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Tag Archives: Homeland Security
How Will We Screen Out Terrorists Among Syrian Refugees?
Over the weekend, President Barack Obama announced the United States will welcome 10,000 Syrian refugees for resettlement over the next 12 months. Now, sane Americans must wonder how government officials will screen out terrorists among the refugees entering the country through refugee processing centers in almost every state.
This U.S. Department of State map shows where refugees, including those from Syria, will be sent.
The transcript of a State Department background briefing for reporters Sept. 9 offers some clues about how those ostensibly in charge of the nation's foreign affairs programs — including Secretary of State John "F'n" Kerry and other left-wing political appointees — plan to ensure no members of the Islamic State and other Islamic terror groups enter the United States under the guise of being refugees. Michael Gordon of The New York Times asked the first question:
"Could you tell us, please, what the range of numbers is? You say you want to – the Secretary wants to increase the number of refugees that are admitted, so what is the range you're looking at and what does that cost? And then it seems that part of the problem is vetting, in that the UN has submitted a list but it takes a long time to vet these people. Are you looking at committing more resources to speed up that vetting process? Thank you."
As someone who spent four years investigating the federal government's use of so-called credibility assessment technologies in places like Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq, I'm more aware than most of the capabilities that exist within our defense and intelligence agencies for conducting background checks and vetting (a.k.a., "screening") foreign nationals. That awareness makes me more than a bit interested in the response of an unidentified "senior State Department official" to Gordon's question. It appears below with acronyms deciphered by yours truly:
"The Secretary talked about a range of different numbers, but I will not be sharing them with you today. And there was varying views within the group from the judiciary committees of the House and Senate about how receptive they were to increasing the numbers of refugees coming.
"And the process to bring refugees here is careful and deliberate, and that's – as a result, it takes a while. It takes between 18 to 24 months between when a refugee is referred to us and when they – if approved, when they end up arriving in the United States. And a big reason for this is the care that's put into the security vetting for them. It involves several aspects. Part of it is that every refugee has their sort of case file put together with help from organizations that we fund overseas, and then those files and the refugees' families themselves are interviewed by someone from the Department of Homeland Security, from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. And then we also check their names against a whole series of U.S. Government databases to make sure that they're not already in there – some sort of derogatory information about them.
"What we're trying to do is weed out people who are liars, who are criminals, or would-be terrorists. And this is something that slows down the process and it's taken very seriously by everyone involved in it."
The response, especially the description of the security vetting process having "several aspects" and being "careful and deliberate," reminds me of what I was told repeatedly over a period of several months in 2012 by U.S. military public affairs officers speaking on behalf of the now-defunct International Security Assistance Force, precursor to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. An excerpt from a July 12, 2012, statement appears below:
"We (ISAF) have today, just as we discussed back in April, advise the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in assisting them to develop improvements to the overall vetting and recruitment process for the ANSF. The 8-step vetting process, which we have discussed in the past, is the result of our advising on this issue. Just like everything else that we (ISAF) advise on in Afghanistan, it is an ongoing and continuous process. We continually advise our Afghan partners on ways to improve processes. Again, the Afghans have the lead and are responsible for vetting their recruits into their security forces."
Two months after receiving the statement above via email, I learned Afghans had not been in charge of all of the vetting taking place in that country. Instead, U.S. Army personnel were doing much of the vetting and, by September 2012, had grown "increasingly frustrated" with the eight-step vetting process that turned out to be largely ineffective at stopping so-called "Green-on-Blue" or "Insider" attacks, the often-deadly surprise attacks waged against U.S. and coalition forces by allegedly-trustworthy Afghans wearing the uniforms of Afghan military, police or security agencies.
And therein lies the problem with vetting 10,000 Syrian refugees, a group Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, described as "clearly a population of concern" during a meeting of the House Committee on Homeland Security last week. [UPDATE at 7:55 p.m. Central: UK Prime Minister David Cameron has been warned that two out of every 100 Syrian refugees are Islamic State fighters.]
If federal government officials are not willing to subject Syrian refugees to the same highly-effective interrogation technology that was used to interrogate members of Saddam Hussein's inner circle (a.k.a., "The Deck of Cards") as well as hundreds of al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorists and other detainees at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere around the world, then we might as well plan to see a significant increase in the number of terror attacks waged on U.S. soil.
At a bare minimum, we will likely see more cities experience the types of refugee problems the folks in Minneapolis are facing.
Click on image above to order a copy of The Clapper Memo by Bob McCarty.
To learn more about the no-touch, no-torture, no-pain non-polygraph interrogation technology that was used with great success before its use by Department of Defense personnel was banned in October 2007 by James R. Clapper Jr., then Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and now Director of National Intelligence (i.e., nation's top intelligence official), visit TheClapperMemo.com. There, you'll find an overview of my second nonfiction book, The Clapper Memo, as well as several stellar endorsements the book has received. FYI: You'll also be able to order a copy of the book!
h/t Zero Hedge
This entry was posted in Politics, Terrorism, The Clapper Memo and tagged Afghan National Security Forces, Afghanistan, Afghans, al-Qaeda, ANSF, background check, Barack Obama, Bob McCarty, clearly a population of concern, criminals, Deck of Cards, detainees, Director of National Intelligence, foreign national, Green-on-Blue, Green-on-Blue Attack, Guantanamo Bay, Homeland Security, House Committee on Homeland Security, How Will We Screen Out Terrorists Among Syrian Refugees, Inner Circle, Insider Attack, intelligence, International Security Assistance Force, Iraq, ISAF, Islamic State, Islamic terror groups, James Clapper, James R Clapper, James R Clapper Jr, John Kerry, liars, map, McCarty, Michael Gordon, Minneapolis, National Counterterrorism Center, New York Times, Nicholas Rasmussen, Obama, polygraph, President Barack Obama, refugee, resettlement, Resolute Support Mission, Saddam Hussein, screening, Secretary of State, security vetting, state department, Syria, Syrian refugees, Taliban, terror, Terrorism, terrorist, terrorists, top intelligence official, Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, vetting, vetting process, would-be terrorist, Zero Hedge on September 14, 2015 by admin.
Border Security Trumps Immigration Reform
Most news reports about President Barack Obama's expected announcement about so-called immigration reform — that he will issue an executive order and open the illegal immigration floodgates — seem to be focusing on the impact five million new legalized residents will have on the already-tenuous job market for Americans already out of work. What they ignore is a far more serious subject, one the Washington Times reported on more than six and a half years ago.
Click image above for link to Washington Times article Feb. 6, 2008.
Here's a snippet of what the Times reported:
Senior al Qaeda leaders have diverted operatives from Iraq across the globe and are increasing preparations to strike the United States, senior intelligence officials told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence yesterday. They said the terrorists had plans to attack the White House as recently as 2006.
"Al Qaeda is improving the last key aspect of its ability to attack the U.S. — the identification, training and positioning of operatives for an attack in the homeland," said Michael McConnell, director of national intelligence, which oversees all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies.
The prospect of terrorists entering the United States is much more troubling than any problems caused by a flood of impoverished and poorly-educated people from Mexico, South America and elsewhere. Despite immigration reforms becoming much more strict, with people now having to have interviews before being granted access into the country, dangerous people are still finding ways in. To understand more about the interviews that immigrants have to do, you could look at this article here for example. However, this is just one of the ways that border security are trying to limit the amount of dangerous people entering America.
Terrorists are much more dangerous for America because they can do immediate damage with dirty bombs, biological weapons and/or — insert audible gasp here — nuclear weapons that can create far more serious problems than unemployment. As recently as one week ago, a report surfaced about a terrorist from Turkey being captured after crossing the border into Texas.
Of course, there have been a handful of articles in which news outlets like USA TODAY do the bidding for President Obama, quoting Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson as saying the president's executive order will include measures to boost border security. Will he follow through and work with Congress to implement tough measures to thwart members of groups like al-Qaeda and its upstart cousins in the Islamic State (a.k.a., "ISIS" and "ISIL")? Color me skeptical.
My point: Members of Congress need to hold the president accountable and do whatever it takes to ensure that the nation's primary focus lies on securing the nation's borders and preventing terrorists from entering. Only after that problem is solved should anyone in Washington pretend to deal honestly with immigration reform.
This entry was posted in Politics and tagged al-Qaeda, biological weapon, Bob McCarty, border security, Border Security Trumps Immigration Reform, Director of National Intelligence, dirty bomb, Homeland Security, illegal immigrant, illegal immigration, immigration reform, Iraq, ISIL, ISIS, Islamic State, Jeh Johnson, job market, Mitch McConnell, nuclear weapon, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, terrorist, Washington Times, White House on November 20, 2014 by admin.


