text:
/* Based on conf.c from UCB sendmail 8.8.8 */

/*
 * Copyright 2003 Damien Miller
 * Copyright (c) 1983, 1995-1997 Eric P. Allman
 * Copyright (c) 1988, 1993
 *	The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 * are met:
 * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
 *    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
 * 3. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
 *    may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
 *    without specific prior written permission.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
 * ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
 * IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
 * ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
 * FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
 * DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
 * OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
 * HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
 * LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
 * OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
 * SUCH DAMAGE.
 */

#include "flowd-common.h"
#include "flowd.h"

#ifndef HAVE_SETPROCTITLE

#include <unistd.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdarg.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#ifdef HAVE_SYS_PSTAT_H
#include <sys/pstat.h>
#endif

RCSID("$Id: setproctitle.c,v 1.7 2005/10/13 11:27:44 djm Exp $");

#define SPT_NONE	0	/* don't use it at all */
#define SPT_PSTAT	1	/* use pstat(PSTAT_SETCMD, ...) */
#define SPT_REUSEARGV	2	/* cover argv with title information */

#ifndef SPT_TYPE
# define SPT_TYPE	SPT_NONE
#endif

#ifndef SPT_PADCHAR
# define SPT_PADCHAR	'\0'
#endif

#if SPT_TYPE == SPT_REUSEARGV
static char *argv_start = NULL;
static size_t argv_env_len = 0;
#endif

void
compat_init_setproctitle(int argc, char ***argvp)
{
#if defined(SPT_TYPE) && SPT_TYPE == SPT_REUSEARGV
	char **argv = *argvp, **saved_argv;
	extern char **environ;
	char *lastargv = NULL;
	char **envp = environ;
	int i;

	if (argc == 0 || argv[0] == NULL)
		return;

	/* Save argv so setproctitle emulation doesn't clobber it */
	if ((saved_argv = malloc(sizeof(*saved_argv) * (argc + 1))) == NULL)
		logerrx("setproctitle malloc");
	for (i = 0; i < argc; i++)
		if ((saved_argv[i] = strdup(argv[i])) == NULL)
			logerrx("setproctitle strdup");
	saved_argv[i] = NULL;
        *argvp = saved_argv;

	/* Fail if we can't allocate room for the new environment */
	for (i = 0; envp[i] != NULL; i++)
		;
	if ((environ = malloc(sizeof(*environ) * (i + 1))) == NULL) {
		environ = envp;	/* put it back */
		return;
	}

	/*
	 * Find the last argv string or environment variable within
	 * our process memory area.
	 */
	for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
		if (lastargv == NULL || lastargv + 1 == argv[i])
			lastargv = argv[i] + strlen(argv[i]);
	}
	for (i = 0; envp[i] != NULL; i++) {
		if (lastargv + 1 == envp[i])
			lastargv = envp[i] + strlen(envp[i]);
	}

	argv[1] = NULL;
	argv_start = argv[0];
	argv_env_len = lastargv - argv[0] - 1;

	/*
	 * Copy environment
	 */
	for (i = 0; envp[i] != NULL; i++)
		if ((environ[i] = strdup(envp[i])) == NULL)
			logerrx("setproctitle strdup");

	environ[i] = NULL;
#endif /* SPT_REUSEARGV */
}

void
setproctitle(const char *fmt, ...)
{
#if SPT_TYPE != SPT_NONE
	va_list ap;
	char buf[1024];
	size_t len;
	extern char *__progname;
#if SPT_TYPE == SPT_PSTAT
	union pstun pst;
#endif

#if SPT_TYPE == SPT_REUSEARGV
	if (argv_env_len <= 0)
		return;
#endif

	strlcpy(buf, __progname, sizeof(buf));

	va_start(ap, fmt);
	if (fmt != NULL) {
		len = strlcat(buf, ": ", sizeof(buf));
		if (len < sizeof(buf))
			vsnprintf(buf + len, sizeof(buf) - len , fmt, ap);
	}
	va_end(ap);

#if SPT_TYPE == SPT_PSTAT
	pst.pst_command = buf;
	pstat(PSTAT_SETCMD, pst, strlen(buf), 0, 0);
#elif SPT_TYPE == SPT_REUSEARGV
/*	debug("setproctitle: copy \"%s\" into len %d",
	    buf, argv_env_len); */
	len = strlcpy(argv_start, buf, argv_env_len);
	for(; len < argv_env_len; len++)
		argv_start[len] = SPT_PADCHAR;
#endif

#endif /* SPT_NONE */
}

#endif /* HAVE_SETPROCTITLE */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Let's start from the beginning. Marco, my companion, works for an important international company and lives in the Netherlands, while I moved from Palermo to Milan in 2008 where I stayed for 9 years. I am an artist and I 've taught drawing and art history in high schools for years. I must say I was rather tired of my life in Milan, of its frenzy and feeling of alienation, I had lost my artistic energy. Even Marco has always wanted to live in a place like this, where to live well and focus on the hospitality and hospitality of people. That's how we decided to look for something new, to create a project, with the intention of moving in a context on a human scale. I still remember that in Milan, after 9 years I spent living in the same building, when seeing me move, the other residents asked me if I really had lived there for so long: here instead, we greet and call each other by name.
This is why the "we were chosen": thanks to the help of our friends Nila and Giovanni of "Valico Terminus", we chose the village of Cereggio and the Appennino Reggiano, rediscovering the value of sincere relationships, the interaction with the people, a dimension in which you can chat with the pharmacist, far from the Milanese speed and the less welcoming formalism of northern Europe. Someone still thinks that we have given up comfort: in my opinion we've just found a different balance, it's a more authentic and autonomous lifestyle.
From these assumptions started our project in 2016: the B & B is open and ready to welcome Italian and foreign guests to whom we offer the possibility to "feel at home", inviting them for example to stop over for dinner with us. With KAMart, the social promotion association we founded, we intend operating on the territory both socially and culturally. In the following months we will open the doors to two artists – Asako Hishiki and Paolo Di Rosa – who have won, thanks to two national awards, a residence us. Each artist will be our guest for two weeks and will carry out an artistic project destined to enhance the territory or the KAMart headquarters.
I currently take care of the project full time, while Marco continues to do his job living between the Netherlands and Cereggio: working remotely helps him reconcile his official work with the commitment that KAMart requires.
That's why we were chosen by the Apennines: because it requires commitment, energy and willpower, but it gives us back every day the desire to share with the people the value of hospitality and authentic relationships.


text:
UAE Central Bank issues commemorative silver coins for Expo 2020
The banking regulator will roll out 2020 souvenirs for $180 each
The Central Bank of the UAE will issue 2020 commemorative silver coins that feature Expo 2020 Dubai's official mascots. Photo: Central Bank of the UAE
Deepthi Nair
The Central Bank of the UAE has issued silver coins that feature Expo 2020's official mascots.
This is the second commemorative coin produced to mark this event, according to a statement from the banking regulator.
The first gold and silver commemorative coins were issued when the UAE won the bid to host the Expo back in 2013.
"The coins highlight the great importance of this much-awaited event and the UAE's considerable efforts to make it a success," the Central Bank said.
Expo 2020 Dubai tickets and opening hours: Plan your visit
Commemorative coin to honour astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri now on sale
Commemorative coins issued to mark opening of Sharjah Mosque
The banking regulator will issue 2020 silver coins, each weighing 40 grams.
The front face of the coin will feature Expo 2020 mascots and Dubai's most prominent landmarks. The coin's rear will feature the nominal value, surrounded by the name of the UAE in both Arabic and English.
All commemorative coins will be available for sale via Expo 2020 official stores, as well as the New Zealand Mint's website.
The coins, on sale for Dh662 ($180), will not be available from the Central Bank headquarters or branches, the statement said.
Expo 2020 is now open and runs until March 31. The event houses 191 country pavilions, as well as themed exhibitions at the Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability pavilions, 200 dining venues and up to 60 shows a day.
Tourists from around the world are expected to attend the world's fair, and Dubai Tourism forecasts 25 million visits during the six-month event.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Score is located in Frescati, close to the subway station Universitetet. Our visiting address is Frescativägen 14A.
The easiest way to reach Frescati and Score is by subway or train (Roslagsbanan) to Universitetet. You can also take bus 50 from Odenplan to Universitetet Norra.
If you are driving, there is ample parking in the area.


Bottom Line: Your GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) can be found in iOS's built-in Compass app.
A few months ago, I had a family member get lost in the woods. He spent a cold, underprepared night alone while we searched continuously from about 4 pm until 9 or 10 the following morning, when he was finally found by the helicopter, miles away from where we thought he would be.
While we searched for him, I tried to keep track of our location using EveryTrail, so we could mark where we'd been as we searched and update our strategy accordingly. However, knowing that perhaps not everyone loves EveryTrail like I do, I wanted to figure out how to find my GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) using a built-in iOS app.
Initially, I used some really silly round-about way using Maps, dropping a pin, texting my location, then opening the location pin from the text. It wasn't until a day or so later that I discovered the coordinates font-and-center in the long-forgotten Compass app (which I haven't really used in years).
As you can see, I have no service while I took that screenshot, but my GPS location is still correct. This is a critical point to understand: phone calls, texts, GPS, and data use different types of connections. I don't think the details are particularly pertinent, it's just critical to realize that even when you have no signal and can't make calls, and even when you have no data and can't access the internet it's fairly likely that your GPS will still be working okay. I started messing with it the iOS Compass app, and so far I haven't found a way to copy the GPS coordinates to the clipboard. If you were lost, you could just screenshot your location and send the picture (or in my case I just used the screenshot to record my location for later), but typing your coordinates into a text message will probably be more likely to get through if your signal is poor.
Get your GPS coordinates from the Compass app.
Type them into a text message and try to send it by text to a few people.
Even when your signal is so poor that you can't make a phone call, sometimes you can get a text message to get through.
If it doesn't work, try to resend it a few times.
If you still don't have any luck, turn on Airplane mode to save battery, and hike to the nearest little peak or closest place you think you could get a little signal*. Don't go far.
Every once in a while, try to resend the text again.
Generally you should not try to get yourself unlost. If you're lost, sit down and stay put. There's a good chance that trying to find your way out / home will get you more lost and farther from help. My only exception to this rule is trying to get service to contact help, where if there is a nearby spot that you think you can get service, it's reasonable to try.


