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Asbestos use in Russia, US & India
Leading producers of asbestos in the world are Russia, Canada, China, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe.
Orenburg region, one of Russia's donor regions, channels 63% of local proceeds into the federal budget. Its Governor, Alexei Chernyshov recently visited New Delhi.
He claimed that positive socio-economic development trends in Orenburg are facilitated by a sustained recovery in all production sectors.As to relations with India, between 2003-2007, the foreign trade turnover between the Orenburg and India soared almost 5.4 times to reach $22.4 million. Foreign trade patterns are dominated by exports. A $21.7 million foreign trade surplus was posted in late 2007.
The Orenburg Region mostly exports metallurgical equipment manufactured by the engineering concern ORMETO-YUMZ, asbestos from Orenburg Minerals company, rolled sheet steel from Urals Steel company, and defence industry products from the Strela Production Association to India.
The Orenburg is one of the largest regions in the Russia and is part of the Volga Federal District. Its area is 124,000 square kilometers, and the population is 2,119,000. Regional boundaries are within both Europe and Asia. The Orenburg has over 2500 mineral deposits, extracting 75 different minerals. The region's economy is heavily involved in global trade with over 80 different import-export partners.
There are six mined minerals that can be loosely defined as part of the asbestos "family." These are: actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite, and tremolite. Different products contain different minerals. For example, Kent brand cigarettes used crocidolite in their "Micronite" filters from 1952 to 1956. These minerals are found throughout the world, but asbestos is mostly mined in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. The first known asbestos-related death goes back as far as 1906, when scientists and researchers began to notice that asbestos mining towns contained large numbers of lung problems and early deaths.
Its use continued to be prevalent, especially during World War II. At Hampton Roads, Virginia, a large shipbuilding area, asbestos was used to line boilers, wrap pipes, and cover turbine and engine parts. It has been estimated that for every thousand workers, 14 died of asbestos related illnesses. Mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer, is seven times higher in the Hampton Roads area than it is nationally. Asbestos was used in the first 40 floors of the World Trade Center. After the attack of 9/11, one of the particles which contaminated the air in lower Manhattan was asbestos.
Asbestos has been banned for use in construction projects in the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. However, the United States continues to allow asbestos in construction, just as the rapidly growing countries of India and China where it is most commonly used for roofing and walls of homes. The Environmental Protection Agency issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule in 1989. This was overturned in 1991 in the Corrosion Proof Fittings v. U.S. Environmental Agency, ensuring that asbestos will continued to be used, albeit in trace amounts.
There are many known substitutes for asbestos, including fiberglass, and stone- and glasswool insulation. Organic fibers have been incorporated in many products by companies that used to produce asbestos-cement products. While many sectors continue to use asbestos, many fire departments and the space agency have begun to use plybenzimidazole (PBl) fibers. This synthetic has a high melting point and will not ignite. Lastly, asbestos can be recycled into silicate glass, commonly used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices, but is defined as a hazardous waste in landfills.
When asbestos reaches the lungs, there is a chance the person who inhaled the particles will develop mesothelioma. This type of cancer is not caused by anything other than asbestos exposure and kills one of every one million people. While this number may not seem that high, the fact remains that a known dangerous product like asbestos is still in use with government's consent.
Landmark Asbestos Meeting in Russia
by Olga Speranskaya and Laurie Kazan-Allen
On August 1, 2008, the first impartial discussions on asbestos took place in Russia at a roundtable organized by Eco-Accord, a Moscow-based NGO,1 and Volgograd-Ecopress Information Center. The title of the event was: Chrysotile Asbestos: Problems of Its Production and Application in Russia and Elsewhere.2 The roundtable was the culmination of months of research and discussions by Eco-Accord whose representatives had grown increasingly concerned about the impact asbestos was having in Russia. Whilst plans for the meeting were being made, the organizers received a request that the (Russian) Chrysotile Association and other pro-chrysotile organizations be permitted to participate in the proceedings. Hoping to engender a frank and open exchange of views, these requests were granted.
Thirty delegates attended the 7 hour round table; half of those present were asbestos lobbyists,3 "trade unionists" from asbestos-cement factories and industry-sponsored researchers and doctors. Other attendants included representatives from Russian NGOs and the media. The framework for the discussions focused on several key points:
goals and objectives of the meeting;
presentations by the speakers;
global asbestos problems;
Russian asbestos scenario;
asbestos waste and pollution;
occupational health and medical treatment in the Russian asbestos industry;
international consensus and agreements on asbestos-related issues including the Rotterdam Convention;
conclusions and recommendation.
Although exposure to chrysotile asbestos has been linked to a range of diseases by international researchers, data on the incidence of these diseases in Russia are lacking; few epidemiological studies of mesothelioma incidence have been conducted. 4 "It is absolutely clear," said one speaker, "that Russian studies of the health impact of asbestos exposure should be carried out nationwide. Furthermore," he added, "there is an urgent need to set up a national mesothelioma register."
NGO representatives at the meeting expressed concern over exposures experienced by people employed in asbestos-cement factories and tradesmen, such as roofers, who work with asbestos-cement products. While a representative from the Blokhim Institute of Carcinogenesis of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences stated that there may be a risk to workers or citizens who drill or break asbestos-cement sheets, representatives of the Chrysotile Association insisted that asbestos-cement handling operations are absolutely safe as "bonded asbestos," so they said, "loses it carcinogenic properties." According to Sergei Koshansky from Ekaterinburg there are adequate data to prove that "under controled conditions the use of chrysotile asbestos is completely safe"; he also maintained that some of the so-called "safer alternatives" are more dangerous than chrysotile. While one asbestos company director said that in the last 30 years there had never been a case of asbestos-related disease in his factory, a medical director from another asbestos company in the same region said that the incidence of disease amongst at-risk workers at his factory was not inconsequential. Speakers stressed the appallingly low level of public awareness which exists in Russia about the health hazards relating to asbestos exposure. The pollution caused by the liberation of airborne fibers from the industrial processing of asbestos has also been widely ignored5 as has the reuse of asbestos debris and asbestos-containing construction waste by individuals and businesses.
Although there had appeared to be an initial consensus that diseases linked to exposure to chrysotile asbestos included asbestosis, bronchial carcinoma (lung cancer) and malignant mesothelioma (asbestos cancer of the pleura or peritoneum), as the day proceeded the representatives of the Chrysotile Association became increasingly agitated about the possibility of a conference declaration highlighting the cancer risk posed by chrysotile. Industry spokesmen claimed that there was sufficient statistical data to prove that chrysotile was safe; any evidence to the contrary was, they shouted, part of a global conspiracy to ruin the chrysotile industry. Bringing the meeting to an abrupt end, the industry lobbyists refused to continue the talks and threatened legal action should a consensus document be publicized mentioning the cancer risk. Accusing the conference organizers of being ill-informed, industry lobbyists repeatedly insisted that "chrysotile could be used safely under strict controls."
Throughout the day, the behavior of the industry delegates was ill-tempered, their body language combatative and their views rigid. By the end of the day, it was obvious that the organizers' hopes for an open dialogue had been dashed; the meeting was clearly at an end when the industry representatives began shouting and throwing accusations of foreign-bias at the NGO participants who were, so they said, "hirelings of the West."
Ms. Elena Vasilieva from Volgograd-Ecopress, a co-organizer of the August 1 event, was dismayed at the outcome of the day's events:
"Since last year, our group has been studying the global asbestos issue and educating ourselves on the various facets. We were very much looking forward to sitting down with other stakeholders in order to establish how we could protect our fellow citizens from what is an acknowledged hazard. Instead of participating in a constructive debate, we were subjected to insults and baseless accusations. We will not be bullied into submission by individuals more concerned with commercial interests then with the health and safety of Russian citizens. We will continue to work with like-minded colleagues in Russia and abroad to eradicate the tragedy of asbestos-related disease."
1See the website of Eco-Accord, the Center for Environment and Sustainable Development: http://www.ecoaccord.org/english/about.htm
2 In September 2007, within the context of the World Social Security Forum (Moscow), a session entitled Asbestos: Preserving the Future and Coping with the Past was held. That this session was put on the agenda for a meeting in Russia, the heartland of global asbestos production, was a testament to the integrity and bravery of the organizers from the International Social Security Association, a Swiss-based body. Participants at the asbestos workshop were shocked by the aggressive and obstructive behaviour of the asbestos lobby. The August 1, 2008 session was the first Russian-initiated event on asbestos and, as such, did not have the backing of a major international agency or come under the protection of the (Russian) Ministry of Health and Social Development.
3 The Chrysotile Association was represented on August 1 by: Victor Ivanov, Executive Director, Vladimir Galitsin, Deputy Executive Director and Denis Nikitin, Public Relations Manager.
4 Epidemiological studies of the incidence of mesothelioma have only been conducted in: Asbest, Ekaterinburg, the Republic of Karelia and Sverdlovsk Oblast.
5 The Vovzhskiy Technical Asbestos Products Plant emits 6.5 tonnes of asbestos-containing dust every year.
Source: International Ban Asbestos Secretariat
Posted by mediavigil at 4:09 AM


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There's so much to see and do around Melbourne. Make the most of your time here and have fun exploring!


