It is the time of year when most people think that mosquitoes are a distant memory of summer past. West Nile Virus as well as other mosquito-borne illnesses and diseases don't rear their ugly heads until the latter part of the mosquito season. The duration of the mosquito season varies from state to state, but typically mosquitoes are active from April until October. As 2011 draws closer to an end the CDC ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) released it's findings for West Nile Virus for the present year-to-date on November 29th, 2011.
The findings show that for 2011, there have been a total number of 658 reported cases of West Nile Virus in the United States so far. This number reflects both neuroinvasive as well as non-neuroinvasive cases reported. Out of the 658 reported cases of West Nile Virus, 452 of those cases were diagnosed as neuroinvasive. Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus means that the disease affects the nervous system. This can include encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain and meningitis which is an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis can also lead to acute flaccid paralysis which is an inflammation of the spinal cord. Non-neuroinvasive cases reflect those patients that display less acute signs of West Nile Virus. In many instances the true number of those affected by non-neuroinvasive aspects of the disease can differ greatly from the actual number of reported non-neuroinvasive cases because a great deal of those infected do not seek medical attention when the disease is mild. In some of the mildest cases the patient many times does not even know they are infected. All of these numbers reflect both mild and severe cases confirmed as well as probable human disease cases occurring between January 1st, to November 29th, 2011.
Some of the states that show the highest level of reported cases include California with 151 confirmed West Nile cases and 8 deaths as a result of the disease. Next in line are Arizona with 58 confirmed cases, Mississippi with 51, New York with 43 and Illinois and Michigan tie with 33 confirmed cases. Nationwide the total number of deaths attributed to the disease totals 40. Only five states show non-human activity and those are Washington, Maine, Oklahoma, Oregon, and South Carolina. There is only one state which has reported no West Nile Virus activity either human or non-human for the year so far, and that is Maine.
This very important data reminds us of the importance of reporting any symptoms of the disease early. The CDC's data also includes non-human infections and deaths reported by way of birds and other animals. If a high number of dead birds are reported in a specific geographical region it alerts the CDC and local health departments in that area to be on the alert for human cases that may present themselves.
In all our efforts to prevent and control mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illness, including nationwide, statewide and down to our own backyards we all hope each year that the impact of West Nile is less. These finding remind us that before we know long mosquitoes will begin breeding again and now is the time to plan for the upcoming season. The winter months give us a great opportunity to inspect our own surroundings and devise a mosquito control plan for the upcoming season to keep our families safe from mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile. Take time to inspect your property for areas that are prone to hold water such as lawn and patio furniture, children's play areas, bird baths, planters left from spring blooms and even gutters to ensure they are free of debris. Check any screened areas or windows for damage or tears and have them repaired before spring arrives. Getting your property in tip-top shape before the arrival of the mosquito season will start a good habit and help keep you safe and bite free. Hiring a professional mosquito control company to ensure you are on schedule prior to the invasion of mosquitoes in April is also a great way to keep mosquitoes and the diseases they harbor out of your property and out of your life.
Reports show a malaria vaccine is currently in the works to wipe out this killer forever and offer hope to millions.
Malaria is a disease that most widely affects residents of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Approximately 1,500 cases of Malaria are diagnosed each year here in the US, most of which are among those who travel to these locations or those returning from countries where Malaria transmission occurs. In most cases those travelers return home unaware that they are harboring Malaria until the symptoms start to appear.
Malaria is spread through the bite of a mosquito that is carrying the parasite Plasmodium falciparum which causes. Up until recently, efforts to develop a vaccine against Malaria have been fruitless due to the inability to prevent the parasite from entering the red blood cells. Findings recently published in Nature reveal that a single receptor that allows for the parasite to enter and infect the human body has now been identified. These findings could put an end to Malaria pills, insect repellents and bed nets for residents of Malaria ridden areas for good.
The vaccine singles out the receptor that is responsible for the Malaria parasites to invade the human body. The vaccine will change entire cultures and ways of life in areas where Malaria is responsible for millions of deaths. These areas include sub-Saharan Africa where in 2008 and estimated 83,000 people, most of which were young children, died from the disease.
Mosquito Squad is a proud supporter of Malaria no More which promotes expanded knowledge and prevention of the disease through education and access to tools needed to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria. Mosquito Squad is also excited about the anticipated development of this malaria vaccine that is scheduled to be ready in approximately two years.
Contact Mosquito Squad to learn more about the Malaria No More program we support and to find out about safe and effective mosquito and tick control in your environment as well. To find a Mosquito Squad location close to home visit our locations list located on our website.
Mosquito Squad wants you to learn the facts about West Nile Virus."
As many of you already know West Nile Virus is a virus spread to humans and animals through the bite of a mosquito that has become infected with the virus through feeding off an infected bird. The question is how does the infected bird become infected with West Nile in the first place?
The cycle of West Nile begins with a mosquito which transmits the virus to a bird by way of the mosquito feeding from the bird, once the bird has become infected it serves as an amplifying host by developing levels of the virus that are sufficient enough to promote infection to other biting mosquitoes and thus pass it on to us and other birds and animals through the bite of the infected mosquito that fed from the bird, which was already initially infected by a mosquito to begin with. Although quite confusing, the cycle is also complex, naming the mosquito the guilty party where all aspects of infection from West Nile are concerned. This vicious cycle carries out over and over again and amplifies the disease in birds. The disease was first identified in Uganda in 1937 and since then has been commonly identified in the Middle eastern regions of the world, Africa and Western Asia. The virus had not been identified in the U.S. until an outbreak in New York in September, 1999. Since the New York outbreak more than 30,000 people have been reported with the virus and out of those 1,200 have perished from the virus. As of 2011 46 states have reported outbreaks of West Nile.
Blue Jays and crows are more likely to die from West Nile Virus than other birds.
Many types of birds are likely to be infected with the West Nile Virus, but studies have shown that crows and blue jays are more likely to perish from the infection. In the 1999 New York area West Nile epidemic there was a huge die off of crows from the disease. Since this occurrence more than 200 species of birds found dead in the United States have tested positive for the virus. There is a detailed species list available through the CDC website that identifies the infected birds mortality rate from 1999 to present. You may visit here to view the list http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/birdspecies.htm The identification of these species were reported thanks to the help of the public reporting cases of dead birds to their state and local health departments whom is responsible for collection and testing of dead birds all across the US.
The root of the West Nile epidemic lies in the mosquito.
Birds serve as vectors, or intermediate carriers for the disease from the minute the infected mosquito bites them. In many cases sick birds won't show any sign of the virus and in other cases birds can just fall out of the sky dead from the virus. When a human becomes infected with the virus it can take on three forms, one of which is an asymptomatic infection, the second is West Nile fever which is a mild febrile syndrome and the third is the most severe form of the virus which is called West Nile meningitis and West Nile encephalitis. Meningitis and encephalitis are neuroinvasive disorders which causes acute swelling of the membrane and lining of the brain and the brain itself.
Since there is no immunization for protecting us from West Nile the best way to lessen the chances of becoming infected with the virus is to minimize the risk of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Taking control of your property is key to controlling mosquito populations.
Keep your property mowed and free of debris and brush piles.
Mosquito Squad can help you take control of your property and keep it mosquito free.
The writing spider is busy writing mosquitoes out of the picture.
The black and yellow Argiope, also known as a writing spider, feeds off insects such as mosquitoes, aphids and flies.
This past week, my daughter and I were out on the back porch planting the usual autumn perennials. It is always a special time when we do our "seasonal" planting together, we get to spend some quality time with one another and I have an opportunity to educate her on different species of flowers and plants, which is a tradition she will one day pass on to her daughter. We decided to plant huge yellow chrysanthemums in correlation with rust colored majestic pansies both of which are so lovely this time of year against the changing leaves within the landscape. As we were busy getting our hands dirty, my daughter pointed out a large spider web right off our back porch attached to the azaleas around it. The spider was in a circular shaped web and the spider residing there was quite large, and scary looking, but yet beautiful in its own way. I discouraged the thought of getting rid of the spider until I learned more about this mysterious beauty. I was curious about the type of spider we have living in such close proximity to our home and decided to do a little research on the spider.
Charlotte, the beloved spider from "Charlotte's Web" was possibly a Argiope spider as well.
My gut feeling was that the spider we found was a "writing" spider reminiscent of the mythical spider from my favorite childhood book by E.B. White, "Charlotte's Web". My intuition served me well. My findings concluded that the spider we have residing within our azaleas is actually an Argiope, or black and yellow garden spider, also known as a corn spider, and referred to as a writing spider as well, just like Charlotte from my beloved childhood novel.
What I discovered is that our guest, the black and yellow Argiope, is a common spider found among fields and gardens because they like to spin their orb shaped webs among bushes , tall plants and flowers. The female Argiope is a good bit larger than the male, and judging by the size of ours, she is obviously a female. The female spins a large web which spirals out from the center and can be as large as two feet across. The male spider will then spin a smaller web for himself on the outside of her web and is has a characteristic zig-zag pattern. We have not yet caught a glimpse of Mr. Argiope yet, but are hopeful to catch a candid soon. The interesting thing about the Argiope is that each evening the spiders will eat their web and build a new one.
This photo shows the Argiope's elaborate web.
The purpose of the web, like all spiders is to trap and digest prey such as insects which are the spider's main food source. The web also serves as a nursery where the female will lay her eggs on one side of the web and cover them with a papery sac for protection until they hatch in the fall. Then the baby spiders will remain within the protective sac throughout the winter, and will leave when mother nature harkens the arrival of spring. A single egg sac can contain over one thousand eggs. The Argiope like almost all spiders is not harmless to humans and rarely, if ever bites humans except in the rare instance as a defense mechanism if they are grabbed.
The Argiope spider considers the mosquito among its favorite snacks.
There is more to this stunning spider than meets the eye, the black and yellow Argiope eats mosquitoes among the many insects that get caught in its web, which cuts down on the amount of disease carrying mosquitoes that are thriving along the realm of my backyard. Suddenly this spider is beginning to become my friend. They also dine on aphids and flies as well, this spider is helping cut down on mosquito populations and helping to keep aphids off my rose bushes? Based on these findings, we have decided to let the black and yellow beauty make herself at home. We will not disturb her as she raises her young and has her gourmet dinners of my aphids, flies and mosquitoes and other garden pests. Bon appetit !
So, before you squash that spider that makes you squeamish, give some thought to the many ways it may be of great benefit to you and the world around you. Many of the world's most scream inducing insects and animals, like the spider and the bat, benefit us from being natural predators of potentially dangerous insects such as mosquitoes, making them an effective weapon is the battle for mosquito control. For every mosquito they dine upon is one less we have to potentially put us at risk.
Visit our Mosquito Squad website to learn more about our safe and effective mosquito and tick control programs. Or, look at our location list for a mosquito and tick control location near you.
The bat is a familiar image used to evoke fear and creepiness throughout the year and especially during the Halloween holiday. The infamous vampire bat is used to emulate a shape shifting capability that the vampires of Hollywood have become famous for. But even though we think of the bat as an icon of o-hallows-eve, the bat is as beneficial as it is spooky. Bats like many other birds, fish and mammals live primarily off of a diet of insects, and among those insects on the bat's menu is the mosquito.
Bats are broken down into two suborders, megabats and microbats. Megabats primarily feed off of fruit nectar and pollen while microbats feed on insects. Microbats are considered to be a mosquito predator and can greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes that are likely to feed off of us as well as infect us with the diseases that they harbor. Bats come out to feed at dusk or right after dark and can eat a whopping 600 to 1,00 insects per hour. This is a substantial amount considering that the population of bats within a fusion can measure into the thousands. When you isolate a single bat eating mosquitoes it doesn't paint the whole picture as accurately as taking the number of bats feeding off mosquitoes and other insects in one isolated area can.
Contrary to popular belief bats are not blind. Their eyes are quite small and underdeveloped, therefore the bat uses their heightened senses of hearing in order to locate and catch their prey. The bat uses a high-pitched sound that only other bats can hear and when the echoes from this sound hit an insect or another animal the echoes from their sound will bounce back off the prey and lead them to it. This incredible process is called echolocation.
Microbats begin hunting and feeding on their own at around 6-8 weeks of age, and a single microbat can live up to 20 years. Research has indicated that if bats were to become extinct the insect population would explode at an alarming rate putting all of us at a greater risk for insect-borne illnesses and diseases. A group of one thousand bats can eat up to four tons of insects in a years time, this is proof positive that bats play a crucial role in keeping insect populations down and keeping us safer by doing so.
Next time you see a bat at dusk quickly darting through the twilight skies at breakneck speed, take into consideration just how much good that little creature is doing for us by reigning supreme as a natural mosquito predator. As a society we should think of the bat as the crown prince of mosquito control instead of an icon of the prince of darkness.
We thought our barrier control mosquito and tick prevention was pretty good by lasting 2-3 weeks with one barrier spray to your yard. Well, outside of bats, barrier spraying your yard is the next best thing.
Is there trouble brewing in that mud puddle?
An underwater army of Culex mosquito larvae, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Mosquitoes cannot exist without water, and I don't mean just to serve as to keep them hydrated. Female mosquitoes need water in order to lay their eggs and carry on the cycle of life, and thus preserve the nature of the mosquito species itself. Many folks think that it takes a large amount of water for mosquitoes to lay eggs in. This is a common misconception. The truth is it takes very little water at all for a female mosquito to lay hundreds and even thousands of eggs to nurture her blood-thirsty offspring.
Many sources of water that are commonplace in any yard, on any street and around every house and business can be a source for concern. Mosquitoes are known vectors of illnesses and diseases such as West Nile Virus, Malaria, Meningitis and Encephalitis just to name a few, therefore citizens should become educated in the manner and locations that could potentially serve as a Petri dish for disease.
Mosquito Squad keeps you and your family mosquito free.
Storm drains, road ditches, flower pots, mud puddles, discarded soda bottles, children's outdoor toys and even crevices in trees that can hold water make perfect nurseries for Mrs. Mosquito to carry on her legacy of irritation, pain and disease. All around the US, record rainfalls this season have produced swollen rivers, lakes and creeks that can boost the population of mosquitoes across the country. There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes around the world all looking for a place to carry on the family name, so here are some ways to reduce the chances of making your property attractive to expectant female mosquitoes.
These simple safeguards can keep your and your family safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry. Mosquito Squad is waging war on these pests with our mosquito control and prevention programs . Our safe and effective barrier spray is highly beneficial as part of keeping mosquitoes off your property. Our Barrier sprays are applied at regularly scheduled intervals during the season to keep you mosquito free all season long. We also offer an automatic mosquito misting system that disperses a spray at timed intervals throughout the entire day.
Learn the 5 "T's" in mosquito prevention and tell those mosquitoes "bite me"
Most people think that EEE, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, is a disease that only strikes equine such as horses, ponies, mules and donkeys. Though in most cases humans are not at as great a risk of contracting EEE, those with compromised immune systems and health problems, especially among the elderly, are at a higher risk of contracting the illness. EEE is characterized by causing swelling of the brain, although some who become infected will be asymptomatic. Those older individuals that become infected with the virus are more vulnerable to experiencing the more severe side of EEE than most. Early symptoms of EEE are headache, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, cyanosis, convulsions and coma.
EEE or Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a virus that is spread through the bite of a mosquito carrying the virus. The virus is maintained between a cycle of the mosquito and a bird, and some cases is passed onto what is called a dead-end host such as an equine or a human. Dead end hosts mean that the virus can not be passed any further once it has reached this host. Although many mosquito species are known vectors of the virus the Culiseta melanura mosquito has raised the alarm among states with high reports of EEE, especially among elderly residents and those that are immune compromised. Approximately one-third of all human EEE infections prove fatal.
Who is the Culiseta melanura mosquito?
This mosquito can be found from Canada all the way into Florida and is unique in the way in which it is able to reproduce. Culiseta melanura are cold adapted and have the ability to over-winter their larva until the warm temperatures of spring cause them to awake and begin their vicious cycle of feeding and spreading disease. This mosquito lays its eggs in stagnated pools and wherever water accumulates in quantities of 30 to 300 eggs at one time. This mosquito can reside in a variety of places from old tires, rotting trees to wetlands. Just like other mosquito species the male primarily feeds off nectar, and the female's feed off blood from unwitting hosts.
Mosquito Squad spraying your yard to guard against mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illnesses.
What can I do to prevent getting EEE?
If you are unable to thoroughly inspect your property yourself, then ask a loved one or friend to check the areas surrounding your home for you.
Another way to aid in protecting yourself is to have your yard treated by a licensed professional to kill and prevent mosquitoes that may possibly be lurking. Mosquito Squad offers a full-service mosquito control program from automatic mosquito misting systems to our safe and effective barrier sprays, both of which protect you and your family all season long from the Culiseta melanura and other species of mosquitoes as well.


We have recently launched a range of 5 new lock proucts following the fantastic success of our main Surf Lock® product.
The locks come in a variety of sizes, with different holding capacities and variations between those with shackles which may be affixed temporarily or with wall mounting fittings so that they may be affixed more permanently.
Please click at right on any of the locks to be able to view and securely purchase and order online.


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Soup has been around for quite a long time. The word itself, some say, derived from the Old French verb "souper" which means to have supper or the evening meal.
We love a good lentil soup: rich, flavorful, filled with only good "stuff". Lentils are low in fat and high in protein and fiber. The majority of American lentils are grown in western Idaho and eastern Washington. We tried every variety grown there and think the Pardina is best with its distinctive, almost nutty flavor. This is a simple soup: lentils, spinach, sweet onions, just the right amount of garlic and red peppers. Guess it's true: some of the best things in life aren't very complicated.
Water, Lentils, Celery, Spinach, Rice Starch, Tomatoes, Onions, Red Peppers, Olive Oil, Lower Sodium Sea Salt, Lentil Flour, Garlic.
Our Favorite Lentil Story.
The four most distinguished families of ancient Rome were named after lentils and its legume cousins beans, peas and chickpeas: Lentulus (lentils), Piso (peas), Cicero (chickpeas) and Fabius (fava beans). The USDA would tell you that there are an almost endless number of lentil varieties. We think we have tasted them all and chose the very flavorful Spanish Pardina Lentils because of their rich, nutty flavor. These same Pardina Lentils originated in Spain and have been consumed for many thousands of years. Great taste, great nutrition, well traveled for centuries.
Why Spinach and Popeye?
Popeye's creator, E.C. Segar, was a vegetarian. E.C. Segar wanted to make sure everyone knew the benefits of eating veggies. The one sure way he helped promote the love of vegetables was to make his popular character love spinach. "Popeye" was shown to develop amazing strength after ingesting the green leafy vegetable. It rapidly gained popularity during the 1920's when nutritionists found spinach to be rich in numerous vitamins and minerals. Or maybe it was because of the beloved "Popeye", who first debuted on January 17, 1929 in a comic strip called Thimble Theatre.
Homer called it 'liquid gold'
The olive is native to Asia Minor and spread from Iran, Syria, and Palestine to the rest of the Mediterranean basin over 6,000 years ago. It is among the oldest known cultivated trees in the world- being grown before written language was invented! Legend has it Athena brought it to the Greeks as a gift, touting it as useful for light, heat, food, medicine, and perfume. In ancient Greece, athletes ritually rubbed it all over their body. Its leafy branches crowned the victorious in friendly games and bloody war, and the oil from its fruit has anointed kings and saints throughout history. Olive trees, a symbol of abundance, strength, and peace, were so sacred to Hellenic society that those who cut one down were condemned to death or exile. That's serious business. We take our olive oil seriously, too. We treasure the peppery overtones and depth our olive oil imparts.
Red Peppers are part of the family of bell peppers that come in a range of colors: green, yellow, orange, and, of course, red. Native to Central and South America, bell peppers have a recessive gene that lacks capsaicin, the component that gives other varieties of peppers their hot taste. The green bells are unripe peppers and so are a bit light on taste. We love the reds, and particularly the roasted red pepper we use, for their rich taste and texture.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Animated Document: Animation's Dual Indexicality in Mixed Realities
Nea Ehrlich
Department of Arts
Animation has become ubiquitous within digital visual culture and fundamental to knowledge production. As such, its status as potentially reliable imagery should be clarified. This article examines how animation's indexicality (both as trace and deixis) changes in mixed realities where the physical and the virtual converge, and how this contributes to the research of animation as documentary and/or non-fiction imagery. In digital culture, animation is used widely to depict both physical and virtual events, and actions. As a result, animation is no longer an interpretive visual language. Instead, animation in virtual culture acts as real-time visualization of computer-mediated actions, their capture and documentation. Now that animation includes both captured and generated imagery, not only do its definitions change but its link to the realities depicted and the documentary value of animated representations requires rethinking. This article begins with definitions of animation and their relation to the perception of animation's validity as documentary imagery; thereafter it examines indexicality and the strength of indexical visualizations, introducing a continuum of strong and weak indices to theorize the hybrid and complex forms of indexicality in animation, ranging from graphic user interfaces (GUI) to data visualization. The article concludes by examining four indexical connections in relation to physical and virtual reality, offering a theoretical framework with which to conceptualize animation's indexing abilities in today's mixed realities.
animated documentary
deixis
mixed realities
truth-value
Dive into the research topics of 'The Animated Document: Animation's Dual Indexicality in Mixed Realities'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Mixed Reality Arts & Humanities 100%
Indexicality Arts & Humanities 87%
Animation Arts & Humanities 69%
Imagery Arts & Humanities 29%
Visualization Arts & Humanities 18%
Documentary Arts & Humanities 15%
Indexicals Arts & Humanities 13%
Mediated Action Arts & Humanities 10%
Ehrlich, N. (2020). The Animated Document: Animation's Dual Indexicality in Mixed Realities. Animation, 15(3), 260-275. https://doi.org/10.1177/1746847720974971
Ehrlich, Nea. / The Animated Document: Animation's Dual Indexicality in Mixed Realities. In: Animation. 2020 ; Vol. 15, No. 3. pp. 260-275.
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AB - Animation has become ubiquitous within digital visual culture and fundamental to knowledge production. As such, its status as potentially reliable imagery should be clarified. This article examines how animation's indexicality (both as trace and deixis) changes in mixed realities where the physical and the virtual converge, and how this contributes to the research of animation as documentary and/or non-fiction imagery. In digital culture, animation is used widely to depict both physical and virtual events, and actions. As a result, animation is no longer an interpretive visual language. Instead, animation in virtual culture acts as real-time visualization of computer-mediated actions, their capture and documentation. Now that animation includes both captured and generated imagery, not only do its definitions change but its link to the realities depicted and the documentary value of animated representations requires rethinking. This article begins with definitions of animation and their relation to the perception of animation's validity as documentary imagery; thereafter it examines indexicality and the strength of indexical visualizations, introducing a continuum of strong and weak indices to theorize the hybrid and complex forms of indexicality in animation, ranging from graphic user interfaces (GUI) to data visualization. The article concludes by examining four indexical connections in relation to physical and virtual reality, offering a theoretical framework with which to conceptualize animation's indexing abilities in today's mixed realities.
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It's pretty apparent that Google thinks they caught Bing with their hand in the cookie jar, and they're not happy. Or at least Matt Cutts isn't, although if you believe the likes of Kara Swisher at All Things D, this may go all the way up to Larry Page.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of disagreement about the facts, here: Bing is using user data gathered from the Bing Toolbar and IE8 Suggested Sites as "signals" to user intent. Some of that data comes from Google sessions that users have initiated.
What is less clear is a) how much weight Google results carry once they are captured, b) whether IE and Bing Toolbar users are sufficiently warned about the potential uses for the data, and c) as Cutts and Google strongly suggest, whether or not it's ok for Bing to be doing this in the first place.
Up until now, Microsoft's response has been that they do not copy results, but they've made it clear that they do capture and use data from Google sessions, and don't seem to be too worried about stopping.
What do you think? Is this a tempest in a teapot? Should Microsoft change, or at least do a better job of clarifying their position? Or is this just another day at the office? We've put up a new poll on our homepage, let us know what you think.


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"a guy came and poked his finger inside my a**."
Bollywood singer Neha Bhasin, best known for songs such as Jag Ghoomeya, has opened up about being sexually abused several times during her childhood.
Neha revealed that she was molested at the age of 10, in Haridwar, while her mother was standing a few feet away.
Here's more on what she said.
Revealing the petrifying details of the incident, Neha shared:
"I was 10 years old, in Haridwar, one of the religious places in India… Suddenly, a guy came and poked his finger inside my a**.
"I was shocked and just ran away."
Sharing another similar incident, she added:
"A few years later, a man grabbed my breasts in a hall.
"I clearly remember these incidents. I used to think that it`s my fault."
The singer also opened up about the rising toxicity on social media saying:
Deepika Padukone recalls her Accent being Mocked
Indian Man molested Air Stewardess on Flight to Singapore
Newly Married Indian Woman molested and Man Arrested
"Now, people have come on social media and have started abusing others mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually there, I consider it faceless terrorism (sic)."
She said she became a victim of cyberbullying when she received death and rape threats from the fans of a popular K-pop band.
On this, she said:
"It all started when I had shared my point of view in support of another singer. I did not pass any demeaning remarks for the K-pop band.
"I only had said that I am not a big fan of that particular band and since then I have been trolled.
"From rape threats to death threats, I have witnessed it all.
"I don't keep quiet now. I even filed a police complaint."
Such experiences have led Neha to provide you with music titled "Kehnde rehnde", which is in opposition to cyberbullying.
A post shared by Neha Bhasin (NB) (@nehabhasin4u)
The monitor goals to focus on points like slut-shaming, sexism, cyberbullying and confining ladies to stereotypical requirements of society.
Neha added that:
"One shouldn't tolerate something flawed. One ought to increase his/her voice in opposition to the wrongdoings. Don't ignore, simply name out."
Neha Bhasin is a versatile Indian professional singer and performer who has recorded songs in many languages including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, and Marathi.
She has sung songs like Swag Se Swaagat, Dhunki, Chashni and many more.
Neha has given many hit numbers in Punjabi too. She has also recreated many old Punjabi folk numbers like Jaana, Akh Kashni and many more.
Some of Neha Bhasin's greatest hits are:
Dil Diyan Gallan (Unplugged)
This song from the movie 'Tiger Zinda Hai' music by Vishal Shekhar and lyrics penned by Irshad Kamil.
Chashni Reprise
This melodious tune from the film, 'Bharat' with co-singer Vishal Shekhar, music by Sameer Uddin and lyrics penned by Irshad Kamil.
Jag Ghoomeya
From the movie 'Sultan' with music by Vishal Shekhar music and lyrics by Irshad Kamil.
Akanksha Soni
Akanksha is a media graduate, currently pursuing a postgraduate in Journalism. Her passions include current affairs and trends, TV and films, as well as travelling. Her life motto is 'Better an oops than a what if'.
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no horse riding and no kissing!
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That was by Arthur P. Cox.
Now Bill Webster, veteran of these pages, has come up with a new version of the haiku-limerick combination. Hence this challenge. You responded to it with your customary vim and wit, and with the help of such notables as William Spooner, Abraham Lincoln and Jeremys Clarkson and Paxman.
The winners, printed below, are rewarded with a tenner per entry printed.
Held at the heart of the state.
an upmarket quiz show host.
and seems to think they matter.
Leads the nation to its doom.
Is someone I used to diss.
He's someone I somehow miss.
Is a devil in disguise.
He's got secret policeman's eyes.
Ooh, there's a difficult man.
Whether the man has a plan.
She's a lady in waiting.
A most silly thing to do.
He'd think they'd all gone way hire.
Of the two, the moanier.
No good, whichever you backed.
You are invited to submit a recently discovered lost poem by a well-known poet which makes us see him or her in a new light. Please email (wherever possible) entries (16 lines maximum) to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 13 March.


text:
Hold On Says the Senate to the House, Let's Think About This
This post is number thirty in a historical series discussing Mississippi's Whig/Republican governor and senator, James Alcorn, following the War Between the States and continues the "saga" resulting from the Democrats' victory over the Republican "reconstruction" constitution framed during Mississippi's Black & Tan Convention in the winter/spring of 1868. For earlier posts in this Alcorn-driven series, (best read in sequence from oldest to most recent), start with 17 February, 24 March, 16 April, 17 July, 24 July, 18 September, 9 October, 23 October, 5 November, 22 November, 15 December, 29 December 2014, 13 January, 24 January, 9 February, 24 February, 9 March, 31 March, 8 May, 10 June,30 June, 3 August,30 August , 13 September, 27 September, 11 October, 25 October 2015, 8 November, and 25 November 2015.
On 24 July 1868, immediately following Mississippi's defeat of the proposed Republican constitution (10 July), Representative John Bingham (Republican from Ohio and traitor extraordinaire who was the primary author of the Fourteenth Amendment and was a member of the House Select Committee on Reconstruction) introduced a bill from said committee for the "speedy readmission of Mississippi, Virginia, and Texas." Recall that in the summer of 1868, these were the three "unreconstructed" states still outside the Union and lacking representation in Congress (and until the Radicals were sure they had the kind of representation they wanted the people of those states to have—that being representatives to support the Radicals—they would remain unrepresented). In the case of Mississippi, Bingham's bill called for the reassembly of the "Black and Tan" convention, giving more power to the convention in carrying out the election and subordinating the commanding general to a support role. Polling booths firmly in Radical hands, the constitution was to be resubmitted to the new voting elite for ratification. Benjamin Butler, representing Massachusetts, spoke in favor of Bingham's bill on the House floor, but did not record a vote. Nevertheless, plenty of other Republicans (of course, that's mostly what there was to vote) did. The bill passed by a huge majority and went to the Senate. On 27 July, the Senate tabled it. New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, himself a Radical, said basically that there was too much to consider to pass a hasty bill.
Ah, to have been a fly on the wall back then. Indeed, the Radicals were apparently taking stock. Cracks had started to appear in the foundation of their tyranny. They were being pretty presumptuous, not to mention heavy-handed, with their "centralization/Utopian schemes." Forcing social and educational "enlightenment" on the defeated South was one thing, but, self-righteous, assuming %@$+@rds that many of them were (the balance being power-hungry thieves), they were pressing the envelope a little too hard north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Less enlightened Northerners, or I should say more practical ones, were paying attention. In tandem with that, the radicalization of Tennessee and Georgia was going to hell in a handbasket, so yes, it had probably dawned on Mr. Conkling that he and his colleagues needed to tread carefully regarding the reentry of Mississippi, Virginia, and Texas. To maintain and grow their powerbase, the Radicals had to have control of those Southern states to offset the Northern ones they could not so easily wield their tyranny over and were actually in jeopardy of losing (not only to the Democrats, but to conservative Republicans who did not see the future with their perverted vision). One more thing, and this is just my opinion, but I suspect that the Radical powers in Washington, unable to recognize mirror images of themselves in the provinces, suspected they had idiots in control of the Radical wings down in Dixie. If they wanted to ensure a Radical Republican Mississippi they had to get the right people in place—not only to increase power, but to keep it, hence Conkling's caution.
The Senate's tabling the Bingham Bill was a major setback for the Eggleston clique down in Mississippi. Understand that in the summer of 1868, no one doubted that the proposed progressive constitution and the Republican ticket had been fairly defeated. Only after the failure of Bingham's effort to simply vote again—after ensuring the Radicals had full control of the voting booths—did schemes surface to vacate the conservative victory based on alleged fraud and intimidation. Hence, the "committee of five's" subsequent assembling in Jackson for four months and concocting its affidavits of fraud and its premature findings to offset General Gillem's report (see the Committee of Five Comes Alive). The committee subsequently cast out the votes from select counties, recounted the remaining votes, and declared the new constitution ratified and the Republican ticket elected. I can just imagine General Gillem's smirk—okay, I actually imagine him saying some things, but what he said publicly was, no, that didn't happen.
The Radicals' declaration of victory failing with the general, off they went to Washington, (James Alcorn in company), to see what they could accomplish with Congress. But as we already know, the committee of five (blossomed now into the committee of sixteen) was not the only group from Mississippi that descended on the House Select Committee on Reconstruction that winter. The conservative Republicans and a Democrat contingent did, too.
The 41st Congress assembled on the 19th of March 1869 at which time Benjamin Butler, Representative from Massachusetts and now chairman of the House Select Committee on Reconstruction, introduced a bill in the House for organizing a provisional government for Mississippi. Butler's bill went to committee, and on the 24th of March, the chairman of said committee (that was Butler) recommended its approval. It was basically the Bingham Bill with which I introduced this post—at least that part of the Bingham Bill dealing with Mississippi.
A brief aside here, if I may, on the history of the House Select Committee on Reconstruction. It started out as the Joint Committee on Reconstruction (also known as the Committee of Fifteen) on 13 December 1865 (39th Congress, March 1865 to March 1867). It was the brain-child of the fanatical Radical Republican representative from Pennsylvania, Thaddeus Stevens, and was the organized beginning by Congress to get President Andrew Johnson under control, or more specifically, get Reconstruction under congressional control. Nine House members sat on the committee along with six senators. Senator William P. Fessenden (Maine), Salmon P. Chase's brief successor at Treasury, was the committee's chairman. Twelve Republicans and three Democrats comprised the group. It was this committee that drafted the Fourteenth Amendment and established the requirement that the Southern states ratify that desecration to the Constitution before being readmitted to the Union. Apparently believing it had accomplished its job of summarily destroying the Founders' Republic, the Senate opted out of further participation and with the 40th Congress (March 1867-March 1869), we see only a House Select Committee on Reconstruction chaired by Thaddeus Stevens, whom the grim reaper collected in August 1868, much too late for the South or for the Republic.
No matter, another Radical in the form of George S. Boutwell from Massachusetts succeeded to the chair. It is Boutwell's group, meeting during the 40th Congress' third session (December 1868-March 1869), that the contenders for power in Mississippi descended upon. Nine men, seven Republicans and two Democrats comprised the House committee at that time. The two Democrats were James Brooks of New York and James Beck of Kentucky, who was the only true Southerner on the Committee. Alabama (having been blessed with reentry) also had a representative on the committee—Benjamin W. Norris, a former U. S. Army paymaster from Maine who settled in Mobile, Alabama and continued to work with the Freedmen's Bureau after the war. He was a puppet carpetbagger, y'all, at the apex of his short-lived political career—representative of Alabama he was not.
By the time Butler had assumed the committee chair during the 41st Congress' first session (March 1869), membership had grown to thirteen (nine Republicans and four Democrats). Though the presence of more Democrats on the committee implies increased Southern sympathy (Fernando Wood of New York, the Tammany Hall fellow whose cotton interest led him to advocate New York City's secession back in 1861, was now on the committee), Beck remained the only true Southerner. By the time the second session had rolled around in December 1869—and yes, I know I'm ahead of myself in the historical narrative—committee membership had grown to fifteen, meaning two more bodies had been added, both Republican—both carpetbaggers, one representing Virginia and one representing Mississippi. Their careers' would be short, too, but not short enough to undo the damage they and others like them did to the Republic. For future reference, that Mississippian was George McKee, the only Republican on the 1868 ticket that won his congressional seat. Of course, he had to win it a second time, but that was later...and easier the second time around, and he wouldn't be the lone winner in that second round, either. I'll elaborate more in a future post, and I'll continue with Butler and his bill in my next post.
Labels: Adelbert Ames, Benjamin Butler, Bingham Bill, Committee on Reconstruction, George Boutwell, George McKee
Behind the Scenes and Butler's Bill
Hold On Says the Senate to the House, Let's Think ...


El T30D1 es una evolución del T29, que se desarrolló a la vez que este. Los prototipos se probaron hasta 1948, pero el tanque nunca se produjo en serie.
The T30 has a long history in World of Tanks. It started as a very good above average performing Tier X Heavy tank, that after several consecutive nerfs, ended at the back of the caravan. Its transformation into a Tier IX tank destroyer made this tank once again very enjoyable to play. Its main weapon, the 155 mm T7, was formidable already in the Tier X arena, but when used against Tier VIII and Tier IX targets, "devastation" is the only word that comes to mind. However, the T30 has a very weak hull, and under no circumstances can it afford to ignore low tier opponents. In the hands of a skillful player that knows how to properly use its strong points, the T30 can face any tank in-game and single-handedly change the course of the entire battle.
The T30 is quite a nasty tank to fight as it mounts the powerful 155 mm AT Gun T7, the same gun as the T95. The T30 can be quite scary to fight alone, especially if it manages to ambush you. Its slow turret traverse speed may allow close tanks to flank and avoid getting hit by the T30's massive gun. T30 drivers can attempt to counter this by turning the entire tank towards the target to bring the turret around faster. The best way to defeat it is to just gang up on it and strike at the hull armor. Fighting the T30 when it's in hull down is even more difficult. In this situation you may have to attack from multiple sides simultaneously.
The T30 is similar to a tier X heavy tank with super low hit points and a massive gun, so you may play like it was before. With the super weak hull and super strong turret in mind, hull down positioning is perfect if you find terrain for it. A tier X TD is about the only thing that can penetrate through your turret. Other snipers will aim for your Commander's cupola behind the turret. Artillery can hit your hull and the side/top of your turret, dealing heavy damage. Use the T30 carefully, and it can lead your team to victory in many situations.
The 120 mm is somewhat viable due to its superior DPM and chance to catch enemies that are expecting you to have a long reload offguard, but the 155 mm is superior due to requiring less exposure to deal damage.
Note also that as a tank with 360 degrees of turret traverse, the T30 can use traditional TD camo bonuses for sitting still without breaking them if it is able to track targets without moving the hull. If playing hull-down however sitting still isn't recommended, as moving between shots makes sniping your commander's cupola much more difficult. With practice, you can tempt your opposition to fire at your turret, providing you with increased safety to take the time to aim your next shot.
The 120 mm gun carries over from the T28 Prototype. Install it immediately, as the stock 105 is inadequate. The top radio is also available on the T28 Prototype.
Next, the stock suspension cannot hold the 155 mm, and you can't mount much equipment with it either. Get the top suspension.
Then get the 155 mm cannon to bring the 750 alpha that opponents fear.
Finally, get the top engine for a little bit better mobility.
Some players elect to use enhanced suspension if they want to prioritize researching the 155 mm or already have it available.
By the middle of 1944, combat reports from Europe describing the use of heavy tanks by the Germans stimulated new interest in the development of an equivalent American vehicle. The Pershing medium tank provided an answer to the early model of the German Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger. However, although the latter was still in first line service, it had first been encountered by U. S. Army during 1943. By 1944, the Germans were introducing even more heavily armed and armored vehicles (Pz.Kpfw. Tiger II). Although for morale purposes the M26 Pershing was temporarily redesignated as a heavy tank, it clearly did not provide an answer to the problem. On 14 September 1944, U. S. forces recommended development and manufacture of four prototypes for a new heavy tank. Two of these were designated as the heavy tank T29 and were to be armed with the 105mm gun T5E1. The remaining two were designated as the heavy tank T30 and were to be armed with the 155mm gun T7.
Two T30 heavy tanks entered the test program at Aberdeen shortly after the T29. The first arrived at the Proving Ground in April 1948, followed by the second in July. Originally intended to have the same power train as the T29, the military characteristics of the T30 were changed in late 1945 to substitute the air-cooled Continental V-12 engine for the liquid- cooled Ford GAC. The new engine, designated as the AV-1790-3, developed 810 gross horsepower at 2800 rpm and was an early model of what became the standard power plant for American tanks during the next decade. The main objective of the T30 test program at Aberdeen was to evaluate the new engine with the CD-850 cross-drive transmission.
The T30 hull was essentially the same as that of the T29, except for the changes to the engine compartment necessary to accommodate the air-cooled engine. The turret was also similar to that on the T29, but was armed with the T7 155mm gun. Only one coaxial .50 caliber machine gun was located to the left of the cannon in the T124 combination gun mount. The T7 cannon had a relatively low muzzle velocity of 2300 feet per second, but the 95 pound high explosive shell had a powerful demolition effect. Separated ammunition was used as with the 105mm gun in the T29. The cased-propelling charge weighed about 40 pounds: bringing the complete 155mm round weight to approximately 135 pounds. Thirty-four complete rounds were carried, and a spring rammer was provided for use with the heavy separated ammunition. Even prior to the tests, it had been expected that there would be considerable difficulty in handling the heavy ammunition inside the tank turret. On 24 July 1947, the U.S Army authorized the diversion of one T30 for the installation of experimental automatic ramming equipment, an automatic cartridge case ejecting mechanism, and a drive mechanism for indexing the mount for loading and returning the weapon to its previous position. The latter was required because the lack of space inside the turret, combined with the size and weight of the ammunition, permitted the loading of the gun only within a very limited range of elevation. This heavy tank was designated as the T30E1, the weapon and mount as the 155mm gun T7H1, and the combination gun-mount the T124E1.
The sequence of operations when the cannon fired in the T30E1 was as follows; 1. The gun fired, recoiled, and returned to the battery position. 2. The gun automatically elevated or depressed to line up with the rammer tray. 3. The rammer-tray was extended. 4. A port in the rear of the turret bustle opened to allow the ejection of the empty case from the turret. 5. The gun breech opened and ejected the empty case. 6. A new projectile and cartridge case were lifted onto the rammer-tray. 7. The projectile and case were rammed and the breech closed. 8. The rammer-tray was withdrawn. 9. The gun automatically elevated or depressed to its original firing position parallel with the gunner's sight. To aid in handling the heavy ammunition, a power lifting device was installed in the T30 and T30E1 during the testing program. From the outside, the only obvious identification point on the T30E1 was the ejection port in the lower rear wall of the turret bustle.


text:
Metal Thefts in Cardiff Compromise Safety
A spate of 76 thefts of drain covers has taken place in Cardiff in January, with a predicted cost to the taxpayer of £20,000
The thefts have taken place in wards across the city including Cyncoed; Rumney; Llanishen; Penylan; Roath; Pontprennau; Thornhill; Fairwater; St Mellons and Radyr.
With the scrap metal value of cast iron between £100 and £160 a ton, and each grid weighing in at 45 kilos, the maximum the thieves have made from these thefts is £340.
When the grates are stolen, the council has to make the area safe, undertake remedial work and replace the stolen items with new lockable grids, this also disrupts scheduled council work.
Cllr Caro Wild, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport is asking the public to be vigilant, "There are two issues here. Firstly in terms of safety, the thefts are leaving large holes in the ground which is dangerous to both drivers and pedestrians. Secondly, the matter of cost to the taxpayer and the staff resources that have to be put in place to carry out the work.
"If anyone sees anyone removing these grids, please report it to the Police. Even if they are wearing high visibility jackets and look like they are carrying out official business, do not approach them, but take the details of the location, the registration of the vehicle they are using and a brief description of those offending and report it to 101."
Scrap metal dealers are required by law to follow the correct procedure when buying or selling scrap. It is illegal to buy or sell scrap for cash and payment has to be made via an electronic transfer or cheque so there is an audit trail of the payments.
Those buying or selling scrap metal are required to have a licence from the local authority to operate and to keep records of the description of goods that are being bought or sold.
If you witness suspicious activity of this nature please report it to South Wales Police by calling 101.


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Toddler Pillow Insert with Removable Filling, 12" x 20"


text:
Someone Else's Daughter
Nerves somersaulting down her spine, Miranda knocked on the door of Barbara's apartment. She heard scuffling then the door opened.
"Ms. Steele?"
"Please come in, Ms. Steele." The occupant opened the door wide. "May I take your coat?"
"Sure." Miranda stepped inside the cheery living room, half-expecting to see a dark-haired, thirteen-year-old girl standing in the middle of it. But that was her mind playing tricks on her.
She pulled off her scarf and leather jacket, and handed them to the small, trim woman. Probably in her fifties, Barbara had graying brown hair cut in a short, demure style, and brown, inquisitive eyes. She was dressed in a peach-colored wool business suit that had a sterile look to it.
Her place was clean and well kept, with plants, needlepoint pillows, and pretty curtains on a window where the afternoon sunshine spilled in. It had a sort of grandmotherly feel. As did its occupant, who was trotting across the floor, straightening things that didn't need straightening, as if Miranda were the Queen of Sheba.
"Thanks for seeing me. Don't go to any trouble." She was feeling a little guilty for forcing herself on the woman.
"Oh, it's no trouble, Ms. Steele. Won't you have a seat?" Barbara indicated a flowery couch with a small coffee table in front of it.
"Thanks." Miranda sat down. After carefully placing her coat on the back of a dinette chair, the woman settled next to her.
No sign of other life. Barbara must live alone. Miranda hoped her reason for solitude wasn't like her own. She wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy, let alone someone who might know something about Amy.
The woman reached for a stack of files on the coffee table and began to sift through them. "I apologize for being a little disorganized. As I said on the phone, my manager wanted me to talk to you, Ms.—may I call you Miranda? Oh, would you like some tea?"
"Yes, you can call me Miranda. And no, I don't want any tea." This lady could use a self-confidence course. Or maybe a shift with the wrecking crew.
Barbara nodded and kept sorting folders, her expression solemn.
Miranda watched her a moment. She wasn't going to wait until the whole stack was alphabetized. "What is it you have to tell me, Barbara?"
She stopped shuffling and gave Miranda a pained look, her brown eyes darting back and forth, as if she were looking for some lost secret. "I'm sorry, Miranda. I'm new at the agency and your file has just come to me. I have to perform some, uh, formalities."
Miranda shifted her weight. "O-kay."
Barbara selected one of the folders, took a paper from it and picked up a pen from the coffee table. "Let's see. You've registered with us a number of times." Her voice took on the singsong quality of an interviewer.
"Yes, every time I moved." Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say.
Barbara read from her sheet. "You're originally from Oak Park, Illinois."
She turned a page. "But you've worked in several states. And several jobs."
Yeah. So what? Since she'd left Leon, she'd welded girders on a skyscraper in New York, harvested crab on a fishing boat in Maine, done odd jobs on an oil rig in Texas.
She rubbed her hands against her jeans and laughed it off with a shrug. "Some people think I'm obsessive about physical jobs. Not only does it give you muscles, it thickens your skin." A therapist once told her she was sublimating repressed feelings about her affectionate ex-husband and should talk about them. What did shrinks know?
Barbara seemed interested. "Oh, is that important to you?"
Was she being screened? Was Barbara trying to determine if she was fit to meet her daughter? "You know how it is, Barbara. A woman can never make herself too tough or too strong." She laughed awkwardly and waved a hand at the file in her hostess's lap. "Most construction work is seasonal. We all job hop."
But that didn't explain the restless urge that had made her pick up and go, aimlessly roaming the country taking jobs here and there, making casual acquaintances, leaving them behind. Always moving. She didn't want to admit Leon's specter still haunted her after all these years. She'd told herself Amy could be anywhere, so why not go to a new place? None of that made her…unfit.
Barbara smiled sweetly. "And now you're here in Pittsburgh, working for Norris Wrecking Company."
"Right." Miranda resisted the urge to tap her foot. "I've been with them about three months."
Barbara's eyes grew soft. "You say your daughter was placed thirteen years ago?"
Placed? Miranda nodded. She'd been purposely vague about the adoption. Most people didn't believe what Leon had done. They thought she had simply changed her mind after signing the papers.
Barbara pursed her lips, shaking her head. "Such a sad story. So your daughter would be a minor, wouldn't she?"
Annoyed by the comment, Miranda stiffened. "The legal age being eighteen, or twenty-one depending on the state, that would make her a minor, yes."
"Oh, dear. I'm not doing this very well. I apologize." Barbara set the folder down on top of the stack. "Let me get you some tea."
"I don't want any—" but the woman was already heading for the kitchen.
Her heart sinking, Miranda sat back and listened to her hostess bang around a few minutes and fought with the stupid tears that were suddenly stinging her eyes.
Leaning forward for a tissue on the coffee table, she spied the corner of an envelope sticking out of the folder Barbara had been reading from. She glanced toward the kitchen. The woman was still rattling away. Wouldn't hurt to take a look. After all, it was her file.
She slipped a finger under a corner and nudged it out. It was a letter addressed to The Seekers headquarters here in Pittsburgh. The handwriting didn't look like an adult's. There was no return address. The postmark was from Buckhead, Georgia, wherever the hell that was.
Cautiously, she peeked inside and found a piece of notebook paper. Her fingers trembling, she slid it out, unfolded it. She stared down at the childish handwriting. Her whole body went rigid.
Dear Seekers,
I'm thirteen years old. I was born in November in Oak Park, Illinois. Now I live in a big mansion in Buckhead, Georgia. My mom's an executive and my dad's always away. They are never home.
I think I'm adopted. Can you help me find my real parents?
Miranda gasped out loud.
"Oh dear." Barbara was in the middle of the living room, looking as if she were about to drop her tea tray. Quickly, she dashed to the coffee table and set the china down, shaking her head. "You weren't supposed to see that."
Miranda glared up at her. "Why not?"
With a sigh, Barbara laid a hand against her graying brown hair. "Oh, Miranda. My manager wanted me to tell you in person there's nothing we can do for you. We don't handle situations like yours."
Miranda blinked at her. "Really?" She held out the letter. "And what about her? Can you help her?"
Barbara shook her head sadly. "There's nothing The Seekers can do to help that girl, either. She's underage. We work with adult children. Adoptees who are of age and are looking for their birth parents."
For a moment, Miranda couldn't even speak. She knew adoption reunification agencies worked only with adult adoptees. What had she expected? Certainly not this. She waved the little girl's letter. "What were you going to do with this?"
"Why, keep it in the file in case the girl ever contacted us again." Barbara shuffled to the couch and sat down wearily. "We received it several months ago. When you registered with us, we matched it to your records. But there's nothing we can do until she's an adult. Even then, there's not much information there."
Miranda held out the page. "The girl who wrote this is thirteen. My Amy's age. And she was born in November. In Oak Park. Like Amy."
Barbara straightened her skirt. "Yes, but—" She lifted her hands. "It was only in your file because we didn't know what else to do with it."
Miranda released the breath she was holding and ran her hand through her wiry, dark hair that some people called curly. "What are you saying?"
Barbara exhaled slowly. "An adoptee wouldn't necessarily know her true birthplace."
"She might. Some parents are very forthcoming about such details."
"True, but only a few of your facts match this letter. It could be a coincidence. We didn't want to give you false hope. That's why my manager insisted I not show you that letter. Oh, dear. She's going to be very upset."
False hope. Was there any other kind? But false hope was better than no hope at all. Miranda reached out and patted the woman's hand. "Don't worry, Barbara. I won't tell your manager."
"You don't understand. It's against policy."
Ignoring her, Miranda read the letter again.
My mom's an executive and my dad's always away. They are never home.
Had Amy written those words? Was she being neglected? Miranda had always told herself her daughter was in a loving, caring home. She'd go insane if she let herself think otherwise.
"I'm so sorry, Miranda," the woman moaned softly. "We don't have any legal authority here. We can't do anything to help you find your daughter."
Slowly, Miranda put the letter back in the envelope. "Maybe you can't, Barbara. But I can." She pointed to the postmark. "Buckhead, Georgia. Where's that?"
"An area near Atlanta."
"Atlanta." Could her daughter really be living in a mansion in some place called Buckhead? Must be some hick town near the city. How many mansions could there be in a place called Buckhead? She even had the zip code.
She got to her feet.
Barbara's eyes bulged. "What are you going to do? You can't be thinking—"
"Don't worry about me, Barbara. I wouldn't want your manager to get upset. By the way, she sounds like a bitch." If she had time, she'd go down to the office and tell her so.
"But, Miranda, you've just come to Pittsburgh. Don't you want to settle down here?"
She scoffed. "Settle down?" What was that?
"Perhaps you could meet a nice young man. You could fall in love and have—" she stopped herself.
"Children of my own?" It wasn't the first time Miranda had heard that. "Amy is my child, Barbara." And as far as falling in love, it would be a cold day in Hades before she let herself be so vulnerable again.
The woman began to stammer. "But there's no return address on that letter. Nothing more than what's on that paper. Almost nothing. We have no idea who this girl is, who her adopted parents are."
"Like I said, Barbara. Don't worry about it."
"I think I do." She crossed to the dinette where her coat was waiting.
Barbara shot up and followed her. "Miranda, think. That letter could be a crank. Some lonely child angry with her parents, who decided to get their attention by pretending to be adopted."
Miranda turned to the woman, that familiar numbness of disappointment stealing around her heart.
"Children do that, especially with their access to the Internet these days." Barbara's voice was gentle, motherly now, but her words stung like razors.
She had a point. Any kid could google adoption reunion agencies, find The Seekers' web site and write to them. She thought a moment. "Do you get a lot of letters like this one?"
"No. But that doesn't mean you should get your hopes up. I fear you'll end up very disappointed."
Miranda smirked. Disappointed? Her hopes had been dashed plenty of times over the past thirteen years. She was used to it. Besides there was a chance the letter could be real. This could be Amy. She had to try.
She reached for her jacket and scarf. "Thank you, Barbara." She held up the letter. "Can I keep it?"
The woman waved a hand as if giving up. "Oh, I suppose so. I have a copy."
Tenderly Miranda put the letter into her pocket and moved to the door. She had a couple hundred in her bank account. That ought to get her to Buckhead and put her up until she could get another job. She'd pack today, say sayonara to Sherlock and the wrecking crew and be off.
"Thank you, Barbara." She extended a hand toward the woman.
As if she were taking the hand of a priest to ask for atonement, Barbara shook it. "I don't know what for. I couldn't do anything for you."
"You've done more than anyone else has up to now." Miranda resisted the urge to hug her.
The woman half-smiled. "Call me if you want to talk."
"Sure." Miranda turned and went out the door.
She glanced at her watch. Almost two. She'd swing by the demo site, then head for her place. If the landlord didn't give her grief about her deposit, she could be on the road before rush hour. Hugging the letter in her pocket close, she sprinted down the hall to the stairs.
Was the tide finally turning? After years of frustration and disappointment and dead ends, could this piece of notebook paper lead her to her baby? The little girl Leon had stolen from her? The child he said she had no right to keep?
The stubborn hope that had risen from the ashes of her heart so many times before began to rise again. Suddenly, she felt more alive than she had in months.
Go to chapter three >>


Blue Howlite & Silk Tassel Earrings (Large) "Medina"
The Medina Earrings are part of Katie's Marrakech Collection, which was inspired by her travels in Morocco. Each piece in this collection combines vibrant gemstones, bold laser cut pieces, and colorful tassels. All designs make a bold yet wearable statement and can be worn from day to night.
The Medina Earrings combine cabochon gemstone studs set in silver-plated stainless steel with silk tassels. The gemstones are 10mm and the tassels are 2.38x1.25 inches.


Weeks 22-23 and 25 on the road in Yucatán.
A month ago I reluctantly left Oaxaca - my home for five months - on an overnight bus to Campeche. This post reflects on my ride through Yucatán down to the Mexican border, and my experience of starting to re-adjust to life on the road. I include some general reflections on Mexico.
I must be honest, I've been having decidedly mixed feelings about being back on the road. I love camping in beautiful, secluded places, but there have been times - waking up on a village football pitch or next to a petrol station - I've found myself thinking 'um, why am I here?' At times I really miss my four walls and my shower!
Having said that, in five days' time I'll have crossed tiny Belize and met up with Claire in eastern Guatemala in order to travel down to Colombia together. I'm really looking forward to the completely different experience of touring as a pair (which I haven't done for more than 10 days with anyone since Zoe). I'm also really looking forward to Claire's company and a few things I hope to learn from her.
Specifically Claire seems to have nailed 'the art of asking' (e.g. for a safe place to camp), whereas I'm extremely reluctant to approach people and prefer to try and be self-sufficient. This is partly because I'd hate to be a nuisance and partly because I can't bear fuss and would often rather just be by myself than be fussed over. I did experiment with Claire's approach in Yucatán however, with positive results. I'm also hoping Claire's greater friendliness will get me talking more Spanish more often.
In addition, we've agreed that Claire will get me up in the mornings with coffee so we can start early to avoid the afternoon heat, in return for my willingness to prepare lentils for dinner.
Yucatecan/ Mayan villages are really interesting to ride through with their Cotswold-esque dry stone walls, thatch-like palapa-roofed cottages and bicycling villagers of all genders. In between villages however, there's nothing but arrow-straight roads through identical, totally flat jungle. I'd have found it mind-numbing if I hadn't been reading 'Open Veins of Latin America' on my Kindle.
On my way from Campeche to Uxmal I took an off-road detour suggested by Google Maps that turned out to be gated in the middle. Despite officious signs I took my chances and hoiked everything over two high barriers. I love the sense of adventure and triumph when a risk like that pays off.
On my second village football field I was approached by the rozzers at 11pm and advised to pack everything down and move to right outside the police station in the central square. At the time I was irritated but in retrospect I'm amused. Near Chichen Itza I decided to ask the police first, and it turned out they have an established tradition of letting people camp inside their covered car park!
From Chichen Itza eastwards I became more and more aware that the majority of gringos who visit Mexico visit Yucatán. A proliferation of tourists turns any place into Something Entirely Different. Notwithstanding, Yucatán has many exceptional things to see and do, in particular all the Mayan ruins and bizarrely beautiful cenotes (sinkholes). I especially enjoyed less-busy Ek Balam and X-Canche, and resolved to go back there with Lisa the following week.
In Valladolid I had an excellent haircut from another woman barber and spent a night in an otherwise good hostel where my beloved shorts were stolen from the washing line overnight.
In Playa del Carmen Lisa helped me go through my kit yet again to reduce weight, and kindly returned to Vancouver with several bulky items, mostly clothing.
In both Akumal and Tulum I was amazed to get away with camping/ hammocking on the beach by setting up after dark. Free camp on Caribbean beach? - check!
After Lisa's visit I did some really long, hot, boring days down the highway to Chetumal. My hands, feet and bum all hurt, and I resolved to replace my cycling shoes. Boy am I going to miss Mexico's wonderful shoulders, by the way.
Here in Chetumal I've worked through a long list of life/ travel admin stuff, such as finally sending my signed and witnessed will and living will to one of my executors and getting the broken zip on my tent inner replaced.
I've also had time to do a tiny bit of research into Central America, and though I'm nervous it's going to be much tougher in parts than Mexico has been, I'm basically looking forward to more newness and some great scenery.
Let me not mince my words here: Mexico is an utterly exceptional country. I'm not going to generalise too much about 'Mexicans', but I will say that the prevailing atmosphere includes some qualities I appreciate very much, both on and off the roads: calm, courteous (but not obsequious), sensible. Other Latin American countries are going to have to pull some pretty exceptional things out of the bag to impress me as much. Thank you, Mexico, for being the glorious antidote to the terrifying cultural wasteland that is your northern neighbour.


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Bars With Babes
Blowjob Bars
Cam Whores
Compensated Dating
Go Go Bars
Handjob Bars
Red Light Districts
Sex on the Internet
Sex Saunas
Sex Toys and Tales
Sex with Ladyboys
The Sex Industry
Best Adult Cam Sites
Best Condoms
Best Czech Porn
Best German Porn
Best Japanese Porn
Best Korean Porn
Best Latina Porn
Best Lube
In lieu of a review: A requiem for a Den
Bars With Babes, Sex in Bangkok, Sex in Thailand
Rockit 2 Comments
While I do my best to cover a wide variety of subjects and locations I am ultimately bound by the limits of my time and energy. Like the rest of you I am also subject to the realities of time and space at least right now and for the time being.
In the past I have written about things like the lost bars of Phnom Penh. I have also published reviews of places like Bongkot in Bangkok only to find out the venues under discussion were in fact closed. This is not a common occurrence but it has happened twice in the five years this website has been online.
I try to avoid writing about a place that is closed in most cases but it others it makes sense. The post on the lost bars of Phnom Penh was well received and is a good example of a post on the past that was informative and entertaining.
Bars close and life goes on
A few other bars have come and gone that probably deserve some coverage if for no other reason than to preserve the information for posterity. As far as I can tell there is no official history of the commercial sex scene around the world though there have been at least a few attempts by people to document the histories of places like Soi Cowboy and Patpong online.
While I am definitely not going to undertake the creation of an adult entertainment history archive right now I can tell you about two unique bars that once stood in Bangkok.
What was The Den?
The Den was a sort of bordello style gentlemen's club on Sukhumvit Soi 12 in Bangkok. Taking the place of the old White Lioness bar which was home to dancing European women The Den opened up a few years ago and quickly became a favorite among a lot of Bangkok regulars. I posted a review of The Den on this site in 2015.
The bar was very well designed and really stood out among the many bars in the country which have an unfortunate tendency to skimp on the surroundings. In a local scene where a lot of venues have filthy floors and awful sewage smells The Den had a plush interior that was kept absolutely spotless.
The large bar had a discreet entrance and a door man. Just inside there were some high quality pool tables. Beyond the billiards sat a big square bar with a huge shark tank suspended above it. To the left and the right there were several seating areas with big soft couches. As an added touch each seating area had silky soft drapes that could be pulled around for privacy.
Despite having an absolutely amazing interior for the area rates at The Den never got out of hand. Drinks for customers and ladies alike were priced quite reasonably. On top of that there was never any aggressive push for customers to spend money. Clients were made to feel welcome.
Women at The Den
Several women worked at The Den including a set of twenty year old identical twins that seemed to set the Bangkok bar watchers on fire for a short while. Most of the women at The Den tended to be a bit more mature than ladies at a lot of other nearby bars but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The level of conversation was a bit higher probably because of that.
The staff of women in their twenties and thirties wore nice clothes but nothing they had on was too revealing. They were able to walk down the street in their clothes without drawing unwanted attention.
The focus at The Den never seemed to be on pushing customers out of the doors with women from the bar but there were rooms available for rent next door. A lot of the women working at the bar were up for joining customers in those rooms but only if they had established some kind of rapport beforehand. In that way it was similar to some of the hostess bars in Phnom Penh though truth be told none of those could hold a candle to The Den in terms of the bar itself.
The Den Patpong
Not long after The Den opened in the Lower Sukhumvit area another Den was launched in the infamous Patpong part of town. Located only steps away from naughty nightlife spots like Kangaroo Club the Patpong Den was just as nice as the original. I never got around to reviewing the second Den.
The Patpong Den looked almost exactly like the other Den across down though it seemed to be a bit larger. It also had a slightly larger staff that included more women in their early twenties. Some of the women on staff — which included a few honest to goodness semi-pros who spent their days at university or working in office buildings — could truly be described as absolute beauties. There were no rooms at the Patpong Den but customers who took women out of the bar were able to use the long standing short time hotels in the area.
All seemed to be going well for the original Den location until one day when a change in ownership was suddenly followed by a shuttering of the doors near the end of 2016. Rumor has it that the closure was due to the landlord asking for vastly increased rents when it was time to renew the lease.
Business over at the Patpong Den petered off too. The place was sold and the name was changed to Radio City though the lion's head logo was left in place. The old Den business model was not kept in place however and Radio City fell off of the radar.
The future of The Den
These sorts of things are not rare in Thailand and they have been pointed to by some as real limits on the abilities of new and exciting ideas to flourish. While this site does not make a practice out of commenting on such things it goes without saying that the loss of the Dens was deeply felt by a lot of regular customers who really liked what the two bars offered.
A new place calling itself The Den recently opened in Pattaya. From what I can tell it has the same look and feel as the two dens in Bangkok but I have not yet been able to visit the place. There was word that a third branch of The Den was set to open in Pattaya back when the other two were still in operation so it's likely that finally came to fruition. If the new Den is anything like the original bars in the capital city it is sure to gain a lot of customers even in a place like Pattaya which already has so many options for guys looking for fun.
Review: Lisa Bar in Pattaya, Thailand
Review: The Pump Station 1 at Pattaya, Thailand
Review: Butterflies in Bangkok, Thailand
Interview with a Thai soapy massage worker
Review: Pure Bangkok Escorts in Bangkok, Thailand
Two go go bars raided in Pattaya
Nak_Muay May 26, 2018
the devil's den in Pattaya is a shit ,i go 3 time and it's not Worth the visit….
rockit May 28, 2018
Thanks for the report. Cheers.
Some Very Interesting Sites
Corey OZ on Permanent effects of the pandemic on prostitution: "The latest news today- Stephane Bancel, CEO of Covid-19 vaccine maker Moderna, warned Wednesday that the novel corona virus will…"
Rockit on Review: Maidreamin in Tokyo, Japan: "Thanks for the comment. Cheers."
Compton. on Review: Maidreamin in Tokyo, Japan: "looks like WWE divas"
Rockit on The rising trend toward individualized sex work: "Thanks for the considered comment Robert. Cheers."
robert Hanlon on The rising trend toward individualized sex work: "Let's hope that this is temporary and not the way of the future. Why is that? Well, it takes a…"
Jack on Prostitution at the Trocadero red light district in Lima: "Nearly forty years ago I made friends with a cute Peruana in a club. The night ended with her staying…"
Rockit on Interview with amateur Asian housewife Linda Fit: "Thanks for the kind words Jack. She did indeed reach out to me asking to do an interview. Cheers."
Rockit on Review: Van An in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: "Thanks for the report. Cheers."
Puppy galore on Review: Van An in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: "It has now closed"
Jack on Interview with amateur Asian housewife Linda Fit: "Outstanding way to bring in the new year Rockit. Didn't she post here and ask to be interviewed?"
Rockit Reports Copyright © 2021.


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Омар аль-Баргути — палестинский активист, основатель Палестинской кампании за академический и культурный бойкот Израиля, сооснователь BDS, в 2017 получил  на церемонии в Йельском университете.

Биография
Родился в Катаре в палестинской семье клана аль-Баргути, рос в Египте, в 1982 переехал в США, прожив там 11 лет, окончил Колумбийский университет со степенью магистра электротехники. В 1993 переехал в Израиль после женитьбы на израильской арабке, где имеет ПМЖ. Имеет степень магистра по философии (этика) от Тель-Авивского университета, соискатель степени доктора философии.

В марте 2017 был арестован по обвинению в уклонении от уплаты налогов на $700,000, но по состоянию на ноябрь 2019 обвинение не предъявлено.

Взгляды

Сторонник одного секулярного государства для двух народов, так как не верит, что отдельное палестинское государство состоятельно и может решить проблемы, и возвращения всех палестинских беженцев.

Противник ПНА, считает её инструментом Израиля, служащим лишь своим интересам и слившего палестинское право на возвращение.

Обвиняет Израиль в практике апартеида, сравнивая с нацистской Германией и ЮАР.

Израильские действия
В мае 2016 на анти-BDS-конференции в Иерусалиме министр транспорта Израиля Исраэль Кац призвал к «целенаправленным гражданским устранениям» активистов BDS. Министр внутренней безопасности Израиля Гилад Эрдан заявил, что они должны заплатить цену, но уточнил, что не имел в виду физический вред. Министр внутренних дел Израиля Арье Дери заявил, что рассматривается лишение Баргути израильского ПМЖ. В ответ в апреле Amnesty International выступила с заявлением о беспокойстве за его безопасность, как и других активистов BDS.

Критика
После публикации в феврале 2013 в колонке мнений New York Daily News, сама газета в ответ опубликовала статью, описав его как талантливого пропагандиста, взгромождающего одну ложь на другой, вечно обвиняющего Израиль в притеснениях и взваливающего на него всю вину за беды, от которых страдают палестинцы, а также желающего устроить наплыв арабов, чтобы обеспечить их доминирование в обществе и прекращения Израиля, как еврейского государства, в чём и есть конечная цель его наветов.

Хотя сам Баргути сторонник экономического, академического и культурного бойкота Израиля, сам он отучился в израильском университете, что он называет своим личным делом, что он не хочет комментировать. В интервью Associated Press в 2015 он заявил, что палестинцы не обязаны следовать тем, чего хотят от других, и что нативное население имеет право пользоваться всеми благами системы, которыми сумеет.

Примечания

Родившиеся в 1964 году
Родившиеся в Катаре
Сторонники ненасилия
Палестинские писатели
Палестинские активисты
Выпускники Колумбийского университета
Выпускники Колумбийской школы инженерных и прикладных наук
Выпускники Тель-Авивского университета

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Paul Feig Will Direct 'The Better Woman'
Paul Feig Will Direct The Better Woman
— January 9th, 2012
Bridesmaids director Paul Feig is reuniting with Universal Pictures for the comedy project The Better Woman.
Amy Sherman (Gilmore Girls) is writing the script, which centers on a successful young executive who gets dumped by her boyfriend for an older woman. She becomes friends with the older woman to find out why her boyfriend left her, and reinvents herself along the way. Reese Witherspoon was previously circling the project, but the actress is no longer involved. The project is based on an idea by Ron Bass and Jennifer Smolka.
Julie Yorn is producing The Better Woman through her LBI Entertainment banner. No production schedule was given for The Better Woman.
Paul Feig has also been circling a sequel to Bridesmaids, but it is said he is "hesitant to commit" to the sequel since writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are working on other projects.


text:
The best movies of 2022, from 'Avatar' to 'Everything, Everything'
The movie industry is undergoing a transformation, fueled by declining box-office revenues as more people prefer to watch movies at...
Birthdays of famous people during the week of January 22–28
91-year-old actor Piper Laurie. Steve Perry, a singer with Journey, is 74. Alabama bassist Teddy Gentry is 71 years old....
A bodyguard, Andrew Tate, claims that "some girls felt they'd be his next wife."
Despite a police investigation into allegations of sexual assault and exploitation against Andrew Tate, the head of security for the...
First population decline in China since 1961
With a record-low national birth rate of 6.77 births per 1,000 people, China's population has decreased for the first time...
Breaking News: A Mafia boss wanted in Italy after 30 years on the run has been apprehended
After spending three decades on the run, Italy's most wanted man, Matteo Messina Denaro, a convicted Mafia leader who oversaw...
Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida passes away at age 95
Gina Lollobrigida, an Italian actress who was one of the biggest stars in European cinema throughout the 1950s and 1960s,...
Matteo Messina Denaro, the most sought mafia leader in Italy, was captured in Sicily.
Matteo Messina Denaro, the most sought mafia boss in Italy, was apprehended in Sicily after 30 years on the lam....
Pilot didn't report anything unusual before the plane crashed in Nepal, an official claims
According to a spokeswoman, the pilot of the airplane that crashed in Nepal did not notice "anything odd" as the...
Report: International companies assist Myanmar's military in producing weaponry.
According to former top UN officials, Myanmar's military is manufacturing a wide variety of weapons to use against its own...
Authorities look into nearly fatal jet crash at New York airport.
Investigators are looking into a close call that occurred Friday night at a New York airport between two planes, one...


Cultured beef – muscle meat grown in laboratories using stem cells from cattle – is here, but petri dish patties are still frightfully expensive.
Developed by Dr. Mark Post and his team at Maastrict University in the Netherlands, cultured beef is created by scientists who feed stem cells to help them reproduce muscle meat tissue. To make a hamburger 20,000 strands of the cultured beef are pressed together.
While one stem cell sample from a beef cow can eventually produce up to 20,000 tons of meat, thus far scientists must feed the cells to help them grow, as well as treating the final meat muscle with 'accepted food technology methods' to make it taste like what we expect.
For the first hamburgers, Maastrict's group used cells from organically-raised beef cows – one from a Blanc Blue Belge cow raised at a farm in Belgium, the second was from a Blond Acquitaine cow.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that demand for meat is going to increase by more than two-thirds in the next 40 years, making meat for expensive and a luxury item for many.
So the question is, would you try it? Let us know in our poll here.
Muscle-meat grown in a laboratory is no longer in the realm of science fiction, except for the price of an 'all-beef' patty.
How do they find horse meat in hamburger?