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James Newton (New South Wales politician)
Únice
Nice (The Nice album)
James Newton (1850 – 14 September 1913) was an English-born Australian politician.
He was born in Lancashire to bricklayer Jonathan Newton and Martha Betty. His family moved to Melbourne in 1857 and Newton worked as a saddler around Victoria. He moved to New South Wales in 1870 and settled at Hay. On 10 June 1875 he married Sarah Jane Carnochan, with whom he had five children. He later married Catherine Agnes Barrow on 27 October 1885, with whom he had a further eight children. A local alderman and mayor of Hay in 1887, he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Balranald in 1891, representing the new Labor Party. Disagreements about the pledge saw him contest unsuccessfully as a Protectionist in 1894. Newton died at Hay in 1913.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/James_Newton_(New_South_Wales_politician)
Nice (/ˈniːs/, French pronunciation: [nis]; Niçard Occitan: Niça [classical norm] or Nissa [nonstandard], Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek: Νίκαια, Latin: Nicaea) is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, and it is the capital of the Alpes Maritimes département. The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of about 1 million on an area of 721 km2 (278 sq mi). Located in the Côte d'Azur area on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region after Marseille. Nice is about 8 miles (13 km) from the principality of Monaco, and its airport is a gateway to the principality as well.
The city is called Nice la Belle (Nissa La Bella in Niçard), which means Nice the Beautiful, which is also the title of the unofficial anthem of Nice, written by Menica Rondelly in 1912.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Nice
Únice is a village and municipality (obec) in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.
The municipality covers an area of 5.58 square kilometres (2.15 sq mi), and has a population of 57 (as at 28 August 2006).
Únice lies approximately 7 kilometres (4 mi) north-west of Strakonice, 59 km (37 mi) north-west of České Budějovice, and 95 km (59 mi) south-west of Prague.
Czech Statistical Office: Municipalities of Strakonice District
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Únice
Nice was the third album by The Nice; it was titled Everything As Nice As Mother Makes It in the US after Immediate's distribution changed from Columbia to Capitol. Nice had been initially released in the US with a slightly longer version of Rondo 69 not available on the UK or on the Capitol distributed US versions. The first US version of Nice was briefly reissued in 1973 by Columbia Special Products.
Continuing The Nice's fusion of jazz, blues, and rock, this album consists of studio (1–4) and live (5–6) tracks, the latter having become firm favourites in the band's live performances.
The album reached number 3 in the UK Album charts.
"Azrael Revisited" (Keith Emerson, Lee Jackson) – 5:52
"Hang on to a Dream" (Tim Hardin) – 4:46
"Diary of an Empty Day" (Emerson, Jackson) – 3:54
"For Example" (Emerson, Jackson) – 8:51
"Rondo '69'" (Brubeck, Emerson, Jackson, Davison) – 7:53
"She Belongs to Me" (Bob Dylan) – 12:15
The UK version of the album came in a gatefold sleeve, showing photographs of the band relaxing at an unknown location, the interior of which featured handwritten notes by Keith Emerson: Interesting to note that Keith was not at all happy with the album photos - they were not the ones he wanted them to use (In fact, he spent around 1 hour slamming his toilet door in his Drayton Gardens flat in sheer frustration!)
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Nice_(The_Nice_album)
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The History of Video Gamings (0)
It's obvious that computer game are coming to be increasingly more popular. In fact, according to a current research, the video game sector is currently worth an approximated $159 billion. That's a great deal of cash! And it's not simply kids that are playing computer game; adults are getting in on the fun, too. However what are the advantages of playing computer game? Is it simply a method to consume time, or can computer game in fact have favorable effects on our lives? Let's have a look at some of the ways that video games can enhance our psychological and physical health.
One of the most significant modifications that video games have gone through is in regards to their graphics. When video games were first introduced, they were bit greater than crude pixelated images on a screen. These days, however, computer game graphics are so practical that it's in some cases difficult to tell them besides reality. This boost in graphical integrity results from several factors, including the introduction of 3D graphics and the ever-increasing power of video gaming consoles and also computer systems.
Rapid onward to 1947, when Thomas T. Jeweler Jr. and also Estle Ray Mann applied for a patent for their "Cathode Ray Tube Enjoyment Device." This device utilized a cathode ray tube (CRT) to present pictures on a screen, making it among the very first examples of a real video game. Nonetheless, it would be numerous even more years prior to video games would certainly come to be extensively offered to the general public. To obtain added details please try here
The 1980s are frequently referred to as the "golden age" of computer game. This was the years when timeless franchises like "Mario," "Zelda," as well as "Last Fantasy" were birthed. It was likewise the years when game video games reached their peak appeal. Nonetheless, by the end of the 1980s, galleries began to decrease in appeal due largely to the increasing power and also cost of house consoles. The 1990s would certainly see further decreases in arcade video gaming along with the surge of a brand-new phenomenon: on-line pc gaming.
Lastly, we have actually likewise seen a change in just how video games are played many thanks to the introduction of on the internet gaming. In the past, gamers would certainly play on their own or with close friends that were physically present. Nowadays, nevertheless, it prevails for gamers to have fun with others on-line no matter where they are in the globe. This has resulted in the rise of expert video gaming leagues and events, which are enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
Video games have actually come a lengthy way since their humble starts over 50 years back. What started as a specific niche pastime for computer enthusiasts has actually developed into an enormously prominent type of amusement taken pleasure in by people throughout the globe. Though there have actually been some bumps along the road-- such as the terrific computer game crash of 1983-- the industry has actually recoiled and is stronger than in the past. With brand-new modern technologies continuously being created and brand-new genres always arising, there's no telling what the future holds for video games!


We don't know nearly enough about Phil Cook, square dance fiddler and Mohawk Indian originally from the Akwesasne Mohawk nation on the New York/Canadian border. Cook represents an interesting tradition that developed in the North Country starting in the first years of European activity.
The three fiddle tunes below represent what Cook called "a first change, second change and a breakdown," three pieces that would be played in succession for dancing in his Northern New York community. Dancers would take a break between each of the three pieces, but would keep the same partner until the entire three-song cycle was completed.


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Альберто Войтех Фріч (; * , Прага — , Прага) — чеський етнограф, мандрівник, ботанік і письменник.

Біографія

Ще будучи гімназистом, Фріч став займатися розведенням кактусів у власній оранжереї. І вже у 15 років він став справжнім фахівцем в цій галузі.

Фрічу не було ще і 19 років, коли він, в 1901 році, відправився в першу у своєму житті експедицію — за кактусами в Південну Америку. У Бразилії він вперше зіткнувся з індіанськими племенами і вперше зацікавився життям американських аборигенів.

У 1903 році Альберто Войтех Фріч, заручившись підтримкою брюссельської фірми з розведення кактусів, знову тримає шлях до Південної Америки. Цього разу він відправився спочатку до Аргентини, а звідти в Парагвай, по дорозі заводячи дружбу з місцевими племенами. Він, на відміну від багатьох своїх сучасників, захоплювався індіанцями, деякий час жив серед них і прагнув оберігати їх від впливу білих людей.

Індіанські племена, що жили вздовж течії річки Парагвай, приймали чеського мандрівника як свого. Він жив серед них, проводив археологічні розкопки, складав словники місцевих мов, фотографував. Не забував він і про свої ботанічні інтереси: чеху вдалося виявити кілька нових видів кактусів.

У 1905 році з багатою колекцією Альберто Войтех Фріч повернувся до Праги. Проте вже в наступному році він знову здійснив подорож до Південної Америки — з Бразилії попрямував до Патагонії, а звідти до Парагваю — в гості до свого улюбленого племені Чамакоко.

У 1919 році Фріч увійшов до складу чехословацької делегації, яка брала участь у Мирній конференції в Парижі. Він сподівався на отримання дипломатичного поста в Південній Америці, однак його надії не виправдалися. Рік по тому внаслідок розбіжностей в поглядах з міністром закордонних справ, а пізніше другим чехословацьким президентом Едвардом Бенешем Альберто Войтех Фріч іде з державної служби, щоб цілком присвятити себе подорожам і кактусам. Цього разу його увагу привернула Мексика. Тут його зацікавили кактуси, що мають наркотичну дію. Про свої експерименти з ними Фріч написав у 1924 році окрему книгу.

Коли в 1924 році Фріч повернувся додому з Мексики, з собою він привіз близько 200 видів рослин та насіння.

У жовтні 1928 року чеський ботанік і етнограф відправився в свою останню подорож за океан. Його маршрут пролягав через Уругвай і Аргентину в Кордильєри. В області Салінас Фріч піднявся на висоту 5 700 метрів і знайшов у горах безліч кактусів та інших рідкісних рослин. Одна з них — «Ребуція Ейнштейна», яку він назвав на честь великого фізика.

Останні роки свого життя чеський учений провів на своїй празькій віллі, відгородившись від усіх стінами своїх парників. Вілла «Божінка» була відома кактусистам у всьому світі. Фріч відмовився визнати німецьку окупацію Чехословаччини в 1939 році і навіть перестав на знак протесту виходити з дому. За зухвалість, висловлену в обличчя фашистському чиновнику, вчений був позбавлений палива, і під час суворої зими 1939–1940 років у нього в теплицях загинуло близько 30 тисяч кактусів, здебільшого унікальних.

За іронією долі Альберто Войтех Фріч, переживши безліч небезпек в джунглях, малярію, напад ягуара і неприязнь ворогів, у 1944 вмирає від правця, поранившись об іржавий цвях у себе на віллі.

Наукові досягнення

Статті Фріча, лекції та зібрані ним колекції внесли величезний внесок у розвиток кактусоводства, а в Чехії викликали справжню кактусну «лихоманку», якою заразився і знаменитий письменник Карел Чапек.

Багато що з його колекцій придбали музеї в Берліні, Нью-Йорку і Петербурзі. Царська імператорська Академія наук у Петербурзі визнала Фріча своїм членом-кореспондентом. Він був офіційним постачальником Петербурзького Музею антропології та етнографії.

Кактусисти всього світу зобов'язані чеському ботаніку відкриттям багатьох рослин, список його відкриттів зайняв би кілька сторінок. Найбільшою його заслугою було відкриття нових, найбагатших місць зростання кактусів у важкодоступних високогірних районах Аргентини і Болівії. І сталося це в той час, коли всі «мисливці за кактусами» вважали, що у світі кактусів вже все відомо.

Фріч постачав рослини для найбільших торгових фірм Хааге в Німеччині і Ф. де Лаета в Бельгії. Ним відкриті і описано багато відомих видів кактусів, наприклад Gymnocalycium mihanovichii. У 1925 році Фрічем був встановлений монотипний рід Obregonia. Після його уточненого діагнозу в 1928 році отримали статус самостійного роду нотокактуси. У 1930 році ним описаний рід Neowerdermannia.

