Yet unknown to her, the crippled soldiers could not be saved. Moments after her and her friend depart, the crippled soldiers crosses paths with Makoto, one of the film's main characters as well as one of the many crows that inhabit The Noisy Requiem. A deranged soul that walks the streets of downtown Osaka, murdering women and bird in the black-lots, salvaging their organs to add to his plastic doll or to him, the love of his life. As he sets eyes to the former soldiers, he berets them; accusing them of being Koreans and never actually participating in the war. As Makoto watches the soldiers slowing lose their tempter, we watch him slowly reach for a claw-hammer concealed behind his pants. What happens next is a brutal scene of violence.
These moments aren't scarce Matsui's film. It would be an understatement to say Noisy Requiem is not an easy film to sit through, especially considering the duration, and its also one that will surely leave a viewer cold after first viewing. The character of Makoto alone would put off a viewer; his numerous vicious acts makes him one of most perverse and psychotic characters ever captured on celluloid. But Makoto is only one of the many crows that populate the dark belly of Osaka. Matsui also introduces us to incestuous siblings, unhappy dwarf orphans running a small business, and a unintelligible vagrant who wonders the streets with a stump that resembles something rather suggestive. While we watch each of these characters engage in questionable, and in some cases unbearable, acts, we are reminded that these were once white pigeons that hungered for grain that was out of reach.
Requiem is less a narrative, and more a portrait of these characters. Makato engages in ruthless acts of violence but also is shown making love to his mannequin; the dwarf woman is shown humiliated almost everywhere she goes, bottling in her anger; the incestuous couple walk the streets together, sometimes stopping to play hopscotch and so on. Yet Matsui never portrays these characters with a sense of ironic humor or even as disgusting creatures; Most of them are presented as sympathetic. Maybe its because Matsui, as well as we, know that these characters have little chance for assimilation with society and their fate is all but sealed. His freaks are as tragic as those of Brownings', yet shown under the affectionate light that Waters often reserved for his social misfits as they took pleasure in trumping each other in crude behavior.
Matsui's film is one about the socially neglected; Each character pushed so far from society to the point of criminal and perverse activity. Some have already reached their extreme (Makato) while others (the incestuous couple and dwarfs) we watch slowly transform into what society expects from them. But to Matsui, these are are just wounded souls in search for love and acceptance. In the film's finest moments, we watch these characters try to achieve this. In a beautiful sequence, we see the murderous Makato dancing with his lover/mannequin. Its here we see the last bit of humanity left in him and in a way it's oddly touching. In an interview for Midnight Eye, Matsui explained how he saw a type of beauty and purity in some of his character's perverse acts because they came from a longing that society doesn't understand nor would ever come to accept. And while it may seem morbid, a viewer can see that. The idea can be viewed as a grim allegory for any individual who feels alienated from society.
Having worked on the film for five years, Noisy Requiem is nothing if not Yoshihiko Matsui's magnum opus. Having worked with major names like the late avant-garde filmmaker Shuji Terayama and influential punk filmmaker Sogo Ishii, Matsui was no stranger to the Japanese Underground Cinema. But nothing could have ever prepared anyone for something like Noisy Requiem. Equivalent to something like David Lynch's Eraserhead or Alejandro Jodorowsky's El Topo, Requiem is a work both controversial and infamous in Japan. Sadly the work remains rather obscure to the west. This film could have been a two and a half hour freak show or a cheap exploitation film; but in Matsui's hands, we are given a savage and thought provoking work of art.
This entry was posted in Essays, Film, Filmmaking, Reviews and tagged Film, Film as a Subversive Art, Japanese Cinema, reviews, The Noisy Requiem, Yoshihiko Matsui. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
int main(int argc, char * argv[])
{
    @autoreleasepool {
        return UIApplicationMain(argc, argv, nil, NSStringFromClass([YTAppDelegate class]));
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In our latest Video of the Week, we take a look at two professional snowboarders who hit the water in search of some big fish on the spey rod. Eric Jackson and Curtis Ciszek consider snowboarding their profession, but swinging a fly is what they can often be found doing in their off time.
In this film, Eric and Curtis visit the Deschutes river, an area that had recently been victim to forest fires. The river had been closed for three days because of the fires, but they were able to get out after it opened back up and get on some very large fish. Check out the video to see just how well they did!
This video was created by 10 Barrel Brewing, and features Curtis Ciszek and Eric Jackson. Be sure to check out their social media for a great mix of fishing and snowboarding content!


Do you think you can walk or run 100 miles over four days along the beautiful Cotswold Way Trail? Of course you can! We're not going to pretend it's easy – it is for charity after all, but even if you walk slowly, it's a leisurely walk for 8 hours each day. Step up the speed as you travel through some of the most picturesque scenery in the world and you could be done in half that time, after which you'd be staying each night in the amazing runners villages!
The Cotswold Way is a beautiful national trail, running from the town of Chipping Campden in the north to the stunning Georgian city of Bath in the south. En route, the trail passes through stunning and quintessentially English countryside, Cotswold stone villages and along the majestic Cotswold Hills.
So, why don't you run or walk the Cotswold Way with us (that's right, we're getting involved too!) over 4 days in May 2019? If you think you can raise a minimum of £500 for our charity, you can join in FOR FREE!
The concept is simple: each day you will run, jog or walk your way along the trail – or, most likely, a mix of them all – until you reach the campsites or "runners villages", as the organisers like to call them. Each campsite is equipped with toilets and showers, entertainment, food and drink, sports massages and ice baths. Whether you speed your way through each day or walk the whole way from point to point, you're sure to need a bit of R&R and the campsites are the perfect spot.
You can bring your own tent and pitch it yourself each night, or book a pre-erected tent, which will be up and waiting for you on your arrival. You don't even need to worry about your luggage; that's transferred to the next campsite while you are on the trail.
The Cotswold Way is intended to be an amazing challenge, but something that is achievable to anybody who has a reasonable level of fitness. The social side of it will be amazing, and we guarantee you will meet some amazing people and form some fantastic friendships along the way! This is not a race, you will not be timed at any stage, and there are no prizes for coming first. (You will be navigating along the trail and finding the route, however don't worry, the Cotswold Way is really well way-marked – and you'll spot others going in the same direction too, no doubt).
So, what are you waiting for!? If you'd like to support the work our charity does, you could take part in this once-in-a-lifetime challenge for free.
Enter your details below and we'll be in touch as soon as we physically can be to get you started on the journey!
Which you'll be using during the event.
By ticking this box, I agree to allow the Superhero Foundation to contact me regarding my enquiry only, using the information I have input into this form.


Whether you are travelling abroad for a short weekend break or further afield on a long stay trip it is important that you have the right level of travel insurance. Bollington can offer travel insurance for single trip, long-stay and multi-trip cover.
Our experts are on hand to discuss your requirements. Knowing you have the right level of cover (should anything happen while you're abroad) will mean you can spend more time enjoying yourself and less time worrying that should anything unexpected happen – you're covered. We aim to supply you with the right level of cover, tailored to your requirements rather than a standard policy that may not cover you correctly. Travel insurance is a highly complicated type of insurance, speak to one of our team members to determine whats right for you.
Our single trip policy will provide cover for one specific trip, which can be up to a maximum duration of six months depending upon the length of the trip.
Our long-stay policy will provide cover for one specific trip, which can be up to a maximum duration of 12 months.
An annual multi-trip policy provides cover for any number of trips in the 12 month period, for trips up to a maximum of 31, 45 or 60 days duration depending on requirements.
There may be some age limits that may apply to our policies and we can discuss these with you at the time of quoting.
Bollington can also offer optional additional cover for winter sports and business trips. We can also provide cover for pre-existing medical conditions upon referral which we will discuss with our underwriters on a individual basis.
If you would like a quotation for your travel insurance, please call us on 01625 348038 for a prompt and friendly service.


Sika is a Danish furniture manufacturer that produces handmade rattan furniture with an emphasis on comfort, quality, design and sustainability. Ankjær Andreasen founded Sika in Horsens, Denmark, in 1940 and named the company for the light and elegant sika deer. The company expanded from wicker baskets into furniture in the 1950s and 1960s and engaged the best wicker makers in Denmark to perfect the art of rattan furniture.
For more than 60 years Sika has produced rattan furniture designed some of the biggest names in twentieth-century Danish design including Arne Jacobsen, Viggo Boesen, Robert Wengler and Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel. In 2012, the company launched the Icons collection of rattan chairs and tables, which revives and revitalises many of its classic designs and proves the versatility, elegance and enduring style of rattan furniture.
All Sika furniture is handmade using only the best sustainable materials. Within the collections, there are Indoor ranges such as Sika Originals, Sika ICONS and complimentary Teak products. Sika also have a number of outdoor ranges such as Sika Exterior, Georgia Garden, Affaire (Cafe Furniture), Avantgarde & Teak Dining Tables.


Color coated stand up pouch can stand beautifully on shelf. This stand up pouch may be used to pack dry fruits, cereals like millets, bajra, ragi etc.This pouch is with lockable zipper which keeps your product fresh for longer time. Printed on one side in different color make your pouch stand out on shelf.


While it's snowing, I'm cozy in my living room, sharing my new Crock-Pot Sweet Potato Chili recipe. How appropriate!
Now, I know…chili is a meal that scares some people. And for good reason… there's even a song about beans being a musical fruit. I get it.
BUT I have a solution that my mother taught me.
The beans are not the problem. It's the bean juice. Ew…that even sounds gross.
The fancy thing about Crock-Pots is you can throw it all in, go to work, and when you arrive home, it's ready. What a revolutionary idea.
Saute your garlic and onion in a frying pan. Then add everything into crock pot. Stir it and set Crock-Pot on LOW for 7 hours, or on HIGH for 4. EASY PEASY.
Serve, sprinkled with chopped scallions and/or cheddar cheese. Up to you!
While the Crock-Pot did it's finest work, I baked these yeasty-doughy-dinner rolls. I used whole wheat flour. And the aroma was heavenly. And I thank Pinterest for them. And I ate another one at midnight. Sshhh..
thank you Ev, you are so sweet :) I gotta check yours out!


