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Posts from the "Politics" Category
Kosovo Quits Smoking*
There are times, here in Kosovo, where it can be nice to be reminded of home. I will confess that I derive a comical and inordinate amount of satisfaction from the tiny Petro-Canada logo at the corner of a billboard near Qafa. I get a kick out of seeing a small boy rocking a Montreal Expos cap in the traditional red, white, and blue. But sometimes it's not quite so warm and fuzzy. Sometimes it's annoying as hell. On April 4, Kosovo – in keeping with modern norms and prejudices – adopted a series of anti-smoking laws that prevent people from smoking in cafés, bars, and "public areas". As has been the case in Canada (or at least my part of Canada) since 2008,…
Categories: In The News, Politics
Tagged: Kosovo, Politics, Pristina
Here Comes The Money
Yesterday, I wrote about the recent agreement between Serbia and Pristina, and about how perhaps not every Serbian person in the world is totally over-the-moon about it. In Mitrovica, 20,000 people gathered on Monday to say "No To The Brussels Agreement." At the headquarters of the Serbian Orthodox Church, meanwhile, Patriarch Irinej told press that the deal "appears to mark the pure surrender […] of our most important territory in spiritual and historical terms." So it's obviously kind of touchy. Not everyone is happy. The Serbian Orthodox Patriarch isn't happy, and Tom Hanks (seriously) isn't happy either. And even though the talks were sponsored by the European Union, Brussels is not the sort of entity to really delve into things like this, or to have…
Categories: Europe, In The News, Politics
Tagged: Europe, Kosovo, Politics, Serbia
We Have A Deal
Last Friday, Belgrade and Pristina agreed to "normalize relations" between Serbia and its breakaway, independent-with-an-asterisk former territory of Kosovo. Like so many supposedly certain things here, this newest declaration is full of ambiguities, mismatched definitions, and opportunities for plausible denial. It's easy to be cynical about these things. When I arrived here, I was astonished at the degree to which Kosovo was willing to depend on vague assurances, "dialogues," and other such questionable things. But it's better than the alternative. When, I have come to realize, you see major world powers and organizations giving their imprimatur to these sorts of labored, dishonest-seeming constructions, its because they are concerned that guns will fire in their absence. All parties remain, for the moment, able to see…
Unchained Melodies
As per Edmund Burke, those who cannot remember the past may well be doomed to repeat it. But so are those who do remember it; who remember it obsessively and minutely, who pore over its many defeats and setbacks, who almost savor the righteous grief provided by its catalogue of shrieks and horrors. The recent spate of vandalisms, desecrations, and passive-aggressive incursions around Kosovo and Southern Serbia is not due to any failure of memory. The other night, I went with a group of internationals (to use the Pristina shorthand) to watch Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained at ABC Cinema, and it was entertaining. A Spaghetti Western with mythic overtones, let's say, or an exquisitely realized cartoon. A Siegfried fresco in bloody watercolors. A fun…
Tagged: Kosovo, Politics, Serbia
Kosovo 1.0
Last Friday, a remarkable thing happened in Pristina. I mean that in the original sense, of course: a thing worthy of remark, or perhaps created solely to prompt remark, occurred here, and now everybody is talking about it. As all of my local readers are already aware, I am referring to the violent cancellation of Kosovo 2.0's "Sex" issue party, which was shut down by a mob of club-wielding thugs whilst police – according to eyewitness reports, if not official record – did noticeably less than they may have been expected to do, or less than they may have done in another jurisdiction. People got hurt. Things were destroyed. Luckily, it did not go any further than that. Because sometimes these things do. What…
Categories: In The News, Life In Pristina, Politics, Uncategorized
Tagged: Islam, Kosovo, Media, Politics, Pop Culture, Pristina
Reductio Ad Abserbum
In yesterday's post concerning UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's visit to Kosovo, I addressed SG Ban's late arrival by cynically noting that "the first rule of power is make 'em wait." I wasn't wrong, really — just a little sunburnt and surly — but new reports from Koha Ditore indicate that my aim may have been a bit off. There's a first (not first) time for everything, I guess. According to the Pristina daily, the power in question was not exercised by Secretary-General Ban at the expense of us rapidly reddening journos, but instead by Serbian border authorities at the expense of the UN. Though Ban's meetings with the Nikolić government in Belgrade were characterized by calls for "dialogue" (that grandly disingenuous modern favorite!) and…
Tagged: Politics, Serbia, UNMIK
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Visits Kosovo
In the course of my unrelated-to-Disney-movies-from-the-'90s duties, it sometimes happens that I attend media events – such as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's visit to Pristina International Airport earlier this afternoon. Here's how, loyal reader, it went down. First rule of power is you make 'em wait, and so there we waited, shuffling and tripping over camera wires as incremental delay after incremental delay was announced. A mixed crowd of local and regional journalists (plus yours truly), we buzzed around in a collective, multilingual "nic fit" until the UN turboprop taxied in, depositing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon into a crowd of flower-bearing courtiers whose hands were shaken in (presumable) order of seniority as he made his way to the dais. The speech itself was fairly pro…
Tagged: Media, Politics
Kosovo & The Destruction Of The Pyramids
Yesterday morning, a small outlet known as the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) released a story indicating that "prominent Muslim clerics" within Egypt have begun to call for the demolition of the Pyramids at Giza. This, of course, was instantly seized upon by the right-wing media as yet another symbol of the failure of the Arab Spring, the fanaticism of Egypt's clerical class, and the crazed, demonic intolerance of Islam in general. A few hours after the wide dissemination of this frightening and off-putting news item, it was revealed to be a hoax of the lowest order, having been sourced from a "parody Twitter account." In a previous post – my first – I warned of the danger posed by "worldview-confirming lies," so consider…
Tagged: Islam, Kosovo, Media, Politics


11/03/00: Beef cutout values will establish the new, higher trading range next 30 days. Trading next 60 days will be primarily within the range. Prices and cutouts will increase during first qtr and continue to strengthen in second qtr. Prices will weaken temporarily in Jan, turning higher before the month is over. Feb/Mar prices are expected to increase as production trends down into Apr or May. Large placements of calves and light weight yearlings this fall will limit supply.
11/03/00: Strong beef demand continues to support higher trending cattle prices. Next 30 days, cattle prices will weaken 2-3 dlrs, stabilize for 10-15 days. Jan prices are usually lower for first couple weeks, then strengthen into Feb/Mar. Second qtr prices will be higher as production drops. If beef demand remains strong, second qtr prices may reach upper 70 dlrs and low/mid 120 dlrs ranges before topping. Prices will trend lower from Apr/May to Jul. Aug prices will be higher than Jun/Jul.
11/03/00: Cash feeder cattle and calf price trends are higher into Mar/May. Marketings will decline some until Jan. First couple weeks of Jan usually see increased marketings. But, after that, seasonal price trend is higher. Prospects are generally strong that feed cost will remain relatively low and attractive to cattle feeders. Demand for replacement feeders is expected to continue strong. Cattle feeders remain bullish on longer run outlook for higher fed cattle prices.
11/03/00: Hog prices are expected to bottom seasonally within next 15-30 days. Dec prices are expected to strengthen modestly vs. Nov. Prices will trend higher from Dec to Feb/Mar. First qtr prices are estimated to average in the low 40 dlrs live and mid 50 dlrs carcass ranges. Second qtr prices are projected to trade mainly in the mid 40 dlrs range, occasionally upper 40 dlrs range, and low/mid 60 dlrs range. Pork demand has been good and expected to continue good first two qtrs of 2001.
11/03/00 am: Dec corn futures closing call: down 1 cent today. Range of trade estimate will be 9,900 to 10,100 million bushels vs. 10,192 million in October. Once the crop size is released, there will be those who insist a small crop gets smaller, so they will not be convinced until the January preliminary final is released. December deliveries must be resolved, with 45 percent of the total open interest in the December, and 30 percent in the March. Liquidation of the Dec will cause the funds to roll to the March. The new tax year will also be a factor in cash movement by the time March futures reach deliveries. Brazil hopes to harvest a record total grain harvest in 2000-01. Center South corn production is expected up 20-30 percent, but it is early.
11/03/00 am: March beans closing call: down 2 cents today. Range of estimates will be 2,700 to 2,800 million bushels. Expectations for the crop are down, but what will USDA do with demand. In October, USDA reduced demand to offset the reduced supplies. It is doubtful that USDA will reduce demand on November 9, so carryover will be reduced. December 1 stocks, released in January, are an important guide to crop size as USDA uses the stocks as a check on the crop size. Last year, stocks indicated a smaller crop until the final carryover. Brazil expects a record crop, but it is only equal to May 3 here, so there is plenty of time for the yields to be impacted either way. USDA is not likely to change South American production on November 9.
11/03/00 am: Chicago Dec wheat futures closing call: down 1 cent today. KC Dec futures close down 1 cent today. Pakistan wants to sell 500,000 tonnes. The 6-10 Day Forecast projects more rain and cool temperatures. Snow is expected in Colorado and Western Nebraska. Once the crop is planted the moisture will give it a tremendous boost. USDA is likely to reduce the Australian crop by one million tonnes, which will tighten the world stocks-to-use ratios. The U.S. Attaché projected 19.9 million tonnes vs. USDA at 21. The bullish world stocks are offset by the stocks in the Lakes. Until those stocks are moved out, constant delivery will keep the Chicago carrying charges wide. In Kansas City, ordinary protein wheat, which is delivered, is 20 to 30 over the Cec future, so deliveries will be zero.
11/03/00 am: Dec futures: up 25 today. Expectations for the crop will be 16.9 to 17.5 million bales. Eventually, the USDA will reduce the crop toward 17.03 million bales but that could easily be January. The ICAC projects the A Index for 2000-01 at 64 cents vs. 62 previously and 52.80 in 1999-2000. Current levels are rising, but below, the annual average, at 61.85 recently. In order to reach ICAC's price forecast, prices must move higher the remainder of the crop year.


