text:
The Keepers of the Books
The Great Library of Alexandria, O. Von Corven
@C_SamBurnham
Sometime in the 3rd century B.C., The Macedonians established the legendary Library at Alexandria. This library was one part of the "Seat of the Muses," a major center of learning in the ancient world. But it was more than just books. This center included schools, lecture halls, centers for music and art. It was a center of culture as much as anything. While any other centers of learning and culture had risen by that time, the burning of the Great Library is still seen as a symbolic loss of knowledge and culture. Over 2000 years later, bibliophiles and intellectuals still look upon the destruction with a sense of mourning.
Ancient Manuscripts at the Library in the City of Timbuktu. Evan Schneider/AFP/Getty Images
A few centuries later on the same continent, scholars came together to found the great Islamic center of learning and culture of Timbuktu, in modern day Mali. In 2012, the libraries of Timbuktu became a target of al-Qaida backed Islamist militants who believed the manuscripts to be idolatrous. Librarian Abdel Kader Haidara defied the terrorists and hatched a plot and smuggled 350,000 manuscripts out of the city and hid them in safer locations in the region.
Luis Soriano Making a Stop in Rural Colombia By Acción Visual/Diana Arias -
In rural Colombia, a grade school teacher saw people with little to no access to books. So Luis Soriano started a travelling library with a collection of 70 books and two burros. He loaded books on the animals and then traveled to the towns in the region and allowed the people to check out books. Soriano has been accosted by bandits and even lost a leg in an accident involving one of his burros but that didn't stop him from carrying out the wok of the Biblioburros.
I've shared these stories because I believe we are finding ourselves in an age that doesn't see them importance of libraries. Librarians are nothing more than the keepers of the books - archaic devices that, like the American industrial worker, have been replaced by technology. The internet and electronic devices have brought us into an enlightened age where little old ladies wearing their hair in buns try their best to keep dust off the stacks of unused books.
Libraries are still centers of our culture. They obviously house our books. But they also hold music, video, audio visual equipment, archived periodicals dating back centuries, even works of art on display for the public. Libraries drive our literacy and provide opportunity for people to research topics and fact check ideas themselves. Our libraries offer computers with web access for people who don't have them at home. Some libraries even offer seeds that can be replaced with seeds from next generation harvested plants.
For over 2000 years, librarians have stayed ahead of the curve, keeping their institutions on the rising trends. Long before schools had librarians who knew every detail about every piece of technology in the building. And if a new way to access information comes along, these are the people who find ways to harness them and make them available to their patrons.
Librarians keep the books and they do that well. But if we diminish them to that alone, we do them a disservice and we risk cheating ourselves out of one of the greatest resources available to us today. Their libraries.


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Latest Digital Magazine
Digital Magazine Library
Sample Magazine
Join the E-type Club
How to join the E-type Club
Why Buy An E-type
Specialist Directory
Renew Here
Visit Club Shop
E-type 60 Feature Cars
Here are just some rather notable cars which were on display at E-type 60.
Apart from a glut of competition Es including celebrated Lightweights, Low-Drags, the E2A Le Mans prototype, and the first two E-types ever raced, the event also played host to an incredible reunion of the 1961 Geneva Motor Show trio – the first time these three cars have been seen together for sixty years!
9600 HP and 848 CRY
9600 HP - Geneva Motor Show launch car and subsequent UK Press car.
848 CRY was the E-type used in the film The Italian Job.
Both cars are owned by E-type Club Founder and E-type 60 event organiser, Philip Porter.
77 RW and HDU 555N
The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust brought along three very special E-types - 77RW, the first production Open Two-Seater, WHP 205J, one of the earliest V12 E-types and originally part of the press fleet and HDU 555N, a Series 3 V12 open two-seater, the very last E-type to be built.
Most Jaguar aficionados will know the story of the E-type launch at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, when the busy press car 9600 HP (also on show at Shelsley) was driven flat-out from Coventry to Geneva by Jaguar executive Bob Berry, arriving just 20 minutes before the scheduled unveiling. Once revealed, interest in the E-type and demand for test drives was so high that test and development driver Norman Dewis, who was still in Coventry, was immediately ordered to drop everything and bring 77 RW to Geneva. He drove for 17 hours, through the night.
77 RW, chassis number 850003 was put on permanent loan in 2000 to the Heritage Trust whereupon it was completely restored with the generous assistance of Martin Robey Ltd of Nuneaton.
The last off the line HDU 555N, chassis number 1S/2872, was retained by Jaguar from the moment its build was completed in June 1974. Ahead of it through the factory were a limited run of 50 cars - all but one painted black - bearing a commemorative plaque with a copy of Sir William Lyons' signature.
24 PK Mini Cooper S
We were delighted that Roy Palmer brought along 24 PK - a Mini Cooper S with a privateer rally history in the hands of Sir Peter Moon in 1963-64.
The car was prepared to 'Abingdon works' specification with a 997cc engine unit built by Don Moore of Cambridge - who was without doubt recognised as the best tuner of Minis during the 1960s and one of BMC Competition Department's regular go-to specialists.
Driver Brian Culcheth commented on his 1963 RAC drive with 24 PK recalling, "After 10 stages we were leading our class from the 'works' Mini when we lost 2nd gear. Disaster struck midway through the night when the gearbox gave up. Our engine had been prepared by Don Moore – and although Don did not get the ultimate in power, his engines had fantastic torque which enabled me to do so well without 2nd gear. I enjoyed driving 24 PK more than any other Mini as it handled so well – I think the 997cc engine was the perfect combination of power and weight distribution'.
E2A prototype
We are delighted that the unique E2A prototype and Le mans racer will be brought to E-type 60 by CKL Developments, who are organising a display of very special cars.
1956 Ecurie Ecosse Long Nose Jaguar D-type
Willie Green will do demo runs and charity drives for healthy donations.
Gerry Marshall's mini to demo at E-Type 60
It's a 1964 Austin Cooper S first owned by Anita Taylor who raced it in the 1964 British Saloon Car Championship. Campaigned by Newtune the year after with a win by notable British saloon car racing driver Gerry Marshall in the car at the 1965 Snetterton 500!
The car was passed on to John Aley in 1966 and competed by subsequent owners its entire life in its original body shell. The current owners Peter Flanagan bought the car last year and put back into its original Aurora Gear Racing colours from 1964.
Sir Stirling Moss' Jaguar XK120 FHC, LVC 345
Twyford Moors will be displaying Stirling Moss's XK120 fixed-head coupe, which he used in the early 1950s to travel between races, tow caravans and go rallying. No doubt it has lived a life of high drama.
HMT 598B 1964 Jaguar E-type 3.8 Roadster
Supplied new to Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five. Featured on many album covers, posters, calendars, film clips and videos. Probably the most photographed E Type of the period.
Second owner Mike Smith, lead singer of the band. Now in the hands of its third owner, Grahame Bull, who purchased the car after seeing it advertised in the Exchange and Mart in 1978. 3 years on, and appearing at many club events and participating in club rallies, he feels the car has aged much better than himself. Grahame's company Camberley Marine and Sports Cars Ltd have been dealing in E-types since 1975, having had over 500 pass through his hands. The orange and grey 1963 coupe, 700 FVN, will be seen taking part in the Hillclimb competition this weekend.
1963 Jaguar Lightweight E-type 49 FXN
A very significant Lightweight Jaguar E-type.
This 1963 Lightweight Jaguar E-type that was famously given an aerodynamic makeover by Dr Samir Klat of Imperial College, London, for the 1964 season. Driven by Peter Lumsden and Peter Sargent, the sleek car proved its high-speed potential by running third in the GT class at Le Mans that year until forced to retire soon after nightfall, but three months later it achieved a prestigious result – best-placed E-type and fifth in the GT class – at the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. Known by its registration number, 49 FXN, this celebrated Lightweight E-type has remained active for most of its life.
Jaguar Lightweight E-type 4 WPD
One of the most important Competition E-types.
Run by John Coombs with factory support and driven by some of the best racing drivers of the day, this car took part in the E-type's first motor race and later became the prototype all-aluminium Lightweight E-type.
It has also had numerous modern-day successes and has been raced by numerous fine drivers, including Dario Franchitti and Emanuele Pirro.
49 FXN and 4 WPD are was the subjects of two of the Great Cars Series books from Porter Press International.
Jaguar E-type Club
Email: info@e-typeclub.com
Email: rob@flyingspace.co.uk
Jaguar E-type Club, Hilltop Farm,
Knighton-on-Teme, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, WR15 8LY, UK
What3Words: ///official.cluttered.rural
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Gerard NOT dating Jen
Gerard Butler is definitely not with Jennifer Aniston
By Cosmo Team
Despite many newspapers (and the marketing department of their latest film, 'The Bounty') trying to make out that Scottish hunk Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston are an item, the actor has dismissed the reports, claiming he's 100 percent single.
The '300' star, who was speaking at the premiere of his latest film, 'The Ugly Truth', in London, said:
"I haven't asked her out, and even if she asked me on a date I'd say no."
The 39-year-old then joked (at least we hope he was joking!):
"We're just f***ing... joke!"
Tsk.
He added: "No, seriously, we work together and we have a laugh, but that's it, I'm single."
Form an orderly queue...
Gerard's dog day
Gerard's Jen sympathy
Jen wooing Gerard ?
Jen's Gerard gush
Gerard talks Jen's legs
Gerard & Jen's chemistry