Thai wicker for a fish trap.
4k00:12Slow motion close up view of male hands ring old wire ties from a wooden stay on a wire fence in dry grass, West, Texas, 23.98 fps, 4K.
4k00:11DONG THAP, VIETNAM, MAY 2017: Unidentified woman makes conical hat on May 15, 2017 in Dong Thap (Mekong Delta), Vietnam.
4k00:10close up of woman hands that play arp instrument. woman play cord instrument. cord instrument performance.


text:
Suffering in Silence
Suicide Rates in rural America on the rise
Franklin Thurlow
Few would have guessed Brooks Winton, a farmer from rural New York, was going through severe mental health struggles. Described as a burley ex-athlete with the ability to hoist farm animals under each arm, the 28-year-old was a beloved member of a close-knit family.
That's why his suicide came as a shock.
"He was the father of 3-year-old twins, the life of the party, very hardworking," says his uncle, Jeff Winton. "Everybody loved my nephew. No one had any idea he was struggling with mental illness until the day we found him."
Feeling there was nowhere to turn for help, Jeff says Brooks—who also was a steel worker—felt his only option was to take his life, rather than put stress on his wife and children.
The tragedy moved Jeff to use his experience as a professional in the biopharmaceutical industry to help rural families. He founded Rural Minds in October 2021.
His goal is to end the stigma of mental illness in rural America by creating a space for people to tell their stories and connecting people to mental health care services.
"We didn't want to duplicate efforts or waste time or resources by creating materials that already existed," Jeff says. "Some of these organizations such as NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) or MHA (Mental Health America) or big international nonprofits focused on mental illness have been around for decades and created wonderful materials. In fact, on our website, RuralMinds.org, there is a clearinghouse of different services that our people can get access to. We want them to be aware that these resources do exist."
In 2021, suicide rates in rural America were 18.9 per every 100,000 people compared to 13.2 in urban areas, according to the National Institutes of Health. From 1999 to 2019, suicide rates in rural America jumped 50% as opposed to a 31% increase among urban people.
Middle-aged is traditionally thought of as the most at-risk age group, but according to Rural Health Information, in rural areas men 85 and older are at the highest risk. In 2021, the suicide rate for that group was 60.1 per 100,000 people.
For rural women, those 45 to 49 are at highest risk, with a suicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000 people.
Rural youth ages 15 to 19 have a 54% higher suicide rate than their urban peers. In 2021, the rural rate was 15.8 per 100,000 people versus 9.1 per 100,000 in urban areas.
The suicide rate for the 15 to 19 age group has increased 74% in the past 12 years.
Mental struggles inherent to rural life—stress or anxiety from uncertainty raising crops or livestock, depression from being in a remote setting and fear of judgment from the stigmatization of mental illness—lead to suicidal ideation, according to Rural Health Information.
What led Brooks and so many others in rural America to take their lives is largely related to a lack of access to mental health care and stigma, according to Rural Health Information.
Living in a rural area naturally leads to geographic isolation. Rural residents often must travel long distances to get the help they need, which creates transportation and financial barriers.
"People who live in areas such as this tend to work in occupations such as farming or fishing or they're factory workers, so they don't have the luxury of booking an appointment at 10 a.m. on a Thursday and going to the doctor and coming back to work," Jeff says. "They're hourly wage earners.
"Even if there was help in these small towns, people would be hesitant to park their pickup truck in front of the office of their local shrink, because they'd be worried someone would see them walking into that office."
The stigma surrounding suicide is often a barrier to people seeking the mental health care they need. The stigma can be intensified for marginalized groups such as Native Americans or those identifying as LGBTQ.
"Mental illness is an illness," Jeff says. "If someone had cancer, you wouldn't tell them to get over it. But we still have that problem with mental illness because it's stigmatized. It's not considered an illness, but rather a character flaw to overcome. Our goal is to destigmatize this, especially in small towns."
The stigma led some people to encourage Jeff's family to keep the cause of Brooks' death a secret or attribute it to heart disease.
"People that live in rural areas tend to be private and independent and not talk about their problems," Jeff says. "I was taught from the time I was a little kid not to talk about my emotions; not to cry, pull yourself up by the bootstraps."
But with urging from his mom, Jeff decided to tell Brooks' story.
"I gave the eulogy at my nephew's funeral, and we talked about the experience," Jeff says. "We had people lined up for hours who then started to tell us their stories. They saw a family that had been in the area awhile and thought if they're willing to tell their story, we can tell ours."
Not just mental health professionals, but friends, neighbors, family and anyone willing to help can make a lifesaving difference.
"You don't have to say a word," Jeff says. "All you have to do is listen. For a person to feel comfortable and not suffer in silence, they have to know there is at least one person who will listen to them and who they can confide in. That's where the healing begins—so long as you know there is one person who has your back and one person that cares. Then you can branch out and reach out to others. There's a multiplying effect."
The National Suicide Prevention hotline number used for those seeking help or counseling in crisis switched from an 11-digit number to 988 as a dialing code in July.
The change provides a quicker way to access help. The number is easier to memorize and can become synonymous with mental health care, just like 911 is to public safety. It also works with text messaging.
Rural Minds was involved in the hotline change.
"988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the United States, you can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help," says Chuck Strand, executive director of Rural Minds.
According to The Washington Post, officials expect the 988 number to boost calls from 3.6 million in 2021 to 7.6 million in the coming year.
The original hotline number, 1-800-273-8255, will remain active indefinitely.
"The new hotline is going to be phenomenal," Jeff says. "The biggest thing we (Rural Minds) advocate is giving people the opportunity to be comfortable telling their story. This, like any human experience, is all about putting a face to an issue."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Aquatic habitats
Threats to fish habitats
Protecting habitats
Rehabilitating habitats
Habitat Action Grants
Flagship Fish Habitat Rehabilitation Grants
Improving fish habitats
Living and working on a riverbank
Fishers for Fish Habitat
Fish friendly programs
River flows for our fish
Floodgate management
Road crossing remediation
Weir remediation
Fishways
Eastern King Prawn Habitat: Growing a fishery, naturally
Fish and flows
Your catchment
Stroud weir
Restoring fish passage in the Karuah River: the installation of a rock-ramp fishway at Stroud Weir
The Stroud Weir, on the Karuah River, was identified as a priority for remediation because it was a significant barrier to fish moving both upstream and downstream. In this case, the most suitable remediation was the construction of a rock-ramp fishway. This is one of the many barriers to fish passage that have been assessed and remediated by NSW DPI in conjunction with various partners, including the Catchment Management Authorities (now Local Land Services), local councils, local landholders, and structure owners.
The project, completed in 2007, and was:
An initiative of NSW Department Primary Industries (Fisheries)
Funded by NSW DPI (Fisheries) and MidCoast Water
Designed by Fishway Consulting Services
Project managed by Mid Coast Water
Constructed by Soil Conservation Services
The series of images that follow tell the story of restoring fish passage to this section of the Karuah River.
Thanks to Soil Conservation Services for permission to use their photographs.
The Stroud Weir blocked fish movement both upstream and downstream due to the difference in water levels either side of the weir.
Steps to construct a fishway
Set up systems
Set up site
Bulk rock to graded sides of channel
Set up & build fish way channel
Saw cut notch for channel
Epoxy the cut notch
Demobilisation
The plan for the new rock-ramp fishway - bed level surveys allow the correct fish passage option to be determined.
1. Set up systems
Developing a Project Management Plan (PMP) can be an involved process but is essential to ensure the safe and efficient completion of the project. The site-specific plan has to include:
Safety Management Plan (SMP)
Environmental Management Plan (EMP)
Quality Management Plan (QMP)
Construction Program
The PMP has to be approved before work can start.
The emergency evacuation plan is essential and forms part of the Safety Management Plan.
2. Set up the site
Safe access onto the property is very important. In this case, the access was not suitable for trucks and other heavy machinery (top). It had to be graded and resurfaced (middle) before it was good enough (bottom).
Two other access areas also needed to be remade. One, shown first, involved installing a pipe crossing to ensure the machinery could cross safely and did not damage a drainage line. The other, shown second, was a relatively steep and uneven ramp to the river. It had to be smoothed and flattened, and overhanging branches removed, to make sure it was safe for the trucks to use.
Signage and setting up amenities and emergency / environmental / safety systems also has to happen before work can begin. The site was a construction site and warnings had to be placed at the boundary (above). The other facilities (bottom) were located close to eachother. Their location in relation to the weir itself can be seen on the emergency evacuation map shown above.
Another site hazard was a "widow maker". This large, dead tree was removed by professionals.
The final things that had to be done before work could start on the fishway itself were to install the floating boom and survey the site.
The floating boom is positioned downstream of the construction of the fishway. It is designed to catch sediment that comes from the work area.
Finally, the site was surveyed to ensure the correct levels were used when the fishway was constructed. The fishway required a specific slope and position relative to the weir and the underlying riverbed to allow for fish passage.
3. Bulk rock to graded sides of channel
This step involved creating the graded sides (high flow section) of the fishway, extending from the banks to the low flow channel itself.
Firstly, a grader was used to create access over the bedrock.
This meant that trucks and other machinery could now move safely and with limited impact onto the river channel where the fishway and graded banks were going to be constructed.
Bulk fill in the form of large rocks was delivered by truck and dumped into those areas that would form the graded banks.
Individual rocks were then selected and put into position. Rock selection is particularly important so that individual rocks interlock with each other and strengthen the structure as a whole.
The graded banks were constructed from the far corner in towards the channel.
The levels of the rock placements were checked and paint markers are used to show the grade height across the bank.
Once the graded sides were completed, the low flow channel was cleared.
The outer wall of the fishway's low flow channel was created by positioning large rocks along each side of the channel, again being interlocked with each other to strengthen the structure.
4. Setup and built the fishway channel
The fishway channel had to be lined with bentonite waterproofing sheet. This came in a one tonne roll and a specialised handling cradle was neede to manoeuvre it.
The bentonite sheet was laid on a graded gravel bed of the fishway channel.
The bentonite sheet was held in place by a row of inner wall rocks.
Ridge rocks were installed at 2m intervals along the length of the fishway channel. The ridge rocks are situated within the channel itself and help create fish resting pools.
With the first two ridges of the low flow fishway in place it was possible to get a sense of what it would look like.
The low flow channel of the fishway was built from the bottom to the top, close to the weir.
At each stage, the bentonite sheets were laid with an overlap of 500mm (50cm).
A layer of gravel was put over the bentonite so that it didn't tear when the ridge rocks were installed.
The base of the fish resting pools are covered with small to medium sized rock and gravel.
This process continues until the whole of the fishway channel was lined with bentonite sheet.
Where possible, water was diverted around the fishway channel to make it easier to work.
The height of the ridge rocks was also checked to ensure each had only 20mm (2cm) variation.
The working fishway prior to the bentonite sheeting being trimmed.
5. Saw cut notch for channel
A notch needed to be cut into the weir wall to allow water to flow into the fishway. Specialised concrete cutting equipment was used. The saw was bolted to the wall and ran hydraulically. Both a longer horizontal cut and two vertical cuts are needed.
6. Epoxy the notch cut
Once the notch was complete and the section of the weir wall removed, the structure of the weir wall could be seen. The cut concrete showed aggregate, including river stones (top). To seal the sawn surface, primer and 20mm (2cm) of sand rich epoxy was applied to prevent rusting of metal stabilising rods (middle). Three pumps were used to divert the water and keep the sawn area dry until the epoxy resin is set (bottom).
7. Commissioning
All the specifications were checked, including the 20mm tolerance at the ridge rocks. Other design compliance issues were also checked.
8. Demobilisation
For the project to be completed, the site had to be returned to its previous state - or to a state agreed to at the beginning of the project. In this case, the construction office site was left clean and tidy (top) and the work site itself was rehabilitated using local native plants (bottom).
Any project will have some glitches. The two major challenges for this project were a high river drowning out the work site and vandalism. The high river arrived in September following prolonged heavy rain - the outline of the weir can be seen in this photograph.
Theft and vandalism cost the project both time and money. One of the more troublesome events was the damage to the floating boom. It was slashed and its rope and weight chain were stolen.
The completed fishway
The completed fishway at Stroud Weir on the Karuah River represents a significant improvement in fish access in this river, reopening access to approximately 34km of habitat upstream of the weir (7.8km of which was due to a remediated road crossing).
The fishway at Stroud Weir, November 2006
When the river is overtopping the weir, the stepped water surface above the fishway channel can be seen. At these flows the fish use the graded rock areas (high flow section) at the edge of the river to access upstream habitat.
The Stroud Weir and fishway in December 2007


