and feedback, and gamification of learning.
Associate Professor Marcel Jackson
Associate Professor Marcel Jackson is Director of Graduate Research and Director of Research and Industry Engagement in the School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. He is a mathematician specialising in algebra and its interactions with logic and computer science. Associate Professor Jackson is Managing Editor of Algebra Universalis, Associate Editor for Semigroup Forum and leads the Department's research seminar series. He has held several nationally competitive grants and fellowships, is Treasurer of the Australian Algebra Group and Chair of the Australian Mathematical Society Fellowships committee. He also teaches everything from first year discrete mathematics to fifth year complexity and codes.
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Property Wealth Tax proposed by former agency boss
A wealth tax on overseas owners of UK homes could raise £5 billion a year to help local people buy their first properties at reduced rates, a former estate agency chief has suggested.
Kevin Hollinrake - a former chairman of Hunters estate agency chain prior to its acquisition by The Property Franchise Group - is now Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malden.
He told a debate in the House of Commons that the government had to strike a balance between personal freedom to buy homes wherever an individual wanted, with the broader freedom of local people to afford homes in their own areas.
One suggestion he had was to increase taxes on non-resident purchases of additional homes, whether holiday properties or buy to lets or occasional residences.
He told MPs: "I do not think there is any argument for not taxing those people pretty heavily if they own property in the UK and are non-resident.
"We already have a two per cent surcharge, on top of the per cent surcharge, for overseas owners. These people are having a profound effect on some house prices in urban areas as well as rural areas.
"I think 28 per cent of properties sold above £2m are bought by overseas owners. Around 20 per cent of all properties in London—and probably a decent quantity in York and other cities—are owned by overseas residents. I do not see a reason why we would not seek to tax those people even more heavily than with a 100 per cent increase in council tax."
Hollinrake went on to say that a one per cent wealth tax on UK properties —bought by non-UK residents - would raise up to £5 billion a year.
"There would still be an incentive for those people to invest their money in the UK, which I am not against, but the reality is that this would make it a fair and level playing field. They would still benefit from the very high house price growth.
"As we have heard today, house prices have been rising by around 10%, so it still makes sense for people to invest, but such a tax would mean that we could take a little bit out of the money they are making every year from house price inflation and put it elsewhere."
The former agency chief said the revenue from such a property-related wealth tax could go into the government's First Homes programme, which offers new-build discounted properties to local first time buyers.
Non-Resident Buyers
First Homes
Kevin Hollinrake MP
I like Kevin, but this is obviously nonsense!
If you are a "non resident" with more than one property anywhere in the world you now pay 5% extra in SDLT on top of the usual stamp duty.
I find it a rather grotesque that MP's who at the last election campaigned on the basis of "Get Brexit Done" with a view to making Britain more "global" and "outward looking", should now be proposing ever more punitive taxes on foreigners!
I'm also not sure its a "good look" for someone who has made their money from the property industry to start campaigning for a "mansion tax" less than a year after they sold out.
The LibDem / Labour "Mansion Tax" proposal (1% on properties over £2m) was spiked by Osborne's new 7% level in 2012 and later the 3% additional homes surcharge announced in the 2015 autumn budget. Tory chancellors from Osborne to Sunak have all pointed to the same excuses for "new" property taxes and yet it's never enough. If the Government can't solve the issues KH highlights with the additional 5% that they're already taking then I suggest the problem is the way they spend it rather than the amount.
What would help would be for them to leave our industry alone for a few years rather than their incessant meddling hither and thither.
New Property Tax Grab: Wealth tax supporters repeat call for levy ...
A group that last year floated the concept of a one-off...
Stamp Duty reform would speed sales says another leading Tory MP ...
The MP leading a new parliamentary committee on the housing market says...
Agency chief blasted for backing Boris Johnson, Brexit and homes policy ...
Estate agent turned Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake has provoked a furious...
Stamp Duty reform "very unlikely" says Conservative housing guru ...
An MP demanding a root and branch reform of property taxation,...


Singer Robin Thicke drew inspiration for his new "Still Madly Crazy" music video from his wedding photo album.
The "Blurred Lines" hit maker, who has dedicated his new album, Paula, to his estranged wife Paula Patton, recruited a group of kids dressed up in wedding attire for the video and asked them to mouth the lyrics to the track on camera.
Thicke went on to explain he dedicated the record to Patton because she is the most important person in his life.
The couple wed in June 2005, and welcomed son Julian Fuego Thicke in April 2010.
Thicke and Patton announced their separation in February.