text:
World's Largest Library of Biomedical Images and Animations Gifted to Texas Engineering
The most comprehensive collection of biomedical and scientific visual aids has a new home: UT Austin.
AUSTIN, Texas — The most comprehensive collection of biomedical and scientific visual aids ever produced has a new home: The University of Texas at Austin. Thanks to the generosity of its creator — medical animation pioneer Bruce Blausen — the Blausen Medical Library's vast archive of medical images has been made freely available through UT's Cockrell School of Engineering to assist in the research, teaching and discovery of every student and faculty member on campus.
With more than 28,000 3D animations and illustrations detailing everything from electromagnetic arrays to sarcomeric Z-lines, the Blausen Medical Library is the largest visual collection of its kind, and unrestricted access to all files in perpetuity will soon be a luxury enjoyed exclusively by the UT Austin community.
From helping medical students better understand the complexities of human anatomy to assisting mechanical engineering students in the development of rehabilitative technologies, the library's impact will be felt across the UT campus. Faculty members in the Cockrell School's Department of Biomedical Engineering have already identified several courses in which students will benefit from the library's detailed visual presentations on challenging topics such as physiology and drug delivery systems.
"In my initial conversations with faculty and staff at UT Austin, I could immediately sense their excitement as they envisioned potential applications in labs and classrooms," Blausen said. "I knew then that if I made the full library permanently available to UT, its impact could be immense. It could serve an important purpose for students' technical development."
There is also potential in the coming years for advances in technology to enhance the Blausen Medical Library experience for students, faculty members and researchers. Virtual reality offers opportunities for unprecedented immersion by placing users inside a "digital classroom" where they can watch animations on a large virtual screen or interact with 3D models, and Blausen's team is already exploring opportunities to make this new learning environment possible.
"Bruce Blausen's gift is extraordinary in many ways," said Sharon L. Wood, dean of the Cockrell School. "The library, which contains beautifully detailed images and videos, is unlike anything else in the world. Providing our community with unlimited access to these resources will enable new and innovative methods of teaching and learning in our classrooms."
Blausen earned a master's degree in medical illustration from Johns Hopkins University in 1987, where he was the program's first student to produce a thesis using computer animation. His unique expertise with this still-emerging technology led him to work with James "Red" Duke, a trauma surgeon at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston whose nationally syndicated "Texas Health Reports" introduced Blausen's early animations on the national stage in the 1980s.
In 1991, Blausen founded Blausen Medical Communications Inc. and currently serves as CEO. He has continued to refine, enhance and add to the library ever since. The company now includes a 12-person team of producers and animators helping to develop the 3D animations.
"It takes four weeks and $20,000 to complete just one minute of animation," Blausen said. "Thankfully, the human body doesn't change, so a majority of our content has a long lifespan. But animations of novel processes like drug delivery will need to continue evolving along with the emerging technologies they depict."
The library is valued at $25 million and covers more than 1,800 topics including health conditions, diseases and treatments, as well as the human anatomy ranging from muscles and organs down to human mechanics at a cellular and molecular level.
Tags: Cockrell School of Engineering


text:
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PICK OF THE DAY – {05-08-2019}
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Laura (Penélope Cruz) and her children travel from Buenos Aires to the small Spanish village where she was born to attend her sister's wedding. Unexpected events soon lead to a crisis that exposes the family's hidden past. Suspicions mount, loved ones begin to turn on one another, and dark secrets long hidden threaten to come to light, revealing shocking truths. This gripping thriller from Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi also stars Javier Bardem and Ricardo Darín.
By PixelGal| 2019-05-08T10:38:10+00:00	May 8th, 2019|Categories: Blu-ray Movies & TV, DVD Movies & TV, Movies & TV, Pixelscroll's Pick of the Day, Today|Tags: Pick of the Day|
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Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods: Save Yourself and the Ones You Love with the Hidden Healing Powers of Fruits & Vegetables by Anthony William
Daily Deal for May 08 at
Deal availability may change without notice! Prices may vary from store to store. Due to international copyright, availability and pricing may vary outside of the US.
Anthony William, the Medical Medium, has helped tens of thousands of people heal from ailments that have been misdiagnosed or ineffectively treated—or that medical communities can't resolve. And he's done it all by listening to a divine voice that literally speaks into his ear, telling him what is at the root of people's pain or illness and what they need to do to be restored to health.In his first book, the New York Times bestseller Medical Medium, Anthony revealed how to treat dozens of illnesses with targeted healing regimens in which nutrition played a major role. Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods delves deeper into the healing power of over 50 fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, and wild foods that can have an extraordinary effect on health. Anthony explains each food's properties, the symptoms and conditions it can help relieve or heal, and the emotional and spiritual benefits it brings. And for each food, he offers a delicious recipe to help you enjoy its maximum benefit, from sweet potatoes with braised cabbage stuffing to honey-coconut ice cream and chewy apricot bars.
You'll discover:
• Why wild blueberries are the "resurrection food," asparagus is the fountain of youth, and lemons can lift your spirits when you've had bad news
• The best foods to eat if you have gallstones, hypertension, brain fog, thyroid issues, or migraines—plus hundreds more symptoms and conditions that may be holding you back
• The particular healing powers of kiwis, cucumbers, cat's claw, coconut, and much more
• Insight into cravings, how to use stress to your advantage, and the key role fruit plays in fertility
Much of Anthony's information is dramatically different from the conventional wisdom of medical communities, and much of it has never appeared anywhere before. So don't expect to hear the same old food facts rehashed here. Instead, expect to get a whole new understanding of why oranges offer more than just vitamin C—and a powerful set of tools for healing from illness and keeping yourself and your loved ones safe and well.
Show Me More:Health, Fitness and Dieting
"God's first word is silence."
-Thomas Keating
Centering Prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light and depth of meaning on them. Centering Prayer is an ancient method of Christian prayer adapted for modern times by Fathers Thomas Keating, William Meninger and Basil Pennington.
The Centering Prayer application will support your daily prayer practice commitment. Beautiful and peaceful, the app includes an adjustable timer, as well as opening and closing prayer options that you may read before and after your silent prayer time. An assortment of sounds and backgrounds allow you to choose the type of environment you want to create for your prayer time. Brief instructions for learning Centering Prayer are also included.
It is recommended you practice being in relationship with God through Centering Prayer twice a day for 20 minutes to begin with.
Green Hill Celtic Music Sampler 2014by Various Artists
MP3 Album
Album Information:
Original Release Date: March 4, 2014
Label: Spring Hill (CHP)
Total Length: 1:06:27
Genres: International
By PixelGal| 2019-05-08T09:42:20+00:00	May 8th, 2019|Categories: Pixelscroll Daily Deals, Today|Tags: Health Fitness & Dieting, International|
FREE & BARGAIN EBOOKS – {05-08-2019}
Teaching Frankenstein: A Cautionary Tale by Viktor James
Available through May 08 at
Every student has a story…
But you won't find it here.
Dark, profane, and absurd, this comedy follows the journey of a young teacher on a misguided adventure to resurrect dead dreams. After being let go from his first school, the nameless narrator finds himself at a tough urban high school ready to quit. He decides that the only way to rekindle his passion for teaching is through his favorite novel. It's a decision that leads him on an unsuspecting journey where he discovers that teaching a book about monsters means dealing with his own first.
The story exposes the importance of friendship and the truth behind what it means to be a teacher. Based on real events, the novel parallels Mary Shelley's 1818 classic, Frankenstein, and shows that 200 years later, humanity still struggles to identify the real monsters.
It's a must-read for aspiring educators, teachers, and those struggling with adulting.
Show Me More:Coming of Age
The Price of Time by Tim Tigner
Would your character change …
if you had all the money in the world?
And all the time?
Would you become a better person?
Or worse?
Imagine Agatha Christie meets Michael Crichton in a fast-paced, philosophical mystery thriller.
There's a secret in Silicon Valley. A discovery. An invention. One so startling and surprisingly sinister that it needs to be kept–at any price.
Tim Tigner takes a step back from his bestselling Kyle Achilles series to introduce Zachary Chase and Skylar Fawkes in a fresh standalone novel that's bound to keep you glued and guessing. With secluded meetings, sudden disappearances and strange murders; secret agents, skillful assassins and sexy locations; The Price of Time is packed with fast-paced action and first-class intellectual intrigue.
Propelling the thrills and perched at the middle of the mystery is one of humanity's great questions: Would finding the Fountain of Youth be a blessing?
Prepare for sleep-deprived nights and skipped chores while repeating the phrase: "Just one more page."
Show Me More:Mysteries, Thrillers and Suspense
All Grown Up by Ali Parker
I should have never turned her away.
So many years have passed, and she's back in my life.
But our parents dating for a while left me refusing her.
And she left for the romantic city of Paris.
My pretty girl becoming a ballerina. Forever gone.
But life has a way of taking things full circle.
Due to an injury, she's back in our small town.
My second chance to make things right stares me in the face.
She's all grown up, and still stealing my every thought.
But I can't compete with her dreams. Letting her go is what's required of me, and I do it, but not without cost.
Never in a million years did I expect her to take a gift with her.
A secret.
My baby.
Show Me More:Contemporary Fiction
Cursed Landsby Various Authors
Mysterious strangers. Hidden abilities. Inescapable darkness…
Join our courageous heroines and heroes as they battle demons, governments, and secret organizations in worlds where fae, vampires, angels, witches, humans, and more fight for survival.
Cursed Lands will lead you through one doomed world after another in this haunting dystopian, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance boxed set. Inside, you'll find 22 exclusive, page-turning tales from today's bestselling and award-winning authors.
Do you dare venture into Cursed Lands, where magic, danger, and romance lurk between the shadows and the light?
One-click today to indulge in over 100 hours of bewitching young adult and new adult reads in this epic limited time collection.
Emma Hamm
Nina Walker
Claire Luana
Dorothy Dreyer
Elle Scott
A.J. Flowers
Krista Street
Alison Ingleby
USA Today Bestselling Author B. Kristin McMichael
Ella Wayne
Jenna Lee
Char Webster
K.A. Parkinson
J.L. Myers
S K Gregory
Lichelle Slater
Michael J. Allen
Lee French
Candace Osmond
Belladona Cunning
K.G. Ruess
Lorah Jaiyn
Amanda Roberts
Silver Nord
Veronica Shade
Show Me More:Romance
History in the Making: From Dream to Reality In Network Marketing by Danien Feier
This is the book that the Network Marketing world has been waiting for.
Danien Feier is one of the most successful and well-known Network Marketing leaders in Europe. He uniquely embodies a new generation of network marketers who have found their way of life in this business with an incredible amount of know-how, charisma and passion.
In "History in the Making", he honestly and vulnerably describes his down-to-earth yet breathtaking rise in one of the fastest-growing sectors of our time: the development of the UNITYGLOBAL team, his impressive development from sales greenhorn to one of the most influential figures in the direct sales industry, and his move from the small German provincial town of Wetzlar to his present residence in the world's most luxurious metropolis, Dubai.
With personal insights and a wealth of experience surrounding the development of a mega-profitable Network Marketing business, he lets the reader share in the valuable insights that can be gained from his own history – from his initial vision, the ups and downs on the journey, and the dream that has become a reality.
Mercilessly authentic and incredibly motivating, this book is an immense asset to anyone who has dreams of success in Network Marketing.
Show Me More:Business and Investing
F.I.R.E.: Financially Independent Retire Early by Krista Mashore
Ready to quit that crappy job?
Ready to have a career that is both profitable and fulfilling?
Ready to be on FIRE–Financially Independent Retire Early?
This book is for people who think that getting by just isn't good enough. Maybe you're retired but still wanting to make more income. Maybe you're fed up with your job but don't know what else to do. Maybe you've always wanted to start your own business but don't have a clue how to get started.
When it comes to being a successful entrepreneur, Krista Mashore has been there and done that. And now she's ready to help you do the same.
"I started my first business out of desperation. I started my second business from inspiration. Both have been very successful and highly profitable. And they've allowed me to live a lifestyle I absolutely enjoy while doing work I really love."
How many times have you been told to "follow your passion" and "do what you love?" But what if you don't know what your passion is? Or if you do, what if you don't know how to translate that passion into a viable business?
"Having a profitable business doing the work you love is not just a pipedream. I've done it and people I've coached have done it by learning and implementing the critical keys to 21st century business success."
In this book, Krista will share those keys and tell you:
 What you need to know about yourself before you begin so you can avoid disappointment and heartache.
 What you need to know about your business before you spend even one dime so you can avoid costly mistakes.
 What you need to know about marketing in the 21st century. (You can have the greatest product or service in the world, but without effective marketing, you've lost before you've begun.)
 How to be your own boss and set your own priorities and schedule to align with the lifestyle you really want to have.
 How to create the financial freedom that allows you to sleep at night knowing your family is safe and secure.
In FIRE: Your Crappy Job Won't Quit Itself, Krista will inspire and challenge you. She'll share stories of people just like you who turned their passions into profits. She'll also share the keys to her own success as well as the mistakes she's made along the way.
"I'm not smarter, more talented, or luckier than you, and I bet I don't work any harder. I'm not even sure I'm a natural entrepreneur. I succeeded because I studied with the best and implemented what I learned. And you can do the same."
Based in Northern California, Krista Mashore built her residential real estate business, earning her way into the Top 1% of all Realtors® in the nation. She's now a successful author, motivational speaker, trainer and coach helping others achieve the success they've always wanted.
By PixelGal| 2019-05-08T09:29:49+00:00	May 8th, 2019|Categories: Books, EBooks, Pack 1, Today|Tags: Business & Investing, Coming of Age, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery Thriller & Suspense, Romance|
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text:
package ro.cluj.totemz;

import android.support.annotation.Nullable;

public abstract class BasePresenter<V extends MvpBase.View> implements MvpBase.Presenter<V> {
    private V view;

    @Override
    public void attachView(@Nullable V view) {
        this.view = view;
    }

    @Override
    public void detachView() {
        view = null;
    }

    public boolean isViewAttached() {
        return view != null;
    }

    public V getView() {
        return view;
    }

    public void checkViewAttached() {
        if (!isViewAttached()) throw new MvpViewNotAttachedException();
    }

    private static class MvpViewNotAttachedException extends RuntimeException {
        MvpViewNotAttachedException() {
            super("Please call Presenter.attachView(MvpView) before" +
                    " requesting data to the Presenter");
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Has Cyril been lying? DA slam president for "dishonest" claims on housing
Cyril Ramaphosa claimed on Friday that the DA had failed to spend R1.7 billion on housing in the Cape. However, the party have responded in fierce fashion.
by Tom Head
Photo: Facebook / Michael Waters
The DA's leader in the Western Cape has accused Cyril Ramaphosa of flat-out lying about the opposition party's housing delivery in the province. Bonginkosi Madikizela has reacted furiously to claims that the local government have returned billions of rand in unspent funds.
The claim was made by the president as he visited residents in Delft on Friday. In a video uploaded to Facebook, he can be heard telling a concerned resident that the DA failed to spend R1.7 billion on various housing projects, and sent the money back to where it came from.
Here's DA WC leader and MEC for human settlements Bonginkosi Madikizela's response to Ramaphosa's claim that WC didn't spend R1,7 billion its housing budget (video from DA) @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/wrcoysIkkV
— Jan Gerber (@gerbjan) March 23, 2019
DA slam Cyril Ramaphosa for housing claims
However, this claim was met by outright fury from Madikizela. He rubbished Cyril's suggestion and ended up bringing the receipts with him, too: The human settlements representative produced a document that showed the total expenditure the DA have spent on housing in the Cape. Over the past nine years, they've spent all of their allocation:
Photo: Western Cape Government
The DA are now claiming that the president is making a habit of telling blatant lies, blasting him for concealing Bosasa payments and failing to resurrect the fortunes of Eskom:
EFF branded "racist and corrupt" by a fired-up Jackson Mthembu
Watch: The Ndlovu Youth Choir pays tribute to Johnny Clegg with 'Asimbonanga'
Watch: Chaos in Polokwane as student protestors rip down traffic lights
SA Youth Choir reach America's Got Talent finals with stunning "Waka Waka" performance
"President Cyril Ramaphosa has become synonymous with lies. First, he claimed he never received money from BOSASA. Then he was shocked by the current state of Eskom. Despite being warned about it in 1995, he unsuccessfully oversaw the turnaround strategy for SOEs and made promises to fix the problems in 2015, but never did."
"The only government grant that is used to build houses in the Human Development Settlements Grant (HSDG) and since 2009 the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements has not once sent back a cent of this grant."
Bonginkosi Madikizela
You can tell there's an election coming up…
Ramaphosa's suggestion that the DA hasn't been spending their housing money struggles to stand-up against a report in his name, too: The Presidency Report revealed earlier this year that the Western Cape is performing strongly against all other provinces when it comes to housing delivery.
With election season in full swing, vast swathes of mud are going to be thrown between each party. It's unlikely we'll be hearing the last of this, as the DA continue to push the narrative of Cyril allegedly being "dishonest".
Tags: Cyril RamaphosahousingSouth AfricaWestern Cape


With Server 2016 and 2019, there is now a third option, Cloud Witness. The Cloud Witness leverages Azure Blob storage to provide that additional cluster/quorum vote.
Before showing you how this is done, one should understand the purpose of a witness/quorum is with respect to a failover cluster.
When one or more members of a cluster stops reporting to the other cluster members, there is a vote. The vote ensures that there is no split-vote, and ensures the cluster has a true owner. For example, in a two node cluster, if each node believe it is the owner, then this will cause a "split-brain". In short, neither node will ever agree it is the owner (or not). This is where a quorum is required to determine who is the owner by providing the third vote, ie. majority. This ensures the cluster has a true owner by having the majority of votes. Each member gets a vote, plus the quorum.
Why this matters, in the even there is no quorum, a node from the cluster can be evicted and as a result will suspend all application services to prevent data corruption by more than one system writing data without the cluster services coordinating data writes and access. Depending on policies, VMs running on the ejected cluster member will either suspend operations or be migrated to other nodes before being ejected.
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to configure the Azure Blob storage as the Cloud Witness.
The cluster with at least 2 nodes already exists.
Set-ClusterQuorum -CloudWitness -AccountName "storage_account_name" -AccessKey "primary_access_key"
Now if we go back to the Failover Manager console we can see we have successfully configured cluster with a Cloud Witness.
In conclusion, deploying a Cloud Witness for a Failover Cluster is very simple, and in case of power outage in one datacenter, maintenance on a node, etc. then the entire cluster and its members (nodes) are all given an equal opportunity. Not only is it recommended and a requirement for 2-node clusters, but for any number of nodes, having a quorum is key ensuring high-availability. As mentioned, there are the traditional options such as using a dedicated disk or a file-share (SMB) as the cluster witness. However with Azure Blob storage with its 16×9 uptime, we can always ensure the quorum witness is online and available.
Next select the Advanced Quorum configuration..
Ensure we have all the nodes selected, as seen below.
Now we need to get our Azure Blob storage account name, and its primary account key. This can be retrieved from the Azure portal.
Now validate the settings and complete the configuration.
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that the SCOM's (Operations Manager) GSM (Global Service Monitor) will officially call it quits and retire the service, effectively, November 7th, 2018. As it is a sad day for us, long-time SCOM administrators, the future remains bright, as Microsoft makes way for Application Insights. Over the last year or so, I have done numerous presentations and conferences on Azure's Application Insights (App Insights), and demonstrating the natural evolution from SCOM APM to Azure App Insights. However, before we start talking about Azure's App Insights, we need to start thinking about migrate away from GSM.
If you don't know, GSM, Global Service Monitor in System Center Operations Manager provides the ability to monitor the availability of external web-based applications from multiple locations throughout the world. Microsoft Azure has this feature already within App Insights, called, "Availability". Creative, I know.. But it does exactly that, measures the availability of your application.
Fellow MVP, Kevin Greene wrote an amazing, and in-depth article on how to migrate your application and GSM to Azure App Insights, so please have a read here. Over the next few blog posts, I would like to provide some detailed demos on Application Insights and how you can start taking advantage of this service to start monitoring your applications.
In the following tutorial, I will go through a step-by-step walk-through on deploying the Azure Site Recovery (ASR) VMware OVF template. This OVF template is a critical step as it bridges the connection between your On-Premises datacenter and the Azure Site Recovery Vault. Obviously there are a handful of prerequisites, as we need to prepare our VMware environment in addition, prepare our Azure workspace. I have created similar posts for Hyper-V and Azure to Azure (A2A) ASR Migrations, please visit the following link for the detailed setups of the Azure Recovery Services Vault HERE.
Let's begin… The first step is to download and install the VMware OVF template. The VMware OVF template can be found at the Microsoft Download Center.
Next, we need to deploy the OVF template within vCenter.
Note, this template will consuming about 1.5TB of space. This is a result of Microsoft consolidating the Configuration server and Process server into one workload.
Once the template is deployed, start the appliance and let's begin registering our vCenter with ASR vault.
Note, the licence provided with OVF template is an evaluation licence valid for 180 days. You as the customer need to activate the windows with a procured licence.
Now we need to provide the server with some local administrative credentials.
Once you have given it some credentials, the server will auto login. The ASR wizard should launch on its own, if not, you can launch it manually — the icon should be on the desktop.
Once the ASR wizard starts, we will now need to complete the setup for this server following by registering the server with ASR.
Next, we need to validate the server can go over the Internet, ie. Azure and communicate as needed. If you are using a proxy, here is the time to set that up.
One thing to note, having the proxy settings configured within Internet Explorer should be removed.
Once an Internet connection has been established, we can then sign into the Azure Portal.
Now we need to sign into Azure with some credentials, ideally with a privileged/Global Administrator account.
Once you have logged into Azure successfully, you will need to reboot the server.
Once the server is back online, the next steps is to configure the Configuration server. 🙂 This step we will register this server/vCenter appliance with our Recovery Services vault. Let's begin!
The server will auto-launch the ASR wizard, if not, launch it from the desktop icon.
Now that we have established an internet connection, we can configure our Network Interface Card(s) (NICs). Note, you can add as many as NICs needed, however, this needs to be done at the vSphere level. Once the server has been configured, you cannot add and/or remove those NICs. So, make sure you have it configured exactly as you need it. In my case, we will only need one, so, we will configure the NIC here.
Next, our server will download, install and configure MySQL on the server, along with the vSphere PowerCLI tools.
Gotcha, here, the appliance did not provide the vSphere PowerCLI tools, so we had to manually download, and install it.
Once we downloaded VMware's vSphere PowerCLI toolset, we were able to continue. As mentioned, this was not provided, although it should have been. If we continued forward, the wizard would have thrown an error at the end of validation.
Next, we need to now provide the credentials and information with regards to our vCenter server(s).
Please read the prerequisites with regards to the needed permissions to allow our ASR Configuration server to communicate with the vCenter server(s).
Next we need to provide Windows and Linux based credentials to deploy install the ASR Mobility Service to all machines that will need to be replicated to Azure.
For this exercise, we are not replicating Linux machines to Azure, however if we were, similar to the Windows Mobility Service, we would need to provide some credentials that have elevated access to each of the Linux machines.
Once we have provided all the information above, we should now be able to validate some of the settings we have provided, and register our server with Azure and the Recovery Services vault. Give this a few minutes, as it took about 5 minutes to establish the communication/trust.
Once the registration of the server is complete, and the ASR appliance is officially configured with our Azure Recovery Services vault, we should now be able to see the vCenter/Configuration Server within our Azure Recovery Services vault.
We can also now click on the Process Server and get some additional information as well.
Now we are able to select the VMs we want to begin replicating to Azure and start testing failovers, either real, or simulated.
So, you deployed the OMS/Log Analytics AD (Active Directory) Assessment solution, and let it sit for a few hours, or maybe even a few days now.. Yet, the AD Assessment tile is still shows, "No Data Found"….
Well that is frustrating! Below is the series of steps I took to get this working, and ultimately what the actual solution was to get this OMS/Log Analytics solution pack working.
First things first, did the basics… Check to ensure the Microsoft Monitoring Agent is deployed, and installed correctly. Also checked to see the service was running.
The Active Directory Health Check solution requires a supported version of .NET Framework 4.5.2 or above installed on each computer that has the Microsoft Monitoring Agent (MMA) installed. The MMA agent is used by System Center 2016 – Operations Manager and Operations Manager 2012 R2, and the Log Analytics service.
The solution supports domain controllers running Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016.
A Log Analytics workspace to add the Active Directory Health Check solution from the Azure marketplace in the Azure portal. There is no further configuration required.
Okay, so I ensured .NET 4.0 was installed, fully. For safe measures, I enabled all of the .NET 4.6 sub-features, and for kicks, installed .NET 3.5 as well. Yet.. still nothing!
I decided to delete the "LastExecuted" key, and then decided to reboot the server….
After a few minutes, I went back to the OMS/Log Analytics portal, and there it is!!!!
Great! Now, if I click within the tile, I get the following AD Health Checks.
This May, MVPDays will be hosting their May installment of MVPDays Conferences. On May 23rd, I will be speaking on Azure Application Insights.
This event is free, and open for everyone and anyone that has an interest in technology, is eager to learn, and wants to meet other like minded individuals. This conference is not just for Microsoft MVP's, it is for anyone in the IT Community!
To find out more and to register for MVPDays, please visit, https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mvpdays-virtual-conference-may-23-2018-tickets-45274909473?aff=es2.
By default, every Azure virtual machine has RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), port 3389 enabled, and allows any RDP connection from any IP in the world. As great as that is, this can be a (huge) security risk. So, what if we want to change this, and limit who has RDP access to the VM? What if we want only a select range of IPs, or a specific IP to only have access to the VM(s)? For example, your branch office has a static public IP, and we only want RDP access from this IP/location. How can we achieve this?
Restricting RDP access your VMs in Azure isn't difficult, but does require some knowledge of Azure Network Security. The solution can be achieved by making use of Azure NSG's (Network Security Groups). Every VM will have an NSG when it is deployed. If you create an NSG beforehand, you can simply apply the same NSG to new VM deployments.
In the example below, we will need to create 2 NSG's.
Let's begin, if you go into the property settings of the VM, and select the Networking Settings, and select, "Add inbound port rule". Click on the wrench, to switch from Basic to Advanced.
Wait, what do all of these fields mean?
Source: The source can by any IP Address, or CIDR Range, or a default-service tag.
Source IP Address/CIDR Ranges: Any IP Address, or CIDR Range.
Azure Traffic Manager: Denotes the IP address from where the Azure Load Balancer health probes will origiante.
Source Port Ranges: You can use either a range of ports, or use a Wildcard (*) for all ranges.
Destination: The source can by any IP Address, or CIDR Range, or the Virtual Network.
Destination Port Ranges: You can use either a range of ports, or use a Wildcard (*) for all ranges.
Protocol: TCP or UDP, or Any, which includes both TCP and UDP, and ICMP.
Action: Allow, or Deny access.
Priority: A number between 100-4096. The lowest is 100, and the highest we can input is 4096. Lower the number, higher the priority.
Name: The name of the rule. Note, once created, it cannot be changed!
The Outbound Port Rules should look something like this now. Why we set Priority the way we did… Well, Rules are checked in the order of priority. Once a rule applies, no more rules are tested for matching.
Once the rules has been submitted, and accepted, and if we try to RDP into the VM we should now only be allowed from the IP Range, or IP! Success!!


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Visit us Governance News Events Staff directory The Centre for Student and Community Engagement Universities for Nottingham
Professor Paul Evans
Distinguished Lecture Series - Securing our Skies: The Science of Security X-ray Imaging
Public lectures | Seminars
What has 3D X-ray imaging research ever done for you? This lecture explores how X-ray imaging science can reveal the true nature of materials buried in 3D images.
From: Wednesday 21 November 2018, 5.30 pm
To: Wednesday 21 November 2018, 7.30 pm
Location: Lecture Theatre 2, Nottingham Trent University, City Campus, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham, NG1 4BU
Booking deadline: Tuesday 20 November 2018, 12.00 pm
Paul is Distinguished Professor of Applied Imaging Science and Head of the Imaging Science Group at NTU. He is a Chartered Engineer and has a Doctorate in 3D X-ray Imaging.
His research has pioneered technological advances into material specific, 3D X-ray imaging and its exploitation in security screening, which has substantially increased the safety of the travelling public. The high impact of Paul's work is characterised by a series of innovative solutions to hitherto intractable X-ray imaging problems, usually in the domain of luggage screening for explosives and contraband detection. He invented and led work in the early 2000s, funded by the UK Home Office and the US Government, for the development of a new compact and cost effective form of 3D X-ray imaging. His work on multi-beam scanners became a de facto standard for the Advanced Technology class of security X-ray scanner, with an installed global base of around 4,300 machines.
Paul was awarded the highly prestigious Institute of Physics (IOP) Dennis Gabor Medal and Prize for the Industrial Application of Physics in 2017, which places him amongst a list of world-renowned inventors, scientists and engineers. He was also the winner of the Times Higher Education (THE) prize for Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology in 2016. The impact of his research group spearheaded The Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education, entitled 'Safety and Security of Citizens', awarded to NTU in 2015 for world class research.
He was personally invited to serve as a Member of a National Panel of Experts: Government Office for Science by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA).
Paul is currently the Principal Investigator of a $5m research contract to NTU to develop a radical new type of X-ray scanner that can identify materials from their molecular fingerprint in 3D scans. He is the founding Director of HALO X-ray Technologies Ltd created to commercialise this technology.
Distinguished Lecture Series - Professor Paul Evans
Discounted city centre parking is available at Q-Park Talbot Street:
Q Park Talbot Street
Stanley Place
NG1 5GG
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Royals In Nappies: A Family Album : The Two-Way The photographers are already camping out ahead of the expected birth this month of Britain's third in line to the throne. As we wait for that highly anticipated first photo, here's a look back at a few other babies who made a royal entrance.
The photographers are already setting up ahead of the expected birth this month of the little prince or princess who will be Britain's third in line to the throne.
The child of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, will bump down Prince Harry in the line of succession. And if the baby is a girl, any younger brothers won't be allowed to cut ahead of her in line, thanks to some new rules.
To get the first shot of the wee royal leaving St. Mary's Hospital in London, news photographers have staked out territory across the street, marking their spots with colored tape and positioning their stepladders, Time reports.
As we wait for that highly anticipated photo, we thought we'd take a look back at a few other babies who made a royal entrance.
Little Princess Elizabeth takes a ride on the grounds of Windsor Castle in 1927 with her cousin, Gerald Lascelles.
"At the time she stood third in line of succession to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, The Duke of York. But it was not expected that her father would become King, or that she would become Queen."
If you've seen The King's Speech, you know the rest of the story: Edward VIII abdicated and Elizabeth's dad, George VI (you may know him as Colin Firth), took over.
"Despite the distance of the child from the throne, the newspapers took a keen interest in the birth. ... Such, indeed, was the excitement that a crowd swiftly gathered in Bruton Street in the hope of seeing the Princess, to greet the messenger boys who arrived with telegrams and presents, and to cheer [her mother's] royal callers."
Prince Charles at 8 months old with his parents, Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, on July 18, 1949, in Ascot, England.
The christening also provided the first photo of the new Royal Highness. "Hardened press photographers pronounced the Prince a model baby — healthy, blue-eyed, wispy-haired and well-behaved," according to the Times account.
Britain's Prince William, the 6-month-old son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, sits on his mother's knee at Kensington Palace in London on Dec. 22, 1982.
In 1982, William was born in the same hospital where his wife, Catherine, is expected to give birth — St. Mary's in Paddington. USA Today reports that "he was the first heir apparent and future monarch to be born in a hospital."
"Outside the hospital crowds had gathered to wait for news of the birth, with some saying they would wait through the night if necessary. Flowers arrived all day long and were taken into the hospital. Thousands also gathered outside Buckingham Palace, where the birth was formally announced."
Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, with their new baby son, Harry, on Sept. 16, 1984.
"Outside St. Mary's Hospital ... more than 300 reporters, TV technicians and curious onlookers milled anxiously behind a double row of police barricades and dozens of photographers and TV cameramen perched atop ladders nearby. ... A TV crewman, hooked up to his home office through head-phones, broke the news to the mob outside St. Mary's. 'It's a boy!' he shouted. The crowd exploded in cheers. At that a rubbernecking motorist in front of the hospital drove into the side of an ambulance."
Given the photographers now converging on London, it seems safe to say Harry's new niece or nephew — possibly "the world's most famous baby" — will cause a scene, as well.


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Q: Where I can store user data to keep these after an app version update? I would like to store the user data in a directory that is not clear after a version update of the app.

A: Updating to latest version does not affect your data in shared preference. you can save frequently used user data in shared preference.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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YouTube should be controlled by a regulator to stop children being objectified by paedophiles, the NSPCC has said after reports of predatory behaviour on the website.
The children's charity say the Government needs to step in after YouTube's failings came to light earlier this week.
The social media outlet saw several global brands pull adverts from it on the eve of Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year, after they found they were appearing alongside videos exploited by paedophiles.
According to investigations by BBC News and The Times, there are estimated to be tens of thousands of predatory accounts leaving indecent comments on videos of children. Some videos are posted by paedophiles and many are innocently posted by youngsters.
Some of the comments are said to be sexually explicit, while others reportedly encourage children posting the videos to perform sexual acts.
YouTube has pledged to begin taking an "even more aggressive stance" against the predatory behaviour from paedophiles reportedly evading protection mechanisms.
But the NSPCC say this is not enough.
Andy Burrows, associate head of child safety online at NSPCC, said: "Reports that YouTube is failing to act on child protection issues are extremely disappointing and demonstrate exactly why we need Government to step in.
"Social media sites cannot be allowed to mark their own homework.
"Leaving social networks to do whatever they want when it comes to child protection means young people are put at risk.
"We need a set of rules enshrined in law to make social networks design protections into their sites, and we need an independent regulator to enforce those rules.
"That also means fining social networks when they fail to protect children.
Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner, said the findings were "very worrying", while the National Crime Agency said it was "vital" online platforms have robust protection mechanisms in place when they are used by children.
The BBC and The Times spoke to people from the site's "trusted flagger" scheme, who report inappropriate content or behaviour by users to YouTube employees.
Some of the volunteer moderators told the BBC there could be "between 50,000 to 100,000 active predatory accounts still on the platform", while another told The Times there are "at least 50,000 active predators" on the site.
As well as trusted flaggers, YouTube also uses algorithms to identify inappropriate sexual or predatory comments.
However, the system is said to be failing to tackle the problem and paedophiles are continuing to comment on videos of children.
According to The Times, adverts for several major international brands, including a global sportswear brand and food and drink giants, appear alongside the videos, raising concerns that they could be indirectly funding child abuse.
YouTube said it had noticed a growing trend around content "that attempts to pass as family-friendly, but is clearly not" in recent months and announced new ways it was "toughening our approach".
Johanna Wright, vice president of product management at YouTube, said in a blog post: "We have historically used a combination of automated systems and human flagging and review to remove inappropriate sexual or predatory comments on videos featuring minors.
"Comments of this nature are abhorrent and we work...to report illegal behaviour to law enforcement. Starting this week we will begin taking an even more aggressive stance by turning off all comments on videos of minors where we see these types of comments."
Ms Longfield told the BBC: "This is a global platform and so the company need to ensure they have a global response. There needs to be a company-wide response that absolutely puts children protection as a number one priority, and has the people and mechanisms in place to ensure that no child has been put in an unsafe position while they use the platform."
The National Crime Agency told the BBC: "It is vital that online platforms used by children and young people have in place robust mechanisms and processes to prevent, identify and report sexual exploitation and abuse."
Moved by what you've read? Please help Childline be there for every young person who desperately needs support. Donate £4 by texting 'NSPCC 4' to 60155 or visiting www.nspcc.org.uk/cambridge.