text:
Alexander the great failure »
Alexander the great failure: the collapse of the Macedonian Empire
Grainger, John D., 1939-
Hambledon Continuum,
938.07 GRAINGER, JOHN
2007. Hambledon Continuum, xix, 236 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm. English
Alexander the Great's empire stretched across three continents and his achievements changed the nature of the ancient world. But for all his military prowess and success as a conqueror, John Grainger argues that he was one of history's great failures. Alexander's arrogance was largely responsible for his own premature death; and he was personally culpable for the failure of his imperial enterprise. For Alexander was king of a society where the ruler was absolutely central to the well-being of society as a whole. When the king failed, the Macedonian kingdom imploded, something which had happened every generation for two centuries before him and happened again when he died. For the good of his people, Alexander needed an adult successor, but he refused to provide one while also killing any man who could be seen as one. The consequence was fifty years of warfare after his death and the destruction of his empire.
The work of Philip II, Alexander's father, in extending and developing the kingdom of the Macedonians was the foundation for Alexander's career of conquest. Philip's murder in 336 BC brought Alexander to the kingship in the first undisputed royal succession on record. Alexander's campaigns achieved unparalleled success and the young king of Macedonia, leader of the Greeks, Pharaoh of Egypt, became Great King of Persia at the age of twenty-five.
Alexander, -- the Great, -- 356 B.C.-323 B.C
Greece -- History -- Macedonian Expansion, 359-323 B.C
Macedonia -- History -- Diadochi, 323-276 B.C
Philip -- II, -- King of Macedonia, -- 382 B.C.-336 B.C
954066d7-53b0-abad-c870-5427cfa0be91
alexander the great failure the collapse of the macedonian empire
grainger john d
Grainger, John D
ils:.b27638303 .i74708338 EPL Non-Fiction 938.07 GRAINGER, JOHN 1 false false On Shelf epnf
ils:.b27638303 Book Books English Hambledon Continuum, 2007. xix, 236 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.
Alexander the great failure : the collapse of the Macedonian Empire
Alexander the great failure : the collapse of the Macedonian Empire / John D. Grainger
Alexander the great failure
the collapse of the Macedonian Empire


text:
Openly Gay Speaker of Rhode Island House Resigns After FBI Raid
By streiff | Mar 27, 2014 6:00 PM ET
Gordon D. Fox, the out-n-proud gay (NTTAWWT) Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, who spearheaded the drive, so to speak, to make homosexual marriage legal in Rhode Island has resigned. He resignation followed an FBI raid in which most, if not all, of his stuff was boxed up and taken away.
Mr. Fox is a groundbreaker in a lot of ways. This apparently is the first time a Rhode Island House Speaker's official office has ever been raided by police during the day and in the middle of a legislative session. Via the Providence Journal Gordon Fox resigns as House speaker day after investigators raid home, office
Col. Steven G. O'Donnell, superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, said the raids and the preceding investigations were joint operations by the state police and federal law enforcement agencies.
Members of the state police and federal agents executed the search warrants at Fox's home and office, O'Donnell said Saturday, clearing up some confusion about which agencies were involved in which raids.
O'Donnell said state police investigations often result in joint operations and federal charges, especially "if it's any type of corruption case or political person." In such cases, he said federal prosecution is often preferable because "the guidelines are better for the punishment."
He declined to disclose why the authorities are investigating Fox, and whether Fox is the target of the investigation or merely someone with evidence of crimes committed by others. But he said the former speaker is not in the dark.
"Fox knows what's going on," O'Donnell said. "He's certainly aware of what happened" Friday and why it happened.
O'Donnell explained the timing of the raid, including the search of Fox's State House office during business hours during the legislative session. He said investigators searched as soon as they had established enough probable cause to obtain a warrant. Delaying would not be wise, he said. "If we didn't go in, we might lose it."
The search of the speaker's office may be unprecedented, according to the colonel.
"I don't remember ever seeing the state police execute a search warrant" there, he said.
The purpose of this story is not only to highlight the endemic corruption among Democrat politicians, a corruption that cuts across all ages, races, genders, and orifice-preferences, but to also play Name That Party.
Today's contestants are staff writers Gregory Smith ([email protected]) and Katherine Gregg ( [email protected]) who use 1800 words in the article but never manage to point out that Fox is a Democrat despite identifying at least four other politicians as Democrats and referring to the Democrat party four additional times.
Managing Editor at RedState Former infantry officer, CGSC grad and Army Operations Center alumnus. RedState member since 2004. polite emails to [email protected] Jerk emails will be blocked. Follow me on Twitter.
Read more by streiff
Tags: CORRUPTION FBI GAY ELECTED OFFICIALS GAY MARRIAGE GORDON D FOX NAME THAT PARTY


The column base at the entrance to the tower at the old church is decorated with a quantity of animal hair. Dog, badger, somebody's pillow?
This columb base was left behind when most of the best stonework was transported to Lambourne in 1804 to build the present church. Take a look in the 'new church' to see identical pieces of stonework at the pillar bases, all of which came from the 'old church' at Penhale Sands.


'Dundee Born and Read', Evening Telegraph talking-up SCOTLAND OUTPERFORMING UK!
'Attractions in Scotland have outperformed the rest of the UK with a higher increase in visitor numbers, new figures have suggested. For the seventh year running the increase north of the border (19.07%) was higher than the UK average (8.68%) with the National Museum of Scotland the most visited attraction outside of London.
Dundee my home, it's a wonderful city,beautiful to look at along the river Tay and easy to like.From the city centre you can drive for ten minutes in any direction and be in the countryside (outside of work and school rush hour ) and what countryside it is.
Just about anyone you speak to will give you a smile and chat away with you, there are no strangers in Dundee everyone knows everyone or their friends.
I'd move there but I'm too settled now.