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Home/Comment/CCHQ Should Not Automatically Protect Tory MPs From Deselection
CCHQ Should Not Automatically Protect Tory MPs From Deselection
Sam Hooper December 15, 2017	Comment 1 Comment 1,649 Views
A seat in the House of Commons is not a job for life. And just as the Parliamentary Labour Party should not be encumbered with MPs increasingly at odds with their local constituency parties, so Tory MPs should not be immune from deselection if they repeatedly ignore the priorities and concerns of grassroots Conservative Party members
Try as I might, I simply cannot get myself worked up about the government's "shock" defeat over the amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill. While the legislative drama seems to have Hard Brexiteers up in arms and Remainers parading their newfound (and one suspects rather less than genuine) love and respect for Parliamentary sovereignty, I don't see that these machinations will have any real bearing on the eventual outcome.
So Parliament gets to have a "meaningful" vote on the terms of the UK-EU agreement? Fine, so be it – though I have always held that the people, not Parliament, should be sovereign, and that no government should be able to divest itself of fundamentally important powers or seek to repatriate such powers without an explicit and specific mandate from the people. Of course, if we had a written constitution then such things would likely be enshrined automatically rather than be up for furious debate as new issues and obstacles are encountered along the road. But then if we had a written constitution we likely would never have ceded so much sovereignty to the European Union in the first place and would not now be in this position, making it all a rather moot point.
Of far more interest to me is the fact that talk of deselection of MPs has bubbled up again. We saw this last year as Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters sought to cement their control of the Parliamentary Labour Party, and for democratic reasons I supported the idea of mandatory reselection in principle. And now there are new calls to deselect sitting MPs, this time from Conservative politicians and activists angry at what they see as the Tory rebels' deliberate undermining of the prime minister and the country's negotiating position with the EU:
✔@NadineDorries
Tonight, the Tory rebels have put a spring in Labours step, given them a taste of winning, guaranteed the party a weekend of bad press, undermined the PM and devalued her impact in Brussels. They should be deselected and never allowed to stand as a Tory MP, ever again.
12:06 PM – Dec 13, 2017
3,6093,609 Replies
2,5032,503 Retweets
5,9145,914 likes
On this occasion I do not share the Tory Brexiteer outrage, but their case is every bit as compelling as was that of the Corbynite leftists who wanted to rid their party of centrist MPs who do not reflect the values and priorities of their local associations. While I personally find it hard to work myself into a spittle-flecked fury at the antics of Dominic Grieve or Heidi Allen, if it is the case that these MPs represent Leave-voting constituencies and a majority of local party activists find their voting record objectionable then I see no reason why they should be protected and continually re-imposed on an unwilling local party organisation.
Of course, CCHQ and the Tory Party machinery vehemently disagrees. Reflexively opposed to any notion that grassroots activists or local constituency associations should have any input as to the direction, policies or running of the party, CCHQ sees individual conservatives as little more than indentured servants campaign material distributors at election time, to be put to work when necessary and then roundly ignored the rest of the cycle.
Nick Timothy, Theresa May's intellectual bloodbank-in-exile, makes it perfectly clear that the present Conservative leadership remains determined to run the party (if not the entire country) as their personal private fiefdom, and that local constituency associations should shut up and do as they are told, whether they like the candidate or MP chosen for them or not. Timothy unapologetically and shamelessly spelled out as much on Twitter today:
Nick Timothy
✔@NickJTimothy
Replying to @NickJTimothy
This is a dangerous game played out by the rebels, and @anna_soubry's tweets last night suggest she is really interested in "defeating" Brexit:https://twitter.com/Anna_Soubry/status/941077451677093889 …
For all the talk of deselections, everybody should calm down. Before the election TM stopped an attempt at deselection of @heidiallen75 and she was right to do so. The party needs to remain a broad church.
2:30 AM – Dec 14, 2017
This is an open admission that Theresa May, the prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party, saw fit to interfere in local constituency business and keep an unwanted MP foisted on an unwilling local party.
But what the hell business should it be of the prime minister who gets to stand as a Conservative candidate in a local constituency? This is everything that is wrong with the current Tory party – overcentralised and overbearing, with CCHQ pig-headedly declaring that it knows best while confidently marching us all to ruin. Given the litany of gaffes, unforced errors, scandals and bad judgements which have emanated from Theresa May's cabinet, I would sooner entrust a panel of ten individuals randomly selected from the phone book to choose good Tory candidates than I would have Theresa May make the judgement call.
Of course, there is a counter-argument to all this, as a reader pointed out on Twitter:
Neil Garratt@NeilGarratt
Replying to @SamHooper
You have to have a process to remove underperforming politicians, and given there are "safe" seats that sometimes have to be a process within the party.
What bothers me with today's outbreak is the knee-jerk "get rid of him!" response to one vote.
It feels more like a drive for ideological purity or nodding donkey politicians who obey orders without thinking for themselves. In the long term, both of those are against our best interests, both as a party and as a country.
1:44 PM – Dec 14, 2017
We certainly don't want a situation where conscientious, independent-minded MPs are peremptorily driven from office or from their political party because they fail to toe the hardest of hard lines demanded by their activists. We have recently witnessed just such a phenomenon lead the Republican Party to ruin (at best Pyrrhic victory) in America, where a succession of primary challenges and forced retirements saw an influx of ideologically uncompromising Tea Party politicians into Congress, hard-liners who thwarted any attempt at sane governance in the second term of Barack Obama, rendered the Republican congressional caucus unmanageable and ineffective and set the stage for Donald Trump's hostile takeover of the GOP.
In actual fact we need both of these opposing forces – greater responsiveness to grassroots opinion and a cool, dispassionate process to adjudicate in the event of rogue or underperforming MPs – to be in balance. We need a far greater measure of accountability of MPs to their local party associations, and a more meritocratic system of selection (preferably primaries) which draws more people into the political process and prevents the mediocre-but-well-connected from leveraging their connection to CCHQ to be shortlisted or ultimately foisted on a constituency.
But we also need to build safeguards into the system so that the bar for triggering deselection is high but achievable – the recourseshould only become available at the time of a general election or by-election, so that MPs are judged on the body of their work and their voting record throughout a Parliament and not on the basis of any one single contentious vote.
Ultimately, the resurgent argument about deselection of MPs reminds us that Brexit is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for meaningful democratic renewal in Britain. Brexit was never going to be a cure-all no matter what some cynical Brexiteers may have implied, and we must all now recognise this fact. Achieving Brexit only to return power to the hands of the same MPs who negligently frittered it away in the first place, and who think so little of the people who campaign to put them in office that they seek to be made immune from their judgement, will not solve anything.
To this extent, the worries of Hard Brexiteers that the EFTA/EEA route may be used as cover by some Remainers in order to thwart Brexit entirely are quite valid. When there are so few penalties or recourses available to voters when politicians betray their own supporters, the trust required to sustain a well-functioning democracy is inevitably corroded.
But the real tragedy is that when we should be discussing how to respond to the period of disruption and discontinuity facing Britain, developing bold new mutually-reinforcing policies to tackle 21st century challenges, instead the Conservative Party is bickering about process and thwarting any attempts to clear out the intellectual deadwood and bring in some new ideas and personalities. Constitutional and electoral reform is important and eventually necessary, but there are pressing issues facing Britain which cannot be put on the back burner while we argue about the rules of play. Unfortunately, we seem less interested in these big debates and more interested in arguing about process stories.
When the Conservative Party fails to stand for anything – and Lord knows that under the rootless leadership of Theresa May, the Tories stand for little more than surviving the day at hand – it has plenty of time to devote to juvenile, internecine spats like the one playing out over the EU Withdrawal Bill rebels.
This is highly entertaining for the political media and a gift for Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party, but very bad indeed for everyone else.
This post was originally published by the author on his personal blog: https://semipartisansam.com/2017/12/15/tory-mps-should-not-be-protected-from-deselection-by-cchq/
Tags #Brexit CCHQ Conservatism Conservative Party constitution Constitutional Convention Now! Deselection Electoral Reform EU Withdrawal Bill Mandatory Reselection Nick Timothy Primaries Theresa May Tories UK Current Affairs UK Politics
About Sam Hooper
Sam Hooper is a former management consultant turned political commentator, currently living in London with his Texan wife. Sam can usually be found somewhere online, droning on about politics, free markets, civil liberties, classical liberalism and classical music. Sam is a proud conservatarian, blogs at http://semipartisansam.com and tweets @SamHooper.
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Tom O'BRIEN
Agree with some of this but I believe that Brexit as an issue is uniquely different. Parliament voted to give the people the choice on Leave or Remain. MPs supported this overwhelmingly. The Government, in its taxpayer-funded propaganda booklet stated that they would implement what the people decide. Crystal clear, no ambiguity. The people made their choice. Subsequently there have been other parliamentary votes and these too, have moved us along the path of Brexit, in line with the clear instruction from the people.
It is not open to MPs to seek to thwart Brexit by continual delays and lying to the people that elected them. Those that do and put themselves forward as cheerleaders for a Remain position and who join with Marxist opportunists, need to be subject to re-selection.
My MP, like many other Conservative MPs, was a Remainer. Since the vote he has publicly supported and also in Parliament, the Conservative government's position. That is how it should be.
We made our choice. We chose to leave and all that is required of MPs is to do their job and implement the choice that we made.


Stand Alone. It is likely that as believers we have or at some time during our life will be challenged to stand along-in a situation that forces us to decide to obey God or "follow the crowd". Our decision will either glorify God or give the enemies of God an opportunity to scorn Him.
Daniel is an outstanding example of one who was willing to stand alone. He faced the choice to either forsake his allegiance to the Lord or be thrown into a lions' den, he chose the lions. Daniel was willing to forfeit his life rather than abandon his convictions. Daniel was forced to face the lions, but God sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths, and Daniel was not harmed in any way! As a result of Daniel's willingness to stand alone, to be faithful to God and His ways regardless of pressures to abandon righteousness, God received praise and honor.
Are you willing to stand alone for Christ's sake?
Put your trust in God, and today walk before Him with courage and faith!


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If you are flying to Holland, there is a good chance that you will land at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam. From here, you can easily travel to pretty much any destination in Holland by public transport (or OV, openbaar vervoer, as the Dutch call it).
The railway station for national and international connections is directly below the airport. You simply get on an escalator down to the railway station. Directly outside the airport is a bus station. So it is quite easy getting on a bus or train from Schiphol Airport.
The easy all-in-one Amsterdam Travel Ticket is the perfect ticket for exploring Amsterdam. Every ticket includes a 2nd class return ticket to and from Schiphol Amsterdam Airport by NS train, to any station in Amsterdam. Combined with unlimited travel throughout Amsterdam on all trams, buses, metros and ferries operated by GVB (Amsterdam transport company).
While there are many train and bus services that operate through the night, it may be easier for you to spend the night at Schiphol. There are several hotels at and near Schiphol that run their own shuttle service to and from the airport.