text:
The Voice of the Anti-Imperialist Movement from
Under Lock & Key
[Abuse] [Mountain View Correctional Institution] [North Carolina]
When the Morning Comes: Current Prison Conditions
by a North Carolina prisoner March 2012 permalink
Imagine being in the body of an animal who lives the zoo-life everyday for long periods of time. Waking up in the wee hours of the morning I see the same wall, same toilet and sink 8 feet from me; I feel the same back ache from last week after another night of "sleep" on a metal bunk with a 2 inch thick pissy mat. The food trap has been popped open with a loud thud - time for breakfast. As I arise from that bunk, I notice the darkness through the mesh metal covering my small window. As I stretch I jam yet another finger because I can't stretch my arms fully out.
Breakfast meals become predictable: eggs, bread and a 7 oz cup of cereal. After eating my meal I go to brush my teeth and wash my face and notice the 15 to 20 year old dirt ring around the sink and toilet. So much for effective cleaning supplies. Here at Mountain View Correctional Institution in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, we never get a fresh change of clothes. Just a wash twice a week with no detergent, soap, or anything of that matter. My white shirt matches the color of my brown pants. They issue s state-ordered Black slip-on shoes despite the fact I have my own shoes, which I'm not allowed to have in isolation. My 1 hour recreation time only 5 times a week is hardly recreation in a 15x15 steel cage with no workout equipment.
The only thing to look forward to is mail (if you're lucky enough to get it) and showers (which are only 10 minutes), and food trays. Don't forget looking forward to the hundreds of ants and rodents you will have to kill during the day that are living in your trash bag. As I talk to a friend, I get told by authorities to keep the noise level down. My friend is 5 doors down and everyone's talking at the same time, which will make this impossible. He closes a steel slider which has been placed over my door window - which they say is for "noise control." Everyone is still talking at the same time so, again, quieting down is impossible.
Finally mail call comes. They arrive at my door with a notice of publication disapproval, yet again. This is the only mail I have coming in, yet they deny this to me, always for the same reason - "may cause violence or disorder or insurrection which is a threat to institutional security." Moreover, the department and constitutional rights and policy violations are rampant. I sign away the only thing I depend on for outside contact with the world, being that visitation and telephone privileges have been restricted.
What am I to do? How about reading a book? The two I'm allowed have been read several times. After studying some material for the 5th time today, I sit and stare at the same white wall I wake up to every morning. I look down at the rib cage bones that are showing now due to the excessive weight loss from lack of adequate food. As my day winds down, I go to brush my teeth in the same dirty sink and notice against that I am forced to use state-issued hygiene when I have a tin of my own hygiene I have ordered from canteen. State-issued toothpaste, soap, deodorant that breaks my arm pits out. I see why they say the state is going broke. Even the state-issued paper I write on is a puzzling thing because I have two full 80 sheet notepads that they have denied me from having.
I lay down without brushing my hair nor combing it because I'm denied those things as well. I can expect a ton of lint to be in my head due to me being denied a wave cap to cover my head. I lay! I think! Lay on the same sheets I've had for months. The same blanket I've had for months. I think of what the morning holds. I can expect the captain to come attempt to pacify me for the grievance I just wrote on foul conditions. On the notification the secretary of divisions of prisons received about these foul conditions. What will be brought up is the numerous food strikes that have occurred. The numerous occasions where the facility's "swat" team was brought in to "Rodney King" me. The property confiscation, mail stoppage. It's always been a "reminder."
I could very well expect to be told to pack my things to be moved to another facility after just being moved from unit to unit to unit. Could it be better anywhere else? Will things change? I guess I'll see in the morning in this cage. You have no "freedom." You have no "rights." There is no "rehabilitation." No "correction" by the Department of Corrections. Only control, repression, depression, suicide, violence, problems. You do what they tell you to do or resist and face crucial and sometimes deadly consequences. Welcome to the zoo-life - and this is just the isolation unit of more vulnerable zoo-life. Where the morning is unwanted and the night is hell. But when the morning comes, we'll do it all again.
MIM(Prisons) adds: These conditions, and the punishment prisoners face when fighting for their rights, are pushing forward the campaign to demand our grievances be addressed. In reality much of the horrible conditions faced daily by prisoners is considered legal and so can't be fought through the grievance system. No surprise in a country where we let mass murderers run the government while locking up Blacks and Latinos at astronomical rates. This is why the grievance battle is part of a larger struggle against imperialism. We won't be able to reform away this injustice, in the end only revolution will allow us to make real and lasting change in the interests of the people.
[Abuse] [Campaigns] [Stiles Unit] [Texas]
False Charges and Grievances Ignored in Texas
by a Texas prisoner March 2012 permalink
I'm writing to you in hopes of receiving relief or at least a thorough investigation into the matter of a grievance I filed. It's an appeal to a disciplinary case I received on November 2, 2011, for allegedly "Threatening an Officer," which was completely false and untruthful.
At approximately 3:00AM on November 2, Officer Nwanko let inmates out for breakfast. Because he didn't give prior notice, as standard procedures, a lot of inmates were caught unaware. Officer Nwanko was closing prisoners in their cells for not being ready. A college class I was taking started at 5:00AM I explained this to the officer but was ignored. It was during this time that other prisoners who were stuck in their cells were hollering to get out for chow and AM lay-ins, and were cursing the officer. Officer Nwanko proceeded to let out 3rd row, then left. On his way out the door, another prisoner made a comment for which I was written up.
After he finished letting all the inmates on the pod out, he went to the front desk and called for rank. Officer Nwanko explained that someone made the threat, but had no knowledge who the offender was that made the threat. He stated "When I was leaving, 35-cell (my assigned cell), was trying to get back in to get a school pass, ask him." Because of this statement, I was called to the front desk where I was then confronted by Lt. Davis and Cat. Graham, who both ask me about the threat made to the officer. Lt. Davis wanted to know who made the threat against the officer. When I had no knowledge, Lt. Davis made it quite clear that unless I told them what they wanted to know, that I would be locked up, and charged with threatening an officer. The officer was instructed to write the case, knowing this to be false and untruthful.
During my disciplinary hearing, the charging officer didn't have his story straight. The security tape will refute his testimony which the hearing officer relied on in finding me guilty of the charged offense. He stated that as he came down from third row, I intercepted him and proceeded to follow him. I requested that the security tape be made available for review, for that day and time that this alleged threat was made against this officer by me. The footage will refute the charge and discredit the charging officer's false testimony. The hearing officer refused my request for this security tape to be presented in my defense.
I never threatened this officer, nor approached this officer at any time, as the tape will substantiate. Despite the credible defense evidence of the existing tape, I was found guilty by the officer. The appeal process was equally unsuccessful. This greatly affected my chances for parole consideration, as the board relies heavily on what the "papers" say not on truth/or ones claim of innocence. Any input by you will be appreciated.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade sent a copy of his grievance petition looking for our assistance. Unfortunately MIM(Prisons) doesn't have the resources to help with each individual battle against injustice like this one as there are so many going on in the Amerikan prison system. But we encourage everyone to participate in the campaign demanding our grievances be addressed as a systematic way to deal with this problem. Of course addressing grievances still won't put an end to the injustice in the criminal injustice system. But it will help prisoners like this one shorten their time behind bars and create more organizing space for anti-imperialists building the movement behind bars.
Campaign info:
We Demand Our Grievances are Addressed in Texas
[Abuse] [State Correctional Institution Forest] [Pennsylvania]
Brutality and Resistance in Pennsylvania Demonstrates Need for United Front
by a Pennsylvania prisoner March 2012 permalink
I am currently being held captive in the Restricted Housing Unit (RHU) at SCI Forest and would like to apprise you of some recent events that have taken place:
On February 21, 2012, a mentally ill prisoner told Lt. Raymond Burkhart and other staff that he was feeling suicidal shortly after breakfast trays were distributed to prisoners in the unit. In turn, Lt. Burkhart summoned an extraction team, which consisted of approximately seven guards clad in full riot gear - helmets, body armor and gas masks. Moreover, the extraction team carried Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs), chemical agents, nightsticks, and other weapons. Bear in mind, the mentally ill prisoner, like most other prisoners in RHU, was housed in a single-man cell and with no clothing except for a jumpsuit and underclothes.
Instructed by Lt. Murin, the extraction team accosted the mentally ill prisoner and demanded that he relinquish his plastic breakfast tray. Disregarding the extraction team's orders, the prisoner requested psychiatric care apropos of his suicidal feelings. The extraction team then blasted the prisoner with a chemical agent. With his eyes and skin burning from the chemical agent, the prisoner relinquished the breakfast tray. The extraction team then left the unit. Lt. Burkhart and other staff left the mentally ill prisoner in the cell with the chemical agent burning his eyes and skin, and causing him to experience breathing complications overnight. All requests for medical and mental health care were denied.
The following morning, Lt. Burkhart summoned another extraction team to deal with the same mentally ill prisoner. Fortunately, that extraction team did not attack him with chemical agents. Unfortunately, they opted to charge into his cell, stun him with CEDs and pummel him bloody. Even after he was fully restrained by handcuffs and leg irons, one extraction team member (C.O. Woods) repeatedly struck his face with fists and elbows. The prisoner suffered a broken nose in addition to other facial injuries.
The extraction team then locked the mentally ill prisoner in a hard-cell (a cell with a concrete slab for a bed and no other furniture). He was left naked and bleeding with no running water. Several prisoners made requests to Lt. Burkhart and other staff for the mentally ill prisoner to be given medical treatment. These requests were denied.
On February 23, a comrade had words with Lt. Burkhard about the fact that the mentally ill prisoner was being denied medical treatment and held under inhuman conditions. Lt. Burkhart insulted the comrade with racial epithets.
That afternoon, the comrade was asleep while a pig was counting prisoners. The comrade didn't respond to the pig's calling of his name and consequently Lt. Burkhart ordered several guards to enter the comrade's cell. Awoken by the opening of the cell door, the comrade sprung to his feet and defended himself from the attack by the pigs. In fact, he defended himself so well that one pig ended up with a broken nose, and another with broken ribs. The comrade received minimal damage to the body.
Then, yesterday, four prisoners refused to return to their cells from the RHU yard in what began as a peaceful protest to seek the removal of Lt. Burkhart from the RHU. True to form, the pigs quickly got into riot gear and stormed the yard. They attacked one of the four prisoners with a stun shield. Be mindful of the fact that each prisoner was in a single-man exercise cage. Seeing no possible victory in combating the extraction team under the circumstances, the other three prisoners chose to return to their cells and excogitate new strategies.
It is well understood that MIM(Prisons) believes that the time is not yet ripe for armed struggle in this imperialist country, as their regime is still very powerful, and a minuscule percentage of the people are ready and able to partake in real revolution. Furthermore, when prisoners use violence against guards, then those who want to keep the prison industrial complex functioning label such prisoners incorrigible in order to increase the fear, and decrease the support, of prisoners in general by the populace. This makes easier the accomplishment of the government's goal of social control. Notwithstanding, prisoners often feel the need to take up arms against oppressors as guards are given free rein to physically assault them, deprive them of meals and subject them to various other forms of torture.
Even when prisoners endeavor to resolve issues the "right" way, i.e., filing prison grievances and lawsuits, they are often faced with coverups and injustices. For example, the same Lt. Burkhart mentioned earlier in this report often goes into cells while prisoners are in the yard and discards prisoners' legal materials. There are video cameras recording every pod in this unit 24 hours a day, but when prisoners request the use of the videos that would show Lt. Burkhart leaving cells with legal materials as proof of claims to resolve grievances, Lt. Burkhart's coworkers either refuse to review and preserve the videos, or say they can't see him on them. Such experiences are frustrating for prisoners.
The unity, discipline and hardihood displayed by the prisoners who partook in the hunger strikes in Georgia and California is commendable. And albeit not all participants belong to LOs, respect must be given to the many who do and yet were able to put their differences to the side and federate to take a stand against the common enemy. We are not close to having that type of unity in Pennsylvania, as individualism is prevalent out here. Nonetheless, there are some inspired guerrillas paying attention and working to radicalize others. Moreover, some of us are building the foundation of a movement that will aim to join the United Front for Peace in Prisons.
So, as other comrades and I strive to devise and employ tactics to thwart Lt. Burkhart and other oppressors, we look to strengthen solidarity with those who desire a communist world.
MIM(Prisons] adds: These struggles in Pennsylvania are similar to those going on across the criminal injustice system in Amerika. And this comrade does a good job describing the contradiction between the immediate desire of prisoners to fight back physically against the physical brutality they face daily and the potentially detrimental consequences of this armed struggle at this stage of development. We continue to encourage all prisoners to work with the United Front for Peace in Prisons and avoid physical confrontations whenever possible. We will build a movement that demonstrates that it is the oppressed who want peace and the prisons that promote violence.
Build a United Front for Peace in Prisons
[Censorship] [Abuse] [Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility at Rock Mountain] [California]
Censorship and Criminal Neglect in San Diego
by a California prisoner March 2012 permalink
In Richard J. Donovan State Prison in San Diego Ad-Seg this place is off the hook with their green wall mentality and tactics. For starters, today I got my mail and it's your magazine dated August 9, 2011. So these people are playing with our mail. It took seven months to get my mail from you. If that ain't censoring our mail then I don't know what is. There are other items of mail I've been waiting on that I still have not received. I've written ISU (Institution Services Unit) and the mailroom to find out whats going on with my mail, they have not bothered to respond.
When I was on the line here at RJDSP I worked as a porter in the EOP (Enhanced Outpatient Program) building. I used to find 10 to 20 letters a day in the trashcan. I got to the point of just passing out mail to these guys myself, as I found it in the trash. The pigs keep whatever they want here, mags, photos out of letters, stamps, money orders, visiting apps, etc.
Mail is just the tip of the BS going on. I've eye witnessed back-to-back beatings by CDCs finest. These poor guys here have tried time and again to get outside help, all these people do is screen our mail and hold back what they don't want getting out.