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"Did she give you the quarters?" I asked.
"Yep!" said AS. "I got $5 worth of them."
We went back and parked, spending several minutes inserting quarters. By that time it was around 2:00 PM. There would be no getting around rush hour, especially because AS told me I was walking too fast toward the train station. I bought everyone a Metro card and we went down to the tracks.
The Sweltering Metro
It was bad luck that we got a Metro car with no air conditioning. It would be 45 minutes of steam bathing on the way to downtown. We could have run outside and into the next car, but there were no guarantees that either the doors wouldn't close before we got there or the next car would actually have a working air conditioner. So, muttering about maintenance issues in this poor economy, we persevered in the (fortunately) lightly loaded car. Actually, the side benefit of the air conditioning malady was that the air would feel downright cool when we exited into the city!
We reached our stop and got out. My plan was to get out at the Smithsonian and walk over to the National Mall. There was no time to enjoy the Smithsonian, which can take two days and then you still haven't seen everything. It is pretty easy to find the mall from where we were, or, for that matter, from just about anywhere within a few miles. You just point yourself at the Washington Monument and remember to look both ways as you're crossing the busy streets.
Photo Courtesy of O.C. Blonde
The first stop on our microtour of the capital was, indeed, the Washington Monument—or is it the Worshington Monument? Whichever it was, we got to the base of the grounds and took a few pictures. Then, a couple of middle-aged blondes who would turn out to be from Orange County, California showed up and offered to take a picture of the three of us together if we would do the same for them. These babes were a bit rambunctious, and one of them made a suggestive comment to me. After they left, AS expressed her displeasure.
"That one was getting really close to my limit," she said.
"Too bad I didn't get a picture of those two," I replied.
We trudged up the ramp to the monument. On the way, I asked whether the ladies wanted to take the elevator to the top or walk up the stairs. "There are 128,373 steps," I said, pulling that number straight out of my ass. They said they wanted the elevator. However, this discussion proved to be moot, as it was 3:00 PM and all the tickets for the day had already been issued. We would have had to wait a couple of hours, anyhow, so no great loss.
While standing around the monument, I explained how the buildings at the east and west ends of the mall are the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. Then, from the Washington monument, toward the north and south are the White House and the Jefferson Memorial, respectively. The White House is across the Ellipse, and the Jefferson Memorial is across the Tidal Basin. All but the Jefferson Memorial are visible from the Washington Monument.
AS & the White House
I took pictures of Cupcake and AS with the U.S. Capitol and the White House for their respective souvenir shots. Then I plunked my ass down on one of the granite benches and watched AS, our designated foreign relations officer, as she took pictures for an aggregation of Indians—the South Asian kind, not the Kowabunga ones. While this was happening, I heard the sound of approaching helicopters.
Hail to the Chief?
The choppers were heading directly for the restricted airspace over the mall and the White House. As there was no presence of F-18s to intercept them, I assumed that this was OK, and I shouldn't call 911 to tell them that the terrorists were coming. We, along with a thousand or so others, watched as two of the three helicopters broke off their formation while the third began lowering itself onto the south lawn of the White House. We had just witnessed the landing of Marine One, which had been accompanied by two escort decoys.
Marine One?
There was a reception committee, but the helicopter itself shielded us from viewing the arrival party to see whether it was President Obama or who. Nevertheless, it provided some unexpected excitement.
I explained to the Cupcake about restricted airspace and not allowing commercial and private air traffic in the skies when the president is flying somewhere.
She was like, "That's like a big waste, just for one guy!"
I'm like, "Yeah, but he like used to be the leader of the free world!"
I felt the need to speak her language and employ similar sarcasm. It almost came naturally at this stage of the trip.
So, that was the big excitement of the day. It would, of course, lead to some inconvenience later in the day, but we didn't know that yet.
The Memorials
Big Shot Landed
I proposed that we walk to the Lincoln Memorial. The ladies agreed. I didn't want to go east toward the Capitol past all the museums, because we didn't have time for browsing museums. I love the Air & Space Museum, though, and its new annex out by Dulles Airport. So, we'll have to go back sometime.
Since I had last walked the Mall, President George W. Bush had commissioned and built the World War II Memorial, which is smack dab in the middle of the mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. It is a circular thing with large hunks of granite each bearing the name of one of the united states. It is actually more impressive than I make it sound.
I could see AS perceptibly slowing down as we circled the monument. I reached the Florida stone about three minutes before AS and Cupcake got there so we could take pictures. Part of the problem was that none of us had brought any drinking water, and the sun was beating down on us. However, we were able to quickly solve that problem thanks to our founding fathers, who provided drinking water fountains at intervals along the mall.
Water! Thanks to our founding fathers.
We walked along the reflecting pool toward the Lincoln Memorial, with Cupcake taking pictures of the reflections of her feet, then having her mom pose for some walking photos. This further tired AS out, with the sun continually beating down, so we made for the shady, tree lined walk to the south, where I could see that AS was still somewhat uncomfortable. She announced that she had to go to the bathroom—she needed the worshroom in Worshington. As we closed in on the memorial, she asked a street vendor for the location of the rest rooms; he pointed her toward the memorial.
And so it was that AS and Cupcake each made their donation to the Lincoln Memorial. Cupcake returned first. Then AS emerged and motioned for us to come up the stairs so she wouldn't have to walk down the ramp and back up the stairs.
Then, we paid our respects to Honest Abe for a while. Being in that room is a spiritual experience, although it would be nice if people actually observed the sign that calls for quiet. We took pictures and exited.
Of course, going down the stairs is like running an obstacle course, with people thinking they can plunk their asses down anywhere they damn well please. Cupcake was somewhat perturbed at me for telling people to move their asses as we made our way down, but really, it's the only way to do it.
The next stop on our tour was the Vietnam Memorial. I noted that there were lots of Vietnamese looking people there. Of course, I had used a colloquial term for them and was shushed by AS. We took pictures of the lifelike soldier statues and walked by the wall with as much reverence as could be mustered with people wheeling stroller with screaming kids past it.
Vietnam Memorial
From here, we started walking back up the other side of the mall. When AS grew tired, we sat for a while, and I formulated a plan to visit the White House, after which we would duck into a Metro station and get outta there. The plan was accepted.
The White House and the Smartass Cop
We walked for a few blocks to the edge of the White House grounds on 17th Street, and then walked up toward E Street. Along the way, there was a Pakistani ice cream vendor, so we stopped to cool off AS. She wanted to pay for the refreshments. When it came time for me to ask for what I wanted, I stated it by name, but the vendor motioned toward the placard with the pictures of all his frozen treats, wanting me to point to the one I wanted. This was pretty funny: right outside the White House, I would have had to speak Urdu to be understood.
The Nittany Turkey, at DAR HQ
After AS regained her strength through a liberal dose of ice cream, we walked toward the south side of the White House. When we got there, we found our way blocked by police. What the hell? Oh, yeah. The helicopter landed so they were making a, like, "perimeter." E Street and the Ellipse were all off-limits. Actually, there were armed secret service people on the roof of the White House, too. There weren't no way we were gettin' past any of them. I told the ladies that we would have to turn around to go around the other side.
"What makes you think the other side isn't blocked, too?" asked AS.
"I dunno," said I, "but I'll go up there and call your cell phone when I find out."
I didn't want to make AS go on a wild goose chase, as worn out as she seemed to be. So, I cranked my butt around the corner onto 17th Street and quickly walked the few blocks up to Pennsylvania Avenue. I found a cop there and asked him whether this side of the White House was blocked at all, as I had some ladies waiting to find out. He said that it wasn't. So, I called Cupcake.
Cupcake and AS at the White House
"Come on up. It's all clear. Just walk up 17th to G Street and I'll be there," I instructed.
"Pennsylvania Avenue, not G Street," said the cop, listening to my side of the conversation, "G street doesn't go through."
"All right, come up to Pennsylvania Avenue," I told the Cupcake. I had originally said G street because I knew they would pass E and F Streets, and therefore know they were going the right way. But the cop had to stick his big nose into the matter.
"OK," said the Cupcake. I hung up.
"Now, I'm going to stand by G Street just to make sure," I told the cop.
I waited by G Street for several minutes, until finally the weary AS and the mighty Cupcake arrived. I was a little worried about AS, as she seemed very uncomfortable. I told her that we'd stop by the White House and then go immediately to the Metro.
We passed the cop. I waved, so as to thank him for his help. But he couldn't resist getting a dig in.
"Must be the Penn State hat that does it to you," he said.
"Yeah, it must be," I replied, not quite tired enough to get in the cop's face and land myself in jail. Besides, I wasn't sure whether AS would be able to come up with the bail money.
We walked along the wrought iron fence on the north side of the White House. AS observed that both sides of the White House look the same. I guess that's pretty true. The thing is, the helicopter was on the other side. That meant that we could get some unobstructed pictures of AS and the Cupcake in front of the Cupcake's future home. She'd be there now, based on her assessment of her own capabilities, if she could somehow get past the minimum age requirement.
After the picture taking AS declared that we were done there and we could go to the next place.
The Next Place
"The next place?" I asked.
On Way to Metro
"Yeah. The Metro." replied AS.
"OK! I'll get you there. Do you want a taxi? It's only a few blocks."
"No, I can make it as long as I know we'll be on the train soon," she said.
It was rush hour, so traffic on the streets was jammed and impatience was the emotion of the hour. Leading the way, as I crossed 15th Street legally, a left turning SUV blared its horn at me in the crosswalk. That pissed me off. After all, I was walking at Washington rush hour speed, not sauntering like some damn starstruck tourist.
"Shut the f–k up!" I screamed through the SUV's open driver side window. I was finally tired enough to not take any crap from these clowns.
I got across and looked back to see that the Cupcake and AS had arrived back there and were waiting for the light. The Cupcake was muttering something to AS, which I presume was something disdainful about my yelling at docile motorists. I waited for them.
"I had to yell at some schmuck who blew his horn at me," I said when they crossed.
"Yeah, we heard you," said Cupcake.
Tough shit if she was embarrassed. The putz deserved it.
Metro Follies
We got to the Metro station. Down we went into the bowels of our nation's capital. AS was too tired to read signs, so I led the way down. She was also too tired to walk down the escalator, so I stationed myself on the right side of the moving stairs as did she. Meanwhile, Cupcake stood on the left, blocking about 3,000 rush hour commuters clamoring to hurry home to their wives or mistresses. I told her to move over.
"They'll have to wait. I'm standing here," she said.
I told her to let them get around her.