This was the scene last night at our house.
After a full weekend of family, food, and entertaining we quickly transitioned into Christmas. The Nutcrackers joined us once again, Carter built a gorgeous fire, we turned up the Christmas tunes (which, let's be honest, were playing all weekend) and relaxed.
Now to hit slow motion as I delight in every moment of my favorite season made even more special this year because I get to share it with Ana Claire.
I hope you had a beautiful holiday and that you too are enjoying the final weeks of this year.
Very pretty!! I love Nutcrackers too. Big collection on fireplace. Have a wonderful December!


Disregarding spatial dependence can invalidate methods for analyzing cross-sectional and panel data. We discuss ongoing work on developing methods that allow for, test for, or estimate, spatial dependence. Much of the stress is on nonparametric and semiparametric methods.


Insurance practitioners on Friday said that they would soon partner the Federal Government to create a common portal to check issuance of fake insurance documents in Nigeria.
Mrs Oyinkan Olasanoye, the President of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
She said that the portal would be created in a way that only registered insurance practitioners would be able to log in to transact business and issue original insurance papers.
Olasanoye was reacting to a report that government was losing N6 billion yearly to fake insurance papers.
The report said that about 300,000 of the cargoes imported yearly through the nation's airports and seaports were with fake insurance papers.
The report said that Nigeria realised about N112 billion between 2010 and 2016 by insuring just 700, 000 out of the 1.1 million imported cargoes yearly.
According to Olasanoye, government and insurance companies lose more than N6 billion annually since fake insurance papers are also procured for cars, lands, houses, health and journeys.
She said it was regrettable that procurement of insurance documents manually had increased the rate of counterfeiting.
"We are planning to work with the government to achieve a portal. With that, it will be difficult to produce a fake document,'' she said.
Mr Sheikh Muhammed, the General Secretary, National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), advised that insurance agents should be properly monitored to reduce the menace of fake documents.
He said that the National Insurance Commission should keep a tab on activities of registered agents to detect those operating without licence.
Muhammed said that government and insurance sector had continually lost billions of naira to procurement of fake insurance documents which had also contributed to unemployment in that sector.


text:
Home Best You Wellness
Top health, fitness and wellness trends for 2015
Jackie MiddletonUpdated: Jan. 07, 2015
Abandon bad habits and adopt the latest health, fitness and wellness trends for 2015. Experts disclose what's hot for the year ahead
1. Mindful eating
This ancient practice is now a modern trend. "Mindful eating means choosing foods with deliberate intention, being aware of taste and texture and chewing your food until it's a paste," says Joy McCarthy, a Toronto-based certified holistic nutritionist and the bestselling author of Joyous Health. Your enjoyment of meals will increase, and you'll be more likely to maintain a healthy weight due to slower eating and the consumption of fewer calories. Your digestion will thank you, too. "Mindful eating allows digestive juices to properly break down food," says McCarthy. This improved digestion will result in increased energy and optimum nutrient absorption.
2. Express workouts
Canfitpro, Canada's largest certification organization for fitness professionals, points to quick workouts (20 minutes or less) as a top trend for 2015. "[Exercise] is more about quality than quantity," says Amanda Vogel, a Canfitpro-certified fitness instructor and writer from Vancouver. "If you work hard for 20 minutes, you can get as much – and sometimes more – accomplished than if you meandered through an hour at the gym." For best results, make sure your exercise bursts feature moderate or vigorous activity. "It's not just a stroll around the block," says Vogel.
3. The decline of dieting
In 2013, the NDP Group – an American market research organization – disclosed that fewer people were dieting. Instead of food deprivation, individuals were turning to more balanced, realistic approaches to losing weight and maintaining good health. This trend continues to grow. "People are stopping the endless cycle of dieting because they realize it doesn't make them feel joyous," says McCarthy. "Diets don't work." People are getting the message that nourishing foods, daily physical activity, positive thinking and smart lifestyle choices lead to a happy, healthy body. "As a result more people are eating and living well without dieting," she says.
4. Wearable technology
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) believes that the popularity of wearable technology (calorie trackers, step counters, sleep monitors) will soar in 2015 with the release of Apple's highly anticipated iWatch. With wearable tech, healthier life choices are at your fingertips. "Tracking your activities illuminates how much or how little activity you have in a day. A tracker provides actual stats from which you can build on," says Vogel. This information can provide motivation to move more, consume fewer calories or get additional sleep. "The more attention you pay to healthy behaviours, the more likely you'll improve on them," she says.
5. Avoiding artificial sweeteners
An Israeli study published in September 2014 found a potential link between artificial sweeteners and obesity. These preliminary findings echo McCarthy's belief that artificial sweeteners aren't the healthiest option. "My philosophy is 'eat real food'. Foods made in a lab are not meant for our bodies," she says. "I recommend that people focus on what their food is made of by reading the ingredients label, and to eat food that comes from nature." Natural alternatives to artificial sweeteners include honey, maple syrup and date sugar.
6. On-demand workouts
ACE predicts that video on-demand workouts in gyms, at home or on the go will become more popular in 2015. "At home, it's as simple as becoming a member of an on-demand website and then pulling up a workout whenever you want," says Vogel. "You can also load them onto mobile apps so you can work out without Wi-Fi. One service that I like is FitnessGlo.com." To ensure that your on-demand workout is safe, look for professional qualifications in the trainers' bios.
7. Functional fitness
Want to adopt a workout that mimics every day movements? Try functional fitness. Canfitpro says that this ongoing trend will flourish during 2015. Instead of working one specific muscle group at a time, functional fitness tests several muscles during a single movement. Push-ups, planks, squats, and lunges are part of the functional repertoire. "These exercises mimic how a person might move in everyday life," says Vogel. Individuals following the functional fitness protocol may see improvements in posture, and injury prevention.
8. A return to full-fat foods
Low fat foods, your days are numbered. 2015 sees the return of good fats, an essential part of a healthy diet. When you skip good fats or choose low fat foods, you may suffer from dry skin, sore joints and inflammation. And forget that notion that low fat products are better for you than their full fat counterparts. "Low fat products are usually full of sugar, artificial sweeteners or other chemicals to make them taste better," says McCarthy. "I always recommend full-fat food products because you feel fuller faster and you need less to feel satisfied. A little goes a long way," she says.
9. HIIT (high-intensity interval training) with recovery
HIIT popularity continues to grow, but ACE says that recovery time following an intense workout is key to its success. "People have been misusing HIIT by doing too much of it and not giving themselves adequate recovery," says Vogel. Not only do you have to include recovery spells during your HIIT workout, but you should also include rest days between vigorous HIIT sessions. "I like ACE's guideline of HIIT two times per week with at least one rest day in between HIIT workouts," she says. Recovery days lower your risk of injury or burnout, making you more energetic for your next workout.
10. A daily dose of green space
McCarthy recommends a 2015 wellness trend that's free, and good for the soul – a daily does of green space. "Research shows that nature lights up areas of the brain associated with love, empathy and pleasure," she says. "Most people spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, so get outside for a brisk walk every day. You'll feel joyous when you adopt this health habit."
Originally Published: January 07, 2015


