James Harris Gallery is pleased to present a group exhibition of painting and sculpture titled Give Me Head. The show includes the work of Efrain Almeida, Sarah Awad, Tanya Batura, Travis Collinson, Evan Holloway, Shimon Minamikawa, Mark Mumford, Anders Oinonen, Marjorie Schwarz, Akio Takamori, and Jason Teraoka. Using the "face" as the focal point, the show is an attempt to describe the unique, specific and conscious approach of each artist as they explore this most basic aspect of what make us human. Using the physical information provided, the objects themselves address the questions of identity, style, composition, gesture and nuance. These works not only tell us much about the subject matter but also more about the acts of their production and each artists' way of thinking and seeing—the artist's "face" that they show to us.
Efrain Almeida is a sculptor using wood as well as bronze to create realistic sculptures that reference sexuality, religion, nature, humanity and personal identity on an intimate scale. He also uses the medium of watercolor to create works in conversation with his sculptural pieces. Almeida references his own history and memory of his home country of Brazil as well as the art historical canon. Almeida works on a small scale drawing the artist in and creating an intimate relationship between the viewer, the artwork, and the exhibition space. Almeida has had five solo exhibitions at James Harris Gallery, the latest show being "Trance" in 2017.
Almeida was born in the state of Ceará, in 1964. Currently, he lives and works in Rio de Janeiro. His most noteworthy exhibitions have included Marcas – a retrospective show concerning his work held in 2007 at Estaçăo Pinacoteca, in Săo Paulo – and his participation in the 2010 Bienal de Săo Paulo. His work figures in various public and private collections in Brazil and abroad, including those of the Museum of Modern Art, New York (USA), Museu de Arte Moderna de Săo Paulo, Săo Paulo (Brazil), Centro Galego de Arte Contemporânea, Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and Toyota Municipal Museum of Art (Japan).
8" x 13" x 12"


Hotel Termas Marinas el Palasiet is the place to unwind after a hard day's work in Benicassim. This spa and swimming pool is in the center of Benicassim. This spa is the perfect place to unwind after a hard day's work. Why not pamper yourself? Please read the practical information to help plan your stay in Benicassim. If you intend relaxing at Hotel Termas Marinas el Palasiet, then discover our selection of hotels all within easy access of this wonderful spa. Watch the videos, read the reviews and book your room at a great price.


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Home Business How plummeting prices are spurring reform in oil producing countries
How plummeting prices are spurring reform in oil producing countries
Nafis Alam, University of Nottingham
It has been a turbulent year for oil. Prices were strong in summer 2014, before plummeting in the second half of that year. After a modest stabilisation in early 2015, they dropped even further and are now more than two thirds lower than in summer 2014 – as the graph below shows. It's bad news for oil producers but is forcing some, at least, to reform their economies as a result.
Russia is losing an estimated US$2 billion in revenues for every dollar fall in the oil price. Its economy is heavily dependent on energy revenues, which account for 50% of its federal budget revenues. Even a dramatic interest rate hike to 17% has not helped the steep devaluation of the ruble, the stock-market drop or the amount of money leaving the country.
The situation is even worse for the world's largest exporter of oil, Saudi Arabia, which is expected to end the year with a deficit of $150 billion – about 20% of its GDP and the largest in its history. It has already started cutting project budgets and military acquisitions as a result. It is even introducing VAT for the first time.
The severity of falling oil prices on Saudi Arabia's economy can also be seen in its decision to open its stock market to foreigners in June 2015. It has also relaxed rules to allow qualified investors direct access to stocks to reduce the economy's dependence on crude.
In Venezuela, the economy was already in a shambles when oil was at $120 a barrel. And in Malaysia the government is realigning its budget by removing gasoline and diesel subsidies. Similar steps were taken by governments across the world to remove oil subsidies – Indonesia abandoned a four-decade-old policy of subsidising gasoline while India also stopped subsidising diesel and raised fuel taxes.
Of course, falling oil prices are not bad for all. They increase households' scope for consumption and at the same time decrease companies' production and transportation costs, which normally leads to higher profits and increased investments. Rapidly developing economies such as China and India, which are net importers of oil, are experiencing the most obvious immediate benefits. They are able to use savings on oil imports to reduce their trade deficit, improve government budgets, reduce inflation and redistribute money to infrastructure projects.
Out of pocket: drivers in India will no longer benefit from government diesel subsidies.
Steve/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND
This is not the end of the rout. OPEC's commitment to glutting the market, along with the prospect of US and Iranian supplies joining it, has sparked predictions that prices could drop to $20 a barrel. OPEC recently raised its production ceiling to 31.5m from 30m barrels a day. Iran, meanwhile, is gearing up to pump an extra 500,000 barrels per day onto the market as soon as sanctions are eased, which could be within months. And the US Congress has just lifted the country's 40-year export ban.
Nations that are dependent on oil revenues will therefore require immediate economic and financial reforms in 2016 to balance their budgets. One method being adopted by many Islamic states is the issuing of sharia law-approved bonds, known as sukuk. These bonds can be used to finance big projects such as the building of important infrastructure, including airports, and developing other natural resources.
Malaysia has been leading the way on this, banking on its burgeoning Islamic finance industry to reduce its oil earnings shortfall. It is planning to sell $1 billion to $1.5 billion of sovereign credit in 2016 on top of global Islamic bonds this year.
The Saudi Arabian government is similarly depending on both conventional sovereign bonds and sukuk to finance its budget deficit. In 2015, the kingdom issued sovereign bonds worth around 100 billion riyals ($26.5 billion) to ease the shortfall. It's all part of a $130 billion spending plan to diversify its economy away from oil. But to increase its share of the Islamic finance market, it will need to follow Malaysia's lead in making the regulations clear for trading sukuk.
Many more oil exporters are turning to sukuk bonds to cover their deficits, including Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer. The sukuk bond market is forecast to grow by 15% in 2016 as a result.
The emergence of sukuk has been a significant development in Islamic capital markets for many oil rich nations in the Middle East and South East Asia. Funds raised through sukuk can be allocated in an efficient and transparent way. Sukuk issuance has proven its resilience during recent periods of turbulence in global capital markets and it is showing its potential to act as a cushion for falling oil prices for oil rich countries.
Nafis Alam, Associate Professor of Finance, Director- Centre for Islamic Business and Finance Research (CIBFR), University of Nottingham
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This is the second edition of the Polish-Georgian Business Forum organised in Warsaw.
The main target of the event is to strengthen the relations between Polish and Georgian businesses. The Forum is addressed to Polish entrepreneurs, business executives and individuals having interest in expansion, investments and international trade with Georgia.
The first event was a huge success that attracted more than 200 business people from both countries.