Літературна діяльність
Спираючись на сівй досвід мандрівника, Фріч написав багато, як професійних книг, так і пригодницьких книжок для дітей. Його замітки зробили значний внесок в етнографію індіанців Південної Америки, в яких він описував індіанські звичаї.

Визнання

На честь Альберто Войтеха Фріча названі такі таксони:
 Echinopsis poco v. friciana,
 Parodia friciana,
 Gymnocalycium fricianum,
 Notocactus fricianus,
 Cephalocereus fricii,
 Cereus fricii,
 Cleistocactus strausii v. fricii,
 Echinopsis fricii,
 Lophophora fricii,
 Mediolobivia fricii,
 Stenocereus fricii,
 Fricara (hybr.).

На честь його дружини Драгоміри (Драги) Фріч (Drahomira (Draga) Frič) названі:
 Andenea dragai,
 Lobivia dragai (Lobivia chrysantha).

Джерела
 Київський сайт про кактуси та кактусистів
 Радіо Прага. «Великий "охотник за кактусами" и друг индейцев Альберто Войтех Фрич»
 :cs:Alberto Vojtěch Frič

Уродженці Праги
Померли в Празі
Чеські ботаніки
Чеські етнографи
Чеські письменники
Чеські мандрівники
Члени-кореспонденти Санкт-Петербурзької академії наук
Померли від правцю

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Police: 1 hospitalized after shooting in St. Bernard
SOURCE: .
One person was hospitalized after a shooting in St. Bernard on Sunday, police said.Officers were on their way to Greenlee and Cleveland avenues around 11:15 p.m. for a report of shots fired when they got another call from someone who said a shooting victim ran into his house.The shooting victim was found with a single gunshot wound to his chest. He was taken to UC Medical Center. He is in stable condition and is expected to survive.A witness said they saw three men in dark clothes arguing at the intersection and then heard multiple gunshots. They then saw two of the men, one who was later identified as the shooting victim, run toward Cleveland Avenue and another man run toward East Ross Avenue.The shooting victim described the shooter as a Black man in a blue jumpsuit or jacket with a blue bandana and was last seen on Ross Avenue.They stated they got into an argument with the suspect and he then shot at them.Police are still canvassing the area for additional evidence. The incident is still under investigation. The motive behind the shooting is unclear but police believe it's an isolated incident and there is no threat to residents.
SAINT BERNARD, Ohio —
One person was hospitalized after a shooting in St. Bernard on Sunday, police said.
Officers were on their way to Greenlee and Cleveland avenues around 11:15 p.m. for a report of shots fired when they got another call from someone who said a shooting victim ran into his house.
The shooting victim was found with a single gunshot wound to his chest.
He was taken to UC Medical Center. He is in stable condition and is expected to survive.
A witness said they saw three men in dark clothes arguing at the intersection and then heard multiple gunshots. They then saw two of the men, one who was later identified as the shooting victim, run toward Cleveland Avenue and another man run toward East Ross Avenue.
The shooting victim described the shooter as a Black man in a blue jumpsuit or jacket with a blue bandana and was last seen on Ross Avenue.
They stated they got into an argument with the suspect and he then shot at them.
Police are still canvassing the area for additional evidence. The incident is still under investigation. The motive behind the shooting is unclear but police believe it's an isolated incident and there is no threat to residents.


Deciduous shrub or small tree. The leaves are pinnate, up to 20 cm long, with 4 to 7 subopposite pairs and a terminal leaflet. Flowers produced in branched heads before or with the new leaves, sweetly scented, white. The pods are flat and thin, normally glabrous but sometimes finely pubescent.
Notes: Trees are often seen with clusters of characteristic galls on the smaller branches (image 2). These can be mistaken for fruits but are caused by a parasitising insect.
Habitat: In various types of woodland and wooded grassland, often on kopjes and among rocks.
Brummitt, R.K., Harder, D.K., Lewis, G.P., Lock, J.M., Polhill, R.M. and Verdcourt, B. (2007). Leguminosae Subfamily Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(3) Pages 64 - 68. (Includes a picture).
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 298. (Includes a picture).
Drummond, R.B. (1981). Common Trees of the Central Watershed Woodlands of Zimbabwe. Natural Resources Board, Harare. Pages 90 - 91. (Includes a picture).
Smith, P. & Allen, Q. (2004). Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Miombo Woodlands Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew ISBN 1 84246 073 0 Pages 118 - 119. (Includes a picture).
Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 97.
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2019). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Dalbergia nitidula.


Looking to add style and security to your property with a gorgeous new garden fence and a sturdy new gate? When you need a landscaping specialist to give your garden a makeover, the team at Ricky Tyler Landscapes is on hand to help. We supply and erect bespoke fencing systems for properties of all sizes and styles, with something to suit every home.
Your home will benefit from having a new garden fence around it. Fencing adds privacy to your garden, and can also help control the light coming in - which is great if you get a lot of glare through your windows. It can keep animals in or out too, and protect your plants from pests. Additionally, a secure gate and a sturdy fence will deter intruders and make accessing your property much more difficult. With all these benefits and more, adding a new fence is a great way to increase your home's value and help you get the most out of your property.
We can also replace damaged panels and carry out repairs to chains, boards and posts; if your fence has been damaged, call Ricky Tyler Landscapes today.
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Jim Hawkins finds a map which shows buried treasure! Can Jim stop Long John Silver from finding the treasure on Treasure Island? Ladybird Readers is a graded reading series of traditional tales, popular characters, modern stories, and non-fiction, written for young learners of English as a foreign or second language. Beautifully illustrated and carefully written, the series combines the best of Ladybird content with the structured language progression that will help children develop their reading, writing, speaking, listening and critical thinking skills. The eight levels of Readers and Activity Books follow the CEFR framework and include language activities that provide preparation for the Cambridge English: Young Learners (YLE) exams.
Treasure Island, a Level 5 Reader, is A2 in the CEFR framework and supports YLE Flyers and KET exams. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, more complex past and future tense structures, modal verbs and a wider variety of adverbs and pronouns.


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Home/Latest News/Saudi Arabia to Supply an additional 4 million barrels Crude Oil to Indian buyers
Latest NewsNEWSInternational
Saudi Arabia to Supply an additional 4 million barrels Crude Oil to Indian buyers
India is Iran's top oil client after China, though several refiners have indicated they will stop taking Iranian barrels because of the sanctions.
Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, will supply Indian buyers with an additional 4 million barrels of crude oil in November, several sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
The extra cargoes indicate a willingness by Saudi Arabia to increase crude supply to make up the shortfall once sanctions by the United States on oil exports from Iran, the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), start up on November 4.
Reliance Industries Ltd, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemicals Ltd are seeking an additional 1 million barrels each in November from Saudi Arabia, the sources said.
Three of the companies did not immediately reply to an e-mail from Reuters seeking comment. MRPL replied "no comments" when contacted by e-mail. State-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco was not immediately available for comment.
One of the reasons for the additional demand for Saudi oil is that the crude arbitrage from the United States is shut so the Indian buyers have to turn to Middle Eastern barrels, said one of the sources.
India, the world's third-biggest oil importer, is grappling with a combination of rising oil prices and falling local currency, which makes imports of dollar-denominated oil more expensive. Retail prices for gasoline and diesel fuel in India are at record highs and the government has cut its excise tax on fuel to ease some of the pain for consumers.
india Iran Saudi Arabia 4 million barrels Crude Oil
Karishma Sharma's latest bikini photo shoot ; see how beautiful she is
Singapore PM defends 'fake news' law during Malaysia visit
Apr 9, 2019, 06:35 pm IST
Rajnath Singh Says Lucknow has Become 'Luck-Now' For Entire Uttar Pradesh
Mar 8, 2019, 10:26 am IST
Long list of Deepika Padukone's tragic love affairs till date
May 11, 2018, 04:50 pm IST


Why people are hating on Captain Marvel movie ? I think it was awesome movie.
I haven't seen many people 'hate' on it per say, but I think there is criticism in places where it is deserved personally. I see a lot of criticism on Carol as a character and I agree that she is just kinda boring and nothing that really made her different, or fun. I believe she is very powerful and cool to watch whenever she's being a hero but it's no tlike Black Panther where we really cared about T'Challa and even Kilmonger. You know? There is just criticism on Brie Larson unfortunately, and some story problems that certain people don't like.
I dont know, in fact, I love this movie, I saw it on cinema thrice time with my family and friend. I especially bought tickets for this movie from https://www.reecoupons.com/view/florida-ticket-station, now waiting for avengers end game.
Captain Marvel got $1 billion so far.
@crimsonassassin there is no way Wonder Woman made 831 billion I think you mean million.
Captain Marvel has made over a billion so far while Wonder Woman hasn't even made 900 million.
Yeah no you mean 831 million lol, not billion, that would be the highest grossing movie ever. Also technically Star Wars The Force Awakens is counted as a super heroine movie so that is the highest grossing super heroine movie.
People realized it's not trash, as they thought it would be, so they're salty now. Basically.


For a lucky few, sleep comes easy. If you're like me, though, you spend too much time tossing and turning and not enough blissfully conked out. In fact, 35 percent of Americans aren't sleeping the recommended 7 to 8 hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Advice on how to sleep better isn't hard to find. But unlocking the mysteries of your personal "off" button is another story. "For something that seems so simple, it's not simple at all," says Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta, also known as Dr. Raj, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and assistant professor of clinical medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine. The reality is that many factors can influence how your body and mind turn off at night. But a few key changes can make a big difference.
1. Commit to your wakeup time.
2. Work on your diet.
Generally speaking, a good diet leads to good sleep. Being overweight contributes to sleep apnea, a brief pause in breathing that disrupts slumber — sometimes hundreds of times a night. Dropping extra pounds can reduce those episodes and increase the time you spend in restorative deep sleep.
4. Skip that second glass of wine.
Alcohol makes you sleepy, but there's a catch. "The downside is that you're going to get multiple awakenings, which keep you from getting to those deeper stages of sleep," Dr. Raj says. Yes, you can still enjoy wine or beer with dinner, but cap it at one glass.
5. Resist the lure of your phone and computer.
Studies have shown that "blue light," the main wavelength given off by LED screens in electronic devices, suppresses hormones that help you sleep. For one week, avoid late-night TV, email, social media browsing, and reading on your phone or tablet, and see what happens.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, the ideal temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool room temperatures help your body wind down in preparation for sleep. For the same reason, don't bury yourself under a pile of blankets. Start the night under as little bedding as possible, and pull up another layer only as you need it.
Learn more about the do's and don'ts that lead to a good night's sleep.