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Government , Legal
ON Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Ethics Act case against minerals council
Date: Aug. 4, 2016
The Osage Nation Supreme Court heard oral arguments from attorneys representing the five Osage Minerals Council members and the Osage Nation on June 7 in Pawhuska.
The Osage Nation brought suit against five members of the Osage Minerals Council for failing to turn in signed affidavits of gifts received in 2015. The Osage Nation's Ethics Act requires elected officials to turn in the affidavits.
Council members Cynthia Boone, Chairman Everett Waller, Kathryn Red Corn, Joseph Cheshewalla and Stephanie Erwin refused to turn in the affidavits and were found guilty of violating the Ethics Act by the ON Trial Court on July 30, 2015. Their attorney, David McCullough of Norman-based Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson, L.L.P., appealed to the Supreme Court seeking a declaratory judgement on Aug. 19, 2015.
McCullough said the case should have been dismissed by the Trial Court. He said the ethics act does not apply to the minerals council because they are not a governing body as defined by the ethics act. He said the ethics act violates the 1906 Osage Allotment Act and when the ethics act is asserted against the minerals council it also violates the Osage Constitution.
He said Article 15 of the Constitution, that sets up the minerals council as an independent agency within the Osage Nation, does not say the council has to adhere to the Nation's laws. He said the OMC members are elected by Osage shareholders and not tribal members like the Congress or Chiefs, so they are not "elected officials" as defined in the ethics act.
"I don't read that [Article 15 in the Constitution] as saying that the Congress has the ability to enact laws to enforce against the council," he said.
He spoke about the referendum vote that enacted the Constitution in 2006 and what the founders of the Constitution intended when referring to the minerals council.
Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Lohah Homer asked him questions about the roles of governmental bodies, their functions and if the minerals council performed those. McCullough and Homer went back and forth on the meanings of independent agency and the wording in the Constitution and ethics act.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Meredith Drent said she felt they were arguing semantics, definitions and commas.
"So this argument about the Osage Minerals Council and how it came to be in the Constitution, I'm not interested in hearing that. What I am interested in hearing is this position that somehow the minerals council is outside the scope of what Congress was intending to do with the Ethics Code," Drent said. "And I'm also not hearing ... references to Article 10, the Code of Ethics, within the Constitution itself."
McCullough said, "I believe I have answered in that the minerals council within the Constitution, within Article 15, is recognized as an independent agency and I believe the Constitution says its independent and outside the laws of the Congress."
Drent said the minerals council was not outside the Constitution. She said Article 10, Code of Ethics, talks about elected or appointed tribal officials of the Nation. She said she was interested in specific language he could point to in the 1906 Act and its 27 amendments that specifically says the minerals council does not have to adhere to the Osage Nation or its Constitution.
"We have consistently been subject to individuals who did not take the interests of our shareholders seriously, to ignore that fact would be to ignore our history, it is well documented," Drent said. "People who thought it was better to be wined and dined by [oil] producers than to get the maximum benefit of our mineral estate. So if your answers have anything to do with, 'well, they can just govern themselves,' that is not good enough."
McCullough said he agreed the Constitution was set up to protect the mineral estate and shareholders, but regardless of history, the shareholders are afraid the non-shareholders will take their trust shares, or headrights, away. "The issue before the court, does the Congress have the ability to insert laws that affect the minerals council?"
Representing the Osage Nation was Assistant Attorney General Jeff Jones.
"I think the crux of the matter is defining independent agency. The Osage Minerals Council is recognized by the Osage Nation government as an independent agency, that's the two words I've been struggling with ever since I've been here. Following that is 'within the Osage Nation.' So whatever it is, it's still within the Osage Nation," Jones said. "Which tells me it has to follow Osage Nation law, and that law is passed by Congress."
He said he wasn't saying the Congress was over the minerals council but that's where it starts because they are responsible for all laws governing natural resources according to the Constitution.
"I believe the appellant would have you believe it's the old tribal council, but it's not," he said. He said he doesn't believe that making the minerals council follow the ethics law is diminishing the council or the minerals estate in any way.
Homer asked if a member from the minerals council were to be removed by the Congress, would it affect the property value of the interest the shareholders receive? Jones said no. She asked if the council members had to swear an oath to uphold the Constitution? He said yes.
Jones said by applying the ethics code to the minerals council the Congress was doing its Constitutional duty in protecting the minerals council, because it protects against corruption and ensures OMC officials are held accountable to their shareholders.
Supreme Court Justice Drew Pierce asked, "How could the Nation carry out its duties without imposing some ethical requirements on members of the minerals council?"
Drent said, "Independent does not mean ungoverned."
McCullough maintained the referendum vote in 2006 was not meant to put the minerals council under the Nation's laws.
Homer interjected.
"I was listening and beginning to have a reaction to your use of pronouns. 'Ours,' 'Theirs.' The purpose of the [2004] Reaffirmation Act, the intention was to unite the Osage Nation and your argument that somehow the minerals council has some other kind of untouchable status because it is the minerals council, is not consistent with the ideal of unifying the Osage government into a single functioning government," Homer said.
She said in the early 1990s when the Osages tried to establish a Constitutional government and the Osage National Council was formed, the division between the minerals council and the governing body split the Nation apart. The National Council was abolished and the government went back to the Osage Tribal Council. She said it took more than a decade for the tribe to come back together again and form the Osage Nation.
"I have a hard time with the idea that the minerals council is in Never Never Land. Because the whole point of the Osage government was to have a system where all parts hold each other together and we're unified in upholding our government, upholding our culture … all of those kinds of things. And when you set up a system where you accept an argument that this entity is so far outside of the Osage Nation that the Osage Nation cannot even impose the most basic ethical constraints," she said. "I really have a hard time with this idea that the potential for an Osage Nation entity to go rogue, for people to take bribes and what have you, and engage in other corruptions that there would be nothing the Osage Nation could do about it."
Check back with the Osage News when the Supreme Court makes its ruling. A recording of the oral arguments can be found on the Nation's website at: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/judicial-branch/supreme-court


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text:
Profile in Courage: Winston Churchill
Anyone who knows me knows I have a deep admiration of Winston Churchill.
Not for the obvious reason that he led Britain against Germany in the darkest times of World War II (though that is definitely admirable).
Rather, it's because I feel a lot of affinity for the man. He battled moods that would cripple lesser people (he referred to it as his "black dog"). Indeed, prior to returning to lead Britain in World War II, he'd spent a decade in what he would call "the wilderness": rejected and on outs because no one wanted to hear the unpleasant, inconvenient truths he was speaking. This was a time of great depression and difficulty for him.
He also was a gifted writer and speaker. Indeed, he won the Nobel Prize for literature for his history of World War II, which he wrote after once again being unceremoniously dumped out of office by the very people whom he saved.
Churchill understood the need to struggle and fight and never give up. As a master of the turn of phrase, he described the sort of daily struggle I sometimes feel very eloquently. "When you're in Hell," he said, "you might as well keep moving". He also would describe the importance of forward motion in hard times with the phrase "KBO" for "Keep Buggering On". Again, meaning that you keep moving forward.
When I was in graduate school, I had a classmate who was older than me and British. He talked about a conversation he has with his mother who had been in Britain during the war. He asked her about the speeches from Churchill on the radio, asking if they were as inspiring then as they are now. No, she said, they weren't inspiring: they scared the hell out of her. Because they didn't know how it was going to end, unlike us.
That is a telling thing: it underscores the strength and courage he had: to look into the abyss where there is rightly no hope and to continue onward. I myself believe that ultimately that strength was honed first and foremost in the crucible of himself and his struggles with mood.
My wife got me a bust of Churchill many years ago. Actually had it shipped from Britain. It sits on my desk. It's the only statue I have. And it's a reminder to me that strength and courage come from not giving up, from geting up every day and battling onward. And it reminds me that writers can be warriors too. Indeed, some of the best writers are warriors of a kind.
In writing this, I happend on a lovely homage to Churchill as a role model for leadership and life courage. It's a nice article but most of all, it's about the importance of having the courage to look square on at the scary things and not flinch, but instead to move forward. Much like I wrote before, the importance of moving towards your fears.
In closing, it seems most appropriate to let the man speak for himself. This is the famous "We shall fight on the beaches" speech.
But before you listen, try to put yourself in the place of my classmate's mother. Pretend that you hear this not knowing how this will all end. Understand that this speech was to tell the people of Britain of the disaster of Dunkirk and the ejection of all British forces from the European continent. Realize that the next step everyone thought was coming was the German invasion of Britain. And so, when he says"we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills" you hear the real possibility that within six months time, you and your loved ones will be seeing German soldiers marching through London, York, Manchester. And there will be fighting and blood and death in those streets. And all you know and hold dear may be at risk of loss and death.
Paint that picture and then listen. And see if it doesn't scare the hell out of you. And see too if you can better appreciate what what strength it took to look at that, speak truth to it, and yet end on a note of hope and defiance by saying "we shall never surrender".
This entry was posted in Essays, Personal Reflections and tagged Courage, Death, Life, Winston Churchill on August 25, 2012 by Christopher Budd.
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People vs. Adtech
You are currently browsing articles tagged Dan Gillmor.
Geology vs. Weather
August 13, 2009 in Art, Blogging, Geology, Ideas, Journalism, Life, Live Web, News, radio | 13 comments
I love this:
… and I hope the good (or evil, depending on your perspective) folks at Despair.com don't mind my promoting their best t-shirt yet. (If it helps, I just ordered one.)
You'll notice that blogging isn't in the diagram (though Despair does feature it in four other purchasable forms). I bring that up because I think there is a difference between the social media in the Venn diagram and blogging, and that difference is akin to that between weather and geology. The former have an evanescent quality. I'm still haunted by hearing that users get a maximum number Twitter postings (tweets) before the old ones scroll off. If true, it means Twitter is a whiteboard, made to be erased after awhile. The fact that few know what the deal is, exactly, also makes my point. Not many people expect anybody, including themselves, to revisit old tweets. The four names in the diagram above are also private corporate walled gardens. Blogging itself is not. True, you can blog in a corporate walled garden, but blogging is an independent category. You can move your blog from one platform to another, archives intact. Not easy, but it can be done. More importantly, your blog is yours. That's why I dig Dave's Scoble, your blog still loves you post. And why in the comments I said,
FriendFeeds and Facebooks and Microsofts will come and and go. They can be bought and sold, because they're not human. Robert is human. Companies can't be charming and lovable. They can, sometimes, for awhile. Ben & Jerrys did. Zappos did. But they got sold. You know, like slaves.
The only publication on Earth that's all Robert's is his blog. That's where his soul is, because he can't sell it.
It was while pondering the difference between social media and blogging that I posted this tweet today:
Thanks, @dnm54 But I still feel like my posts lately have the impact of snow on water. Too wordy? Not tweety enough? Not sure.
That got some reassuring responses, several playing with the snow-and-water metaphor. That's one I've used often ever since first hearing "Big Ted", by the Incredble String Band (from their Changing Horses album), played by the great Larry Josephson on his morning show on WBAI, back in the earliest 70s. "Big Ted" was a dead horse, about which the band sang, "He's gone like snow on the water. Good bye-eeee."
For a long time I harbored a fantasy about writing a history of radio, titled "Snow on the Water," because that was its self-erasing quality. It was like unrecorded conversation that way. You get meaning from it, but you don't remember everything verbatim, for such is the nature of short-term memory. Eight seconds later you might remember what somebody said, but not exactly. Tomorrow you might remember nothing more than having talked to the person.
Now I'm thinking "snow on the water" applies to social media as well. They're conversational in the literal sense. They're weather within which tweets fly and fall like flakes, and disappear into the collective unconscious.
On the other hand, blogging is geology. A blog's posts may be current and timely, and constitute one person's contribution to conversation around a subject or two, but each post is built to last. It has a "permalink". Over time posts accumulate like soil deposits. You can dig down through layers of time and find them. What do tweets have? Temp-o-links?
From the beginning I've thought of blogging as journalism in the literal sense: Blogs are journals. Yet much of traditional journalism seems to have, on the whole, not much respect for its archives on the Web. Editorial "content" scrolls behind paywalls, doesn't keep durable URLs, or disappears completely.
Which brings me to this comment by Tom Matrullo, left under this post about advertising. It's way too deep to leave buried there:
There is no question that advertising requires us to be in the here and now, and not in the there and then, because it seeks to influence our desires and actions. Active repression of time, history, the past is basic to most commerce and commercial speech.
But I'd go further, because this is a large and important topic. Broadcast itself as a medium tends to put the past at a distance, even when it is about the past, because it makes it into spectacle. Something we watch from our NOW, the big now of advertising and current media.
And yet further: no media are more dis-attuned to the past than news media. It is all about the next story. That one last week that was entirely wrong? Ancient history. To be current, in news-speak, is to develop a sort of targeted Alzheimer's in a certain direction.
Maybe this is one reason why the news media — on the whole, seems to me — have embraced social media of the temporary sort while continuing to put down blogging. Yes, they'll set up blogs for their writers, but there's often a second-class quality to those blogs, and the blogs willl get erased after the writer leaves — or even while the writer is still there. Dan Gillmor's blog at the San Jose Mercury-News disappeared a number of times. Now it's gone permanently. Dan's columns are there, if you're willing to pay $2.95 apiece for them.
It still blows my mind that, on the Web, newspapers give away the news but charge for the olds. Why not charge for the news and give away the olds? That would be in alignment with what they do with the physical paper. People will pay a buck for today's paper, and nothing for one three days old. In the physical world, old papers are for wrapping fish and house-breaking puppies. If papers gave every old story a true permalink, search engines would find them, could sell advertising on them, and progressively elevate the whole paper's authority.
I think they don't do it for two reasons. One is that they've always charged for access to "the morgue." Another is that embalming old papers has always been expensive. For many decades they bound them up like books for storage in libraries. I still have three of these, each for a whole week of New York Times papers from the '50s and '60s. The library at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill sent them out for recycling in 1975. The whole huge pile was rescued by buddies of mine who ran the recycling operation. The newspaper and the library at the time were modernizing by putting everything on microfilm. At the "Will Newspapers Survive" forum at MIT a couple years ago, I asked the panel (which included Dan Gillmor) about why papers charge for the olds and give away the news. Ellen Foley of the Wisconsin State Joural replied,
Speaking for the nation's regional papers, one of our biggest problems is that today's issues are all on microfilm tomorrow, not online. It would cost more than a million dollars to digitize our archives. It's hard for me to make this argument to our publisher, who is trying to make money and make ends meet.
It's not in the transcript, but I recall her adding something about how storing archives on disk drives was also expensive. That didn't sit well with the audience, which knew better.
Anyway, my point is that, on the whole news organizations don't care much about the past. They care about the present. I think social media tend to do the same thing. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. Nor am I trying to elevate blogging into the Pulitzer sphere. (But hey, why not?) I'm just trying to get my head around What's Going On.
Here's my thinking for now. What I write on blogs isn't just for the short term. I also have the long term in mind. I'm making geology, not weather. Both have their places. The more durable stuff goes here.
[Later…] Joe Andrieu has a thoughtful response.
Tags: advertising, Alzheimer's, Blogging, Dan Gillmor, Ellen Foley, Geology, Improprieties, Larry Josephson, radio, Tom Matrullo, WBAI, weather, Wisconsin State Journal
#Cluetrain @10
June 5, 2009 in Berkman, Events, Fun, Future, Ideas, Past | 19 comments
Ten years ago The Cluetrain Manifesto was a website that had been up for a couple of months — long enough to create a stir and get its four authors a book deal. By early June we had begun work on the book, which would wrap in August and come out in January. So at the moment we're past the website's anniversary and shy of the book's.
That's close enough for 10th Anniversary Edition of The Cluetrain Manifesto, which will hit the streets this month. The new book, which arrived at my house yesterday, is the same as the original (we didn't change a word). but with the addition of a new introduction by David Weinberger, four new chapters by each of the four authors (Chris Locke and Rick Levine, in addition to Dr. Weinberger and myself), and one each by Dan Gillmor, Jake McKee and JP Rangaswami.
A lot has happened in the last decade. A lot hasn't happened too. To reflect on both, the Berkman Center will host a conversation called Cluetrain at 10: So How's Utopia Working Out for Ya? at Harvard Law School.
David Weinberger and I will be joined by Jonathan Zittrain, a Harvard Law professor and author of The Future of the Internet — and How to Stop It. "JZ" was a student at HLS when he co-founded the Berkman Center eleven years ago. David and I are both fellows at the center as well. The three of us will talk for a bit and then the rest of it will be open to the floor, both in the room and out on the IRC (and other backchannels), since the conversation will be webcast as well. It starts at 6:00 pm East Coast time.
Meet/meat space is the Austin East Classroom of Austin Hall at Harvard Law School. It's free and open to everybody. Since it's a classroom and expected to fill up, an RSVP is requested. To do that, go here.
Tags: "David Weinberger", "Doc Searls", "Jonathan Zittrain", Berkman, Berkman Center, Chris Locke, Christopher Locke, Cluetrain, Dan Gillmor, harvard, Harvard Law School, HLS, Jake McKee, JP Rangaswami, jz, Rick Levine, The Cluetrain Manifesto


EcoSmart's tankless water heaters come highly recommended not only because of its affordability but largely for its performance which is backed with sophisticated technology. And the EcoSmart 11 kW Tankless Water Heater reflects that. While it is used for light loads, you may take a shower and use the dish washer at the same time without any problems.
This 11 kW tankless, which belongs to the ECO series, is best suited for climates with at least 67oF incoming water temperature. It can heat up to 2 gallons per minute (GPM), or one 1.5 GPM flow shower head and a kitchen sink.
Temperature adjustment is easy because the digital dial allows you to change the temperature by 1o increments. There's also a remote control that's sold separately if you wish for additional convenience. This unit can be used in colder climates as point-of-use heaters.
Similar to other models in the series, this unit requires power: 60 amps from a double pole circuit breaker and #6 gauge copper wires. Check your existing electrical circuits for fit; otherwise, you will need to modify your current set up.
The unit is smaller than an Xbox; thus, it can fit in your closet space and even leave you more space for your other stuff. While it may be a bit pricier than its counterparts, it is still affordable at under $220.
Just like other ECO models, it is 99.8% energy efficient, which means you save 60% in water heating costs. In dollar terms, you can save on your electricity bills by as much as $70 per month.
Because of the self-modulating technology which is proprietary to EcoSmart, you get consistent water temperature. This technology allows the unit to adjust automatically to the output temperature without using excessive energy.
This compact water heater has replaced larger capacity units and still meets the needs of the owners. Be sure to check your requirement in terms of gallons-per-minute to ensure that you are using the right model.
Who wouldn't be pleased with the lifetime warranty? But you will need a licensed electrician and plumber to certify it; otherwise, the warranty will not be valid.
The following aren't really "not so good", but it bears reporting because owners have noticed them.
One customer cited that the unit is not powerful enough for point-of-use. It may be that the owner didn't consider his water demand requirements; hence, this particular comment. Before purchasing, check whether this particular model is the best fit for your needs. You can contact EcoSmart's customer service and they will be happy to guide you.
The unit is designed for use with separate lines for hot and cold water. If you only have one line for both, you will need a restrictor to restrict incoming cold water to get hot water. One owner did this via the piping. It was also recommended that a restrictor for a shower head be used if there's a similar issue. After this modification, the unit will perform as expected.
We highly recommend the EcoSmart 11 kW Tankless Water Heater. It is a good investment and you will see that the savings more than make up for the price you initially spent on purchasing the unit. Also, EcoSmart has the best customer service who'd patiently find solutions should issues arise.


Gold softened overnight in a range of $1220.90 -$1225.65, fading the direction of the US dollar.
The yellow metal ticked up to its high of $1225.65 during early Asian time as the DX edged to its low of 96.73.
Later during European hours, however, gold slid to its low of $1220.90 - finding support ahead of $1218-21 (6 bottoms, 11/19, 11/20, 11/21, 11/23, 11/25, and 11/29 lows).
Gold was pressured as the dollar turned higher (DX to 97.02) - boosted by weakness in sterling ($1.2809 - $1.2746, ongoing Brexit concerns) and the euro ($1.14 - $1.1357, miss in German Retail Sales, Euro CPI).
Global equities were mixed with the NIKKEI up 0.4%, the SCI was +0.8% (despite misses on China's PMIs), European shares were off from 0.4% to 0.7%, and S&P futures were off 0.5%. A pullback in oil (WTI from $51.40 - $50.33) weighed on stocks.
Some dovish comments from the Fed's Kashkari (Fed should pause on rate hikes, rates close to neutral, hiking rates too forcefully could risk recession) and Williams (risk of inflation persistently too low, neutral rate of interest not far from current levels) along with upbeat comments from US Trade Rep Lighthizer (would be surprised if Trump-Xi meeting wasn't a success) helped boost S&P futures (2740), and took the US 10-year bond yield down to 3.011%.
The DX, however failed to decline and rose to 97.10 as further weakness in sterling ($1.2734, growing uncertainty about Brexit amid fierce opposition in Parliament) and the euro ($1.1333) kept it firm. Gold – after rebounding to $1223 – slid to $1220.
After opening weaker, US stocks rallied into positive territory by mid-morning (S&P +9 to 2747), aided by a much stronger than expected reading on the Chicago PMI (66.4 vs. exp. 58.5).
The 10-year yield rebounded to 3.021%, and the DX rose further to 97.25. Gold broke support at $1218-21 and fell to $1216.50. However, as we have seen on numerous occasions, bargain hunting buying quickly emerged to lift gold back to $1222.75.
US equities climbed higher into the afternoon (S&P +14 to 2752), with gains in the Utilities, Industrials, Health Care and Real Estate sectors leading the advance. Stocks were lifted by upbeat comments from a Chinese official that "consensus is steadily increasing" in the US-China trade talks. The 10-year yield retreated to 3.011%, but the dollar - which had been supported for months from trade tensions – failed to decline. The DX rose to 97.31, as sterling remained weak and the euro dipped lower ($1.1305). Gold declined in response and slid back to $1220.
Later in the afternoon, US stocks went out stronger (S&P ends +22 to 2760), but the 10-year yield ticked to 3.006%. The DX pulled back to 97.18 – but remained fairly firm given the market expectations for some type of truce in the US/China trade dispute. Gold edged up to $1222 and was $1222 bid at 4PM with a loss of $2.
Open interest was again off significantly – 27.9k contracts – showing a net of short covering from yesterday's gain, along with a fair number of closeouts of both longs and shorts instead of rolling positions into February.
Volume was lower with 307k contracts trading. The CFTC's Commitment of Traders Report as of 11/27 showed the large funds slashing 8.7k contracts of longs and trimming 1.7k contracts of shorts to reduce their net long position to 2k contracts.
This was done largely during gold's pullback from $1330 on 11/21 to $1212 on 11/27. While the funds position remains net long, it is still historically and comparatively extremely low.
This sets up the gold market very well to move sharply higher as the short side of gold is still a very crowded trade.
With many longs still on the sidelines and a massive gross short position still remaining (155k contracts), gold just needs a significant spark to unleash a torrent of buying from shorts covering and sidelined long-side players returning.
Bulls were disappointed that despite a market expectation for at least a "truce" between US-China on trade (no increase in tariffs, agree to talk) that lifted equities, the DX rallied significantly (holding trade tension premium) and kept gold from testing resistance between $1226-30.
Nonetheless, bulls are encouraged that gold is back again on the verge of challenging this key resistance level. Bulls remain steadfast in their thinking that gold bottomed at $1160 on 8/16 after a $35 2-day capitulation.
They still have an uptrend in place from that level, and will look to continue to add to long positions on weakness, or on some expected ensuing upside momentum. They maintain the market has been and remains extremely oversold - having dropped $205 (15.0%) since the 4/11 $1365 high, and $149 (11.4%) since the $1309 high on 6/14.
Bulls strongly believe that the dollar's recent climb from its 9/21 93.81 low to the 97.70 high two weeks back (+4.15% to fresh 17-month high) is badly overextended, and expect a correction to drive a significant short covering rally in gold.
Bulls are looking for a spark that will aid in taking out $1226-30, which they feel should ignite further buying to challenge $1235-38 (6 tops –10/29, 11/1, 11/2, 11/5, 11/6, and 11/7 highs), and then $1245-46 (double top – 7/16 and 7/17 highs).
In addition, bulls maintain that today's Commitment of Traders Report still shows the funds with a massive gross short position (155k contracts). They feel the that the short side of gold is still a very crowded trade, and that the gold market is still set up in a highly favorable position to move up from potential heavy short covering (as we saw today) and sidelined longs returning to the market.
Bears were relieved that the DX held well – and actually advanced significantly - given the upbeat comments and market expectations on the US and China at least reaching a "truce".
Bears remain comfortable scale-up selling into strength, feeling moves toward overhead resistance at $1226-30 and $1235-38 will continue to provide a good entry point for short positions.
Bears point to the lack of follow-through gold has presented on recent rallies: yesterday's failure to take out $1228-30, the failure to breach$1235-38 (6 tops –10/29, 11/1, 11/2, 11/5, 11/6, and 11/7 highs) during the first week of Nov, the failure to take out $1244 on 10/26 (would have tripped down trendline from 4/23 $1336 high), and that the fairly heavy amount of short covering seen thus far from the prior few week's COT reports has failed to lead to a breach of at least $1250 - as signs of a tired market – and expect a significant pullback to unfold.
Many bears are firm in their conviction that fuel from dollar strength, higher interest rates (though that argument is losing steam with 10-year hovering just over 3% and recent Fed speak decidedly more dovish) and a rebound in equities (as we saw continue today) will provide downside pressure on gold, and see prices north of $1200 offering a great opportunity to get short(er).
This is witnessed by today's COT Report that a shows massive gross short position (155k contracts) still remains. Bears will look for a breach of initial support at $1211 (100-day moving average, double bottom) and then expect a challenge of $1206 – the up trendline from 8/16 $1160 low, followed by a test of $1200.
All markets will continue to focus on geopolitical events (especially Brexit developments), developments with the Trump Administration (especially on US-China trade, potential legal issues), oil prices, and will turn to reports Monday on China's Caixin PMI, Eurozone PMI, US Markit PMI, ISM Manufacturing, and comments from the BOE's Haldane and the Fed's Kaplan for near-term direction.
$1211-12 – double bottom (11/27 and 11/28 lows).


text:
Q: loading images from plist I am loading the images from a server like this...
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Now i want to load the images from plist file instead of url. Can anyone plz tell me how to do it... Plz help...

A: Property List can manage NSData and UIImage can be create from NSData:
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But I din't think it is the best way to do this. You can save image file and reference the file in plist.