text:
News | Big picture › Around the world
Irish politicians urged to make disability rights a priority
The poverty level for people with disability in Ireland has more than doubled in the past decade
Luke Michael | 24 January 2020 at 4:58 pm
Advocates are calling for Irish political parties to commit to ending disability poverty and unemployment, warning of a "deepening crisis" facing Ireland's disability community.
With Ireland's general election set for 8 February, the Oireachtas Disability Group (ODG) – a cross-party/non-party group of disability advocates and representatives from the disability sector – has released its election manifesto demanding action on worsening living conditions for people with disability.
Around a quarter of Irish adults with a disability live in consistent poverty, compared to 11 per cent in 2011, while just 31 per cent of working age people with disability are working, compared to 71 per cent of the general population.
More than 1,400 people with disability under the age of 65 are inappropriately placed in nursing homes in Ireland, and 27 per cent of the nation's homeless population have a disability.
Meanwhile the Irish Penal Reform Trust has said treatment of prisoners with disability is likely in contravention of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Ireland ratified in 2018.
In a statement, the ODG said there was a need for "immediate, all-government action to address the deepening crisis".
"In the past week and ahead of the election we can see a broad consensus forming that we cannot continue with business as usual for the 643,131 people with disabilities who have seen no improvement since the dark days of the recession," the group said.
The ODG is calling on Irish political parties and candidates to commit to ending disability poverty and unemployment, fixing the housing crisis, and ensuring children with disability are fully included in the education system.
It also wants better funding for services and supports in order to make disability rights a priority.
The group is inviting spokespeople from all the political parties to a National Disability Husting meeting on 31 January to "outline their vision to lead us out of crisis".
Luke Michael | Journalist | @luke_michael96
Luke Michael is a journalist at Pro Bono News covering the social sector.
Tags : disability, Ireland, Oireachtas Disability Group, Poverty,
Charitable advocacy threatened in the UK
COVID-19 causes widening inequality for children worldwide
£10 billion funding gap causes chaos in UK charity sector
Monday, 24th August 2020 at 6:17 pm
NZ High Court backs Greenpeace in fight for charity status


Product prices and availability are accurate as of 2019-04-19 22:13:15 UTC and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on http://www.amazon.com/ at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Competitive Edge Products, Inc is happy to present the excellent Arcade Alley Electronic Super Shootout Hangin' Hoops.
With so many available right now, it is wise to have a make you can trust. The Arcade Alley Electronic Super Shootout Hangin' Hoops is certainly that and will be a great purchase.
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This outstanding game can be held on any door or can be mounted to the wall. Youll seem like youre playing at the field with the STATISTICS Hangin Hoops Basketball Game. At the Statistics Sports Shop for outdoor sporting goods and devices, great value is constantly in season! Get the current fun outdoor games for kids like ladder ball as well as safe paintball blasters and trampolines.


Learn how flower farmer and Dahlia Shed owner Amy Rodrigues prepares, plants, and maintains her prolific fields of dahlias in this workshop geared towards growers - including home gardeners and new and established flower farmers. Light refreshments will be served throughout the workshop and all materials and supplies will be provided. Each attendee will take home a bag of mixed Dahlia Shed tubers to plant in their own gardens or fields.
There are so many beautiful varieties that beg to be planted in our flower beds and cherished for years to come! Wouldn't you love to learn how to grow and maintain this beautiful flower while learning which varieties are worth the work?! This 2.5 hour intensive will be co-taught by flower farmer and owner of The Dahlia Shed, Amy Rodrigues. Participants will learn how to plant and maintain late summer and autumn's favorite bloom, the dahlia.
Attendees will learn first hand what it takes to not only cultivate a successful crop of dahlias, but how to handle fresh cuts in general. While gaining hands on experience in the field, attendees will be able to ask any of their burning questions to help grow their own personal dahlia crop!
Following a field and farm tour, lead by Amy Rodrigues, attendees will gather in The Dahlia Shed's beautiful barn to enjoy a design tutorial. Lead by Mary Kate, owner of The Local Bouquet, each attendee will learn how to arrange their own whimsical, summer centerpiece using The Dahlia Shed dahlias and other seasonal flowers and foliages grown on Amy's farm, making this arrangement 100% locally grown. Come and push your creativity while learning about Mary Kate's mission to source locally for all of her design projects!
Light refreshments will be served throughout the workshop and all materials and supplies will be provided. Each attendee will be able to take home their own centerpiece all grown by The Dahlia Shed.
Grab your doll and sign up for a fun morning making a crown for you and your doll. The crown will be made with seasonal blooms grown right here at the Dahlia Shed. This class is perfect for children ages 6 to 10. Parent or Guardian required to stay. Follow the link below to purchase your ticket.


Since 1999, Voices from Inside (VFI) has been helping women who are currently or formerly incarcerated find their voices, return to their communities with success, and become leaders in their communities through creative writing workshops. In the past sixteen years, VFI has reached over 1600 women in Western Massachusetts. Voices from Inside also offers workshops for girls and women who are at risk for incarceration.
In addition, we bring the women we work with into the community for conversations, presentations and performances so that they can share their writing and interact with the community.
VFI offers ongoing writing workshops using the Amherst Writers and Artists method developed by Pat Schneider and described in her book, Writing Alone and with Others. In VFI writing workshops, participants receive encouragement and support for their writing, gain self-confidence as they strengthen their literacy and communication skills, and begin to imagine new possibilities for themselves.
 VFI also trains previously incarcerated women to become writing group leaders themselves. Many of them have led writing groups in correctional institutions or in community programs for women at risk of incarceration or re-incarceration, providing them with valuable leadership experience and skills.
Voices Carry brings the work of VFI writers to the public through presentations at schools, colleges, houses of worship, and community groups. At Voices Carry events, women read and perform their writing individually and as an ensemble. They have the opportunity to interact with a wide range of people from the community. At the same time, community members gain an understanding of the challenges facing women who have been incarcerated as they work to rebuild their lives.


A Birmingham city centre office building has welcomed a clutch of new tenants following a £1.2 million refurbishment programme.
Jersey-based trust Circle Property Unit acquired Cheltenham House, in Temple Street, in 2013 since when it has undergone an overhaul including a new lift, reception area and communal facilities for tenants.
The external façade of the 16,328 sq ft Colmore business district building has also been cleaned and restored.
Incumbent tenant law firm Broomhall & Co remained in situ during the works and occupies 526 sq ft on the third floor.
They have been joined by Birmingham Law Society (549 sq ft), weight loss consultancy Lighter Life (558 sq ft), photographer Alex Mae Studios (1,526 sq ft), promotions and retail agency Engaging Faces (247 sq ft), property investor and developer Antringham Estates (258 sq ft) and PR agency Headline Communications (258 sq ft).
The ground floor unit is let to pub chain The Botanist and is currently being fitted out while a further two units are under offer.
JLL and KWB are joint letting agencies on the development.
Vicki Burnett, of JLL, said: "There is very little premium space available in the city centre in the sub 1,000 sq ft category.
"As a result, we have seen a high level of interest and take-up at Cheltenham House since the building was launched earlier in the year."
Mark Robinson from KWB added: "To have been working with Circle on this project from the date of their purchase it is particularly satisfying to now see the building achieve the success that it deserves."