The food is bland and there is no salt in our food. The amount is so small in portion that a child could barely live off it. The air conditioning is on full blast to keep us frozen in the middle of winter. The conditions are so bad - it's so dirty in here and they never give us cleaning supplies.
My neighbor got an infection on his toe, and they wouldn't treat him for it. It got so bad they had to cut it off. They got us sleeping on mattresses that are stained with piss. Or in some cases no mattress. But if we make a big deal by asking for help, we'll get the shit beat out of us, and stripped down to nothing. I've been in Ad-Seg for a minute now and still haven't got my property. But I refuse to stop the fight no matter where they put me. This is why I write, to encourage others to never let these people still your spirit.
[Abuse] [Scotland Correctional Institution] [North Carolina] [ULK Issue 25]
Scotland Lockdown Passes One Month Mark
by MIM(Prisons) February 2012 permalink
In early February we received a report from a family member that Scotland Correctional Institution had been on lockdown for over 2 weeks. All the time prisoners were getting out of their cells was 5 minutes to shower with handcuffs. They were not allowed to use the phone to call family, so mail has been the only form of communication.
On February 21 a North Carolina prisoner reports:
I'm on lock down for something that happened on January 19, 2012 which I had nothing to do with. The prison placed us on an institution-wide lock down for a small gang riot, which was handled and shut down quickly. They still got us locked down, just trying to break our spirits.
They've not given any religious service, no school, no visits, no sick calls. I placed a sick call 2 weeks ago and they still haven't called me in.
Grievances are not being addressed. I'm so tired of being oppressed. I want to overcome this oppression and I know it's a struggle.
On February 16 ULK correspondent Wolf reported:
Other closed custody facilities went back to regular operation after Prison Emergency Response Teams (PERT) searched and stayed on each unit for about 2 weeks. But the oppressive Karen Stanback and her assistant Capt. Covington has continued the oppressive conditions at Scotland. Details of this oppression include:
On 20 January 2012 we were searched by PERT at 6:30 AM. No shower, recreation, TV, phone calls, religious services, canteen, etc. that day. Taken to the shower on 23 January 2012 in handcuffs and made to shower with handcuffs on. Only had 10 minutes to shower escorted by 2 COs in handcuffs, one inmate at a time in a block of 48 people. PERT searched us again on 25 January 2012.
After grievances and receiving complaints from family members and other outside sources, we received 2 hours in the dayroom, 24 prisoners at a time. During this period we must shower, make phone calls, or try to cook or prepare a meal using 1 hot water sink in the dorm. Prisoners must become bootlickers or snitches or their jobs are being given away to medical custody.
All the guys who participated in the actions that occurred that night are on segregation or were sent to long-term lockup. Still these conditions continue to be enforced on us. Brothers don't realize they're used as pawns in a dirty chess game played by this administration to finally have a reason to bury us alive in these cemeteries. However, Resistance Number 1, aka Wolf has entered the fight against the oppressive imperialistic system of justice and joins MIM. We the Resistance Number 1 realized our fight is hard and difficult, but someone must speak out against the laboratory of injustice here at Scotland CI.
[Abuse] [Organizing] [Menard Correctional Center] [Illinois] [ULK Issue 24]
Fighting Back in Menard
by an Illinois prisoner December 2011 permalink
Here at Menard, a prison within the Illinois Department of Corruptions, the prisoners have said "no more." We now are making a full and united front against the swine who confine us.
We have tried for years to voice our objections in a peaceful and civil manner to the hierarchy of this morally bankrupt system. However, these pigs refuse to listen. In fact it has now become completely and utterly impossible to exhaust any and all grievances with any kind of legally sound argument within its body, thereby stopping a prisoner from presenting any claim in any court.
Here in the segregation unit they have gathered together a group of sadistic pigs who torture at will. The head and ringleader of these cowards seems to be Officer Davis. The hierarchy put in cameras to curb the abuse. The piggies found blind spots, where prisoners' blood stains the concrete, and those responsible are allowed to hide.
There have been at least five severe and bloody staff assaults here in a row. The brass in their state capital keeps asking, why? Why, because you have left us with no other course of action. We have become intolerant of the consecutive abuses. We have finally found ourselves in a corner with nowhere to turn. I see no end to the bloodshed. Even after these pigs put those they believe responsible in extreme isolation, it continues!
Defiance and refusal to submit to these pigs has become a movement within itself. It has become much too large to squash. When things attain a certain size they become permanent. One can dredge a lake, but not an ocean.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This letter illustrates an important fact: when people are pushed into a corner, tortured and given no option of running away and no peaceful way to fight back, they will be forced into a violent response. It is ironic that the prisons are constantly censoring MIM(Prisons) as a threat to the security of the institution when it is their own policies and practices that threaten the safety of staff and prisoners the most!
We do want to point out that there is an alternative to short-term violence against the pigs. We need broader organization among our comrades behind bars so that they are not taken out one by one for fighting back. While we cannot judge individual cases of desperation, we know that the long battle is one that requires the building of unity and the education of our allies.
[Abuse] [North Branch Correctional Institution] [Maryland] [ULK Issue 25]
Maryland Abuses Prisoners, Tortures Mental Health Patients
by a Maryland prisoner December 2011 permalink
I'm incarcerated at Maryland's North Branch Correctional Institution (NBCI) in Cumberland, Maryland. I have been getting Under Lock & Key for about six months now. I'm writing this for me and my fellow prisoners; we need help. I have been here at NBCI in the segregation unit for two years now and there is a serious problem here. There is a big ring of corrupt racist white renegade prison guards employed here. These guards are anti-social/racist towards Black prisoners. They provoke, curse, challenge to fight, call them niggers, bitches, etc.
They broke the legs of one of my fellow comrades who I'm close to, and no one did anything to help. These prison guards take our food, recreation, and showers for days at a time. They spray us with pepper spray out of the blue for reasons that are still unknown. I have been a victim of that twice. I have tried to fight back but I'm one lone prisoner. Other prisoners are afraid to back me because they fear losing what little they have: single cells, TVs, etc. They are afraid of having their property sent home, being beaten, and/or thrown in the segregation unit.
The mental health patients housed in the prison who have Axis 1 diagnoses throw feces on other prisoners on the tier and the prison guards feed prisoners while the feces are on the tier. Prison guards abuse these Axis 1 diagnosis mental health patients; they agitate, provoke, mock, and call them stupid and retarded. These corrupt guards also constantly break their chain of command. They are not disciplined for their violations of Maryland Division of Corrections Directives. Even the Request for Administrative Remedy process is corrupt.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This letter describing the abuse and corruption at NBCI raises a concern directly related to campaigns MIM(Prisons) is leading. Staff in Maryland are not accountable for their actions. This is true in prisons across the country and this abuse of power inspired prisoners to initiate a campaign to Demand Our Grievances be Addressed. It's spread from California to Arizona, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia. And anyone can help spread it further by requesting the form from us and doing the research on policies to cite for your state.
[Abuse] [Political Repression] [Campaigns] [Texas] [ULK Issue 25]
Texas Limits Privileges and Denies Grievances
by a Texas prisoner December 2011 permalink
Due to the budget cuts and Governor Perry refusing the stimulus package, in Texas prisons they've attacked those housed here. They ceased serving prepackaged cartons of milk, and went to powdered milk, and now they have attached a fee of $100 annual to medical. If you need medical care you will be charged for a toothache, diarrhea, headache, etc. But what's devastating is TDCJ doesn't pay its offenders money. Instead it uses good time which they take away as a punitive measure, causing you to do more time.
Since TDCJ doesn't reward or pay offenders, money needed has to come from gifts via family, friends etc. In other words they're extorting our loved ones, and this will follow those who parole with money to be paid and attached to parole fees.
Upon being released from the Texas system you'll receive a bus ticket to your county of conviction and $50. Upon reporting to parole you'll receive the second $50 from which parole fees of $12, victim fees, educational fees, and restitution fees will be deducted, so you're to reenter society on a very small amount of money.
Texas's systems practically operate on what they produce themselves for consumption. Clothing, shoes, food, etc., is all made at the multiple units, sent to central stores and resold to each unit.
TDCJ has the offenders scared. They will stack free world time on any act of violence - any kind of unions or solidarity will be attacked as Security Threat Groups and figureheads will be placed in level III Administrative Segregation.
They have sought out to break any sort of groups and unauthorized activities. Since I've been involved in prisoner rights we've lost more than gained: We have lost smoking products, canned goods, beans, meats, fruits, educational classes, GED, college courses, radios with speakers, cable TV, art privileges, and even carton milk. Long hair and facial hair were banned. They hold supposed good time above these bamboozled offenders and make them comply.
I recently received a major rule infraction, just because I told the law library trustee to stop throwing my photocopies on the floor. So he filed a LID (life endangerment) on me: he forged a letter and signed my name to it - saying I asked another to beat him up, so I received a major rule infraction for Penal Code 71-02 Organized Crime. I've filed 4 grievances on his department and security staff for sabotaging my legal request and destroying my letters. All were denied.
So I wrote to the law library supervisor with no response. I then wrote to the senior warden to no avail. The Office of the Attorney General offered nothing, but they found a dummy letter forged and they promptly protected their SSI (Support Service Inmate).
In Texas you're only allowed to file one grievance a week, and I've been here two years plus. I've filed approximately 94 and all have come back denied - no proof.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This story of grievances being denied over and over for legitimate cases is all too common, not just in Texas but in prisons across the country. This is why United Struggle from Within initiated the campaign demanding our grievances be addressed. We currently have petitions for California, Texas, New York, Virginia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arizona and the campaign is spreading. We need legal researchers to create petitions for other states. And if you are in a state that already has a petition, write to us for a copy and join the campaign to demand grievances be addressed in your state. It's time to destroy the idea that people can effectively go to the state for protection from abuse in prison.
Texas prisons deny responsibility for oppression, making grievances more difficult
[Political Repression] [Abuse] [Scotland Correctional Institution] [North Carolina]
Fight Oppression at Scotland Correctional Institution
by a North Carolina prisoner November 2011 permalink
This is a cry out for help from the brothers in the struggle at the confinement of Scotland Correctional Institution located in Laurinburg, NC under the ruler and dictatorship of Karen Stanback, Asst. Superintendent of Security. It grieves my heart to know and witness an African American woman, apply rules of oppression to camp populated by 80% minority races. Actions of oppression ordered by K. Stanback are:
To ban all Under Lock & Key publications
No state or local newspapers
No shirt jackets worn in the dinner hall, school, or any religious programs (no matter what the temp is)
No showering from 6pm until 9pm (with a population of 1500 prisoners)
No jobs for close custody prisoners once they lose their assigned job. (All jobs are then referred to medium custody prisoners)
Confining over 145 prisoners in one unit called Green D,E,F or "Gangland". This is where all the gangs are housed at, mixed together, and not giving any opportunity for regular programs or employment like the regular population.
Only 1 hour of recreation. Without proper exercise, fresh air, and movement an individual develops a mentality like a caged in animal.
She and the admins here have created a very hostile environment and seem to enjoy it.
Brothers and sisters please! This is our cry for relief the hammer of oppression being applied to us at Scotland CI under the watch of K. Stanback. Please contact the appropriate resources to aid us in our struggle.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We support this comrade's call for prisoners to stand up against oppression. This prisoner and others are leading the struggle at Scotland and they provide an example to prisoners across the the criminal injustice system who are facing similar conditions.
[Control Units] [Political Repression] [Abuse] [Mt Olive Correctional Complex] [West Virginia]
Fighting Segregation, Inspired by ULK
by a West Virginia prisoner October 2011 permalink
I have just recently been introduced to Under Lock & Key. I regret that I've been ignorant to the existence of such an inspiring movement. I commend you all in exposing the harsh reality that is the Department of Corruption nationwide.
Here in West Virginia the nature of incarceration is mostly mental and emotional torture. Segregation time is handed out in 30- and 60-day increments for infractions of the pettiest kind: borrowing someone else's CD can get you 30 days. Giving a man a soup because he's hungry lands you in SHU for 30 days. Multiple class 2 writeups get you 60 as well as any class 1. Tobacco products get you 60 days. Then god forbid you get caught with a weapon... that's 2 years minimum on the "Quality of Life Program."
The SHU is sensory deprivation to the fullest. There is no access to reading books from the library, and of course no radio or television. If you get no newspapers or magazines in the mail, you have nothing. Get caught passing reading material and it's another 30 days. It's a very stressful game to hold on to your sanity.
Though the atmosphere is not very violent, it is taxing mentally. Behind every face is a potential informant. There are few that can truly be trusted and even fewer who can be depended on. We have no unity. Some try to open the eyes of others to see the true enemy, but often times to no avail. Administration members play us against each other at every turn. They oppress religious freedoms and the mere freedom of thought. Voicing opinions in grievances gets you put in the SHU.
I anxiously await the next issue of Under Lock & Key for advice, direction, and inspiration.
MIM(Prisons) adds: The torture of prison control units, like the SHU described by this prisoner, is widespread in Amerika. It is something we have been fighting against for years, many comrades decades, but with little success in actually stopping the torture. Isolation units are used as a tool of social control for a population that the imperialists have no productive use for. In this system, prisoncrats work hard to set prisoners against one another by rewarding snitching as another method of control. Division and fear are powerful tools for the criminal injustice system. Under Lock & Key is an important tool for prisoners to fight back, organize, and unify. Share this publication with others, form discussion groups to talk about the articles, and get in touch with us to share your stories and struggles. There are many more people like the one above who have plenty of experience with repression, but have had little access to comrades and forums for analyzing and struggling to end it. We are working to change that.
Shut Down the Control Units
Go to Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] 23 [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39]