text:
Ed Travis
Odyssey's Contrasting Versa
After having had the opportunity of putting with one of Odyssey Golf's Versa putters I came away with two strong impressions.
First the feel and balance is what we have come to expect from this top line putter company. A solid, confidence producing impact gets the ball on line quickly and distance control is not a problem. Secondly, the contrasting black and white paint scheme was hard to become comfortable with since on the model I was using, the Versa #1, there is no sightline. This however is not true for all Versa models, some of which do have a sightline and of course there is one with the now standard Odyssey 2-ball alignment aid.
All Versas have a White Hot insert which of course contributes to the solid feel the putter produces.
"We set out to design a distinctive and highly effective alignment system for a blade putter," said Austie Rollinson, Principal Designer. "The human visual system is both sensitive to contrast and very good at complex tasks such as edge detection. We utilized both of these skills to create a very effective alignment aid that helps golfers putt more consistently, and sink more putts, too."
A new laser milling cutting process allows Odyssey to achieve tight tolerances and to better match insert shapes to the various head shapes – most of which weigh in at 343 grams with the exception of the 2-Ball head which weighs 355 grams.
The line has four head shapes from blades to mallets plus the 2-Ball. The #1, #2, #7 and #9 models are available in black/white/black and white/black/white combinations. The #7 90 models are also available in both color options, but feature a front-to-back alignment aid. The 2-Ball model comes only in one option, white/black/white. All models carry a price of $169.99 and may be purchased in a 33″, 34″ or 35″ length shaft plus Odyssey's usual plethora of custom options.
TOPICS: Equipment, Opinion	Tags: Odyssey
ABOUT: Ed Travis
Ed Travis is a national award winning golf journalist and has had a life long love affair with the game. He has competed in tournament golf both as an amateur and as a senior professional and though his competitive days are behind him he still plays regularly and carries a handicap of 4. He and his wife live in suburban Orlando.
Follow me on Twitter •	Facebook
PGA Show Attention Grabbers
Two Months of Hack Golf
Fuzzy Thinking
Two New Tour Edge Hot Launch Families
Epic Drivers from Callaway for 2021
G425 Irons & Crossovers from Ping
Ping's G425 Drivers
Apex 21 Irons from Callaway
Callaway Apex 21 Hybrids


text:
Q: Clearing temp items stored by Powershell We use this script to try and get information from some of our servers. Issue that I have is the script somehow "saves" the last server IP, so when the next server in the list is unreachable we still get a "success" response from the previous IP. I have tried using the Clear-Item variable: command after every test but it doesn't seem to release the value.
$enddate = (Get-Date).tostring("yyyyMMdd")
$filename_SRM = 'C:\Scripts\' + $enddate + '_SRM_Scan.csv'

$compArray = get-content C:\Scripts\Servers.txt
foreach($strComputer in $compArray)
{

  $ErrorActionPreference = "SilentlyContinue"
  $ping = new-object system.net.networkinformation.ping
  $ping.send("$strComputer") | Where-Object{$_.Name -eq 'Address'}
  $pingreturns = $ping.send("$strComputer").Status

  $socket = new-object Net.Sockets.TcpClient
  $port = 135  #445
  $socket.Connect($strComputer, $port)

  $Network = Get-WMIObject -class Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration -Computername $strComputer | `
                    Where-Object {$_.IPEnabled -match "True"} | `
                    Select-Object -property DNSHostName,@{N="DNSServerSearchOrder";
                                                        E={"$($_.DNSServerSearchOrder)"}},
                                                        @{N='IPAddress';E={$_.IPAddress}}

  $IP = [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses("$strComputer")

  if ($socket.Connected)
    {
     $Netlogon = Get-WMIObject Win32_Service -ComputerName $strComputer | Where-Object{$_.Name -eq 'Netlogon'}
     if ($Netlogon) {

         $OS  = Get-WmiObject -class Win32_OperatingSystem -computername $strComputer
         $services =  Get-WMIObject -class Win32_Service -ComputerName $strComputer
         "$strComputer ; $pingreturns ; connected ; $($OS.CSName) ; $($Network.IPAddress) "

       }else{
                "$strComputer ; $pingreturns ; WMI Unavailable ;  ; $IP"
            }
         }
if (!$socket.Connected)
   {
        echo "$strComputer ; $pingreturns ; Unable to connect ;  ; $IP"
   }

   $socket.Close()
 }

A: Instead of Clear-Item <variable name>, try Remove-Variable <variable name> or alternatively you could use the syntax $variable = $null. Either should work fine.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is a cosmetic surgery that reshapes the upper eyelid by the removal of excess tissue. It can reduce sagging or puffiness and folds.
If medically necessary it may be covered by your insurance company. EyeCare Associates of Texas, P.A. offers the state-of-the-art eyelid surgery with Dr. Silus P. Motamarry.
Dr. Motamarry has been performing the procedure for over 5 years with outstanding results.
Initial swelling and bruising take one to two weeks to resolve. Several months are needed for the final result to stabilize.
Dr. Motamarry may recommend blepharoplasty for you if your vision is impeded by skin hanging down from your upper eyelids over your eyes. More than any other facial feature, the eyes have a tremendous impact on your appearance, and are often the first feature to show signs of aging.
With blepharoplasty surgery, Dr. Motamarry can remove the excess skin and underlying fat. The staff at EyeCare Associates of Texas, P.A. is ready to show you what specialized care is all about.
Look good and feel good. Call and schedule your consultation with Dr. Silus Motamarry today!


text:
The Tax Regulations of Cryptocurrencies in Costa Rica
In fact your use of cryptocurrency is no different than if you receive any other good
By TCRN STAFF
HealthTCRN STAFF - January 28, 2023
Entheogens, an Authentic Path to Holistic Health
World NewsTCRN STAFF - January 28, 2023
Canada Will Pay Historic Reparations to Indigenous Peoples
What Do Experts Say About the Center Of the American Continent, Does It Have a Costa Rican Signature?
TCRN STAFFhttp://www.TheCostaRicaNews.com
Like you, we are tired of corporate media that is politically driven and one sided. So we decided to focus on news that's important to people. We're Creating a Conscious alternative news network that we feel the world needs and we need your help! We can't do this without you! Support news and media that matters and that can help change our world!
The topic of cryptocurrencies was brought to us by advances in society and technology without giving us time to prepare and analyze their tax treatment. We will focus on cryptocurrencies and not on other types of crypto assets and we will ignore the issue of the territorial application of the tax so as not to complicate the issue.
There are different ways for taxpayers to acquire cryptocurrencies: they can buy them, they can receive them as capital contributions, they can receive them as payment in a purchase transaction, etc.
We will not exhaust ourselves in analyzing the income tax treatment of these transactions, purchases, contributions, purchases with payment in cryptocurrency, etc.
In general, in fact your use of cryptocurrency is no different than if you receive any other good such as stocks, dogs, cats, works of art, currency, etc. We will focus on the implications of having them. The most interesting questions in my opinion would be whether VAT (value added tax) should be charged when transferring cryptocurrencies.
Also if the holding of cryptocurrencies requires that exchange differences be calculated due to fluctuations in their value, or if these fluctuations do not have a tax effect until they have been made.
Possible regulations:
The answer to that question will depend on the nature of these cryptocurrencies. So let's look at our options:
As currencies
If they are considered foreign currency, they are not subject to VAT when they are traded (article 9, paragraph 11 of the VAT Law), and exchange fluctuations must be considered (article 5, ISR Law).
Taxation Authorities in Costa Rica Develop Proposal To Tax Crypto Assets Such As Bitcoin
The treatment of these exchange fluctuations (according to the Income Tax Law) will be taxable or deductible at the time of their accrual. This is an asset used in the taxpayer's lucrative activity (although there is an institutional criterion that says that it is according to the realization criterion and not accrual).Or at the time it is made if it is an asset that is subject to the capital income regime.
As securities
If it were securities (we can discard this option, since they do not have the legal nature of securities).Likewise, it would not be subject to VAT when trading, and its value fluctuations would not have a tax impact as long as these gains or losses are not realized.
Like other types of assets
Finally, if it were other types of assets, such as intangible assets or financial assets, their transfer would in principle be generally subject to VAT (since there is no exemption that covers them).
Cryptocurrency: Changing the World Economy in a Positive Way
The fluctuation of its value would have no effect on income tax and it would not be until the asset is disposed of and the latent capital gain or loss is realized that there would be a gain or loss.
Which of these is the correct option then?
There is some kind of consensus that cryptocurrencies should not be considered currencies, they do not go into cash and bank accounts, so to speak.Mr. Rodrigo Cubero, former president of the Central Bank of Costa Rica, concluded that: "In short, cryptocurrencies do not really represent money in the strict sense, since they do not perform well with any of the three essential functions of money: serving as a means of payment generally accepted, as a unit of account and as a store of value".
So, by default, if it is not currency, the conclusion seems to be that it should be considered as another type of asset (an intangible, or eventually a financial asset, as indicated above).
This whose transfer is subject to VAT and whose gains or losses will be taxed only at the time they are made. That being the case, this seems to be the answer in the current state of the law.
Costa Rica cryptocurrency
As is well known, the General Directorate of Taxation submitted for consultation in November 2021 a draft resolution called "Interpretive resolution in relation to the tax treatment of virtual assets and related activities".
This project to date has not been officially issued as a resolution, but in its text it reaches a conclusion similar to the one we reached here.Now, is that the most convenient answer? Probably not, especially from the point of view of VAT and formal duties.
This is because every time someone pays with cryptocurrencies or transfers cryptocurrencies, they should collect that tax and also issue an invoice. It is treated exactly like a barter. That certainly does not facilitate its adoption and use.
While many jurisdictions have treated cryptocurrencies as an intangible asset or a financial asset for income tax purposes, they have opted for a different and pragmatic solution from a value-added standpoint.They have treated cryptocurrencies as fiat currency thus avoiding the dire consequences of treating cryptocurrency payment transactions as barter.
Anyway, this is a first sketch of what it can be. Stay tuned because this regulation will be defined over time. It will be interesting at that time to reread this article and see if it correctly predicted the future.
https://gnosiscr.com/
Source Sergio Garcia
ViaWilmer Useche
news costa rica
Tax Regulations
Spirituality Happiness and Healthy Life Make Up the Secret of Longevity
Debi Nova, "El Chunche" and Other Influencers Explore Costa Rican Gastronomy at the ICT Initiative
Integrative medicine treatment has evolved and grown throughout the world to include entheogens, also called psychedelic medicine.
TCRN STAFF - January 28, 2023
Disagreements in Costa Rica Regarding Issues Related to Cannabis Production and Consumption
Financial Institutions Cannot Force Clients to Change Conditions of Their Credits in Costa Rica
World News TCRN STAFF - January 28, 2023
Snowfall in Oman Becomes a Trend in theSocial Media