Back in the UK I worked as a Yoga and Pilates teacher - and I am now registered in the French system so can start teaching again.
I have recently taken over the Yoga class in Adriers, Tuesdays at 17.45-19.00, at the Salle Polyvalente, a lovely big, warm open space. The class is popular but there is room for more!
I joined the class when we first arrived here because I really liked the calm atmosphere and all the relaxation. The exercises were not too challenging and the result was a feeling of refreshment and well-being. When the teacher moved away this Summer, the group was unable to find a replacement and so I broke cover and declared myself, and here I am! I thoroughly enjoy teaching and I hope I can continue the good work of the previous Professeur.
The class aims to create flexibility, relaxation and mindful movement catering for a range of abilities including beginners, and those returning to exercise following illness or injury.
I teach in (basic) French, but I am English so would be delighted to accommodate any English speaking participants. The class is organised by the Comite de Loisirs, and the charge is around 5 euros per class, which is invoiced whenever the committee get round to it - generally termly. If you think you might like to give it a try to see if you like it, you can try 3 sessions free before committing yourself.
Most people bring their own mats, cushions and blankets, but I have a few spare ones available on request.
You are very welcome to come and join us - just let me know you are coming, and I will contact Patricia who organises everything.
I also have a well-equipped Yoga and Pilates studio at home and I would like to offer all Around Montmorillon members a one-hour private or shared lesson for no charge - please get in touch for more information on this or any of the above.
Qualifications? I originally trained as a classical dancer in the 70s - which means I am of a certain age and I understand about aches and pains!
I have an internationally recognised 200 hour Yoga Diploma.
I am also a Certified Pilates Instructor for matwork and equiment such as reformer.
There is more info about my background on my old UK website: http://www.centredself.co.uk.
Does this class still run?
Yes, the Yoga class in Adriers is very much on. It's at 17:45 on Tuesdays and bookings can be made through the Comité de loisirs.


text:
/**
 * @file HMI_USB.hpp
 *
 * @date 09.12.2015
 * @author Andre
 * @description
 */
#ifndef HMI_USB_HPP_
#define HMI_USB_HPP_

#include <stdint.h>
#include "HMI.hpp"
#include "SCPICommand.hpp"
#include "NVRAM.hpp"

#define HMI_USB_RX_LENGTH       128 // 2^N
#define HMI_USB_CMD_LENGTH      127

class HMI_USB : HMI
{
public:
  HMI_USB(NVRAM* nvRAM);
  virtual ~HMI_USB() { }

  virtual bool execute(SystemState& systemState, SystemCommand& systemCommand);

  static uint16_t vcp_init(void);
  static uint16_t vcp_deinit(void);
  static uint16_t vcp_ctrl(uint32_t cmd, uint8_t* buf, uint32_t len);
  static uint16_t vcp_data_send_cb(uint8_t* buf, uint32_t len);
  static uint16_t vcp_data_receive_cb(uint8_t* buf, uint32_t len);

private:
  enum CommandResponse
  {
    CR_VALUE_ERROR = -3,
    CR_INVALID_PARAM = -2,
    CR_UNKNOWN = -1,
    CR_OK = 0,
    CR_NONE
  };

  int readChar();
  SCPICommand _scpiCommandParser;
  CommandResponse scpiStringToCommand(SystemCommand& systemCommand, SystemState& systemState);
  CommandResponse respondToSCPIQuery(SystemState& systemState, const SystemCommand& systemCommand);
  void dumpSystemState(const SystemState& systemState, const SystemCommand& systemCommand);

  static HMI_USB* _this;

  char _rxBuf[HMI_USB_RX_LENGTH];
  unsigned int _rxBufHead;
  unsigned int _rxBufTail;
  unsigned int _rxBufLength;

  char _cmdLine[HMI_USB_CMD_LENGTH + 1];
  unsigned int _cmdLinePos;

  unsigned int _calibStep[2];
  float _calibActualVoltageX[2], _calibActualVoltageY[2];
  float _calibActualCurrentX[2], _calibActualCurrentY[2];
  float _calibSetpointCurrentX[2], _calibSetpointCurrentY[2];

  NVRAM* _nvRAM;
};

// syscalls for printf and friends
extern "C"
{
  int _read(int file, char *ptr, int len);

  int _write(int file, char *ptr, int len);
}

#endif /* HMI_USB_HPP_ */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Check the type of a required module and if it returns right object based on its type In a nodejs contest i would like to leave free the choice of how to write typescript modules (or even javascript) that perform operations on an observable. However, I need to know what type of function has been chosen in order to be able to use the right operator on the observable. The question is better understood by looking at the example:
import { Observable } from "rxjs";
import { concatMap, map } from "rxjs/operators";

function attachOperation( in$:Observable<MyObject>, modulePath:string ):Observable<MyObject>{

  //types of modules that can be loaded
  type ObservableOperation = ( x: Observable<MyObject> ) => Observable<MyObject>
  type PromiseOperation = (x: MyObject ) => Promise<MyObject>
  type FunctionOperation = (x: MyObject ) => MyObject

  const operation = require(modulePath)

  let outObservable:Observable<MyObject>

  if( /* is ObservableOperation type */ ){

    outObservable = operation(in$)

  }else if( /* is PromiseOperation type */ ){

    outObservable = in$.pipe( concatMap( myObj => operation( myObj ) ) )

  }else if( /* is FunctionOperation type */ ){

    outObservable = in$.pipe( map( myObj => operation(myObj) ) )

  }else{

    throw new Error('not valid operation module')

  }

  return outObservable

}

How can i check (in the if statements) what type of module was loaded?
Edit: i also need to throw an error if the module does not returns the right object based on its type

A: TypeScript isn't capable of runtime type-checking, so while a solution to the problem as you describe could be possible, I would still suggest making your problem/solution less 'clever'.
"Dynamic" solutions often seem very appealing, but successfully implementing them is rarely worth the hassle. For instance, you could probably get the result you want with static analysis of the TypeScript imports combined with custom code generation to bring that type data into runtime. But I would guess you really don't want to go down that road.
You could achieve similar results by tying behavior to the import path, e.g. exports from paths resembling src/function/**/*.js are handled as functions, exports from src/observable/**/*.js are handled as observable factories, etc.
Error handling becomes simpler here too. You can throw if you call an exported function and it doesn't return the sort of value you expect.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Множинне вирівнювання послідовностей (англ. multiple sequence alignment, MSA) — вирівнювання трьох і більше біологічних послідовностей, зазвичай білків, ДНК або РНК. У більшості випадків передбачається, що вхідний набір послідовностей має еволюційний зв'язок. Використовуючи множинне вирівнювання можна оцінити еволюційне походження послідовностей, провівши філогенетичний аналіз.

Візуалізація вирівнювання ілюструє мутаційні події як точкові мутації (зміна однієї амінокислоти або одного нуклеотиду) у вигляді спеціальних символів в одній колонці вирівнювання, а також гепи — їх вставки або делеції (зображуються знаком дефіса).

Множинне вирівнювання послідовностей часто використовується для оцінки консервативності доменів білків, третинних і вторинних структур і навіть окремих амінокислотних залишків або нуклеотидів.

Зважаючи на більшу обчислювальну складність в порівнянні з парним вирівнюванням, множинне вирівнювання вимагає більш складні алгоритми. Багато програм використовують евристичні алгоритми, оскільки пошук глобального оптимального вирівнювання для багатьох послідовностей може займати тривалий час.

Динамічне програмування та обчислювальна складність
Для безпосередньої побудови глобального оптимального вирівнювання використовується динамічне програмування. Для білкових послідовностей існує два набори параметрів: штраф за геп і матриця замін, що містить в собі ймовірності зіставлення пари амінокислотних залишків, які засновані на схожості їх хімічних властивостей і еволюційної ймовірності мутації. Для нуклеотидних послідовностей також використовується штраф за геп, але матриця замін набагато простіша, в ній враховуються тільки збіги нуклеотидів або неспівпадіння нуклеотидів (місматчі).

Для n окремих послідовностей наївний метод вимагає побудови n-мірного еквівалента матриці, яку використовують для парного вирівнювання. З ростом n простір пошуку зростає експоненціально. Таким чином, наївний алгоритм має обчислювальну складність O(Довжина послідовностейNпослідовностей). Пошук глобального оптимуму для n послідовностей відноситься до NP-повних завданнь.

У 1989 році на основі алгоритму Каррільо — Ліпмана. Альтшуль представив практичний підхід, який використовував парні вирівнювання для обмеження n-мірного простору пошуку. При такому підході динамічне програмування виконується на кожній парі послідовностей з вхідного набору і проводиться пошук лише ділянки, яка розташована поблизу n-мірного перетину цих шляхів. Програма оптимізує суму всіх пар символів в кожній позиції вирівнюванні.

Прогресивне вирівнювання
Прогресивне вирівнювання застосовує евристичний алгоритм, розроблений Пауліеною Хогевег та Беном Геспером в 1984 році. Всі методи прогресивного вирівнювання мають дві важливі стадії: побудова бінарного дерева (дороговказівне дерево), в якому листки є послідовностями, і побудова множинного вирівнювання шляхом додавання послідовностей до зростаючого вирівнювання згідно дороговказівного дерева. Саме дороговказівне дерево може бути побудованим методами кластеризації, такими як метод UPGMA і метод приєднання сусідів.

Прогресивне вирівнювання не гарантує отримання оптимального глобального вирівнювання. Проблема полягає в тому, що помилки, отримані на будь-якій стадії зростаючого множинного вирівнювання, доходять до кінцевого вирівнювання. Крім того, вирівнювання може бути особливо поганим у випадку сильно віддалених одна від одної послідовностей. Більшість сучасних прогресивних методів мають змінену функцію обчислення ваги з вторинною ваговою функцією, яка присвоює коефіцієнти для окремих елементів набору даних у вигляді нелінійної моди заснованої на філогенетичній відстані від найближчих сусідів. Методи прогресивного вирівнювання досить ефективні, щоб застосовувати їх для великого числа (100—1000) послідовностей. Найпопулярніший метод прогресивного вирівнювання належить до сімейства Clustal, зокрема, варіант ClustalW, доступ до якого можна отримати через такі портали як GenomeNet, EBI, EMBNet. ClustalW активно використовується для побудови філогенетичних дерев, незважаючи на попередження автора, що неперевірені вручну вирівнювання не повинні використовуватися ні при побудові дерев, ні в якості вхідних даних для передбачення структури білків. Поточна версія Clustal — Clustal Omega, яка працює на основі дороговказівних дерев і HMM профіль-профільних методів для білкових вирівнювань.

Схема методу прогресивного множинного вирівнювання реалізованого в програмі Clustal Omega:

1. На самому початку програма будує всі парні вирівнювання аналізованих послідовностей;

2. Відповідно до парних вирівнювань отримують матрицю еволюційних дистанцій;

3. Формується кластерна діаграма (філогенетичного дерево), що побудована відповідно до матриці еволюційних дистанцій;

4. Відповідно до філогенетичного дерева програма будує множинне вирівнювання з використанням алгоритму глобального вирівнювання методом динамічного програмування.

Після проведення парного (глобального) вирівнювання кожної послідовності зі всіма, на наступному етапі розраховується дистанція між вирівняними послідовностями. Найпростіший спосіб визначення генетичної відстані базується на підрахунку позицій в вирівнюванні де спостерігаються заміни. Ультраметричне філогенетичне дерево дозволяє зробити висновки про еволюційне походження даної групи послідовностей та відібрати пари, для яких буде проведено так зване довирівнювання.

Існують різні інструменти для побудови прогресивного вирівнювання послідовностей ДНК. Один з них — MAFFT (англ. Multiple Alignment using Fast Fourier Transform).

Інший поширений метод прогресивного вирівнювання, T-Coffee, повільніший, ніж Clustal і його похідні, але найчастіше дає точніші вирівнювання для віддалено пов'язаних послідовностей. T-Coffee будує бібліотеку парних вирівнювань, яку потім використовує для побудови множинного вирівнювання.

Ітеративні методи
Набір методів для побудови множинних вирівнювань, в яких відбувається зниження помилок, отриманих прогресивними методами, класифікують як «ітеративні». Вони працюють аналогічно прогресивним методам, але при цьому неодноразово перебудовують вихідні вирівнювання при додаванні нових послідовностей. Прогресивні методи сильно залежать від якості початкових вирівнювань, оскільки вони в незмінному вигляді, а отже і з помилками, потраплять в кінцевий результат. Іншими словами, якщо послідовність вже потрапила в вирівнювання, її подальше становище не зміниться. Таке наближення покращує ефективність, але негативно позначається на точності результату. На відміну від прогресивних методів, ітеративні методи можуть повертатися до спершу порахованим парним вирівнювання і підвирівнюванням, що містять підмножини послідовностей із запиту, і таким чином оптимізувати загальну цільову функцію і підвищувати якість.

Існує велика кількість різноманітних ітеративних методів. Наприклад, PRRN/PRRP використовує алгоритм сходження до вершини для оптимізації ваги множинного вирівнювання і ітеративно коригує ваги вирівнювання і ділянки з великою кількістю гепів. PRRP працює ефективніше, коли покращує вирівнювання, попередньо побудоване швидким методом.

Ще одна ітеративна програма, DIALIGN, використовує оригінальний підхід, вона проводить локальні вирівнювання підсегментів або мотивів послідовностей без введення штрафу за геп. Вирівнювання окремих мотивів реалізується в матричному вигляді, подібному до діаграмою з точками (dot-plot) в парному вирівнюванні. В програмі CHAOS/DIALIGN використовується альтернативний метод, який використовує швидкі локальні вирівнювання в якості точок прив'язки для більш повільної процедури побудови глобального вирівнювання.

Третій популярний ітераційний метод називається MUSCLE. Він дає кращий результат ніж прогресивні методи, оскільки використовує більш точні відстані для оцінки зв'язку двох послідовностей. Цей метод реалізує оновлення відстаней між ітераціями (хоча в первісному вигляді MUSCLE містив тільки 2—3 ітерації).

Консенсусні методи
Консенсусні методи намагаються вибрати оптимальне множинне вирівнювання з різних множинних вирівнювань одного і того ж набору вхідних даних. Існують два найбільш поширених консенсусних методів: M-COFFEE та MergeAlign. M-COFFEE використовує множинні вирівнювання, що генеруються 7 різними методами для отримання консенсусних вирівнювань. MergeAlign здатний генерувати консенсусні вирівнювання з будь-якого числа вхідних вирівнювань, отриманих з різних моделей еволюції послідовності і методів побудови. Опція за замовчуванням для MergeAlign — виведення консенсусного вирівнювання, використовуючи вирівнювання, отримані з 91 різних моделей еволюції білкової послідовності.

Приховані марковські моделі
 Див. також: Прихована марковська модель
У біоінформатиці метод прихованих марковских моделей (Hidden Markov model, HMM) служить для опису тонких відмінностей, що існують між сімействами гомологічних послідовностей. Метод HMM ефективний і при прогнозі шляхів згортання білків. Цей метод повністю базується на аналізі послідовностей (тобто не використовує структурну інформацію).

Програми, засновані на HMM, представляють множинне вирівнювання у вигляді спрямованого ациклічного графа, відомого як граф часткового порядку, який складається з серій вузлів, які є можливими станами в колонках вирівнювання. В такому разі абсолютно консервативна колонка (тобто послідовності, які при множинному вирівнюванні мають в даній позиції певний символ) кодується як один вузол з безліччю вихідних з'єднань з символами, можливими в наступній позиції вирівнювання. У термінах стандартної прихованої марковської моделі такі окремі колонки вирівнювання є станами, спостерігаються, а «приховані» стани являють собою передбачувану предкову послідовність, від якої послідовності вхідного набору могли еволюцінувати.

Програми, в яких реалізований метод НММ для аналізу біологічних послідовностей, можуть робити наступне:

1. Навчання. Проводиться вирівнювання вхідного набору не вирівняних гомологічних послідовностей і визначення НММ, яка описує заданий набір послідовностей (для цього проводиться підбір ймовірностей переходів та вибору залишків).

2. Пошук далеких гомологів. Маючи НММ і досліджувану послідовність, можна розрахувати ймовірність того, що НММ могла б згенерувати цю послідовність. Якщо НММ, розроблена для відомого сімейства послідовностей, може це зробити з досить великою ймовірністю, то це свідчить на користь того, що досліджувана послідовність також належить до цього сімейства.

3. Вирівнювання додаткових послідовностей. Імовірність проходження будь-якого маршруту в даній НММ, тобто ймовірність отримання саме даного набору станів, може бути розрахована з індивідуальних ймовірностей переходів «стан-за-станом» (state-by-state).

Незважаючи на те, що HMM-методи більш складні, ніж популярні прогресивні методи, існує кілька програм для отримання вирівнювань, наприклад, POA, а також схожий, але більш узагальнений метод в пакетах SAM і HMMER. HHsearch, заснований на парному порівнянні HMMs, використовується для пошуку віддалено пов'язаних послідовностей. Сервер HHsearch (HHpred) був найшвидшим з 10 кращих автоматичних серверів, ввикористаних для передбачення структур білків CASP7 і CASP8.

Методи, засновані на філогенетичному аналізі
Більшість методів множинного вирівнювання намагається мінімізувати кількість гепів (вставок чи делецій), завдяки чому генеруються компактні вирівнювання. Такий підхід може призвести до помилок у вирівнюванні, якщо вирівняні послідовності містили негомологічних регіони і якщо гепи інформативні при філогенетичному аналізі. Ці проблеми типові для нових послідовностей, які погано анотовані і можуть містити зсув рамки зчитування, неправильні домени або негомологічні сплайсовані екзони.

Перший метод, заснований на аналізі філогенії, був розроблений Лойтіноджом і Голдманом в 2005 році. У 2008 році ті ж автори випустили відповідне програмне забезпечення — PRANK. PRANK удосконалює вирівнювання, коли є вставки. Тим не менш, він працює повільніше, ніж прогресивні і / або ітеративні методи, які були розроблені за кілька років до того.

У 2012 році з'явилися два нових методи, заснованих на філогенетичному аналізі. Перший, під назвою PAGAN, був розроблений командою PRANK, а другий, названий ProGraphMSA, був розроблений Жалковським. Їх програмне забезпечення було розроблено незалежно, але вони мають загальні риси: обидва використовують алгоритми на графах для поліпшення розпізнавання негомологічних регіонів, при цьому вони швидші за метод PRANK.

Пошук мотивів
Пошук мотивів або, інакше, аналіз профілів — це метод пошуку локалізації мотиву в глобальному множинному вирівнюванні як засіб отримання кращого MSA і середньовагової матриці з метою використання її для пошуку інших послідовностей з подібними мотивами. Було розроблено велику кількість методів для визначення мотивів, але всі вони ґрунтуються на виявленні коротких висококонсервативних патернів в більшому по довжині вирівнювання патерні і конструюванні матриці, подібної до матриці замін. Ця матриця відображає нуклеотідний або амінокислотний склад для кожної позиції в передбачуваному мотиві. Потім вирівнювання може бути уточнено за допомогою цих матриць. У стандартному аналізі профілів ця матриця включає в себе запис як для кожного можливого символу, так і для гепа. На противагу цьому, статистичний алгоритм пошуку патернів спочатку шукає мотиви, а потім використовує знайдені мотиви для побудови множинного вирівнювання. У багатьох випадках, коли вхідний набір послідовностей містить невелику кількість послідовностей або  виключно високо споріднені  послідовності, додаються  для нормалізації розподілу, відображеного у ваговій матриці. Зокрема, це допомагає уникати нулів в матриці ймовірностей, щоб не отримати значення нескінченності в позиційній ваговій матриці.

Аналіз блоків — це метод пошуку мотивів в ділянках вирівнювання без гепів. Блоки можуть бути згенеровані з множинного вирівнювання або отримані з невирівняних послідовностей шляхом попереднього розрахунку множини загальних мотивів відомих сімейств генів. Оцінка блоків зазвичай ґрунтується на просторі символів з високою частотою наявності в блоках, а не на обчисленні в явному вигляді матриць замін. Сервер BLOCKS надає альтернативний метод для локалізації таких мотивів в невирівняні послідовності.

Статистичне зіставлення патернів здійснюється за допомогою алгоритму максимізації очікування і семплювання за Гіббсом. Для пошуку мотивів найбільш часто використовується сервер MEME, що використовує алгоритм максимізації очікування і метод прихованих марковських моделей, а також MEME/MAST, який додатково використовує алгоритм MAST.

Примітки

Біоінформатика
Обчислювальна філогенетика
Марковські моделі


his lovely Physical Therapist, Renee! This picture was taken at the award ceremony that Jeremy wrote about in his 7/18 entry.
This past week has been a week of surprises. As many of you know I have been expecting to receive the new feet pretty soon. To my surprise, last week I received a voicemail from the Prosthetists office informing me that "everything for my new legs had arrived except for my left foot" and that they wanted me to call make an appointment for this coming Friday! When I spoke with them I found out that my left foot was on back order but that they expected to receive it this week. (I found this hilarious!) I got clarification from them that I would be receiving the C-Legs as well as the C-Walks at my next appointment. Yes folks, they're here!
Unfortunately the Prosthetist got an update yesterday and the left foot is still on back order and they don't expect to get it in until after the 28th. So, I won't actually be getting them this week but, that's okay, as we are going to Michigan on Sunday for vacation and I really didn't want to try to learn how to use them without working with Renee first. This also means that I won't be doing the blog next week (due to the vacation). Hopefully the next time do an update I'll have the new legs and can tell you all about it!
The second big surprise was one that my family and friends have been keeping secret for some time. On Saturday night we went to the People's Burn Foundation Summer Ice Fund Raiser. There's a rumor out there that I didn't want to go. That's not true. I was looking forward to it, it just came at a very busy time and I was feeling the compression of too many events going on at once. It is true that I wasn't looking forward to getting dressed up.
I don't like wearing a tie anymore. When I have I've been very uncomfortable. During a conversation with Renee at the dinner I finally realized that the collar of a dress shirt with a tie reminds me of the stabilizing collar that was around my neck when I woke up in the hospital. However, I did look good.
It was a beautiful evening at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, with great food, great company, and great entertainment. After the dessert was served they had a presentation and gave out some awards. About half way through the awards presentation I started to wonder how my family had managed to get a table that was at the very front of the room. (granted we were all the way over on the side) Then it dawned on me that Dr. Sood, the burn doctor and plastic surgeon who took care of me in the Burn Unit, was sitting at the next table.
Eventually Dr. Sood was called up to the podium. The first words out of his mouth were "On October 22nd of 2005..." I believe there I reacted in a very visible way. Dr. Sood went on to tell the story of my injuries, surgeries, infections, and rehabilitation. He also spoke about me walking in for my last appointment, visiting with other patients, and the quest to raise money for the C-Legs. I was even more surprised when he announced that we would be selling cookbooks after the presentations, and that I would be signing them.
Dr. Sood awarded me with the Sushila Sood Champion of Courage Award. Dr. Sood chooses the recipient of this award. It's a tremendous honor, one that I'm not sure I deserve, as I don't view my recovery as courageous, I simply view it as living life. All the same, I'm very proud, and thankful to have this award.
After the ceremony we sold over 130 cookbooks. I signed cookbooks from about 9:30pm until about 11:30 pm. And yes, my hand was definitely tired, and my signature suffered, by the time I was done.
I remember not believing that I would ever be able to walk again, regardless of what the doctors were saying, the fact that I didn't have either knee was immaterial to me. It wasn't until I started walking with the prostheses that I began to realize how important that left knee would have been. It would have allowed me to stand up much easier. It would have given me the ability walk better and with more stability. Most likely I would have been able to walk with only one crutch, which would give me the freedom to use one hand for other things. I might have even been able to climb up and down steps going forward instead of side ways.
He held the door for me and, as I was walking in, made the comment "this is hell for me but it looks like you've got it much worse." Once we were inside I told him that I'd like to have at least one knee but that I'd accepted that this is what life is like now. He went on to complain about how uncomfortable his prosthetic was and how much he hated it. I wouldn't necessarily describe mine as comfortable, but I have grown used to the way they feel and don't really think about it much. The man commented on my attitude and I told him that he should focus more on how lucky he is that he has a good leg and and two good knees.
As I paid for my gas the cashier put his elbows on the counter, leaned forward and, in a great impersonation of a bartender, said "how ya doin'?" I smiled and said "this is life now, and I'm living it, there's no point in looking back." He said "that's great" and gave me my change.
Hopefully the C-legs will give me the ability to walk with one crutch and regain the freedom of one hand. They'll definitely allow me to walk better, with increasing speeds, and with more stability. Sadly, I'll probably still have to go up and down stairs sideways, and I'll always have to do a balancing act when standing up, but that is a small price to pay for mobility. I'll be receiving the feet within the next few weeks.
The feet will actually give me some push off the ground when I'm walking, which will also allow me some increase in speed and they'll move much more like a natural foot as opposed to the ones I currently have. Renee says I should notice a difference immediately. If you're interested you should do a google search for otto+bock and click on "I'm Feeling Lucky". This will take you straight to the web page for the company that makes both the C-Legs, and the C-Walks (feet). Once you're there, do a search for C-Walk and that will bring up info, and a picture of the new foot. Unfortunately the feet must have cosmetic coverings to fill out a shoe. I'm disappointed by this. You'll see why when you actually see the foot.
While you're on the Otto Bock site you should also do a search for C-Leg so you can see the legs I'll be getting. I won't be getting cosmetic coverings for these. When you see the picture you'll understand why.
Ok, bring on the comments!


After a successful career as an executive with Harris Corporation in both the domestic and export printing machinery departments, founder J. Wayne Tomlinson started Atlantic Graphic Systems, Inc. (AGS) in 1976. Wayne envisioned the company as a regionally-focused printing machinery sales and service organization. His vision and dedication to the industry in the Mid-Atlantic helped establish a company reputation of outstanding customer service and support.
Today, AGS boasts a new generation team with a modern industry vision but with the same dedication to customer demands and requirements. While our clientele ranges in size from small, independently owned businesses to large, multinational companies, AGS is devoted to working to understand the unique business needs of each of our clients. Our industry may be changing, but we are at the forefront, adapting along with it.
We invite you to explore the broad range of product and service offerings described on the pages of our website. But then please, contact us and allow us to make a personal introduction. We'd like the opportunity to understand your business and explore how we might be able to assist.


This unique space in the lively Marais district is ideal for brands wishing to hold a showroom, a fashion show or a cocktail party.
With a private entrance, this space is elegant with a sophisticated ambiance. With multiple windows, this space is filled with natural light and light. The interiors are industrial with hardwood floors, exposed brick walls and raw concrete floors. In addition, with a fashionable mezzanine and a floor of 84 m² including an outdoor area, this space is impressive; facilities giving the space a creative atmosphere. Please note that rates are negotiable depending on the rental period and the type of event.
Located in the heart of Paris, this industrial space is the ideal place to organize fashion shows, exhibitions or presentations of products / corporate events.


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Sporetus abstrusus is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Melzer in 1935.

References

Acanthocinini
Beetles described in 1935


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[STATEMENT] Sri Lanka Political Struggle Continue: Deeper Democracy Disruption
[STATEMENT] CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, CALL FOR MORE SOLIDARITY TO RESOLVE HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGES
Sri Lanka Political Struggle Continue: Deeper Democracy Disruption
The Asia Democracy Network is deeply concerned with the current democracy struggle in Sri Lanka. The once political coalition that defeated the strong hold leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, are now in conflict when President Maithripala Sirisena removed Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe.
There are democratic institutions and principles at stake in the current political instability of Sri Lanka. The constitutionality of the removal of the PM needs to be reviewed in addition to the abuse of power to manipulate the results through the dissolve of the parliament and snap elections. This type of political exercise discredits democracy and leaves a negative precedent to Sri Lanka's nation and unity building.
The ADN joins in solidarity with the civil society of Sri Lanka in expressing concern in regards to the current situation and urge all appropriate stakeholders to convene and work together to find an efficient solution to avoid further political division. We call on President Maithripala Sirisena to prioritize national interests and uphold democratic institutions and the constitution, to resolve the political instability. It is vital for Sri Lanka to have a leader that can guide the country to move forward towards prosperity through a democratic and peaceful government that values unity.
The Asia Democracy Network stands in solidarity with Sri Lankan democrats to continue to apply pressure in maintaining democratic principles during this time.
PDF version of the full statement is available HERE: [ADN Statements]Sri Lanka Political Struggle continue; deeper democracy disruption
[ADN STATEMENT] Declaration of Support for Strategic Regional Actions to Promote and Protect Media Freedom and Free Expression in Southeast Asia
[PRESS RELEASE] ADN Launching the Asia Democracy Academy Program to Foster Democracy Promotion in the Region
[EVENT] Busan Democracy Forum (BuDF) 2019 Call for Participation


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Bullish Submitted F-4 to Go Public on NYSE
As previously announced, Bullish has officially applied with the SEC in order to go public along with Far Peak Acquisition Corporation on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
On November 1, 2021 they publicly filed a Registration Statement with the SEC regarding the business combination between Bullish and Far Peak Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: FPAC). This is expected to be completed during either the last quarter of 2021 or the first quarter of 2022.
Far Peak Acquisition Corporation is sponsored by Far Peak LLC, a blank check company that focuses for target business in the financial technology, technology or financial services industries. The merger with Bullish could give the cryptocurrency exchange a push towards regulatory compliance and thus towards its launch. Indeed, Far Peak Acquisition Corporation is owned by Thomas W. Farley, the Company's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President which is also former NYSE Group President.
With the business combination, Tom Farley will become Bullish's new Chief Executive Officer, while Brendan Blumer, the CEO of Block.One, will become chairman of the combined firm. In total the deal valued Bullish at $9 billion, making it also of the first digital asset companies to go public, joining Coinbase e Bakkt.
Far Peak Acquisition Corporation and Bullish Announce Filing of Registration Statement in Connection with their Proposed Business Combination
PredIQt launched on the EOS mainnet
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The PredIQt team announced the launch of their Prediction/Knowledge market on the EOS mainnet. Users can now access the...
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The DefiBox team launched GameBox, a new platform dedicated entirely to GameFi for connecting and incubating games on $...


The Senate on Tuesday passed the Nigerian Police Trust Fund Bill (HB 1583).
Recall that last week, the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki had promised the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar Adamu that the Senate would fast-track its work on both the Police Trust Fund Bill and the Police Reform Bill.
Reacting to the Senate's passage of the Bill, which has also been passed by the House of Representatives, Saraki said: "By passing this bill, we will be creating big strides towards providing and improving security and the policing in our country.
"One of the major concerns has always been the issue of funding. We believe that this bill will provide the funding needed for training and recruitment.
"I am confident that by the time we lay the report on the Police Reform Bill, we would have gone a long way in moving the police in the right direction.
"It is our view that once we have these Police Bills as laws, we will relieve the burden on the military, so that it can focus on its constitutional responsibility," the Senate President said.
The Police Trust Fund Bill, which was initially passed by the House of Representatives, aims to provide a legal framework for the management and control of the special intervention funds established under the Act for the training of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Trust Fund will also be utilised to enhance the skills of the personnel of the Police, in order to ensure their efficiency, overall performance and constant improvement while they perform their duties.
In addition to this, the Trust Fund will be used to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force has the necessary operational equipment, instructional materials, police stations and living quarters.
The Bill will now be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.