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Charm With Me Club is a monthly subscription box that brings the most amazing fandom charms! With your first month, you'll be sent a starter bracelet, and then you can build your own bracelet with themed fandom charms that fit on Pandora bracelets each month. The subscription costs $19.99 per month and ships in a cute little mailer box.
Note: once you're a member you'll need to watch for the theme announcements. If you don't like the theme you can switch your subscription to "surprise me!" Also note – this subscription sells out!
This month we could choose between Harry Potter and Doctor Who! They sent an email for us to select which one we wanted however if someone signed up with your link you and your friend were both sent both collections!
DEAL: Save 10% on your subscription! Use coupon code HELLO10.
First up we get the Doctor Who inspired charms. With this collection we got 2 metal charms and 2 beads.
The back of the theme card lists out the included charms for the theme.
The first two beads we got are Royal Blue glass beads. Normally, Charm with me Club sends these out with their Disney Princess themes so I was excited to get them in here. I love these glass bead charms and I keep them all together so I can mix them in with all of my bracelets. Next up we got a Dalek inspired silver plated charm and a Tardis inspired piece with blue, white and black enamel accents. I'm not a big Doctor Who fan but even I recognized the charms in here and thought they were really cute.
The other theme this month was Harry Potter and this collection came with 3 charms. We are HUGE Harry Potter fans here so getting these charms is always so magical.
Another fantastic Harry Potter inspired set. This collection came with a Dementor Inspired hand carved piece in gunmetal plate. I'm very partial to dangling charms so this one had me right from the start. I know Dementors are supposed to be scary but this guy is just too cute. Next, we got a Golden Snitch inspired charm. This charm is large and the snitch has his little flapper wings ready to fly. The final charm is the classic 9 3/4 inspired double sided logo with white enamel. This might be my favorite Harry Potter inspired charm ever. It is so iconic and without being overly fandom it lets everyone know what you are representing.
Two fantastically magical sets from Charm With Me Club this month. I always love getting the glass beads with my sets and adding those in with the always spectacular Harry Potter inspired charms and it was a month made in heaven. Again I'm glad I did not have to choose between the sets since they are both so perfect. Charm with me Club always sends perfectly curated collections for all different fandoms. I can't wait to see what they send next.
After the subscription has shipped, you can go on their site and normally order the beads themselves. However, the monthly sets go for about $29.99, so getting the subscription is the better deal. You can always go and check out the past months and see if there are any that you missed and want to add to your collection.
There is another double theme for July you get to choose between Sailor Moon part 2 and Hercules! And again if you refer someone new to the subscription both of you gets both themes. They make it so hard to choose between the themes!
What did you think of the Charm With Me Club charms this month? Are you a fan? What fandoms would you like them to feature?
Visit Charm With Me Club to subscribe or find out more!
Charm With Me Club Will bring you the most amazing fandom related charms so you can build your own bracelet to your liking! You'll get a starter bracelet when you sign up along with the 2 current charms for the month. Every month you will receive 2 charms from the best fandom!
Save 10% on your subscription! Use coupon code HELLO10.


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Абраменки — название населённых пунктов в России:

 Абраменки — деревня в Смоленском районе Смоленской области.
 Абраменки — деревня в Кезском районе Удмуртии.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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SDCC 2015: Our Comic-Con Schedule, and How You Can Join Us (Virtually!)
I'll be the first to admit, we're pretty awful when it comes to planning for San Diego Comic-Con. There's so much to do and see, and frankly, it's overwhelming.
But this time around, we'll have some tools and technology that can help get you to the big show, at least virtually, if you can't make it to there yourselves. So it makes sense to apprise our favorite folks, those of you who actually read the stuff here at AFP, of what we're planning and how we're going to share it with you. And to ask for your advice – there's one scheduling conflict that I'll need your help to decide on which to attend.
First, the tools and technology. We're all about pictures, and there's a bunch of ways to keep up to date with AFP:
Instagram: This will be the most immediate. I'll be posting there starting Wednesday afternoon at Preview night, as often as the network allows – the cellular data network does get overloaded quite easily by the sheer number of people at SDCC.
Facebook and Twitter: If Instagram isn't your thing, I'll be posting selected Instagram shots to our Facebook and Twitter feeds too. Just not all of them – I know some people, myself included, aren't too keen when a single person or page spams my feeds, even if it is about action figures!
The AFP website: We'll also be shooting better quality, high resolution pictures with our real cameras. In the past, I've tried posting them to our Google+ Photos gallery, but I think most people prefer them within our SDCC updates directly on the site. Most picture posts on the site will show up in the evening or early the next morning. You can filter what you see on the site to our complete SDCC coverage, which includes news items leading up to the show, or our Events coverage for stuff that's onsite (aside from this post, you'll see stuff from Star Wars Celebration and Toy Fair, until we post after Preview Night on Wednesday).
We will also do video coverage:
Periscope: This is a new live streaming mobile app available for iOS and Android. It's made by the people at Twitter, so if you follow @ActionFigPics, you can also follow us on Periscope. We plan to shoot some coverage of some of the booths around the show floor. We won't have a set schedule, but you can expect some starting Wednesday afternoon at Preview Night. We'll announce these via our Twitter feed, but this will also be heavily dependent on network capacity, so we'll see how it goes.
YouTube: We'll film panels as we're able. The Comic-Con staff really tries to limit videos of panels for some reason. But when we can shoot videos, they take time to upload and process, so if we're fast you'll see them late in the evening of the panel, but most likely the morning after or even later than that. Sorry!
So please, follow, like, subscribe, et cetera, and we'll do our best to give you a virtual view of SDCC!
Here's the panels we'd like to attend. Since we're leaving Sunday before the show is over, we can't attend some of the panels we'd like to on that day.
Action figures, statues, busts, PVC figures-DC Collectibles has them! Join the DC Collectibles crew, including VP of creative services Kevin Kiniry, director of creative services Jim Fletcher, and special guests to hear how they come up with so many great products, and what's coming up from comics' top makers of awesome collectibles.
Thursday July 9, 2015 10:00am – 11:00am
Transformers Generations: More Than Meets the Eye
Come see what the Transformers characters are up to as you are entertained with sneak peeks of the all new Activision video game trailers, IDW comic prints, and other special surprises. Then get your collector action on as you get an exclusive glimpse at the latest and greatest Transformers generations combiner wars toys that have yet to hit toy shelves. The Transformers team members will also host a Q&A session to answer your burning questions.
Thursday July 9, 2015 11:00am – 12:00pm
Bringing Toys to Life in Video Games: He-Man and G.I. Joe Complete the Toy Soldiers: War Chest
The He-Man and G.I. Joe franchises have become a cultural phenomenon spanning toys, cartoons, comic books, and movies since their introduction in the '80s. Now the fan-favorite action figures make the leap to next-generation video game consoles in Toy Soldiers: War Chest. Panelists Derryl DePriest (VP global brand marketing and G.I. Joe historian from Hasbro), Mark Morse (director of global marketing and franchise development for Masters of the Universe from Mattel), and Josh Mast (producer on Toy Soldiers: War Chest from Ubisoft) discuss bringing these classic action figures to life and present a live gameplay demo and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the new trailer featuring these characters.
Thursday July 9, 2015 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Mattel and WWE: NXT Superstar of Tomorrow
Once again, Mattel and WWE have teamed up to bring you an action-packed SDCC panel. WWE & NXT Superstars and Mattel personnel will discuss the tremendous growth in popularity of NXT, weigh in on the next generation of WWE Superstars, and give exclusive sneak peeks of Mattel's upcoming WWE figure releases. Incredible guest appearances by William Regal, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Charlotte, and additional special guests.
Thursday July 9, 2015 1:00pm – 2:00pm
One thing that's tough about consecutive panels is that the popular ones form lines well in advance and hit max capacity. So we won't make all four of these on Thursday – the most likely casualties are the Transformers and Toy Soldiers panels.
Hasbro:Star Wars
Join members of the Hasbro and Lucasfilm teams as they discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro's latest action figure offerings. Word on the Holonet is there may also be a few surprises, including a special product reveal.
Friday July 10, 2015 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Mattel Collector: MattyPalooza!
Mattel has some very exciting news about the future of Masters of the Universe Classic, plus a ton more. The panel will include a Q&A with Mattel toy designers, the Mattel marketing team, and The Four Horseman, plus a special treat for fans. Tons of reveals and surprises are in store.
Here's our dilemma – the Hasbro Star Wars and Mattypalooza panels are at the same time on Friday. On the one hand, we're sure to see the reveals for Star Wars: The Force Awakens Black Series figures.
On the other, Mattel says they will reveal the future of Masters of the Universe Classics. I know I've gone so far as to suggest the end of the Mattycollector site after this year, but it sure seems like Mattel is determined to keep going. What's the rumor mill saying? Will we see more MOTUC? Will they surprise us with a new collector-oriented license?
Right now, I'm leaning towards the Mattypalooza event, because I know we'll be bombarded with Star Wars for the rest of the year. Which of these two panels would you rather see?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Toys and Action Figures
Join the mutants behind the hit toy line for over 25 years. "Team Green" marketers and designers showcase what's new and next with TMNT master toy licensee Playmates Toys.
Friday July 10, 2015 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Marvel Heroes 2015: More Amazing, Incredible, and Invincible Than Ever!
Marvel Heroes just celebrated two years as one of the best free-to-play multiplayer PC gaming experiences, and it just keeps getting bigger and better (or, in some cases, smaller and better). See what Gazillion has in store for the rest of 2015 and beyond, including the game's landmark 50th playable character. Expect some fun surprises, and come with some good questions for the Q&A session. Panelists include Gazillion's own David Brevik (CEO and creator of Diablo), Ryan Collins (creative designer/community manager), Bridget MacFarland (game designer), Andrew Hair (gameplay engineer), and Chris Baker (senior social media manager).
I play Marvel Heroes, but since it's at the end of the day on Friday, I may just be too tired to make it to their panel.
Minimates Mini-Figures: From Ant-Man to Zombies
Chuck Terceira (president, Diamond Select Toys) and Jason Wires (prototype painter) discuss what's coming up for the toy line, including a new series based on Marvel Comics, movies and animation; plus The Walking Dead, Gotham, Jay and Silent Bob, Back to the Future, Muppets and more. Zach Oat (marketing supervisor, DST) will moderate a Q&A, reveal new artwork, and award prizes.
Saturday July 11, 2015 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Diamond Select Toys has another panel on Sunday, which sadly I won't be able to make.
IDW and Hasbro: Transformers, Jem, Ponies, and More
IDW editors John Barber and Bobby Curnow, along with Michael Kelly (Hasbro's senior director, global publishing), present a comprehensive overview of all things IDW and Hasbro; Transformers, My Little Pony, Jem, G.I. JOE, Dungeons & Dragons. Get the inside scoop on the latest news and announcements. Featuring writer Mairghread Scott, artist Agnes Garbowska, and more special guests.
Since I'll most likely miss the Hasbro Transformers panel earlier in the show, I have this as a placeholder. But this will cover their comic book properties, so it may be a skip for me too.
Adam Biehl (VP, Global Marvel Line, Hasbro), Jesse Falcon (director of Hardlines, Marvel), Dwight Stall (senior Marvel product design manager, Hasbro), Bobby Vala (Marvel product designer, Hasbro), Maalvika Mantripragada (director, Marvel Brands, Hasbro) and Michael Breslin (senior director, Global Marvel Fan Line, Hasbro) discuss Hasbro's popular Marvel LEGENDS action figure lines. Attendees will also get a sneak peek of upcoming Marvel action figures.
This is the Saturday Night Afternoon Main Event for me, and wraps up the panel coverage we'd like to do, but won't cover completely.
The Comic-Con website has the complete SDCC 2015 program schedule – check it out and let us know if there's something totally awesome and action figure related that we missed!
Author RonPosted on July 6, 2015 Categories EventsTags Ant-Man, Back to the Future, Black Series, DC, DC Collectibles, Diamond Select Toys, Exclusive, G.I. Joe, Gotham, Hasbro, He-Man, Marvel, Marvel Legends, Masters of the Universe, Masters of the Universe Classics, Mattel, Minimates, Playmates, SDCC, SDCC 2015, Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Walking Dead, Toy Fair, Transformers, WWE
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HOW AUSTRALIA RANG IN 2016
As the year 2016 begins on an auspicious note all around the world, we wish that yours has gotten off on the right foot too. In this article, we cover the various ways in which the big cities of Australia ushered in the New Year in their various trademark ways. Read on to find out more.
The New Year, 2016, is here, and Australia, as usual, laid out the red carpet to welcome it in. Every year, the New Year celebrations in the continent only seem to get better. In this piece, we bring to you a roundup of how the bigger cities of Australia gathered together to ring in the New Year.
Centred around the Harbour Bridge, Sydney welcomed 2016 with a spectacular display of lights and fireworks. The display's theme this time was City of Colour, and people gathered around the harbour to watch a twenty-minute rainbow display that represented the various colours that the city has to offer. The landmark was also transformed into a giant Aboriginal flag as homage to native Australian culture.
Seven tonnes of fireworks were used: 11000 shells, 25000 shooting comets and 100,000 individual 'pyrotechnic effects'. Australia's biggest city therefore put on its biggest show ever to welcome 2016.
In Melbourne, though some citizens complained that the celebrations this year were low key, about half a million people still packed the city along the banks of the Yarra. The fireworks went off early in order to get the crowd to disperse early, but that did not dampen the people's enthusiasm. Those with a view of the city skyline were treated to 10 tonnes of fireworks discharged into the clear night sky. Many of the interviewed party-goers said that it was great to be spending New Year's eve in Melbourne's CBD.
Despite a temperature of 39 degrees Celsius for Adelaide and other centres in SA, tens of thousands of people flocked to traditional hotspots to welcome in the New Year. Beachside events at Brighton and Glenelg were again very popular and in the city centre the biggest midnight fireworks ever staged by Adelaide City Council exploded from Torrens Lake.
Brisbane and Darwin
30,000 fireworks greeted the people of Brisbane, launched from the Five Barges hotel on the Brisbane River. This happened an hour or so after celebrations had begun in the Southern states. The restaurants, pubs, clubs and other vantage points in Southbank were filled to the brim with people ushering in the New Year.
Perth and Darwin
The New Year's party at Perth Zoo proved to be very popular with families yet again, with about 4500 people attending. A free outdoor event at Northbridge played host to hundreds of revellers, while others gathered at Burswood, Claremont Showgrounds and Rockingham to watch firework displays and other events. Police in Perth reported that the crowd attending the parties at Burswood and Fremantle were peaceful.
An Aussie outback-themed event was organised in Darwin at the Waterfront as the city saw its first midnight firework display.
ICE AND SNOW COME TO LIFE IN CHINA
In the provincial town of Harbin in China, every year around December, the ice and snow that falls during the...


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HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS of INDIVIDUAL STARS in STELLAR STREAMS: ORPHAN, SAGITTARIUS, LETHE, and the NEW "pARALLEL STREAM"
Sangmo Tony Sohn, Roeland P. Van Der Marel, Nitya Kallivayalil, Steven R. Majewski, Gurtina Besla, Jeffrey L. Carlin, David R. Law, Michael H. Siegel, Jay Anderson
Astronomy & Astrophysics
We present a multi-epoch Hubble Space Telescope (HST) study of stellar proper motions (PMs) for four fields along the Orphan Stream. We determine absolute PMs of several individual stars per target field using established techniques that utilize distant background galaxies to define a stationary reference frame. Five Orphan Stream stars are identified in one of the four fields based on combined color-magnitude and PM information. The average PM is consistent with the existing model of the Orphan Stream by Newberg et al. In addition to the Orphan Stream stars, we detect stars that likely belong to other stellar streams. To identify which stellar streams these stars belong to, we examine the 2d bulk motion of each group of stars on the sky by subtracting the PM contribution of the solar motion (which is a function of position on the sky and distance) from the observed PMs, and comparing the vector of net motion with the spatial extent of known stellar streams. By doing this, we identify candidate stars in the Sagittarius and Lethe streams, and a newly found stellar stream at a distance of ∼17 kpc, which we tentatively name the "Parallel Stream." Together with our Sagittarius stream study, this work demonstrates that even in the Gaia era, HST will continue to be advantageous in measuring PMs of old stellar populations on a star-by-star basis, especially for distances beyond ∼10 kpc.
Astrophysical Journal
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/235
Published - Dec 20 2016
10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/235
Dive into the research topics of 'HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS of INDIVIDUAL STARS in STELLAR STREAMS: ORPHAN, SAGITTARIUS, LETHE, and the NEW "pARALLEL STREAM"'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
orphan Earth & Environmental Sciences 100%
proper motion Physics & Astronomy 76%
stars Physics & Astronomy 36%
sky Physics & Astronomy 11%
time measurement Physics & Astronomy 4%
galaxies Physics & Astronomy 4%
color Physics & Astronomy 4%
Sohn, S. T., Van Der Marel, R. P., Kallivayalil, N., Majewski, S. R., Besla, G., Carlin, J. L., Law, D. R., Siegel, M. H., & Anderson, J. (2016). HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS of INDIVIDUAL STARS in STELLAR STREAMS: ORPHAN, SAGITTARIUS, LETHE, and the NEW "pARALLEL STREAM". Astrophysical Journal, 833(2), [235]. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/235
Sohn, Sangmo Tony ; Van Der Marel, Roeland P. ; Kallivayalil, Nitya et al. / HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS of INDIVIDUAL STARS in STELLAR STREAMS : ORPHAN, SAGITTARIUS, LETHE, and the NEW "pARALLEL STREAM". In: Astrophysical Journal. 2016 ; Vol. 833, No. 2.
@article{acd3ae6fe0fc44619640205cf7b37282,
title = "HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS of INDIVIDUAL STARS in STELLAR STREAMS: ORPHAN, SAGITTARIUS, LETHE, and the NEW {"}pARALLEL STREAM{"}",
abstract = "We present a multi-epoch Hubble Space Telescope (HST) study of stellar proper motions (PMs) for four fields along the Orphan Stream. We determine absolute PMs of several individual stars per target field using established techniques that utilize distant background galaxies to define a stationary reference frame. Five Orphan Stream stars are identified in one of the four fields based on combined color-magnitude and PM information. The average PM is consistent with the existing model of the Orphan Stream by Newberg et al. In addition to the Orphan Stream stars, we detect stars that likely belong to other stellar streams. To identify which stellar streams these stars belong to, we examine the 2d bulk motion of each group of stars on the sky by subtracting the PM contribution of the solar motion (which is a function of position on the sky and distance) from the observed PMs, and comparing the vector of net motion with the spatial extent of known stellar streams. By doing this, we identify candidate stars in the Sagittarius and Lethe streams, and a newly found stellar stream at a distance of ∼17 kpc, which we tentatively name the {"}Parallel Stream.{"} Together with our Sagittarius stream study, this work demonstrates that even in the Gaia era, HST will continue to be advantageous in measuring PMs of old stellar populations on a star-by-star basis, especially for distances beyond ∼10 kpc.",
author = "Sohn, {Sangmo Tony} and {Van Der Marel}, {Roeland P.} and Nitya Kallivayalil and Majewski, {Steven R.} and Gurtina Besla and Carlin, {Jeffrey L.} and Law, {David R.} and Siegel, {Michael H.} and Jay Anderson",
note = "Funding Information: Support for this work was provided by NASA through a grant for program GO-13443 from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. SRM acknowledges support from grant NSFAST1312863. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.",
doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/235",
journal = "Astrophysical Journal",
Sohn, ST, Van Der Marel, RP, Kallivayalil, N, Majewski, SR, Besla, G, Carlin, JL, Law, DR, Siegel, MH & Anderson, J 2016, 'HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS of INDIVIDUAL STARS in STELLAR STREAMS: ORPHAN, SAGITTARIUS, LETHE, and the NEW "pARALLEL STREAM"', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 833, no. 2, 235. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/235
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS of INDIVIDUAL STARS in STELLAR STREAMS : ORPHAN, SAGITTARIUS, LETHE, and the NEW "pARALLEL STREAM". / Sohn, Sangmo Tony; Van Der Marel, Roeland P.; Kallivayalil, Nitya et al.
In: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 833, No. 2, 235, 20.12.2016.
T1 - HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS of INDIVIDUAL STARS in STELLAR STREAMS
T2 - ORPHAN, SAGITTARIUS, LETHE, and the NEW "pARALLEL STREAM"
AU - Sohn, Sangmo Tony
AU - Van Der Marel, Roeland P.
AU - Kallivayalil, Nitya
AU - Majewski, Steven R.
AU - Besla, Gurtina
AU - Carlin, Jeffrey L.
AU - Law, David R.
AU - Siegel, Michael H.
AU - Anderson, Jay
N1 - Funding Information: Support for this work was provided by NASA through a grant for program GO-13443 from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. SRM acknowledges support from grant NSFAST1312863. Publisher Copyright: © 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
N2 - We present a multi-epoch Hubble Space Telescope (HST) study of stellar proper motions (PMs) for four fields along the Orphan Stream. We determine absolute PMs of several individual stars per target field using established techniques that utilize distant background galaxies to define a stationary reference frame. Five Orphan Stream stars are identified in one of the four fields based on combined color-magnitude and PM information. The average PM is consistent with the existing model of the Orphan Stream by Newberg et al. In addition to the Orphan Stream stars, we detect stars that likely belong to other stellar streams. To identify which stellar streams these stars belong to, we examine the 2d bulk motion of each group of stars on the sky by subtracting the PM contribution of the solar motion (which is a function of position on the sky and distance) from the observed PMs, and comparing the vector of net motion with the spatial extent of known stellar streams. By doing this, we identify candidate stars in the Sagittarius and Lethe streams, and a newly found stellar stream at a distance of ∼17 kpc, which we tentatively name the "Parallel Stream." Together with our Sagittarius stream study, this work demonstrates that even in the Gaia era, HST will continue to be advantageous in measuring PMs of old stellar populations on a star-by-star basis, especially for distances beyond ∼10 kpc.
AB - We present a multi-epoch Hubble Space Telescope (HST) study of stellar proper motions (PMs) for four fields along the Orphan Stream. We determine absolute PMs of several individual stars per target field using established techniques that utilize distant background galaxies to define a stationary reference frame. Five Orphan Stream stars are identified in one of the four fields based on combined color-magnitude and PM information. The average PM is consistent with the existing model of the Orphan Stream by Newberg et al. In addition to the Orphan Stream stars, we detect stars that likely belong to other stellar streams. To identify which stellar streams these stars belong to, we examine the 2d bulk motion of each group of stars on the sky by subtracting the PM contribution of the solar motion (which is a function of position on the sky and distance) from the observed PMs, and comparing the vector of net motion with the spatial extent of known stellar streams. By doing this, we identify candidate stars in the Sagittarius and Lethe streams, and a newly found stellar stream at a distance of ∼17 kpc, which we tentatively name the "Parallel Stream." Together with our Sagittarius stream study, this work demonstrates that even in the Gaia era, HST will continue to be advantageous in measuring PMs of old stellar populations on a star-by-star basis, especially for distances beyond ∼10 kpc.
U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/235
DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/235
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
Sohn ST, Van Der Marel RP, Kallivayalil N, Majewski SR, Besla G, Carlin JL et al. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS of INDIVIDUAL STARS in STELLAR STREAMS: ORPHAN, SAGITTARIUS, LETHE, and the NEW "pARALLEL STREAM". Astrophysical Journal. 2016 Dec 20;833(2):235. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/235


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text:
News » Miscellaneous
Right and Right
by Ben Fulton
After finally getting around to viewing Napoleon Dynamite at the local theater—yes, I am the spittin' image of him, just as Music & TV Editor Bill Frost maintained during my brief absence—the only other event I'm looking forward to this summer is the 2004 Republican National Convention, Aug. 30-Sept. 2, in New York City.
Nothing puts the finishing note on summer quite like the sight of thousands of filthy-rich people packed into one large convention hall. And don't you worry, because aside from figuring how best to keep us all safe from gay marriage and "terrists," the GOP currently promises on its Website that this year's right-wing hoedown will showcase "the most diverse group of delegates in party history." (Wait a minute. Didn't the Democrats trademark "diverse" long ago?) Which means you can count on seeing lots of minorities who also hate gays and love deficit-pumping tax breaks. Sorry to lay the liberal line on you so thick, but that's what you count on this column for. Right?
• There to rally the troops with their own brand of right-wing intellectualism will be the young conservative shock troops of ProtestWarrior. Founded by a bright young man with degrees in computer engineering and film production, this Austin, Texas-based group lives to show that the left "can't compete in the marketplace of ideas," as its Website boldly proclaims. What's more, liberals have a "hatred of what's good." Staunch defenders of Halliburton and the Iraq war—you've got to drain "the swamp of Islamo-fascism," you know, even if Saddam Hussein was a secular Ba'thist—ProtestWarrior revels in protest slogans designed to expose the moral bankruptcy of the left by manipulating its own topsy-turvy logic. Funny that, because this administration is just as clueless as many on the left. If our nation is safer after the invasion of Iraq, why did the International Institute for Strategic Studies recently report that the war has "accelerated" recruitment into al-Qaeda? If Saddam was complicit in 9/11 and cooperated with Osama Bin Laden, then why hasn't he been charged with those crimes? Would people care enough to read a history of the Middle East—William L. Cleveland's A History of the Modern Middle East or Arthur Goldschmidt Jr.'s A Concise History of the Middle East—before opening their mouths? No. It's so easier to believe that you're, you know, right. So here are a few ProtestWarrior slogan samples—and retorts, natch:
• "Saddam Only Kills His Own People: It's None of Our Business!" We screwed the Kurds in 1975, when U.S. Secretary of State and Republican Henry Kissinger mediated an agreement between Iraq and Iran that ended Iranian support for Kurdish separatists. We screwed the Kurds again when Donald Rumsfeld, then U.S. Middle East envoy, met with Saddam Dec. 20, 1983, to resume diplomatic relations with Iraq, even as Saddam's regime murdered 8,000 Kurdish men and loads of Shias. Rumsfeld met with Saddam again March 24, 1984, even as the United Nations documented Iraq's use of chemical weapons against Iran. But we don't care about dead Iranians. Right? Only dead Kurds. To be fair, where was right-wing outrage when Clinton failed the Rwandans?
• "Except for ending slavery, fascism, Nazism and communism, war has never solved anything" Point taken. But surely you're not talking about the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, or the Vietnam War.
• "End the Arab Occupation of Jewish Land" Hmm, you mean no one lived in Palestine prior to 1948?


The Springfield Jr. Blues will take on the St. Louis Bandits in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Games 1 and 2 are away and games 3 and 4 are home at the Nelson Center game 5 is back in St. Louis if necessary. Friday the 27th tickets will be $5 for everyone. It is also $1 hotdogs, pizza, Coors Light draft, and Pepsi next. Game time is at 7p.m. You can purchase tickets in advance at the Nelson Center. Come support your Jr. Blues!


Cologne, Germany — Flash memory manufacturer SanDisk came to the Photokina show, held here this week, with souped-up flash memory cards for advanced photographers, new card readers, and a new version of its TV photo viewer with additional file support and a reduced price.
SanDisk's Photo Album set-top box flash-reader lets users display digital still pictures and video on TVs in addition to playing MP3 music files through a television or home audio system. The device supports eight flash memory card formats, including CompactFlash Type I and II, SD, MMC, Memory Stick/Memory Stick PRO, SmartMedia and the xD-Picture Card through slots on the front.
The back of the unit sports two USB ports, one of which can be used to connect the device to a PC, the other to serve as a host port for USB flash drives.
The device also features a second CompactFlash card slot that serves as a quasi-permanent repository for files that users want long-term access to. Users can transfer image or video files to the auxiliary CompactFlash card by pressing a "store" button on the included remote control. Images are automatically resized to VGA resolution, allowing for maximum storage on the card.
The Photo Album supports JPEG, MP3, Motion JPEG and MPEG-1 file formats and will have a suggested retail price of $49.99.
The company also introduced its fastest flash cards to date, the Extreme III line, which includes CompactFlash, SD and Memory Stick PRO cards and is targeted toward advanced amateur and pro photographers.
The CompactFlash and SD cards have minimum read/write speeds of 20MBps while the Memory Stick PRO cards have a minimum read/write speeds of 18MBps. The new performance specs represent a doubling from the preceding Extreme product line, SanDisk said, and was made possible thanks to a new ESP (Enhanced Super-Parallel Processing) technology developed by the company in concert with leading camera vendors.
The SanDisk Extreme III cards, which range in capacity between 1GB and 4GB, have double the performance speeds of SanDisk's predecessor Extreme product. They also feature a guaranteed operating temperature range from minus 13 F to 185 F. The cards will ship with a copy of RescuePRO data recovery software.
The cards will be available in 1GB, 2GB and 4GB capacities in October and November, and they will ship to principally higher-end photo retailers.
The SD card will be sold in a 1GB capacity at a suggested price of $139.99. The Memory Stick PRO in 1GB and 2GB will have suggested retails of $279.99 and $559.99, respectively.
The company also quadrupled the capacity of its Ultra II line. The line, which is geared toward consumers with higher-end digital cameras, will include an 8GB CompactFlash Type I card, a 4GB Memory Stick PRO and a 2GB SD card.
Each of the cards in the Ultra II line feature a minimum write speed of 9 MBps and a minimum read speed of 10MBps.
Ultra II CompactFlash cards are shipping now in capacities from 256MB to 2GB with suggested retails between $49.99 and $249.99. The 4GB capacity CompactFlash card will ship next month for a suggested $479.99 with an 8GB card following in November for a suggested $959.99.
Ultra II Memory Stick PRO in 256MB to 1GB is shipping now for a suggested $74.99 to $249.99. A 2GB and 4GB PRO card will ship in November for a suggested $479.99 and $959.99, respectively.
The Ultra II SD card, in 256MB and 512MB capacities, is available now for a suggested $64.99 and $89.99, respectively. A 1GB for $119.99 and a 2GB for $239.99 will ship in November.
To compliment the new cards, the company introduced three new USB 2.0 card readers, each featuring a one-step transfer button and Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 Starter Edition image organizing software.
The readers include the ImageMate 12-in-1, ImageMate 5-in-1 and ImageMate CompactFlash, and will all ship in October. The 12-in-1 reader supports card-to-card data transfers and comes with a docking station and short USB cable for a suggested $34.99. The 5-in-1 for $19.99 supports the Memory Stick/Memory Stick PRO, xD, SD and MMC card formats. The CompactFlash reader will also carry a $19.99 suggested retail.