Brotherwood® are a leading supplier of Motability Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs). We can help you acquire an affordable Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle on the Motability Contract Hire scheme. We offer expert advice and service, supplying the best Motability WAVs across the UK.
Occasionally we are able to offer Nearly New WAVs via the Motability Contract Hire Scheme. These are available to lease for a period of 3 years, and enjoy the full support that the Motability scheme provides, including insurance, servicing and maintenance for the lease term.
If you are unsure whether or not you qualify to lease a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle via Motability you can check online using the Motability Eligibility Checker.
The Motability WAV Scheme offers a Contract Hire for a fully converted Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle. An advance payment is required, and your mobility allowance subsequently covers the main monthly vehicle running costs. The usual lease term is 5 years. If you would like more information on our range of Motability Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, request your free brochure pack today.
Once you have chosen the right vehicle for you, you can book a home demonstration, where one of our experienced advisors will bring a wheelchair vehicle to you to try.
What's included with Motability Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles?
You will also receive an annual visit from our mobile service engineers, who will perform a free safety inspection on your vehicle to check that everything is as it should be.
Do I qualify for a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle on Motability?
For enquiries about the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), you can contact the Pensions, Disability & Carers Service on 08457 123456 or visit the Directgov website.
For enquiries about the War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement (WPMS), you can contact the Service Personnel & Veterans Agency on 0800 169 2277 or visit the Veterans UK website.
You can learn more about Motability Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles by downloading the Motability Guide to Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (pdf).
Is there any extra funding available for WAVs on Motability?
You can apply for extra financial help from Motability, to help with the cost of extra adaptations such as a Transfer Seat, or should the advance payment of the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle you need be more than you can afford. Motability grant applications are means-tested on a case-by-case basis. For more information on Motability Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle grants, contact us on 01935 872603.
What if I don't qualify for Motability?
For those who are unfortunately not eligible for the Motability Scheme the alternative is to choose from our new Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, Ex-Demonstration or Used Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles. Under certain circumstances this route may be more cost affective than the Motability Scheme.


If you've ever portrayed a respectable match up associated with FIFA, you can learn it can be a frustratingly unresponsive as a consequence of lag.
FIFA Maximum Party game enthusiasts what people shell out time and cash straight into constructing robust teams before taking all of them on the internet with the high-stress big FUT Winners uncover the following really irritating, as it might devastate most of the possibility of having a crucial glory through time-limited event.
This specific massive long-running trouble with FIFA flash games, and also difficulty prolonged together with FIFA 19 Coin Generator. Presently, inside a considerably unusual transfer, EA Sports entertainment contains unveiled a strong upgrade the application proclaims was organized to direct tackle this problem.
Headline revision five, which inturn is out currently in PC along with coming soon in order to PlayStation 4 and also Xbox You, would make enhancements in to the reactivity involving gameplay throughout situations the place your opponent's interact bond can experience box deprivation or maybe higher latency. Thus, but if your competition might be suitable laggy, you ought to have an increasingly receptive practical experience in such a enhance compared with without.
"Problems in later life that may gameplay responsiveness in addition to regularity for the reason that reactivity as soon as participating in internet based is regarded as the community's most important inquiries," EA talked about in a web log post.
The modification sole relates to a particular modes, however are valuable models: FUT Champs, FUT Splitting Rivals, FUT On the net Draw up, FIFA Pro Night clubs as well as FIFA Co-Op Seasons.
The following week's alteration might increase the responsiveness regarding gameplay for some via the internet matches. We recognized issues the place entire gameplay reactivity within web based meets could be negatively impacted by way of a player's substandard mobile phone network correlation, of which is not intended. So dancing, gameplay responsiveness ought to go with every one player's individual network, without having it those people they're just using as well as against.
EA licensed may by simply just saying an important player's internet based practical experience contains a great deal to execute through factors past the manage (wired connections tend to be an individual's associate!), but it is doing business to work through factors in the control.
FIFA 19 Hack has previously had his or her great number involving concerns because introduce throughout Sept, however it's good to observe the development company keep on to pump outside updates. We're looking forward to providing this kind of up-date an evaluation manage when ever the following gets into any unit reproductions of FIFA 19 Hack, for the reason that We have needed much more than my best great amount about laggy meets Searching for hesitant to give up because of pertaining to panic of asking for a good FUT Dollars punishment.


The perfect location. Nestled at the end of the cul-de-sac. Sitting on a huge lot with sprinkler and drip system to keep it green.Your new home is newly painted inside, with natural wood trim, windows and doors. Vaulted living room ceiling has plant shelves. Your plants will thrive. Open kitchen with bar, sliding glass door from the dining room takes you to the covered patio. Don't let this home slip by. A clean canvas ready for your personal touch.


This "Sweet 16" roster of storage products represents the leading technical innovation of the past year.
Don't make your DR planning process harder than it is by trying to do too much or cutting corners. Careful planning is key to a successful recovery.
There are two sides to the big data story: analytics using vast numbers of small files, and dealing with storage for really big files.
Our latest survey charts the storage architecture alternatives readers are using in their storage shops.
Cloud closures, flash-in-the-pan solid-state vendors … storage might seem a little more dangerous these days, but it just might be innovation at work.
Filling drives with helium doesn't advance the art of hard disk design, it just makes it possible to stuff more old tech into a new package.


Should you f@#^ing swear at work?
So said Rhett (Clark Gable) to Scarlett in 'Gone with the Wind' in 1939. And this line was voted the number one movie line number one movie line of all time by the American Film Institute in 2005.
Fast forward to the 21stC: swearing is commonplace – on the street, at work, on TV, at the movies and on stage. In fact I just saw the play "Riflemind" by Andrew Upton – and by the end of it I wondered if there were any words in the English language other than foul ones!
So it was interesting to read some research that says swearing at work can be of benefit to staff; that the use of expletives helps employees let off steam, boosts morale and can reduce stress.
In fact, Yehuda Baruch, professor of management at the University of East Anglia warned bosses that any moves to prevent workers from swearing could have a negative impact.
Personally I don't think that's too helpful a guide for managers. So I looked to see what I could find out about how the brain processes swearing to see if there are any clues there.
Steven Pinker in his book "The Stuff of Thought" (Allen Lane) says that swearing makes the brain pay attention.
And I realize now that this reaction is exploited by retail clothing brands such as FCUK. Every time you use a swear word (or something that on first pass looks like a swear word – remember how quickly the limbic system makes its assessments?), you are, in effect, giving an emotional whack to the person who hears it.
I asked some people how they felt at work about people swearing around them or to them and they gave quite complicated responses. For example Greyer said it's OK for people to swear if they are just saying 's***' or the equivalent when they are late, get their finger jammed, receive an email from their boss and so on.
But Jaime said he hates it when people are talking about others and saying things like: What an 'a*!@#$%^". Or that f***** ***** etc. Reeta said she couldn't care less.
Why don't you ask the people around you when, where and with whom wearing is and is not acceptable at work. I am sure you'll get a huge range of responses.
So the angry face (or swear word) may trigger The Almond Effect in others. And we've explored several times in CLUES the idea that emotions are contagious. So if someone is swearing, even if they are not afraid, their words may trigger off fear reactions in others and the consequent aggressive/defensive reactions, i.e. feelings of discomfort, annoyance, irritation or even anger.


*Personal: Lifelong Oshkosh resident & hometown girl, married my high school sweetheart, Bob McGuire. We chose to raise our 2 children in this beautiful community attending Oshkosh Public & Parochial schools. Our daughter graduated from UW-O with a Radio-TV-Film degree & is employed in the industry in Atlanta. Our son graduated from MTSU with a Business-Recording Industry Degree & is employed in the music industry in Nashville. My dad, Russell Werch, worked for Oshkosh Corp for many years as well as building homes in Oshkosh with my grandfather in the 1960's.
I know & love Oshkosh!!! Proud to join First Weber in 2013 and SELL Oshkosh!
*Education: Bachelor's Degree in Marketing & Business Education-University of Wisconsin-Stout, I specialize in marketing your home to get top dollar!
*Education Work Experience: taught Retail Marketing at Fox Valley Technical College-Appleton and Oshkosh West & North High Schools--Marketing, Business & Finance Instructor & Dept Chair.
*In 2001, developed & wrote the Personal Finance class that was adopted as a graduation requirement for all Oshkosh High Schools. Also developed Career Choices class taught at both high schools preparing students for career readiness and soft skills needed for workplace.
*Business Work Experience-Worked in marketing & sales for our family wholesale footwear importing/distribution business covering 15 states in the Midwest for 22 years.
*Active leader in Fox Valley Area community & church activities for many years. Member/Affiliations: Oshkosh Yacht Club, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, Paine Art Center, Junior Achievement and Community Church. Past member of Oshkosh Country Club.
*Graduate of Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University", have smart money skills!
*Taught Visual Merchandising at college level and have my Home Staging Expert Certification.
*Knowledgable of local resources to help you in all phases of your real estate needs--I come with people!!
*Experienced in Real Estate-I joined First Weber in 2013 having over 75 transactions in 2016. Received many awards from First Weber-achieving Silver, Gold, Platinum recognition every year in business. A multi-million dollar top producer out of 50 agents in our office.
*Technology Skills: Our company uses the latest technology skills to put you first in the marketplace!
*Passion for helping people, working hard and getting the job done! I go the "extra mile" to serve you! Have confidence you are working with people who care about you.