On the 19th of January 2018, Datuk Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin delivered a speech on the occasion of Ms. Elizabeth Goh Yeek Li's call to the Bar before his Lordship, YA Datuk Wira Kamaludin Bin Md. Said.
Datuk Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin (Elizabeth's Mover), Mr. Goh Kee Boon, Ms. Elizabeth Goh, Mrs. Chang Pie Hoon and Mr. Amer Hamzah Arshad (Elizabeth's Master).
A reproduction of the speech delivered by Datuk Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin can be referred to as attached below.
Saya, KAMARUL HISHAM KAMARUDDIN, hadir bagi pihak Pempetisyen ELIZABETH GOH YEEK LI pada hari ini. Rakan-rakan bijaksana saya yang masing-masing mewakili Yang Berbahagia Peguam Negara Malaysia, Majlis Peguam Malaysia dan Jawatankuasa Peguam Kuala Lumpur yang telah pun diperkenalkan awal tadi.
Saya ingin memohon kebenaran Yang Arif untuk meneruskan hujahan saya dalam Bahasa Inggeris.
The Petitioner was born on 4th December 1993 in Kuala Lumpur and is the second child of Mr. Goh Kee Boon and Mrs. Chang Pie Hoon. The Petitioner had her early education in SJK(C) Naam Kheung, before continuing her secondary education in Catholic High School in Petaling Jaya.
Motivated by her desire to give a voice to the poor and disenfranchised, Petitioner has set her mind on becoming a lawyer since she was 16. She aspires to provide legal representation to those disadvantaged by poverty and use the law as a tool to protect the vulnerable groups in the society.
The Petitioner read law at the University of Bristol where she graduated with a Second Class Honours Upper Division. During her time at university, the Petitioner was actively involved in various extracurricular activities. The Petitioner was the Vice President of the Bristol Human Rights Brigade wherein she led the team in securing sponsorship and funds for their human rights work. Using the funds raised, she and the rest of the Brigade travelled to Panama to set up legal clinic and conduct workshops for the rural communities.
The Petitioner pursued her Bar studies at Nottingham Trent University where she received the grade of 'Very Competent'. Applying what she learned in the advocacy classes, the Petitioner argued persuasively in a Mooting Competition judged by a Queen's Counsel and emerged as the winner in the individual competition.
Upon completion of her Bar studies, the Petitioner commenced her pupillage in Messrs. AmerBON, under the tutelage of Mr. Amer Hamzah.
Today, the Petitioner wishes to take this opportunity to express her utmost gratitude to her family. She would like to thank her parents for their unwavering support and encouragement, without which she would not have been able to achieve any of the milestones in her life. Her parents never cease to believe in her even in the face of failure and constantly push her to achieve great heights in life. No words can express how thankful the Petitioner is to her parents for their love and sacrifices. The Petitioner would also like to thank her brother for always being her confidant and source of inspiration.
The Petitioner would like to thank her pupil master, Mr. Amer Hamzah for providing her with opportunities and guidance throughout her pupillage, and for enabling her to see the great art of advocacy and persuasion that she learned in Bar school come to life.
The Petitioner is grateful to Mr. Edmund Bon who has been a mentor to the Petitioner since her student days, guiding her through her studies, soul-searching phase and subsequently career decisions.
The Petitioner would like to specially thank her friends Ling, Tanya, Michael, Abhilaash, Mun Yee, Leon, Beatrice and Claire for always being there for her to make the tough times more bearable.
The Petitioner is also extremely grateful to Datuk Kamarul Hisham, her mover today who has kindly agreed to take time out of his very busy schedule to move her call.
Finally, the Petitioner would like to thank all her colleagues at AmerBON for making her experience there a memorable one.
Yang Arif, I believe that the Petitioner is a fit and proper person to be admitted and enrolled as an Advocate and Solicitor of this Honourable Court. I believe all the Petitioner's papers are in order and that my learned friends from the Attorney General's Chambers, the Bar Council and the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee respectively have no objections to this motion.
I humbly move this Honourable Court to admit and enrol the Petitioner, ELIZABETH GOH YEEK LI as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.


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Daily Agenda: Catalonia Calls for Independence Referendum from Spain
Dust settles in U.S. equity markets; Brazil credit likely to slow down; more signs of Japanese slowdown.
By Andrew Barber
After yesterday's sell-off in U.S. equities, investors are recalibrating for different market risk narratives as they attempt to decide what, if anything, changed between Wednesday and Thursday. With initial jobless claims that beat forecasts, core durable August durable goods orders that expanded and strong U.S. purchasing managers' index (PMI) data, there was little macro justification for stocks to swoon. If anything, the dovish Wednesday evening speech by Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans provided more fodder for the bulls. While some strategists continue to comment on historically high valuation multiples, few have called for a significant correction. Regardless of what sparked yesterday's sell-off, with a high of 15.6 for the day the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX) seemed to indicate that, whatever the catalyst for the bears, there was no panic among traders as they eyed the exit door.
Catalonia calls for independence vote from Spain. Artur Mas, the president of the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia, is expected to sign a decree calling for a Catalan independence referendum, a move that the government in Madrid views illegal. A vote in favor of breaking away from Spain — a move that some observers expected would follow the September 18 Scottish independence referendum — will be a key test for the European Union as it may set a course for nationalist movements elsewhere in the EU.
Plenty of U.S. economic data points to be released today. U.S. macro data points on deck today include revised second-quarter gross domestic product, August consumer credit and September University of Michigan consumer sentiment index levels. Consensus forecasts are for an improvement in the final growth reading with a focus on non residential fixed investments and inventories, categories that exhibited strength in initial estimates.
German consumer sentiment on the wane. GfK consumer sentiment indexes for August released today added to concerns over soft retail activity in the region. The headline index registered below consensus forecasts at 8.3.
Credit likely to decelerate in Brazil. August Brazil lending data is due out today. Total outstanding credit slowed to 11.4 percent for July and despite Central Bank of Brazil liquidity measures intended to spur more private-sector borrowing, economists' consensus forecasts are calling for the pace of credit growth to moderate further on lower general activity in the economy.
Abenomics continues to come under pressure. Consumer price inflation levels in Japan, excluding fresh foods, rose to an annualized 3.1 percent in August, below consensus forecasts. This is only the latest data point indicating slowing consumption patterns after the most recent tax hikes, despite historic liquidity measures taken by the central bank.
Portfolio Perspective: Making the Case for BDCs as a Source of Yield Income — Grier Eliasek, Prospect Capital Corp.
In an era of rock-bottom interest rates, investors desperate for yield income are increasingly dashing to closed-end funds (CEFs). Assets in CEFs have climbed more than 6 percent in the first two quarters of this year compared to 2013. But a superior yet underutilized source of yield income are business development companies (BDCs).
BDCs and CEFs are both regulated by the Investment Company Act of 1940, which calls for reporting transparency and SEC oversight. Both are required to distribute 90 percent of their income to shareholders and to meet certain diversity and portfolio control requirements in order to avoid corporate taxation. But BDCs can leverage up to 1-time debt-to-equity, while CEFs are capped at 0.5 times. More borrowing power allows BDCs to invest in more assets. As a result, BDCs often pay dividend yields of 8 to 12 percent, several hundred basis points higher than the yields of CEFs, exchange-traded funds, master limited partnerships, real estate investment trusts and utilities.
BDCs stand to benefit from rising interest rates, as they lend to private companies at floating interest rates and will earn more interest income as rates rise. Their senior-secured loans offer limited risk because the loans are backed by hard assets such as property, equipment and cash flows. In case of default, BDCs would be the first in line for repayment.
Grier Eliasek is the president and chief operating officer at Prospect Capital Corp., a firm that provides private debt and equity capital, in New York.
catalonia independence referendum
Daily Agenda: U.K. Inflation Down; Home Depot, Medtronic, TJX Earnings
Daily Agenda: Detroit Awaits Debt Restructuring Approval


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I seem to have misplaced my wristwatch. I shall have to ask all of you to suspend your activities until I find it, please.
Anyway, this story keeps coming up in conversation, for one reason or another, and I actually told my mother & my grandmother about it recently, so that officially puts in the public arena. You can file this under, "life's rich pageant."
In early 2003, I was standing in a crunchy hippie grocery store in Madison, Wisconsin looking at lip balm. It was winter, and it was night. It was six PM or so, and I had just left work, and decided I would get something for my generally parched mouth. With my drink in hand, I went to look at lip balms. It is my contention that Chap-Stick is pretty much a placebo, and so I use things like Carmex, or in this case, some kind of tangerine thing with bee's wax I ended up buying. As I am standing there alone in the store, attempting to read the miniscule print on the tube of lip stuff over the rims of my glasses, completely into my own head, a man in a gorilla suit jumped into my field of vision, hands raised, and said something very like, "RRAAAAAAARRRGGGHH!"
Truth is, he really startled me.
I punched him in the face. Total reflex.
It was a good punch, not like the ones that hurt your knuckles or miss entirely - I felt this in my shoulder. It connected with the gorilla's nose and mouth area, there was a sharp grunt and a muffled crunch, and he hit the deck. Like dropping a bag of potatoes on the floor. I put my foot on what I thought was his neck (the part EP always objects to when I've told this story in the past) and looked up from the gorilla under my sneaker.
You know when, you're off in your own little world, and your perception widens as you come out of it? I became slowly aware of a whole store, looking at me, other people in gorilla suits, screaming women (who I'm convinced establishments hire and keep around for drama - ever been in public place when the lights go out?) and folks pointing in my direction. My mind began feeding me a re-play, as we tried to see if this thing we had done was justified. In seconds, there were people all over him, putting their cameras down, and sitting him up. I had never seen blood pour out of the eyeholes in a gorilla mask before, and it remains unique in my experience.
As folks ministered to the now-unmasked and mostly unconcious guy with a re-deisgned nose, a conversation sprang up about the drunken office party scavenger hunt that had brought these people into the store, and about how the other customers had been harrassed by them, and what were going to do now? Should police be called, or maybe an ambulance? I listened to this, never contributing anything past my initial, "He startled me," as I removed my foot. I glanced up now, and caught the eyes of bald, pierced store employee, who cocked his head twice toward a register near the door while looking directly at me. I moved quietly in this direction, was silently checked out by a girl with a sword earring and purplish-red hair, walked briskly out the door and to my car and bailed.
"You're kind of late," my wife remarked upon my arrival at home.
"I punched out a guy in gorilla suit."
Now, this story belongs to you.


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Lisa Soronen's blog ›
North Carolina Loses Supreme Court Redistricting Case
Lisa Soronen
Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 11:06 AM
Cooper v. Harris raises an issue litigated over and over since the 2010 census. Challengers claim the North Carolina legislature unconstitutionally packed minority voters into a few legislative districts to lessen their ability to influence races in other districts. The Supreme Court agreed holding 5-3 that a North Carolina District Court correctly ruled that North Carolina relied too heavily on race in designing two majority-minority congressional districts.
The Supreme Court has held that per the Equal Protection Clause if the use of race predominates in redistricting the district's design must be "narrowly tailored" to serve a "compelling interest." Complying with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which prohibits vote dilution— "dispersal of [a group's members] into districts in which they constitute an ineffective minority of voters"—is a compelling interest. A "strong basis in evidence" is needed to show the VRA requires race-based districting.
Following the 2010 census the North Carolina legislature increased the number of black voting-age population from over 40% to over 50% in Districts 1 and 12.
North Carolina practically speaking conceded that race predominated in the drawing of District 1. The state argued it had a "strong basis in evidence" to conclude District 1 had to be majority-minority to avoid vote dilution. But to prove vote dilution a district's white majority must vote as a bloc to usually defeat the minority's preferred candidate. Here, Justice Kagan, writing for the majority, pointed out for the last two decades District 1 was "an extraordinarily safe district for African-American preferred candidates."
While North Carolina added nearly 100,000 new people to District 1, meaning the new district might be less safe for minority candidates going forward: "North Carolina can point to no meaningful legislative inquiry into what it now rightly identifies as the key issue: whether a new, enlarged District 1, created without a focus on race but however else the State would choose, could lead to §2 liability."
North Carolina argued that District 12 was a political gerrymander and not a racial gerrymander. But the Supreme Court agreed with the lower court that numerous evidence in the record indicated otherwise including statements of the redistricting committee chairs.
The Court also rejected North Carolina's argument that the challengers should have introduced an alternative map that "achieves the legislature's political objectives while improving racial balance." According to the Court: "[a]n alternative map is merely an evidentiary tool to show that such a substantive violation has occurred; neither its presence nor its absence can itself resolve a racial gerrymandering claim."
Equal ProtectionRedistrictingSupreme CourtVoting Rights Actelectionsgerrymanderingrace
Policy Area›Elections
Lisa Soronen's blog
Supreme Court to Decide Alabama Redistricting Case
What is the Big Deal about the North Carolina Redistricting Case?
Supreme Court Refines Racial Predominance Determination in Racial Gerrymandering Case
SCOTUS Hears Oral Argument in Partisan Gerrymandering Cases
Redistricting "Catch-22"? Supreme Court to Decide


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Team USA Winter Bloggers
Ashley Caldwell
First Jumps Of The Season (12/12/12)
Olympic Games: Round Two (1/30/14)
Like Riding A Bike (9/2/13)
Westward Bound (5/30/13)
When The Snow Melts... (5/14/13)
Thank You, Mom! (5/12/13)
Sitting On The Bench (3/26/13)
A World Cup Win For Emily (3/10/13)
Lessons From Russia (2/26/13)
Making The Podium (2/15/13)
Silver Linings (2/4/13)
Trading China For Crutches (1/15/13)
A Year Later: Same Injury, Different Leg (12/23/12)
NYC, A Redskins Game And NASA (11/7/12)
But There's No Snow In October? (11/1/12)
Me and my teammate Jon Lillis
My teammate Alli Lee with everyone building the kicker in the back
Team USA chopping the hill!
Although the calendar says we're nearing winter, it sure doesn't feel like it out in Park City, Utah. With temperatures in the mid/high 40s every day, it's a little difficult being a freestyle skier! The U.S. national team and development team did start jumping the day before Thanksgiving! We built the site and started doing single flips!
Building an aerials site is no easy task though. It takes about three days of snow blowing, when there is no snow and several days of CAT work (those machines that groom the ski hills) before we can even start building the jumps. The single kicker, the jump we do one flip off of, is about two meters high. The double is 3.5 meters [3.5 meters = about 11.5 feet] high with 65 degrees of slope at the top. We do two flips off this jump! The biggest jump we have is called a triple kicker. We do three flips off of this jump and it's 4 meters high with 70 degrees of "kick" at the top.
In order to make these jumps we put up wood forms and blow really wet snow into them. We pack down the snow and let it set until it is hard enough to take down the forms and "shape" the jump. In order to shape the jump we take these crazy instruments called 'Grizzlies' and smooth out the jump by hand to the correct degrees of pitch up the entire jump. The coaches do this and try and make sure that the jump is really smooth and has a steady curve. Too much curve, or too little curve, is bad for jumping. We have some pretty crazy specific specs for our hill construction. Click on Aerials on this page to see a visual of our hill specs! The landing hill also has to be a certain pitch, between 38-40 degrees. We "chop" the landing every day to make sure it is soft, or soft enough. Basically, all the athletes line up on the landing hill and use shovels to break up the snow. It's great bonding time and is a pretty good upper body workout!
We always start off on the smallest jump, doing single flips. We work our way up, but I'm pretty sure if you took a poll from all the athletes on the hill, they would all say that the first single jump is scarier than the first triples jumps of the year! After you get rid of those first jump jitters, it's all business, which really means 'play' in our sport!
My first jumps of the season were especially nerve-racking. The last time I jumped on snow, I had a pretty obscure crash and tore my ACL. But I went up there with my sweet new blue POC helmet and did my speed check (a test run to see how fast you are going before you hit the jump, we try and get about 45 km [45 km = just about 28 mph] for singles) and went. I figure that if you pretend to be confident it almost translates into actual confidence. I landed my first jump and was super stoked. We do about 10 jumps per session. Since that first day I've done five days of singles.
Once you become confident on singles you move up to the double. This is the medium sized jump that you do two flips off of. We go between 55 and 58 km [58km = 36 mph] into these jumps. The first double, like I said, was less scary than the single, contrary to popular belief. I do a lay-tuck for my first doubles, which means a straight flip then a tucked flip. Once I get up to harder tricks I don't do this trick anymore, but it's a good easy first trick, that I've been doing for four years. Over the next week I'll be increasing my degree of difficulty on the double. In another week, or so, we will build the triple and start training triple flips!
Wish me удачи ("ew da chi") – good luck in Russian!
You can also follow my journey on Twitter @AshleySkis.
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Djibouti : a journalist beaten and arrested twice
By admin on November 3, 2019 • ( Leave a comment )
Djibouti(SD)-A reporter for La Voix de Djibouti, a radio station based abroad that is Djibouti's only independent media outlet, Borogeh thought the worst was behind him when he spoke to RSF yesterday morning, describing his two-day ordeal at the hands of Djibouti's police that began on 23 October and ended when he was released during the night of 25 October. But his lawyer has told RSF that he was arrested again last night.
Borogeh told RSF yesterday morning that he was "badly beaten by men in civilian dress" when arrested last week. He was taken blindfolded to an isolated locationwhere he was finally questioned by a police lieutenant he recognized. He said he was beaten, tied to a tree, undressed and then filmed naked.
He said he was questioned about the identity of La Voix de Djibouti's other correspondents and about those who were working with him in recent days on a story about the alleged rape of Ethiopian women by police officers.
He was also questioned about his links with the MRD, Djibouti's main opposition party, of which he is a member. The police finally threatened to broadcast the video showing him naked if continued his journalistic activities.
"This journalist's chilling account of being arrested in a completely illegal manner, tortured, humiliated and pressured to provide information, an account provided just before he was re-arrested, is a reminder of the extreme vulnerability of those who try to do independent reporting in Djibouti," said Arnaud Froger, the head of RSF's Africa desk.
"Osman Yonis Borogeh must be freed at once and we hold the authorities responsible for what happens to him. The seriousness of the abuses he described also requires a swift and thorough investigation in order to precisely identify and punish those responsible."
President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has ruled Djibouti with an iron hand for the past 20 years, tolerating no independent media within the country and forcing the six state TV channels, the national radio broadcaster and the daily newspaper La Nation to carry government propaganda. The arsenal used to suppress media freedom, which includes arrests, physical violence and judicial harassment, is among the harshest in the world.
Djibouti is ranked 173rd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2019 World Press Freedom Index.
Tagged as: Djibouti
Puntland establishes new administration in Dhahar district
World Bank Vice President arrives in Mogadishu


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Haven Creek, Book 1
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Above the Mistletoe
Michele Arris
Sometimes, it takes more than mistletoe to find true love.
Reyna Star, owner of North Star Private Car, is drawn to Hawk Swan's rugged good looks when she picks him up for his holiday party weekend, but she knows his type, and she's not interested. However, she does pocket more than a generous tip from her passenger—when one of Hawk's companions mentions the Berkshires as the perfect place to go skiing, Reyna decides to spend Christmas there with her teenage daughter, Lily, and rebuild their bond.
Custom woodcrafter, Julian "Hawk" Swan is tired of the single life and wants to settle down. When Reyna arrives in Haven Creek, he seizes the chance to fix her first impression of him. Attraction burns bright between them, but there are those not warming up to their relationship—Lily is acting out, Hawk's cousin worries about potential hardships in their romance, and even Reyna's ex is too close for comfort. Plus there's Reyna's business, firmly entrenched in Miami.
This Christmas, can Reyna and Hawk rise above these holiday hurdles and build a lasting future?
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"Happy holidays, and have a safe trip." As her last drop-off went on his way, Reyna let go a deep breath. Her day finally liberated, she slid in behind the wheel and removed the earpiece, head resting back against the comfy leather seat, eyes closed. Ah.
An incoming call flashed on the car's dashboard screen. She measured for a long moment whether to ignore Frank Rasino as she threw the car in a pin circle and caught sight of the jet taxiing away in her rearview mirror. Frank never bothered her when she was working unless he needed something. Another ring. And another. Respect for the man won out. Still . . .
She connected. "Frank, whatever it is, don't ask. I'm officially off work as of a minute ago. Lily is away with her father, so I'm taking a much-needed night off. See you tomorrow. Goodbye."
"Wait, don't hang up! Rey, you know I wouldn't ask if I had anyone else available. Are you still at MIA? Your schedule shows you have a drop right about now."
"I'm just leaving."
"Don't. Mel is stalled on Highway 836. The tow is on its way, but his fare should be arriving where you are any minute. Mind scooping them up?"
"Yes, I mind," Reyna grumbled, but she was already catching the on-ramp to circle back.
"Come on. I'll sign over the full fare, no split . . . pick up and departure all yours, which, by the way, is tomorrow, Sunday, at noon. I see here you're free from eleven thirty to one. All good there."
"That's because I left it open to grab lunch. My schedule is pretty tight tomorrow."
"Yes, I'm looking at it. North Star is reserved solid through the first week of January. Good. Very good, indeed. It pleases me to see your company is thriving. As for today's pickup, the reservation was fully paid in advance at booking. Ace doesn't get many private airline clients. I wouldn't want to get a bad review on Yelp. Say yes to an old friend, why don't ya? And it's the Christmas season. You wouldn't want to find a lump of coal in your shoe, huh?" A hearty chuckle, no doubt his round belly rolling animatedly with it.
Reyna was pulling into the airplane hangar as they spoke. She could never say no to Frank. When she was first starting out in the private car service business and searching for a parking lease, he'd been the only person willing to offer space in his company's garage hangar.
Unlike Ace Car Service, which primarily reserved commercial passengers, North Star was exclusively private flight travel. Two years ago, Reyna poured every dime she had, on top of a small loan, into the purchase of two custom Bentley luxury line vehicles. She was slowly building her client list, having found a niche in the high-dollar private car rental sector. On occasion, Frank sent work her way, and in return, they had an eighty/twenty split in her favor.
"Well, will you do it?"
"Yes, I'll take the fare. No splits. Now, you said them. How many are there?" The Bentley seated five comfortably—three on the front-facing bench seat and two in the rear-facing bucket seats. Plush accommodations outweighed practicability with Reyna's usual clientele, who didn't tolerate being sandwiched together, knocking elbows.
"Reservation says three. Name—Julian Swan. They're headed to the Edition hotel downtown. Not a far haul. Check your email. You should have the contract."
"This is your third car stall this month." She grabbed her electronic pad from the passenger seat to confirm receipt but didn't bother reading through the typical jargon. "Your cars are decent, Frank, but they could really use an upgrade."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'd love to have my entire line decked out like the Mulliner chariots North Star has, but that would cost me a small fortune. On that note, when you park later, stop by my office. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Reyna could never tell by Frank's forever-monotone voice whether he was happy or disturbed about something. The building could be on fire and he'd sound as though a piece of paper was merely singeing hot in a small, metal waste can. "What is it?"
"Just business. We'll talk when I see you. Call if you have any issues with the pickup."
She closed the line. Just business. Her lease of Ace's garage space was coming due at the start of the new year. An increase in rental fees—the first uptick in two years—likely would be the topic of discussion. Putting the matter aside for now, she got out and disposed of the empty peppermint schnapps bottles her last passenger had imbibed. Who drinks straight schnapps? You could tell a man by the liquor he drank, according to her friend and employee, Danielle. Reyna stuck the used glass with several others in a case kept in the trunk compartment, set to give them a scalding dishwasher spin later. She then placed four clean glasses in the rear cup drawer between the bucket seats. The back cabin of the car was otherwise tidy. Still, with sanitizing wipes from her utility bag and air freshener, she swabbed down the camel-leather seats, followed by a good buffing with a soft microfiber cloth, a quick run of the cordless hand vac, and a couple of mist pumps of Febreze Ocean Breeze. It did its work just as jet wheels met the tarmac with a slight bounce and slowed to a smooth stop.
The ground crew went to work guiding the plane forward. She waited until the airstairs lowered before she slid her sunglasses in place and drove out to meet her clients.
"I think that's our ride." Noah jerked a look over his shoulder. "Hawk got us riding in style. Sweet."
His cell phone to his ear, Hawk paused in his note-taking. "Hold on a moment," he told the parties on the conference call, then pressed mute. "Noah, what are you going on about?" He got up, crossed the cabin to his brother, and gave a look out the window. Their cousin, Asher, did the same. They watched as the sleek black vehicle, its high-polished finish reflecting off the late sunrays like smudge-free glass, slowed to a stop a short distance away from the plane.
"Maybe Mason ordered it. You know how he likes to do everything at level ten," Asher remarked as the attendant handed him his luggage.
"I told Mason I'd handle our transportation and hotel," Hawk groused on his way back to his seat, aware their friend tended to overindulge. "Flying us out here on his private plane was enough."
"Dudes, our driver's a woman!" Noah grinned, his face practically plastered to the glass.
Hawk and Asher pivoted back to the window. Decked out in all black, her stylish leather jacket flapping about at the knees, legs slightly spread in her trimmed-fitting slacks, sheen patent leather heels firmly planted, and hands linked at her back, she looked as though she belonged on the set of the Matrix. Especially with those opaque wraparound shades. Even the stoic expression on her face gave off a dark, sexy vibe.
She turned her face, chin angled upward toward the setting sun. The way the pink rays illuminated her brown skin stole Hawk's breath.
"Today must be my lucky day." Asher grinned wide and adjusted the tuck of his button-down shirt, then hurriedly ran his fingers through his intentionally mussed, blond-tipped, dark hair.
"There has to be a mix-up with the reservation. I'll work it out later." Feeling somewhat enchanted by the woman as well, Hawk centered himself and returned to his seat to finish up his conference call.
"In the meantime"—Asher was already heading for the exit before the stairs had been properly secured—"the lady awaits."
Noah, wearing his Santa hat, followed him. He paused and looked back. "Hawk? Hey, what happened to no work this weekend?"
Hawk brought his eyes up from the notepad. "I'm right behind you." He continued scribbling, trying to keep up as he listened to his accountant, his architect, and his attorney go over the exorbitant dollars it would take to acquire the vacant business property next door to his custom woodworking retail store. His current square footage was bursting at the seams. But since he was still on the fence about moving forward, and the fact that the flight attendant stood at the exit with his carry-on, her patient demeanor belied by her glance at her watch, he cut the meeting short. Best to get into that holiday party mode as Asher had drilled the entire flight out.
On exit, Miami's unexpected chilly breeze struck Hawk's face as he watched Asher's big body crowd the lady, chatting . . . charming her in the way Hawk had witnessed his cousin do with women more times than he cared to count. Yet, aside from the small smile she allowed, their driver maintained that military pose beside the passenger-side rear door, her professional mien in full form.
"I was expecting three, the reservation under the name, Mr. Julian Swan, to be precise."
"Good afternoon," Hawk announced behind them. The men turned, both grinning like ridiculous hyenas.
"Hawk, meet our driver." Noah stepped aside, revealing the lady in a way Vanna White would turn letters, fanning an exaggerated hand up and down her slender black-clad frame.
Up close, Hawk understood why both behaved like drooling idiots. Wind whipped her long ponytail about like the smooth ebb and flow of ocean waves, slashing across attractive features the color of rich, buttery cashews. Beneath that sleek leather coat, her silk blouse accentuated the perfect swells of her breasts and were neatly tucked, sketching the contour of her waist. The dark shades and scarlet lipstick pulled the whole superhero, don't even think about crossing me, look together.
She was smoking hot, and Asher had gotten to her first. Noah, at six-one and almost as big as Hawk himself, had recently turned twenty-one. The young man had a few years before he could swim in the big-boy pool.
"I see you've met my brother, Noah, and my cousin, Asher."
"I go by Ash." He flashed her his bright white smile.
With her hands still clasped behind her, she inclined her head, not revealing anything in her steadfast visage, and centered on Hawk. "Good afternoon, sir. I'm Rey. Your original driver, Melvin, was detained. I'm afraid you're stuck with me instead."
That was just fine with Hawk as he studied her, trying to see what lay behind those opaque lenses. Her eyes would speak far beyond her words if only he could see them. The soft, breath-catching smile touching her lips when he was slow to respond snapped him swiftly back to the moment at hand.
"It's Julian, but everyone calls me Hawk."
"He means he prefers it," Noah supplied.
Another nod. "I should get you all on your way."
She clicked the car's key fob, springing open the trunk, and they piled in their luggage, then settled in their seats.
Hawk elbowed Ash beside him. "Dibs. Back off," he whispered and tilted his head at the lady circling the front of the car with graceful strides. "You'll have plenty of women at the party to disappoint."
Ash chuckled with an unperturbed look back at him. "Are we in sixth grade? What about you and Francesca? She'll be looking for you tonight," he whispered. "How about we flip a coin?"
"No." Hawk glowered. "And there is no me and Francesca. It was one date," he murmured, then rushed out, "Heads," as his cousin gave a flick of his thumb, sending a quarter a short flight upward and caught it just as their driver—Rey—slid in behind the wheel.
"You might want to tell Francesca that," Ash muttered under his breath amid revealing the winner of the coin toss.
Hawk smirked, triumphant. He took the branded good luck piece and stuck it in his pocket, taunting, "Merry Christmas." Staking claim to their driver in such a way was infantile, barbaric even, but he didn't care. "Fair play, my friend."
"Pardon? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
Hawk looked up. Rey removed her sunglasses and gave a look over her shoulder. Her head tilted to see past Noah in that obstructing Santa hat, situated in the bucket seat directly behind her. "Um, I said Merry Christmas." His awkward smile was met with yet another nod.
"Oh. Yes, Merry Christmas to you all. By the way, it's usually an easy twenty-minute ride to downtown, but traffic on a Saturday and with holiday travel, my route is showing major bumper-to-bumper. I'll do my best to detour where I can."
"It's not a problem. I have no doubt we're safe in your capable hands," Ash quickly piped in, wearing his perfected suave grin.
Hawk shot him a narrowed side-eye before turning back to her compelling brown eyes. "There's no hurry." She made a slight adjustment to the rearview mirror. He shifted left ever subtly in his seat. It provided him an optimum angle of her face. And, consequently, her view of him.
"Fellas, how sweet is this?" Noah started opening compartments and pressing buttons. "Heated seats. Dudes!" He held up an assortment of travel-sized liquor bottles. "Cool!"
Rey met Hawk's gaze in the mirror. "You'll find glasses in—"
"Got 'em." Noah pinned two plastic-wrapped shot glasses between his fingers. "Now this is how you start off a holiday party."
"Please help yourself."
The privacy glass began a slow roll upward. Hawk hastily tapped the button on the console, commandeering control, sliding it back down.
Rey looked back. "I thought I'd give you all your privacy. The rear cabin is virtually soundproof with the partition closed and the intercom on mute."
"No need." He reached across and snatched two whiskey mini bottles from Noah after watching him practically inhale his first drink straight from the head. "One's enough." Again, he met Rey's stare in the mirror. "You'll have to excuse my brother. We don't let him out of his cage often."
"Yeah, he's a new twenty-one," Ash added while already tossing back a second bottle of the dark liquid in a glass himself.
"She said it was okay," Noah grumbled, but did exactly as ordered, relinquishing his empty glass to the drawer compartment. "Hawk, are you going to be a buzzkill the entire trip?"
He shrugged. "It's looking that way."
Slouching with arms crossed at his chest, Noah aimed his scowl at the dark-tinted window. "I should've gone skiing with Tuck and Rob. Fresh snow on the ground in the Berkshires would be better than this."
"North Star Private Car. Reyna Star, Proprietor." Hawk held up a business card he found in the cupholder, completely ignoring his brother's sulk. "My reservation was with Ace Car Service."
"I own North Star. But on occasion, I assist Ace when asked. It's our busiest time of year. All hands on deck."
"A business owner who doesn't just sit behind a desk. Is your company strictly private charter?"
"Yes. So, what brings you all out to Miami for such a quick turnaround? I have you leaving out tomorrow afternoon."
"Ash's and my college roommate is throwing a Christmas party." As Hawk stuck her card into his pocket, he kept eyes on her reflection, appreciating how the dipping sunset seemed to glow in her eyes like pink flames behind warm embers. "Is it Miss or Mrs. Star?"
"Ms." A slight smile twitched back at him.
He confidently returned the gesture, noting how she continued to watch the road, then him, back and forth, provoking a sudden quickening of his pulse. "Ms." He grinned. "I can work with that."
"Hawk, it doesn't mean she's single," Noah cut in as he texted on his phone.
"Noah, shut up," Ash growled low.
That brought the get-to-know-you to an awkward pause. There was a somewhat remote look to her features. Her attention now stayed planted on the cars ahead. Hawk wanted to toss his brother through the window into slow-moving traffic.
"Nice plane," she said after a stretch of silence. "Helps to have it with quick trips, I'm sure."
Hawk blinked. "Pardon?" He was glad their dialogue had resumed.
"Your jet. Is it a Bombardier Challenger or a Citation X? I see plenty of them in my line of work. I've gotten pretty good at identifying what they are. But the nose on the Challenger 604 and Citation X are very similar."
"Oh. Um, I—"
"It's a Citation X, right, Hawk?" Ash delivered a subtle prod with his elbow while rapidly nodding his head.
"Ash, what are you talking about? Hawk doesn't—ow!" Noah groaned and rubbed his leg. "Hawk, man, you nearly cracked my shin."
Hawk cleared his throat. "Ms. Star—"
"Reyna."
Another smile. He couldn't contain his own because hers was so lovely. "Reyna, any holiday plans?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Maybe I can change that. At least for tonight. How about you join me? We're allowed to bring a guest to the party."
She held his stare with short hesitation. "No, but thanks."
"I know we just met, but I promise, I'm a gentleman. One might even say"—still smiling, he scratched the neatly cropped hairs on his cheek—"straitlaced." He winked and was rewarded by a soft chuckle.
"Sadly, he really is," Ash unceremoniously vouched for him. "He's as narrow-path as a saint."
"Yeah, he's a stickler for following the rules," Noah muttered. "Trust me, you have nothing to worry about with my brother. That's if you don't mind being bored to death." He jerked his legs to the side, laughing. "Hah, you missed me that time."
After sending a quick threatening look at Noah, Hawk leaned forward, putting a strain on the seat belt strap to its full capacity, and observed Reyna's watchful eyes shift between him and the road. "A copy of my driver's license was supplied with the reservation. You can easily look me up." He grinned alongside an innocent flutter of his lashes. "I'm as harmless as a kitten."
"Their sharp claws are hidden." She hadn't taken her focus off the road, yet a touch of a grin remained, surfacing past that all-business exterior. Then she brought her gaze up. A full-on smile curved her pretty, ruby lips, followed by soft laughter floating and touching Hawk like a thousand wisps of delicate fingertips.
The air in his chest stilled, leaving no room for his heart to momentarily beat. Ash's light nudge with his knee pulled Hawk's steady stare from the rearview mirror to his cousin's twisted smirk. Noah's expression matched Ash's. Only then did Hawk realize he himself had been beaming like a cockeyed teen.
He sat back, putting himself in check. Though she continued to send short glimpses his way, her silence held through the stretch of highway and side streets, then the car came to a stop in front of the hotel's entrance.
They exited before Reyna could assist with the rear door. Two hotel attendants came forward, one rolling a shiny brass luggage cart, but were waved off.
With their bags in hand, Ash and Noah thanked their driver for the ride.
Reyna's erect spine, her tall heels firmly rooted, hands linked behind her, severed any connection they might have formed, but Hawk dismissed caution. "I'd like to get to know you. When you get off, maybe we could grab a drink. A coffee perhaps?"
"I don't date clients."
"How about making an exception?" He managed to pull another cute smirk from her that seemed to carry with it a long breath of contemplation. "It's one date. We don't have to call it a date. A meet and greet. I like to think I'm good company."
"It seems you would be. But no. Your departure is tomorrow at noon?"
"Is eleven for pickup okay?"
Her head turned, then rotated back to him. "I'm afraid I have a call coming in. Enjoy your evening. Happy holidays." She tapped her earpiece and strutted off.
A hand landed and gripped Hawk's shoulder. Startled, he hadn't noticed his cousin's close proximity to him.
"That was painful to witness. You were so close." Ash tsked and shook his head as they strode inside. "You're like Icarus."
They'd been best friends from the cradle, born within days of each other. More like brothers than cousins. But they were gravely competitive in all things. Both had their share of beautiful women. Except, unlike his cousin, Hawk had grown tired of the chase and wanted to settle down.
He gave Ash a side look, knowing better than to encourage him, and yet . . . "I'm sure you're eager to share how that is."
"It's simple. You flew too close to the sun . . . or in this case, 'Star.'" Ash fell into robust laughter, and Noah joined in as they situated themselves in the long check-in line. "My point," Ash added, sobering. "Reyna Star has access to the rich and famous. Hawk, my man, you're not in her lane. Neither am I for that matter, but what do they say? 'Shoot for the moon, and if you miss, at least you'll be among the stars . . . Star.'" Ash laughed more at his own ridiculous wit.
"Yeah, bro," Noah chimed in. "You saw her. She's a sophisticated lady, used to the finer things in life. You . . . well, you're an ogre." He jerked out of the way of the large, open palm aimed at the back of his head.
"But, no fear, my friend. Reyna Star was a mere blip on your timeline," Ash continued.
Hawk gave a nod. "Already forgotten." If only that were true. There was something about her that pulled at his senses. He knew he'd shot high with Reyna and indeed got burned down to the bone. As he licked his wound, he tried to steer himself back to the objective for being there. "We're here to have a good time."
"We're here to indulge in the opposite sex," Ash proclaimed.
"That we are." Hawk agreed. "And when it comes to an ample supply of beautiful women, our buddy, Mason, never disappoints. There is sure to be plenty at the party tonight for—"
Hawk swung around to the sultry lilt that had easily imprinted on his brain. His chest constricted, air trapping in his airway. It felt almost as though he'd conjured her from a dream to reality.
Her stare was sharp and steady, shifting from him to Ash, over to Noah, then pressed upon Hawk. "Didn't mean to interrupt. One of you left your phone in my car. I always double-check the cabin just in case."
Hawk took the device he knew to be his. "Thank you."
She inclined her head, her eyes unwavering, her stare about as frigid as her voice was gentle. "Enjoy your party. Sounds like it will be a memorable one."
An awkward shared silence hung for a moment. "If I might put in context—" he started.
"Gentlemen, have a good evening."
"How much of that do you think she heard?" Ash asked as she strode off, aiming her unhurried steps toward the exit.
Hawk clenched his molars, quite certain she'd gotten an earful.
End of Excerpt
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Great 3 bedroom 2 bath lower unit condo available now for sale. Hurricane shutters with custom wood shutters throughout. Nicely furnished condo, located in a quiet area of Bahia Delfin close to parking and the beach. Beautiful sunsets of the Teta Kawi mountains from your living room and kitchen. One building away from the white sandy beach of San Francisco Beach. Watch the dolphins swim and enjoy the sunshine of San Carlos.


text:
#include "../client.h"
#include "../connectionlistener.h"
#include "../disco.h"
#include "../message.h"
#include "../gloox.h"
#include "../loghandler.h"
#include "../tlshandler.h"
#include "../tlsdefault.h"
#include "../logsink.h"
#include "../messagehandler.h"
#include "../base64.h"
using namespace gloox;

#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <locale.h>
#include <string>

#include <cstdio> // [s]print[f]

#ifdef WIN32
#include <windows.h>
#endif

#include "../config.h"

#ifdef HAVE_GNUTLS

/*
 * Using TLS to encrypt end-to-end traffic is not a recommended practice in XMPP,
 * nor is it standardized in any way. Use this code at your own risk.
 */

class MessageTest : public ConnectionListener, LogHandler,
                    MessageHandler, TLSHandler
{
  public:
    MessageTest()
      : m_tls( new TLSDefault( this, "", TLSDefault::AnonymousServer ) ),
        rcpt( "hurkhurk@example.net/client" ) {}

    virtual ~MessageTest()
    {
      delete m_tls;
    }

    void start()
    {

      JID jid( "hurkhurk@example.net/server" );
      j = new Client( jid, "hurkhurks" );
      j->registerConnectionListener( this );
      j->registerMessageHandler( this );
      j->disco()->setVersion( "messageTest", GLOOX_VERSION, "Linux" );
      j->disco()->setIdentity( "client", "bot" );
      j->disco()->addFeature( XMLNS_CHAT_STATES );

      j->logInstance().registerLogHandler( LogLevelDebug, LogAreaAll, this );

      j->connect();

      delete j;
    }

    virtual void onConnect()
    {
      printf( "connected!\n" );
    }

    virtual void onDisconnect( ConnectionError e )
    {
      printf( "message_test: disconnected: %d\n", e );
      if( e == ConnAuthenticationFailed )
        printf( "auth failed. reason: %d\n", j->authError() );
    }

    virtual bool onTLSConnect( const CertInfo& info )
    {
      time_t from( info.date_from );
      time_t to( info.date_to );

      printf( "status: %d\nissuer: %s\npeer: %s\nprotocol: %s\nmac: %s\ncipher: %s\ncompression: %s\n"
              "from: %s\nto: %s\n",
              info.status, info.issuer.c_str(), info.server.c_str(),
              info.protocol.c_str(), info.mac.c_str(), info.cipher.c_str(),
              info.compression.c_str(), ctime( &from ), ctime( &to ) );
      return true;
    }

    void xtlsSend()
    {
      Tag *m = new Tag( "message" );
      m->addAttribute( "to", rcpt.full() );
      m->addAttribute( "type", "chat" );
      Tag *x = new Tag( m, "xtls", Base64::encode64( m_send ) );
      x->addAttribute( "xmlns", "test:xtls" );
      m_send = "";
      j->send( m );
    }

    virtual void handleEncryptedData( const TLSBase* /*base*/, const std::string& data )
    {
      printf( "caching %d bytes of encrypted data\n", data.length() );
      m_send += data;
    }

    virtual void handleDecryptedData( const TLSBase* /*base*/, const std::string& data )
    {
      printf( "decrypted packet contents: %s\n", data.c_str() );
      if( data == "bye" )
        j->disconnect();

      m_tls->encrypt( "pong" );
      xtlsSend();
    }

    virtual void handleHandshakeResult( const TLSBase* /*base*/, bool success, CertInfo& /*certinfo*/ )
    {
      if( success )
        printf( "xtls handshake successful, waiting for encrypted packets!\n" );
      else
      {
        printf( "xtls handshake failed!\n" );
        j->disconnect();
      }
    }

    virtual void handleMessage( const Message& msg, MessageSession * /*session*/ )
    {
      Tag* m = msg.tag();
      Tag *x = m->findChild( "xtls", "xmlns", "test:xtls" );
      if( x )
      {
        printf( "decrypting: %d\n", x->cdata().length() );
        m_tls->decrypt( Base64::decode64( x->cdata() ) );
        xtlsSend();
      }
      delete m;
    }

    virtual void handleLog( LogLevel level, LogArea area, const std::string& message )
    {
      printf("log: level: %d, area: %d, %s\n", level, area, message.c_str() );
    }

  private:
    Client *j;
    TLSBase* m_tls;
    const JID rcpt;
    std::string m_send;
};
#endif // HAVE_GNUTLS

int main( int /*argc*/, char** /*argv*/ )
{
#ifdef HAVE_GNUTLS
  MessageTest *r = new MessageTest();
  r->start();
  delete( r );
#endif // HAVE_GNUTLS
  return 0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This table contains data behind the story The Worst Tweeter In Politics Isn't Trump.
senators.csv contains tweets from all senators collected on Oct. 19 and 20.
BarackObama.csv contains tweets from @BarackObama collected on Oct. 20.
realDonaldTrump.csv contains tweets from @realDonaldTrump collected on Oct. 23.


When it comes to multiplatform, Leslie Moonves of CBS has a simple solution: watch more linear telly. According to this report in Ad Age, Moonves is adamant that content monetisation comes from linear and linear only. He sort of has a point and not all at the same time: if you follow his argument that online metrics are a bit wonky, it figures (Nielsen's more accountable system won't be in place until 2011) — but then it's hardly as if linear TV measurement is that accountable.
The report belies a broader point, simply that while an increasing amount of ad spend is moving away from 'traditional' media and on to the web — hence why every major network is beefing up its online services — a smaller proportion is going in to online video advertising. Madison Avenue remains years behind the curve when it comes to online video ads, usually farming such work out to the plethora of boutique agencies which specialise in the area; but the spend is still peanuts compared to overall budgets.
Advertisers and networks listen: the web is where < 35s are. Social networks are grabbing their attention in a way TV — until now, the pre-eminent medium — cannot compete with. It's not the end of TV, it's the beginning of searchable TV.


TV actor Jennifer Winget posted a picture of her bald look on Instagram, her fan clubs have gone on an overdrive, with some lauding her guts and some wondering why she would go to such extremes for an on-screen role.
To break it to you, the actor hasn't got her head shaved and it's all been done with the help of prosthetics.
"I've never done anything as crazy as this with my look before. I was definitely nervous as to how the whole look would turn out. But I'm so glad it's worked and all credit goes to the team behind this look. Even I was stunned when I saw the finished look," says Jennifer.
Following a small leap, Jennifer's character undergoes major physical changes too. After a bald look, the actor is now sporting a short hair look.
The wavy bob, done by celebrity hair stylist Adhuna Bhabani, has a coffee brown shade with honey highlights.


text:
Legal Information : Countries : United States : government
executive branch (733)
legislative branch (55)
Copyright Search - Search copyright information from the U.S. Library of Congress.
(Added: 19 Aug 2001 Rating: 10.00 Votes: 1 ) Rate It
eGov Links - Links to Electronic and Digital Government Initiatives, Websites and Resources.
(Added: 23 Jul 2001 Rating: 10.00 Votes: 1 ) Rate It
Federal Information Center - FIC is a single point of contact for people who have questions about Federal agencies, programs, and services.
(Added: 28 Jul 2000 ) Rate It
Federal Trade Commission - The FTC site includes law and rules on consumer protection and anti-trust.
FedWorld Information Network - Access to thousands of U.S. Government web, and hundreds of thousands documents.
IRS - U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service.
(Added: 26 Mar 2001 ) Rate It
Office of National Drug Control Policy - Features White House Drug Policy initiatives, programs, and publications.
Office of the Law Revision Counsel - Free full-text searchable and downloadable access to the U.S. Federal statutes of a general and permanent nature.
Refugee Caselaw Site - Collects, indexes, and publishes selected recent court decisions that interpret the legal definition of a "refugee" from around the world.
(Added: 22 Nov 2001 ) Rate It
Seniors.gov - Comprehensive collection of links to US government resources geared towards the needs of seniors, including social security, retirement planning, volunteer opportunities, and health.
THOMAS -- U.S. Congress on the Internet - Current US Federal legislative Information.
U.S. Blue Pages - Directory to U.S. government websites.
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - In charge of preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths.
United States Government Manual - Provides information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
United States Patent and Trademark Office - The official site of the US Government's Patent and Trademark Office, an agency of the Department of Commerce. Free full patent search and patent related information.
United States Trustee Program - A component of the Department of Justice responsible for overseeing the administration of bankruptcy cases and private trustees.
US Securities and Exchange Commission - The official federal agency website includes law, rules, legal releases, and reports relating to the regulation of stockbrokers, securities exchanges, investment advisors, and publicly held companies.