"This is where I got on," she said, "and I'm not moving over."
A Tired AS Waits for Train
I was getting tired of the attitude, but I figured what the hell, they can push her out of the way if they want to get down. I'd just disavow any connection with her, as she sure as hell doesn't look like my issue. I was tired and pissed off, but I was able to contain my ire. Fortunately, no one trampled her, probably because it wouldn't be politically correct to trample an Indian girl.
As it turned out, she would not be the only one of my favorite people who would give me a hard time in this Metro station. Read on.
We snaked our way through the dense crowds to the proper platform for the blue and the orange lines.
Looking at the coming train sign, our train would be second. However, AS was standing by the edge of the platform along with a couple hundred people, as if she was waiting for the first train.
"Come over here!" I yelled at AS, wanting to get her out of the horde, lest she be pushed into the wrong train when it came.
"No! I want to get a seat, so I'm standing right here!" she declared, obstinately.
"Yeah," I said, "but you're waiting for the wrong damn train! Ours is the orange to Vienna, not the blue to Franconia!"
Oopsy!
She came back over with me. Knowing that she was tired and cranky, I smiled. Otherwise, I would have chided her about her near-screwup.
"Don't worry," I said. "I'll get you a seat. I'm good at that."
I was indeed good at that. It was one of the things on which I had prided myself when commuting on the New York subways years ago. I could usually get a seat, even during the heart of rush hours.
The train arrived, and I blew past several people to grab a seat. I plunked my fat, sweaty ass down in a seat next to a woman who gave me a dirty look.
"Don't worry," I said, "I've got a nice lady coming to sit here."
Pink Socks
AS and Cupcake eventually worked their way into the car, and I got up so AS could sit. I stood all the way to Vienna, which was fine because in this car the air conditioning was actually working. AS was complaining that this was the fullest she had ever seen a commuter train car. Most of her experience was with the "El" in Chicago. I told her that I had been in a car twice that full in London—and it was a regular commuter train, not the "tube". I had also been in similarly crowded cars on the Long Island Rail Road. They were like sardines and you could cop a feel really easily, if there was anything worth feeling. But I digress. So, quit yer complaining, already. You got a seat.
AS and Cupcake made themselves busy taking pictures of some guy with Pink socks as the crowd thinned out in suburban Virginia. Cupcake was able to grab a seat at that point. We finally reached our station, the end of the orange line, Vienna, Virginia, at around 7 PM.
A Cache for the Road
We started walking back to where we had parked the car, speculating that we had put just enough money in the meter, so would it still be there when we got there? I thought the worst that could happen is that we would get a ticket. As we were walking down the side of the road opposite the station, I commented about the plethora of poison ivy in the woods beyond the guard rail next to the sidewalk. Suddenly, I got an inspiration.
One Washington Monument Image for the Road
"This would be a perfect place for a guard rail Geocache! It gets a lot of traffic, has a lot of 'muggles' and there are great hiding places," I declared. I whipped out my BlackBerry and fired up the Geocaching software as we kept walking. I clicked the "nearest cache" menu item.
A cache popped up .02 miles away! That's about 100 feet or 30 meters. Hilarious!
We began our systematic search, stopping for muggles and resuming a couple of times. Within a few minutes, I snagged the magnetic hide-a-key container from behind the guard rail. We signed the log. AS said to me, "This would have been a great place to Jetskier a cache!"
Let me explain what "Jetskiering" a cache means. "Jetskier" is a Central Florida cacher who prides himself on finding puzzle caches without solving the puzzle. He's done quite a few like that. However, finding a cache about which we had no presupposition to even exist would be a significant ESP step beyond Jetskiering. It would elevate two charter members of ISAG (the Facebook group I founded—the acronym stands for I Suck At Geocaching) from the miasma of ISAG into the upper stratum of Geocaching excellence. Alas, we didn't think of looking for the cache before we knew it existed.
This was a great capstone to our afternoon in DC. AS seemed to forget that she was even tired and Cupcake was relieved to find that the Siena was still there, even though the meter had expired. There was no ticket on the windshield.
It had been a productive day, with a pocket-sized tour of Washington, my introduction to Cracker Barrel, and a couple of Geocaches searched for and found. My only wish was that AS had felt better through all the fun. Nevertheless, I think she had fun in spite of her weariness.
Outta There!
I asked the girls whether they wanted me to stop at the nearby supermarket for any provisions for the long drive through Virginia to Rocky Mount. They demurred. However, when I stopped for fuel, they fueled up at a nearby 7-11.
We got to Rocky Mount right around midnight, and I screwed up a turn right in view of the hotel, so we had to loop around a few miles and approach it for a second time. We finally got settled in. One more hotel, and they were all just starting to look alike. We were going to get up very early and wouldn't get much sleep.
Nevertheless, the Cupcake wanted to make an extremely personal phone call and wanted privacy. She wanted to stay in the car in the parking lot, but AS vetoed that idea, telling her to sit in the lobby if she didn't want us to hear what she had to say. I guess she didn't have much to say, because in a few minutes, she was in the room.
On our final night on the road, we three weary travelers hit the sack for the last time before returning to the comfort of our own beds. We had a great, albeit tiring, afternoon in Washington, D.C., so sleep came easily.
Tomorrow would be the ride home, which had to be accomplished by 5:00 PM, because AS and Cupcake would be picking up the other two kids, BCH and Shark Bite, at the Orlando airport shortly thereafter. We would have to leave around 7:00 AM to allow for lunch and contingencies.
In our next and final installment, you'll read about our ride home. I'll also give you a synopsis of the whole durned trip.
Filed Under: Summer Vacation Tagged With: Obama, road trip, teenager, vacation, Washington D.C., White House
Thanks for the whirlwind tour of D.C. I have never done the tour only stopped off at Dulles airport en route to somewhere else. The thing I remember about that stopover was that I plunked myself in a chair somewhere to wait for whatever plane I was waiting for and the chair next to me had a copy of the Ottawa Citizen newspaper lying on it. Some times you just can't get away from home!!!
Sounds like your trip should come to a natural end with weariness of body and mind evident in your blog.
Thanks for not disappointing with the ice cream. All to say that I polished off a carton of Haagan Daas (spelling?) Pralines and Cream after reading about all your ice cream treats on this trip. You guys are to blame for the added girth.
This Turkey will gladly take the blame for your summer expansion programme.
I wish the D.C. tour could have been longer, although I'm sure it would have been only Cupcake and I taking it. AS would have found a nice hotel bar and refreshed herself thusly whilst waiting for us.
No, wait! That sounds too good. I would have joined her and sent Cupcake out to brave the wilds of our nation's capital on her own.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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7 Film Festivals That Celebrate Punjabi Cinema
As Punjabi cinema grows rapidly with a variety of comedy, romantic, horror, and action movies. There is a day when we give awards and respect to those who made us laugh and keep an entertaining audience. National and international film festivals are a big deal now. Just influencing a Cannes or Academy Award gives the film even more critically praised. But what about the Punjabi industry?
Well, obviously there are PTC awards, but because there are so many Punjabis around the world now. What about international honors? So there are some lesser-known Indian and international film festivals that are made only for Punjabi language films. We will cover in this post 7 Film Festivals That Celebrate Punjabi Cinema including international as well. Let's get started.
7 Punjabi Film Festival
Punjabi Film Festival (Amritsar)
Punjabi International Film Festival (Toronto)
Ma Boli International Punjabi Film Festival (Vancouver)
Sikh International Film Festival (Toronto)
Virasat Film Festival and Awards (Melbourne)
New Zealand Punjabi Film Festival (Auckland)
International Film Festival of South Asia (Toronto)
Sur Saanjh Productions and a film festival established in 2007 by Punjabi film director Navtej Sandhu, is an annual event focusing on Punjabi films. This festival is a pioneer to Punjabi Film Awards.
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The Punjabi International Film Festival is a publicly held festival, which was first held from May 18 to May 21, 2012. The festival features the best feature films, documentaries, and short films based on the themes of Punjabi culture and identity.
The world. Some of the films screened earlier during the festival include Chann Pardesi', 'Kudesan', 'Anhey Ghorey Da Daan', 'Khushiyaan', 'Kabhoon Na Chhadai Khet', 'Rahe Charhdi Kala Punjab Di' and many more.
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Established in 2013, the Ma Boli International Film Festival aims to showcase global Punjabi films to North American audiences. At a time when Punjabi cinema is growing and experimenting, the Mother Tongue Film Festival works to promote Punjabi culture and filmmakers!
The Sikh International Film Festival focuses exclusively on Sikh films. The festival was established in Canada in 2013 and is held every year!
Another annual film festival is special for Punjabi films. It was launched in 2016. As the name suggests, it works on Punjab culture and films related to Punjab.
Not only Canada but also New Zealand has its film festival dedicated to Punjabi films. It was established in 2017 and is aimed at the Punjabi audience living there.
Then there is the South Asian International Film Festival, an annual festival focusing on South Asian cinema. It takes place every May as part of the South Asian Heritage Month celebrations and aims to promote greater understanding and appreciation of the South Asian experience by providing unique insights and new perspectives through film and music.
That's all for today I hope you like this post about the Punjabi film festival that celebrates Punjab cinema. Do you know about these Punjabi film festivals if not comment which you have attended any festival yet let us know in the comment box?
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Senior Lecturer at Egerton University, Department Of Crops Horticulture and Soil Science.
Plant breeder and Molecular Geneticist at KARI- National Plant Breeding Research Center.
Research Scientist at Kenya Agricultural Research Institute Njoro Kenya.
Derived From Tissue Culture Regenerated Plants. J. of Biotech. Africa.
Gudu, S.O., P.O. Kisinyo, E.T. Makatiani, D. W Odee, J.F.O Esegu, S.A.O.
Shamchama, C.O. Othieno, J.R. Okalebo, J.R. Osiyo and J. O. Owuoche.
Western Kenya. Experimental. Agriculture. 45:1-11.
N.W. Mungai, L.M. Mumera, D. Lesueur, F.N. Wachira, J.O.
Kenya. E. Afri. Agric. For. For. J. 75: 109-119.
Sorghum and Potential for Hybrid Sorghum Production in Kenya.
Proceedings of KARI conference 2010 held in Nairobi Kenya.
fusarium wilt resistance in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh].
Indian J. Genetics and Plant Breeding 70 (3) 271-276.
J.H. Ringo, E.E Mneney, A.O. Onkware, B.A. Were, E.J. Too, J.O.
Rael Karimi, James Otieno Owuoche, Said Nandy Silim. 2012.
research Vol. 2, (1) 1-14.
Ogutu, M.O., Owuoche ,J.O, Muasya R. and Ouma,G. 2012.
maize cropping systems on quality of bean seed in Western Kenya.
Agric. Biol. J. N. Am., 3(4): 154-168.
E. E. Arunga, J. O. Ochuodho, M. G. Kinyua and J. O. Owuoche.
Agricultural Research Vol. 7(42), pp. 5685-5691.
Agriculture and Healthcare. 4:(24) 36-44.
P.K. Kimani, F. Wachira, Erick Kimutai Cheruiyot, J. Owuoche, E.
Journal of Crop Science. 8(2):171-177.
traits in western Kenya IJAPR. Vol.2 (1), 016-025.
Technology Transfer. J. Crop Sci. Biotech. 2014 (June) 17 (2) : 97~102.
Breeding and genetics of cereals mainly wheat barley triticale and oats. Breeding for rusts (Stem rust, leaf rust and stripe rust) resistance and identification of different genes in wheat. Molecular breeding in wheat and sorghum.


