text:
About CSCE
Public Law Establishing the Commission
The Helsinki Process and the OSCE
Human Dimension
Security Dimension
Economic Dimension
Partners for Cooperation
Citizenship and Political Rights
Confidence and Security Building Measures
Conflict Prevention/Rehabilitation
Economic Cooperation and Trade
Freedom of Association and Assembly
Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion, or Belief
Freedom of the Media
Genocide and Crimes against Humanity
Good Governance and the Rule of Law
Helsinki Commission
Migration, Refugees, and Displaced Persons
Military Aspects of Security
OSCE Asian Partners
OSCE Institutions, Structures, and Meetings
OSCE Mediterranean Partners
Territorial Integrity
Slovakia's Chairmanship of the OSCE
Senate Visitor Center, SVC 201-00
Official Transcript:
Slovakia'sChair.pdf
Unofficial Transcript:
TRANSCRIPT unofficial for web Slovakia's Chairmanship of the OSCE.pdf
Representative Alcee Hastings
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
ALH Statement -- CIO Hearing.pdf
Senator Roger Wicker
Co-Chairman
04.03.19 Wicker Opening Statement for hearing with Foreign Minister of Slovakia FINAL for Web.pdf
Senator Ben Cardin
Ranking Member
BLC Statement -- CIO Hearing FINAL formatted for web.pdf
Representative Joe Wilson
Senator Cory Gardner
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick
Representative Gwen Moore
Commissioner on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Witnesses:
H.E. Miroslav Lajcak
Testimony CIO Miroslav Lajcak for web.pdf
In 2019, Slovakia holds the chairmanship of the world's largest regional security organization: the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which brings together 57 countries from North America, Europe and Central Asia. At the Helsinki Commission's first hearing in the 116th Congress held on April 3, 2019, Slovakia's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Miroslav Lajčák, was invited to discuss the chairmanship's priorities for the OSCE in 2019 and its plans for progress.
Minister Lajčák was received by Helsinki Commission Chairman Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), along with Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, Ranking House Member Rep. Joe Wilson, and Commissioners Sen. Cory Gardner, Rep. Gwen Moore, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. Chairman Hastings encouraged Minister Lajčák to meet with civil society during his country visits as Chair-in-Office, including in the United States. Co-Chairman Wicker observed, "[a]t a time when civil society is under threat in so many countries, we look to you, as the Chair, to ensure that people's voices are heard in the OSCE."
Minister Lajčák stated that "resolving conflicts and mitigating their impact on people" in countries suffering from "economic instability, political instability, [and] human rights violations" is a priority for Slovakia's Chairmanship. He focused on Ukraine due to the severity of the country's conflicts, while also acknowledging those in other areas of the OSCE region such as Transnistria, Georgia, and Nagorno-Karabakh, for which Co-Chairman Wicker emphasized the need for the OSCE to "strengthen the process of democratic reform, fight against corruption, and fight against regional instability." The minister emphasized that his goal will be to focus on a list of nine concrete measures that would "bring about small, but concrete, results and improvement [in Ukraine] for the people on the ground," such as humanitarian demining and repairing civilian infrastructure. He asserted that repairing Stanytsoa Lukanska, a bridge which serves as a key piece of transportation infrastructure in the Luhansk area, is the most important of these measures.
The minister also emphasized the need to ensure a safer future, especially for young people, by countering cyberterrorism and its (mis)use in organized crime and human trafficking. He emphasized the importance of educating youth in matters related to cybersecurity, including emerging threats such as cyberterrorism. To that end, Slovakia's chairmanship will use its convening authority "to call attention to new trends and explore potential collaborative impact."
Chairman Hastings optimistically remarked that "young people know a hell of a lot more about [cyber security and technology] than we do" and Commissioner Moore commended Mr. Lajčák for focusing on the youth – "it is a quintessential strategy for preventing chaos."
Finally, the Slovak Chair-in-Office focused on multilateralism, considered by Minister Lajčák as a "fundamental problem-solving and war-preventing" tool both in and outside of the OSCE. Furthermore, Minister Lajčák emphasized the importance of "working together on multilateral platforms [which] is inevitable if we want to safeguard peace and prosperity to our people," calling the OSCE "the platform to do just that." He affirmed this priority of co-operation between OSCE participating States in response to a concern raised by Commissioner Moore regarding certain participating State's "violations [of all] the Helsinki principles" which would undermine multilateralism within the OSCE: "We have to […] look eye-to-eye and talk about issues […] that is what makes the OSCE unique."
Throughout the hearing, the Chair-in-Office stressed an intent to counter terrorism in his priorities. Part of the minister's first conference to encourage youth education involved "promoting tolerance and non-discrimination, and the best practices in combating modern-day anti-Semitism," to stem terrorism. Furthermore, a second conference, held a week before the hearing, "focused on preventing and countering terrorism as well as violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism." The minister asserted that "terrorism and violent extremism pose as grave a threat as ever" and that "we, at the OSCE, need to continue updating and adapting our toolbox" to be prepared for the future. Despite specific victories, such as the recent destruction of the remaining Daesh strongholds, the minister advised that "this is not a time to get comfortable," and that "we need to address the root causes [of terrorism] and stay one step ahead."
The OSCE Chair-in-Office also addressed regional challenges including Russia's continued aggression in Ukraine; protracted conflicts in Transnistria, Georgia, and Nagorno-Karabakh; increasing instability in the Western Balkans; and Turkey's campaign to stifle dissent in every sector. Many countries are struggling—or failing—to live up to their OSCE commitments in the areas of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and vulnerable communities are targets of discrimination and violence.
However, Chairman Hastings is optimistic about the capability of the OSCE to advance the rule of law, human rights, and non-discrimination its participating States. Minister Lajčák expressed confidence that providing concrete measures to improve the daily lives of those living in conflict, educating youth, and encouraging multilateral engagement on their behalf will lead to positive developments throughout the OSCE region.
Relevant issues:
Relevant countries:
Sort by NewestOldest
toggle-list
toggle-grid
Filter Topics Open Close
Implementation of the Final Act: Findings and Recommendations Seven Years After Helsinki
This report, including its findings and recommendations, is based upon material compiled during the Commission's continuing study of Final Act implementation -- with special emphasis on the period since the last report in August 1980. The Commission has focused its attention in this report primarily on the compliance records of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies where, with rare exceptions, the level of implementation in many areas continues to be appallingly low. Given the continued armed occupation of Afghanistan by Soviet forces; the imposition, under heavy Soviet pressures, of martial law in Poland; and the radically increased repression of all forms of dissent in the Soviet Union and many other Warsaw Pact countries, it is clear that compliance with the Final Act has seriously regressed. The Western CSCE states, on the other hand, generally have maintained relatively high standards of implementation in all areas of the Final Act, specifically, in those areas such as human rights where the Eastern record has been a cause of dismay. The Commission, therefore, has directed the bulk of its research to those nations whose records under the Helsinki Accords display the greatest need for improvement. For the CSCE review conference in Madrid, this report will serve as an overview of compliance of the two-year period since the Commission undertook its review in the fall of 1980. For the American public, whose support is essential to continued U.S. participation in the CSCE process, the report provides a current picture of major implementation achievements and shortcomings in the most critical areas - the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
The Assassination Attempt on Pope John Paul II
The subject of this hearing, which Commissioner Millicent Fenwick chaired, was whether or not there was the possibility of complicity, on the part of the Soviet and Bulgarian secret police, to Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Agca's assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. As per Principle VI of the Helsinki Final Act, signatory nations are to refrain from direct or indirect assistance to terrorist activities. Bulgaria and the Soviet Union were privy to this at the time of the hearing. The hearing utilized witnesses to shed light as to whether or not Bulgaria and the Soviet Union were honoring this commitment in Principle VI, which was not a guarantee, especially because of Mehmet Ali Agca's potential involvement in a Turkish arms ring that Bulgarians supported. The hearing was part and parcel of an "essential" effort to carefully and impartially examine all evidence of possible Soviet and Bulgarian involvement with Agca.
Human Rights in Czechoslovakia: The Documents of Charter '77, 1977-1982
The documents in this publication reflect the efforts of Czechoslovak citizens to express their opinions on issues of importance to them and on rights guaranteed to them under Czechoslovak law, the Helsinki Final Act, and other international agreements. In Principle VII of the Helsinki Final Act, the participating States confirmed the "right of the individual to know and act upon his rights." They also agreed to "promote and encourage the effective exercise of civil, political, economic, social, cultural and other rights and freedoms all of which derive from the inherent dignity of the human person..." The signatories further pledged to "recognize and respect the freedom of the individual to profess and practice, alone or in community with others, religion or belief acting in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience." Sadly, these noble words ring hollow in Czechoslovakia, one of the 35 signatories to the Helsinki Final Act. In an effort to improve their country's adherence to the principles and spirit of the Helsinki document during the last five years -- over 1,000 czechoslovak citizens -- workers, scholars, clergymen, professionais, students, government employees, scientists and others -- have affixed their names to the manifesto of human rights known as Charter 77. Many have also worked actively with VONS -- the Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Persecuted -- to report and document violations of basic human freedoms. While in most signatory countries these efforts on behalf of human rights would be applauded and rewarded, in Czechoslovakia both signers of Charter 77 and members of VONS have fallen victim to unrelenting government repression. Charter 77 clearly emphasizes that its aim is not to change the existing sociai system, but simply to demonstrate the need for "observance of laws" -- both domestic and international -- by the Czechoslovak authorities. As an example of this committment to international law and other agreements, Charter 77 called upon the Czechosiovak delegation to the Madrid Meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to honor its word and implement all the provisions of the helsinki Final Act, including Principle ViI. The constant surveillance, house searches, detentions, arrests, beatings and terms of imprisonment to which these courageous men and women are subjected are difficult to reconcile with the statements attesting to full implementation presented by the Czechoslovak delegations to both the Belgrade and Madrid review meetings.
Soviet Involvement in the Polish Economy
Commissioner Dante B. Fascell chaired this hearing, the purpose of which was to review the record of Soviet involvement in the planning, direction, and operation of the Polish economy. Before the time of this hearing, Soviet involvement in the Polish economy had been the source of much speculation. More specifically, Poland's economy was functioning poorly, but it was debated whether the fault of this lay more with Poland itself or more with the U.S.S.R. What was hoped to be achieved in the hearing, then, was to shed light on the issue of how Soviet involvement affected the Polish economy, specifically based on the personal experience of one of Poland's leading economists and a former government official, Ambassador Zdzislaw Rurarz.
Soviet Violation of Helsinki Final Act: Invasion of Afghanistan
Attendees at this hearing, over which Commissioner Dante B. Fascell presided, discussed the December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union, an invasion that ran counter to international law due to Afghanistan's status as sovereign and independent. The set of agreements that the Soviet Union signed on to in 1975 with 34 other countries (i.e. the Helsinki Final Act) incorporated rights inherent in a country's sovereignty, refraining from the threat or use of force, the rights of peoples to self-determination, and acceptance of international conduct principles. In short, the Soviet Union's invasion and attempted occupation of Afghanistan had struck at the very heart of these principles, and its invasion had severely damaged the international climate and greatly damaged East-West relations.
A Thematic Survey of the Documents of the Moscow Helsinki Group
The Moscow Public Group to Promote Observance of the Helsinki Accords in the USSR (better known as the Moscow Helsinki Group) announced its formation at a press conference for Western journalists on May 12, 1976. The first statement of the Moscow Helsinki Group publicized the names and addresses of the founding members: Professor Yuri Orlov, Group leader; and founding members Lyudmila Alekseeva, Elena Bonner, Aleksandr Ginzburg, Petro Grigorenko, Malva Landa, Anatoly Marchenko, Vitaly Rubin and Anatoly Shcharansky. (Later, ten other human rights activists joined the Moscow Helsinki Group: Sofya Kalistratova, Ivan Kovalev, Naum Meiman, Yuri Mnyukh, Viktor Nekipelov, Tatiana Osipova, Feliks Serebrov, Vladimir Slepak, Leonard Ternovsky and Yuri Yarym-Agaev.) Believing that human needs and open information are directly related to international security, the Group seeks to inform the CSCE states and public opinion about violations in the USSR of the humanitarian provisions of the Final Act. The Moscow Helsinki Group hopes that the information it provides will be considered at those international meetings (the Belgrade Conference, the Madrid Conference and similar future meetings) which are envisioned in the Final Act, under the section "Followup to the Conference," to examine the fulfillment of obligations under the Helsinki Accords. The Group called itself the Group to Promote the observance of the Helsinki Accords to stress its loyalty to the authorities and its desire to cooperate if they revealed a conscientious attitude towards their Helsinki human rights obligations. The Group members called on other CSCE signatories to create similar citizens groups, since violations of the Final Act human rights provisions are possible in any country.
Fifth Anniversary of the Formation of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group
On November 9, 1976, 10 brave men and women in Kiev organized a citizens' group to examine how the Soviet Government was living up to its Helsinki human rights pledges. Tragically, however, far from greeting this new civic endeavor, the Kremlin, in a savage campaign of official reprisal, singled out the Ukrainian Helsinki Group for especially harsh treatment. By 1981, 30 group activists were in Soviet camps, prisons, and places of exile. The four witnesses at the Helsinki Commission hearing provided expert testimony on Ukraine and the Helsinki process, and their fates gave an insight into the radically different ways in which our Government and that of the Soviet Union reacted to citizen interest in the Helsinki process.
Implementation of the Final Act: Findings and Recommendations Five Years After Helsinki
This report and its findings and recommendations are drawn from material compiled during the Commission's continuing study of Final Act implementation -- with special emphasis on the period since the last report in August 1977. Directed by law to give "particular regard" to the provisions of the Final Act section (Basket III) on Cooperation in Humanitarian and Other Fields, the Commission is: "Further authorized and directed to monitor and encourage the developoment of programs and activities of the United States government and private organizations with a view toward taking advantage of the provisions of the Final Act to expand East-West economic cooperation and a greater interchange of people and ideas between East and West." Guided by its mandate, the Commission has concentrated its attention in this report primarily on the compliance records of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies where, with rare exceptions, the level of implementation in many areas has remained appallingly low and, in some cases, has even regressed. By comparison, Western CSCE states generally have maintained relatively high standards of implementation in all areas of the Final Act and, in particular, in those areas such as human rights where the Eastern record has been most dismal. Therefore, in examining the impact of the Final Act -- actions reflecting compliance with or violations of its articles -- the Commission, in this report, has directed the bulk of its research to those nations whose records under the Helsinki Accords stand the greatest need for improvement.
Review of Implementation of Basket II of the Helsinki Final Act
This hearing, which Commissioner Jonathan B. Bingham chaired, was a joint meeting of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. These organizations held this hearing after the establishment of a new strategy by the U.S. in its relations with the Soviet Union. More specifically, the month before this hearing, the CSCE adopted a resolution condemning the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the arrest and exile of Andrei Sakharov as blatant violations of the Helsinki Final Act. Commissioner Millicent Fenwick, who was also one of the sponsors of legislation creating the CSCE, proposed this resolution. Likewise, the resolution called on the signatory states of the Final Act to join in such protest and undertake such sanctions against the former U.S.S.R. as may be available to them. The hearing itself, then, focused on the current status and prospects of U.S. commercial and economic relationships with the U.S.S.R. and Eastern European countries, implementation of Basket II, efforts to promote better implementation, and the impact the Soviet violation of the Helsinki accords in Afghanistan would have on the Madrid Review Session and the CSCE process as a whole.
Profiles: Helsinki Monitors
In May of 1976, a group of Soviet citizens dedicated themselves to promoting compliance by their government with the humanitarian provisions of the Helsinki Final Act. Collecting and disseminating information on violations of those provisions, these human rights activists thereby expressed their stated conviction that "the issues of humanitarianism and free information have a direct relationship to the problem of international security." Respect for human rights in the USSR, they held, is a precondition for the development of a solid East-West detente. After hearing about the work of the Helsinki Groups on foreign radio broadcasts, many ordinary Soviet citizens began sending the Group information on human rights violations in various areas of the USSR. In this way, the Groups became catalysts, drawing together the disparate strands of Soviet dissent. Group reports reflect these varied concerns: conditions in labor camps and psychiatric hospitals; the problems of religious and ethnic minorities; emigration difficulties; and denials of economic rights. The CSCE Commission translates and compiles these Group documents in its series of "Reports of the Helsinki Accord Monitors in the Soviet Union." Encouraged by the success of the first Helsinki Group in Moscow, other such groups were organized in the Ukraine, Lithuania, Armenia, and Georgia. In Moscow, two allied groups were formed to deal with more specific issues: the Working Commission on the Use of Psychiatry for Political Purposes, and the Christian Committee to Defend the Rights of Believers. In recognition of the sacrifice, dedication, and successful work of all these groups, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe nominated all their members for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 and 1979. During the past two years, other allied groups have emerged: the Initiative Group for the Defense of the Rights of Invalids in the USSR; the Group for the Legal Struggle and Investigation of Facts about the Persecution of Believers in the USSR of the All-Union Church of the Faithful and Free Seventh-Day Adventists; and the Catholic Committee to Defense the Rights of Believers in the USSR. With the addition of these new committees, an even broader spectrum of human rights issues and interests in the Soviet Union is now represented. At the present time, there are 66 men and women in the Helsinki Monitoring Groups in Moscow, Ukraine, Lithuania, Georgia and Armenia. Currently, 26 people have joined the Christian, Catholic and Adventist Committees, the Working Con-miission on Psychiatric Abuse and the Initiative Group for Invalids. For this compilation of biographical information on the present members, the Commission is indebted to the following for their assistance: ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS Amnesty International, Bulletin d'Information, Comite pour I'application des accords d'Helsinki en Georgie, Committee for the Defense of Soviet Political Prisoners, ELTA Information Service, Helsinki Guarantees for Ukraine Committee, Keston College, Khronika Press, Lithuanian-American Community of the U.S.A., Inc., Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid, National Conference on Soviet Jewry, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Smoloskyp, Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, the Ukrainian National Information Service, the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews, Washington Street Research Center. INDIVIDUALS Mr. Victor Abdalov, Mrs. Lyudmila Alekseeva, Gen. and Mrs. Pyotr Grigorenko, Ms. Dina Kaminskaya, Mr. Ambartsum Khlagatyan, Mr. Michael Meerson, Rev. Aleksandr Shmeiman, Mr. Konstantin Simis, Ms. Veronika Stein, Mr. Valentin Turchin, and Ms. Lydia Voronina, Ms. Yulya Zaks.
Fulfilling our Promises: The United States and the Helsinki Final Act (1)
The Commission has three main purposes in preparing this report. First, it hopes to demonstrate the good faith of the U.S. in assessing its Helsinki implementation record in light of criticisms from other CSCE countries and domestic critics. Second, the Commission hopes to stimulate honest implementation evaluations by other CSCE states and thus to lay the groundwork for real progress prior to the next review meeting at Madrid in 1980. Finally, the Commission hopes to encourage improved compliance by the United States. Although the Commission agrees with President Carter that the U.S. record is very good, additional discussion and interaction between responsible government agencies and interested private organizations in a necessary prerequisite to greater progress. This report follows the structures of the Final Act by discussing, in order, each major section or "basket" of the Act. Basket I deals with questions relating to security in Europe which includes Human Rights; Basket II, economic and scientific cooperation; Basket III, cooperation in humanitarian and other fields. Click to read Part 2.
The Commission has three main purposes in preparing this report. First, it hopes to demonstrate the good faith of the U.S. in assessing its Helsinki implementation record in light of criticisms from other CSCE countries and domestic critics. Second, the Commission hopes to stimulate honest implementation evaluations by other CSCE states and thus to lay the groundwork for real progress prior to the next review meeting at Madrid in 1980. Finally, the Commission hopes to encourage improved compliance by the United States. Although the Commission agrees with President Carter that the U.S. record is very good, additional discussion and interaction between responsible government agencies and interested private organizations in a necessary prerequisite to greater progress. This report follows the structures of the Final Act by discussing, in order, each major section or "basket" of the Act. Basket I deals with questions relating to security in Europe which includes Human Rights; Basket II, economic and scientific cooperation; Basket III, cooperation in humanitarian and other fields.
Implementation of The Helsinki Accords Vol. XI – Religious Persecution In U.S.S.R. & HR Violations in Ukraine
The first part of this hearing, led by Commissioner Dante B. Fascell, focused largely on the imprisonment of Russian Pastor Georgi Vins, who had spent eight of the last thirteen years in prison simply due to his occupation. Repression of this Baptist minister exemplified such repression of other Baptist clergymen by the U.S.S.R., whose denomination in the country dated back to the early 1900s. However, in 1965, the Soviet Baptist movement split into the recognized and legitimated all-union Council of Evangelical Christians, and the dissident reform Baptists, making the latter the first Soviet dissident human rights group. The second portion of the hearing discussed Ukrainian political retribution and dissidents, exemplified by the cases of witnesses who had all been political prisoners in the Eastern European country.
Implementation of the Helsinki Accords Vol. IX – U.S. Visa Policies
This briefing discussed how the Helsinki Accord's provisions on the free flow of people apply to the United States. The briefing followed President Carter's commitment to embody the principles outlined in the Helsinki Final Act. Representatives from U.S. government agencies, such as the Department of State and the Department of Justice, and interested civil society organizations testified about their experiences with the current visa regime. The witnesses were asked to make recommendations about the advisability of changing U.S. law to align with the freedom of movement provisions in the Helsinki Accords.
Reports of the Helsinki Accords Monitors in the Soviet Union
This volume is the third compilation of selected documents emerging from the Helsinki accord monitoring groups in the Soviet Union published by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. In a sampling of reports written between late 1976 and the summer of 1978, it is intended, as in the previous compilations, to illustrate the broad range of human rights concerns of the various monitoring groups whose common goal is the furthering of Final Act implementation in their own country. Efforts to promote CSCE compliance in the Soviet Union began in May of 1976 when 11 human rights activists in Moscow, led by Yuri Orlov, formed the first Public Group to Promote Observance of the Helsinki Agreements. Inspired by its example, other Helsinki groups were formed in Kiev, Vilnius, Yerevan and Tbilisi. Additional independent organizations with more narrowly defined focus, such as the Christian Committee for the Defense of Believers' Rights and the Working Commission on the Abuse of Psychiatry for Political Purposes, also emerged. Today, more than 50 group members, representing a broad spectrum of religious, ethnic and professional affiliations, are actively documenting human rights violations and engaged in promoting implementation of the Helsinki accord. While maintaining their individual identities, Soviet monitoring groups have frequently collaborated in their efforts to promote human rights. When the Lithuanian and Ukrainian groups were formed, for example, the Moscow group sponsored a joint news conference to publicize their creation. The Christian Committee, composed of four members of the Russian Orthodox Church, has written appeals on behalf of Adventists, Jews and Baptists. On occasion, two or more groups have issued joint declarations and other documents. Ordinary Soviet citizens, learning of the Helsinki groups via Western radio broadcasts, have traveled thousands of miles from remote regions in order to present documented evidence on human rights violations. Similarly, monitoring group members have journeyed great distances to conduct interviews and related research. Representatives of the Moscow group, for example, were sent to the northern Caucasus and to distant Nakhodka to visit Pentecostal communities desiring to emigrate. The representative documents of the Soviet Helsinki monitoring groups reproduced here address a wide range of human rights concerns: repressions of group members, violations of the rights of ethnic minorities, difficulties of emigration from the USSR, problems of religious believers and difficulties of current and former political prisoners. Economic concerns are also treated in several documents in the compilation. The Soviet monitoring groups carry out their work in an extremely repressive environment. Although 20 members of these organizations have been arrested and imprisoned, many new members have joined. Frequently, documents have been confiscated by the KGB. During a search of Orlov's apartment in Moscow, for example, material documenting persecution of parents advocating religious practices for their children was removed. In another case, Aleksandr Ginzburg's residence was searched and information on the health of seriously ill political prisoners was seized. The documents of the Soviet Helsinki monitors are truly a testament to their strength, courage and dedication. Their long-range goal -- the achievement of a humane society based on respect for law -- has yet to be realized. But already they have attained a moral victory in gaining the attention and respect of private and governmental groups throughout the world.
Helsinki Commission Annual Report - 1978
Created in 1976 as an independent agency to monitor and encourage compliance with the 1975 Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), the Commission has carried out its responsiblities in a variety of ways during the 95th Congress. Primary focus of Commission activity during the past two years was on the Belgrade CSCE review conference which met from June 1977 to March 1978 to review implementation by all signatories of the military and security, economic and scientific, humanitarian and other goals of the Helsinki Final Act. The Commission was instrumental in formulating U.S. policy for the Belgrade meeting and then played an important and active role as part of the U.S. delegation to the review conference. It has also been active in planning for and staffing official U.S. delegations to a subsequent meeting of scientific experts in Bonn, as well as other conferences within the CSCE process. In addition to carrying out its monitoring and informational responsibilities in major international fora, the Commission has been extremely active on a day-to-day basis in promoting implementation of the Helsinki accords. Extensive and continuing hearings during the last two years have provided an important source of information on the state of Helsinki Final Act implementation, particularly in the human rights area. Human rights, especially family reunification, was also the subject of a large number of Commission meetings and staff interviews during the 95th Congress. As a result, the Commission has been able to provide a regular flow of reports and information to the Congress, press and public on human rights and other issues involving Helsinki Final Act implementation. The Commission has a unique role in policy formulation and coordination on CSCE; during the past two years, Commissioners and staff held extensive meetings with officials of the Executive Branch to review and initiate CSCE policy issues. In addition, periodic consultations were held with officials of the other signatory governments. It is likely that this process will intensify and expand in anticipation of the next major review conference at Madrid in 1980.
Implementation Of The Helsinki Accords Vol. VI – Soviet Law And Helsinki Monitors
This briefing discussed the repression against human rights activists in the Soviet Union. Chairman Fascell and Commissioner Leahy oversaw the testimony of several American lawyers representing imprisoned members of the Moscow-Helsinki Group detailing the abuses committed against their clients. Numerous documents from Soviet citizens were also submitted to the record documenting the Soviet authorities' violations of the Helsinki Accords' human rights provisions.
Soviet Law and the Helsinki Monitors
Between February 3, 1977 and June 1, 1978, twenty Soviet citizens active in the defense of human rights in five different Republics were arrested and imprisoned; two others, traveling abroad on Soviet passports, were stripped of their citizenship and denied the right to return to the USSR. All are members of the Public Groups to Promote Observance of the Helsinki Agreement in the USSR (the Soviet Helsinki Watch) or, in the case of two men, of its subsidiary Working Commission to Investigate the Abuse of Psychiatry for Political Purposes. The twenty-one men and one woman are being punished under a variety of different criminal charges. Their "crime," however, is identical: political dissent, expressed in the non-violent, open effort to spur Soviet authorities to implement the human rights and humanitarian undertakings of the August 1975 Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Accord.) The following study by the staff of the U. S. Commission on . Security and Cooperation in Europe examines the workings of Soviet law and criminal procedure as applied in these cases of political dissent. It discusses the guarantees of Soviet law, including international covenants ratified by the USSR, against arbitrary arrest and unfair trial and compares those to the practices used against the Helsinki Watchers. From the study it is evident that those guarantees -- both substantive and procedural -- have been repeatedly violated in the persecution and prosecution of the twenty-two human rights activists. The violations uncovered range from improper conduct of pre-arrest house searches through illegally prolonged pre-trial detention to unlawful denial of the rights of the defense at the trial. This pattern of official conduct toward free, but dissenting political expression is not new in the Soviet Union. In the treatment of the Soviet Helsinki Watch, however, it has been systematic and can be termed, without question, a gross and intentional violation of both the pledges in the Final Act and the safeguards promised by the Soviet Constitution, Criminal Codes and Codes of Criminal Procedure.
The Belgrade Followup Meeting to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe: A Report and Appraisal
For some 5 months -- between October 4, 1977, and March 9, 1978 -- delegates of the 35 nations that signed the 1975 Helsinki accord met in Belgrade to determine how well the commitments set out in the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe had been kept. From their work, a new ingredient in East-West diplomacy emerged: The recognition of human rights as an integral aspect of detente. This is an important step on the road toward making Europe a place where human rights are universally respected in all countries, even though it carries no guarantees of speedy remedies for existing abuses. Although the Belgrade meeting examined new proposals, drafted a concluding document and scheduled the next review meeting, the main work of the Belgrade meeting was a line-by-line review of the Final Act. This complex document contained provisions for regulating the political relations between the states of Europe, for easing military tensions among them, and for improving trade, commerce and the flow of people and ideas between East and West. But the elements that caught the imaginations and enthusiasm of ordinary citizens were those guaranteeing human rights and fundamental freedoms and promoting policies among governments which would enhance their consistent observance. To understand the advance made at Belgrade and the limits on it, it is necessary to remember that CSCE decisions of the 35 countries can only be arrived at unanimously; each nation can reject any proposal or document by merely denying consensus. Moreover, the discussions at Belgrade were closed to the public and not transcribed, except for 2 weeks of formal, on-the-record speeches at the start and end of the meeting. Given these circumstances, Belgrade was more what therapists would call an "encounter session" than what jurists would regard as a tribunal. It was better suited for exchanges of views and arguments than for the issuance of formal findings or decrees. The United States and its allies-along with many of the neutral and nonalined countries-sought to make the review of Final Act implementation the touchstone of the Belgrade meeting. For the United States, the most urgent and important matters centered on questions of human rights, for it was here that performance was most glaringly deficient. The working sessions at Belgrade demonstrated the determination of Western and neutral signatories to record specific criticisms of Eastern implementation of the Helsinki Final Act.
The Belgrade CSCE Meeting - U.S. Delegation Statements, Oct. 6 to Dec. 22
During this reporting period, the most-significant development affecting implementation of commitments undertaken at the Conference of Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) was the beginning on October 4 in Belgrade of the first CSCE follow-up meeting. President Carter's appointment of the distinguished American jurist and diplomat, Arthur J. Goldberg, as Chairman of the US delegation and Ambassador-at-large for CSCE demonstrates the importance which the President attaches to the CSCE process and to the Belgrade meeting in particular. This meeting provides the first opportunity to conduct a full review of the understandings contained in the CSCE Final Act, signed by 35 heads of state at Helsinki in August 1975. It also offers a forum to set forth clearly the President's personal commitment to a dialogue on humanitarian matters as one of the fundamental aspects of detente. Ambassador Goldberg leads a delegation which includes all of the Congressional members of the CSCE Commission as well as members of the Commission staff, a number of distinguished public members from business, academia, the labor movement and other walks of life, plus representatives of several government departments and agencies. In preparing for the Belgrade conference, the United States delega-t tion called upon the resources of other government departments and, with the assistance of the CSCE Commission, heard the views of numerous private organizations whose interests are affected by provisions of the Final Act. As a result, Ambassador Goldberg entered the Belgrade meeting with the broad support of the American people for his important task. On instructions approved personally by the President, all delegation members are working to assure that the Belgrade discussions result in an honest and candid review of areas where progress has been made and of areas where greater efforts are needed, especially in the vital field of human rights. The Administration shares the view expressed in the report issued by the CSCE Commission on the second anniversary of the Helsinki Summit that the Final Act offers significant potential for improvement of relations between East and West. We also agree that much of that potential is yet to be realized. The Belgrade meeting has offered a unique opportunity to give new impetus to the longterm process initiated with signature of the Final Act and to ensure that the great potential represented by this process is not left to dissipate. The Belgrade meeting is a new venture in the history of East- West relations. It is not a negotiation as such, and it does not look toward a new agreement or to changes in the Helsinki Final Act. Its task is to conduct an exchange of views on experience gained during the past two years and to examine means of deepening coopera- tion in the future. The experience gained in the course of this exchange will be one of the most important results of the meeting. Based on this experience, the participants should be better able to pursue implementation both in their own countries and in their mutual relations in years to come.
U. S. Helsinki Commission
234 Ford House Office Building
3rd and D Streets SW, Washington, DC 20515
TEL: 202-225-1901 | FAX: 202-226-4199 | EMAIL: INFO@CSCE.GOV | PRIVACY STATEMENT
Copyright © 2016 Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: CSCE. All rights reserved.


Today, Jan. 13, 2017, in a Sarnia ON courthouse, all criminal charges were dropped against Vanessa Gray, Stone Stewart, and Sarah Scanlon—the three individuals who allegedly shut down the Enbridge Line 9 tar sands and Bakken oil pipeline near Sarnia ON on Dec. 21, 2015.
The most serious charge the three individuals were facing was mischief endangering life, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The prosecution, the Crown, indicated today in court that this most serious charge was dropped because there was no chance of conviction. The Crown also indicated that it had consulted with Enbridge on this course of action.
To finalize the dropping of the charges, the three defendants agreed to enter into a legally binding peace bond for 18 months. This means that the individuals agree not to act on Enbridge Pipeline Inc property and keep the peace for the duration of the bond.
For more in-depth coverage, see the article Line 9 protesters beat bad rap by David Gray-Donald in NOW Toronto, published Jan 18, 2017.


text:
Epstein-Barr Virus May Be Leading Cause of Multiple Sclerosis
Why We Feel Confident About Decisions We Make
Using Neurofeedback as a Means of Treating Feelings of Self-Blame in Depression
New Information on the Early Stages of Dementia With Lewy Bodies
· September 8, 2021
Summary: New findings reinforce the idea that dementia with Lewy bodies can be pathologically classified as two different and distinct disease types.
Source: University of Helsinki
Results obtained in a study recently completed at the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital reinforce the notion that dementia with Lewy bodies can be pathologically classified into two different disease types.
Dementia with Lewy bodies is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, and it affects millions of people globally. This type of progressive memory disorder has features associated with both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
At the tissue level, accumulations known as Lewy bodies that contain the alpha-synuclein protein, are found in the limbic system of the brain, in the cerebral cortex and the brainstem.
Two years ago, researchers at the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital demonstrated that pathological changes of dementia with Lewy bodies occur in two different forms. In the more common form of the disease, changes progress upwards from the brainstem, while those associated with the other disease type originate in the amygdala.
Now, the researchers have advanced their investigations further.
"We continued our studies, focusing on the olfactory bulb in the brain. The olfactory bulb is considered one of the first brain regions where alpha-synuclein accumulations relating to dementia with Lewy bodies occur," says Liisa Myllykangas, a neuropathologist and clinical instructor.
In the follow-up study, the researchers utilised a unique Finnish population-based neuropathological dataset (N=291). Alpha-synuclein accumulations in the olfactory bulb have not previously been investigated in non-selected population datasets.
At the tissue level, accumulations known as Lewy bodies that contain the alpha-synuclein protein, are found in the limbic system of the brain, in the cerebral cortex and the brainstem. Image is in the public domain
Based on the results, two patterns of accumulations can be identified in the olfactory bulb, with differences seen in their anatomical location and severity.
"Comparing the findings with the two types of dementia with Lewy bodies defined in our prior study, we noted that the different alpha-synuclein accumulation patterns in the olfactory bulb have a strong association with these two disease types," Myllykangas says.
The results support the view that the first changes caused by dementia with Lewy bodies take place in the olfactory bulb in persons whose disease progresses to the amygdala and the rest of the limbic system at an early stage. In contrast, the onset of the other disease type occurs in the brainstem, spreading later to the olfactory bulb. The findings reinforce the notion that dementia with Lewy bodies can be classified into two different disease types.
About this neurology research news
Author: Elina Kirvesniemi
Contact: Elina Kirvesniemi – University of Helsinki
"Alpha-synuclein pathology of olfactory bulbs/peduncles in the Vantaa85+ cohort exhibit two divergent patterns: a population-based study" by Liisa Myllykangas et al. Acta Neuropathologica
"Springing Forward" Affects Early Birds Less Than Night Owls
Alpha-synuclein pathology of olfactory bulbs/peduncles in the Vantaa85+ cohort exhibit two divergent patterns: a population-based study
In Lewy body diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), alpha-synuclein accumulates intraneuronally in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Recent studies have suggested that spread of alpha-synuclein positive Lewy-related pathology (LRP) follows two distinct patterns—caudo-rostral progression and an amygdala-based progression, the latter usually seen together with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology.
alpha-synucleinamygdalabrain researchcerebral cortexdementiaLewy bodiesLewy body dementialimbic systemneurobiologyneurodegenerative diseasesNeurologyNeuroscienceUniversity of Helsinki
I'm assuming that an origin in the brain stem corresponds to Parkinson's that originates with aggregated alpha-synuclein in the gut and travels up the vagus nerve to the brain, while an origin in the olfactory bulb corresponds to Parkinson's that originates with aggregated alpha-synuclein in the nose that crosses to the olfactory bulb via the cribiform plate. These are the two main pathways to so-called idiopathic Parkinson's pee Braak's hypothesis. So it appears that the pathways and timing of the spreading aggregated protein differbased on the port of entry. Probably this is what distinguishes Dementia with Lewy Bodies from Parkinson's Dementia–it's just a matter of whether the spreading blight reaches the cognitive areas or the nigrostriatal area first.
Roland Alarid says:
As an 80 year young man 👨 graduate from college 3 years ago, life is different. No big medical problem but hand shakes. Intellect and intelligence as writer vital going into production videos? Yes! R.A.😅

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We McLaughlins and Faders were of course excited for John when he was featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer for his international medicine interests several months ago, but secretly jealous as well. Angling for some fancy publicity of our own, we finally landed a magazine deal and photoshoot just this past week.
Seriously, Jason and I (Rachel) were surprised to find out last week that St. Joe's recommended us to a Detroit area magazine called the Ambassador for a medical doctor "human interest" feature the magazine was doing. Basically, every year they feature area doctors who have a unique story to tell. Last year two of my OB-GYN attendings, who happen to be married to each other, were featured and interviewed about family life and their son, who they had recently adopted from Vietnam. This year, we were invited to talk about our plans to head to Kenya after residency.
So, two nights ago a reporter and photographer came by our place and spent a few hours with us, getting our story and then doing a fairly professional-looking photo shoot in our kitchen. I know, sounds like a weird place for a photo shoot, but I think it worked. We even got Anna to participate in the fun as the pictures demonstrate (she gathered up some props from around the house). The magazine article should be coming out in early summer, before we leave, so stay tuned and we'll provide a link when it's available.
March has come, and two McCropder homes are for sale. With this come thoughts of moving, and with this comes rising excitement. And with this move comes a process of shedding a large portion of our "things".
Let's obtain a little perspective. We heard about a Peace Corps volunteer who brought 90 pounds of toiletries. That is not us. I can get by with less clothing than any other American I've met (possibly excepting fellow McCropders), and Rachel and I together will take a single small backpack for an enire weekend.
And yet I'm forced to admit my attachment to "things". My piano, my CS Lewis books, the pottery I made in college, my awesome antique copy of The Book of Common Prayer. They will likely all stay behind. This thought broadens my horizon, and I remember that this life itself is finite, and all things will be left behind. The music I've recorded, our family photos, our wedding rings.
Paul says that he counts it all as rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus. There is no clenched fist, but a joyful casting aside, like a river rejoicing to fling itself over a waterfall, to crash on the rocks below. Jesus tells us to store up treasure in heaven, for here on earth moth and rust destroy; thieves break in and steal. He says to put our treasures in a safe place, away from these destructive elements, and our hearts will then be safe as well.
This is true, universally, but I earnestly need the reminder, for the rubber is meeting the road. I wish I could say that it is easy. I wish I could say that my treasure is not on earth, for that has serious implications for the place of my heart. But honest acknowledgement is a necessary beginning, and so I know I need help. Thanks be to God, my ever-present help.
More and more, I'm learning that international aid and its ramifications are quite complicated issues, and I'm far from a nihilist on the issue. Nonetheless, I think the following comments from Ugandan journalist Andrew Mwenda are very interesting, and bear close scrutiny. The context of this video was found here, and the comments to the original post provide some necessary feedback.
Andrew Mwenda on Taxation and Accountability in International Aid from DRI on Vimeo.
One of the more frequent questions I am asked when people find out I am moving to Kenya concerns raising my children there. Far from being a reason to stay here in the U.S., raising my kids in Africa is one of the more compelling reasons for me to live there.
Having spent much of my childhood in Kenya, I experienced many things of which I would hate to deprive my children. I attended school at Rift Valley Academy, which is attended by children from over 20 different nationalities. This environment provided a wonderful perspective of the diverse world we live in. Family vacations consisted of driving to game parks and watching lions play, or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, or scuba diving in the Indian Ocean. I had a dirt bike (see picture), and my friends and I used to ride down to the Great Rift Valley, which I could see from my bedroom window. I was able to spend a lot of time in the operating room starting in 5th grade when I watched cardiac surgery. Being in the hospital gave me the opportunity to see many desperately sick patients and certainly had an impact on my desire to spend my career back in Africa.
Sure I missed out on some things… We rarely watched movies. I did not always have the newest toys. There was no McDonald's for thousands of miles. And my sense of fashion was always several years behind (though my sister tells me I still have a lot of work to do on this one).
Although no place is perfect, I feel very blessed to have grown up in Africa, and I hope to provide my children the same opportunity.


Hello, I just purchased a V-Mate from Amazon, but it only came with the USB cable and the unit itself. The seller claims she only used it as a card reader and never received all of the "other" things. Well, that makes it pretty useless unless I can find a power supply, remote control, IR emitter, and 2 A/V cables. Does anyone know where I can find these?
I do have a Philips TS1000 Pronto programmable remote if someone has the ccf file they could share with me. I can also "butcher" up a power supply, and I have an IR emitter from an old JVC VCR if someone can tell me if it will work. I also have a 4 pin mini connector to A/V cables from an old video camera, but I would need to know what the pinout is, that V-Mate uses.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but I was really excited to try this thing, and then it came with all the parts missing!
You'd probably be better off returning it and buying one from from a 'real' dealer, maybe a brick & mortar store. This way you'd get a waranty and you'd have the support of somewhere to return it for any warranty issues or go for any missing parts.
Thanks Tapeworm - that is exactly what I did - returned the unit. Not sure I really need to pursue this device anymore - I really wanted it for the ability to change channels using the IR emitter and schedule timed recordings on my DVR; the recordings on flash memory was just a bonus. Not sure the emitter would have controlled my cable supplied box anyway. I really did want to try it, oh well, I guess it was not to be.


Do you want to stop "SHOULDING" on yourself and start living the life you WANT to live instead?
This group program is for women that want to make something exciting happen this year and are committed to no longer letting fear, doubt and uncertainty stand between them and their dreams. They also would love to be on their journey with a group of like-minded women that have their back. The program is a combo of 1:1 coaching and group coaching with ongoing, unlimited coaching support via email. I'm passionate about helping you live the life you crave, so let's get to work!
Get you super clear on what you'd like to create in your life.
Help you take complete ownership for your health, happiness and the future you want to create.
Provide you with the practices needed to move beyond the fears, doubts, insecurities and indecision that may be holding you back.
And you'll be doing this with ongoing support from like-minded women that are also committed to playing big and fully engaging with their dreams.
The format: This program is a combo of individual coaching, teaching (based on the science of Positive Psychology) and group coaching and support.
A 1:1 coaching session with me at the beginning of the program. This discovery session will lay the foundation for our work together and will be approximately 90 minutes.
Two 60-minute group calls per month (March – July) with content, coaching, and support. Note, the calls will be structured for 60 minutes and I will stay on call for an additional 30 minutes for anyone that would like additional support. Call will be held on Zoom and recordings will be provided.
Registration: Registration is now open and space is limited. My goal is to have a vibrant group of women while keeping the group small enough for intimacy.
Investment: The cost of the program is $995 but if you'd like a payment plan you can do 6 payments of $199/mo.
Timing: Timing: Each participant will receive a 1:1 coaching session (approx. 90 minutes) upon registration and group coaching calls will begin the week of March 19.
Questions? Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have. You can reach me at dana@danahilmer.com or at 203-645-9032. I hope to hear from you!


As is to be expected, Brexit is going to have a significant effect on nearly every sector in Britain and in Europe. A major sector which is surprisingly often overlooked is the events industry. Major events in the UK and Europe bring in a significant amount of revenue for their host economy. From temporary building hire to event staffing solutions, there will be so many branches of this large industry that will be affected enormously. Read on and find out how we think Brexit will impact on the events industry as we know it.
After a little more than half of the British population voted to leave the EU, the guessing game as to how it is going to affect the UK has been rife. The first look at Brexit was disheartening to say the very least. The stock markets took a hit and consumers have second-guessed the British companies they were depending on. After this, on the plus side, it was only looking up as companies started to regain trust but nevertheless doubts still remain. The financial sector is the most affected by Brexit and also the most important for the British economy since it accounts for two million jobs.


text:
Ігою () — село у повіті Вилча в Румунії. Входить до складу комуни Алуну.

Село розташоване на відстані 193 км на захід від Бухареста, 44 км на захід від Римніку-Вилчі, 80 км на північ від Крайови.

Населення
За даними перепису населення 2002 року у селі проживали  особи, з них 1070 осіб (99,8%) румунів. Рідною мовою 1070 осіб (99,8%) назвали румунську.

Примітки

Села повіту Вилча

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


When you are worried about an aging loved one or client, you may suggest taking a look at an assisted care setting. Often, this does not go over well. It seems that most people have the notion that staying in their own home forever is the ideal. For many people, this may be possible, depending on their health situation, support system, and financial status. Aging Wisely helps families analyze options and resources for remaining safe and happy at home.
For others, a retirement community, assisted living facility, or nursing facility may not only be necessary, but a truly positive change. For information on terminology and levels of assisted care in Florida, see our article: https://www.agingwisely.com/assisted-living-options-in-florida/.
What are some of the benefits of moving into a retirement community that offers some services or assistance?
How to approach this subject with their loved ones.
Providing an independent assessment of the situation and options.
Giving guidance about resources, options, costs and facilities.
Choosing the right facility for the individual.
Analyzing a budget, insurance and benefit options and costs/benefits of various scenarios.
Help completing necessary paperwork and understanding admissions process.
Complete coordination (or ala carte services) of the move including setting up movers, downsizing, estate sales, real estate professionals, changing addresses, and all the little details.
Helping with the emotional aspects of the transition. Advising families on the best ways to make the transition and helping introduce clients to their new environment and make it a positive move.
Oversight and coordination at the facility for out of area family members, acting as their eyes and ears and being the local emergency contact.
Being another set of eyes and ears for local families and giving the professional expertise often needed, reviewing the client's chart, and noticing changes or concerns that our experience may alert us to more quickly; advocating for clients.
Helping families get the best care for their loved ones, understanding realistic care expectations and help navigating the care system and managing crises or changes that arise.
Family members concerned about their aging loved one and needing guidance, an independent assessment, or help convincing family members to get help.
Professionals assisting clients or families in planning for their later years.
Responsible parties, whether family members or professionals, trying to decide on the best care setting and options for their loved one/client.
Professionals with a fiduciary duty or other responsibility to a client, helping to ensure wise choices are made.
Clients who need help organizing a move and are overwhelmed by all the tasks.
Facility staff who have potential residents who might be hesitant to move, by helping clients see the benefits of moving and assisting them with the overwhelming process.
Case managers and social workers having difficulty finding placement for client's special needs or concerned that someone is unsafe to return home.
Family members who have begun looking for facilities but realize it is a complex decision and want to make the best choice for their loved one.
Families who are disagreeing about what is best for a loved one, or the professionals who are working with such families or clients.
Families looking to move their aging or disabled loved one to the Tampa area.
Out of area families wishing to relocate their loved one to a facility nearer to them.


Bring in a royal cake for greeting your lovely kid on her special day. Fondant and cream are used to decorate the cake and give a ravishing look. So, jump into this wonderful land of cake and greet your loved ones happily.


text:
import os, sys, re
import ConfigParser

from mic import msger
from mic import kickstart
from mic.utils import misc, runner, proxy, errors

def get_siteconf():
    mic_path = os.path.dirname(__file__)
    eos = mic_path.find('scripts') + len('scripts')
    scripts_path = mic_path[:eos]

    return scripts_path + "/lib/image/config/wic.conf"

class ConfigMgr(object):
    prefer_backends = ["zypp", "yum"]

    DEFAULTS = {'common': {
                    "distro_name": "Default Distribution",
                    "plugin_dir": "/usr/lib/wic/plugins", # TODO use prefix also?
                },
                'create': {
                    "tmpdir": '/var/tmp/wic',
                    "cachedir": '/var/tmp/wic/cache',
                    "outdir": './wic-output',

                    "arch": None, # None means auto-detect
                    "pkgmgr": "auto",
                    "name": "output",
                    "ksfile": None,
                    "ks": None,
                    "repomd": None,
                    "local_pkgs_path": None,
                    "release": None,
                    "logfile": None,
                    "record_pkgs": [],
                    "pack_to": None,
                    "name_prefix": None,
                    "name_suffix": None,
                    "proxy": None,
                    "no_proxy": None,
                    "copy_kernel": False,
                    "install_pkgs": None,
                    "repourl": {},
                    "localrepos": [],  # save localrepos
                    "runtime": "bootstrap",
                },
                'chroot': {
                    "saveto": None,
                },
                'convert': {
                    "shell": False,
                },
                'bootstrap': {
                    "rootdir": '/var/tmp/wic-bootstrap',
                    "packages": [],
                },
               }

    # make the manager class as singleton
    _instance = None
    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
        if not cls._instance:
            cls._instance = super(ConfigMgr, cls).__new__(cls, *args, **kwargs)

        return cls._instance

    def __init__(self, ksconf=None, siteconf=None):
        # reset config options
        self.reset()

        if not siteconf:
            siteconf = get_siteconf()

        # initial options from siteconf
        self._siteconf = siteconf

        if ksconf:
            self._ksconf = ksconf

    def reset(self):
        self.__ksconf = None
        self.__siteconf = None

        # initialize the values with defaults
        for sec, vals in self.DEFAULTS.iteritems():
            setattr(self, sec, vals)

    def __set_siteconf(self, siteconf):
        try:
            self.__siteconf = siteconf
            self._parse_siteconf(siteconf)
        except ConfigParser.Error, error:
            raise errors.ConfigError("%s" % error)
    def __get_siteconf(self):
        return self.__siteconf
    _siteconf = property(__get_siteconf, __set_siteconf)

    def __set_ksconf(self, ksconf):
        if not os.path.isfile(ksconf):
            msger.error('Cannot find ks file: %s' % ksconf)

        self.__ksconf = ksconf
        self._parse_kickstart(ksconf)
    def __get_ksconf(self):
        return self.__ksconf
    _ksconf = property(__get_ksconf, __set_ksconf)

    def _parse_siteconf(self, siteconf):
        if not siteconf:
            return

        if not os.path.exists(siteconf):
            msger.warning("cannot read config file: %s" % siteconf)
            return

        parser = ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser()
        parser.read(siteconf)

        for section in parser.sections():
            if section in self.DEFAULTS:
                getattr(self, section).update(dict(parser.items(section)))

        # append common section items to other sections
        for section in self.DEFAULTS.keys():
            if section != "common":
                getattr(self, section).update(self.common)

        # check and normalize the scheme of proxy url
        if self.create['proxy']:
            m = re.match('^(\w+)://.*', self.create['proxy'])
            if m:
                scheme = m.group(1)
                if scheme not in ('http', 'https', 'ftp', 'socks'):
                    msger.error("%s: proxy scheme is incorrect" % siteconf)
            else:
                msger.warning("%s: proxy url w/o scheme, use http as default"
                              % siteconf)
                self.create['proxy'] = "http://" + self.create['proxy']

        proxy.set_proxies(self.create['proxy'], self.create['no_proxy'])

        # bootstrap option handling
        self.set_runtime(self.create['runtime'])
        if isinstance(self.bootstrap['packages'], basestring):
            packages = self.bootstrap['packages'].replace('\n', ' ')
            if packages.find(',') != -1:
                packages = packages.split(',')
            else:
                packages = packages.split()
            self.bootstrap['packages'] = packages

    def _parse_kickstart(self, ksconf=None):
        if not ksconf:
            return

        ksconf = misc.normalize_ksfile(ksconf,
                                       self.create['release'],
                                       self.create['arch'])

        ks = kickstart.read_kickstart(ksconf)

        self.create['ks'] = ks
        self.create['name'] = os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(ksconf))[0]

        self.create['name'] = misc.build_name(ksconf,
                                              self.create['release'],
                                              self.create['name_prefix'],
                                              self.create['name_suffix'])

    def set_runtime(self, runtime):
        if runtime not in ("bootstrap", "native"):
            msger.error("Invalid runtime mode: %s" % runtime)

        if misc.get_distro()[0] in ("tizen", "Tizen"):
            runtime = "native"
        self.create['runtime'] = runtime

configmgr = ConfigMgr()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Feeling Moody? Here's Some Quick Ways To Turn That Frown Upside Down!
If you're feeling on edge lately, it might be for reasons you don't even realize! But don't worry, you can turn that frown upside down! Check out these simple and easy life hacks that are sure to make you feel a happier in no time!


text:
Deron John Miller (* 21. Mai 1976 in Chester, Pennsylvania) ist ein US-amerikanischer Musiker. Bekanntheit erlange er als Sänger und Gitarrist der Rockband CKY, die er mitgründete und in der er bis 2012 spielte.

Laufbahn
1980 zog Miller mit seinen Eltern und seinen Brüdern Aaron und Matt nach Marlton in New Jersey, wo er elf Jahre lang lebte. Laut eigenen Aussagen hatte er dort kein sehr glückliches Leben, da die Kinder in seiner Nachbarschaft und auf seiner Schule seine Interessen nicht teilten.

Bereits damals interessierte er sich für Musik. Als größten musikalischen Einfluss führt Miller die Band KISS an. Durch Erfahrungen, die er in Marlton machte wurde er, wie er selbst sagt, zu dem was er heute ist.

1991 kehrte Miller nach West Chester zurück. 1992 lernte er dort den Schlagzeuger Jess Margera kennen. Die ersten Proben waren laut Aussagen Millers wenig produktiv, da Miller sehr Death-Metal-orientiert war und Margera keinen Death-Metal-Hintergrund hatte. Stattdessen spielte er klassische Rockbeats. Daraus fusionierte sich der spätere Sound für ihr gemeinsames Projekt "Foreign Objects". Doch da sie mit diesem Sound wenig Anklang fanden, wechselten sie später ihre musikalische Richtung und schrieben radiofreundlichere Songs. Das neue Projekt hieß nun "Oil". Im Jahr 1998 gründete Miller, zusammen mit Jess Margera und Chad I Ginsburg, die Band CKY.

Deron Miller spielte während seiner Zeit in CKY fast ausschließlich Parker-Gitarren. Von Parker bekam er auch ein eigenes Signaturemodel. In Musikvideos ist er oft mit einer "Parker Fly" oder einer "Parker P38" zu sehen. Seit sich Parker 2016 auflöste, spielte er sie nicht mehr. Nun wird er von "Esoterik guitars", einem kleinen Gitarrenhersteller gesponsert.

CKY
Genervt von dem, was im Radio lief, taten sich Miller, Margera und Ginsburg zusammen, um an ihrem ersten Studioalbum zu arbeiten. Ginsburg war fasziniert von dem Song "Disengage the simulator" und trat der Band als Produzent und Gitarrist bei.

Bei ihrem ersten Album "Volume 1.", welches sie 1999 über ihr eigenes Label "Distant Records" veröffentlichten, experimentierten sie viel mit Soundmöglichkeiten herum. Dieses Album kann man wohl als Findungsphase der Band bezeichnen. Auf vielen Songs klingt das Schlagzeug zum Beispiel sehr unterschiedlich. Zu dieser Zeit spielten sie auch auf der Warped Tour 1999 und 2000. Dort waren sie nicht einmal als offizieller Act auf einer Bühne. Stattdessen spielten sie auf dem Festivalgelände und verkauften dort Demos und selbstgedruckte T-Shirts. 2000 wurden sie von Volcom Entertainment gesigned und "Volume 1." wurde erneut veröffentlicht. 2001 wurden sie von The Island Def Jam Music Group gesigned und "Volume 1." wurde erneut weltweit herausgebracht.

Erste kommerzielle Erfolge erzielten sie mit ihrem Album "Infiltrate-Destroy-Rebuild", welches 2002 erschien und sich weltweit 315.000 Mal verkaufte. 2003 spielten sie als Vorband für Bands wie Metallica oder Guns N Roses.

2005 folgte das Album "An Answer Can Be Found", welches als Dankeschön an die CKY-Alliance (die Fanbase) gerichtet ist. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt war Miller bei Liveauftritten oft betrunken. Nach weiteren Auftritten und Streitigkeiten innerhalb der Band nahm sich Miller 2007 eine Auszeit, um sich seinem Nebenprojekt "World Under Blood" zu widmen. Zu dieser Zeit hatten CKY bereits mit Aufnahmen für ein weiteres Studioalbum begonnen. Die anderen Bandmitglieder nahmen sich nach den entstandenen Spannungen auch eine Auszeit. Es zog Miller zu seinen Death-Metal-Wurzeln zurück. Nach eigenen Aussagen fiel es ihm schwer Strukturen für alternative Rocksongs zu finden. Den Großteil des Songkataloges der Band schrieb Miller selbst.

Nach einer langen Pause nahmen sie die Arbeit an ihrem neuen Studioalbum wieder auf. Via Roadrunner Records erschien 2009 das Album "Carver City", welches jedoch nicht (trotz Unterstützung eines Major Labels) an die Erfolge der Vorgänger anknüpfen konnte. In diversen Interviews zu dieser Zeit kann man die Spannungen innerhalb der Band gut erkennen. 2010 spielten sie auf dem Sonisphere Festival. 2011 spielten sie noch diverse Shows und tourten. 2012, bereits ein Jahr darauf, gab Miller seinen Austritt aus der Band bekannt. Das letzte Konzert, was er mit CKY spielte, war die "Christmas Show" am 18. Dezember 2011.

2013 und 2014 gab es diverse Versuche, die Band wieder ins Leben zu rufen und die Arbeit an einem weiteren Album aufzunehmen. Jedoch kam es wieder zu Streitigkeiten unter den Bandmitgliedern.

96 Bitter Beings
Zur Zeit spielt er in seiner neuen Band "96 Bitter Beings". Benannt nach dem bekanntesten Song "96 Quite Bitter Beings" von CKY. Mit dieser Band veröffentlichte er 2018 das Album "Camp Pain". Ein weiteres Album "Synergy Restored" wurde bereits 2019 angekündigt, jedoch wurde das Releasedatum oftmals verschoben aufgrund der COVID-19-Pandemie und Unstimmigkeiten mit dem neuen Label. Miller wolle nach eigenen Aussagen auf einen geeigneten Moment für das Release warten, um es auch auf Tour supporten zu können.

Weblinks
 Deron Miller auf IMDb
 Deron Miller auf Facebook
 Deron Miller auf Twitter

Einzelnachweise

Musiker (Vereinigte Staaten)
US-Amerikaner
Geboren 1976
Mann


Apex Biotech Ltd is one of the leading China rangoon creeper extract manufacturers equipped with professional factory, welcome to wholesale cheap rangoon creeper extract, quisqualic acid, rangoon creeper fruit extract, fructus quisqualis p.e, rangoon creeper extract 10:1 from us.
Latin Name: Quisqualis indica L.
1. To treat abdominal pain due to roundworms, the herb can be stir-baked fragrant.
2. To treat infantile malnutrition, indigestion, emaciation with sallow complexion or abdominal pain due to parasitosis.
3. Used in combination with black plum, chinaberry bark and other herb for expelling rondworms for heavy infestation.


Oh, I see where they got their name!
Atlas Pub is a new addition to the financial quarter, taking over from the brilliant but doomed Create. It's run by the same people behind The Pour House and Épernay, so there's already something to live up to.
As well as the weird name (who puts "Pub" in the name of a pub?), this pub has described itself as "London-style". We're not exactly sure what that means but amazingly after visiting we couldn't have described it better ourselves.
Emily stands in the London-style bar area. Look at the whisky!
The emphasis here is obviously on the food. There's a decent-sized varied menu and the food is good. But, as we always say, we're here for the beer. There are 6 casks from Wharfebank, Leeds and Thwaites and an uninteresting selection of kegs (the most interesting two were Kaltenberg and Sagres). In the fridge we saw Duvel, both kinds of Vedett, Asahi and Blue Moon. Their beer selection would be good in most places but in Leeds it's not going to get 5 stars. The whisky selection is another story, but we're not Leeds Whisky Quest!
Of course, what really lets Atlas Pub down for us is the very thing it wants to be: a magnet for suited business types. Everything about it from the menu to the décor to the size to the drinks selection is designed to appeal to large numbers of casual drinkers with more money than taste. And it does this exceptionally well — it's always rammed on the weekends. If I ran The Restaurant Bar & Grill, I'd be worried about my clientèle jumping ship.
Fairy lights are popular in London-style pubs.
If you're looking for the London experience in Leeds, Atlas Pub has sorted it. But I want to stay as far away from this nation's capital as I can.
Atlas also has music upstairs despite the building have the worst acoustics in the entire world. The sound cascades downstairs in a hail of discordant echoes, made worse on karaoke night. They couldn't have cheapened the place anymore if they tried. However they have an excellent selection on tap- better than credited above- and the seating downstairs is very stylish. There are good times to go to make the best of it. The place is dominated by a spiral staircase near the entrance that should've been bulldozed a decade ago.


Children's educational centre Warning Zone has received a £10,000 donation from Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons towards an interactive experience highlighting the dangers of the internet. The new E-Safety Zone is based on a trip to the fairground and aims to educate Year 6 children (ages 10-11) about online safety, including learning about internet security, cyber bullying, grooming, digital identity and unsuitable material. It was opened by Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire Sir Clive Loader, with PGM David Hagger, Provincial Almoner Anthony Molyneux (both pictured) and other members of the fraternity in attendance.
During the summer, the Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works of Leicestershire and Rutland led the redecoration of the Provincial headquarters on London Road, Leicester.
W Bro Fred Harris and his son Bro Freddie Harris, both of Beacon Lodge No. 5208, along with a small team, began the four week process in mid-June 2015 and is focussed on a complete redecoration including repairs to joinery and preparation of external surfaces prior to the complete repainting of the façade.
No doubt these efforts by W Bro Fred Harris over the summer will not only prolong the life of the building but vastly increase the appearance of Freemasons' Hall doing justice to the magnificent Grade II listed Georgian building that many Leicestershire and Rutland masons call home.
Granite Lodge balloon race reaches Sweden!
During the summer barbecue held by Granite Lodge No. 2028 at the home of W Bro Mark Stewart-Halford, guests were encouraged to purchase a helium balloon which would be set free with a tag attached asking the finder to contact the lodge via its website.
Guests old and young were eager to try their luck and keen to see how far the balloons would go.
After the barbecue, results started to come in of balloon sightings, starting in Lincolnshire and then all the way out to Belgium in the North Sea.
Nothing however prepared the lodge to expect the farthest distance travelled, over 1,000 miles to Kullaberg in Sweden where a local diver, Mr Ian Fernheden spotted one of the balloons underwater on one of his dives. The moment the diver found the balloon underwater can be seen here: Granite Lodge balloon find.
The day raised over £1,000 for the Master's chosen charity, the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary.
The Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire Jennifer, Lady Gretton, JP officially opened the new Community Room at Lutterworth Freemasons' Hall on Saturday 21st November 2015 alongside the Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire and Rutland, RW Bro David Hagger.
Over the past year the Freemasons' Hall at Lutterworth, known as the Wycliffe Rooms, has undergone extensive development to include a new large multifunctional room, bar and kitchen which is available for hire by the local community.
Other parts of the former cinema have also been refurbished including the reception and toilet facilities and a lift installed to allow less able brethren access to the lodge room without having to climb the stairs. The main kitchen has also been extended.
More than 70 people, including the Lutterworth Town Mayor, Tony Hirons, together with many local Freemasons and their partners, attended the opening after which a luncheon was served. The Provincial Grand Master gave an address congratulating all those involved in the project and concluded that he was proud that the Freemasons have provided wonderful facilities for the community of Lutterworth to use.
Finally, W Bro Clive Weston, Honorary Secretary of the Lutterworth Masonic Association, and Project Manager finished the event by presenting flowers to Lady Gretton and to the wives of members who had assisted in the development and refurbishment.
The new E-Safety Zone is an interactive experience, based on a trip to the fairground, for Year 6 students which aims to educate children about online safety including learning about internet security, cyberbullying, grooming, digital identity and unsuitable material.
Warning Zone was first launched in October 2006 and is the adopted charity of the High Sheriff of Leicestershire and Rutland. It combines vital messages in a single stimulating and memorable experience which helps to prepare youngsters for increased independence and their transition into early adolescence. Located on Frog Island in Leicester it aims to foster an understanding of risk, consequence of actions, peer pressure and personal responsibility. It is not about wrapping children in cotton wool, rather presenting the plain and honest facts in a memorable and understandable way in order to encourage responsible behaviour and sound decision making while living full and active lives.
The new zone was officially opened by Sir Clive Loader, Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire and Rutland, on Monday 5th October 2015. The Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons, David Hagger, along with other members of the fraternity, also attended the opening ceremony and were given a most interesting and informative tour of the new learning zone.
The Province of Leicestershire and Rutland and the Grand Charity have donated £15,000 to Leicester Cathedral Charitable Trust for the reinterment of Richard III. The contribution went towards the £2.54 million appeal, which has funded a tomb and alterations to the cathedral, including a new chapel.


text:
Home Entertainment Ghetto Hatic wants to go higher – Says he wants to...
Ghetto Hatic wants to go higher – Says he wants to tell the world where he is going
Jamaica Star
Ghetto Hatic has been chasing his dream, reaching for the satisfaction on the high that comes after a great performance for the past 15 years.
This aspiring recording artiste has witnessed others emerge from the inner city to become successful entertainers, and he is beating the same path for himself. Ghetto Hatic, who describes the Maxfield and Waltham Park areas of Kingston as his playground, is determined to lift himself higher.
In his experience, those he witnessed achieve success great enough to lift themselves out of the ghetto environment, did so through music.
"When you do music, it keeps you out of certain circumstances because you want to go on stage and to tour the world. Music is part of the reason I'm out of trouble. It's one of the only ways to avoid crime," he told THE STAR.
Ghetto Hatic said he is an authentic youth from the ghetto. While he wants to represent where he comes from, he also wants to tell the world where he's going. And it's all in the name.
"I'm from the ghetto, then you put the Hatic on top – attic, like the top part of a house," he said, explaining the moniker. His given name is Trace Patient, and he said he has been pursuing a music career for about 15 years.
KEEPING AT IT
Why did he keep at it so long if he has not yet met success?
"The hardest part about music is getting my songs played without paying selectors and deejays … even to get one song on the radio," he said. He maintains a nine-to-five to keep his bills paid and in an effort to supplement the high cost of achieving his goals. So why does he continue?
"Because of the love of it," he said. "Because of the response I get from the crowd when I perform a good song. It makes you forget about all your problems. It's just a really good feeling."
Ghetto Hatic currently has two songs and accompanying music videos out. One is called Crawl Up, a song with its own dance move. He claims that the second, Wait Until Mi Buss, has enjoyed better reception than the other. For the past two years, Ghetto Hatic has been working with LinXage Entertainment. Two music videos later, the aspiring artiste is well on his way to finally releasing his first EP.
"I'm very versatile. I sing and deejay, and I love doing it."
Inspirations: Bob Marley – even though I don't do his kind of music. Peter Tosh, Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer, Sean Paul. I was really in tune to Sean Paul before. He was one of my favourites, until when I hear the music start changing.
Interesting Fact: Mi shy. I don't know how I get over it. I think I'm a people person with music. Without music, I like to be by myself.
Releases: Crawl Up, Wait Until Mi Buss
Story first appeared on JamaicaStar.com
Rihanna accused of cultural appropriation over magazine cover
Gregory Isaacs loved birthday cakes – Singer would have turned 69 today
Buju soaking up most of the Sumfest love
Sources: OKC trades Russ to Rockets for Paul
As U.S. debt, deficits mount, presidential candidates sweep them under the...
JUNO nominee Chelsea Stewart ready for Sumfest for Sumfest JUNO nominee...
NBA promotes ref Phillips to run replay center
2020 Dem Says Giving Everyone $1K A Month Will Save The...


text:
All posts tagged: Campidarte Art Residency
Guided Flight with Gola Hundun: "Torre di Volo" Land Art in Sardinia
May 11, 2019 Artists
When the plants and animals take over again there will still be remnants of you, as they transform your achievements and failures organically en route to natural balance.
Gola Hundun. Torre di Volo. Campidarte Art Residency. Sardegna, Italy. May 2019. (photo © Eleonora Riab)
The evidence of this eventuality lies not only in our predilection for self-destruction but on the current existence of the 7,000 tower-fortress structures that still dot this island of Sardinia. Time and elements have not destroyed these structures built over a period of 16 centuries – long before the event of Christ's birth. Today they are remnants, monuments of that Nuragic civilization, but are also home to birds, four legged creatures, insects, grasses, bushes, and trees.
Italian Street Artist, muralist and land artist Gola Hundun thinks of communications towers and overlays them with references of totemic massings, historical human rituals, geographical coordinates, shamanic journeys, and patterns of aviary flight. For this installation called "Torre di volo" (Flight Tower) he also is thinking about guiding birds through controlled space.
"The central element of the installation is inspired by the forms of the flight control towers of the airports," he says, "a type of architecture that has always fascinated me and had a strong influence on my imagination both aesthetically and poetically."
Participating in an art residency on the property of the Campidate artists residency (near Monastir), the Italian born millennial finds the support he needs to pursue his natural art-making cycle in an environment that is closest to his personal ethos.
He says that he spotted a bird of prey called a Kestrel inside the Campidarte base buildings and became inspired to imagine himself directing the flight of birds, one further degree of interaction with nature he has pursued for most of his life.
"The installation stands today on a ridge of that land, in an elevated and strategic position, generally loved by birds of prey," he tells us.
A continuation of a personal artists' campaign he calls ABITARE that more than contemplates his work as potential habitat, "Torre di volo" will be complete when Gola sees a winged friend entering the doorway of his central tower. He says the entire creation is based on his "desire to create a form capable of hybridizing my fascination for the ancestral totemic verticality and the desire to create a living space easily accessible to certain species and biological niches."
"From the tower that I interpreted, I hope that in the near future the flight of a bird of prey will begin, allowing us to observe in reality the idea of flying, going and coming back and making the structure itself come alive," he says. "The occupation of the tower by a bird is part of the idea of the installation and is indispensable for its completion."
Gola Hundun. Torre di Volo. Campidarte Art Residency. Sardegna, Italy. May 2019. (photo © Johanna Invrea)
For more about Campidarte:


●Ergonomic Housing design provides comfortable finger placement for control during insertion.
●Two layers of seals design secures minimal air leakage & smooth in&outs.
●Rotatable mechanism can detach the cap and the second layer of seal, which facilitates specimen removal and quick air escape.
●Patented inverted triangle stability thread design on sleeve provides greater fixation to the abdominal wall.
Transparent sleeve provides clear visualization.
Minimize invasion to patients with less pain.
No need to suture the wound.
Less scar. Universal port, accommodating a wide range of instrument size (5mm-12mm).


About — Brown Dog Contracting Ltd.
We get to know the people we work for.
Monte is a dog lover, a baseball fan and an outdoor enthusiast, but you already knew that. What you probably can't tell from his photo is that he has over 20 years experience in the construction business - more specifically, exterior home finishing. In 1992, Monte started a stucco contracting business in Edmonton, Alberta, which incorporated other forms of exterior finishing, such as vinyl, Hardie and cultured stone. He moved to the Kootenays in 2009 to work for Ostash Exteriors before re-starting his own business in Cranbrook. Drive through the Southview area, Highlands or Mount Royal and you'll see a great deal of his handiwork.
Now, at the helm of Brown Dog Contracting Ltd., he looks forward to meeting you and putting these years of experience to work on your project.
Why do we call our company Brown Dog Contracting? Because of Bo. A constant companion to owner and operator Monte Smith for 11 years, Bo was often spotted on the job site. In fact, when Monte first moved to Cranbrook, he became known as the "the guy with the Brown Dog." Driven by his need to fetch, Bo did get Monte into trouble from time to time with his incredible knack for finding tennis balls.
Nevertheless, he was a big part of our story and after he passed in 2015, it was only natural for our business to be named after him.
Today, one of the great joys of our work is getting to meet a variety of yard guards. We, of course, have a soft spot for Labs.


text:
Séamas O'Reilly
Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?
Séamas O'Reilly interviewed by Róisín Ní Chéileachair
Venue: Dingle Bookshop
Date: Sunday 20 November 2022
Tickets: €8 in advance, €10 on the door
Séamas O'Reilly faoi agallamh ag Róisín Ní Chéileachair
Ionad: Dingle Bookshop
Dáta: Dé Domhnaigh 20 Samhain 2022
Am: 16.30 – 17.30 IST/GMT
Costas: Beidh na ticéid ar díol ar €8 roimh ré agus €10 ag an doras
Séamas O'Reilly is a columnist for the Observer and writes about media and politics for the Irish Times, New Statesman, Guts and VICE.
Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? Is part memoir, part observation of the changing state of Irish society over the past 30 years, all set against a background of The Troubles as Seamas O'Reilly describes growing up without his mother in a large and entertaining family based in an Irish border county.
From the nuns cooking the family's Christmas turkey each year to his father's commitment to frugality which showed itself in the recording and cataloging of over 800 films to avoid taking out a video rental subscription, life as one of eleven in 1990s Ireland was an experience. An experience peopled with numerous bewildering friends, relations and neighbours who blew in and out to 'help'.
O'Reilly describes how his mother's death when he was 5-years-old changed his childhood relationships with everyone and everything, as knowledge of his tragic experience preceded him.
Copies of Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? will be on sale by the Dingle Bookshop at the event. The author has agreed to sign copies at the end of the talk.
Buy the book online
Róisín Ní Chéileachair
Róisín Ní Chéileachair is a native Irish speaker from Dún Chaoin. She has a degree in Irish and Spanish with Theatre and after spending a few years working in Galway, is now back in Corca Dhuibhne and currently working as a broadcaster with RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. She always had an interest in her local heritage as her ancestors come from the Blasket Islands on her mother's side and her father's family were writers from Cúil Aodha in Co. Cork. Coming from such a rich background, she herself sings traditional sean nós regularly, singing songs from both backgrounds.
Event Venue Green St, Dingle, Co. Kerry Dingle Bookshop Visit their website Back to What's On
Buy your copy of the book online


Contact Lifetime Kia today for information on dozens of vehicles like this 2019 Kia Forte LXS. This Kia includes: CARGO NET (PIO) OPTION GROUP 010 CARPETED FLOOR MATS (PIO) Floor Mats *Note - For third party subscriptions or services, please contact the dealer for more information.* The look is unmistakably Kia, the smooth contours and cutting-edge technology of this Kia Forte LXS will definitely turn heads. You can finally stop searching... You've found the one you've been looking for. There is no reason why you shouldn't buy this Kia Forte LXS. It is incomparable for the price and quality.