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A New Kind of Distracted Driver
By Sokoloff - Personal Injury Lawyers
September 1, 2019 Edited by Admin
A New Kind of Dangerous Driver
In recent years, police have seen a dramatic rise in distracted driving and aggressive driving. These two driving practices now cause more accidents than impaired driving, and have made Canadian roads much less safe. Some driving experts believe that the two behaviours are linked, and that our country is now producing a new type of driver: one who is entitled, risk-taking, willing to flout laws -- and extremely dangerous.
We've all seen the texting driver in the lane beside us at a stoplight. Although this is not legal, many drivers feel that they can get away with it while their vehicles are not technically in motion. But police are seeing more and more instances of drivers texting while travelling at high speeds down the highway, or while navigating through an intersection. Younger drivers, having grown up with smartphones, are especially prone to feeling capable of this sort of "multi-tasking", often with tragic results.
Smartphones also make phone calls an option for drivers. Who hasn't taken a taxi ride where the driver carries on a loud conversation for the entire trip? It's a cliché because it happens so often! While hands-free devices do allow drivers to converse while keeping their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, studies show that it's the mental distraction of carrying on a conversation that causes the greater danger. If you are having a heated argument or a complex discussion with someone on the phone, your attention will not be where it should be: on driving.
In addition to texting and calling, electronic devices also pose distraction through the use of navigational aids like GPS, or traffic apps like Waze. Rather than stopping to program these, drivers often try to type in addresses on the fly, even though most know that even a few seconds of distraction can lead to a serious accident. To compound the problem, sometimes pedestrians, too, are distracted by devices, and therefore are not paying attention to traffic when they should.
There are, of course, other distractions. An RCMP officer stationed in rural Alberta said he stopped drivers for brushing their teeth, applying makeup, and even reading a novel while driving. Eating is another problem: the same officer once stopped someone eating a waffle with a knife and fork while driving down the highway.
Self-Centred Driving
While distracted driving has been on the rise for the past ten years, another trend has experts almost as worried. Driving, of course, requires cooperation, and at least a modicum of courtesy. But driver trainers, police, and emergency personnel have noticed a sharp uptick in the number of drivers on the road who drive aggressively, refuse to pull over for ambulances or firetrucks, tailgate, or cut off other drivers. While road rage is not new (there was a law against "furious driving" in ancient Rome), many experts have observed a marked increase in these types of drivers.
How drivers behave is influenced by many different factors: a combination of education, laws, societal cues, technology, personality, and more. Some people believe that some of the disconnect between driver behaviour and known safe practices comes from the design of the vehicles themselves. In past decades, many drivers had cars with stick shifts. It's much less possible to be distracted when driving a manual transmission vehicle, since you need to focus on what your car is doing in order to keep it running properly. But today, very few cars are built with manual transmissions. In addition, so many cars on the road now are large, climate-controlled SUV-type vehicles, which can make drivers feel invulnerable and cut off from their surroundings. This can lead them to take more risks than other drivers.
Another factor in aggressive driving may be increased traffic, particularly in Toronto and the GTA. People who encounter traffic jams on their way to work or appointments often try to "make up" time once traffic starts flowing more freely, leading to speeding, dangerous lane changes, or refusal to let others merge.
Still others see the rise in narcissistic and impatient driving as a sign of our times and the erosion of community in our society. When the individual is emphasized over the good of the whole, the result is often selfish behaviour on the part of individuals. Unfortunately, our roadways and streets require that we work together in order for safety to prevail.
Experts hope that greater public education about these two problems can help the next generation of drivers learn to navigate our roads more safely. Meanwhile, we must all strive to keep our attention where it belongs, and to remember that we all share the roads. Distracted driving is not a choice anyone should be making - it's a matter of life and death.
#distracted #driver #blog
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The Spice Cup kicks off on November 9, Friday in Lubbock, Texas, hosted by Texas Tech. Tournament organizer GM Susan Polgar hopes that all the participants play well, but hopes someone comes home for Thanksgiving with a norm. " I hope that Irina Krush, Dmitry Schneider and Blas Lugo will be able to get their GM norms." You can watch the games live on Monroi.com or the ICC . The games start at 5 PM EST except for the final round on November 16, which begins at 11 AM EST. You can access the full schedule here. Also check Susan Polgar's blog for more information.


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Now You Can Adopt A Bolt Too
LR marketing student starts nonprofit merchandise store
Iman Ahmed, Co-Editor-In-Chief|November 15, 2019
Israel Carunungan
Senior Baylee Slepko and her family at her girls soccer senior night. Photo courtesy of Israel Caranungan.
Senior marketing student Baylee Slepko introduced her nonprofit merchandise store to Long Reach this fall. The project, called Adopt-a-Bolts, sells Long Reach athletic spirit wear in the forms of sweatshirts, long-sleeve shirts, and short-sleeve shirts.
"[The designs] are inspired from my old school because they used to run it," noted Slepko. "I springboarded off the idea and figured out how we could actually turn this into something we can do at Long Reach."
Using a web creator, Slepko designed spirit wear that resembles those sold on the official spirit website, but for a significantly cheaper price. She presented the program to every fall sport coach so they could relay the message to players. However, Slepko personally collected order slips from every athlete rather than using an online shop. This allowed for athletes, their family, and friends to buy from the shop, similar to Girl Scouts cookie orders or Jump Rope for Heart fundraising.
"Baylee has taken the Business class, Marketing class, and Accounting class here at Long Reach. She took what she learned over the last two years and applied it to this project," commented Ms. Kimberly Baum, Long Reach's marketing teacher. "She is 100% in charge of Adopt-A-Bolt. It is wonderful to see the young entrepreneurs in our school learning, but most importantly applying, that knowledge."
Slepko plans to pursue marketing in the future. She has an interest in logistics and turned that into something that could benefit the community.
"I wanted to use these T-shirts to increase school spirit along with creating more money for each sport individually," said Slepko.
All of the funds raised for spirit wear, rather than going to a corporation or Slepko, were given right back to the program. This might not be the same amount of money for each department. For example, if there are more orders for field hockey than football, there will be more money given to field hockey. Overall, over $5,000 was raised in LR spirit wear from over 300 orders.
Adopt-A-Bolts has drawn interest from the Long Reach community: "We have already had a handful of winter sports students asking about when they can start ordering theirs [and] have also had a couple clubs ask about the process," said Baum. "It seems to be loved by the staff and students, and we hope it continues to thrive."
Slepko added, "[Having the shirts is] kind of a reflection because you have some of your friends' last names and numbers on your T-shirt and the sport they played, so you can always just kind of have that with you as a way of remembering."
Adopt-A-Bolt will serve as a lifelong memory for Long Reach students, and hopefully will extend to other seasons and possibly clubs too. For fall sports, athletes are grateful to have a cheaper and more beneficial alternative to the original spirit wear website.
Article updated on 1/3/2020.
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Nemerov is a Russian surname. It may refer to
 Howard Nemerov, Pulitzer Prize winner and American poet laureate
 Alexander Nemerov, Professor of Art and Art History at Stanford University
 Alexander Nemerov (character), a fictional character Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears
Diane Nemerov, the maiden name of Diane Arbus

See also
 Nemyriv (town)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Jun 13, 2022 - Things to Do
Coldplay has stellar show in first Atlanta performance since 2012
Ross Terrell
Coldplay performs in Atlanta. Photo: Ross Terrell/Axios
Coldplay performed in front of a sold-out crowd Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was an electric, soul-filled performance, and it felt like a return to normal for concerts.
State of play: Very little would signal we are still dealing with COVID-19. Although new cases in Georgia have been slowly ticking up since early April.
Only a few people, out of tens of thousands, were wearing masks. But there were plenty of hand sanitizing stations around the arena.
However, social distancing is not nearly a thing anymore.
About the concert: In my opinion, Mercedes-Benz put on one of its best performances since it opened in 2017.
The roof opened just shortly before Coldplay took the stage to reveal a near-full moon. The weather cooperated, and the vicious Georgia humidity had little impact.
Coldplay opened with their hit "Higher Power", which sent a pulse of energy through the stadium. The performance featured an appearance from Atlanta's own Kelly Rowland.
Going green: Before the performance, cyclists could be seen pedaling away. They were generating energy to power certain parts of the show and some of the lights on stage.
This was a nice eco-friendly touch that fits MBS' mission. In 2017, it was the first sports venue in the U.S. to receive platinum certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system.
One cool thing: Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin took time out of the show to acknowledge the cities that have recently dealt with mass shootings like Uvalde, Texas, and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Martin asked the crowd to send love to the people of Ukraine.
Ross' thought bubble: This was one of the top three concerts I've ever been to. (Up there with Bruno Mars and Beyoncé, the queen. herself). The energy in the building was palpable.
Now, if only that same level of excitement can be replicated for Atlanta Falcons' home games. (Too soon?)
What's next: Luke Combs is slated to play at MBS on July 30. The Weeknd makes an appearance Aug. 11.
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My mamma used to tell me "Beta har cheez jannay ki zaroorat nahi" in short that translates to "Ignorance is a bliss". And boy was she right; in some cases.
When you are starting to freshly experience life as a young adult everything is about the NEW and EXCITEMENT. Things are either Black or White. There is rarely any grey area. I meet girls who are desperate to get married or very much against marriage. When asked about the reason why they feel a certain way they mostly point to instances that have taken place in their personal life, or in their circle (family or friends). They are missing the spark of hope. Hope for happiness, hope for feeling deserving of attention and love.
What I have been noticing in "early to mid 20s" lot lately is that their idea of life and love and reality is very obscure. Is it the fact that too much knowledge is at hand now for these young women? Are they finding out unnecessary information that really is no business to a girl in her 20's? all the instagramming and facebooking screwing up perspectives of life. Life doesn't come with Filters honey, you have to create what you can with what you have available.
They have initially set super high expectations of the way life SHOULD be, and then they feel its too ideal and unrealistic. Something that, the chances of which are very minimal.
I used to feel the same way, and eventually I discovered something. At the turn of 'adulthood' I was finally starting to realize the difference. I knew that falling in love (crush) came with a thrill; an unknown…short term relationships were experimental and involved late night chats and shallow promises.
but LOVING continuously was a chore.. (in a good way). In order to love your partner the same amount as yesterday or more you had to struggle every day. every. day.
So what I am saying is that, happiness in a relationship is not attained in isolation. The daily aspects of "planting a seed of love and effort" are necessary for your input to grow and flourish.
At this point so many girls have said to me "IT is not a one-way traffic. There should be some sort of response from the other party as well". Yes, you are right, but don't you think the other person is thinking the same thing? At least start doing something nice, and you will see results…and have hope girls. Have hope. The Universe provides.
I have been itching to talk about this topic for so long. I think I'm gonna faint. In Pakistan, it is like holding your breath under water. You know you won't last long, and it is impossible to do so. But you have got to hold it in nonetheless.
When I moved to Pakistan I was barely 18. The first few month were a quick blur. As my 18th birthday approached, I remember the urgency of my khaandan walay (extended family) who would probe and investigate my parents as to when I was either getting betrothed, engaged, nikkafied or married. At that time it was just so hilarious. What is so unique about a 21st century girl wanting to study and do something with her life other than cooking and cleaning? No offence to the housewives, I am a fulltime mom now. And mind you it is the toughest job I have ever done! And I have tasted many aspects of the working field. I worked for a multinational Big 4 accountancy firm, taught Professional level students AND I have simultaneously taken my small business (with help of a wonderful partner) from an exciting hobby to an exhilarating international thing.
So my question remained unanswered. Why? Why this urgency?
My queries were further jumbled up when I noticed how relaxed and patient the Larka walas (Boy's side) always seemed. They were always clear in their head the type of Bahu (daughter in law) they were looking for.
No matter how side-ki-mang (side hair partition) the son was, the mother always seemed to demand a Gori (fair in complexion) Educated, slim, tall, young and sophisticated girl for her Kaway-ke-mu-wala son. Not to mention she should know how to cook and maintain a household. Aunty-ji what I don't get is, how do you expect a 16-17 year old to be educated and cook and clean? Seriously.
It was basically about the aunties who are desperately searching for a young girl of 18-19 for her 25 year old son. Which is completely understandable. But then, so are the women who have 30+ year old sons. And in the midst of this all, the ambitious 24 year old girl, who went to college, completed her MBA, and got a decent job is left unattended.
The sad part about the culture is that, somehow, they always manage to blame the girl for not being married before she is 24.


Sunday June 8th @ the ICT, those that knew Samreen had a good-by party. She will be leaving for Pakistan at the end of the month.
This is a sad Goodby to our exchange student Samreen. She will be missed and we are better for having known her.


Ray Zentis has worked in leadership positions at corporations in Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, and Florida for more than 30+ years. He was a Vistage Chair from 2000 to 2014 with more than 14,000 hours of one-to-one coaching sessions with senior leaders. Ray sat down and discussed with me what he believes executive coaches should do to be successful in their work.
Before setting out to coach others, a coach should clearly understand what his/her own 'perfect life' looks like. It is a useful exercise to describe your perfect life in the present tense, three to five years into the future. After having done that, the coach can better help the person being coached (the coachee) to optimize their own life.
If the coachee wants to achieve goals which do not fit with the coachee's current or near term life situation, success is unlikely. The coach must help the coachee understand the barriers faced and help the coachee clearly identify what must be done to achieve the desired goal.
Ray relates the situation where an inside sales person wanted to become the regional sales manager in another part of the country where a position had opened up. The barriers to the move were a lack of experience in the role of sales manager and a lack of knowledge of the territory. The solution came when the coachee was guided to recognize the leadership skills needed to manage a sales territory. A few years later, the coachee who had updated the skills needed to be successful, was able to take over his own sales territory.
Often, companies fail to understand the difference between a coach and a consultant.
Coaching is an activity wherein a coach, in a trusting, non-judgmental environment, leads a client – via an intentional process of questioning, listening, paraphrasing, and encouragement – to arrive at a conclusion or plan of action using knowledge, experience, and resources possessed by the client. The key to the success of an executive coach is to be skillful in leading the client to finding the answer.
Consulting is an activity wherein the consultant brings new knowledge, processes, or resources not known to the client to resolve a need of the client.
Ray's coaching has helped many executives identify and overcome barriers which has led to significant growth in companies. Often he has little information about the markets, services, or organizational structures of those companies. The key to Ray's success in coaching has always been to enable executives to develop their leadership styles, management processes, and organizational systems through questions, listening, paraphrasing, and encouragement.
A very important sentence appears in the book Psycho-Cybernetics written by Maxwell Maltz. "Human beings always act, perform, and feel in accordance to what they imagine to be true about themselves and their environment." What this says is that everyone acts and behaves a certain way for emotional reasons. Logic and rational talk often does not work with coachees. You have to understand their emotional states and talk to them accordingly.
Ray feels that these points are critical for an executive coach to address in his/her practice. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ray Zentis at ray@rayzentis.com.
Institute of OD's successful Executive Coaching Certification Program (ECCP) provides you with the tools and guidelines needed to design and implement an executive coaching program. You will learn how to create a coaching relationship, assess needs, create development plans, conduct coaching discussions and involve senior leaders in follow up and outcome measures. Gain actual coaching experience during each session and receive feedback from your mentor coach. Build your coaching credentials and reputation!


I can't thank the Eat, Drink, & Be Merry Team enough. I have heard horror stories about planning bachelor parties but that was not the case here. The night was easy to plan, you made collecting the money a non issue for me, the party bus service made hoarding 12 guys around the city incredibly easy, and the staff couldn't have been any nicer. You can be sure that I will reccomend this service to anyone who asks. Thanks again!


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Ingredients: virgin organic olive oil, organic coconut oil, grassfed goat's milk, lovebird beer, sodium hydroxide, french rose kaolin clay, organic palmarosa, bergamot, lavender, and litsea cubeba essential oils.
LOVEBIRD BEER - Brewed locally by the legendary brewmasters at Jackalope Brewery in Nashville. Beer is rich in amino acids, minerals and vitamins. Most notably, beer contains B5 - pantothenic acid, which improves texture and luster of both skin and hair.


If none of the audio devices that are accessible to the endpoint match the device names in the configuration file, the Genesys Softphone will pick up the first available devices from the WebRTC lists for audio devices.
The first device in the applicable list that is present in the system is selected when possible. This device (or devices) will either be specified by headset_name or by audio_in_device and audio_out_device, depending on whether use_headset has been enabled.
If none of the configured devices are present (or if the configuration list is empty), then the Genesys Softphone will select the audio devices using the priority that has been provided by WebRTC, based on the order of the available devices in its device list.
Finally, when auto_answer is set to 1 and the auto-answer functionality is not blocked (and the call was not already rejected), the Genesys Softphone answers the incoming call automatically (the should answer policy returns true).
When these conditions are met using Genesys Softphone with SIP, an incoming call is rejected with a SIP response code as configured in the sip_code_when_headset_na setting. If the setting is missing or the value does not belong to the valid range of 400 to 699, then the default of 480 (Temporarily Unavailable) is used.
In addition, when these conditions are met, the Genesys Softphone will refuse to initiate any new calls, that is, it will reject outgoing calls.
Note that the availability of a fallback device (selected by Step 2 in the Audio Device Selection section) does not affect call rejection.
The Genesys Softphone considers a headset to be available if a headset was found by name in the list of headset_name entries. (The highest priority device in the list is selected).
The Genesys Softphone decides that no headset is available if a headset was not found by name in the list of headset_name entries.
An audio device is still assigned, if possible (that is, if any supported devices are present in the system), using the first available audio input and output devices from the list compiled by WebRTC.
Audio devices are configured using the names from the audio_in_device and audio_out_device settings. The Genesys Softphone selects the highest-priority input and output devices from that list or, if no valid devices are found in that list, from the first available devices in the list compiled by WebRTC. Outgoing calls can be initiated.
Retrieved from "https://docs.genesys.com/Documentation:PSAAS:Administrator:SPSettings:Public (2019-04-20 07:14:10)"
This page was last modified on July 2, 2018, at 07:29.


On the evening of Holy Thursday, Our Lord had with His Apostles what has come to be known as the "Last Supper Discourse" (Jn. 13:31 to 16:31).
As the Passion of the Church unfolds before our eyes, it is useful for us to meditate on this discourse. At a time where the " shepherd is struck and therefore the sheep are scattered" (Zach. 13:7), let us listen to Jesus' instructions, so that we may go through this passion while remaining faithful.
Saint Thomas Aquinas composed a very profound commentary on the Gospel of Saint John. Let us just summarize here what concerns Jesus' words after the Last Supper.
After an introduction (Jn. 13:31-38), in which Jesus states the purpose of the Passion (reestablish the glory of God by the perfect sacrifice of the Cross) and the conditions for staying united (charity and humility), He comforts His disciples with regard to the emotions which trouble them: the sadness caused by His leaving (ch. 14) and the fear of persecutions (ch. 15).
The Paraclete will bring His "gift": perfect knowledge of God; and Jesus will bring His: peace, a peace that can only come from Him.
Then, Jesus fortifies His Apostles against the fear of persecutions, to which the Passion was only a prelude. He starts with the beautiful "allegory of the vine": the branches, that is, the faithful as members of Christ's Mystical Body, need to be purified through suffering in order to bear fruit: not only fruits of (personal) sanctity, but fruits of a productive apostolate. The conditions to bring about this purification and bearing of fruit are: to "keep His words" (Faith purifies the intelligence), prayer (for this work is supernatural), and above all, a love of Jesus proven by the practice of His commandments.
Our Lord does not content Himself with speaking of His Mystical Body; He goes on to explain to His disciples the source of these persecutions: the world, ennemy of Our Lord. The world is united in its hatred, just as the Church is united by charity. The hatred of the world for Jesus' friends is a reason for consolation: it makes them similar to their Master. In addition, sustained by the Holy Ghost, they will use it as an opportunity to witness to their Faith, even at the price of martyrdom, when necessary.
Chapter 16 adds a few precisions. Regarding persecutions, the Apostles will have to suffer not only from the part of pagans, but also from the Jews, who will "put them out of the synagogues", and will put them to death "thinking they are doing a service to God." Regarding the (physical) absence of Jesus, the three Divine Persons will intervene to console the faithful: the Holy Ghost will convince the world of its sin, Jesus will bring perfect (interior) joy, and the Father will from then on listen favorably to all prayers said in the name of Jesus, by those who love Jesus.
In the present passion of the Church, we must first be convinced that God has allowed it only to bring about a greater good (without doubt, the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary promised at Fatima). We must also do all we can to abide in charity and humility, which are the indispensable conditions to receive the help guaranteed by Our Lord.
Because of the crisis in the Church, we no longer benefit from the habitual spiritual aids of times past, in particular the facility to go to Mass and receive the sacraments. We must therefore try by other means to develop our interior life, the life of union with the three Divine Persons present in every soul in the state of grace.
With regard to persecutions, seeing as Jesus warned His Apostles that they would have to suffer from the part of the Jews (something which was particularly painful for them), let us not be surprised if we must suffer at the hands of members of the Church, subject since Vatican II to the influence of the world, that is, the anti-church (Freemasonry, communism, anti-Christian globalism, etc.).
 One of the most powerful means the world uses today to kill the divine life in souls, is internet. 90% of youth consult pornographic websites. Regardless of the question of impurity, screens are anti-contemplative, because they captivate the senses and inhibit the noblest operations of the mind: judgment and contemplation. The remedy? : meditative reading.
December 25th: Christmas. With the help of the seminarians of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort Seminary, we are able to sing the three different Masses of Christmas.
January 15th: This year being the 500th anniversary of the revolt of Martin Luther, presented as a hero by the conciliar church, the Friary begins a series of sermons on the Council of Trent, "the most beautiful and precise synthesis of Christian doctrine in opposition to the errors of Protestantism" (Fr. Jean-Baptiste AUBRY, Cours d'histoire ecclesiastique).
March 7th: Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Bishop Faure celebrates a Pontifical High Mass, during which he confers the tonsure to four seminarians, the orders of porter and lector to Brothers Louis-Bertrand and Agostinho, and the orders of exorcist and acolyte to Brother Alain. Each new step is a deeper participation in the sovereign priesthood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
March 25th: The Annunciation. On this day when Our Lady clothed Our Lord with the "habit" of His humanity, our postulant Godefroy receives the religious habit and the name "Augustin-Marie".
The new Brother receives the kiss of peace.
April 23rd: Father Marie-Dominique is at Saint Malo-du-Bois to represent the Friary for the habit-taking ceremony of Miss Collins (Ireland) in the Institute of the Sisters of Our Lady Co-Redemptrix.
May 5th-8th: Father Angelico replaces Father Ballini in the south of Ireland for weekend Masses. A public 15-decade Rosary (prayed on every First Saturday in the streets of Cork) was attended by a fervent group of faithful, and accompanied by the distribution of Rosaries and booklets on the message of Fatima. A good initiative to imitate!
May 11th: Father Angelico is in Vienna, Virginia, to represent the Friary at the episcopal consecration of His Excellency Bishop Gerardo Zendejas, and his first Pontifical High Mass the next day.
The project of a new school/parish cafeteria is now officially under way. The architects have submitted the plans, but ground has not yet been broken. This new building will not only be used by the primary school and Boys' High School, but also for a wide variety of parish activities: (conferences, parish library, sewing room…).
The growing number of students and parishioners has rendered this project necessary due to government safety regulations.
Meanwhile, the architects are still studying the restoration of the two "guard towers" at the Priory (the manor house where the Boys' School is located). The buildings will be used for classrooms.
These two ambitious projects would be out of the question, were it not for the generosity of our loyal benefactors. Please accept our heartfelt thanks for all your support in the past, and we thank you in advance for your continued help!
← Full communion with conciliar Rome?


text:
Let's come together to tax tech giants, say G20 officials eying $100 billion boost
The call for unity appeared mainly directed at the United States, home to the biggest tech companies, in an attempt to head off any stalling on the rules until after the American presidential election in November.
The taxing of digital firms and the effect of the coronavirus outbreak on the global economy are among the hot topic for G20 financial leaders, from the world's 20 largest economies, during their talks in Riyadh this weekend. (Reuters photo)
Leading world economies must show unity in dealing with aggressive "tax optimisation" by global digital giants like Google, Amazon and Facebook, G20 officials said on Saturday. Global rules are being developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to make digital companies pay tax where they do business, rather than where they register subsidiaries. The OECD says this could boost national tax revenues by a total of $100 billion a year.
The call for unity appeared mainly directed at the United States, home to the biggest tech companies, in an attempt to head off any stalling on the rules until after the American presidential election in November. "There is no time to wait for elections," German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz told a tax seminar on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bankers.
RBI remains steadfast to take any further measures to support growth: Shaktikanta Das
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari pitches for more research to identify import substitute products
Road to Recovery: Imports rise for the first time in 10 months
"This needs leadership in certain countries," Scholz said looking directly at U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, sitting next to him at the seminar. The taxing of digital firms and the effect of the coronavirus outbreak on the global economy are among the hot topic for G20 financial leaders, from the world's 20 largest economies, during their talks in Riyadh this weekend.
The OECD wants to set a minimum effective level at which such companies would be taxed and seeks agreement by the start of July, with an endorsement by the G20 by the end of the year. "A coordinated answer is not the better way forward, but, given the alternatives, the only way forward," OECD head Angel Gurria told the seminar. But the OECD efforts were stalled late last year by last-minute changes demanded by Washington, which many G20 officials view as reluctant to deal with a potentially politically tricky matter before the presidential election.
Mnuchin said OECD countries were close to an agreement on the minimum tax level, which he said would also go a long way to resolving the issue of where tax is payed. "I think we all want to get this done by the end of the year, and that's the objective," Mnuchin told the seminar.
Several European countries, including France, Spain, Austria, Italy, Britain and Hungary either already have a plan for a digital tax or are working on one, creating the risk of a highly fragmented global system. "You cannot have in a global economy different national tax systems that conflict with each other," Mnuchin said.
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Feb. 14 he would be ready to pay more tax in Europe and would welcome a global OECD solution that would make the levies uniform.
Do you know What is Positive GDP growth seen in Q3, need to fight inflation: RB, Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), Finance Bill, Fiscal Policy in India, Expenditure Budget? FE Knowledge Desk explains each of these and more in detail at Financial Express Explained. Also get Live BSE/NSE Stock Prices, latest NAV of Mutual Funds, Best equity funds, Top Gainers, Top Losers on Financial Express. Don't forget to try our free Income Tax Calculator tool.
Let's come together to tax tech giants say G20 officials eying $100 billion&nbspboost
1RBI remains steadfast to take any further measures to support growth: Shaktikanta Das
2Union Minister Nitin Gadkari pitches for more research to identify import substitute products
3Road to Recovery: Imports rise for the first time in 10 months


My photography is landscape based I take my inspiration from the tones and textures inherent within the landscape, as well as the way the fall of light and time of day can totally transform both the look and the atmosphere of the location in which I am working. I use black and white film and hand print all my work in a wet darkroom utilising traditional techniques and materials. I work with film and traditional photographic papers because it is an exciting and sometimes unpredictable medium to work with and the processes utilised can be highly creative in their nature.


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Islamic Creed in a Secular World
Muslims often struggle to explain the crises of faith evident in the coming generation. "They need to pray more" or "they're being ungrateful" are common, dismissive answers, which reduce crises into a damaging platitude. What is prayer without knowledge? What is gratitude without awareness of whom one should thank? These questions affirm that Muslims today face the loss of our connection with 'aqida (Islamic creed).
Ignorance of Islamic creed contributes to the modern Muslim's sacrifice of what should be his core principles. Islamic creed (including theology at large) is perceived to be an esoteric, abstract philosophy, with no place outside of intellectual circles. In reality, creed forms the foundation of a society's worldview and ideology by defining justice and answering questions regarding the purpose, origin, and direction of life.
An opening chapter of poetry in al-Murshid al-Mu'een by Abu Muhammad Ibn 'Ashir, one of the most celebrated Islamic jurists, succinctly describes the necessities of our creed. Ibn 'Ashir separates our rational propositions (knowledge that need not be known by empirical or religious propositions) into three categories:
the necessarily true: that which cannot be denied under any circumstance (example: that Allah is eternal).
the inconceivable: that which cannot be truly rationalized in any way and the opposite of the necessarily true (example: that Allah is not self-sufficient).
the conceivable: that which may be true, without contradicting the necessarily true (example: that Allah may create life on another planet).
Ibn 'Ashir states that the first thing incumbent upon the able believer is to know what is necessarily true about Allah, the messengers, and their attributes. In Dr. Asadullah Yate's translation of Ibn 'Ashir's text, the first verse of the book of basic creedal principles reads,
it is necessarily true that Allah exists and that this existence is from before [the beginning of time], and likewise that He possess [eternality], and absolute independence universally.¹
The intellect deduces that this is necessary because it is inconceivable that the universe created itself from an equilibrium of non-existence. After establishing Allah's existence, we must know that He is eternal and pre-eternal, meaning He has neither beginning nor end, as having a beginning necessitates the existence of an original creator and subjects us to innumerable logical absurdities, including an infinite regress of creators. Time is intertwined with space and, as the creator of both time and space, Allah cannot be subject to nor limited by either. These basic principles sufficiently dismiss questions (such as, "Who created God?") espoused by the average atheist, and establish Allah's limitless sublimity in preparation for the subsequent necessary attributes that Ibn 'Ashir describes: power (qudra), will (irada), knowledge ('ilm), life (haya), hearing (sam'), speech (kalaam), and sight (basar).
Establishing Allah's limitless power and will illuminates how activists, the oppressed, scholars, etc. do and should conduct themselves. Allah is the sustainer of all existence, and is thus all-powerful. Knowing He has absolute control over all affairs, the oppressed turn to Allah and place their trust in Him; the activist accepts that only the All-Powerful is capable of true justice, and no protest, petition, lobby, or fundraiser will be effective without the approval of the All-Powerful Lord. This Divine approval produces fruits from our efforts and raises our standing on the Day of Resurrection.
Introducing this knowledge and allowing it to internalize in the hearts of people naturally wards off despondency and passiveness before Allah and produces a resilient society with unmatched conviction. Only those who are ignorant of the limitlessness of Allah's knowledge do not submit to Allah's superiority and their own human deficiency. Internalizing that Allah's knowledge is unlimited protects the believer from doubting the faith when confused about something. Rather, he will rightfully doubt his own intellect, resolving the trend of 'disagreeing' with Allah or knowingly holding heterodox beliefs. The Enlightenment that produced secular-liberal modernity established the anthropocentric conception of life, putting man at the center of all things and knowledge. Subtle heresies, including the belief that what can be known will be known eventually by scientists and that truth is not discovered, but articulated by the human mind alone, permeated human thought. Creed is a necessary fortification against these wayward beliefs that result in man worshipping himself.
The endless life, hearing, speech, and sight of Allah are intertwined with our experiences as Muslims. He is no less alive than we are. Rather, He is living, beyond humans in every sense. Allah's eternal and perfect hearing and sight establish the intimacy of His life relative to our existence. Namely, we learn that He sees every event in every corner of the universe, including the implosion of a star millions of lightyears away and the electrons around a cluster of protons and neutrons. He hears every whisper, conscious and subconscious thought, and movement throughout the entire universe and beyond. With knowledge about Allah as powerful as this, the Muslim has no excuse but to exhibit impeccable character at every moment in his life. A Muslim is the one who recognizes that every action, thought, and interaction may serve as proof for or against his salvation, motivating him to cultivate virtuous conduct.
Knowledge of Islamic creed allows us to see theology as more than just abstract and theoretical thinking; rather, we see it as something that intimately affects our daily lives. Often overlooked, creed is one of the most useful sciences to transform the dying hearts of Muslims around the globe, and as such, every Muslim that possesses this sacred knowledge must transmit it to another blessed soul. There is no other gift truly as invaluable.
To begin your journey of studying the Islamic sciences, visit this Dropbox drive (where you'll find a specific folder on creed) and follow the instructions within.
Ibn Ashir, Abdul Wahid, and Asadullah Yate. Al-Murshid Al-Mueen: The Concise Guide to the Basics of the Deen. Diwan Press, 2012.
About the author: Wassim is an undergraduate student studying biology, chemistry, religion, and philosophy. In his free time, he studies creed, jurisprudence, and the sciences of the heart. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Wassim May 28, 2018 November 12, 2018 atheism, creed, islam, justice, rationality, religion
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Hatem says:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالْإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَن تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَأَن تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
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Jack Pierse among the early leaders in East of Ireland
Alan Lowry, David Foy and Colin Woodroofe also in leading group after their opening 69s
Fri, Jun 2, 2017, 21:02
Brian Keogh
Alan Lowry (Esker Hills) is in a share of the first round lead at the East of Ireland at Baltray. Photograph: Pat Cashman
Portmarnock's Jack Pierse admitted it would be a dream come true if he could bounce back from defeat in the final of the "West" and claim the East of Ireland Championship at County Louth on Monday.
The 26-year-old accountant took advantage of fine early conditions and posted a rollercoaster, three-under par 69 on in a fresh southerly breeze at the pristine Baltray links to join Esker Hills' Alan Lowry, Laytown and Bettystown's David Foy and Dun Laoghaire's Colin Woodroofe in a share of first round lead.
"It would make up for Rosses Point –absolutely," beamed Pierse, who made a 10-footer for birdie at the first, rolled in an eight-footer for eagle at the second and then birdied the fourth to get to four-under par.
"There's a very long way to go but a win anywhere would be great. And I love the course. It fits my eye because you feel you can birdie every hole, providing you put it in position off the tee."
Pierse confessed that he "lost it a bit" in the middle of the round, sandwiching a four-putt double bogey six at the 10th between three-putt bogeys at the eighth and 11th before rediscovering his putting touch to make birdies at the 14th, 16th and 18th coming home.
The leaders have a one-stroke lead over Cork's John Hickey, Carton House's Des Morgan, Laytown and Bettystown's Cian Geraghty and Castle's Daniel Holland.
Defending champion Paul O'Hanlon was on course to open up a big lead when he raced to five-under par after six holes. But he lipped out from eight feet for another birdie at the seventh and confessed that mental errors cost him as he let his sensational start slip away.
After following four successive birdies from the first with another at the par-five sixth, former professional O'Hanlon bogeyed the eighth, 10th, 13th and 16th as the wind freshened for the afternoon starters, carding a one-under 71 to end the day in a 14-man logjam for ninth place with the likes of 16-year-old Kilkenny star Mark Power.
"It was a dream start," said the Kildare native, who found three fairway bunkers coming home. "I'm five under after six and thinking, 'What's going on here?' But I made two or three mental errors that were a bit unlike me after that and my putter went a little cold.
"It could have been a great day but I'll take it. I just love this place, and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow."
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Here is your handy guide to sport on television this week
Monday – Sunday, January 20th – 26th


You may think preserving food from your garden is hard work but the easiest introduction to "putting food by" as our grandmothers did is drying or freezing herbs for flavorful meals all winter.
Many herbs are easy to grow and they really do not have much moisture so they can be dried quite easily. Additional advantages is since you grew them or know the source, they are organic and fresh, not to mention free. If you have priced commercially grown herbs, the economic saving is considerable..
Culinary herbs are the leavesof herbs. This group would include basil, parsley, dill weed, marjoram, thyme and similar. Spices, almost always, are bark, berries, buds, fruit, roots and seeds of plants used in a dried form. Herbs can be used fresh, frozen or dried. Having said that, cinnamon (bark), peppercorns (berries), buds (cloves, lavender), fruit (vanilla, chili peppers), roots (garlic, horseradish) and seeds (dill, coriander) are all considered spices.
To preserve your homegrown herbs, it is best to pick them early in the day after the sun has dried the dew when they have the highest amount of flavor and oil. Rinse in cool water and drying gently on to remove dust. Remove damaged or yellowed leaves. If you didn't plant herbs this year, check your local farmer's market.
There are several methods of preserving your herbs. The oldest method is to air dry them by tying the stems in bundles with thin wire, hanging them upside down to concentrate oils in the leaves. The bundles can be hung in paper or cloth bags in a dark warm dry area like an attic. Drying on screens covered with cheesecloth is also a possibility.
Using a food dehydrator is also a choice and it works well for herbs and spices. Drying herbs in an oven is a possibility, but most cannot be operated at a low enough temperature. 100 degrees F. is the ideal temperature. Some say they heat the oven to the lowest temperature possible and then turn it off. Using an oven thermometer, they watch for it to drop to 125 degrees, pop the container in the oven quickly and close it. Doing this several time during the day will dry herbs. My old gas oven with pilot light works very well with very little supervision. I use paper towels to line inexpensive baskets and most leaves dry in two days.
Drying herbs in a microwave is possible. Pull off the leaves and layer them in paper towels. Microcook for 1 minute, rest 30 sec and check for dryness. Alternate 30 seconds micro and 30 rest until dry. Constant supervision is necessary to avoid scorching or fire.
Some people maintain freezing herbs preserves color and flavor better than drying. Chop basil, chives, cilantro, lemongrass, mint and parsley and place them in ice cube trays, add water and freeze. Store the cubes in freezer bags and drop them in the pot. This method works best for liquid recipes like soups, sauces or stir-fries.
Fully dried herbs and spices are safe from bacteria, mold and yeast, and will remain potent for at least six to 12 months. Store dried herbs in airtight jars out of direct light and away from heat. Make sure you label and date jars. If you like a special variety, put that on the label also. Leave the jars on the counter to check for droplets of moisture or mold. Throw out anything moldy, and re-dry anything that creates moisture in the jar.
Bay, celery, chervil, dill, geranium, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lovage, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, summer savory, tarragon, thyme.
Seeds: Anise, caraway, celery, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, mustard.
Flowers: Bee balm, chamomile, chive, dill, geranium, lavender, linden, marigold, nasturtium, rose, thyme, yarrow.
Roots: Garlic, ginger, horseradish It is useful to cut them into thin slices first because they dry more quickly.
Herbs and spices have finished drying when the leaves crumble easily and no longer feel leathery—but don't crumble them. Whole leaves and seeds retain their oils better in storage.
You might want to make some blends of ground herbs for ethnic specialties. Check family favorite recipes and make a mix of the herbs used to save time measuring when cooking or for gifts. Do remember the oils in dried herbs are more concentrated so use half the amount of dried if the recipe calls for fresh herbs.
Fall weather is perfect for festivals and country drives. It is also a time to focus on fall colors and nature's beauty.
During these drives, take the opportunity to embrace what we too often take for granted. To help you do this, take a scavenger hunt and look for items along your way. You'll find some items sold with crafts, and you'll find other items in the natural surroundings along the drive.
• Red sassafras leaves. Sassafras leaves have smooth edges and are mitten-shaped. The "mittens" come in left- and right-hand versions or a three-lobed shape. The leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red in autumn.
• Orange Bittersweet. This plant should be visible among the fencerows (or in crafts) along the drive. Bittersweet's orange berries are easily spotted among the brown, drying leaves of most fencerows.
• Yellow elm leaves. Most elms have yellow fall color. Unfortunately, many elms have suffered miserably from last summer's severe drought. We'll likely see many trees—elms and more—die over the next couple years as a result of last year's drought.
• Green hedgeballs. Also called Osage orange, they grow on trees that make the best hedge posts. These trees thrive in drought conditions. Some say that Newton's Law of Gravity was actually precipitated by a hedgeball, not an apple.
• Blue Aster. These beautiful perennial plants are still visible along some roadsides.
• Purple grapes. You probably won't find grapes anywhere, but you'll find grape products such as grape jelly, wine, and juice. Maybe if you are lucky, you'll even find a grape pie.
• Black walnuts. Though there are many black walnut trees along the drive, most lose their leaves very early. You might find nuts for sale or at your feet as you walk through festival grounds. Black walnuts have a strong nut flavor that people either really like or really hate.
• Brown grasses. Unmown grasses have flowered and gone to seed. This is a good time to see the contrast of textures and shapes between different grass types.
• White pumpkins. You might find these in two sizes. Lumina is 8 to 10 inches and perfect for painting and carving. Baby Boo is a three-inch miniature.
Finally, I suggest that you pick out your favorite country scene. The next time you have a bad day, picture that scene in your mind and relax. Although this scavenger hunt has no prize, you will find that you are blessed simply to be in beautiful rural America.
Now that fall is here the gardener and lawn curator has just about as much work now as spring presented. The time is short so don't wait too long. Get a move on. Here are some of the duties that await.
LAWN – Continue to mow the lawn at a height of 2″ (longer grass will lay over under the snow and invite fungus diseases). Apply the final winterizer fertilizer around Thanksgiving after the final mowing. If you have taken a soil sample and the report recommends a lime application now is the time. Clean the mover of debris, oil and dirt. Sharpen the blades. Run the gas out of the tank and remove the spark blug (this will keep gunk from building up). If you would rather not rake and bag fallen leaves, use the lawn mower to shred the leaves. Shredded leaves have beneficial effects for the lawn. The leaves lying in heavy bunches should be scattered or bagged.
TREES – In dry conditions continue watering trees and shrubs until the ground freezes. This is especially important to broadleaf (e.g. boxwood) and needled evergreens. If trees and shrubs have had a tough summer and are struggling with health issues, apply a slow release fertilizer. Wrap the trunks of young smooth barked trees to prevent sunscald and frost cracking. This will also discourage insects from over wintering on or under the tender bark. Remove the wrap in early spring. Install barriers to control rabbits and rodent feeding. Protect tender evergreens from winter winds and excessive snow build up by installing burlap windscreens around the plant and spraying an anti-desiccant to the needles or leaves. The anti-desiccant usually needs to be reapplied mid winter. Read label for application instructions especially relating to air temperature. After the soil has frozen apply a 3 inch or so layer of organic matter such as evergreen needles or shredded leaves over and around tender plants.
GARDENS – When gardening for small fruits, vegetables and flowers sanitation is the key word in prevention of diseases, insects, and weeds. Remove spent plants, prune away unproductive stems of brambles and dispose of fallen leaves, stems and weeds. Have a soil test of the garden's soil and apply corrective measures as test report suggests . Dig, cure and prepare tender bulbs for winter storage. Empty container pots, clean and store out of winter weather to preserve for next spring. A fresh pot of soil or soilless potting mix is recommended the next spring. The new potting mix will be free of diseases and insects and have optimum conditions for good plant growth and production.
INDOORS – Poinsettias need a period of darkness for flower formation before Christmas. For 10 weeks, 15 hours each day, keep the plant in total darkness and DO NOT peek. The other 9 hours of the 24 hour cycle, the plant needs to receive the light from a window (light from a north window is too weak). Outdoor container plants that you want to overwinter as living plants indoors should be brought into the house as your indoor temperature approximates the night time temperature outdoors. If your home is kept at 70 degrees bring the plants in when the outdoor night temperature is around 70 degrees. This will prevent the shock of a sudden change in temperature the plant will feel. An abrupt change in temperature will signal the plant to drop leaves and drop leaves it will all over the floor. Of course the outdoor plants need a good cleaning for dirt and bugs before bringing indoors. So get busy.
Autumn is the season of spectacular colors. Whether we see maples or sassafras trees, shrubs like euonymus (burning bush) or fall blooming perennials, we all have our favorites. Chrysanthemums seem to have the edge in commercial sales with their white, yellow, pink, bronze, rust, or violet blooms. There are many hardy varieties of mums but the ones we buy in full bud in autumn frequently do not survive our winters. Mums are shallow rooted and it is difficult to get them established in the fall. The bushel basket types many people use to spruce up autumn planters and doorways are beautiful but their beauty fades after a few weeks. With care they can be wintered over in a well drained protected area, but many are treated as annuals.
For longevity, you need to plant perennial asters in springtime. Annual asters are colorful and can be grown from seed or starts for summer blooms but do not return for future performances.
Perennial asters are much tougher and seem to weather all types of soils, partial shade and weather.
Varieties can be found to grow from the tiny white Aster 'Snow Flurries' to the giant lavender blue Russian variety, Aster tatarica, topping out at 3′ to 4′. In between these extremes, there are many blue, pink and white varieties including A. 'Wood's Blue' at 12" or more. New England and New York asters have been hybridized in many shades of red, white, blues and violet and one is A. novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'. It has dark purple flowers in late summer and early fall in a dense mounded shape about 24"-30" tall. If your plant grows too tall, cut back the aster stems by one half in early July to produce a more compact plant. A very special aster is the aromatic aster called October Skies. The blue daisy-like flowers are a sight to behold.
Aster frikartii-Monch is a dependable older variety, very erect and a blue flower with a yellow center. The New York aster 'Professor Kippenburg is also a blue daisy.
Autumn might be red and gold foliage but asters are dependable companions.


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Q: How to scan by ColumnPrefixFilter with SingleColumnValueFilter and get all columns? We have hbase table and I need to scan through it. I have to find all rows where one particular column has exact value and exists other column with exact prefix.
Something like:
SingleColumnValueFilter filterA =
                new SingleColumnValueFilter(COLUMN_FAMILY, COLUMN_1, CompareFilter.CompareOp.EQUAL, Bytes.toBytes(2L));
Filter filterB = new ColumnPrefixFilter(COLUMN_2_PREFIX);

FilterList filterList = new FilterList(FilterList.Operator.MUST_PASS_ALL);
filterList.addFilter(filterA);
filterList.addFilter(filterB);
Scan scan = new Scan();
scan.setFilter(filterList);

Individually filters work perfect. filterA returns rows where COLUMN_1 has the value 2L. filterB returns rows where COLUMN_2 exists. But together they return nothing.
So can I combine this filters together? Or I do smth wrong?
Second question with the same condition: can I use ColumnPrefixFilter and get all columns. I mean to find rows where COLUMN_2 exists and get all other columns too?

A: I found partly decision. I can use QualifierFilter instead of ColumnPrefixFilter. And it works:
Filter filterB = new QualifierFilter(CompareFilter.CompareOp.EQUAL, new BinaryPrefixComparator(COLUMN_2_PREFIX));

I get rows with one column COLUMN_2. But I still strongly need to get all columns, not only one I filtered by.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home Life & Faithfeature articles Keeping Jesus in the conversation
Keeping Jesus in the conversation
How to best engage in tough talk
Vaccinations. Politics. LGBTQ+. Views of the Bible. These are some of the issues dividing Christians—including Mennonite Brethren—today.
The temptation, says David Fitch, is to see the other side as the enemy and to divide into antagonistic sides.
"We need to listen to one another and engage charitably with others' positions," says Fitch, keynote speaker at the Equip Mini 2021: Engaging in Healthy Conversations Around Difficult Topics in the Church, the November 19-20 event for pastors and church leaders.
The goal, he says, should be to "lean in with a posture of humility, expecting that the Spirit has something to teach us. We may not always agree on everything, but we trust that the Spirit will give guidance."
Born in Owen Sound, Ontario, and raised in Hamilton—he's a bit Tiger Cats fan—Fitch is the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary Chicago, IL and founding pastor of Life on the Vine Christian Community, a missional church in a suburb of that city.
When Christians are faced with challenging issues, he says, they should find a way to talk about them.
It should be done in a way "where Jesus is the centre and is bringing us clarity and goodness and also challenge and transformation amongst the hurts, the pains and the conflicts," he says.
One of the best ways to do this is through what he calls the "social sacrament"—eating together.
"That was one of Christ's ways to listen, having a meal with the most despised person in the culture," he says. "He would eat and spend time with the hurting and wounded. When we do that, Christ promises to be present among us."
He knows it won't always be easy; nobody likes conflict.
But "conflict is an opportunity for Jesus to work, to move us toward the future," Fitch says, adding when Christians "listen and hear each other, they can see the power and presence of Christ, how he works to reshape our imagination, heal wounds and restore relationships."
Key to this is how people approach challenging issues.
"Sometimes we want to declare who is right and who is wrong before any conversations have even happened," he says.
Christians also need to evaluate how they use the Bible when there is conflict.
"We need to read the Bible together, not use it as a blunt instrument to win an argument," he says.
At the same time this is taking place, the church is finding itself in the context of wider shifts in culture in North America that have occurred over the past 50 or so years.
For a long time, Christians were used to "being in power, being respected, not being challenged," he says. "But the rug has completely been pulled out from under our feet."
That included having the larger culture reflect their beliefs and values, he says, noting there was a time in the U.S. and Canada when the church "enforced Christian morality on TV, movies, music, medicine, education, and politics."
That's not the case today; for many older Christians, this has led to anxiety and uncertainty. "It's a foreign world for them," he says.
But for their children and grandchildren who grew up in this new world, this is their reality—and it is leading to conflict and misunderstanding.
"Younger Christians were raised in a different culture, they have a different framework," he says of how older and younger people often see issues differently.
When church leaders won't allow discussion about issues that concern younger people, or that are settled for them—things like LGBTQ+ or social justice—they can become "disillusioned and walk away from the church," he says.
For Fitch, that would be a huge loss. What's needed, he says, are leaders who will listen and help the church through the various challenges and conflicts.
Fortunately, he says, those leaders are emerging.
"There are new leaders asking how we can follow Jesus in a whole way of life that engages the world," he says. "That's the future of the church."
Cost of Equip, which is sponsored by the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, is $39. For more information, or to register, visit equip.mennonitebrethren.ca
John Longhurst
John Longhurst is a freelance writer in Winnipeg.
Rick Block November 14, 2021 - 22:24
Thanks John for highlighting these important issues in our current context. Its a helpful article for all (laypersons too) who wish to see the church remain responsive, relevant and prophetic in our world today.
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Obituary: Lawrence F. Plaisted
HAMPDEN - Lawrence F. Plaisted, 78, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2019 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He ...
Lawrence F. Plaisted
HAMPDEN – Lawrence F. Plaisted, 78, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2019 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He died at the home of his former wife, Judith Smith, while in the care of Judy and Alicia. Lawrence was born Feb. 7, 1941 in Gardiner, the son of Norman A. and Beryle I. (Jones) Plaisted, of North Jay.
Lawrence graduated from Jay High School in 1959. Following graduation, Lawrence enrolled at Farmington State Teachers College where he earned his bachelor's degree. Later, he completed his master's degree in administration from the University of Maine, Farmington. Over the span of his 28 year career, he worked as a teacher and principal in many area schools. In 1960, Lawrence married Judith A. Smith of East Jay. They raised their three children, Kenneth Scott, Andrew Charles, and Alicia Irene.
Larry and Judy built Swimland Pools Inc., a small family business. Together, they taught family values through hard work, employing many of the teaching community and youth of Hampden. They sponsored several youth organizations such as Little League. As a family, they enjoyed snowmobile trips to Nahmakanta Lake, hiking Katahdin, and family camping trips across the state of Maine and Canada. Together, they opened their doors to all neighborhood kids, fostering a sense of family that so many still talk about today. Lawrence loved old cars including his 1956 Ford Thunderbird. Lawrence was a member of the Lions Club of Bath, Kiwanis of Hampden, Hampden Snowmobile Club, and Hampden Academy Boosters Club. He opened Uncle Larry's Ice Cream and Movie store as well.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his oldest sister, Norma J. (Rice) Gould of Auburn.
Surviving, in addition to his former wife, Judith A. Smith, are his children: son, Kenneth Scott and his family, son, Andrew and Wendy Plaisted and their children, Cooper, Taylor, Olivia and Grace, and his daughter, Alicia Plaisted; Lawrence's sister, Elizabeth and her husband, John; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins; long-time best friend, Paul Whitney and many close, loyal friends.
The family would like to acknowledge the amazing and compassionate care he received from Beacon Hospice and St. Joseph Hospice as well as special caregivers Abbie Hyson, Carrie Bailey and Tina Saucier-Desjarlais.
Friends and family are welcome to call 2-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, May 14, at the Hampden-Gilpatrick Chapel of Brookings-Smith, 45 Western Avenue, Hampden, where a funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 15. Relatives and friends are invited to share conversation and refreshments immediately following the service.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
Those who wish to remember Lawrence in a special way may make gifts in his memory to the
Maine Parkinson's Society Support Group of Bangor
146 Parkway South
Brewer, ME 04412
Obituary: Kathleen Andrea "Kitty" Fellows
Obituary: Judith "Judy" Anne Iler


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Q: How to UPDATE from within an INSERT trigger in MySQL? What other approach can I take? I've the following trigger which is really bugging me.
I want to do an UPDATE inside the trigger, but MySQL doesn't allow it, since the statement "triggering" the trigger refer to the participants table.
What can I do in order to make it work? I've considered stored procedures, but they are also forbidden in this case.
The logic is: I've a table with participants in a meeting. The invariant that people from the 'tap' group should always accept the invitation if someone from the 'vip' group is attending. In this case, if a 'vip' is attending the meeting I must UPDATE all 'tap' attendances, but how is this possible???
DELIMITER $$

CREATE TRIGGER tap_meet_vip
BEFORE INSERT ON participants
FOR EACH ROW BEGIN
    IF (NEW.pid IN (SELECT userid FROM people WHERE `group` = 'vip')) THEN  # new participant is a member of the vip group
        UPDATE participants SET `status` = 'a' WHERE pid IN (SELECT userid FROM people WHERE `group` = 'tap') AND meetid = NEW.meetid ; # update status to `accept` of all tap group participants
    ELSEIF (NEW.pid IN (SELECT userid FROM people WHERE `group` = 'tap') AND EXISTS (SELECT * FROM participants INNER JOIN people ON pid = userid WHERE `group` = 'vip')) THEN # new participant is a member of the tap group and meeting has vip participant
        SET NEW.`status` = 'a';
    END IF;
END;$$

The above is written using MySQL and the version is 5.6.

A: It seems that you can't do all this in a trigger. Trigger is already locked the table so update statement can't get the lock. According to the mysql:

Within a stored function or trigger, it is not permitted to modify a
  table that is already being used (for reading or writing) by the
  statement that invoked the function or trigger

So you can create a stored procedure, that inserts into/Updates the target table, then updates the other row(s), all in a transaction. With a stored proc you'll manually commit the changes (insert and update).
DROP PROCEDURE IF EXIST marks;
DELIMITER $$
CREATE PROCEDURE marks(IN marks INT)
BEGIN
     INSERT INTO first VALUES(marks);
END $$
DELIMITER ;

START TRANSACTION;
INSERT INTO first VALUES (16);
CALL marks(18);
COMMIT;


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Well above average character studies put this drama a few notches above the norm.
Released in 2002, certified UK-15. Reviewed on 01 May 2003 by Scott Morris
A film opening with the sound effects of a dog being beaten is one that can't help but grab your attention, and through dint of effort and charisma displayed by an exemplary cast it manages to a fairly good job of sustaining it throughout the fairly lengthy 135 minute running time.
Monty Brogan (Ed Norton) happens upon the poor mutt, and is impressed with it's determination to live even after a 'pounding'. He resolves to get the snarling injured beast to a vet, much to the chagrin of his portly Russian mafia friend, Kostya. The point of it all is to show that Monty's a really nice guy. A really, really nice guy. Assuming of course you ignore his drug dealing.
The D.E.A. choose not to ignore his drug dealing, busting his pasty white ass after finding a few sizeable bricks of heroin inside Monty's sofa. Due to New York's harsh drugs laws, he's sentenced to a seven-year stretch in an overcrowded prison, where it seems more than likely that he'll be picking up a lot of soap in the showers, if you get my drift. This no doubt contributes greatly to his current distracted, near suicidal state. All this is told in a flashback while sitting on said sofa with his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson). This is yet another non-linear timeline story, but the flashbacks and reminisces here are far more appropriate than the way it's normally shoehorned into stories unnecessarily by directors struggling to make their tepid source material seem a little deeper (see Daredevil).
Monty has grown increasingly distant with Naturelle, for reasons she isn't quite sure of. Despite his morose mood, he's going out for one last night on the town with his friends, ending with a requested meeting in a trendy mob-run nightclub with local kingpin Senka. He has one other person to see before this hectic night though, his father.
You may be wondering how Monty is allowed to wander about despite already being found guilty. His father, James (Brian Cox, who is also seemingly in every film around at the moment) an ex-fireman, now bar owner, has bailed him out on a bond until he's due to start his sentence. James blames himself for Monty's predicament, blaming his own drinking and loss of his wife for rendering him incapable of helping once Monty started running with the Russian mobsters and pushing drugs. Monty pooh-poohs this, saying he knew what he was getting into. While visiting the men's room, he goes on a (imagined) rant against New York and the world in general to an audience of a mirror in one of the defining scenes of the movie. Norton reminds us again of why he's probably this generation's finest actor in this tirade against his friends, Koreans, Puerto Ricans, Irish, Arabs, Jews and every conceivable minority before ending at the true target of his hatred, himself. He knows he had it all, and threw it away.
Monty heads out to see his friends, who are already waiting in the bar. Jakob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a struggling high school teacher, with a severe case of guilt over being the son of wealthy Jewish parents. Jakob seems emotionally stunted, and is growing worryingly obsessed with one of his students Mary (Anna Paquin, who you may know better as Rouge off X-Men>). Quite why is baffling, Jakob later admits to Frank that she isn't beautiful in the classical sense, and is portrayed variously as dumb, slutty, ditsy and hopped up on goofballs, none of which seemed particularly attractive.
Frank Slaughtery(Barry Pepper) is poles apart from Jakob. He's a stylish, high-flying Wall Street broker with a high rise apartment which overlooks Ground Zero, allowing Frank and Jakob to have a conversation concerning it over the course of which we learn nothing bar that it happened. Frank has a more realistic view on what happens in Monty's future that Jakob. Frank knows that if he goes in, Monty will never come out, certainly not in a form that any of his friends would recognise. Frank and Jakob were all too well aware of how Monty was making his living, and feel the same guilt that James and Naturelle do over Monty's situation. They could have perhaps stepped in and told him to stop, but chose the path of least resistance and let him continue down his path.
While Frank and Jakob are waiting, Jakob clumsily explains his plight, using the 'I have this friend...' method, which is always doomed to failure. Frank shoots down his declarations of love, telling him to wait a while. Frank gets most of the snappy oneliners in the film ('Who are you, R-Kelly?', 'I'm Irish, I can't get drunk'), which is necessary to bring a touch of levity to a film which could easily have become a chore to watch, being heavily based on character interaction in the absence of any escapable crisis. Monty's resigned to going to jail, this film is just about his (and his friends') reaction to it.
That seems to sell it short, as it's a very well executed film. Despite a minor subplot about how the D.E.A. knew exactly where the drugs are, there's no promise of any action packed finale, just a nice series of character studies and the believable interaction between them. All of the relationships here are so well written that it does seem like Hoffman and Pepper grew up together, and that they care for Norton as a brother would. The last favour that Monty asks of Frank is shocking and fairly brutal, and the execution of the act manages to show a great deal of compassion despite the incongruous nature of it.
It's not perfect, though. We never see Monty pushing crack to kids or peddling any of his foul wares, because that would get in the way of him being a nice young man and how awful it is that he's going to jail. Given that the film is devoted to Monty's last night of freedom before incarceration it seems odd that it doesn't show and of his misdemeanours that landed him there in any detail. Not that it hurts the movie as this is not a tale of redemption, but it's a little disingenuous to continually have people talk about how darn nice he is with only Frank pointing out that his apartment and suchlike were paid for by the misery of others, and Monty only showing remorse due to being caught, rather than ashamed.
It's perhaps not surprising that mention is made of the devastation of the towelhead attack on the Twin Towers, given Spike Lees noted affiliation with the city. Presumably it's an attempt to show how New Yorkers feel about the tragedy, but at best it merely gets in the way of the real story. At worst, it could be viewed as a cynical attempt to give Monty's plight a little more tragic overtone by hooking it up to a bona fide horror story. I found it more of the former than the latter, just annoying rather than disgusting. Nothing of substance is said about 9-11, the only exception being Monty's inclusion of it in his rant against the world. Even then it just portrays anger towards Al-Quieda, both predictable and understandable, but says nothing about the city's healing process. Perhaps there isn't one. Only those that live there, or were affected by 9-11 are placed to comment about this, and I am not.
Spike Lee has chosen a strange method normally only seen in Van Damme films after delivering that jumping spin kick he always does, repeating said event a few times over for additional impact, but in this case it's for far more mundane situations, such as hugging. It's a disconcerting and jarring error in an otherwise slickly directed affair. Going to a 135 minute running time is a brave move in a film with nearly no action, and it almost pulls it off. I admit, to my shame, that my attention did wander for about ten minutes near the end, so perhaps it's a touch too long.
It's all about relationships in the end, in this film as in life. And 25th Hour delivers a compelling, believable account of five people struggling with their own situations and how it affects the others. The ending resolves any questions brought up in the start while in effect letting you invent your own version of Monty's fate. Brian Cox narrates one version with passion and empathy showing why he's considered one of the best voice actors in the business, in addition to his fine acting reputation.
In the final analysis it has a few niggles which drop it down from a classic status, and the seemingly pointless referencing of 9-11 will date it badly as time passes. That and a few very minor niggles aside, this is a polished, well-told tale that sticks within some well defined boundaries without ever resorting to the string of clich?s it could so easily have been.
Were I in the business of passing quantifiable judgements, I'd award this 4/5 TippyMarks.
Edward Norton (Monty Brogan)
Barry Pepper (Frank Slaughtery)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Jakob Elinsky)
Rosario Dawson (Naturelle Rivera)
Anna Paquin (Mary D'Annunzio)
Brian Cox (James Brogan)
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