text:
Paola Antonini Husband, Height, Age, Wiki, Bio and Net Worth
Date of Birth : May 19th, 1994
According to Paola Antonini bio, she was born on May 19, 1994 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Paola Antonini age is 24 years old now. She holds a Brazilian nationality. Paola belongs to white ethnicity. Her Zodiac Sign is Taurus.
Paola Antonini was born and brought up in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Paola is a private person, she has not exposed any of the data about her parents as well as siblings.
Paola Antonini, with her complete career works, is believed to be earning a significant wealth. She has received much praise and fame for her work in social networking which would help her to add up her net worth. Her actual earnings are currently not available. But we suppose Paola Antonini net worth is in a big figure.
Paola Antonini is a web-based social networking star. She is generally known for her eponymous Instagram account. Paola Antonini's leg was compressed, and notwithstanding four activities to spare the leg. It was chosen that Paola Antonini's leg should have been cut off at the knee. While Antonini started figuring out how to walk once more, she was pressed by therapeutic experts that she ought to have a moment removal, removing her leg to over the knee. Since losing her leg, Paola Antonini has chosen to parade what she's working with on Instagram. She has increased in excess of 620,000 supporters on the famous web-based social networking application.
Paola Antonini disclosed to Brazilian site VejaBJ that she took a glimpse at the circumstance from a glass-half-full point of view, rather than floundering over what she lost in the accident.
The model, Paola Antonini offers photographs of herself taking part in ordinary exercises which includes going to stores, flying on planes, taking a dunk in the sea, and shaking a two-piece.
Is Paola Antonini Dating? Who is her Boyfriend?
Previously, Paola Antonini was dating a boyfriend named Arthur Magalhaes. Currently, Paola Antonini is unmarried. Now, she is not ready to make any husband and enjoy a wedded life.
Paola Antonini height is not available now. Her weight is 55 kg. Her body measurements are 32-23-33 inches. Paola Antonini hair color is blonde. Her eye color is dark brown.
Paola Antonini is highly active on social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. She has collected in excess of 1.9 million supporters to her own Instagram account. Paola Antonini has additionally earned in excess of 200,000 followers of her own eponymous YouTube channel. She often vlogs about her way of life as an amputee. More info about her personal and professional life can be found on Paola Antonini Wikipedia page and other wiki sites.


text:
You are here: UK Parliament > Business > Committees > Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill > Publications
The Armed Forces Bill Contents
The Service Complaints System
Background to the Service Complaints System
59.The Service complaints system provides an avenue for personnel subject to Service law to raise a grievance related to their Service life, similar to other workplace grievance systems. It was established in its current form by the AFA 2006, replacing single Service processes. The AFA 2006 also introduced oversight in the form of the Service Complaints Commissioner, which was later replaced by a Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) in 2015.105 At the same time the appeals process was also streamlined, reducing it to one level of appeal rather than two. Once a decision has been made at this level, the complainant can ask the Ombudsman to investigate whether they feel it was not handled correctly or the final decision is wrong, or if they feel their complaint has been subject to undue delay or was wrongly rejected for investigation.106
60.The Service complaints system has been subject to criticism, especially for delay, and the Defence Committee said in 2019 that "we seriously doubt that the current Service complaints system is fit for purpose".107 The SCOAF also makes an annual report to the MoD and concluded in the last annual report that it was "not efficient, effective, or fair."108 This report also noted that Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) and female Service personnel were overrepresented in the Service complaints system, proportionally making more complaints.109 The performance target of resolving 90% of complaints within 24 weeks has never been met.110
The Wigston review
61.In April 2019 the then Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson commissioned Air Marshal Michael Wigston to conduct a review into inappropriate behaviours in the Armed Forces. This identified "a pressing need to reform the Service Complaints system", and echoed the findings of the Ombudsman that BAME and female personnel were disproportionately affected by such behaviours.111 Wigston made 36 recommendations, which were accepted, and a progress review in 2020 stated that "good progress has been made" in implementation, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.112 Some witnesses however expressed concerns. Nicola Williams, the former SCOAF, said that while the Wigston review was "excellent", only one recommendation had been implemented to date.113 Others felt that the proposed solution to the recommendation for a Defence Authority would not be providing a new, separate route for complaints outside of the Chain of Command.114 Addressing how the new Director of Diversity and Inclusion fulfilled this role, Lieutenant General James Swift OBE said:
The total independence in this place continues to be driven by the service complaints ombudsman, who, as you know, sits completely outside of MoD processes. What Air Marshal Wigston was driving for here was for someone who could take a holistic view across defence and really drive best practice, and that is what the director of D&I will do, in order to make sure that we achieve greater momentum in this important area.115
Clause 10
62.Clause 10 of the Bill concerns appeals against a first instance decision and applications to the SCOAF for complaints that have been finally determined.116 The current time limit for both is six weeks, and Clause 10 would reduce this to two weeks, with the regulations allowing exemptions in some cases.117 It also reduces grounds for appeal against first instance decisions, with the stated aim of reducing the number of speculative appeals. The Government also states that these measures are "part of wider reforms to increase efficiency and speed up the process within the statutory service complaints system."118 While wider efforts to reduce the long delays seen in the complaints system have been argued to be necessary and the changes in the Bill relatively narrow, some witnesses had reservations about this clause. Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Diane Allen OBE, a former officer in the British Army, called it "profoundly unfair".119
The current SCOAF, Mariette Hughes, told us that despite supporting other reform measures, she had "significant concerns" about the changes in Clause 10.120 Nicola Williams, the former SCOAF, said:
Certainly, in my experience as the ombudsman—I am speaking on the basis of five years' experience—the delays are in the front part of the system, not the back. In other words, the delay is usually on the way to a level 1 decision and not from a level 1 to a level 2, to appeal, or from appeals to the Service Complaints Ombudsman. Therefore, if you reduce the time limit from six weeks to two, not only is that a drastic reduction—a two-thirds reduction right off the bat—but it also will not actually address the wrong. It will come across, in my respectful submission, as if you are trying to prevent people from exercising their right to appeal, although there is no attempt in the Bill to reduce the length of time that the matter takes to get to a level 1 decision.121
63.We heard from the MoD about some of the other measures they are introducing to tackle delay at the 'front-end' of the system, including central admissibility functions and standing decision boards with specialists in common areas for complaints, functions currently carried out by commanding officers. David Howarth, Head of Service Complaints and Justice Transformation, MoD, also told us:
[…] We are making the guidance for complainants much easier to read; we are going to give them early access to assisting officers to help them through the process; we are simplifying a lot of the forms and the content; we are also going to be providing access to informal resolution, if that is appropriate, for low-level complaints, and providing commanding officers with the ability to deal with low-level complaints through minor awards that will keep them out of the system.122
64.We heard that reducing the burden on commanding officers reviewing complaints and speeding up the process for all parties is crucial, as "delay is the single most corrosive factor in service complaints from top to bottom."123
65.We welcome efforts to speed up the complaints process, provided that necessary safeguards remain in place to ensure fair access. Concerns remain around the Service Complaints System, particularly tackling delay which reduces confidence and negatively impacts all parties. It is particularly concerning that female and BAME personnel continue to be overrepresented amongst complainants and we note with concern that the response to our survey indicated that only 15% of respondents believe the decision to reduce the time limit in which an appeal can be made from 6 weeks to 2 weeks gave them enough time to receive "fair treatment". We also note that 34.8% of respondents responded that they were "not sure" and there therefore needs to be greater clarity on this matter.The Ministry of Defence should prioritise implementing all recommendations of the Wigston review within 6 months, ensuring solutions take account of the needs of victims and provide appropriate avenues to redress external to the single Services' chain of command where needed.
Published: 22 April 2021 Site information Accessibility statement


Partnertrans, the leading localization solutions provider for the interactive entertainment industry, will be exhibiting at this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, March 7-9, 2012.
Partnertrans will be holding a series of meetings to discuss any forthcoming projects for which excellence in localization, QA, DTP or creative services are required in the German Pavilion booth #1614-E, located in the North Hall of the Moscone Centre.
To book your meeting slot, please contact Iris Ludolf.


text:
Rita Ghantous
Publication Executive
Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years' experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song "All My Love" accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn't give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.
Author's most recent articles
January 15,2021 0
UAE Hospitality Reviewed, Restructured, Re-emerging
Playing It Safe: Hotels & Covid-19 Hospitality
Traveling In Your Country


text:
The 8 Basic Winner and Loser scripts
by Robert Anton Wilson (Illuminati Papers)
Circuit The Eight Basic Loser Scripts The Eight Basic Winner Scripts
1. Biosurvival "I don't know how to defend myself."
"I will live forever, or die trying."
2. Emotional-territorial
"They all intimidate me."
"I am free; you are free; we can have our separate trips or we can have the same trip."
3. Semantic
"I can't solve my problems."
"I am learning more about everything, including how to learn more."
4. Sociosexual
"Everything I like is illegal, immoral, or fattening." "Love and do what thou wilt "
Neurosomatic "I can't help the way I feel."
"How I feel depends on my neurological know how."
Metaprogramming "Why do I have such lousy luck?"
"I make my own coincidences, synchronicities, luck, and Destiny."
Neurogenetic "Evolution is blind and "impersonal."
"Future evolution depends on my decisions now."
Neuroatomic
"I'm not psychic, and I doubt that anyone is."
"In the province of the mind, what is believed true is true, or becomes true within limits to be learned by experience and experiment." (Dr. John Lilly)
When someone considers himself to be totally governed by influences outside himself, he sits in Apathy.----- How To Choose Your People by Ruth Minshull
Howard Hencke, in his 1995 book The Germ Theory: A Deliberate Aberration, notes that it was critical for the new medical industry.
"... to indoctrinate the public in the Western world with the belief that the salvation from all, especially physical ailments, lay outside the individual's system and responsibility, because it was caused by external factors...and that chemical remedies (drugs) will keep him free from disease, independent of his own vigilant responsibility." ---The Post-Antibiotic Age: Germ Theory by Tim O'Shea
See: Apathy Tone scale


The Waterman is defined by its versatility. Designed for optimum performance on and off the water, The Waterman's hybrid driver sole, low profile lines, and technical capabilities make it the ideal shoe for everyday wear. Feel free to adventure and leisure, with confidence and style.