I have 15 of the rare Series 18 Policeman minifigures for sale at 1 £22; 5 £100; 10 £180; 15 £225.
Postage to be added. Payment by paypal or bank transfer. Free postage in England if paying by bank transfer.
I am highly skilled at identifying these minifigures and so it is easy for me to locate the rare one in each box. The rare ones are an excellent investment and will definitely increase in value in future! The ones I have are sealed but I can guarantee they are correct by my feeling method.
Thank you for confirming what we already knew, in more ways than one.
When you clap..is it slow and sacastically?
I too am highly skilled. Simply by the power of touch, I can determine a 1x2 plate and a 1x2 tile through a sealed bag. Does this mean I can give up my career in property and make some real money at last?
Forgive me @Sumo, but not with a new member signing up to encourage other fellow members to part with £225 without protection. Etiquette goes out the window - treat fire with fire.
There should be forum rules about this.
I know Eurobricks requires members to have at least 100 posts before being allowed to participate in B/S/T threads. Perhaps one of the only parts about their forum I appreciate.
I would definitely support more restrictive rules.
But until then, I think the appropriate protocol is to ignore these types of threads if the items aren't of interest or if there are unreasonable terms. Or perhaps you could post a neutrally worded warning. Inviting a bunch of banter on the thread is only serving to keep it up at the top of the list.
These type of threads quickly move down the list and into the abyss.
Or perhaps you could post a neutrally worded warning.
Why just neutrally worded? Using neutral wording is still commenting and so is going against the rules, so you might as well say what you mean.
I'd like to think we could maintain some decorum.
"Please beware of sellers that recently joined the site who have no Marketplace Feedback, or who do not provide reasonable protection or terms for the parties. Please consult the Marketplace Safety Thread."
@Sumo, other than my initial comment of surprise, all others have been in response to the direct queries the OP had for me. None of them could be considered libelous. Certainly no more than a neutral warning would have been anyway and definitely not in the UK where like me the OP is based.
I take a dim view of anybody joining the forum specifically to sell their goods, especially high value ones without protection and rules or not, I'd sooner let them and other members know that its not the done thing round these parts. As @Samiam391 says, it gets annoying. If memes are no longer allowed, nor should 'quick-flip posts' from new members.
I accept it may not be my job or place to call him out but @CCC has a valid point. To make any comment as you suggested would have been against the rules but equally, it felt wrong to simply let it pass by so like you I do think the rules may need looking at to allow for restrictions or warnings to be given, sarcastic ones or not.
I imagine not underage as they want bank transfer or paypal, but of course they could be. Given the excessive use of the word rare for something that is not rare, it is probably just an ebay seller wanting the highest possible ebay type prices without the ebay fees.
Anyone can see that in the UK, these are selling individually for about £15-16 including postage on ebay, some a little lower and some a little higher. Pricing them like this "for investment" makes me think that he doesn't think much of forum members' intellect. Same with the other thread. If they want top prices, stick them on ebay and pay their fees. Don't join here, contribute nothing and expect to sell at higher than ebay prices.
I'll stick my two cents in and then I'll be quiet and not flood this thread. 15 Police Officers?!? That seems mean to me. There's probably kids out there who would have loved to find a Police Officer, but they can't because the people who want to make money off rare CMFs have already snatched them all. That's just not right. Also, how many people are going to come here thinking we're all drooling Lego addicts who will pay anything for any bit of Lego?? No offense to @TheMusk, but what is this, the third or fourth time in the past four months that we've had scalpers trying to make a buck off the members of this forum?
@Legoboy - I agree with just about all of your comments. But - I also value adhering to the rules. An ineloquently written Marketplace offering shouldn't be an invitation to distrupt someone's thread.
No offense to @FowlerBricks, but I doubt you would want someone making value judgments as to how you acquired the product or item that is being offered for sale. If someone in this Forum wants to be 'scalped' to get that item - it's really none of your business.
Please remember that the Marketplace is intended to connect trading partners and sellers with interested buyers.
Members - especially those that have no intention to conduct direct business with the offering party - should not treat it as an opportunity to scrutinize the desired transaction, i.e. criticizing the asking price or mentioning alternate purchasing opportunities.
Not much I can say to that, you're not wrong. Rules are rules.
Would I break the rules again? Yes.
Do I think the rules need looking at to allow for warnings, sarcastic or not? I think we both (and others) agree, Yes.
I guess the invitation came when the OP opened dialogue with me. Did I take advantage of his naivety. Hell yes.
While some members might disagree with folks joining the Forum to sell their wares, the Forum rules do not currently preclude people from doing so. I hear the concerns stated by some members, and will take them back to the staff team for discussion; if we feel that the Forum rules need to be changed then we will do so.
Can I therefore once again remind members to refrain from commenting on marketplace threads. If there are concerns about the content of a particular posting then please let a Mod or Admin know and we will take a look.


text:
Home MENA Iran Budget spending soars higher
Budget spending soars higher
27 January 2006 5:30 PM By Meed
Government spending under the new budget is to increase by more than 25 per cent in the coming Iranian year, leading to concerns over inflation. The budget is based on a higher-than-usual oil price forecast, which will effectively give the government more spending power at the expense of the Oil Stabilisation Fund (OSF), a kitty for excess oil revenues to be used in years of low income. The budget was presented to the Majlis (parliament) on 15 January by President Ahmadinejad.
Spending will rise by 27 per cent to IR 1,957 million million ($215,054 million) in the Iranian year 1385, starting on 21 March. The president said the biggest increase would be in provincial spending. 'There will be a 180 per cent increase in the budget for the provinces,' said Ahmadinejad. 'We are trying to activate the provinces and move jobs from Tehran.' Iran's poorest areas are in the western and southern provinces.
The new budget is based on a forecast oil price of $39 a barrel – a significant rise on the $28 a barrel used for the last budget. The higher figure means far less money will go to the OSF, which funds low-interest industrial loans, as well as providing a cushion against energy market instability. The expected cash injection has drawn criticism from economists and the Majlis, which must ratify the budget before it will be adopted. Mohammed Khoshchehreh, head of the Majlis economy commission, said it could further increase inflation, which this year is running at about 14 per cent.
The Management & Planning Organisation, the government department responsible for drawing up the budget, says the economy will grow by 6.5 per cent in 1385. However, some economists remain sceptical about the figures, pointing to the original strong forecasts for growth in 1383, which were later revised significantly downwards. The budget figures do not allow for possible sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear programme.
www.meed.com/economy
Protests break out in Iran over downed Ukrainian jet
14 January 2020 6:17 AM By MEED
Crowds in Tehran demand country's leaders resign after human error caused plane crash on 8 January
Energy markets underestimate Gulf oil supply risks
The apparent desire of both Washington and Tehran to avoid a wider conflict in the region does not mean that the risk to Gulf oil supplies is reducing
Iran says it shot down Ukrainian passenger jet
11 January 2020 8:46 AM By Colin Foreman
The armed forces issued a statement saying it was human error
Regional tensions weigh on Saudi Aramco valuation
09 January 2020 5:57 PM By Richard Thompson
The fallout from the Soleimani assassination shows that geopolitcal risk is hampering investor appetite for the region


text:
Bulbophyllum cruciferum är en orkidéart som beskrevs av Johannes Jacobus Smith. Bulbophyllum cruciferum ingår i släktet Bulbophyllum och familjen orkidéer.

Artens utbredningsområde är Sumatera. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Orkidéer
cruciferum


WITH THE SAME PASSION HANDED DOWN FROM MILLENNIUM AND STILL KEEPS ALIVE "CAMPANIA FELIX"
For days the winds also pushed towards the Irpinia clouds of tephra, glowing mixture of ash and lapilli. The sky darkened for months, the temperatures dropped abruptly, the fields were covered with a thick layer of volcanic material that gradually solidified. In much of the Campania Region it was annihilated suddenly all forms of plant life, animal and human. The time taken from the environment to absorb the effects of the catastrophe would have been very long, perhaps thousands of years.
Felice Corcione applies the biodynamic cultivation of his vineyard. In particular, care with determination of the processes that generate the forces connected to the ground on one side and those related to the light of the sun on the other, keeping them in harmony. Therefore, the vineyard "lives" in the balance between these two forces.


I'm using bootstrapValidator on a 3 steps registration form. I'm going to validate it step by step and if one step is valid, user can go to next step. How can I validate each step separately from other steps and finally send all three steps data to server?
currently I can validate it, but it's not step by step.
You could give "exclude" option a try.
android - My game is not showing in Google play store in "New Game Releases"
c# - How can i attach images to facebook message automatic using webbrowser?


text:
package com.algolia.search.http;

public enum HttpMethod {
  GET("GET"),
  POST("POST"),
  PUT("PUT"),
  DELETE("DELETE");

  public final String name;

  HttpMethod(String name) {
    this.name = name;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Rail union RMT today has announced that members working on the London Overground for Vinci as cleaners on the Arriva Rail Contract will take a further 48-hour strike action next month after voting overwhelmingly for strike action over pay and conditions.
• Not to sign on for any shifts commencing between 21:00 hours on Thursday 4th April 2019 and 20:59 hours on Saturday 6th April 2019.
The cleaners, who formerly worked for Carillion before its collapse and were transferred to outsourcing company Vinci, will also mount a mass demonstration outside Arriva Rail London's head office in Swiss Cottage on April 5 at 10.00am.
"Rail companies who are making a fortune out of Britain's privatised railways think nothing of treating their cleaning staff like dirt. It is disgusting and the travelling public will know full well just what an essential service the cleaning team plays on London Overground.
"These hardworking staff should be adequately rewarded for all their labour instead of being paid a pittance. This is a part of the overall RMT fight for basic workplace justice for staff doing the dirty jobs on the rail network.
"I congratulate our members for their magnificent show of solidarity in the earlier phase of action and their determination to get a fair reward for the work that they are carrying out. They should not be shunted around from one failing company to another in the interests of corporate profit.
Following our branch meeting last week, we are sending a message of solidarity to the RMT members taking action against Vinci. These are key struggles in establishing the right to negotiate serious improvements in pay & conditions of workers for so long underpaid and with limited protection. For to long in this world of precarious work we have seen workers rights smashed by Tory legislation and employers bullying. We wish you success in your struggle. Solidarity Forever!!


text:
Title: Does saturable formation of gemcitabine triphosphate occur in patients?
Authors: Tham, L.-S.
Wang, L.-Z.
Soo, R.A.
Lee, H.-S.
Lee, S.-C.
Goh, B.-C.
Holford, N.H.G.
Keywords: Gemcitabine
Gemcitabine triphosphate
Issue Date: Dec-2008
Citation: Tham, L.-S., Wang, L.-Z., Soo, R.A., Lee, H.-S., Lee, S.-C., Goh, B.-C., Holford, N.H.G. (2008-12). Does saturable formation of gemcitabine triphosphate occur in patients?. Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology 63 (1) : 55-64. ScholarBank@NUS Repository. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-008-0707-9
Abstract: Aim: This study aims to determine if intracellular formation of gemcitabine triphosphate (dFdCTP), an active metabolite of gemcitabine, is saturable at doses used for treatment of Asian patients with lung cancer. Methods: From a phase II trial, plasma concentrations of gemcitabine, its inactive metabolite 2′-2′-difluorodeoxyuridine (dFdU), and mononuclear cell concentrations of gemcitabine-triphosphate were measured in 56 and 33 patients, respectively. The pharmacokinetics of gemcitabine and metabolites were modeled using nonlinear mixed effects modeling (NONMEM). A reduced dataset of ten randomly selected patients was employed to compare first-order and saturable formation of dFdCTP from gemcitabine. Results: The median population clearance estimate for dFdCTP formation with the full dataset was 70.2 L/h/70 kg/1.7 m. Modeling Michaelis-Menten formation of dFdCTP on a reduced dataset estimated K m to be 3.6 times higher than the maximum gemcitabine concentration (72.2 μM) measured in this study. Conclusions: The results showed that first-order and nonsaturable clearance described intracellular dFdCTP formation at clinically applied doses of gemcitabine. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.
Source Title: Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology