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Showing posts with label freedom of speech. Show all posts
Federal Appeals Court Prohibits "Pro-Life" License Plates
Most states offer specialty automobile license plates that reflect a variety of special interests and political viewpoints. The state typically charges a nominal sum for a specialty plate, and may contribute a percentage of the proceeds to a non-profit organization dedicated to that particular cause.
For example, Virginia offers a license plate that says: "Friends of Tibet." According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, as a revenue-sharing plate, after the sale of the first 1,000 qualifying plates, $15 of the $25 fee is transferred to the Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture to support its programs in Virginia. Virginia also offers a "Friends of Coal" plate, with funds going to the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to support its programs.
Other states offer plates with a wide variety of viewpoints and diverse causes represented. Florida offers a John Lennon "IMAGINE" logo license plate, supporting efforts to reduce hunger. Others range from anti-terrorism and anti-drug messages to those supporting the National Rifle Association, pro-environmental conservation efforts and many others.
However, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit against the State of North Carolina, which had approved a license plate in 2011 depicting children on it, along with the phrase "CHOOSE LIFE." Each plate would cost $25, with $15 of that going to the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, an association of nonprofit pregnancy counseling centers.
The North Carolina legislature considered, but rejected, license plates that would have said "TRUST WOMEN" and "RESPECT CHOICE."
The ACLU's argument was that, by choosing a "pro-life" viewpoint without offering equal time to an "opposing" viewpoint, the government ran afoul of the First Amendment.
And yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit agreed with the ACLU. North Carolina has been banned from manufacturing the plates.
Labels: ACLU, First Amendment, free speech, freedom of speech, license plates, north carolina, NRA, pro-life
'Deep Throat' Makers Cannot Halt Release of Unauthorized 'Lovelace' Biopic
Images Courtesy of Radius-TWC
Entertainment Weekly and Variety report that the recent Weinstein/Millennium film "Lovelace" appears to be clear of a possible preliminary injunction that could have kept the film from being released in theaters.
The producers of the film were sued for copyright and trademark infringement in New York federal district court by Arrow Productions, the owner of the copyrights and trademarks on the original adult "Deep Throat" franchise, which starred Linda Lovelace.
The recently-released biopic film stars Amanda Seyfried as Lovelace, a fragile woman who becomes an infamous porn star seemingly happy with her decisions, but who eventually breaks free from her husband and discloses the truth about her treatment in order to prevent other women from getting similarly exploited.
According to the Complaint, the producers used the name "Lovelace" and several minutes of copyrighted material from the 1972 adult film "Deep Throat," without permission. "In fact, the title 'Lovelace' derives its market appeal entirely from decades of cultural cache embodied in the trademarked name Linda Lovelace. … Rather than negotiating licenses for Deep Throat IP, rather than deferring to Arrow's vision for the Deep Throat brand, Defendants have simply taken what they wanted and crossed their fingers."
However, despite Arrow's characterization of the producers as having "tak[en] several minutes of copyrighted material" without permission, the truth is not that simple.
Arrow claims that the copyright infringement arises from a "re-creation of a short scene" and a "brief re-enactment of the filming of scenes of 'Deep Throat'," not wholesale theft of copyrighted footage.
Consequently, Arrow alleges, these unauthorized reenactments constitute "derivative works" of the original copyrighted material, which Arrow owns.
Furthermore, Arrow alleges that the value of the "Deep Throat brand" has been "decimated," because it did not approve the film's depictions of exploitation of the film's protagonist. It is not clear if any consumers have been confused into believing that Arrow endorsed or sponsored the film.
Intellectual property law is not so clearly on the side of Arrow. Performing a "re-creation" of an event does not necessarily constitute copyright infringement, simply because that event was filmed.
Arrow's Complaint itself alleged that the 1972 release of the film Deep Throat "was a watershed moment for American culture."
Re-enacting an event does not necessarily violate copyright laws. A reenactment that borrows too heavily from copyrighted material could infringe, however. For example, if the reenacted footage replicated the use of a copyrighted script line by line, it could infringe the screenwriter's rights. Furthermore, copyright law permits a copyright owner to control "public performance" of his work.
A "free speech/fair use" defense could be successfully asserted by Lovelace's producers, based on the argument that the derivative use made was transformative, in that it commented on the event by adding some additional material or perspective.
Consequently, application of this defense would permit some degree of interpretative reenactment as a form of social commentary on the underlying factual events that took place during the filming of Deep Throat.
For now, at least, the film's producers have been able to release the movie, but since the Complaint (embedded below) has not yet been dismissed or resolved, further litigation appears possible.
Labels: adult film industry, copyright, copyright infringement, Deep Throat, derivative works, fair use, free speech, freedom of speech, Lovelace, pornography, trademark infringement
"Stop Islamization" Trademark Refused: Applicants Decry Political Correctness in Appeal
Image on AFDI Website
A U.S. federal trademark application for an anti-sharia law campaign known as "STOP ISLAMIZATION OF AMERICA" was filed by a group called the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), a pro-Israel group founded by controversial bloggers/commentators Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller.
The AFDI had been behind a grassroots movement that sought to stop the building of a mosque in lower Manhattan, near the Ground Zero World Trade Center site, claiming that the act would offend 9/11 victims' families.
Critics such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have accused the AFDI of being an anti-Muslim hate group, alleging that it promotes a conspiratorial anti-Muslim agenda under the guise of fighting radical Islam" and "seeks to rouse public fear by consistently villifying the Islamic faith and asserting the existence of an Islamic conspiracy to destroy 'American' values."
The Trademark Office refused the group's application for a trademark on the basis that it "consists of or includes matter which may disparage or bring into contempt or disrepute persons, institutions, beliefs or national symbols."
The Trademark Office ruled that it must apply a two factor legal test, asking: (1) What is the likely meaning of the matter in question; and (2) is that meaning referring to identifiable persons, institutions, beliefs or national symbols, and whether that meaning is disparaging to a substantial composite of the referenced group.
The Trademark Examiner concluded that, applying this test, the likely meaning of ISLAMIZATION refers to the act of converting to Islam, and that the proposed mark effectively disparages Muslims by implying that conformity to Islam is something that needs to be stopped.
The Trademark Office cited several cases supposedly supporting its conclusion.
However, on further examination, the cases that the Examiner cited were not necessarily relevant or helpful to its case, such as when the Trademark Office found THE MEMPHIS MAFIA for entertainment services not to be matter that disparages Italian-Americans or bring them into contempt or disrepute.
The Trademark Office had further cited the controversial proceedings finding that the WASHINGTON REDSKINS trademark should be cancelled on the same grounds.
The group appealed the Examiner's final refusal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), which affirmed the rejection.
Now, the group has appealed this decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which hears appeals from final Trademark Office refusals to register trademarks.
In the appeal brief, the AFDI's lawyer argues that:
"Appellants [Geller and Spencer] are sympathetic to the USPTO's politically correct sensitivities enticing it to protect Muslims and indeed Islam itself from even the slightest hint of disparagement in the form of public criticism, especially in the post-9/11 age with global terrorism conducted daily in the name of Islam and the Arab Spring featuring the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamisation program for Egypt and elsewhere melting into murder and mayhem.
The problem with these sensitivities as applied to the denial of Appellants' Mark is that the USPTO's beef is not with Appellants or their Mark, but rather with terrorists who claim to speak in the name of all of Islam and all Muslims. Appellants' Mark does not.
One of the AFDI's NYC MTA Advertisements
'Stop the Islamisation of America' has a specific meaning that Muslims and non-Muslims in America and indeed throughout the West embrace if they treasure liberty and religious freedom for all. In a zeal to take on the role of parens patriae and to protect Muslims from every insult, the USPTO and the TTAB have both ignored the factual record and have simply assumed meanings and understandings of the terms of the Mark that have no factual or evidentiary basis. There is no substantial evidence to support the TTAB's Decision or the USPTO's denial of the Mark."
The USPTO has yet to file its response.
The AFDI has seen its fair share of federal litigation and previously triumphed. For example, in a federal lawsuit that it filed against the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), the group succeeded in forcing the MTA to carry its advertisements on the sides of New York City buses and in the subways.
The MTA had rejected the group's advertisements, purportedly on the basis that they "demeaned" Muslims.
The New York federal court found that the MTA had violated the Group's First Amendment rights, and ordered the MTA to run the ads.
Labels: AFDI, American Freedom Defense Initiative, First Amendment, free speech, freedom of speech, Islam, Islamization, political correctness, politics, TTAB, USPTO, Washington Redskins
Fashionable Parodies: Where Does Free Speech End and Dilution Begin?
Where does First Amendment-protected parody end, and trademark dilution and/or infringement begin?
That is the interesting legal issue being discussed this week after Women's Wear Daily (WWD) published an article discussing the recent increase in parodies of well-known fashion designers.
As was mentioned in the WWD article, and has been commented on in fashion blogs such as Stylecaster and Refinery29, I explained that there are two separate legal theories at play here, functioning against the backdrop of the Constitution's guarantee of freedom of speech.
I also explained that these cases are highly fact specific and often depend on both the particular sensibilities of the brand involved, and the message being conveyed.
Likelihood of Confusion: The first legal test is fairly straightforward, that is, would the ordinarily prudent consumer, when confronted with the accused item, likely believe that it originated from, was sponsored or endorsed by, someone else? For example, would a prospective consumer confronted with one of Brian Lichtenberg's "FELINE" t-shirts (depicted left), believe that fashion brand Celine was behind it?
Dilution: The second legal question is, assuming purely for argument's sake that there was NOT a serious likelihood of consumer confusion, is there still a likelihood that a famous brand will be diluted, either through tarnishment or through "blurring" of its ability to continue to function as a trademark?
In other words, the law holds that a famous brand can be diluted, even in the absence of any consumer confusion, if the famous brand is called to mind and tarnished.
An example of a case where federal courts found that harm to the famous Coca Cola brand was indeed likely from tarnishment include the famous "ENJOY COCAINE" poster.
In that 1972 case which was decided decades before the Federal Anti-Dilution statute was passed by Congress, a New York court held that "to associate such a noxious substance as cocaine with plaintiff's wholesome beverage as symbolized by its "Coca-Cola" trademark and format would clearly have a tendency to impugn that product and injure plaintiff's business reputation, as plaintiff contends."
This holding has long suggested that a key part of the inquiry should focus on whether there is a salacious quality to the parody that injures the brand.
The First Amendment: However, there is a third critical issue which is the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech. Courts have long held that commercial activities do not fall within the "core" of political speech that the Founding Fathers intended. Consequently, commercial conduct can be more regulated than purely political speech.
Because the sale of a t-shirt with a parody logo emblazoned on it could function as a form of "speech," the first question looks to what exactly is being communicated by the intent of the parody, and is that message being effectively communicated?
In the case of Brian Lichtenberg's "FELINE" shirts, the shirt clearly is designed to call Celine's brand to mind, but it isn't really clear what the message is. Merely "mocking" an established brand is not necessarily sufficiently political an act to warrant free speech protection. Otherwise, the "ENJOY COCAINE" t-shirt would have been protected, and it wasn't.
Not all courts have found that a protected parody requires a clear political "message."
In a 2007 case, Louis Vuitton lost an attempt to stop a small company from selling "CHEWY VUITON" dog toys.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia affirmed the dismissal of that case, holding that: "[a] parody must convey two simultaneous -- and contradictory -- messages: that it is the original, but also that it is not the original and is instead a parody. This second message must not only differentiate the alleged parody from the original but also must communicate some articulable element of satire, ridicule, joking or amusement." (emphasis added).
The Chewy Vuiton dog toy was not shown to be causing any form of consumer confusion, but was clearly designed to call Louis Vuitton's famous trademark to mind, and mock it. There was no clear political message, but the absurdity of the item itself functioned as a mockery of the high end luxury brand.
Further, in part because a chewy dog toy is not a salacious item, there was really no "tarnishment" of the brand. Ultimately, the parody was obvious to the observer, leaving Louis Vuitton without any form of legal remedy. Indeed, the Chewy Vuiton dog toys are still available for sale on Amazon, and Louis Vuitton seems to have survived.
More troubling for Lichtenberg, however, might be his t-shirt mocking Cartier with "CANNABIS." (seen left)
Cartier would seem to have a valid claim of dilution, as per the 1972 ENJOY COCAINE decision.
The key legal questions are fact specific: Will the particular parody cause confusion? If not, will it dilute the brand through tarnishment or blur the trademark's ability to function? And finally, will the public's right to freedom of speech trump the brand owner's perceived offense?
So, in conclusion, clever parodies of famous designers are certainly not new, and courts have long struggled with balancing the public's right in free expression, with the brand owner's right to protect its image.
Labels: Cartier, Celine, coca cola, dilution, fair use, fame, Feline, First Amendment, freedom of speech, likelihood of confusion, Louis Vuitton, parody, tarnishment, trademark, trademark infringement


The open back Grado SR60e headphone is a clear improvement on its predecessor, the multi-award winning SR60, and we confidently expect it to achieve the same worldwide 'legendary' status.
In designing The e Series Grado revisited every single component, surface, and material used in its headphones, and each has been optimised and upgraded to achieve one simple goal: unparalleled dynamics and sonic fidelity.
Improvements include fine-tuning the magnetic field, (by modifying the magnetic motor structure) ensuring greater symmetry throughout the full movement of the voice coil, and further refinements within the headphone housing to prevent stray resonance from interacting with the driver.
Even the glue is new, optimised for greater strength, better reliability and most importantly, less mass.
This model offers music lovers a truly outstanding sonic presentation. It is dynamic, open, smooth yet very detailed and with a fast accurate bass. Listen and enjoy!
The SR60e is an open back on-ear headphone. The jack will fit into any modern day Hi-Fi system or music source, so that you can listen to music from any source you desire. The headphone is fitted with 3.5mm jack. A 6.33mm (1/4") jack converter is included (fitted to the 3.5mm jack).


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louisa jones
GARDENS IN PROVENCE
MEDITERRANEAN LANDSCAPE ART
Home | About
About Louisa Jones
Louisa Jones (Beatrice Pichon)
Canadian by birth, I first fell in love with France as a student in the 1960's. Later I was a professor of French and Comparative Literature, with incursions into art history, at the University of Washington in Seattle. There I met my French husband, Bernard Dupont. Together we taught American students in Avignon for nearly twenty years. In 1975 we bought the farmhouse where we still live and garden. As a beginner, exploring local history and customs with my students, I began myself to visit gardens in the area. I knew the Romans had left their mark on almost everything in Provence, and that they had been great gardeners. But thirty years ago, people kept telling me that there were NO gardens in Provence, apart from certain famous historic properties near Aix and on the Riviera. They were thinking of English flower gardens designed for summer display, a model foreign to local climate and customs. The northern approach is also purely ornamental and hides from view everything utilitarian. The Roman heritage, still predominant in the south, never made this separation between productive and pleasure gardening. And when fruit counts as much as flower, every season has its attractions. Today the Mediterranean way of life has become fashionable worldwide. The symbol of its success is the olive tree, worshipped—perhaps even too much at times—for both its oil and its year-round beauty.
For my first books, Gardens in Provence and Gardens of the French Riviera, I visited some 300 gardens between Nîmes and Menton, of all kinds and from all periods. In those days, Provence was still a sleepy backwater of the garden world, and the success of my first book helped some southerners take pride in their own traditions. Now, decades later, Provence's best gardens—like its cuisine—rank with the finest international examples. Both blend global trends with a regional character now widely recognized and appreciated. More recently still, the garden maker (amateur as much as professional) has become an artist, and old Mediterranean traditions like hillside terracing merge into new Land Art. It is a very exciting time to discover gardens and landscapes in Mediterranean France.
Louisa Jones' CV.
Copyright © Louisa Jones 2012 | (Login)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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NECDSB Announces Chair And Vice-Chair For Upcoming Year
Nick Birnie, contributor, Tuesday, Dec. 12th, 2017
Photo Credit: Northeastern Catholic District School Board
Leadership roles for the 2017-2018 Northeastern Catholic District School Board are filled.
At the board's inaugural meeting, Rick Brassard was named Chair and Colleen Landers Vice-Chair.
Brassard says he is honoured to serve as chair for another year.
He says the upcoming year will be very special and productive for the district.
(Written By: Mackenzie Read)


The latest edition of Topics to Watch shows the impact of living in an open and connected world. From Bangladeshi cuisine to trigger point therapy, influences both global and domestic are playing a role in the lives of Americans on Facebook. So as we look for the next big thing in creative and product development, we look beyond our backyards to the world at large.
Companies, culinary chefs and at-home cooks are always seeking inventive ways to make traditionally unhealthy foods somewhat healthy, and air frying is the latest development on the fried food frontier. A kitchen appliance that fries food by circulating air at a high temperature, an air fryer uses less oil than traditional deep frying methods. Pass the air fried sweet potato fries, please.
Exposure to cuisines from around the world has gone far beyond the usual suspects—Italian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese—to the detailed and distinct cuisines and traditions of specific nations. Enter Bangladeshi cuisine, which has been popular in the UK and is now reaching more parts of the world. This national cuisine of Bangladesh features a variety of spices and herbs that give way to strong aromatic flavors. Rice served with a range of curries and fresh-water fish are main staples within the cuisine.
Services that help startups quickly scale their data management are growing, as analyzing and using data has become an essential component of a successful business. Traditionally, data management has been something only large tech companies have needed, but as the tech landscape evolves, more companies recognize how managing their data properly can positively impact their business.
The entertainment world has become more global and now, thanks to fandubs, language is no longer a barrier in the animated world. Most commonly done with Japanese animation, a fandub is a dub of a live-action or animated piece created by a fan. Dubbing is usually done in a language other than the original, but instead of subtitles you change the language track.
Once a basic wardrobe staple, leggings have now become an eye-catching statement piece. Memes have been popping up poking fun at leggings, but now you can also find emerging businesses on social media peddling bold and quirky themed leggings with prints that are ironic and humorous, from cats to emojis and seasonal patterns. Alas, the joke used to be on leggings, now the joke is printed on leggings.
Myotherapy was developed in 1976 by Bonnie Prudden, an American fitness expert. A technique using trigger point therapy to relieve pain and improve muscle condition, myotherapy can be used alone or in conjunction with acupuncture, podiatry and chiropractic treatments. With people looking for different ways to heal their bodies, myotherapy seems to be a popular alternative to traditional physiotherapy, massage and pain medication.


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Monsanto wins Angry Mermaid prize for promoting its genetically modified (GM) crops as a solution to climate change and pushing for its crops to be used as biofuels
Monsanto awarded 'Angry Mermaid' lobbying prize
Earth Times, December 15, 2009, Copenhagen -- Biotech giant Monsanto won a dubious honour on Tuesday when an online poll awarded it the "Angry Mermaid" prize for what critics see as misleading lobbying on the issue of climate change. The award was unveiled in Copenhagen, home to an iconic statue of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale character the Little Mermaid, on the sidelines of United Nations talks on fighting global warming.
"Monsanto was nominated for promoting its genetically modified (GM) crops as a solution to climate change and pushing for its crops to be used as biofuels. The expansion of GM soy in Latin America is contributing to major deforestation and greenhouse-gas emissions," the nomination ran. In a web-based poll of 10,000 people, some 3,700 tipped Monsanto as the most aggressive and inappropriate lobbyist, ahead of oil giant Shell (1,800 votes) and the American Petroleum Institute (1,400 votes).
"Monsanto has attracted thousands of votes from individuals who are outraged that such an environmentally damaging form of agriculture should be put forward to tackle climate change," said organizer Paul de Clerk of environmental group Friends of the Earth.
"Big business must not be allowed to sabotage action against climate change by promoting their vested interests. All the candidates for the Angry Mermaid Award have lobbied to protect their own profits and prevent effective action to tackle climate change," he said. The award was set up by Friends of the Earth and five other groups to "highlight those business groups and companies that have made the greatest effort to sabotage the climate talks, and other climate measures, while promoting, often profitable, false solutions.
"Hundreds of activists have descended on Copenhagen in recent days to push for a worldwide deal on fighting climate change and cracking down on pollution. The event has spawned a number of ironic awards targeting groups seen as hostile to a deal. As well as the Angry Mermaid, for example, environmentalists have created a "fossil of the day" prize to target the country or company which is seen as having done most to block progress.
Copyright DPA
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/299453,sidebarmonsanto-awarded-angry-mermaid-lobbying-prize.html


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The Crimean barbel (Barbus tauricus) is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Barbus.

References

tauricus
Cyprinid fish of Asia
Cyprinid fish of Europe
Fish described in 1877

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Childhood Colorectal Cancer Treatment
Genetics of Colorectal Cancer
Research Advances
Advances in Colorectal Cancer Research
Colorectal cells grown into organoids, stem cell-derived human 'mini-organs' that are used to study human development and disease.
Credit: Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB)
NCI-funded researchers are working to advance our understanding of how to prevent, detect, and treat colorectal cancer (CRC). They are also looking at what factors influence screening behaviors, how to address disparities, and the rising rates of CRC in younger people.
This page highlights some of the latest research in colorectal cancer, including clinical advances that may soon translate into improved care, NCI-supported programs that are fueling progress, and research findings from recent studies.
Prevention and Early Detection
Screening can reduce the risk of CRC through detection of precancerous growths, or polyps, before they become cancerous. It can also allow cancers to be detected early, before they cause symptoms and when treatment may be more effective. CRC screening tests include colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, stool-based tests, and virtual colonoscopy.
Despite the availability of effective CRC screening tests, some people choose not to get screened mainly due to the personal nature of the procedures, perceived costs, and the preparation involved for a colonoscopy.
Addressing barriers. To address these barriers, researchers are working to develop tests that are easier to use. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a blood test (Epi proColon®) for CRC, but it is not yet known whether people who use that test have a reduced risk of dying from CRC.
Although not currently recommended for screening, there are new techniques under development such as:
Finding technologies that improve the genetic analysis of stool samples, which may reveal the presence of tumor DNA.
Looking at changes in the gut microbiome and trying to identify specific bacteria that could potentially help screen patients for CRC.
Repeat screening or follow-up. One concern about CRC screening is that some people don't repeat screenings or follow up on abnormal test results. NCI is funding research to better understand how to increase the acceptance of repeat and follow-up screenings. Scientists are also studying the many levels of the healthcare delivery system and their effect on the decision to get screened.
Taking aspirin. Recent studies have shown that daily low-dose aspirin may prevent colorectal cancer. However, there are potential harms, particularly the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Aspirin is currently recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to prevent colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease in some individuals age 50 to 69.
Treatment for Colorectal Cancer
Rectal Cancer: Treatment, Research and Quality of Life
Learn about treatment advances and new developments in rectal cancer research from this Facebook Live event with experts Dr. Carmen Allegra, Dr. Deborah Schrag, and moderator Ms. Andrea Denicoff.
Surgically removing the cancer is the most common treatment for many stages of colorectal cancer. Chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, radiofrequency ablation, and cryosurgery are other treatments that may be used to treat colorectal cancer, depending on the stage.
Because of an increased risk of recurrence and poorer prognosis, the treatment of rectal cancer may differ from that of colon cancer. Although surgery is the most common treatment for rectal cancer, advanced stages may also be treated with radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or active surveillance.
In addition to these standard treatments, researchers are continuing to study new treatments, such as immunotherapies, as well as new combinations of existing treatments, in clinical trials.
Immunotherapy for patients with Lynch syndrome
Approximately 5% of CRC cases are due to Lynch syndrome, an inherited DNA repair disorder. People with this disorder have a higher-than-normal risk of developing CRC, typically before they reach the age of 50. Lynch syndrome CRC tumors have many mutations, which may make them more susceptible to immunotherapies.
Indeed, the immune checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab (Opdivo), ipilimumab (Yervoy), and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) have been approved for the treatment of metastatic CRC in patients with Lynch syndrome. (They also have been approved for metastatic CRC in patients with microsatellite instability-high cancer (MSI-H).
Combining immunotherapy with other treatments for patients without Lynch syndrome
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been less effective in the 95% of CRC patients without Lynch syndrome. Scientists are currently testing various agents, such as chemotherapy drugs, targeted therapies and viruses, in combination with immune-based therapy to determine whether combining treatments would be effective in killing cancer cells.
Testing targeted therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer
Using targeted therapies against genetic mutations that may be driving tumor growth is another key area of research for metastatic CRC. The goal is to find agents that can block the activity of the abnormal proteins produced by these mutations. For example:
An NCI-supported trial showed that colorectal cancer that contains mutations in the BRAF gene responds to treatment with the drug vemurafenib (Zelboraf). This drug targets mutant B-Raf proteins when combined with cetuximab (Erbitux) and irinotecan (Camptosar) (a chemotherapy drug).
The FDA approved the drug encorafenib (Braftovi) for the treatment of some patients with colorectal cancer. This drug is used in combination with cetuximab (Erbitux) in adults with metastatic colorectal cancer whose tumors have a certain mutation in the BRAF gene and who have already undergone treatment.
Testing liquid biopsies
Liquid biopsies are a promising new approach being explored to detect, analyze, and track DNA, cells, and other substances shed from tumors into bodily fluids, such as blood and urine. Scientists are testing this method to detect CRC early, measure treatment responses, identify treatment resistance, and monitor for disease recurrence.
NCI-Supported Research Programs
See a full list of colorectal cancer research projects that NCI funded in FY 2018.
Many NCI-funded researchers at the NIH campus, and across the United States and world, are seeking ways to address colorectal cancer more effectively. Some research is basic, exploring questions as diverse as the biological underpinnings of cancer and the social factors that affect cancer risk. And some is more clinical, seeking to translate this basic information into improving patient outcomes. The programs listed below are a small sampling of NCI's research efforts for colorectal cancer.
NCI's Gastrointestinal (GI) SPOREs focus on translational research in the gastrointestinal system. Currently, GI SPOREs focus on cancers of the colon, rectum, esophagus, liver, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), and pancreas, which account for the majority of new diagnoses.
The Population-Based Research Optimizing Screening through Personalized Regimens (PROSPR) is an NCI-supported network conducting research to better understand how to improve the entire cancer screening process (recruitment, screening, diagnosis, referral for treatment) for lung, colorectal, and cervical cancer in community healthcare settings.
Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Through Implementation Science (ACCIS) is intended to promote research in colorectal cancer screening, follow-up, referral-to-care and best practices for how multilevel interventions can be scaled-up in regions of the United States where screening rates are below national standards.
Approaches to Identify and Care for Individuals with Inherited Cancer Syndromes is a study to increase case ascertainment and appropriate follow-up care, optimizing the delivery of evidence-based healthcare for individuals at high risk of cancer due to an inherited genetic susceptibility.
The NCI-funded Colon Cancer Family Registry (CCFR) has established an international cohort of thousands of colorectal cancer patients, their relatives, and individuals at increased risk of colorectal and other cancers. Over 10,000 families from the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have been registered. The database includes more than 2,000 individuals with Lynch syndrome, from 781 families.
The goal of the Screen to Save Initiative, funded by NCI's Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, is to increase colorectal cancer screening in areas that need it most. Through community health educators, the program provides education and outreach to increase access to resources for those who may be affected by colorectal cancer.
Dissemination of a Colorectal Cancer Screening Program Across American Indian Communities in the Southern Plains and Southwest United States is an effort to increase the use of colorectal cancer screening tests in American Indians. This project supports research on system-level changes and culturally appropriate media to promote screening, with the goal of closing the gap in colorectal cancer outcomes between the American Indian population and the general US population.
NCI funds and oversees both early- and late-phase clinical trials to develop new treatments and improve patient care. Trials are available for colorectal cancer screening, to prevent colon and rectal cancer, and treatment for colon cancer and rectal cancer.
Colorectal Cancer Research Results
The following are some of our latest news articles on colorectal cancer research:
Why Is Colorectal Cancer Rising Rapidly among Young Adults?
Encorafenib, Cetuximab Combination Approved for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Targeted Drug Trio Improves Survival in Colorectal Cancer with BRAF Mutations
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer May Spread Early in the Disease, Study Finds
Studying Genes and Proteins Together Sheds New Light on Colon Cancer
Could a Vaccine Prevent Colorectal Cancer in People with Lynch Syndrome?
View the full list of Colorectal Cancer Research Results and Study Updates.
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DEREK GROMKO ELECTED VICE CHAIR OF CHESHIRE EDUCATION FOUNDATION BOARD
The Cheshire Education Board of Directors unanimously elected Derek Gromko as vice-chair at its November meeting. Gromko has been a member of the board for three years, and is the owner of the Gromko Insurance Agency in Cheshire.
CEF board chair Jane Leukart congratulated Gromko saying, "Derek's enthusiasm and dedication to the Cheshire Education Foundation and to the students of the Cheshire Public Schools are apparent in all he does. The future of the foundation is in good hands with Derek as our vice chair."
Derek Gromko has been a Cheshire resident since 2005. He and his wife Jill are the parents of twin daughters, Taylor and Reagan, who are juniors at Cheshire High School. On assuming the role of vice-chair of the Cheshire Education Foundation Gromko said, "I am honored to be part of such a generous organization that has provided more than a million dollars in grant and scholarship funds over the past 24 years. Thanks to its fundraising efforts, the foundation has helped the Cheshire Public Schools become one of the finest educational systems in the country."
Derek Gromko also serves on the Cheshire School/Business Partnership Council and the Cheshire Economic Development Commission. He previously was chairman of the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce. "As we move into 2020," said Gromko, "I am excited to find new ways to enhance our students' experience while supporting their visions for postsecondary education."


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365 days of gratitude
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. – Groucho Marx.
Today was the last full day of dog-sitting, at least for a while.
In the short-time she has been with us, she has motivated me to play and taught me there's excitement in our garden, for all of which I'm grateful.
Leave a Comment »	| gratitude	| Tagged: Groucho Marx	| Permalink
Powfagged – exhausted; worn out.
Leave a Comment »	| language	| Tagged: powfagged	| Permalink
Plenty of advice for Fonterra's bosses – but are our expectations too high? – Point of Order:
Dairy farmers should be pleased with the advice liberally and freely tendered to Fonterra in the wake of the co-op's board deciding to halt its international search for a new CEO and instead, with an interim CEO, Miles Hurrell, "pause and assess the way ahead".
Fran O'Sullivan, Head of Business at NZME, which publishes the NZ Herald, says appointing an interim chief executive to run New Zealand's largest company is an admission of failure that should force Fonterra's board to look hard at its own performance. And she concludes: . .
Brexit opportunity: just don't call it another free trade agreement – Point of Order:
LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Does New Zealand's government understand the opportunity which Brexit presents? Are they and their advisers working tirelessly to realise it?
OK, difficult questions, not least because there are no binding decisions on the shape or timing of Brexit and these are likely to come in a final rush. But the underlying position is so positive that it would be a tremendous shame if New Zealand's policy was not being shaped to take advantage of it.
Given the scorn critics are pouring on Britain's post-Brexit trade prospects, the UK really needs an eye-catching trade deal to kick in on leaving. It would be a political coup, more than an economic one. The partner which Britain's politicians think will deliver this reliably and quickly should get the most attention and the best terms. . .
Lambing time has officially started for our flock! I'm so excited! We are in our early 30's, farming sheep in Mid Canterbury and we love it!
There's just enough time for the flock to lamb before we get married at the start of October!!! @Campaignforwool @NZBeefLamb @FedFarmers pic.twitter.com/duIhuJVgoc
— Gemma Bell (@BellmondArt) August 24, 2018
Let's open the gate to our young people:
The Primary ITO is challenging schools, school leavers and farmers to open the farm, garden, or orchard gate as this year's "Got a Trade? Got it Made!" week highlights the huge potential in industry training for a primary sector career.
The Primary ITO (industry training organisation) leads the training in New Zealand's largest export sector. It is taking part in this year's "Got A Trade? Got It Made!" week to showcase the advantages of tertiary on-the-job education and to connect young New Zealanders to real employers in the primary industries. . .
Horticulture Welcomes Major Biocontrol Milestone:
The New Zealand horticulture industry has welcomed the Environmental Protection Authority's (EPA) decision allowing the release of a tiny Samurai wasp into New Zealand, if ever there was an incursion of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB).
BMSB Council Chair Alan Pollard applauded the outcome as a major milestone against one of the greatest threats to New Zealand's horticultural industry and urban communities.
"The industry greatly appreciates the positive decision and acknowledges the consideration given by the EPA to the significant number of submissions made on the application. . .
Horticulture levy votes successful:
Horticulture groups seeking levy renewals have all had votes of confidence from growers to continue the work of the industry good organisations Horticulture New Zealand, TomatoesNZ, Vegetables New Zealand, Process Vegetables New Zealand, and Onions New Zealand.
The individual groups' levy referendums closed on 13 August and independent vote counting shows resounding support. The levy orders come up for renewal every six years. . .
New programme to foster high value goat milk infant formula industry:
A new Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme launched today has its sights on growing a sustainable, high value goat milk infant formula industry in New Zealand.
Caprine Innovations NZ (CAPRINZ) is a five-year, $29.65 million PGP programme between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Dairy Goat Co-operative (NZ) Ltd.
The end goals include improving the health and wellbeing of families, delivering a range of benefits such as growing research and farming capability, and increasing export revenue across the New Zealand dairy goat milk industry to $400 million per annum by 2023. . .
Honey goes hi-tech: new tool has industry buzzing:
With New Zealand's annual honey exports currently valued at $300 million and growing, a new web-based honey blending tool is set to save honey distributors significant amounts of time and money.
The Honey Blending Tool, developed by a team of scientists and data analysts at Hill Laboratories, allows honey distributors with large inventories to easily blend individual honeys to form a target blend to meet specific sales and export criteria.
New Zealand produces around 15,000 – 20,000 tonnes of honey each year. Most honey bought from a supermarket is blended honey. . .
Decades of rural experience for new NZ Pork Chair:
NZ Pork has appointed former Southland MP Eric Roy as Chair of a new board of directors, as the industry-good body positions itself to face key challenges for New Zealand's commercial pig farming industry.
Mr Roy, who has spent many decades working in the rural sector, was a six-term MP for the Awarua and Invercargill seats. During his time in Parliament, Mr Roy was a select committee chair of the Primary Production Select Committee, chairing the rewrite of New Zealand's fisheries laws in what was a world first in sustainable management. . .
Sheepmeat and beef levies to increase:
Beef + Lamb New Zealand's (B+LNZ) Board has decided to proceed with the proposed increase in the sheepmeat and beef levies following significant support from farmers.
From 1 October 2018 the levy for sheepmeat will increase 10 cents to 70 cents per head and the beef levy by 80 cents to $5.20 per head. This is 0.4 per cent of the average slaughter value for prime steer/heifer, 0.7 per cent cull dairy cow, 0.7 per cent of lamb, and 1.1 per cent of mutton over the last three years. . .
Gathering sheep on Low Pikedaw with marquees going up in the background ahead of tomorrow's @MalhamShow pic.twitter.com/Erh7hr80mo
— Hill Top Farm (@hilltopfarmgirl) August 24, 2018
2018 Tonnellerie De Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year announced:
Marlborough's Greg Lane was crowned the 2018 Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year in Auckland last night.
Lane, who is the brand winemaker for Grove Mill fought off some tough competition from three other young winemakers, representing both the North and South Island.
Runner up was Kelly Stuart, Assistant Winemaker for Cloudy Bay based in Marlborough.
Into its fourth year, the competition aims to promote the skills of the next generation of winemakers emerging in New Zealand. The four contestants had already battled it out in either the North or South Island regional finals, prior to taking part in yesterday's final. . .
10 things only a farmer's wife would know – Emma Smith:
To some, being a farmer's wife or partner sounds an idyllic lifestyle. A beautiful farmhouse to live in complete with Aga, rolling landscapes to admire and cute animals to nurture.
In today's world women are at the forefront of managing farm enterprises and are sometimes doing so singlehandily.
The reality is a farmer's other half needs to be patient, know the "lingo" and be the queen of multitasking. . .
Leave a Comment »	| business, environment, Farming, food, horticulture, rural	| Tagged: Alan Pollard, Beef + Lamb NZ (B+LNZ), Brexit, Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB), Caprine Innovations NZ (CAPRINZ), Cloudy Bay, Emma Smith, Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Eric Roy, Fonterra, Fran O'Sullivan, Gemma Bell, Got a Trade? Got it Made!, Greg Lane, Grove Mill, Hill Laboratories, Honey Blending Tool, Horticulture NZ, Kelly Stuart, NZ Pork, Onions NZ, Point of Order, Primary Growth Partnership (PGP), Primary ITO, Process Vegetables NZ (PVNZ), Samurai wasp, TomatoesNZ, Tonellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year, Vegetables NZ	| Permalink
Who dunnit still matters
Why did Trevor Mallard stop the investigation into the leaking of Simon Bridges' travel expenses?
. . .To recap; Mallard pulled the inquiry led by Michael Heron, QC, after it was revealed police had established the identity of the person who sent a text to the Speaker and Bridges claiming to be the same person who leaked details of the National leader's travel expenses.
The text implored them to drop the inquiry, citing mental health issues.Bridges sought advice from a mental health expert and police who, it seems, established the identity of the leaker very quickly.
Police advised Bridges the person was receiving appropriate support for their mental health, but refused to give him their identity for privacy reasons.
That suggests they were able to access the information from the phone company concerned on the grounds of concern for the person's safety.
That might have been where things were left except details of the text – which went to just Mallard and Bridges – were then leaked to RNZ.
And those details included some that suggested the person had inside knowledge of what went on inside the National Party caucus room.
Mallard called off the inquiry on that basis, implying that, as it was clearly a National MP, it was now a matter for an internal inquiry, rather than one conducted under his auspices.
Except Stuff has been told the text was by no means incontrovertible evidence of an inside job – and while some of the information supplied by the texter could suggest they were a National MP, that information could also have been picked up or deduced by a wider circle of people, including staff.
We have not been shown the text, so there is no way of verifying that. . .
Mallard had known about the text when he announced who would lead the inquiry.
What happened between that announcement on Thursday and the decision to can the inquiry on Friday?
He said it was unlikely the person who texted was outside the National Party but unlikely isn't good enough.
The texter has thrown suspicion on everyone in the National caucus, at least some of their staff and people who work for parliamentary services, and MPs and staff from other parties.
. . .Police said they had dealt with the matter "entirely from a mental health perspective".
The texter had claimed to be inside the National Party and had leaked Bridges' expenses to punish him for being arrogant. . .
Giving appropriate support for the leaker's mental health issues is the first priority, that includes establishing whether or not the person is able to do his or her work properly while getting the help that is needed.
But those issues don't absolve the leaker of blame nor should they protect her or him from consequences when s/he is showing no contrition and serious misjudgment, and putting so many people under a cloud of suspicion.
And Mental health issues or not, whodunnit still matters.
Leave a Comment »	| politics	| Tagged: Michael Heron, Simon Bridges, Trevor Mallard	| Permalink
A man who writes for a living does not have to go anywhere in particular, and he could rarely afford to if he wanted. C. S. Forester who was born on this day iin 1899.
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August 27 in history
479 BC Persian forces led by Mardonius were routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army in the Battle of Plataea.
410 The sacking of Rome by the Visigoths ended after three days.
663 Battle of Baekgang: Remnants of the Korean Baekje Kingdom and their Yamato Japanese allies engaged the combined naval forces of the Tang Chinese and Silla Koreans on the Geum River.
1172 Henry the Young King and Margaret of France were crowned as junior king and queen of England.
1232 The Formulary of Adjudications was promulgated by Regent Hōjō Yasutoki.
1689 The Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed by Russia and the Qing empire.
1776 The Battle of Long Island: British forces under General William Howe defeated Americans under General George Washington.
1793 French counter-revolution: the port of Toulon revolted and admitted the British fleet, which landed troops and seized the port leading to Siege of Toulon.
1798 Wolfe Tone's United Irish and French forces clashed with the British Army in the Battle of Castlebar.
1803 Edward Beecher, American theologian, was born (d. 1895).
1810 Napoleonic Wars: The French Navy defeated the British Royal Navy, preventing them from taking the harbour of Grand Port on Île de France.
1813 French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte defeated a larger force of Austrians, Russians, and Prussians at the Battle of Dresden.
1828 Uruguay was formally proclaimed independent at preliminary peace talks brokered by Great Britain between Brazil and Argentina during the Argentina-Brazil War.
1859 Petroleum was discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania leading to the world's first commercially successful oil well.
1875 Katharine McCormick, American women's rights activist, was born (d. 1967).
1877 Charles Rolls, British co-founder of Rolls-Royce, was born (d. 1910).
1896 Anglo-Zanzibar War: the shortest war in world history (09:00 to 09:45) between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar.
1899 C. S. Forester, British author, was born (d. 1966).
1904 The foundation stone for Victoria College (now Victoria University of Wellington), was laid.
1904 Norah Lofts, British author, was born (d. 1983).
1908 Sir Donald Bradman, Australian cricketer, was born (d. 2001).
1908 Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States, was born (d. 1973).
1911 Joseph Pawelka escaped from Wellington's Terrace Gaol – the last in a series of bold but seemingly effortless prison escapes Pawelka made over an 18-month period.
1921 The British installed the son of Sharif Hussein bin Ali as King Faisal Iof Iraq.
1922 The Turkish army took the Aegean city of Afyonkarahisar from the Greeks.
1928 The Kellogg-Briand Pact outlawing war was signed by the first fifteen nations.
1932 Antonia Fraser, British author, was born.
1939 First flight of the turbojet-powered Heinkel He 178, the world's first jet aircraft.
1942 Daryl Dragon, American keyboardist (Captain & Tennille), was born.
1947 John Morrison, New Zealand cricketer, was born.
1962 The Mariner 2 unmanned space mission was launched to Venus by NASA.
1979 An IRA bomb killed Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and 3 others in Sligo. Another bomb near Warrenpoint killed 18 British soldiers.
1982 Turkish military diplomat Colonel Atilla Altıkat was shot and killed in Ottawa. Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide claimed responsibility, saying they were avenging the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
1985 The Nigerian government was peacefully overthrown by Army Chief of Staff Major General Ibrahim Babangida.
1991 – Moldova declared independence from the USSR.
1993 The Rainbow Bridge, connecting Tokyo's Shibaura and the island of Odaiba, was completed.
2000 The 540-metre (1,772 ft)-tall Ostankino Tower in Moscow caught fire, killing three people.
2003 Mars made its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing 34,646,418 miles (55,758,005 km) distant.
2006 Comair Flight 5191 crashed on takeoff from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky killing 49 of the 50 passengers and crew.
2009 – The Burmese military junta and ethnic armies began three days of violent clashes in the Kokang Special Region.
2011 – Hurricane Irene struck the United States east coast, killing 47 and causing an estimated $15.6 billion in damage.
2013 – Riots between two religious communities started at Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia
Leave a Comment »	| history	| Tagged: Antonia Fraser, August 27, C.S. Forester, Charles Rolls, Edward Beecher, John Morrison, Katharine McCormick, Lyndon B Johnson, Norah Lofts, Sir Donald Bradman	| Permalink
You are currently browsing the Homepaddock blog archives for the day Monday, August 27th, 2018.


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Current: Australia's Federation
Australia's Federation
In 1901 the 6 British colonies united to become a new nation—the Commonwealth of Australia. This fact sheet examines the arguments for Federation, the path to Federation, the creation of the territories and the opening of the Australian Parliament.
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Children celebrating Federation, Melbourne 1901.
National Library of Australia, an13117280-22
Slide 1 details
The path to Federation
For at least 50 000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived on these lands and practiced traditional cultures and languages. From the late 1700s, British colonies were established. By the late 1800s, these colonies had their own parliaments but were still subject to the law-making power of the British Parliament.
Each colony had its own government and laws, including its own railway system, postage stamps and tariffs—taxes. This caused many problems and people began to think about the benefits of uniting as one nation. They argued a national government would:
Increase trade and strengthen the economies of each colony by removing internal tariffs and borders.
Create a national defence force to protect the continent in case of invasion.
Better control of immigration from non-British countries.
Create a more democratic system of government in which women could vote.
The process for Federation took a long time. Some of the major events were:
Tenterfield oration
Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of New South Wales, gave a speech calling for 'a great national government for all Australians'. This helped spark the Federation movement.
Australasian Federation Conference
Representatives from each of the colonies and New Zealand met, and decided the colonies should unite to become a nation.
First National Australasian Convention
A draft constitution for the new nation was written.
Second National Australasian Convention
Representatives from each of the colonies (except Queensland and New Zealand, who had pulled out of the process) agreed to changes to the draft constitution.
First referendum
Voters in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania were asked to approve a constitution for the new nation.
Secret premiers' conference
In order to win the support of the New South Wales and Queensland premiers, changes were agreed to the draft constitution, including the location of the new national capital.
Second referendum
All the colonies except Western Australia held referendums to approve to the proposed constitution and all the colonies agreed.
Western Australia holds referendum
On 1 January 1901, the colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia united and became the states of Australia, known as the Commonwealth of Australia.
The territories
In 1901 the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT) did not exist. The Constitution provided for the establishment of a national capital, to be located in New South Wales but at least 100 miles from Sydney. In 1911 the Australian Government created the ACT for this purpose. In the same year, the NT was also created. This area had previously been part of South Australia.
Although part of the Commonwealth, the territories do not have the same legal status as states.
A new nation and a new Parliament
When the Commonwealth of Australia was declared on 1 January 1901, a ceremony was held in Centennial Park in Sydney. The first Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, was sworn in and the first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, and federal ministers took the oath of office. Many Australians celebrated their nationhood, participating in parades, processions, sporting events and school pageants.
The first federal elections for the new Parliament were held on 29 and 30 March 1901. The first Parliament was held in Melbourne on 9 May 1901. It was officially opened by the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V). The opening ceremony was large and elaborate and further celebrations were held.
This black and white photo is of a group of older children in 1901. They are dressed in elaborate costumes to celebrate Australia's Federation. The costumes highlight Australia's British heritage. A large Union Jack is being held by one of the group.
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text:
/**
 * @ClassName: ITaobaoUserService.java
 * @Author: liukailong
 * @Description:
 * @Date: 2015年5月27日
 *
 */
package com.zhigu.service.taobao;

import com.zhigu.model.TaobaoUser;

/**
 * @author Administrator
 *
 * @decription 处理淘宝用户基本信息存储到平台
 *
 */
public interface ITaobaoUserService {

	int insertSelective(TaobaoUser user);

	/**
	 * @param userId
	 * @return
	 */
	TaobaoUser selectByUserId(Long userId);

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Crystal Palace: Dan Cook believes a lack of financial muscle will see Wilfried Zaha leave
Dan Cook has claimed that Crystal Palace's lack of financial muscle will ultimately see them lose Wilfried Zaha.
The Ivory Coast international has long been tipped with an exit from Selhurst Park as his current deal edges closer to expiring – and can in fact start talking to clubs outside of England about a pre-contract agreement in January.
It will be a sad way for things to end between Zaha and Palace for the second time during his career, as many may have hoped that he'd finish his career at Selhurst Park, but the lure of playing in Europe and earning more money could be too much to ignore.
'Genuine concern' - Dan Cook not happy after Crystal Palace news
'I was told' - TalkSPORT reporter now drops concerning Crystal Palace claim
'Something else' - Dan Cook buzzes as fresh footage of 'excellent' CPFC starlet emerges
After discussing potential future transfer dealings in SE25 following links with Brazilian youngster Matheus Franca, Cook has admitted on the HLTCO podcast that it's now inevitable that Zaha will be leaving Palace next year.
He said: "The other elephant in the room is, of course, Wilfried Zaha's long-term future. And I think it's becoming plainly obvious at this stage that the 30-year-old will look to leave Crystal Palace once his contract expires at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Should Palace sell Zaha in January?
"We haven't got the financial muscle to bring in a player from one of Europe's top leagues that can replicate what Wilfried Zaha brings to us, but I think in Matheus Franca… there's clearly a lot of hype around him for good reason.
"In 2022, I think it makes a great deal of sense to explore that market and see whether or not there is a potential deal to be done."
TIF Thoughts on Zaha's future…
Once reports emerged earlier in the year about Zaha turning down a bumper contract at Crystal Palace, it should have been quite clear to the fans that he was not intent on staying with the Eagles past his current deal.
Think you're the biggest Crystal Palace fan? Then who is the club's record signing?
Sakho
Benteke
However, as that continues to draw closer, the feeling of Crystal Palace being without their talisman and constant presence in Zaha will be a daunting one as he's been their top scorer in each of the last two league campaigns and will therefore leave a huge void.
If he doesn't want to stay and can't be persuaded, there's no point trying to force him to do so and potentially break their wage structure in the process. Instead, they should back their recruitment team, which has done well to land top players over the last few windows, to do their job and find a suitable replacement for the Ivorian.


Dutta, Jayita (2018) Emphasizing Safety in Industrial Context: Some Case Studies of MCPI Private Limited. MTech thesis.
MCPI PRIVATE LIMITED is the present organization which initially started in the name of MCC PTA India Corporation Private Limited in the year 1999. MCPI PRIVATE LIMITED successfully started commercial operation of first project from April'2000 and second project from March'2010. MCPI comes under Petrochemical Industry which itself is a hazardous industry. Since it is a petrochemical plant, therefore during its operation there are many risks attached to it. These hazards are to be handled for safety in the petrochemical plant. It is essential to identify the hazards and to evaluate the associate risk as any wrong handling operation may leads to severe accident. As the employees work during day as well as night shifts in the risky environment, so the degree of awareness is different for different employees. To ensure safe working, it is very important to look at the individual and his state of mind. It should be strictly recommended that the feature of safety should not be compromised. So the work environment and schedules must be designed similarly. In some cases people in spite of having awareness they do negligence. The gap analysis done to improve the safety culture and recommendation given to achieve the compliance. The main aims of the work is to achieve the company's target of "zero" accident in MCPI Private Limited, Haldia by performing Risk Assessment of different activities in chemical handling and enhance the working environment by behavioural based safety practices.


Following successful courses in 2017 and 2018 we are looking forward to Living Fire 2019.
Creating great church communities is an essential part of Christianity. Such churches should continually and increasingly burn with the "Fire of God" and such fire can transform individuals, cities and nations.
This is one of the ideas behind Living Fire, a training course for church leadership teams being run by Pete Carter and the Eastgate team with Paul Manwaring from Bethel Church, California.
Our aim is to share through teaching, example, coaching and mentoring, so that church leadership teams will have the tools to create a sustainable "kingdom culture" in their own cultural context.
The training will take place over the course of one year and we will be able to take the leadership teams from 15-20 churches.
In 2019, there will be two training blocks at Eastgate: 4th-7th March and 27th-29th September. Additionally, there will be web based training sessions and the possibility of a visiting mission team from Eastgate or our School of Spiritual Life.
One of our desired outcomes is the establishing of great relationships between churches who will continue to encourage and support one another.
How do Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers function together to build the church?
How big is your vision?
What dreams is God giving to you?
Please complete the form below to find out more.


Designing a great bike means blending performance with comfort. It's an art that our engineers have perfected with the Attain, which combines the stomp-and-go willingness of a race thoroughbred with the sublime comfort of a ride-all-day grand tourer. Who said you can't have your cake and eat it?


text:
<?php
namespace Helmich\GridFS\Stream;

use MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument;

interface DownloadStreamInterface
{
    public function read(int $n): string;

    public function readAll(): string;

    public function reset();

    public function tell(): int;

    public function seek(int $n);

    public function eof(): bool;

    public function file(): BSONDocument;
}


text:
Mercury/Jupiter and Regulus
The Moon is in her exaltation in Taurus today, applying to a series of aspects by tonight. First a square to Venus and then an opposition to Saturn, and then a square to Jupiter and trine to Mars.
A couple of things are happening today that are all worth our attention. One, Mercury is entering the sign of his rulership and exaltation in Virgo. Two, both Mars and Jupiter are culminating in Cancer and Leo.
Here's what to watch for from Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter as they change signs:
* A strengthening in terms of all things symbolized or signified by Mercury: communication, organization, administration, detail work, cleanliness, hygiene, fact checking, contracts, letters, messages, rationality, planning, and to do lists
* An expansion of all things Virgoan, as Jupiter enters Virgo: purity, detail work, study or skill development, service, hygiene, purity, thoroughness, mundane tasks, drudgery, obsessiveness or worry, and down to earth daily chores and living
* An intensification of all things Martian as Mars leaves his fall and enters Leo: willfulness, pride, arrogance, ego, assertiveness, good will, faith, trust, generosity, sharing, conquering, dominating, showing off, competition, and authority
In terms of today's Moon aspects, watch for the following:
* A generally positive feeling in the air, but also conflicts between styles or approaches to happiness, pleasure, or enjoyment may come up with the Moon squaring Venus retrograde later in the day
* An aura of difficulty, oppression, heaviness, sadness, limitations, setbacks, and control battles...one person says "this is real," the other says, "this is dramatic, let's just relax." (Moon in Taurus opposite Saturn in Scorpio, this evening)
* Sexual restrictiveness, seriousness, or sobriety (Venus retrograde square Saturn in Scorpio) contrasted with sexual experimentation, fun, and enjoyment
* The withholding of truth, affection, sweetness, or love (Venus/Jupiter/Mercury square Saturn)
* Seriously disturbed, outdated or dying displays of grandeur, ego, or pride (Jupiter/Square Saturn)
As both Jupiter and Mercury approach fixed star Regulus, the heart of the lion, the image of the high priest, sage, professor, or public speaker comes to mind. Given the square to Saturn in Scorpio from these planets, we are also looking at the death, darkness, or difficulty of these same images. For example, the popular but also disturbing quality of last night's republican presidential nominee debates....which featured the Mercury/Jupiter/Regulus combination of powerful speakers and speaking but also the dark, contractive, outdated, dying, and disturbing Saturn in Scorpio qualities.
The ability to speak, teach, proclaim, argue, administer, or demonstrate a powerful point of view is strong in the sky right now....but so too is the influence of Saturn in Scorpio. We should therefore be careful that our words, thoughts, and boldest actions are tempered by the awareness of Saturn in our midst, or what we say right now may come back to bite us later.
Prayer: May we hear, see, speak, and know the truth of sages...help us discriminate between noise and signal
Return of the Scorpion
Dark moon time. The Moon is in Gemini, applying to sextile Jupiter and Uranus by this evening. Meanwhile Saturn has finally dipped back into the dark waters of Scorpio, where it will now stay until September 17th.
Let's take a deeper look at the symbolism of Saturn's retrograde into Scorpio...
Between October of 2012 and December of 2014 Saturn was transiting the sign of the Scorpion. Within weeks of Saturn's entrance into Scorpio Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the USA, creating major damage, death and destruction, not to mention flooding the global media with images of NYC under water.
Then, just as Saturn began its first retrograde in late February and into March of 2013, Pope Francis was elected the first pope from the southern hemisphere.
Next, as Saturn was stationing in its retrograde to turn direct again, Edward Snowden's disclosure of the US government's mass public surveillance programs occurred.
In it's next station to retrograde the Ebola virus outbreak in west Africa began, and its next station to direct movement the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza began and soon after the US also began airstrikes targeted at ISIS.
In each of Saturn's major turning points throughout the sign of Scorpio, events like the ones above provide insight into Saturn's symbolism. There are of course an unlimited number of events that we might choose from, from the daily and mundane to the epic and global. Notice the following themes in the events listed above:
* Water, secrecy, fears, taboos
* Cleansing, genocide, outbreaks, disease, purification
* The revelation of things hidden
* Denial or refusal to take ownership
* Avoidance or defensiveness
* Hypocrisy exposed or in the spotlight
* Unavoidable natural truths or explanations
* The decay or destruction of man made things by nature
* Psychological transformation
* Structural changes related to inner psychological changes
* Hard truths and the growing up that happens when we face difficult truths
* The mass realization of mortality, fragility, and powerlessness
As Saturn dips back into Scorpio the same kinds of issues will likely be up for review, especially as Saturn presses through the so-called "anaretic" last degree of Scorpio (29th degree), and especially as Saturn stations in its retrograde toward the end of July and early August. The idea of many modern astrologers being that the 29th degree of any sign is a critical or culminating degree that often brings up crises and difficulties or peak periods (depending on specifics of the planet(s) involved). Similarly, the stationing or retrograding of any planet is traditionally thought of as somewhat debilitating to the planet's normal actions because of its slow speed or reversed action. I sometimes think of it like drawing an upside down version of a tarot card. It's not necessarily that the card is meant to be nasty...but it has a somewhat more severe or disruptive presence within a spread.
Looking at Saturn's presence in your own chart right now can help. Is it angular, is it making aspects, entering a new house...each of these factors will contribute to a healthy interpretation of Saturn's meaning or location in your life right now.
Recall that Saturn generally relates to difficulties, restrictions, limitations, hard work, maturity, consensus or concrete reality, age, mortality, sobriety, repression, depression, seriousness, melancholy, structures, traditions, rules, gravity, and mastery.
In the sign of Scorpio we are perhaps embarking on one more season of the kind of inner growth work we did between the fall of 2012 and 2014. One more journey into the incredibly deep, psychological territory of Scorpio. Meeting our fears, seeing the hard truths, maturing through limitations, sobering by way of the more difficult facts, and learning to find trust in the midst of the darker psychological mazes of the unconscious.
The question "why" is a good one to ask and an even better one to wait patiently on for the next few months. The question "how" is also a good one to ask, but only if we're willing to receive the real answer and make the changes necessary.
Prayer: Oh lord of somber lights and the wisdom of death...keep us in good health and good faith as we learn what only you and the Scorpion together can teach.
image courtesy of creative commons:


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Amy Introcaso-Davis boards Animal Planet as EVP
Discovery-owned wildlife channel Animal Planet has appointed former E! executive Amy Introcaso-Davis as executive vice president of development and production. In the posting, the four-time Emmy Award winner (pictured) will be tasked ...
Discovery-owned wildlife channel Animal Planet has appointed former E! executive Amy Introcaso-Davis as executive vice president of development and production.
In the posting, the four-time Emmy Award winner (pictured) will be tasked with managing all aspects of the network's development and programming slate, including strategy across all formats, and will work closely with the creative community to deliver content.
Based in Los Angeles, Introcaso-Davis reports to Nancy Daniels, chief brand officer for Discovery & Factual.
Introcaso-Davis most recently served as EVP of development and production at E! until a restructuring at NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment's Lifestyle Group in September brought on her departure from the network. During her two-year tenure at E!, Introcaso-Davis was responsible for realigning the network's development strategy and the commissioning of such series as Very Cavallari and the reboot of The Soup.
Prior to this, Introcaso-Davis served as EVP of programming and development at GSN, where she oversaw scheduling, acquisitions, program strategy, development and production. Before joining GSN, she was SVP of original programming at Oxygen Media and earlier held the title of SVP of development at Bravo where her programming credits include Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and The Real Housewives of Orange County, among others.
"Amy is a talented storyteller and incredibly passionate about the business of making compelling television," said Daniels in a statement. "Her many strengths revolve around her ability to identify and create breakthrough programming as well as branding content across all platforms. Her track record of hit series that continuously break into the cultural zeitgeist proves she has the perfect creative instincts to take our programming to the next level."
Amy Introcaso-Davis, Animal Planet, Nancy Daniels
Discovery shuffle sees Ross add Animal Planet, Science
Nancy Daniels to head up Animal Planet as Susanna Dinnage leaves Discovery
Powderhouse co-founder Yourgrau leaving to form indie
Patrice Andrews boards Animal Planet as GM


Get gardening this May bank holiday weekend!
The bank holiday's in May are a great time to get out into your garden and get your hanging baskets ready.
The weather in May can be a mixed bag, anything for gloriously hot to cold and wet.. But then that could describe any month in summer here in the UK..
If it is a warm bank holiday weekend , any summer baskets planted up in the cover of the greenhouse now need to be moved to their final hanging positions, ours are around the patio area. Planting them up early, and keeping them in the protection of the greenhouse has really paid off.
Already they are well on their way to maturity for an instant display of colour in the garden this weekend. Petunia are already in full flower, flowers are starting to appear on the lobelia, and the fuchsias are budding up nicely – we expect to see their first flowers some time next week.
Hopefully you've all been storing as much rain water as you can to beat any hosepipe bans this summer. If the weather is hot, your baskets can dry out within 24 hours, so plenty of water will be needed through the summer if it is a hot one.
If you are still to plant your baskets and containers, you can reduce their watering needs by opting for specialist moisture control composts from the likes of Miracle Gro, and also add water retaining crystals such as SwelGel to compost mixes. A handful of granular slow release fertiliser will also benefit your plants greatly.
Aim to water your baskets at least once a day through summer, either early morning or late evening, perhaps both in hot spells. Remove spent flowers regularly to promote fresh growth, and keep a few spare plants to hand in case of any plant losses in the basket through the season.


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Home>Blog – MFT Nation>AS2>The Ins and Outs of File Transfer Protocols
The Ins and Outs of File Transfer Protocols
November 27th, 2013 | Author: Don Miller
In the beginning, there was the granddaddy of protocols, called FTP, and it was a great way to transfer data from one place to another. After awhile, it became more and more burdensome to juggle all the destinations, transfer methods, usernames and passwords. The whole affair started to strangle itself when trying to update batch scripts with new passwords, changed IP addresses and firewall restrictions, not to mention the security risk of coding your passwords in an easily accessible text file.
Something needed to be done and the solution was MFT (managed file transfer) software. MFT software offered a single place where you could define all your connections, usernames and passwords on a central server controlling all the data being sent and received from your internal network.
Meanwhile, all was not good for FTP. While it was getting easier to manage the connections, there was still a big security hole where the data could be intercepted and accessed by others. To enhance security, three new extensions were created—SFTP (Secure Shell FTP), FTP-S (FTP Secure) and S-FTP (Secure FTP)—all of which provided improved security for data being transferred, but at the expense of interoperability. All three protocols are not interoperable with each other and need to be explicitly defined and used. So even though plain FTP was enhanced with updated security, and is still very fast, it is viewed by some as a less-than-desirable file transfer protocol.
As a result, new protocols were developed that could take advantage of enhanced security, guaranteed delivery and non-repudiation of the sending and receipt of data. Enter the AS (Applicability Standard) protocols. These were designed to alleviate the problems with plain FTP and guarantee interoperability between different software providers. The first of them, AS1, was designed to be used with existing email servers. This new standard introduced encryption of data and the ability for each side of the connection to know if the files were received, and received unaltered. This was accomplished by introducing an acknowledgement message known as an MDN (Message Disposition Notification). The first system would request that an MDN be sent by the receiving system when it processed the file. This would let the first system "know" that the file was received correctly, or even incorrectly if there was a problem with the file.
The basic problem with AS1 is the inherent limit of email in the size of the file being transferred. To address this problem, the next standard, AS2, was developed. Instead of using an intermediate server, AS2 was designed to talk directly to the receiving system using HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol). This allowed the data files to be magnitudes greater than could be achieved via AS1. In addition, enhanced security could be introduced using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) that would further encrypt the data in transit, along with synchronous return of the MDN. It requires that servers be running constantly, however, otherwise the sending system would not be able to connect to transfer the data. Another significant problem is if the connection dropped while in the midst of a large file transfer, the the whole file would need to be resent. AS2 has been refined to allow a restart after a failed transfer without sending the entire data file.
AS3 picks up where AS2 left off. AS3 uses the same underlying FTP structure but enhances it with the same features as the other AS protocols, thereby making it a great choice for large file transfers. While it has been a defined standard for quite some time, AS3 has not had the take up of either AS1 or AS2 and is relatively unused.
The last AS protocol to be defined is AS4, which is a secure document exchange format utilizing web services. This allows companies using ebXML formats to exchange data in more direct format between applications, and allows the use of those same benefits of AS2 but for the web services protocol. This is another protocol that is in its infancy and has not had a wide acceptance as yet. In fact, the AS2 protocol is probably the most widely used protocol in the MFT space.
So, where does that leave you, the reader, in picking the protocol to use? For me, the AS2 protocol is easy-to-use and provides a good mix of availability, speed and security, and is easy to implement and maintain. However, we have seen many requests recently for the secure FTP protocols, especially for companies needing to comply with security audits.
As with most MFT-related issues, though, the best place to start is by understanding your data flows and deploying those secure protocols that are best-suited for your business. We can help in that regard. Please contact us at info@btrade.com to speak with our experts in data security and MFT. Also, feel free to post a comment with your thoughts about the secure transfer protocols.