To call the Leaning N "unusual" is a severe understatement and does this quirky Colorado ranch with its lovable owners and caring secondary characters a severe disservice. The Leaning N has already been a brilliant location for the first two volumes in this series, and I couldn't wait to find out what this third novel was all about. With a blind sculptor named Bleu and a former Olympic snowboarder named Ryan as main characters, both their exes in attendance for Gay Ski Week, and a promise of a second-chances type plot (one of my favorites) I had high expectation. Well, let me tell you, they were more than met!
Bleu is a successful sculptor who may be blind, but that has never stopped him from experiencing life to its fullest. Bleu used to be engaged to Dan, his manager and a major gallery owner, but when Dan became too protective because of Bleu's blindness, Bleu decided they were better off as friends and broke things off. Now he is at the Leaning N, among men who have become his friends, and he intends to experience everything – including making snow sculptures and skiing. Go Bleu!
Ryan ran into some trouble as a professional athlete, is still working off his community service, but he is as fit as ever and still attending promo events. His ex will also be there and sharing Ryan's cabin – because nobody there knows they have broken up. When Ryan runs into Bleu he is floored – he has never been able to forget his college lover and can't help but hope for a second chance, even though he thinks Bleu and Dan are married because he only remembers the announcement of their engagement. Check your facts, Ryan!
With both Bleu and Ryan believing the other man is in a relationship, yet battling their attraction from the moment they meet again, it was clear this was not going to be a straightforward second chance (if there even is such a thing). As their exes get in the way, Bleu fights for his independence and for people to recognize that he is not a burden, Bleu and Ryan get to know each other again. They have to deal with the mistakes they made in the past as well as deciding what they want now, but the sensuality and passion between them jumps off the pages. This story is a mix of increasing intimacy between two men who know each other well, some great outdoor scenes in the snow, and a dangerous accident that almost ruins everything. It's quite a ride!
If you like your romances hot and heavy but with lots of real and imagined obstacles, if you think two men who never really fell out of love deserve to try again, and if you're looking for an entertaining read with lots of passion, beautiful family moments, lots of snow, a touch of suspense, and more than one deeply emotional moment, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. It's a wonderful addition to the series – may there be many more!


text:
Cryo-electron microscopy advances by Thermo Fisher Scientific drives structural biology research
Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, has extended its leadership in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) with the introduction of two new instruments: the Thermo Scientific Krios G3i and the Thermo Scientific Glacios cryo-transmission electron microscopes (cryo-TEMs).
The new instruments, which can be used independently or together in a single particle analysis (SPA) workflow, make structural analysis of proteins, protein complexes and other biomolecular structures faster, easier and more accessible than ever before.
Our Krios has become the leader in cryo-EM for structural biologists seeking to gain new insights into protein structure and function that will lead, ultimately, to a better understanding of the causes of disease and the development of new drugs and vaccines,"
Peter Fruhstorfer, vice president and general manager, life sciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific.
"Today, we are setting new standards again. Our Krios G3i establishes new benchmarks for performance and productivity in cutting-edge structural biology research, while the revolutionary Glacios provides an entry path that opens up cryo-EM to a wider range of laboratories."
Thermo Scientific Krios G3i – Faster and Easier to Use
The new Krios G3i expands the industry-leading cryo-EM platform to deliver the next level of performance and productivity. Automation and ease of use have been essential in the adoption of cryo-EM in advanced structural biology research. The Krios G3i features important enhancements in these areas including auto-alignment, simplified user interface, and extended sample lifetime, which make the system easier to use, improve repeatability and reproducibility and reduce time-to-results relative to previous generations.
Since its introduction nearly ten years ago, the Krios system's ability to visualize three-dimensional (3D) structures with near-atomic resolution has enabled researchers globally to begin to unravel the complex relationships between structure and function at the molecular and atomic level. In fact, 98 percent of all structures contributed to the Electron Microscopy Data Bank (EMDB) with 4 Ångström or better resolution were determined using Thermo Fisher cryo-TEMs.
New Thermo Scientific Glacios – Provides an Entry Path into Cryo-EM
TSX ultra-low temperature freezers offer higher cooling efficiency and outstanding sustainability
New UHPLC columns and solvents provide advanced separation power, speed of analysis
Thermo Fisher Scientific collaborates with CGT Catapult to create seamless cell and gene therapy supply chain
The new Glacios delivers a high-performance cryo-EM solution to a broader range of scientists. Leveraging the knowledge and experience of more than a decade of leadership in cryo-EM, the breakthrough Glacios extends the accessibility of cryo-EM with an industry leading price-performance. The Glacios features innovative automation for ease of use and a small footprint that simplifies installation.
"With the new Glacios, we are providing a whole new set of scientists the opportunity to become part of the cryo-EM revolution," Fruhstorfer explained. "The Glacios is highly automated and easy to use –essential features as we move to more industrial applications, such as pharmaceutical drug discovery and development."
Increased Productivity of the SPA Workflow
The new Krios G3i and Glacios are also designed to be integrated together in an SPA workflow, pre-screening samples in the Glacios before imaging them at high-resolution in the Krios. The interconnectivity between the Krios and the Glacios enhances the efficiency of the pre-screening process for facilities that have a Krios, and provides a pathway to higher-resolution imaging for Glacios-based laboratories by permitting them to pass samples directly to a Krios at another location for additional analysis.
"Accelerate" – an Innovative Customer Enablement Program
To facilitate broader adoption of cryo-EM throughout the industrial and academic structural biology community, Thermo Fisher has developed Accelerate, a customer enablement program that offers direct and remote support for users developing and deploying an SPA workflow. The program offers various levels of application and technical support to help customers set up successful workflows more quickly and maintain the highest levels of quality and productivity
Posted in: Molecular & Structural Biology | Business / Finance | Device / Technology News
Tags: Automation, Drug Discovery, Drugs, Electron, Electron Microscopy, G-Protein, Imaging, Microscopy, Particle Analysis, Pharmaceuticals, Protein, Research, Structural Biology
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.. (2019, June 20). Cryo-electron microscopy advances by Thermo Fisher Scientific drives structural biology research. News-Medical. Retrieved on January 21, 2020 from https://www.news-medical.net/news/20170809/Cryo-electron-microscopy-advances-by-Thermo-Fisher-Scientific-drives-structural-biology-research.aspx.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.. "Cryo-electron microscopy advances by Thermo Fisher Scientific drives structural biology research". News-Medical. 21 January 2020. <https://www.news-medical.net/news/20170809/Cryo-electron-microscopy-advances-by-Thermo-Fisher-Scientific-drives-structural-biology-research.aspx>.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.. "Cryo-electron microscopy advances by Thermo Fisher Scientific drives structural biology research". News-Medical. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20170809/Cryo-electron-microscopy-advances-by-Thermo-Fisher-Scientific-drives-structural-biology-research.aspx. (accessed January 21, 2020).
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.. 2019. Cryo-electron microscopy advances by Thermo Fisher Scientific drives structural biology research. News-Medical, viewed 21 January 2020, https://www.news-medical.net/news/20170809/Cryo-electron-microscopy-advances-by-Thermo-Fisher-Scientific-drives-structural-biology-research.aspx.
Next generation FTIR spectrometer features new LightDrive Optical Engine technology
Hamilton Storage release 6-channel head large format tubes
Thermo Scientific and Evosep join hands to develop robust, high-throughput workflows for clinical proteomics
Thermo Fisher Scientific becomes member of the Pistoia Alliance
New Thermo Scientific General Purpose Pro Centrifuge Series delivers improved performance and safety
Thermo Fisher Scientific to accelerate genomic profiling process in hematology and oncology labs
Cryo-DualBeam is industry's first automated system dedicated to preparation of frozen biological samples
Thermo Scientific TSX Series blood bank refrigerators receive U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR certification
Top Life Sciences Articles
ERS Genomics signs licensing agreement with Daiichi Sankyo
Researchers use single cell genome sequencing to study malaria transmission
Researchers discover new regions of non-coding DNA that may lead to cancer growth
What are Electrochemical Biosensors?
What are Molecular Machines?
What is Binding Activated Localization Microscopy (BALM?)
What is High-Resolution TEM (HR-TEM)?
What is Mechanobiology?
More Content from Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
GeneAmp PCR System 9700 from Thermo Scientific
CryoStar* NX70 Cryostat from Thermo Scientific
HM 550 Cryostats from Thermo Scientific
See all content from Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
TopoMAPS image analysis software now available on Thermo Scientific SEM and DualBeam systems