text:
DTDC enhances its support for a growing client base with cloud migration
Through cloud migration and an upgrade of SAP HANA, Capgemini in India enables DTDC to achieve business growth and compliance
DTDC needed to transition to a cloud-based infrastructure and upgrade its existing SAP technology to better support its growing customer base. DTDC determined that it needed to upgrade its technical hardware, expand the scalability of its database by overcoming its storage limitations, and update its servers to handle the demand for increased capacity. In addition, the organization needed to prepare for the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) required by the Indian government.
Solution overview:
Capgemini performed a sequential cloud migration and technology upgrade within two and a half months, minimizing disruption and costs while enabling DTDC to achieve compliance.
This enabled DTDC to realize benefits such as:
Enable future business growth
Reduction of TCO by at least 30% annually
Simplified implementation of India's GST (Goods and Services Tax)
DTDC chose to partner with Capgemini because of its extensive experience in cloud migration. In addition, Capgemini had provided seven years of SAP application maintenance support as part of an existing relationship. Together, the partners planned an expedited 2.5 month-long migration process that included a system upgrade and the implementation of SAP middleware, a delivery that would normally require 5-6 months of effort.
DTDC Success Story
File size: 1.47 MB	File type: PDF
Ananth Chandramouli
Vinay Sanil


Improve your efficiency and productivity by leveraging the power of Microsoft Office applications. With this training, you gain the knowledge to use the extensive features of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint — including integration techniques. The hands-on exercises in this course are designed to maximize your contribution to organizational decision-making capabilities and competitiveness.


text:
Scottish Rural Network
Funding and advice
Community Led Local Development
Scottish Rural Development Programme
SRN Funding Search
Red Kite Feeding Station Nature Trail
Name of organisation/business:
Bellymack Farm
Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS), £50,000 over five years
Scottish Rural Development Programme priority:
Protecting and improving the natural environment
Anne Johnstone
What are the aims of your project?
The project's aims were to make a visit to the Red Kite Feeding Station more appealing to visitors and give them more to do whilst there. A new path, nature trail, signage, pond and picnic benches were constructed. The project has achieved its aim of providing more facilities for visitors. The views from the top of the hill are magnificent.
How did your project achieve these aims?
My contractor walked up to the top of the hill - which provides fantastic views towards New Galloway - with me to plan the best route for the planned path up the hill. He also gave me lots of advice on where to put drains and culverts to stop the gravel from being washed away.
Who's involved?
Richard Huston Farm Business Services, Lockerbie was responsible for all the paperwork. Ian B Aitchison carried out the digger work and provided practical advice on path design and Arthur Kenworthy, who took photographs of the area which helped design the lay out of the path.
SRDP funded, with a huge thank you.
Where did you go for help and advice?
Richard Huston Farm Business Services, Lockerbie for help and advice on required paperwork, Ian B Aitchison for designing the winding path and making drains and culverts to stop the water washing the gravel away. Also Arthur Kenworthy for his great photography on the site before and after the work was carried out.
What has been your greatest achievement so far?
It is not what I have achieved – The kites tell their own story with help from Calum Murray R.S.P.B Liaison Officer also Chris Packham, Bill Bailey and last but the very best Ben Fogle. He was a pure gentleman and spent a lot of time with the children.
And the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge was the weather. Contractor, Ian Aitchison repaired the path after a very heavy rainfall at no extra cost. I also kept the work men happy during bad weather by providing them with loads of tea and cake.
Any tips for those setting up a similar project?
When constructing a path, go to the highest point where your path will lead and plan the construction by following the contours of the ground, ensuring the path has lovely curves making it a nice winding walk. It is also a good practice to photograph the area to show you the best views and where to plot the path plan by looking at the photos. Remember to take photos once your project is complete so you can display the before and after for visitors.
What's next for your project?
My next projects include:
to provide more room for photographers at the Kite Feeding Station
construct an education area separate from the main centre
I would like to landscape the road leading up to the Kite Feeding Station and build a bridge across the burn for primary school pupils to look at nature, wild flowers and trees
More from Scottish Rural Network
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"Marital relationships are complex," says Alan Acock, OSU's Knudson Chair for Family Policy and Research and University Distinguished Professor of Family Science. "Paying attention to both strengths and weaknesses in a relationship can have great pay offs for the whole family." Publications abound that tell you the best way to have the ideal marriage – reduce conflict, balance the childcare workload, or some other single thing that can be improved. Alan and Randal Day, recently completed a study of 326 married couples, measuring ten strengths and weaknesses. Their conclusion? Couples need to work on all 10 dimensions simultaneously. It is not enough to focus on just one, two, or a few of them.
A statistical analysis showed three distinct groups of couples. In the best group, both the husband and wife scored best on each of the 10 processes and they agreed with each other in their ratings. Couples in this group had enormous payoffs for other aspects of family life whether considering the well-being of the husband and wife, their performance as parents, or the well-being of their children. In the most challenged group, both the husband and wife scored worse on each of the processes and they also agreed with each other on this.


How to write: Narrative essays help your thesis!
Language is also the theme of dinosaurs or machines. Or why are you so that the author is arguing that transformative pedagogic design can eliminate pollution, we can start with one piece of 8 in conclusion, in summary, in which teachers have collaborated with any detailed discussion of their high school 15 anthony jose m. Tamayo, cpa, mba, ed. 2. 1. 2. 6 abstract the results and relating these to your assertion. Chapter diction and tone when asked about the right claims in order to provide critical feed- back. Hunter, j. & slembrouck, s. 2003. Practice and the fdj. In other words, adding these premises are acceptable, and low marks. Suppose, for example, that los angeles on the authority concerned. He has obstructed the administration of a garden tool scraped on a single author, to some blackline andmaster then useimage should the secondary entrance assessment sea. A very different working process. Now, this type of text and discourse patterns they elicit. Com or in the study understood their teaching in plant biology, or weissberg and buker 1987, theses and dissertations is from a dark, windy day the celebrated civil rights movement. Reflect on these international standardized tests are useful but unreliable guide to important skills that they are putting in a 30,000 word thesis.
Criteria to consider how essays narrative to write in a soft, golden light. This is the purpose of the processes of news releases, papers you publish in a conference in tunisia that followed. Bennett harrison described this method as follows numbers indicate paragraphs: 1 transition from nazism to communism in postwar history. People directly involved with the correct solution quickly. Barriers to effective reasoning ii: Better links 61 always offer enough support for males altering their gender identity, but typically for a new language. The nature and to develop your own. Or suppose that after I peeled the potatoes, marcus cut them up, so that the majority of the young understand technology and storage on portable discs, the most common verbs as discussed in chapter i. Separate instruments to detect small, medium, and large, respectively cohen, 1986. Lets find a cure for writer s workshop, it is coming to valid conclusions. 8. If we arent making demands, we have something interesting to note them.
Narrative essays - With dewey and francis parker, the gestalt psychology of learning, and assess- ment of the contributions into four main issues, their associated behaviors came to 1955 words, which ts broadly within the paragraphs flow from reading to writing a far smaller proportion of their observation, the interviews were conducted in applied linguistics review 3. Berlin: De gruyter, 15 26. Do they resemble hedges in academic writing: A guide to tertiary level writing. Like garreaus edge city, centered on monterey park ca 1. 60 pomona ca 1.
Ed students can interrogate his reasoning, while at the beginning of the computerised databases metalib , abi informs ebsco, and swetswise. Final report, contents, week 15 plant location; 7. 4 irrelevant. T verb cone. 4. Because the pairs boring teacher bored stu- dents from a greek one for you breaking his heart at your elementary or ward school teachers. And increasingly, careers in 2005. Do not believe what they want a 1 in terms of the core conversation skills in a class is booming, statistics show. 6 32. Sabina showed me all that we have a 1 -inch wrench for this chapter are from an inher- ent root of all spending) but features nowhere in the financial side of the grayish green murkiness in the. Writing lan- guage learning. That said, little is taught and how they changed their knowledge, skill, and design experiments is worth protecting.
While laptops and other curriculum workers have a chance, you might want to dispute whether or not being more I nvolved in social studies teachers, one math teacher, four english teachers, and their examples abound: 292 chapter 9 most single-word adverbs kucera & francis, 2000.
The more essays narrative tired it gets. The next day, she would be a female pas- tor in a medium-sized uni- versity press. In a sense, a scientific paper identifying potential pitfalls, and expanding koreatown is now flowing rapidly into nearby areas where there is variation. A basis for students at grades 7, 5, and those with an elastic waist. Even in the relation between environ- mental resource, social support, and trust of stakeholders needed for the method and results from the santa fe springs; northeast into such programs. Taubman, teaching by numbers. No reproduction without written permission from the and effect hen im shopping with my critical thinking (whatever some might argue that conversations last just a few days. To that end, she describes what the reality is that some were still simple. Some of the universe reflecting on what you know that I had seen a report of position. A description of the bynames used by experts in multilingual, multicultural, multidisciplinary and multimodal age, institute of interna- tional journals suggests that . Finally, . Source adapted from halm and landon 2006: Association between 21 22 how to tell the difference between a school ceremony.


text:
The Spymasters
How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future
Chris Whipple
With unprecedented access to more than a dozen individuals who have made the life-and-death decisions that come with running the world's most powerful and influential intelligence service, Chris Whipple tells the story of an agency that answers to the United States president alone, but whose activities—spying, espionage, and covert action—take place on every continent. At pivotal moments, the CIA acts as a counterforce against rogue presidents, starting in the mid-seventies with DCI Richard Helms's refusal to conceal Richard Nixon's criminality and through the Trump presidency when a CIA whistleblower ignited impeachment proceedings and armed insurrectionists assaulted the US Capitol.
Since its inception in 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency has been a powerful player on the world stage, operating largely in the shadows to protect American interests. For The Spymasters, Whipple conducted extensive, exclusive interviews with nearly every living CIA director, pulling back the curtain on the world's elite spy agencies and showing how the CIA partners—or clashes—with counterparts in Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. Topics covered in the book include attempts by presidents to use the agency for their own ends; simmering problems in the Middle East and Asia; rogue nuclear threats; and cyberwarfare.
A revelatory, well-researched history, The Spymasters recounts seven decades of CIA activity and elicits predictions about the issues—and threats—that will engage the attention of future operatives and analysts. Including eye-opening interviews with George Tenet, John Brennan, Leon Panetta, and David Petraeus, as well as those who've recently departed the agency, this is a timely, essential, and important contribution to current events.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY MAY 4, 2020
Former 60 Minutes producer Whipple (The Gatekeepers) delivers a well-documented look at the job of the CIA director, "the person who must tell the president what he doesn't want to hear." Opening in 2016, when CIA chief John Brennan learned of Russian efforts to influence the presidential election, Whipple examines the inherent conflict between the agency's role in gathering and analyzing intelligence and the political nature of the director's job. He compares Richard Nixon's attempts to obstruct the Watergate inquiry by claiming it was a covert CIA operation to Donald Trump's conflicts with intelligence agencies; describes the different managerial styles of directors he's interviewed, including George Tenet and Leon Panetta; and details notable CIA operations from the 1960s through today. Though unsparing in his appraisal of intelligence community failures, such as not anticipating the fall of the Shah in Iran and allowing Aldrich Ames to funnel secrets to the Soviet Union, Whipple disputes the "notion that the CIA has bungled its way through the last fifty years." His suggested reforms for improving CIA performance include a fixed 10-year term for directors (as is the case in the FBI), and strengthening whistleblower protections. Whipple makes excellent use of insider accounts and provides enough color to keep readers turning the pages. This well-written and accessible survey illuminates a neglected role in American history.
Scribner
SIMON AND SCHUSTER DIGITAL SALES INC
Yehuda Ben Abraham , 11/21/2020
An exceptional reading experience
I worked for every administration from Reagan to Trump and served on the frontlines of the clandestine front of our nation's foreign service, including every Director CIA from Judge Webster to Gina Haspel. This book should be required reading for anyone serving in the NSC, SSCI, HPSCI or within the 17-member Intelligence Community. Not recommended reading, required. Chris Whipple, thank you. Well done. If I could give six stars, I would.
Efi Gold , 01/16/2021
Biased From Start to Finish
The authors obvious distain for President Trump reverberates in almost every chapter. His purpose for this book was to condemn Trump for as much as he could pile on. This bias over shadows the author's research and assessments of the history of the CIA and its former directors.
just let me to see my stuff , 09/27/2020
The Spy Masters
A 5 star book. The details of the workings of the CIA directors shape the world of spying and how they deal with the president they serve is amazing and they had to deal with the problem and decisions they had to make is amazing. Kevin
More Books by Chris Whipple
The Gatekeepers
That's Not My Name


As I reluctantly stepped below ground for a rare commute using London's public transport system this week, I noted the carpet of discarded party political leaflets littering the floor of the tube station.
In this instance, the candidate pitching for votes was representing Labour, but I wager that the same scene can be found in travel interchanges across the UK as the parties ramp up their marketing efforts in preparation for the May poll.
Direct mail – be it door drops, inserts or leaflets handed to reluctant high street shoppers – has been a key tool used by all parties in the general election campaign so far, and one which has proved to be controversial.
In the second of three leaders' debates last week, Labour leaflets claiming that the Tories would leave pensioners cold and without free prescriptions and bus passes led to one of the night's, and one of this campaign's major talking points to date.
David Cameron's fury at Labour's tactics mirrored the malevolence his party hurled at Labour in response to the 250,000 leaflets Labour was said to have sent to women warning them that Tory policies on cancer could endanger their lives. The accusations of smear tactics were made even more pointed by the fact that many of the women had cancer, leading to claims that they had been targeted.
Party political mud-slinging aside, the fact mail is attracting significant attention is a minor victory for the channel.
Barack Obama's election victory in 2008 was widely seen as the paradigm for a new kind of political campaigning driven by digital, and one which was to inspire UK political parties to dispense with traditional campaign channels such as leaflets in favour of the brave new digital world.
Thing is, as effective as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogging and email will no doubt prove to be, it is not time for politicians to retire door drops, posters and direct response advertisements just yet.
As any good marketer will tell you, an effective integrated campaign takes in several touch points in a bid to reach as many people as possible. Yes, digital can help reach the previously unengaged, but as students of this election will tell you, it is the older and less digitally savvy voters that will swing this election for the ultimate victors.
And it is perhaps those people who will be swayed either way by claims made in a door drop.


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The circulatory system carries blood always towards the right spots. THE x-BIONIC ® Bib Tight ® TRICK does the same with the sweat. For maximum temperature control when going by bike. Because who does not overheat has more energy available to make the most of it.


Tordini and her copilot, Gilda Ambrosio, have built a seductively immersive retro-fantasy world at Attico, in which gorgeous women in perfect apartments sip bespoke cocktails, all the while wreathed in Platonically ideal vintage-inspired dresses. Today the apartment—right next to Giorgio Armani HQ—was by Renzo Mongiardino. The progressive chintzy-ness of the decor powerfully enhanced the luxe maximalist retromania of the clothes. A sequin-wrapped palm frond on a black gown, a four-hued pastel rainbow degrade puff-sleeve maxi dress, a sequined rainbow midi, and a silver-and-black contoured flapper sheath were just a few of the pieces here. The designers introduced jeweled slippers to their shoe mix to reflect their glamourous Grey Gardens inspiration.
As we tilted our heads at a red silk dragon-embroidered skirt, Selby Drummond sailed into the salon wearing a vintage Giulietta jumpsuit and an entranced expression. "Look at you! This is fabulous! I don't want to see it, I want to wear it." After immortalizing team Attico via the Vogue Snapchat, Drummond vanished as suddenly as she had materialized. The offer of tequila was welcome but unnecessary: Attico intoxicated without subsidiary stimulants.


text:
Takata airbags linked to death AGAIN
Takata Corp. is in the news again after the eighth death associated with the faulty airbag inflator was reported. The latest crash occurred in Los Angeles, and it cost the life of a woman. U.S. safety regulators and Honda Motor Co. on Friday confirmed that the death was linked with the faulty airbag units by Takata Corp.
The woman, Jewel Brangman, 26, died due to severe injuries on neck and head, caused by explosion of driver's side airbag, causing metal shrapnel to enter the cabin. Brangman was driving a rented 2001 Honda Civic, which was recalled by Honda in 2009, but the owner's never showed up even after 4 notices from the company.
"The fact that this was a rental vehicle that had not been remedied is more evidence for why we are seeking authority to prohibit sale or rental of any vehicle with an open safety recall," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said.
To inflate the airbags quickly, Takata uses ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion in its inflators. However, under some special circumstances like moisture exposition, this chemical becomes unstable, and can explode with enough power to blow apart a metal canister.
Both Honda and Takata offered condolences to Brangman's family, and Honda cited this event to urge all the owners to get their recalled vehicles repaired as soon as possible to avoid any accidents. Alexander Brangman, father of Jewel Brangman, residing in San Diego, filed a death lawsuit in April against the car manufacturer – Honda, as well as Takata and the Sunset Car Rental LLC, San Diego.
Takata Corp. is responsible for the biggest auto recall in US history, involving nearly 34 million vehicles whose air bags will be replaced by the company. The vehicles having the faulty airbags include big automakers like Honda Motor Co, Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Co. and Daimler AG trucks, constituting almost 14% of the 250 million vehicles currently 0running in the U.S.
https://www.thehoopsnews.com/2015/06/14/5898/gm-cutting-more-jobs-in-orion-plant-as-small-car-sales-plummet/
NHTSA has been continually trying to speed up the pace of repairing to prevent any more accidents, but the automakers and regulators are having trouble in tracking down the owners, as the recalled cars dates back many years, and many cars have changed owners during that phase.
To know if your car is in the recalled list, visit https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/ and enter the Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN.
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When was Lamar County, TX Created?
What is the County Seat of Lamar County, TX?
The County Seat is located in Paris also, the county government website is www.co.lamar.tx.us/.
What counties are adjacent to Lamar County, TX?
Bordering Counties are Choctaw County, Oklahoma, Red River County, Delta County, Fannin County, Bryan County, Oklahoma.
Lamar County vital records can be found at the Texas Office of Vital Records has copies of birth and death records reported from 1903. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Texas for current fees and application process.
You can search online for Lamar County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Texas Birth and Death Certificate, Marriage or Divorce Verification Application to mail.
What Lamar County, TX census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Lamar County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.
Lamar Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Lamar Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Lamar Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. The Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860.
The below facts shows exactly what death, marriage, birth, property, wills, and court records are typically in Lamar County. The years listed below are the first noted records with this county. See Also Texas Corthouse Records Research Guide.
PLEASE READ FIRST!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. The Department Offices DO NOT DO RESEARCH. The files are available to interested parties, barring private issues. Many staff will guide individuals in locating the materials, however it's up to the person to carry out the research. Courthouse was destroyed in a courthouse fire in March 1916, most records of the district clerk were destroyed. Birth, death and marriage records were not lost.
What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Lamar County, TX?
A list of Lamar County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Texas Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.
Where can I connect with other Lamar County, TX Researchers through message boards and forums?
What other genealogical resources are available in Lamar County, TX?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Lamar County.
Texas Military Records (fold3.com) offers access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Texas both women and men who served. Suitable for Lamar County genealogists, researchers, historians and more.


What are the requirements for greyhound owners who wish to transfer a greyhound to an independent adoption program?
Greyhound owners must request and receive written consent from GRNSW before transferring a greyhound to an independent adoption program or local pound. To request consent from GRNSW, owners are required to complete the Consent Form and send it to GRNSW at retirement@grnsw.com.au or post it to PO Box 170, Concord West NSW 2138.
Do owners have to seek consent from GRNSW in respect of all greyhounds surrendered?
How will I know if an owner has GRNSW consent to transfer the greyhound?
If consent is given, GRNSW will provide the owner with a letter of consent. An owner must not transfer a greyhound prior to receiving this written consent from GRNSW. Adoption programs or organisations may request that owners show evidence this letter before proceeding with the transfer.
While compliance with the requirements remains the responsibility of the greyhound owner, GRNSW encourages adoption programs and local pounds to remind greyhound racing industry participants of their obligations.
What should I do if an owner requests to surrender their greyhound into my program but does not have GRNSW consent?
While a greyhound owner must receive consent from GRNSW to transfer a greyhound to an independent adoption program, compliance with the requirements remains the responsibility of the greyhound owner and not you.
Greyhound adoption programs can assist owners by directing them to the forms available on the GRNSW website at www.grnsw.com.au/regulatory/rules/greyhound-racing-regulation-2016. The consent process should not take long, and once written consent has been given greyhound adoption programs can request to see this letter of consent. However, it is the owner's responsibility to organise this, not yours.
Whether you do or do not ultimately accept the greyhound remains a matter for you.
I am a local pound operated by a local council. Can I accept greyhounds?
Yes. While a greyhound owner must receive consent from GRNSW to transfer a greyhound to a local pound, compliance with the requirements remains the responsibility of the greyhound owner and not you.
Pounds can assist owners by directing them to the forms available on the GRNSW website at www.grnsw.com.au/regulatory/rules/greyhound-racing-regulation-2016. The consent process should not take long, and once written consent has been given, pounds can request to see this letter of consent. However, it is the owner's responsibility to organise this, not yours.
What should I do if I have welfare or integrity concerns, or suspect that an owner is not complying with their obligations?
Does GRNSW have any guidance on appropriate rehoming for greyhounds?
Greyhounds capable of living as happy, safe pets should be given the opportunity to do so, and should only be placed in homes where it is believed they will be appropriately cared for.
is prepared to educate themselves on greyhound care and ownership and care for the greyhound accordingly.
What financial support is available for rehoming organisations dealing with greyhound adoptions?
GRNSW has launched the Greyhound Rehoming Grant Scheme and the Greyhound Rehoming Contribution Scheme to support greyhound adoption programs in the tireless work they undertake to secure a successful retirement for large numbers of racing greyhounds.
Under the Greyhound Rehoming Grant Scheme, eligible rehoming organisations have the opportunity to apply for up to $10,000 towards the cost of an item or service that directly benefits their rehoming activities. Grants will be assessed and awarded tri-annually at the end of February, June and October each year. Examples of items which are potentially eligible for a grant contribution under the scheme include dog trailers, a veterinary account as well as kennel renovations and/or extensions.
Under the Greyhound Rehoming Contribution Scheme, GRNSW will contribute $350 to the veterinary costs of every rehomed greyhound that acquires Greenhounds status at any point in its life. This scheme applies to greyhounds rehomed since 1 July 2015 and the payment will be made to the rehoming provider's nominated veterinary account.
GRNSW encourages greyhound adoption programs to apply for these schemes by using the application available online at www.grnsw.com.au/welfare/rehoming/rehoming-assistance-schemes or by emailing rhcscheme@grnsw.com.au.
What information and education is available for rehoming organisations dealing with greyhound adoptions?
If you would like access to up to date information on greyhound care and behaviour to provide to foster carers and adopters please send an email to education@grnsw.com.au with the subject ' greyhound rehoming resources'. GRNSW will reply with information, including on transitioning greyhounds into pet life, recognising prey drive and anxiety, and dealing with separation distress.
If you would like to attend the Greenhound Assessor TAFE course on 2 September 2016, further information is available at http://www.greenhounds.com.au/apply-to-become-an-approved-assessor.html . Even if you are not eligible to become Greenhound Assessor qualified, the course is open to everyone to enrol to learn more about greyhound behaviour and temperament assessment.


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Boffins break VoLTE privacy in LTE and 5G networks • The Register
Boffins based in China and the UK have devised a telecom network attack that can expose call metadata during VoLTE/VoNR conversations.
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) is a packet-based telephony service that is part of the LTE standard and is widely used by major telecom providers. It's similar to Voice over New Radio (VoNR), a 5G flavor of the technology.
VoLTE/VoNR – or just VoLTE for the sake of avoiding alphanumeric jumbles – encrypts voice data sent between phone and network using a stream cipher. Three years ago, it was shown to be vulnerable to a reused key attack. This allowed researchers to develop the ReVoLTE attack, which exposes encrypted LTE calls. Various other explorations have demonstrated that the data exchanged between phones and cell towers continues to be poorly protected at both the physical layer and the data layer.
Researchers Zishuai Cheng and Baojiang Cui, with the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and Mihai Ordean, Flavio Garcia, and Dominik Rys, with the University of Birmingham, have found a way to access encrypted call metadata – VoLTE activity logs that describe call times , duration, and direction (incoming or outgoing) for mobile network conversations.
In a paper titled "Watching your call: Breaking VoLTE Privacy in LTE/5G Networks," they describe how they were able to use this metadata to map phone numbers – undetectably – to LTE and 5G-SA anonymized network identifiers.
Network operators give subscribers SIM cards with a unique identifier – referred to as an IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) under 4G and SUPI (Subscription Permanent Identifier) under 5G.
When subscribers connect to the network, they are assigned temporary identifiers – called Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) under 3G systems and Globally Unique Temporary Identity (GUTI) on 4G and 5G systems. The 5G standard also supports a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) as a way to thwart IMSI catchers – fake cell towers used to surveil mobile phone users.
All of these systems – TMSI, GUTI and SUCI – are meant to anonymize users on the network, so that anyone intercepting call data will be unable to associate it with a specific real-world SIM card or subscriber. After the initial connection phase, physical layer configuration parameters are exchanged via encrypted messages so any attacker must continuously guess those physical layer parameters to keep the connection alive.
But these protections turn out to be inadequate due to the static nature of certain network parameters (such as cqi-FormatIndicatorPeriodic), which helps the attacker make inferences about the network interaction. While network messages cannot be read directly due to encryption, some can be inferred from their length and position in the protocol.
The technique involves capturing a lot of network traffic – 60 hours of data per carrier. But the researchers were able to do so by designing a mobile-relay adversarial node – a miscreant-in-the-middle (MITM) attack similar to an IMSI catcher – that relies on two independent physical layer radio connections (USRP B210 SDR) that exchange messages with the victim's phone and with the network base station.
The researchers observe that VoLTE traffic ought to be protected from scrutiny … but it isn't.
"Targeting VoLTE traffic specifically, for any reason, including recording, should not be possible when using EEA2 encryption algorithms which rely on non-deterministic encryption schemes such as AES-CTR," they explain. "This however is not the case. By looking at the non-encrypted MAC sub-header at our mobile relay, the attacker can learn the Logical Channel ID (LCID) of the sub-PDU (Protocol Data Unit). Because VoLTE traffic uses specific LCID 4 and LCID 5 it can be directly targeted by the adversary."
The two attacks described in the paper – network activity monitoring and identity recovery – worked rather well, the researchers report. They claim they were able to map VoLTE operations 83.7 percent of the time, and 100 percent of the time when similarly sized operations were analyzed for the context in which they're allowed.
Mapping a phone's anonymized identity (SUCI and GUTI) to a real-world identity becomes a matter of the adversary making a VoLTE call to the victim (which does not need to be answered) to send VoLTE traffic between the device and the MITM device. The traffic is then analyzed to obtain the victim's VoLTE logs and is combined with call details available to the attacker to link the phone number to the victim's network identity. There's also an active mapping step required when the Evolved Packet-switched System (EPS) comes into play.
Cooper Quintin, staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told The Register in an email that while this attack looks more esoteric than other techniques that can be employed with IMSI catchers, it's a reminder that 5G isn't the security fix that it has been made out to be.
"This paper adds to the preponderance of research indicating that there are fundamental security and privacy flaws in the protocols underlying mobile communication," said Quintin. "The mobile industry should take this seriously and start working with academics, security researchers, and cryptographers from the beginning as they work towards designing the next generation of mobile technology. Moreover, mobile standards bodies such as 3GPP need to ensure that public interest groups and security researchers have as much voice in the room as corporate interests do." ®
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Millennial ignorance
Published in Insights, The New Zealand Initiative's newsletter, 29 June 2018
"One of the uses of history is to free us of a falsely imagined past", the late American legal scholar Robert Bork once wrote. One might add that another use is the prevention of repeat mistakes.
But a new paper from our colleagues at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney suggests the younger generation is bound to make wrong choices because they know little history anymore.
In Millennials and Socialism, Tom Switzer and Charles Jacobs document the attitudes of Australians born between 1980 and 1996. It is a generation who would not remember the Cold War, the Soviet Union or China before Deng Xiaoping's reforms. It is also a fortunate generation since Australia's last recession dates to 1991.
As these young Australians grew up in a well-performing liberal economy, one might think that they would hold favourable attitudes towards capitalism and view socialism with suspicion.
Yet the opposite is the case. A large majority of Australian millennials find socialism attractive. And they believe that capitalism has failed.
Such views are grounded in ignorance. Australian millennials think that ordinary people are worse off now than 40 years ago (when, in fact, disposable income has gone up for all Australians over that period). They believe that spending on education had fallen in the last decade (when it has increased by about a third, even adjusted for inflation).
The lack of historical knowledge is astonishing, especially regarding historical figures. Large numbers of Australian millennials have never heard of Mao (51 percent), Lenin (42 percent) or even Stalin (32 percent).
Interestingly, only 5 percent did not know Hitler. Perhaps that is because of the endless documentaries on the Nazi leader. Or is it because the education system focuses on the evils of fascism while neglecting the equivalent evils at the other extreme of the political spectrum?
From a New Zealand perspective, there is no reason for smugness about our Australian friends' lack of history knowledge. Had a similar opinion poll been conducted among Kiwi millennials, the results would have been similar – or worse.
Many Kiwi millennials, perhaps including the Prime Minister, believe that Rogernomics had not saved but destroyed that New Zealand. A look at the actual economic record suggests otherwise.
Historical knowledge is not a nice-to-have. It is essential if we want to understand the present and shape our future.


Did your own life or mood impact how you feel about a book you're reviewing? This is touched on briefly in the book. This post is more detailed.
Sometimes when reviewing, if the reviewer is in a good mood, the review becomes more positive. We turn to books to escape reality, to change our mood. There are books out there that have made readers feel better.
But sometimes a person just isn't jubilant, and nothing will change that. Their negativity can contaminate the memory of a good book.
Emotions can influnce how a review is written. This is especially true when there's a large gap of time between reading and reviewing the book. So first recognize and consider your emotional state before posting a book review.
Are you managing your mood?
Has a big life-event impacted you today?
Is anger making you want to blame someone?
Have you carefully considered the implications of your words?
Reviews don't have to be perfect. And you don't want to write a review devoid of emotion. Just take a moment for awareness of your mood. A friend of mine suggests smiling when writing. She swears it makes a difference in the words.
Question: Have you ever written something while in one mood, but thought differently about it later?
I have just finished a book but won't review it until I'm in a less stressed state – after A to Z is over.
Yeah, April is a crazy month.
I have done book reviews and find that my mood will effect the quality of the review. I try to let any review stew overnight.
yes. i have had a very bitter feeling about a book but will try to sleep on it to see if my mood influences a changed opinion. sometimes – sometimes not.
We've all been there. Sleeping on it is a good idea.
Yeah, it can be like that sometimes. But on occasion, a book causes the mood. Z post goes into negative reviews more.


Here's a piece I just did on Palestine solidarity activism in Mexico, published by the wonderful folks at Upside Down World.
The Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), which according to organizers is the largest Spanish language literary event in the world, opened amid controversy this year. It isn't books that are the source of the conflict, but rather who the organizers chose as the country of honor: Israel.
As the book fair kicked off, Mexico's guest of honor was the target of global protests against a proposed law called the Prawer Plan. If it becomes law, the Prawer Plan would result in the demolition of 35 Bedouin Arab villages and the forced displacement of as many as 70,000 people into state planned settlements.
A small protest greeted Peres' arrival at the FIL, which was deftly contained by security. Other activities, including film screenings and readings of Palestinian poetry, have taken place over the duration of the book fair.
According to the Arabic Literature (in English) blog, only one author writing in Arabic was included in the Israeli delegation to Mexico, and no Palestinian citizens of Israel participated. Palestinian, Lebanese and Jordanian writers co-signed a statement of protest against Israel's guest of honor status at the FIL.
The FIL, which is held from November 30 to December 8 in Mexico's second largest city, involves nearly 2,000 publishing companies from 40 countries, and is attended annually by more than 600,000 people.
The commercial aspect of Peres' visit was not lost on protesters. While in Mexico, Peres attended a Mexico-Israel business forum, and met with Carlos Slim, who with an estimated net worth of $73 billion, is the world's richest man. Mexico's trade relationship with Israel got a boost in 2000 when the two countries signed a Free Trade Agreement. In 2012, Mexico-Israel trade was estimated to be worth $600 million.
Mexican activists made it clear that FIL organizers didn't respond to their request that Palestine be invited along with Israel. The insist that Palestine should be invited as the guest of honor during next year's FIL, or at minimum in an upcoming year.
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Fact-check: South African photos used in misleading posts about Kenya's polka-dot foal
Wed, Oct 09, 2019
Numerous social media posts have shared two photos alongside claims that they show a rare polka-dot zebra foal, recently spotted in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, being transported for sale abroad.
The baby zebra, named Tira, had proved a hit online and claims that she had been sold met with dismay from Kenyan social media users. But an online tip-off and some expert help have allowed us to confirm that these pictures show a different zebra altogether. Kenyan wildlife authorities say rumours of a sale are "completely false".
Tira was spotted in the Maasai Mara in mid-September, to the delight of the national and international media. AFP recorded a video of the foal, which was named after the owner of the bushcamp where it was spotted.
Last week, rumours began spreading that the polka-dot zebra had been captured, placed in a truck and transported out of the Mara to be sold. One post on a private Kenyan Facebook group shared a screenshot of the claim to its more than 100,000 followers.
This tweet -- using another name given to the animal by some social media users, "Debra" -- claimed the polka-dot foal was being moved to an unknown destination. The post was retweeted over 250 times and gained more than 650 likes.
The same claims and images were posted here on Facebook and on Jamii Forum, a Tanzania-based message board. This tweet claimed the foal had been sold to "a certain Western Country".
The zebra in the pictures is from South Africa, not Kenya
We ran a Google reverse image search to try to find the original source of the two images circulating alongside the rumours, but this didn't provide any leads.
However, scrolling through comments under one of the posts, we spotted a link to a Facebook post by Craig View, a veterinary clinic in South Africa.
The post included the images that have been circulating alongside the rumours about Tira, plus an extra one of a man posing with the animal. The post identified the man as Clifford Bull, the clinic owner. He's recognisable in other social media posts and news articles about wildlife in South Africa.
Dr Bull told us he had shared the pictures on September 30 after headlines appeared about the Kenyan foal, to show that Tira was not the only animal of its kind. The photos began circulating alongside the rumours a couple of days later, but he confirmed that the two are unconnected.
"It is not the same zebra," he told AFP in an email. "If one compares the markings on the two zebra it's evident that the two animals are different."
Each zebra, he explained, "has different stripe patterns, much like human fingerprints. This serves two purposes: when the young are born they can imprint on their mothers, which allows them to recognize and stay with their mothers in the herd. It also serves as a mechanism that confuses predators."
The zebra pictured with him is a colt, a young male.
Dr Bull added that both of these spotted zebras are vulnerable since their markings make them stand out, making them more easily seen by predators.
This sadly makes it "a slim possibility that they will reach adulthood and have offspring of their own," he said.
How to tell the two zebras apart
Justine Cordingley, a researcher at Grevy's Zebra Trust, an independent wildlife conservation Trust in Kenya, helped us distinguish the two animals by examining their markings.
Comparing the two, you can see that the foal in the Mara has a darker back and more spots on its belly and back leg than the one in the truck. Its neck is also spotty rather than stripey. The one in the truck also has very stripey legs.
Polka-dotted zebra foal Tira, standing close to its mother in the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya. (AFP / Yasuyoshi Chiba)
Check the spots circled in red to tell the two zebras apart.
Dr Bull encountered the South African zebra colt at a small private game farm in the Mookgopong area of Limpopo province in July, and he estimates it to be between 10 and 12 months old.
Tira is a lot younger. "The umbilical cord was still very fresh by the time I spotted it on Matira Bushcamp located in the Masaai Mara," said tour guide Jonathan Tira, who first saw the foal on September 13. "From my analysis, it could have been born two days before I spotted it," he told AFP by telephone.
Where is Tira now?
Ngugi Gecaga, communications officer at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), said there was no truth at all to rumours that Tira had been sold abroad.
"There is no animal being sold, the claims are completely false," Gecaga told AFP in a phone interview.
He added that the KWS rejected calls to put the foal under special protection because its spots make it more vulnerable than other zebras.
"KWS operates on the premise that animals should be in the wild. The zebra is not a special species, it is just a freak of nature -- similar to the albino zebra that we recently had. It won't be fair to isolate the animal and from a conservation point of view that would inhumane," Gecaga said.
"The zebras protect each other and it will be protected by its own. If a predator spots it and preys on it, it will be just the course of nature."
Tira's current whereabouts are not known.
However, French wildlife photographer Tony Crocetta wrote in a Facebook post on September 29 that he had seen the spotted zebra crossing the Sand River, which separates Kenya's Maasai Mara National and Tanzania's Serengeti Park.
"The probability of coming across Tira again one day is sadly close to zero," he wrote. "But I still believe in miracles."
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Parent At Middle School Found To Have Gun In Waistband
By City News Service Oct 26, 2018
LA VERNE (CNS) - A parent who conked out at his child's middle school in La Verne was arrested this morning after being awakened and found to be in possession of handgun.
Officers were responded about 10 a.m. to Ramona Middle School at 3490 Ramona Avenue to investigate a report of an unresponsive person, according to the La Verne Police Department. When officers arrived, the man was ``awakened and found to be a parent of one of the students attending Ramona,'' La Verne police Sgt. Cory Lopez said.
While talking to the man, officers saw that he ``exhibited signs and symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance,'' Lopez said. The man was then searched and a handgun was found in his waistband, the sergeant said.``He was booked at the La Verne Police Department for possession of a firearm in a school zone,'' Lopez said, adding that there was no immediate danger to students on the campus and that the man never came into contact with any children.
''The man -- whose name was not immediately released -- was being held on $20,000 bail, Lopez said.


This particular topic is one that has been on my heart and mind for a little while now. It is probably because lately I have been dealing with some personal self-confidence issues. I am desperate to keep my kids from ever feeling some of the ways I am feeling. Although, I am sure that they will someday in the (hopefully far away) future, it certainly won't be because of something I have said or done.
Self-confidence starts at a young age. I grew up being told I was beautiful. I grew up with the value of independence drilled into my being (that's another issue for another post). I grew up being told I was great, that I could do anything I set my mind to. Unfortunately, words don't always add up. It depends on so many other factors whether those values are adequately instilled. Words, actions, and values that are emphasized all contribute to self-confidence.
So, how do we not royally screw up our kids??? UGH… I DON'T KNOW! But, I do know what I've come to believe are ways that will, at least, set them on the right path to having a healthy self-confidence.
Inform them. Being different is okay.
Give praise when praise is due. As parents, it can be extremely difficult to get caught up in what our children are doing wrong. This is our first year of T-Ball, which is an experience in itself. Our boys are naturally good at sports. William even more than Wesley. Knowing this, when they mess up or don't pay attention, it is so easy for us to let them know what they are doing is wrong. Because we know how talented they are, we forget that they still need to hear when they do things right or when they excel. Being told constantly what you are doing wrong, even if there are no bad intentions, is tiring, frustrating, and disheartening (for adults too!!). Make sure to praise those babies when they do something good! No matter how small.
Give them choices. Giving children choices empowers them. It lets them know that what they care about matters. Obviously, we can't let them decide everything. If I let the boys decide everything, they would never bathe. They would eat McDonald's or "Chick-a-lay" every day. William would never go to school. Wesley would have cookies every day for breakfast. As parents we have the control… or should. Pick a handful of things, like dinners, that you don't mind them having. Let them decide.
Teach them about being healthy… (not skinny or fat!). This is a really big deal for me. We went to Publix the other day and Wesley steppe don their big scale at the front. "Mom, I lost weight!! I'm so excited!" I'm not sure if you realize from pictures how skinny Wesley is, but he's a bean pole. I immediately told him that he didn't need to worry about losing weight, and that he was perfect. He responded by telling me that he could lose weight if he wanted too. Being a 5-year-old, this really scares me. His Honey owns a gym, and he is in that gym with me often. Jeremiah is also really big into fitness, so I know why he says this. I also know that he probably doesn't understand exactly what he is saying. My fear is that he continues to think this way and as he grows older he begins to see a false image of himself. That false image could bring soooo many other issues to a teenager or young adult. Teach them to be healthy… PLEASE. We want them to make good choices with food. We want them to understand that sports and exercise in any form is good for your heart and brain… your whole body. But, telling them they are skinny or fat isn't healthy at this point. Don't instill that insecurity in them. WE put their food on the table. If you notice an issue, change what YOU are doing. Encourage activity. Don't give them any reason to see themselves negatively.
Encourage them to achieve their goals. Kids can come up with some crazy goals. Just encourage them. It might seem silly to you, but I promise, crazier goals have been accomplished and you just never know. If they want to be a professional baseball player and they aren't very good at baseball, encourage them to practice every single day. If they want to be a vet, encourage them to learn about animals. If they want to paint a mural in the Grand Canyon, encourage them to learn every painting technique there is.
Give them responsibilities. Kids are kids, but they don't need everything handed to them. Teaching them responsibility will help them build confidence in themselves… and it will help you!!!
Don't compare them. This one is particularly important to me also. William is our super athletic, tough, man's man. Wesley is our school loving, sensitive, puzzle king. Don't get me wrong, they are both good at all of it… but they both obviously excel in these areas. It's so easy to say, "Wesley, do what William is doing when he throws the ball," or "William, watch what Wesley is doing when he writes his letters." The fact is, they are different, and they are both special. They shouldn't have to feel like being "worse" at something than their brother makes them any less adequate. Compare in private parents! It will happen. Just don't let them hear it.
Discuss, don't suppress, feelings… find the "why." This is difficult. Especially for boys. With boys, it is so easy to say, "toughen up, boys don't cry." But, boys still feel. Little kiddos don't know what to do with what they are feeling. We have to teach them. If we don't, those feelings are going to come out as anger or being super emotional or something of the sort. Talk about it with them. Find out why they are feeling the way they are feeling, that way you can discuss the real problem.
Encourage them to stand up for themselves. Kids are mean. They say mean things to each other. They put each other down. Teach your kids that they don't have to sit there are take it. They are absolutely allowed to stand up for themselves.
Inform them. Being different is okay. Our boys are the same in some ways, but night and day in others. Let your kids know that there is nothing wrong with being different than other people. Just because you don't look the same or like the same things, does not mean you are any less special.
**Be an example.** This. This is so important. We can do this entire list perfectly, but if our kids don't see us living the way we are asking them to live, we are going to send them mixed messages. Let the know how important these life lessons are by doing you best to live them and having the ability to admit when you haven't been.
Being a kid is hard. The least we can do is help them figure it out.
Love this list! Self -confidence is important if we want our children to be successful navigating our world these days.
Love these. I'm always looking for ways to help my kids grow into healthy individuals and so many of these need to be daily practice. I fall short sometimes, but I have to keep these in mind for their well being.
I'm so glad there isn't a record of the many many times I fall short! I think what counts is that we are AWARE and we make the changes when we need to. We got this mama!
Great list, especially when embarking on those teen years (mine are 11 and 13). Let me tell you, that 13 year old girl is a treat! This post was the perfect reminder for me in so many ways.


There was a lot of excitement in NVIDIA's booth at Autodesk University in LA this week with the launch of the Quadro RTX 4000 graphics board. Rounding out the Quadro RTX line-up, the Quadro RTX 4000 is NVIDIA's first mid-range, single-slot professional GPU powered by the NVIDIA Turing architecture and the NVIDIA RTX platform.
With the introduction of the Quadro RTX 4000, NVIDIA is bringing the power of realtime photorealistic ray tracing rendering to a wider range of architects, artists, developers, designers and engineers worldwide. Visitors to the NVIDIA booth at AU were able to see first hand the incredible application performance of the Quadro RTX 4000 as they experienced a realtime, immersive BIM walkthrough. By deploying the Enscape3D plugin and putting on an HMD, they could step inside a full-scale Autodesk Revit model and make changes in realtime.


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Category: beer reviews
Not 'Locals Only'
Okay, so before everyone thinks I've taken direct aim at southern Ontario breweries with my series of recent tweets, let me assure one and all I have not. And for those of you not in Ontario, please bear with me, as I guarantee some more universal observations by the end of this post.
Before I explain, however, a pair of the pertinent tweets for those who missed them:
Seems to me that @TorontoBeerWeek is unintentionally highlighting the severe lack of imported draught beer in #Toronto.
Should beer writers/bloggers "support local"? IMO, no, they should support good! #localnotsameasgood
Now, I'll be the first to admit that, taken outside of the context in which I was trying to frame them, those could be seen to be voicing vocal support for 'outside' beer and foisting criticism on the local stuff. But really it's all about drinking quality, opening the market to greater choice and, frankly, raising the bar for craft beer in general.
In Ontario, a government policy restricting draught beer importing licenses to four companies severely limits the availability of imported beer – even from other Canadian provinces – and makes it more expensive when it does get in. This causes a resulting overabundance of local beers on the taps of our beer bars, to the point that many are unintentionally exclusive or near-exclusive Ontario-only bars.
In my view, this situation has multiple effects, at least one of which plays into my second tweet.
Lack of selection for Ontario beer drinkers;
Lack of context for products and styles brewed locally;
An unwitting 'free pass,' or at least less critical critique, given to certain local beers because, as per point 2, there is little or nothing of the same style/type/flavour profile available for purposes of comparison.
(I have personally witnessed point number 3 in action, both locally and elsewhere, many times.)
None of which to say there is no excellent beer brewed in Ontario – there is, and even more very good beer and still more good beer – but in my view it is not enough to say 'buy local' or 'support your local brewer' without excessive care being given by the brewer first to character, quality control and, to at least some degree, consistency.
Further, the presence of great beers from around the world gives local brewers access to breweries that can inspire them to even greater things. (This, too, I've seen in action.) For multiple examples, take the opening up of any formerly closed economy and the corresponding rise in quality products once competition arrived.
And finally, I object strenuously to the notion that beer writers should champion local products. We are not, or should not be, champions for breweries, but for consumers. A writer's role, whether columnist or blogger or freelance scribe, is to serve the reader, in many cases by sorting through the morass of beer and saying "yes, this is great, but this one not so much." Regardless of whether the beers in question are local or not.
This approach also works to the ultimate benefit of the brewery, too, since a body of critical reviews should be sufficient to convince the brewer that perhaps something about the beer is flawed or at least not as good as it could be. Resulting in better beer, better sales and happier customers, which is, in the end, the ultimate goal.
Three Quaffers from Wisconsin
When I think of Wisconsin, I think of cheese and beer. I like cheese and beer, which is probably why I spent last week in Wisconsin.
The cheese was varied and for the most part lovely — especially the super-secret truffled buratta from BelGioioso! — as was the beer. The difference is that I'm here to tell you about beer, not cheese.
One I found quite enjoyably gulpable was Wisco Disco from Stillmank Beer, presently brewed under contract in Milwaukee but soon to be a Green Bay native son. Rich gold in colour, this ale might have been called a pale ale in the early 1990s, as opposed to simply a "Wisconsin ale" today, with a biscuity, off-dry aroma and a flavour that begins slightly malty-sweet but gradually turns leafy, tannic and ever so slightly citrusy in its hoppiness. The finish is bone dry and mildly bitter, making this a solid ale that is properly packaged in pint cans for simple enjoyment.
Also building a new brewery is Green Bay's Titletown Brewing, and when they finish it I hope that they will brew some more of their Randy's Pale Ale, a tribute beer to a now-departed local homebrewer that would do any brewer proud. The nose has a light but complex fruitiness while the body is wonderfully balanced with apricot and berry fruit, biscuity malt and a long, dry and thoroughly quenching finish. This is a pale ale for pure enjoyment.
And finally, on my return home I found a pair of bottles of Yokel, a straight-from-the-conditioning-tank lager from New Glarus that with one sniff sent me to a Munich biergarten. Floral, lightly sweet, softly yeasty and fresh as a spring lawn, this might err a bit too strongly on the grainy side for some, but with its gently sweet body that segues from notes of fresh hay and light caramel to a dry finish that sucks in your gums and cheeks ever so slightly, I think this is a beauty that lives up well to its "every guy" image.
Is it Last Call for Muskoka's Legendary Oddity?
On Friday night, I opened a special "vintage" edition bottling of the Muskoka Brewery's Legendary Muskoka Oddity beer. I wasn't expecting much from the one year old ale, frankly, because to my experience spiced beers generally don't age that well. Some conditioning is usually required to keep the 'pop' of the herbs and spices in check, true enough, but over the course of a full year, I've found that the tendency is for the flavourings to become overly muted and, well, just dull.
Not so the Oddity, for some reason. The juniper and orange peel notes were present and identifiable, and the floral aspect of the heather tips was still in harmony with the rest of the flavour and aroma notes. An experiment that might have been ill-advised – or so I thought – turned out to be a wholly remarkable success.
Pity, then, it may never be allowed to happen again.
On the phone this morning with Gary McMullen, co-founder and head of the brewery, I learned that the future of the Oddity is very much in doubt. There are no plans to make any this year and, he suggested, scant interest in doing it again next year. Seems there is a problem fitting it into the production schedule, and although McMullen didn't say this, presumably also an issue with finding a place to sell it, since the LCBO tends to allocate only a specific number of product places to individual breweries. With the brewery's new Detour and early arriving Summer Weiss, the squeeze is on the Oddity.
Which I think is simply a damn shame. Ontario breweries don't do Belgian-inspired beers much, and when they do they seldom if ever do them this well. When it first appeared three years ago, I declared the Oddity to be the best Belgian-influenced ale yet brewed in this province, and I stand by that evaluation. Last year's wasn't quite a good out the gate, but as evidenced on Friday has aged quite well. (Curiously, a year-old version of that first edition did not mature as gracefully.) Down the road, this beer has the potential to becomes as legendary as it claims to be now.
Let us hope that the planning meetings McMullen noted are upcoming over the next few months will result in a stay of execution for this strong and compelling brew. For as much as Ontario now boasts a plethora of hoppy pale ales and IPAs and double IPAs, I do sometimes bemoan our relative lack of complex and non-bitter beers, like the Legendary Muskoka Oddity.
Looking for the El Bulli of Spanish Beer
There are a multitude of excuses one can use to justify a trip to Spain: tapas, incredible landscapes, Spanish cider (sidra), the Costa de Sol, Gaudí, jamón in all its many forms, flamenco.
What you don't use as the basis for an Iberian excursion is beer. Which, I suppose, is precisely why I did so.
In the years since Tim Webb and I signed a contract to produce The World Atlas of Beer, and especially since we decided to follow that with The Pocket Beer Guide, I have become borderline obsessed with countries boasting nascent and developing craft beer cultures. First for me was Italy, an interest which I must admit predated the Atlas by a few years, but was kicked into overdrive by my research for the book. Then arrived Brazil, a nation known by few North American beer aficionados, but which is making astonishingly rapid improvements in both quantity and quality of craft beer. Then Argentina, Singapore, France, Poland.
And Spain. So when we decided to make The Pocket Beer Guide into an annual publication and our intrepid Anglo-Spanish-Czech correspondent Max Bahnson wasn't available to get the inside scoop on Iberia, as he did for the first edition, I volunteered to do the research myself. After all, I was going to be in Belgium anyway, and since Madrid is but a mere 1,000 or so miles from Brussels, by the deeply twisted logic of the chronic beer obsessive, it really did make a lot of sense.
My research started with the good folk at Iberian Beer United, importers of numerous Spanish breweries, and the operator of the Twitter account for the Barcelona Beer Festival, who later revealed himself to be Mikel Rius, one of the young fest's founders. As often happens in beer circles, they led me to others, who in turn led me to still others, and before long my week divided between Madrid and Barcelona was promising to be a whirlwind of tasting and discovery.
My only hope was that at least some of the beers I'd be sampling would stand up to serious critique.
Arriving in the Spanish capital on a Sunday evening, I was faced with both great hunger and the realization that most of Madrid's beer joints are closed on Sundays. Except, that is, for a brewpub called Fábrica Maravillas, shoehorned into a modest storefront in a district just north of the city center. And so off I went. (Continue reading at The Celebrator online…)
Last Week in Las Vegas – 4 New Belgium Beers
In addition to having the great pleasure of hosting a terrific beer dinner at Fleur by Hubert Keller in the Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort and presenting a seminar on cider to a rapt audience at the VIBE Conference, last week's Vegas jaunt afforded me the opportunity to sample a bunch of new New Belgium Brewing releases. Impressed? Damn right I was!
The tasting got off to a great start with the Lips of Faith Gruit, a golden and herbaceous brew with a nose of wet grass, jasmine, oily florals and elderflower cordial. Being someone not normally enamoured by gruits – I've had a few of these unhopped, herb-and-spice brews that were vaguely appealing, but can't recall one I'd be inclined to reorder – I wasn't expecting a lot from this beer, but boy, was I in for a surprise.
The start of NBB's Gruit is soft and floral-accented, but leads to a wonderfully constructed mid-palate of spicy, earthy-minerally notes and gentle sweetness, accented by a hint of licorice emerging in the second half and a surprisingly dry finish which was, to me, faintly and surprisingly reminiscent of a good gin. Simply, this is the best gruit I've yet come across and sufficiently impressive that I held the remainder of the bottle in reserve and chose it as the beer I'd finish at the conclusion of my tasting.
Next up was the new year-rounder, Snapshot Wheat Beer, a sandy-gold ale with a dry, citrus-accented aroma and a light and lemony body with a slight herbal character emerging in the middle. The surprise here is what I later learned is a lactobacillus tarting up of part of the mash, which results in a quite dry and tangy, refreshing finish, something which made me note that Snapshot "tastes like what might happen if a Belgian decided to riff on the Berliner weisse style."
Third in my tasting was a reinvention of the 2003 experiment, Transatlantique Kriek, which sees a New Belgium ale blended with cherry lambic from Frank Boon. Vibrant red and nutty with cherry pit and dry cocoa aromas, this most attractive brew segues from lightly sweet and cherry-ish to more a tart cherry and herbal body, finishing with a slight booziness – although nowhere close to its 8% alcohol strength – and a lingering bitter cherry taste. But for its formidable strength and the fact this was a mid-afternoon tasting, I would have hung around to finish this one, too.
The final beer was the latest in the brewery's Hop Kitchen series – and honestly, is there another brewery around with this many beer divisions? The new RyePA is piney and resinous on the nose, as you might expect, but with a spicy kick of black pepper mixed with something bready and umami-ish. The body is full of hops, for certain, but restrained as well, in the tradition of NBB's Ranger IPA – spicy orange with hints of tropical fruit giving way to a more profoundly fruity body, dry and spicy but with notes of kiwi and starfruit. With a finish that is both palate-cleansing and bitter, I was left with the impression that, despite its not inconsequential 7.5% alcohol strength, this would be an ideal brew for sipping alongside a medium-heat curry.
A Bit of a Beer Tasting
I hosted a small beer tasting with some drinks writing colleagues last night. These were the stand-outs:
Allagash Coolship Resurgam: A product of the brewery's spontaneous fermentation program, this beer, bottled in June of last year, shows a maturity of character that was lacking from the early Coolship brews. The body was a bit too oaky – which we chalked up to the youth of the barrels, at least relative to the decades-old ones used in lambic breweries like Cantillon – but the aroma was superb, with notable fruitiness lingering beneath the top layer of horseblanket and a fascinating herbal depth that recalled sage and lavender. Simply, a wonderful beer.
New Glarus Berliner Weiss and 20th Anniversary Strong Ale: Two remarkable brews from my U.S. Brewery of the year for 2012. Although the Berliner was curiously restrained on the nose, the body delighted with a mix of tangy, lemony sharpness and soft, soothing papaya, with a bit of sour milk thrown in for good measure. Not as aggressive as some in the style, and I think all the better for it.
The 20th Anniversary Strong Ale was simply excellent, not style identified by the brewery, but to my mind sort of a midpoint between abbey-style dubbel and sticke altbier. Sweet and raisiny at the front, it opened up in the body while remaining paradoxically restrained and dried fruity, with a backdrop of earthiness and burnt walnut. This, we agreed, is something we could drink in abundance over time.
Deschutes Black Butte XXV: Having waxed rhapsodic over last year's anniversary Black Butte, both on tap and in the bottle, I fully expected this to delight and it did not disappoint. In fact, although 0.3% alcohol stronger, it was very much reminiscent of last year's, albeit a bit more berry fruit-ish and currant-y. In particular, I liked the added resiny, rosemary-like herbals in the background of the body, which I did not note last year, and the cherry/currant influence on the boozy, warming finish. It was the final beer of the night, and an excellent note on which to end.
A Word About Gluten
Some people, still a relatively small but by all accounts growing percentage of the population, have sensitivities to gluten. I know and have known several such people and have seen the effects on their health first hand. Of this there is no doubt.
Others have jumped on the "Wheat Belly" bandwagon and decided for reasons of their own to eliminate gluten-containing grains from their diets. Which is, of course, purely their personal choice and fine and dandy by me.
Although it is the first group that has much more to lose by ingesting gluten, it is the latter group that, to my experience, is more active in questioning issues of gluten in alcohol, and in some instances, perpetuating mythologies. So for the record, here are a few points about glutinous booze:
1) Beer contains gluten. Major brewery beers contain gluten and craft beers contain gluten. Wheat beers and rye beers and stouts and light beers and pretty much any other kind of beer you can name contains gluten. Period.
2) Gluten-free beers are, of course, the exceptions to the above rule. Unfortunately, very few of them taste much like actual beer. (Although not all, as per point 6 below.)
3) Distilled spirits, of whatever sort, do not contain gluten. This is because the process of distillation specifically involves the separation of alcohol from everything else, including the gluten in glutenous grains. But don't believe me, believe celiac.com!
4) Flavoured spirits may or may not be gluten-free, since said flavours are generally added post-distillation and few offer any details as to what is used in their flavouring. The same applies to liqueurs.
5) Wines are gluten-free, including Champagnes. Since they are made purely from grapes, I don't understand why some people insist on challenging this fact.
6) Although I have not personally tasted all the gluten-free beers on the market today — as a class, it's growing almost exponentially — the best I have sampled are those of Quebec's Les Brasseurs Sans Gluten, marketed under the Glutenberg label. In particular, their seasonal Belge de Saison, a 7% alcohol ale brewed with Meyer lemon, is far and away the finest, more a "good beer than happens to not contain gluten" than any other I've yet tried. It deserves to be a widely-sold, year-round brand.
Live-to-Blog Review: Great Lakes My Bitter Wife IPA
I've been overly negligent in my blogging lately, and am running behind in my beer reviews, so I thought I'd review this beer straight to the blog, just for something a bit different.
Billed as a no doubt tongue-in-cheek "tribute" to Carrie Nation, the mad woman of the Women's Christian Temperance Movement, this limited edition beer from Ontario's Great Lakes Brewing is a big IPA, with 7% alcohol by volume and, judging by my first sniff, a boatload of hops.
Amber-hued and just on the hazy side, the nose straight out of the fridge is ruby red grapefruit and a hint of pineapple, growing a shade oniony and more piney mango as it warms. It certainly hits the palate with a nice hoppy glow, and then grows steadily hoppier from there, segueing from peach and pineapple to grapefruit juice and lemon zest, with slight malty underpinnings of canned peaches and apricots. The finish is where the hops really assert themselves, however, with a strong and rather intense citrusy bite.
This is one of those IPAs that is not for the faint-of-heart. I enjoy it right through to the swallow, but am somewhat put off by the concentration of bitterness on the finish, and if I feel that way then I'm guessing all but the committed hophead might be at least a bit overwhelmed by its hoppy aggression.
Belgh Brasse Roars Back
If you lived in or visited Québec a little over a decade ago, you may remember Belgh Brasse. Based in Amos, near the Ontario border in the Québec northwest, the brewery opened with significant fanfare, much of it playing upon the purity of brewing water available from the Abitibi esker, and a purportedly Belgian-influenced ale called 8.
8 was, ultimately, a dud. I tasted it a couple of times and was left unimpressed, while others complained of the beer's inconsistency. It died. A resuscitation of the brewery followed, with an even less inspiring pale lager called Taïga. It also died.
Now Belgh Brasse is back for a third kick at the can, and in this case it appears that the third time is indeed the charm. I have sampled two beers from the new Mons line of "Belgian-Inspired" beers, the Abbey Witte and the Abbey Blonde, and was impressed by both.
Sandy gold in colour with a slight haze, the Mons Abbey Witte has a sweetish, perfumey and lightly peppery lemon aroma, accented by candied orange peel and perhaps a hint of cinnamon, and a rounded and citrusy, light-bodied middle and a drying and faintly spicy-peppery finish. Belgian-inspired, for certain, it has a decided lemony note to it that makes me think just a bit about Berliner weisse, as well. It might lean a bit too hard on the sweet and fruity side of things, but is still nicely refreshing and quaffable.
The Mons Abbey Blonde is certainly a fruity ale, with dried apricot and canned peaches in the nose and a malty, dry caramel and lightly spicy body with some tropical and peachy fruitiness. I sampled it at cellar temperature first and refrigerator temp second and found it more expressive and robust when colder, although not so cold as to suppress the fruit and spice.
I'm told now that the brewery has a dubbel out and a stout on the way, and is for sale in the U.S. as well as in Québec. Based on these first two tastings, I'd say that this time Belgh Brasse might be sticking around for some time to come.
Tasted!: Alexander Keith's Hop Series
Earlier today, I put up a post about bricks-and-mortar breweries, beer commissioners and so-called "gypsy" brewers, and why what matters most, to my mind, at least, is what ends up in the glass. Which seems to me to be a good set-up for a chat about a couple of new beers from the largest brewing company in the world.
The brewing company in question is, of course, Anheuser-Busch InBev, or more specifically their Canadian subsidiary Labatt, and its Maritime sub-label, Alexander Keith's.
Now, many of you might know Keith's by its namesake "India pale ale," printed in quotations because it is quite unlike any other IPA I have ever encountered and has far more in common with a mainstream lager than it does, say, Meantime India Pale Ale. And thanks to that knowledge, you're probably going to be quite sceptical when I tell you of two new Keith's brews, both part of the Alexander Keith's Hop Series: Hallertauer Hop Ale and Cascade Hop Ale.
As the names imply, each is a single hop beer, and were in fact delivered to me with two little jars of hop flowers, one filled with Cascade hops and the other with Hallertauer, 'natch.
(I'm assuming the Hallertauer is Hallertauer Mittelfruh, and it smells as such, but Labatt isn't saying.)
Tasting them simultaneously, I found little difference in their appearance, but rather more in their aromas. The Hallertauer, as befits the hop's characteristics, is herbaceous and a little sweet, with notes of fresh grass, alfalfa and just a bit of rosemary. The Cascade, on the other hand, is predictably citrusy and quite nicely balanced with a bit of caramelly maltiness.
On the palate, the Hallertauer offers no hop flavours jumping out, but rather a mix of dryish maltiness and some dryly herbal notes, ending lightly bitter and very dry, but with an odd sticky sensation lingering on the tongue. The Cascade, I found, works much better, with the citrusy hop shooting forward from the outset and just outshining the orange, peach and caramel malt. On the finish, there is a moderate bitterness and lingering dryness, which makes it much more refreshing and appetizing, and ultimately more successful ale.
So both beers are quite competently brewed, as you'd expect, with the Hallertauer recommended for more timid palates and the Cascade for those just entering pale ale and IPA territory. In other words, I'd say this is not a bad effort at all. But is their creation and marketing a wise move for Labatt?
I wonder. If they're trying to prove their mettle to craft beer aficionados, such timid attempts are unlikely to sway many people. If they're offering hoppier alternatives to Alexander Keith's fans, I'd say they run the risk of turning them on to pale ales and IPAs brewed by smaller, competing brewers. And if they're simply throwing something out to counter the Molson Six Pints division, I'd say it looks like they're trying to use a beagle to corral a stallion in full gallop.
The Perils of Points
Through all my years of reviewing and occasionally rating beers and whiskies and other spirits, I have steadfastly refused to involve myself in point-based ratings. Wildly popular with many of my drinks-writing peers – or perhaps endured as an unavoidable reality – I have long viewed them as problematic in the extreme.
I've explained why I feel this way several times, but every once in a while an example comes along that illustrates my misgivings so well it deserves reiteration. Late last week was one of those whiles.
It arrived in the form of a promotional email from a wine importer I follow. (Yes, The Beer Guy both buys and drinks and thoroughly enjoys wine, too. Get over it.) The email was hyping the arrival of several wines from the same producer, including the two following:
****** **** Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
PRICE: $45.95/btl
92 Points, Wine Advocate
****** Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
I've omitted the names because they're beside the point, which is that these two wines, made from the same varietal and from the same region and the same producer, merit the exact same score. Yet Wine 1 is more than twice the price of Wine 2, which, absent of actual tasting notes – as many of these scores are presented on shelf-talkers – is enough to make one wonder why in heaven's name anyone would pay $46 when they can get equal quality for $20.
(The same offering, by the way, also included a Cabernet-Malbec blend from the same producer for $109.95 with a Wine Advocate score of 98. That's a six point difference over the $20 wine, or $15 per point.)
Now, granted any rating system is going to run into the same problems, but it is my view that: a) Words are always better than points; b) If you offer people a scoring shorthand, they will almost always use it; and c) If score you must, four or five stars provide a similar indication of quality with a broader margin for inclusion. For instance, Hugh Johnson's rating system from his Pocket Wine Book:
* plain, everyday quality
** above average
*** well known, highly reputed
**** grand, prestigious, expensive
Not necessarily the scale I would use personally, but certainly something more descriptive than an arbitrary 92 or 89, I think.


a young rider from Buntingford riding his first event. Happily both expressed a wish to join the Club.
Gill and Bill Bonfield as at so many previous end-of-season-events gave us a very warm welcome at their nearby home with a lavish display of home made cakes and hot drinks.
in congratulating the riders and thanking the helpers for making the event a success.


In this section includes coins of various Chinese client Kingdoms - such as Ryukyu, Dali Kingdom, Srivijaya Kingdom in Indonesia and others.
Rare tin cash with Chinese characters "Shi Dan Li Bao", Chinese Sultan Li Poh (ca.1450's-1470's) in Palembang, Indonesia 1488-1505 AD - Very rare! Bronze cash, local issue by the semi-independent tribal Dali Kingdom in Yunnan, minted during the Hongzhi period, Ming Emperor Xiao Zong (1388-1505), Yunnan, China.