RECESSIONS do not follow standard patterns. Of course, by definition a recession involves slower activity in a broad cross section of the economy. But each such slump has some individual characteristics.
The last recession eight years ago was a severe one. National output dipped 3.4 percent. That's not as much as the 4.3 percent downturn in 1975, but more than the minus 2.3 percent in 1980 or the 0.8 percent slide in 1970. Unemployment reached nearly 11 percent of the work force in late 1982, almost twice as high as today. Many of the jobless from the ``rust belt'' piled into their cars and drove toward the more prosperous Sun Belt. In Texas, the migrants became known as ``blackbirds'' because of the black license plates of those from Michigan.
This time most economists anticipate a mild downturn. The Iraq-Kuwait oil shock is not close to the magnitude of those prior to the severe recessions of 1982 and 1975, notes Roger Brinner, chief economist with DRI/McGraw-Hill, a Lexington, Mass., consulting firm. The price surge, from $18 to $30 per barrel, is less than half as big. And the role of oil in US economic output is only two-thirds as great as it was in 1980. Purchasing power losses are one-quarter to one-third the size of the 1979-81 episode, calculates Mr. Brinner.
Nonetheless, some economists blame the current recession on the Iraq-Kuwait shock. ``It's the fear of war that is depressing the economy,'' states Sam Nakagama, a Wall Street economist.
``The uncertainty created by this episode has caused businesses and consumers to severely curtail spending,'' notes Michael Keran, chief economist at the Prudential Insurance Company of America. As a result, he has marked his forecast for the United States economy down sharply, anticipating a decline in national output at a 2 or 3 percent annual real rate in the fourth quarter of 1990 and first quarter of 1991. If that war threat evaporates, he expects business to rebound. But it could fall back again if the price of oil remains around $25 per barrel.
Geoffrey Moore, director of the Center for International Business Cycle Research at Columbia University, notes three unusual features in this slump. One is the lack of a large buildup in inventories. With modern electronic tracking of sales, retailers no longer find themselves with as large unsold stocks of goods on their shelves when consumers become tightwads.
A second is the risk from the excesses in the financial industry - the savings-and-loan crisis and the losses being suffered by banks from bad loans in real estate or for leveraged buyouts.
A third factor, Dr. Moore says, is that the service sector appears headed for trouble. In recent recessions, service activity has only leveled off - not turned down.
Leonard Lempert, of Statistical Indicator Associates in North Egremont, Mass., sees a difference in this slump in the speed with which automobile manufacturers have stopped or slowed production when sales fell off. In past recessions, they were slower to lay off workers.
Benjamin Friedman, a Harvard University economist, suspects the decline in real wages for many workers during the 1980s could make this recession feel especially bad as layoffs spread and the unemployed remain longer between jobs. He's concerned about the possibility of some social unrest as a result of the widening of the income gaps between the rich and the college-educated, and the poor and those with high school graduation or less in education.
Mr. Friedman also wonders what elements will snap the economy out of its current slump. The Federal Reserve System, he says, hasn't pushed down interest rates as rapidly as in earlier recessions. Further, with the personal savings rate already low, consumers may be reluctant to spend more. And after the current fiscal year, government spending is supposed to be restrained.
This slump could drag on into 1992, he warns.


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After beating cancer as a baby and seeing his mom battle it, Fitzgerald runs for research
Peekskill's Patrick Fitzgerald, who fought testicular cancer when just a baby, ran a 5K at Yankee Stadium for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Center.
After beating cancer as a baby and seeing his mom battle it, Fitzgerald runs for research Peekskill's Patrick Fitzgerald, who fought testicular cancer when just a baby, ran a 5K at Yankee Stadium for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Center. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/2017/07/22/after-beating-cancer-baby-and-seeing-his-mom-battle-it-fitzgerald-runs-research/500556001/
Nancy Haggerty, nhaggerty@lohud.com Published 8:23 a.m. ET July 22, 2017
Patrick Fitzgerald of Peekskill ran a 5K race in Yankee Stadium, raising $1,000 for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. Nancy Haggerty/lohud
Patrick Fitzgerald (back row) with members of his Proud Mary team outside Yankee Stadium after the race to benefit the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.(Photo: Submitted photo)
PEEKSKILL – It's great to be number one at something.
Most things, anyway.
Patrick Fitzgerald was number one at only 9 months of age. But that was anything but good.
At that time, he became the youngest child in the U.S. diagnosed with testicular cancer.
He doesn't remember this, of course, and doesn't remember becoming cancer-free at 3 years of age.
But the Peekskill resident certainly recalls his mother Jane's recent successful battle with ovarian cancer.
Inspired, last week the 29-year-old Peekskill resident, a former Hendrick Hudson (class of 2005) basketball player and bowler, ran a 5-kilometer race through Yankee Stadium to benefit the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.
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As of Friday, he had raised about $1,000, part of about $350,000 raised by the race's 943 participants, with all the money going to what the foundation calls innovative cancer research.
"Being a cancer survivor under the age of 1, … you know, it kind of hit me that it was time to give back and running in this race really accomplished that for me, personally," Fitzgerald said. "Seeing my mother go through ovarian cancer two or three years ago definitely gave me an extra motivation, as well."
The lifelong Yankees fan ran through the Stadium, past the clubhouses and along the warning track.
"I never dreamed of stepping on the field before," said Fitzgerald, whose favorite Yankee is retired centerfielder Bernie Williams.
While Williams was known for his smooth antelope-like strides while tracking down fly balls, running wasn't something the 6-foot-1 Fitzgerald did a lot of in high school or as a University of Albany undergrad.
He was 275 pounds while in school but dropped 100 pounds in 2010, largely through diet and walking.
"I've always been motivated but I used to be out of shape," said Fitzgerald, who played intramural basketball for his fraternity and then in a lawyer league while a paralegal student at Pace University.
Patrick Fitzgerald poses with his mother, Jane. Both are cancer survivors. (Photo: Submitted photo)
Fitzgerald, who works in the patent prosecution department at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Tarrytown, lifts weights five to six times a week to stay in shape and plays golf, but last year a buddy convinced him to do the annual eight-mile July 4 run in Putnam. He completed that basically without training, then ran the Peekskill 5K last fall, winning his age group before running the Putnam race again earlier this month.
Fitzgerald ran at the Stadium on the Proud Mary team, which honored his girlfriend's cousin's deceased mother.
"Competition makes me thrive -- and a good playlist," Fitzgerald said with a laugh, noting his tunes included rap and wrestler John Cena's theme music.
He finished a pretty impressive 62nd on a course, which included six flights of stairs.
But he's ready to do it again next year, which will be the 10th annual run there to benefit Damon Runyon, which has raised $4.5 million overall through the run.
Fitzgerald wants to raise more money than he did this year, wants to go faster and, yet, wants to do a little more of what he didn't really do this year by being so competitive – take in surroundings from a vantage point few fans get to enjoy.
"Half the run I didn't even realize where I was. I was just pushing. Next year I'll try to savor some of those moments more," he said.
Donations will be accepted through August 11. They may be made directly to the organization at www.runyon5k.org and may also be made directly to Fitzgerald's fundraising page.
Twitter:@HaggertyNancy


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Who Really Runs the Internet?
Palm, RIM Team Up for BlackBerry on Treo
Borland to buy IT governance vendor Legadero
Borland Software Corp is on the brink of acquiring privately held IT governance player Legadero Software Inc, Computer Business Review has learned.
The acquisition of Legadero is Borland's first real foray into IT governance, a move that looked to be on the cards from the moment it announced its so-called Software Delivery Optimization (SDO) strategy last September.
Indeed with IT governance having gained a far higher profile and increasing user acceptance in recent years, it's surprising that Borland waited so long to move into the space, leaving it instead to the likes of Mercury Interactive, Compuware, Computer Associates, HP, Planview and others.
But according to Borland's Erik Frieberg, VP of products – who confirmed the acquisition will be announced soon – it was not a question of a lack of desire to move into IT governance, but a lack of suitable candidates to acquire.
A lot of the companies that we looked at in this space were over-reliant on maintenance revenues from sales they made a long time ago, he said. Legadero has a strong and growing customer base, significant sales, and fits Borland's criteria for innovation.
Frieberg said that the company is not going to disclose the sum it paid for Legadero, but said the payment was all cash. All of Legadero's 20 employees are to be retained, including senior management, according to Frieberg.
Legadero is based in Austin, Texas, and has 30 customers, all but two of which are based in North America. The company has almost no presence in Europe but has just started a push into Germany.
Legadero says it has a fully integrated suite of IT governance software, that enables CIOs, project managers, team leaders and other decision-makers to do three things: focus on the best investments based on business goals; perform better by executing investments efficiently, predictably and in accordance with policies; and measure the results achieved and calibrate forecasts.
Specific modules include demand management, process automation, information gathering, portfolio management, project management, service management, resource management, time tracking, financial management, and asset management.
Frieberg said it is too early to talk about the specifics of any integration between Legadero's products and Borland's, but did say that it would make sense to do some integration with the best practice and methodology templates in the Process Asset Library that it came by through the acquisition of software development process software and consultancy firm TeraQuest Metrics in January this year.
By the third quarter of next year Borland hopes to be able to unveil some kind of integration between Legadero Tempo and Borland's Core SDP product, which is IT governance-like already but currently only handles four roles: analyst, architect, developer and tester.
Integrating it with Legadero Tempo would logically see the addition of roles like project manager and applications development director. Until then Borland will continue to sell Legadero Tempo standalone.
Greg Rice, former president of Legadero and now senior director of product marketing at Borland, told Computer Business Review that Legadero was excited at the prospect of being able to leverage Borland's sales force, especially outside of North America where Legadero has until now hardly strayed. He said that while Legadero is small, it has been focused on IT governance since 2000, and put out 15 new releases in the last four years alone.
Borland's Frieberg conceded that even after this latest acquisition, Borland does not have all of the pieces of the puzzle to see its Software Delivery Optimization vision fulfilled: We're definitely looking to make some more acquisitions, he said.
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Coronavirus in Italy: 196 people died in a day, 2076 were infected
BY Flyn Braun	 March 11, 2020 10:16 pm GMT+0300 April 3, 2020 5:33 pm GMT+0300 420 Views
In Italy, fresh data was provided on the number of people infected with COVID-19 and who died from the disease caused by the coronavirus. During the day, the number of infected people in the country increased by more than two thousand, and the number of deaths- by almost 200 people, according to La Repubblica.
The number of infected people increased by 2,076 compared to yesterday, and the total number of infected people, including those who were injured and recovered, reached 12,462. During the day, 196 people died, just since the beginning of the epidemic in the country — 827, said the head of the civil defense service of Italy Angelo Borrelli.
Recall that since March 10, restrictive measures have been introduced throughout Italy to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Now, movement around the country is possible only if there are good reasons: for work or health reasons. The country banned all mass events, including the national football championship, and closed schools and universities. The departure of Italians abroad will not be restricted, but "control over those entering Italy will continue." Restrictive measures have been taken until April 3.
On March 11, the World Health Organization declared a coronavirus pandemic in the world.


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Musongati Football Club, commonly known as Musongati FC or simply Musongati, is an Burundian professional football club based in Gitega, the political capital of Burundi. The club competes in Ligue A, the top level of Burundi's football league system, and plays its home matches at 7,000 capacity Stade Ingoma. Musongati's colours are green and yellow and represent the rich Burundi vegetation.

History
The club was founded in 1976 in the city of Gitega. Musongati promoted to top-flight of the Burundian football at the end of 2015–16 season winning the Group B of the Burundi Second Division.

Musongati achieved a fifth-place finish in the 2016–17 season, the 7th place at the end of the 2017–18 season and reached the quarter-finals of Coupe du Président de la République in 2018, losing 0–2 against BS Dynamik.

The yellow-greens finished as runners-up in the 2018–19 season, as well in the 2019–20 season and won their first major trophy in 2020, the Coupe du Président de la République, beating in the final Rukinzo 1–1 (5–4) at penalty shoot-out.

Musongati consequently made its debut in the CAF Confederation Cup the following season, losing in the preliminary round to Zambian club Green Eagles 2–2 at Stade Intwari in Bujumbura and 1–2 at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.

Over the following two seasons, the yellow-greens returned to mid-table, ending the 2020–21 season in fifth position and ninth in the 2021–22 season. Also, managed to qualify to the semi-finals in 2021 and in the quarter-finals in 2022 of Coupe du President de la Republique, losing each time to city rivals, Flambeau du Centre.

Honours
Burundi Ligue A
 Runners-up (2): 2018–19, 2019–20Burundi Ligue BWinners (1): 2015–16Coupe du Président de la RépubliqueWinners (1)''': 2020

Performance in CAF competitions

Squad

Management and staff

References

External links

Football clubs in Burundi
Association football clubs established in 1982
Gitega

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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ENJOY OUR BURGER UNIT EARLY BIRD OFFERS ON SATURDAY
This saturday our burger unit outside the Kenilworth Road end will be open from 2pm for our final game of the season where we will be offering special early bird offers between 2pm and 4pm.
With promotion already secured and with the Sky Bet League One title up for grabs, we're offering some great deals outside the ground for the build-up to the big game. Plus, we're introducing our all-new two-pint cups for the first time.
From 2pm to 4pm at the burgur unit draught beer will be just £3.20 a pint or £6 for a 2 pint cup. You cna also pick up a superb meal-deal, with a burger and a pint for £6.50 and a burger and a 2 pint cup for £9.30. Normal prices will resume from 4pm.
The Hatters BBQ is making a return next to Harrys Lunch Shack where our grillmasters will be serving Cheeseburgers, Cheese & Bacon burgers, Cajun chicken Burgers and Lincolnshire Sausage Baguettes along with soft drinks.
We're also delighted to announce the return of indie-favourites "Joyland" who will be playing outside the Kenilworth Road end from 4pm until just before kick off.
And finally we'll have loads of orange merchandise goodies available in the shop and from our new pop-up kiosk so you can pick up a souvenir and help us paint the ground orange.
So remember to #GoOrange, join us early and make the most of the build up for a festival of colour and noise as the 2018-19 season comes to a close.


These popular Instagram hashtags will let other people know what kind of posts you are making. People who follow these common hashtags will see your photos! These hashtags should be included when you post your photographs in order to reach the broadest audience. When used correctly, these Instagram hashtags are sure to help you get more views and followers.
There are so many popular Instagram hashtags for photography, sometimes it can be hard to choose the right ones. Using the correct photography hashtag can be critical to your success on Instagram. It can also help boost your career if you decide to pursue freelance work or even publish a book on photography someday.
Niche Instagram hashtags are helpful if you are trying to target a specific audience. For example, you might specialize in street photography and wedding photography. In this case, it's important to choose either street photography hashtags or wedding photography hashtags, depending on your intended audience. Niche Instagram hashtags will help you reach the people who are most interested in seeing your photography.
Although you might not reach as large of an audience as when you use general hashtags, these niche hashtags are more likely to provide you with the most user engagement.
Landscape and nature are amazing subjects when it comes to photography, and they should be showcased using the best hashtags. Building a large Instagram following of your travel and landscape photography can really help you boost your photography career. There are a great many landscape and nature hashtags that are sure to increase engagement and grow your number of followers.
Portrait photography hashtags are important if you are promoting your portraits on Instagram. Those who take portraits on a regular basis might even use their own business name or city as a hashtag, which can help others who are browsing local photographers to discover your work.
Wedding and engagement photos are special photos that evoke emotion and will forever remind the subjects of their happiest days. Many look to wedding photographs on Instagram to try and gain some ideas for their own shoot, while others want to share their special photos with friends and family.
When it comes to Instagram photography hashtags, you should choose a mix of general and specific hashtags to maximize your reach. When you choose a few (or many!) that correspond to your photographs, rest assured that others who are browsing those particular hashtags will see it on their Instagram feed. Trending hashtags are always important to keep in mind as well, as they are the most viewed Instagram hashtags and are sure to increase your visibility and reach. You can find places to sell your work once you have enough Instagram followers, and start earning money as a freelancer.
When it comes to using Instagram photography hashtags, you might be wondering where to start, especially if you haven't used them before. Instagram hashtags do not have to be daunting. In fact, Instagram hashtags can make your photography postings even more fun by giving you a chance to personalize your photographs and reach an audience that shares your passion. There are a few tricks and tips to keep in mind. These best practices can really help you make the most of using hashtags on your Instagram posts.
When you implement a hashtag strategy on Instagram, you are marking your posts in a way that allows others to search for that information or follow along on their Instagram hashtag feed. Utilizing hashtags on Instagram is a wonderful way to help others find your snapshots, categorize them, and reach a specific audience of viewers. Using them correctly is key to your Instagram success. The hashtags you choose are very important because you want to reach the audience that is most likely to interact with your posts. If you are a portrait photographer posting your photos on Instagram, you wouldn't want to use travel hashtags or landscape photography hashtags. Always keep your audience in mind when deciding on which hashtags to use.
When you create a hashtag, the format is basic and simple. A hashtag on Instagram is a simple # sign followed by a word or set of words without spaces. For example, #naturephotography is a great way to add a hashtag to your post that will indicate that you are posting about nature photography.
Some social media hashtags are formatted a bit differently, with an underscore between words within the tag. For example, #naturephotography could also be formatted as #nature_photography. If you want to add a space between words, you can do so with an underscore. Using an actual space between words will break the hashtag. Keep in mind that your goal is to reach a large audience, so when you're deciding between #naturephotography and #nature_photography, choose whichever hashtag is most active.
It is important to remember that when posting Instagram hashtags, you must use the correct format in order for them to work. If you format them incorrectly or try to add spaces between words, the hashtag will become broken.
We've talked about choosing hashtags and how to format them, but there's another piece to this puzzle. When it comes to actually using your hashtags, you need to decide whether you should put them in the photo caption or in the comments section.
Instagram allows 30 hashtags in the photo caption per post. Putting your Instagram hashtag in the comment section is ideal if you have already gone over this limit and wish to a few more. The comment section also has a limit of 30 hashtags, give you a maximum of 60 possible hashtags per post!
The comment section is also a great place to add hashtags if you are commenting on someone else's post or if you are simply trying to engage your audience by boosting an existing post. When you use a generic or extremely popular hashtag for your pictures, be aware that your post may be quickly buried among others who are using the same hashtag. In this case, using hashtags in the comments section might not be ideal.
It's a good idea to start by using hashtags in your photo caption. However, if you want to keep your image and caption clean and neat, then posting the hashtags in the comments section is a good way to go. Keep in mind that using hashtags in the comments tends to work better for Instagram influencers who have already established their brand or following.
Finding hashtags can be a breeze – a simple hashtag search for "trending Instagram hashtags" or "popular photography hashtags for Instagram" are great ways to find ones that might be helpful for getting your photographs views. You can also go on Instagram and search for general topics, such as #photography, and see what tags others are using that might be relevant to your own images. You can even come up with your own creative Instagram hashtags– choose something personal to you that can really help you set your brand apart from others.
You can also find Instagram hashtags by paying attention to posts that "go viral." When you notice these incredibly popular posts, you can spot the hashtags being used, and incorporate them into your own photo captions (providing they are relevant). This is a great way to take advantage of what's trending so your photo reaches more people.
Knowing where to find the best Instagram hashtags is important for showing your photographs to the proper audiences, but it is even more important if you are trying to create a brand for yourself. Potential clients will be looking to see what hashtags you use on your posts, and whether or not they feel that your knowledge of hashtags on social media is on par with your competition.
When it comes to using social media, especially Instagram, it is important to use hashtags to get your work noticed. Many famous photographers and well known Instagram photographers shot (no pun intended) to fame simply using the right hashtags.
Use hashtags that are relevant to your photographs, whether they be wedding and engagement photos, landscape and travel photos, or portraits. There are many different categories of photographs, so be creative when determining which categories your photo belongs.
Once you have a basic knowledge of hashtags and various categories, start paying attention to the hashtags used by other photographers. Do further research and make note of the hashtags they use to get so many likes and follows. Look for trending hashtags by searching for posts that are relevant to the types of photographs you post on Instagram. The last step is deciding where you want to place your hashtags. Determine whether they belong in the caption or the comments, and remember to use proper formatting guidelines.
As a photographer, you need your work to be noticed. The best way to do this is to publish your work on Instagram and use photography hashtags to build an audience. If you use hashtags correctly, you'll be on your way to creating popular posts with plenty of likes and follows in no time!
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Scientology Running In Circles. Literally
June 24, 2021 By Mike Rinder 64 Comments
The Running Program track at Gold
The "Cause Resurgence" Rundown is one of the greatest boondoggles scientology has ever foisted off as a "standard tech" "religious" service.
The Running Program, as it was originally called, was used to punish crew at Golden Era who were, in the estimation of Miscavige, performing poorly. "Run around a pole until you get your shit together."
The first person to do it was David Mayo, when he had been declared a terrible squirrel. Hubbard ordered him to run around a tree at Gold "until he wore a trench in the ground". He did so for weeks on end until he was physically spent. He escaped shortly thereafter.
There was a large circle of sand constructed on the property — you can see it in the picture above. I, and many others, spent a lot of time running around that tree. When this practice began being exposed in the media, Miscavige had the Running Program track at Gold bulldozed. "See, there's nothing going on here officer. Never has been. Do you see any track they talk of?"
Hubbard claimed the "Running Program" was taken from "whole track" recall of a process "OT's" had used to "straighten out their flows," by circling a planet out in space for a long time.
Scientologists pay thousands of dollars to literally run around in a circle. That is ALL. Run in a circle. And the "supervision" is to tell you "Keep running."
I have done this, as has almost anyone who was at the Int Base between the 80's and 2007. This is the entirety of the "rundown."
Miscavige decided he could make money from it. The top floor of the "Super Power" building was purposed as a "running track" with a lighted pole at its center, repackaged as a "Whole Track OT rundown" now called "Cause Resurgence" and sold as something exclusive, confidential and special, only available at Flag.
The sheeple show up for the "confidential" rundown and then announce their amazing "wins" as "OT's" from running in circles.
Check out this one below from an "OT VIII" who thinks it is INTERESTING and wants to know what other "OT VIII's" think?
Well, of course "this handled something never before handled — even by OT VIII". That should tell you everything you need to know about the "wins" that person got from all the other services he took. Running around a pole dealt with something none of his other auditing did…. Sheesh.
The comments further down the thread are just as unreal.
And then there is this clown. One of the people they love to promote as a huge success. He has "completed" this 4 times. 4 times? Why? No stable gains?
This is as stupid as saying proudly, "I bought my car 4 times" or "I graduated high school 4x". You really want to let everyone know? You have paid thousands of dollars 4 times to run around a pole? And you think that makes you look cool? Wow.
The Running Program highlights so much of what is so wrong about scientology.
It's easy to grasp the concept of what a con this is when you consider that scientology can soak people for thousands, several times over, just for telling them to run around in circles by claiming this is "OT." The other things one pays to do to achieve "OT" are no less ridiculous, they are just not as easy to grasp as they are done with the mind. This is literally an exercise in exercising you can do at the local YMCA… Or in a park by yourself. And at no charge.
Filed Under: L Ron Hubbard, Scientology Tagged With: Cause Resurgence, David Mayo, Flag, Golden Era Productions, Rafferty Pendery, Robyn Held, Running Program
Maria de Jesus Gutierrez says
Is it possible they're experiencing a "runner's high," endocannabinoids natural rush and trying to attribute it to Scientology, when it's purely physiological? Back in college, Psych 101 or thereabouts, we went over when humans experience something, they tend to look for an explanation. If they don't understand all the facts, they create a reason from what they've got.
Example was, guy goes to a diner for breakfast. New waitress mixed up coffee pots, decaf and regular. Customer always gets decaf, but today he's unknowingly, and accidentally, dosed with caffeine. His heart races, he's nervous, looking for a reason, only thing new (he thinks) is the waitress. "I'm feeling this way because of her, I must be attracted to her."
With the running, some, not all but some, could reach that place where a "runners high" kicks in. The body produces chemicals resulting in euphoria coupled with reduced anxiety and a lessened ability to feel pain. Interesting it may be, and free it's available, but how many people would do that of their own accord given a choice?
They're only there because it's a rung on the ladder and they were coerced to pay a ridiculous amount for it I'm not doing it, even for free, even if endocannabinoids are waiting. If they're not normally runners, not to the same extreme, slim chance they hit this state before. The credit would go to Scientology, because Scientology is there to claim it, however unwarranted.
Valerie Feria-Isacks says
Ding Ding Ding …
Alex Castillo ex~flag evaluator 1974~1981 says
Fortunately, nowadays, in the eye of the general public Scientology is just another minor CULT robbing (legally) it's members of their hard earned cash. Hopefully some day the IRS will grow the balls to tackle them. People like David Miscavige Master Conman can't last forever.
Alex Castillo says
I should also say that the reason (apart from David Miscavige's stupidity) Scientology has no longer any credibility is due to the brave efforts and sacrifice of Mike Rinder and many others to expose the lies and crimes of the man who leads this cult; David Miscavige and his monstrous creation OSA.
NNGrad says
They are shrinking by themselves
We are in post pandemic internet era and scientology still continue working in Sixties policy, 50 years under reality.
A simple and not too smart search in google can get you a refreshing and wise advice about what is going on in the cult.
No one will start a service or a course, not even being paid for so.
Its a matter of maybe 10 to 15 years
After that planet earth will be cleared of scientologists
Balletlady says
You've Got Me Going In Circles……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-40S2DT62No
Sorry Luther……………This brings back so many memories
Rip Van Winkle says
Buddy of mine was doing it at Flag.
I saw him right after he was done for the day a few days in, all kitted up in the gym outfit they give, carrying the matching gym bag, looking like he'd just really given'her. Exhausted but happy.
I went, "holy fuck, it's some run till ya drop thing"
It was only 2 grand, which for flag, is practically free. It's Purif cost.
and you could do it "several times"
and the big win they were pushing was you could "discover the secret to how a thetan creates energy"
or some such thing.
I went, "it's a fucking SECOND WIND" you run till you drop.
It all just hit me, watching him bend over his gym bag, no longer lamenting how the months long stints at Flag was making him all out of shape, and he was vaaaaaaaaaaaaain.
And being a good little Scio, I knew there was NO ONE I could share my "knowingness' with.
It was a confidential rundown, and I was an OT with ReSpOnsiBiliTies
his superpower is running in a circle shitting gold bricks for scientology to pick up?
Jere Lull says
The BEST "win" is likely a "runner's High", and is about as delusional as it gets; hallucinations from over exhaustion, low blood sugar, or whatever. Losing weight is another expected result. Heat exhaustion is gonna claim many, and a few who shouldn't be exercising so hard will suffer worse outcomes
mwesten says
Without belief, there is no "big win."
All talk therapies reportedly produce similar results, despite differences in procedure (ref Dodo Bird Verdict).
What scientology sells is expectation (aka faith).
And Hub's sci-fi conditioning facilitates a potent placebo effect.
In short, Scientology only "works" if you believe that it can.
Fear & Faith I (placebo effect)
https://youtu.be/U4RxtyuFezs
Fear & Faith II (faith)
https://youtu.be/6-xBFjQjFG4
good summation of what I too think.
Add in the Dumbo magic feather effect and it's a wrap.
In scn, ya gotta continue the process until you've HAD the required and known expectation/ EP. then ya gotta write up a "success Story"™ saying how great it was to experience the required End phenominon (EP), sealing the deal.
Cece says
That's what I think too. Thank you for the references.
McThetanburger says
At INCOMM in late '83 or early '84 we had a guy who did it. We were told it was a "Pilot Program." After he came back I asked him how it was. He gave me this funny look; the expression on his face was priceless. He wanted to say *something* but being a good $cientologist he couldn't.
Last I heard he's still in too.
Heyyyyyyyyyy … who misses those "INCOMM Staff member weekly reports?……
The amount of micro-managing complexities INCOMM introduced with its routing forms and weekly reports like tax forms is truly something of note.
An episode or two of anything could be done just on the massive scale injection of tail-chasing paperwork introduced.
Any archival staff member reports about? The HCO reports were pretty thorough. Every effin week.
checksheets and routing forms and fine print paper bridges
little boxes made of ticky tacky…. scientology all day long.
Loosing my Religion says
If they really want to run and do some physical activity they can come and help me.
I'm renovating an old house and a fourth-floor house with no lift, with my wife and daughters constantly changing their minds about what it should be like.
In my opinion they can attest "total cause on all dynamics, forever".
Peggy L says
Is it like NASCAR and all left turns?
My personal goal for next year is to walk a 5K race. The best I do now is walking a four block circle, but it's a start 🙂
Chris Shugart says
I've found that I have little tolerance of stupidity these days. Hey, you're running around in an effing circle! Anyone who buys into that deserves what they get—more stupid. Ironic, perhaps from someone who was a Scn stupid for almost 30 years. But like that victim of a witch's curse, who claimed she turned him into a newt, "I got better."
janedoe2 says
I had to laugh at Larry Jaffe's wins on running around the pole. He said when the going gets tough he runs around it again as a refresher. If that is the case, all this running around the pole should have him slim and trim from the cardiovascular exercise. But he's as fat as ever on all his websites.
Mockingbird says
The great Cause Resurgence Rundown!
I ended up exchanging comments with the Scientologist and castle owner John Mappin.
He had a Facebook comment denigrating Stephen Hawking as an ignorant fool and degraded being, because Hawking believes in something he doesn't.
A swarm of Scientologists commented on the post and gave a wide variety of cruel and ignorant insults.
I remarked that the Scientology they were bragging about as real advanced technology didn't add up.
I remarked that with all the alleged thousands and thousands of people who had "recalled" millions of hours of alleged "past lives" many of which were purported to have advanced technology but not one idea of advanced technology has ever been remembered!
I remarked that if the past lives were genuine then we would remember the technology and change the world with it!
John Mappin told me that Hubbard recalled advanced technology from the whole track to create the Cause Resurgence Rundown! He was quite happy to have that answer!
I of course told him that running around in circles is not advanced technology and he was shocked that I knew the "secret advanced technology" of Scientology!
He then blocked me on Facebook!
Just another example of scientologists who can't confront squat, Mockingbird.
Mockingbird……as someone once said to me…..
I'm so glad you exist.
jacquelin davis says
I thought OTIII's were finished and had achieved the bestest, finaliest goal (until OT IX comes out or until davey can find a way to invalidate some of their bridge). What would EVER make them go do this when they've already achieved perfection?
Sheeple queuing up for their sheering.
Zee Moo says
Hey, what about that nifty track suit you get at Flag? Why it's so OT and it only costs $47k (or some other magical number) and you get to do the purif again to get rid of all the 'toxins' you accumulated over the years! Be the first on your mOrg to get that nifty Track Suit!!!!!
Too hot to run in a track suit in the Florida sun (not that I've ever done that). You'd be better off running in $47K tee shirt and shorts
ISNOINews says
O/T. Frank Report — Review of IJCAM's Scientology and NXIVM Comparison: The Eternal Commitment: Scientology's Billion-Year Contract.
Paul Serran
https://frankreport.com/2021/06/23/review-of-ijcams-scientology-and-nxivm-comparison-the-eternal-commitment-scientologys-billion-year-contract/
Real says
Rafferty is as idiotic as his father Rick. He must have been given boatloads of $ as he hasn't brains to make that much money himself.
Mike Rinder says
He married into money. And is now lauded as a "successful businessman who is in Phase II."
OSA tried to send Rick Pendery in as a plant on me. He was terribly bad at it….
Yes, the landed gentry are all in "Phase 2" as well. LOL
Rick was about as subtle as a bull 30 years ago. I'm sure he didn't improve with age.
Kimo says
I bought an internet domain some years ago and decided to buy the .us one too, not knowing that it's not possible to put privacy on a .us domain. Immediately I was bombarded day and night by a couple of call centers wanting me to buy SEO, website development services, and a raft of other site-stuff. In doing some digging, I discovered that the two "competing" companies were both owned by Pendery.
I decided to have fun with the poor call center kids when they would not stop calling me (even after a genuine threat of legal action). At first I would launch into a speech about Jehovah, but when that didn't work I retaliated by ripping the sound from a hardcore porn clip and playing it to them when they called. After a month or so, the calls stopped.
….hmm.. "hardcore porn flicks".
not a source I would have thought of. particularly that specifically.
(at first I was sitting here wondering if it was some techno sound track type reference..)
("oh, my sweet summer child")
KatherineINCali says
I'm dead 😂 Omg playing porn audio to them?! Genius.
CB says
An OTVIII can't just fly around the pole? Pathetic.
Well, if there were told this is what they needed to do you would see numerous success stories attesting to the fact that they had done just that. And what amazing wins they had from just sitting there and flying around the pole "exterior with full perception"…
Tell a scientologist that it's an "OT level" based on whole track recall to stand on your head and wiggle your nose for exactly 3 hours and 23 minutes in a room at exactly 63 degrees and then charged them for the privilege, keep it confidential and just watch them line up to pay and then announce the amazing "wins" when they finally manage the 3 hours and 23 minutes (it cannot be less than this as this is how long the upside down implant took that the 23rd Invader Forces instilled). Everyone will have a big breakthrough right at 3:23.
Hey Mike
You should start your own church.
The Rinder Toe Wiglers
The win: Being able to pick thing up off the floor using only your toes.
I'm game…. how much?
> And what amazing wins they had from just sitting there and flying around the pole "exterior with full perception"…
Incredible. Sign me up!! 😂
PeaceMaker says
Yes, it's a classic twist on confirmation bias. Scientologists are conditioned to believe, or at least convincingly state, that they have achieved whatever the promised result is.
"Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values."
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
SassMasterSupreme says
I wonder what the end of scientology will look like. It seems like only a matter of time.
Will it just wither away and miscavige makes off with millions to some foreign country?
Or will some sort of justice be done and he winds up under some sort of litigation and jail time?
Just some thoughts that make me go "hmmmm"
SassMaster, THIS is what the end of scientology looks like. We're seeing it in real time
Thank God!
Doug Sprinkle says
Mike is it possible to do a squirrel version of this process and get some of the results? Occasionally I run around a running track when the weather cooperates, or sometimes I use the running track at the YMCA as you mentioned. So far I haven't achieved any OT results that I am aware of. But I typically run around the track counterclockwise, did Hubbard specify that the correct technology was to run clockwise around the circle? And of course I don't have anyone there to tell me to keep running when I get tired and feel like walking for a couple of minutes. Perhaps that is also contributing to my lack of results.
Thanks for any guidance you can provide
You should probably sit down and write a success story and you will discover you HAVE had wins. Major, life changing wins. If not, you will be declared NCG.
Otherwise the C/S has responded. "Thank you for your origination. Keep running. The way out is the way through."
Actually yesterday while driving home from work and my car stopped in the middle of the road. I first assumed I had major engine problems then had a cognition that my gas gauge was off and I had run out of gas.
I called AAA they came and put gas in the gas tank the car started up verifying my cognition was correct. So yes I did have a major win after all.
It's pretty stupid to run out of gas when the gas gauge is right in front of you. I don't know if they still do it but years ago in LA they gave drivers a police ticket if they run out of gas on a freeway and tie up traffic.
Another dumb move is to drive without a spare tire or one that is deflated. Once a year I check my spare tire to make sure it's inflated. Driving tires normally lose up to 2 pounds of air pressure per month.
I meant "you" in general. Doug gets a pass if his gas gauge was faulty – lol
Pretty sure you get results ONLY when you transfer large amounts of money to the CoS. Try it!!
Doug, In outer-space while circling a star there can be no counter-clockwise or its reverse. It depends on which "side" the observer is viewing from. As "thetans" have no physical form they have no left or right.
Most of what Hubturd spewed was internally inconsistent. Much less in alignment with actual reality… THAT should be a BIG hint. 😉
Gordon Weir says
Sitting in a sauna for hours injesting vitamins and niacin, running around a pole, talking to ashtrays, yep $ci sure has the tech.
Sounds just like the Sweat Out Program that came out back in the late 70s. All crew had to run around town and then go sit a sauna for 2.5 hours a day. Recall one member who did it and I guess got so tired she ran off into the bay and drowned. Not an accident, it was just her way out.
otherles says
When I was stationed at Fort Benning I used to run miles a day as part of my weight control program. I didn't feel good afterwards.
You probably needed to sit down write a success story. The wins would have become apparent if you had done that.
i'm not surprised. GA is HOT
Roger Larsson says
Scientologists think Xenu dropped the H-bombs in the ocean because the vulcanic islands of Hawaii and Canary hadn,t grown up and made it above the surface.
Xenu picked in the reality other planets.
https://www.pnas.org/content/117/11/5638
Clams think they were bombed by Xenu but the truth is that he dropped the H-bombs on other planets.
Clams thinking they are H3O are in the reality H2O.
Anne Hill says
"Run around the pole until you get your shit together." I remember those words so clearly, Mike — as well as the hours running around that tree in the hot California desert sun. Glad to hear they bulldozed it, but I'm sure there's much more they're doing behind the scenes that's equally as torturous. Argh.
Thanks Anne. Nice to hear from you here. As I noted, everyone who was at the Int base during that era knows all about the Running Program. Just imagine PAYING for it!
Right??? Craziness. "I want to pay thousands of dollars to be tortured by running around a tree." Oh wait — paying for torture is ALL of Scientology. And it's nice to be here.
You paid. You paid with your life and your family.
Xenos says
Anne or Mike, just to satisfy my curious mind could you guys give more specifics? For example how long people were expected to do this daily for how many days ? Was this supervised, was their either a personal trainer in attendance, medical staff etc
Was it a one size fits all approach ? Ie was a 80 year old expected to do the same program a 25 year old was ?
Did the nutrition meet the program? Obviously excessive demand put on the body creates stress whereby nutritional needs are altered.
This program might be good for Mikes AFL side – send Collingwood there, they might win a game after increasing their fitness !!!
You were just sent to do it ALL DAY. For as long as it took for Miscavige to cool off enough to need you back on post. Sometimes that could be an hour or two. Sometimes weeks. Everyone was expected to do the same thing.
There was a Running Pgm In Charge — for a while it was Clive Rabey's father. He had no training other than reading the "advice" from LRH. And telling you to "keep running."
No change in nutrition for those on the program. If you ended up being on it for more than a few days you got a good tan and lost a good deal of weight.
Thanks for your reply, seems like LRH copied methods of his era – this one being akin to military punishment from back in the day.
Dotey OT says
We would occasionally hear of people doing something multiple times by choice. I myself had said something like "I should do student hat every few years" or some such thing. In fact I did do it several times, not necessarily because I wanted to.
Not surprising to hear this coming from the cult built on repetition and not reputation.
O/T. Christian Scientologist Joy Villa is promoting Scientology front-group The Way To Happiness.
https://twitter.com/Joy_Villa/status/1406511738611068930
Memorialized with a screenshot on ESMBR and Instagram at:
https://exscn2.net/threads/christian-scientologist-joy-villa-is-promoting-scientology-front-group-the-way-to-happiness.3413/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQV9a0Yp0FD/
Dealing With Scientology Critics - L Ron Hubbard Playbook
The Real Story About Disconnection
To Speak Or Not To Speak
Shelly Miscavige Guarded By Armed PIs
Debbie Cook's New Years Email
On David Miscavige's Behavior
Miscavige's Behavior Part 2
A Letter From Garcia
If the org slumps during this transition period, don't engage in "fund raising" or "selling postcards" or borrowing money. Just make more income with Scientology. L Ron Hubbard From HCOPL URGENT ORG PROGRAMMING
"We own a tremendous amount of property. We own a tremendous amount of material and so forth, and it keeps growing. But that's not important. When buildings get important to us, for God sakes, some of you born revolutionists will you please blow up central headquarters". L Ron Hubbard Lecture 31 Dec 1960
"Personal integrity is knowing what you know. What you know is what you know and to have the courage to know and say what you have observed".- LRH from Personal Integrity
"It is necessary to happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists of professing to believe what he does not believe." Thomas Paine
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King
"There comes a time when silence is betrayal." - Martin Luther King Jr.
"Communication is the universal solvent" - L Ron Hubbard
"When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon." Thomas Paine
"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth." William Faulkner
"The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis." Dalai Lama
Jenna Miscavige - Beyond Belief
Scientology Photoshops Audience
Tommy Davis and Jessica Feshbach
Shelly Miscavige- Why She Stays
Disconnection and My Mother
David Miscavige Paranoia
The Church of Spin
Correspondent from the Bay Area
Actors Needed to Play Scientologists
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text:
Industry watch: Recruiting talent
Colley Hwang, DIGITIMES, Taipei Monday 15 November 2021 0
The IT industry is in desperate need of talent. TSMC and MediaTek are actively recruiting. Universities are discussing what the right talent shuld be for the "future" society. But I am more concerned if people would regret 20 years from now for the career choices they make today. How can we derive from the past industrial development the requirements for talent who will meet the needs of our future society and enterprises?
There are two kinds of industrial innovation: sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. If we identify Taiwan's problems from the viewpoint of sustaining innovation, Taiwan does not seem to be facing much risk. However, Taiwan's insufficient innovation momentum due to the "mature" business models is likely to be the greatest impediment to Taiwan's long-term development. If we agree that the greatest risk for successful companies is the fact that they do everything right, then enterprises like TSMC and MediaTek must seek disruptive innovation. They must look far ahead what kind of talent they will need in the next 10 or 20 years, rather than bury themselves in financial reports and daily management indicators. Taiwanese companies have been talking much about ESG, but how should the top management, core cadres, or the young people who are about to enter the workplace understand the gap among society, business and individuals?
The year 2000 marked not only a turn of the century, but also a turning point for industrial development. The dotcom bubble that began in March 2000 brought people back to reality. With the accession of Taiwan and China to the World Trade Organization in 2001, many Taiwanese factories moved to China. Mass production and manufacturing became the core topics of Taiwan's industrial expansion. The iPhone, which started to hit store shelves in 2007, marked another wave of the booming industry. Apple almost seized all the benefits of the mobile phone industry. Taiwanese firms could make a fortune by simply focusing on Apple-related products. Apple's iPhones have not only changed consumer behavior, but given China, with a population of 1.4 billion, a key role in the global supply chain.
In the past, Taiwanese could be regarded as having talents if they succeeded in cost control and efficiency improvement. But since the 2009 financial disaster, China has overtaken Japan as the world's second-largest economy. But China is more ambitious than that. China has exerted efforts in many aspects, from launching Tianhe-2 supercomputer to BeiDou navigation satellite system, to developing quantum technology, AI…etc. All these have brought about remarkable success.
China is also funneling in massive funds trying to seize a strategic foothold for its semiconductor industry. Chinese president Xi Jinping said the Pacific Ocean is big enough to accommodate China and the US. But the US would not tolerate another supower on the other side of the ocean. The US-China tension that started with Trump's ban has been getting even intense ever since. The G2 race has reshaped the framework for the next generation of industrial development.
We have anticipated the emergence of regionalized markets and decentralized production systems which would trigger radical changes in the patterns of hardware and software integration, local business opportunities and even capital financing. How to enlighten students of engineering majors about the changes in the world? How to let business school students understand the operation models of the technology industry. All these topics are the basics for training cross-industry talent.
The historian Eric Hobsbawm once said Cambridge University was a place to cultivate leaders, not experts. TSMC founder Morris Chang said that Harvard's college education gave him basic values. His academic life at MIT was very boring, but gave him the survival skills. As for the period at Stanford University where he earned his doctorate, it was a pleasant learning process. Perhaps, when Chang entered Stanford, he was already a 30-year-old experienced young manager who understood the value of management which allowed him to enrich his learning experience.
Chips + components IC manufacturing ICT manufacturing IT + CE
Industry watch: Specifications, prices and strategies
Industry watch: 'I lose interest in the work right after the premiere'
Industry watch: The era of market equilibrium is gone
Industry watch: Supply chain disruption redefines value creation
Industry watch: Challenges of traditional OEM decision-making models
Industry watch: Interdependent industrial ecosystems
Industry watch: What role can Taiwan play in semiconductor supply chain revamp?
Industry watch: China to overtake 70% of the global panel market by 2023
Industry watch: Outlook of the server sector
Industry watch: The growing importance of electronics in car industry
Industry watch: How to estimate added value of enterprises
Industry watch: How do you know something without personal experience?
Industry watch: The Chinese community
Industry watch: Sharing, reciprocity for win-win partnerships


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