When 28-year-old Henry Gray first published his anatomy book in 1858, his goal was humble; that is, to create an affordable quick reference and teaching aid for surgeons and medical students alike. It is doubtful that he could have envisioned what his book would become 38 editions and 147 years later. It is now the gold standard for anatomists and clinicians alike, and the words "Gray's anatomy" have worked their way into popular culture. Recently, there was a 1997 monologue film called Gray's anatomy staring Spalding Gray, who was raised as a Christian Scientist. Gray goes around New York seeking homeopathic treatment for macular puckering. Now there is the American Broadcasting Company's new hit titled Grey's anatomy, which concerns the life of Meredith Grey, a woman who struggles to survive the competitive atmosphere of her surgical internship. It is safe to say that "Gray's anatomy" has become a household name associated with the medical profession.
This 39th edition of Gray's Anatomy has added many new features to the now 10-year-old 38th edition. Susan Standring, professor of experimental neurobiology at King's College in London and the new Editor-in-chief of the book, along with her team of 85 editors/contributors (including 8 radiologists) have added new material to this book, including 400 new illustrations, more clinical information, and an increasing emphasis on new imaging modalities. Added also are 2 compact discs (CDs). One CD features anatomy quizzes and 9 layered anatomical images that can be rotated 360°. The other CD contains the book's 2000 images exportable to PowerPoint, which could be very useful in developing educational material. An optional and constantly updated online e-dition is available for $60 more. The authors have reformatted the book so that it is organized by regions of the body rather than being strictly organ based. This approach can assist the clinician by using the book in a manner parallel to the way he or she would approach a patient. What is immediately striking to any neuroradiologist looking at this book for the first time is that the cover emphasizes the critical role that MR imaging now has in all medicine. The cover shows a coronal T1-weighted MR image superimposed on a view of the upper back of a man.
For those of you who have not perused Gray's Anatomy, is not just plain old anatomy. It gives detailed stand-alone chapters of embryology and integrates a very healthy amount of histology, physiology, and pathology. It also starts off with a 225-page introduction, which is a good primer on, and quick review of, cell structure and function, tissues, and overall systems. The second section (213 pages) is on neuroanatomy, which includes chapters on the autonomic nervous system, neuroembryology, meninges, CSF and the ventricular system, vasculature of the brain, spinal cord, brain stem, cerebellum, diencephalon, cerebral hemispheres, basal ganglia, and special senses. The third section (286 pages), which concerns head and neck anatomy, is organized, integrated, detailed, properly illustrated, and well written. It continues with a short 73-page section on the back and vertebral column and continues on the extremities, thorax, abdomen (with good microanatomical correlation and endoscopic pictures), and pelvis.
Although one would expect the 39th edition of any book to be almost flawless, the 1500 pages invite the forces of entropy to emerge. Errors abound. A coronal MR image through the body of the lateral ventricles is labeled as an axial image at the level of the anterior horn (page 289). The common clinical convention of left and right is reversed in one figure, leaving the viewer of one functional MR image to think that the ipsilateral motor cortex and the contralateral cerebellar hemisphere are responsible for hand movements (page 367). The characteristics of Parkinson's disease are mistakenly written as akinesia, muscular rigidity, and tremor (page 428) whereas they are now commonly considered in fact to be bradykinesia, postural instability, muscle stiffness, and resting tremor. There is also an axial T2-weighted MR image of a thyroid gland whose legend claims that it demonstrates "high vascularity" but in which vascular flow-voids are absent. In many figures in the musculoskeletal section (eg, on page 1440), there are arrows without labels, leaving the reader unable to match the legends with the arrows in the figures. In a neurologic CT called "normal" there is an apparent hypointensity of the anterior limb of the internal capsule, probably representing an old lacunar infarct. Unacceptable artifacts present on this CT scan (page 385), chosen to illustrate a calcified pineal gland, make one wonder why, for such a prestigious publication like this, care was not taken to select high-quality images. The index, which is a key element of any reference text, was also found wanting. For example, the index indicates that there is a figure showing the indusium griseum, but the figure on page 412 has no labeling of that structure.
There are also more than a few subjective flaws in this book. Foremost, at 1500 pages and $229 (including the e-dition), this book is no longer the quick and inexpensive reference that Henry Gray envisioned. Too often the reader gets bogged down in details, which take the place of many clinically useful facts. For example, four and a half pages are dedicated to obliterated cardiac veins, but the text includes a far less exhaustive description of the Tetrology of Fallot. The book's length also precludes it from being a good reference for specialists like neuroradiologists. The neuroanatomy section is 213 pages long; however, there are more than 60 pages on CNS development with interesting but less vital information than that which could have been included. While its length might put it in the precarious place of being too long for medical students and too short for specialists, it might have a good niche for general radiologists. Over the years, Gray's Anatomy has included many illustrations of the same anatomical structures using many similar pictures where only one would have sufficed. On the other hand, there are instances where a picture would have been useful to envision the written description. Special attention should be paid to this in future editions.
It is difficult for a reviewer to find fault with an icon such as Gray's Anatomy, but any potential buyer should be aware of flaws in this edition. Neuroradiologists would be better served by spending an equivalent amount of money on books devoted solely to the anatomy, physiology, and imaging of the central nervous system.


text:
package 'apache2'

template '/etc/apache2/sites-enabled' do
  source 'site.conf.erb'
end


Lawns don't waste water – people do! So we'll measure the amount of water and do a lot more things to make our garden water-wise.
Home fires are always in the news. We'll be defining your home's fire zone and perimeter. Then, we'll discuss the science of Things Green with weed abatement techniques. Plus, there's no reason why everyone can't become a farmer with icky gooey worms.


Bodega Stories is a multimedia project that is rooted in my youth. I was born in New York City to Dominican immigrants — my parents, Freddy and Damaris Castillo, worked in bodegas for most of my life. A visit to the Brooklyn bodega my father worked at meant the chance to listen to both animated banter between him and regulars and stories of struggle and hope.
These personal accounts affected me greatly as a child. In Bodega Stories, I report stories of people who frequent this beloved space. All stories thus far have been collected at my parents' bodega in Saint Petersburg, FL. One of the stories is about my uncle, Domingo Taveras, who opened up to me about the role education played in his childhood in the Dominican Republic. I learned so much during this interview that I wanted to share this with La Galería Magazine readers. Education was not a top priority to his parents — my abuelos — perhaps because poverty didn't allow it to be. There was a lot of work to be done, and it was heartbreaking to hear my uncle talk about those early childhood years.
Sometimes we don't realize how impacted we are by aspects of our culture until we grow older and are able to contemplate them retrospectively. Such is the case with this story — though my uncle's love of learning has only grown deeper with that early experience.
Domingo De Jesus Taveras has always loved to read and learn. As a young boy in Licey al Medio, a small pueblo in the Santiago province of the Dominican Republic, Taveras wasn't exposed to libraries. There weren't any in his town.
"The books I did read were borrowed or from school — school textbooks," the fifty seven-year-old recalled.
Taveras was seven years old when he began school.
Taveras said he loved school because he was able to engage with other students. In the beginning, he said teachers were an inspiration. He added he never dreamed of becoming a teacher, but he would have liked it.
"Never in my country had there been this incentive, this importance… that going to school and learning was needed," he said.
According to Taveras, his parents didn't stress education. If you were poor, he said, your parents didn't push you in that direction. Perhaps it was because of the high costs, he said, or parents wanted to have their kids wait for the system, which dictated children begin school at seven.
Instead, Taveras remembered toiling in his father's finca — his land. He helped grow plantains, yuca, and more.
When letters arrived at the house, Taveras would read them to his father.
Years later when he came to the United States, Taveras enrolled in Eugenio María de Hostos Community College, located in the Bronx, New York. He commuted from Brooklyn and would later graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts from Brooklyn College.
Taveras reads a lot now. He enjoys books on Dominican history and the legal sciences.
"If given the opportunity, I would like to return to school and study that," he said.
At Orlando Latin Market, where Taveras works, he said he's helped many Cubans who have recently arrived to the U.S. He's helped them with legal paperwork and passport applications. Taveras has also helped some obtain medical benefits.
Asked how it makes him feel to help others in this way, Taveras smiled.
You may find other Bodega Stories here or follow the Bodega Stories Facebook page for more updates.
Amaris Castillo is a journalist currently living in Florida. Born in Brooklyn, NY, she became fascinated with documenting her surroundings early on through video cameras and journals. Castillo is the creator of BodegaStories, a multimedia project featuring real stories and portraits of people who frequent the bodega, a beloved space. She holds degrees from the University of South Florida and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, Miami Herald, Fusion, Latina Magazine and more. Castillo loves photography, spoken word poetry and immersing herself in other cultures. More of Castillo's work can be found on her website AmarisCastillo.com.


I recently spent a week in Cornwall with friends.
Like the rest of Britain we had atrocious weather: at times there were 'January storms'; at times it was sunny enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt.
We adapted by changing our clothing, and joked about getting sunburn and frostbite (almost) in the same week.
But the consequences of an only slightly more extreme weather pattern are no laughing matter. The year of 1816 is known as 'The Year Without a Summer'.
In the previous year, 1815, all eyes had been on Waterloo, as Wellington and his allies narrowly managed to defeat Napoleon. Unwatched in far-off Indonesia meanwhile, Mount Tambora capped a series of volcanic eruptions with the largest explosion seen for 1,300 years.
The result, a year later, was a volcanic winter.
The effect on weather in north America and Europe was remarkable. Frost in May killed many of the crops that had been planted. Second sowings died in June, killed by snow. Temperatures swung rapidly, from near freezing to 35ºC, within just a few hours.
It sounds a bit like Cornwall really.
We can change our clothes to cope. But summer crops have cell walls that rupture in the slightest frost. After the crop failures in 1816, the price of oats for example went up more than seven times. Western Europe experienced the worst famine of the nineteenth century, as well as riots, arson, looting, and a typhus epidemic (brought on by the starvation). Civilisation, as they say, is only three meals deep.
Similarities and differences to what we are facing with climate change?
Similarities between then and now are that both climate change and the Mount Tambora eruption seem 'far away'. And there was, and is, a delay between the 'initiating event' (volcanic eruption / emission of carbon dioxide) and the resulting change in global temperatures.
A difference is that transport infrastructures were less well developed then than they are now, so that crop failure in one area could not be overcome by shipping in food from another area.
And another difference is that then average global temperatures fell by only 0.4–0.7 °C, less than one degree. Whereas now we are on track for average global temperatures rises of six degrees by the end of the century.
The conclusion for me is that addressing climate change is our number one priority.


text:
est un scénariste de manga. Il a commencé sa carrière en 2004 avec sa première et seule œuvre est Death Joke une parodie du manga Death Note. Il a réalisé la parodie (Death Joke) avec Amano Kaito.

Liens externes

Mangaka
Dessinateur japonais

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia