After the UPA retreat on retail, it appeared the government had sheepishly conceded the ill-conceived Opposition argument against allowing 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. First the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, clarified that the reform in retail was not dead. Now the Congress general secretary, Rahul Gandhi, has come out unequivocally in its support.
The government has done well by opening the top national honour to people outside the fields of art, literature, science and public services. This allows for the recognition of performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour. The Bharat Ratna has, indeed, been the top honour ever since it was instituted in 1954 but because of its somewhat restrictive eligibility criteria, some people who were "ratans" of Bharat in popular perception were not considered for the honour. Now this will not be so.
During its monetary policy review on Friday, the RBI ended its rate-raising spree but disappointed those waiting for a cut in the cash reserve ratio (CRR), especially after similar cuts announced in China and Brazil. The RBI's 13 rate hikes had failed to control inflation, which has remained at an average of 9.5 per cent in the last two years.
There are some clubs so exclusive that it is nearly impossible to get their membership. Some have very special criteria, which few can meet. One such example is the Palm Beach Club in America where only multi-millionaires can seek entry.
For most people it is hard to fathom the 'heritage status' accorded to a modern, planned city like Chandigarh. Should it be preserved as a museum piece, or, should we allow unplanned growth to take over its uniqueness?
Is Chandigarh, the centrally administered joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, any more a stand-alone city? Or has its identity crossed beyond the boundary lines drawn in 1966, at the time of trifurcation of the erstwhile state of Punjab? Clearly the politico-geographical reorganisation was a big game-changer in the destiny of Chandigarh; leaving the 'dream city' of the country in an unwieldy, landlocked utopian urban habitat of 114 sq km.
After the UPA retreat on retail, it appeared the government had sheepishly conceded the ill-conceived Opposition argument against allowing 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. First the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, clarified that the reform in retail was not dead. Now the Congress general secretary, Rahul Gandhi, has come out unequivocally in its support. Although the Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, had backed the government's bold initiative, the party's stand was not loud and clear. Leave aside allies, some Congressmen too were on the side of the Opposition on the crucial issue. With Rahul Gandhi making his, and the party's, line unambiguously clear, there should be no doubt in the minds of dissenting leaders of the UPA where the government stands.
It might have been a political strategy to suspend the move to dissuade a stubborn Opposition from disrupting Parliament so that important Bills like those on the Lokpal and food security are passed. Besides, with Team Anna breathing down its neck, the government needed cooperation of its allies and the Opposition to have a strong Lokpal during the winter session itself. At a time when the Lokpal issue was being resolved by working out a political consensus, it was quite bold for Rahul Gandhi to revive the retail issue and take the opponents — Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party and Mulayam Singh's Samajwadi Party – head on in the run-up to the UP elections.
It is better to hammer the strong economic arguments in support of the 51 per cent FDI in retail — better returns to farmers, lower prices for consumers by cutting waste and inefficiencies in supply chain — than push it under the carpet or, worse, be apologetic about it. People need to be told in simple terms what retail FDI means as Rahul Gandhi did on Friday, citing the example of potatoes. The mindset against multinational firms needs to change. Walmart, Monsanto, PepsiCo and many others already operate in the country. The government needs to be more proactive in combating the bias in some sections of society against foreign investors.
India has honoured 41 people so far with its top honour, and though largely free from controversies, there have been issues regarding who the honour went to from time to time. As a class, political leaders have received wide recognition, and two of them, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, signed the orders which gave them their Bharat Ratnas. Of course, no one disputes the merit of the first three recipients of the honour — physicist and Nobel Laureate Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Many others who received it, including Mother Teresa, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela, also richly deserved it, but some of the "misses" have been inexplicable. The award conferred upon Netaji Subash Chandra Bose could not stand since, technically, his death had not been confirmed, and thus was withdrawn.
While widening the eligibility of candidates throws up many new possibilities of recipients, care would have to be taken to ensure that utmost diligence and discretion is maintained in the selection process, so that the Bharat Ratna maintains the pre-eminent position it has retained ever since it was instituted. Now that the field is wider, much more care would have to be taken to ensure that the selection is impeccable.
During its monetary policy review on Friday, the RBI ended its rate-raising spree but disappointed those waiting for a cut in the cash reserve ratio (CRR), especially after similar cuts announced in China and Brazil. The RBI's 13 rate hikes had failed to control inflation, which has remained at an average of 9.5 per cent in the last two years. While food inflation at 4.32 per cent has touched its lowest level in four years, providing relief to the UPA government ahead of elections in some states, the headline inflation too is expected to ease in the coming months.
The RBI is also trying to control depreciation of the rupee. On Thursday, it announced measures to end speculation in currency trading. This had the desired impact. The rupee bounced back sharply, providing relief to the government whose oil import bill had risen significantly and unsettled its already fragile financial condition. A weaker rupee has benefited exporters, particularly the IT industry, but it has hiked the cost of imported food items like pulses and edible oils, made foreign travel and education costlier and raised the prices of appliances using imported components.
While there is some comfort on the rupee front, it may prove to be short-lived since foreign institutional investors are selling their equity holdings due to weakening growth in India and trouble in Europe and the US. Dollar outflows are higher than inflows. The retreat on retail has sent a wrong signal to foreign investors. The RBI and the government have to take steps to ease interest rates and stabilise the rupee. There is need to lift the blanket ban on mining, settle land acquisition disputes, further open up retail, aviation and insurance to foreign investment and boost the over-all business sentiment. A poor business environment here is driving even Indian private investment abroad. The series of corruption scandals, the UPA-Opposition standoff on reforms and frequent agitations and road/rail blockades have vitiated the economic environment. The number of believers in India's growth story is on the decline.
As regards Israeli statements indicating plans to strike, there have been many. We need to look at only one. On November 16, 2011, a statement was read out in the Knesset: "Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu informed the full Knesset plenum that all options are on the table when it comes to Iran's nuclear programme. The Prime Minister and the authorised bodies are acting to stop the nuclear armament of Iran. The efforts are ongoing and we will do everything possible to enlist states in the international community, because the Iranian threat is a danger not only to the State of Israel but to world peace."
Reputed clubs have long waiting lists. Candidates are invited to an "at home" in accordance with the seniority on the waiting list and the club managing committee members assess suitability for granting membership. Most clubs have a provision where a committee member can "black ball" a candidate, but like all Indian systems, "pull" does come into play and sometimes money passed under the table works. For the membership of golf clubs, the skill at the game too is evaluated.
The criteria for the membership of the exclusive club under discussion was unique and no "pull" or "jack" could possibly work! Memories of this club were revived when the Press reported an encounter with terrorists in the area of the Shamshabari mountain range in the Tangdhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Shamshabari mountain range is towards the northwestern edge of the Kashmir valley, across the Nastachun Pass. The highest peak of the range in the area of Tangdhar is over 18000 feet and the climb is steep, arduous and risky. This club was founded on the very top of the peak, and to qualify for its membership, one had to merely climb this peak and no less or more. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the club used to be held at the peak. Members of this club were mostly officers who had served in the Tangdhar brigade. I was perhaps the only outsider to take up its membership. It was called The Shamshabari Club.
At the AGMs, new members who had scaled the peak were enrolled. Issues of general interest such as weather, snowfall dates, any new pictures of the area and the sighting of wildlife, etc, were discussed and the date for the next AGM was decided. The area was peaceful except for odd incidents of exchange of fire along the Line of Control, which was some distance away. So, the club activities and attempts at gaining membership went unhindered. At one such AGM, it was proposed that members should suggest an insignia for the club which should depict the club's exclusivity and adventurous spirit. The insignia could be used on a blazer coat and other appropriate places, and the members were required to bring the proposed designs for the final selection at the next AGM.
Now the DQ of the brigade, though a paratrooper, was not particularly of an adventurous disposition but, all the same, had taken the membership of this club. He, too, worked on the design. At the AGM, those who had drawn designs of the insignia were asked to display these before the house for approval. Quite a few innovative designs were presented. The last to present his design was the DQ. His was a simple and straightforward design! It showed the back of a man and underneath was scribbled the word "Punga".
The AGM was abruptly terminated and, perhaps, the club dissolved!
The original agenda of Chandigarh, to be merely an administrative city, a symbol of the newly Independent India, has now blurred into other complex challenges. The success story of Chandigarh is well known. In fact, its phenomenal success has now quite ironically become its biggest challenge too. The 'brand Chandigarh' paradigm is finding its growth shackled by finite boundaries; naturally spilled across the borders — in blatant violations of the Periphery Control Act — to form the adjoining towns of Panchkula, Mohali, Zirakpur and now Mullanpur, grid-locked in a bear-hug to the main city.
The huge growth that Chandigarh has experienced in the last 10-15 years, fuelled by the recent economic surge witnessed in the country, coupled with other factors, has resulted in a real estate boom. Today, Chandigarh has the highest per capita GDP, car ownership in the country, excellent parameters in environment, forest cover, low pollution levels and other robust urban benchmarks.
Initially Panchkula and Mohali were somewhat like poor country-cousins of Chandigarh — that lacked any original focus or vision as well as the resources to provide services at par, or, better than the 'mother city'. They quite conveniently stretched out the existing grid of roads into Chandigarh and embroidered them to their own sectors. This blending was seamless in the case of Mohali, but with Panchkula fairly tenuous, thus creating a 'chicken's neck' of clogged arteries for traffic movement between the two cities.
No doubt, these satellite towns and their extensions are creating their own individual attractions too, but Chandigarh remains the raison d'etre of their existence and the growth boom.
According to the recently released McKinsey report on India's urbanisation, 590 million people (twice the population of USA) generating 70 percent of India's employment will live in cities by 2030. And beyond this, 69 cities in India will have populations above 1 million plus, up from 32 today, requiring 700 to 900 million square metres of additional space, or, a new Chicago every year for commercial and residential purposes.
Can't we just create enough employment in the villages of the country one may well ask?
Similarly in the highly acclaimed book 'Truimph of the City' by Edward Glaessar, a Harvard Professor, states that, "Job creation clusters as cities become hubs of innovation, energy and entrepreneurship." Two thirds of Americans live on 3 per cent of its land mass — that is cities.
Of course cities have their dark side too; squalor, disease, crime, social disparities. But the urban poor are better off than the rural poor, and should not be compared to the urban rich. Nowhere agriculture can sustain economies of large populations, say the experts. The case for efficient, planned urbanisation in the country is very strong.
Where does Chandigarh stand in the context of this national need and global trend?
To stay in a time-warp or grow?
While some fanatic 'preservationists' and heritage champions might like to keep the 'City Beautiful' Chandigarh as a museum showpiece for eternity, cities are living organisms which will grow or decline or mutate in accordance with multi-factorial pulls and pressures, and political, geographical, economic changes.
Though, Chandigarh is special because of its heritage value and as a benchmark for quality urbanisation it will have to balance between what it cherishes and what it can allow to change/modify; and to what extent. And what do we cherish most in Chandigarh today? Its openness, vast green spaces, parks, trees, well planned system of roads and Le Corbusier's grand monuments. We adore its backdrop of the Shivalik hills, its architecture of simple, yet beautiful modernity made in the locally available brick, concrete and stone. We pride in its status of being a tour de force of modernism as a movement of 20th century architecture in the world.
But we must preserve the quintessential spirit of Chandigarh and not its externalities of form.
Not many years ago, it was joked that Chandigarh was a city of 'grey beards and green hedges'! Later, it was called a small town pretending to be a big city with no soul! But the Cassandras of Chandigarh were wrong — and yet again those writing of its decay with both implosion and explosion, will be proved wrong because of the resilience of cities like human beings to readjust, reinvent and make course corrections.
It is now estimated that with the present trends of growth, the projected population of Chandigarh could be anything between 16 to 20 lakh by 2030 and that of the entire tricity region shooting up to 45 lakh! Today Chandigarh is already more than a million people city, though it was planned for no more than half a million! Then, there are the issues of slums, traffic congestion and impending squalor. Moreover, for how long will Chandigarh sustain with central government funding? What is its economic viability?
In a nutshell the way forward for Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and their sprawls beyond is to accept, and not bemoan the ground realities of the tremendous urbanisation that has happened in the last few decades. The nucleus of all this is Chandigarh, and will remain the fulcrum of future for the region. There is still much to preserve and save — yet not stifle growth and human enterprise.
Chandigarh should be seen in the larger context, somewhat like the historic, low height Lutyen's New Delhi, all around which one can witness the past and later developments of Delhi. Chandigarh, too, within itself should zealously preserve and implement its heritage plan (a detailed report exists) preserving the greens, the road system and the layout of the Corbusean plan in its entirety — for that is the essence and core of what Chandigarh stands for internationally.
Regarding the architectural imagery and scale of built forms of the city, areas and locations within the visual impact zone of the Capitol Complex or other Corbusean monuments like the Museum Complex of Sector 10 and others will need very sensitive and cautious handling. The other significant area is the Sukhna Lake and its surrounding eco-sensitive zone, which too must be preserved.
But what about the rest, should it liberalise its FSI (Floor Space Index) and allow for greater densities, allow more verticality? The key to all these questions will be a balance between the heritage value versus growth, and the crucial sustainability of the city services — especially the traffic movement. From a car dependent, pampered city, its entire planning emphasis will have to shift to innovative public transport systems including slow moving electric buses, trolley cars and even some congested areas being declared as 'no vehicle zones' allowing movement of only public operated electric carts, walking and cycling, rickshaws etc. These ideas can be first tried as an experiment in areas like Sector 17, sub-city centres and some choked V4 (within the sectors) shopping markets. In a small city like Chandigarh, Metro will only help in moving people of the tricity and the urban conglomerate across the distant destinations, and be of very little use within the short distances of the city itself.
Some of these steps would be resisted initially, but the impending choking of the city arteries will teach us to change our car-obsessed lifestyles.
As such, while Chandigarh would carry on with its limited and carefully orchestrated growth agenda, it should remain the inspirational leader of quality urbanisation by adopting model, innovative practices and state-of-the-art technologies for traffic and mobility systems, energy conservation, green policies and architectural and environmental protection. Chandigarh, as a planned city, has the best possibilities of implementing these global ideals and thus inspire other new cities to follow suit.
While this happens, the adjoining cities of Mohali, Mullanpur and Panchkula should grow within themselves — as independent entities without piggybacking on Chandigarh's facilities. They should develop not only in terms of infrastructure, retail, city services, employment centres and entertainment, but also develop some independent focus and a new vision. This would give them their own distinct identity and status; instead of just being considered as appendages or hyphenated-Chandigarhs. Since they are not landlocked like Chandigarh, and do not have its heritage constraints, they enjoy greater possibilities and creative freedom in many ways.
Rather than a bureaucratic approach of maintaining a status quo, it would be pragmatic for all concerned in Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh — that an integrated growth is allowed. It can be a win-win situation for all concerned, in such a symbiotic relationship of connectivity, access and safeguarding of environmental and ecological concerns. Such a vision will be a new era of India's urbanisation.
And this will be the best tribute to the spirit of Chandigarh and its founding fathers. For, cities are the matrix of a civilization.
The writer is former principal of the Chandigarh College of Architecture, and presently Distinguished Professor at the Surya School of Architecture.


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Tratnyek Research Group · Environmental Chemistry
Synergistic Activities
Correlation Analysis
Edited Volumes
Current Group Members
Current Major Collaborators
Previous Group Members
Current Resources
Local Documents
Dr. Tratnyek's research interests concern a wide range of oxidation-reduction reactions that occur in the environment, and the contribution of these reactions to the fate of organic pollutants. In most of his work, the focus is on pathways, kinetics, mechanisms, and other fundamental, molecular aspects of environmental chemistry. The goal is to understand these redox processes at a process level, and to use this knowledge to develop deterministic models of environmental systems and remediation technologies.
In most cases, the research involves characterizing the reactivity of an organic pollutant or class of pollutants, and application of these results to environmental protection. However, environmental processes per se are also of interest. In these cases, organic "pollutants" may be employed, not so much as pollutants, but as probe substances with which to explore the geochemistry and microbiology of complex natural systems. Much of the areas of research outlined below involves organic pollutants in this dual role as probe and substrate.
Reduction in the Environment
Reductive transformation is the dominant reaction pathway for many organic pollutants in anoxic environments. Most interest in reductive transformations of environmental chemicals involves dehalogenation of chlorinated aliphatic or aromatic contaminants and the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds. Other reductive transformations that may occur abiotically in the environment include reduction of azo compounds, diamines, hydroquinones, disulfides, and sulfoxides. Additional background on these reactions can be found in various reviews. [1-3]
Anaerobic Sediments and Soils
Some organic compounds undergo reduction reactions in natural anaerobic sediments, soils, and groundwaters. Examples of this reaction type include nitro reduction of the pesticide parathion, and dehalogenation of DDT or chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents like trichloroethylene (TCE). These reactions can be important contributors to the environmental fate of pollutants (e.g., in "natural attenuation"), but little is known about the specific reducing agents that cause them or the factors that control their rates. An example of our work on better characterizing natural reductants is Smolen et al. [4]
One specific issue that is central to understanding reduction of organic pollutants is the role of substances that can mediate electron-transfer (i.e., "electron shuttles"), like certain enzymes, porphyrins, and quinonoid compounds. Our most notable contribution in this area grew out of our early efforts to develop redox buffered ("poised") media for studying contaminant reduction reactions [5]. In that work, we made the first use of anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) in environmental research. Subsequent work by Derek Lovley--and now many others--has made AQDS the most widely used electron shuttle compound in studies of biogeochemistry [6].
Placeholder caption..., ...or oxidation by heat activated persulfate. Figure from Waldemer et al. [12]. (Click for larger view.)
In Situ Chemical Reduction (ISCR)
Despite gaps in our understanding of the fundamentals of environmental reduction reactions, research in this area has already led to some important practical applications, particularly with respect to the remediation of contaminated aquifers. Recently, the various approaches to groundwater remediation by reduction of contaminants have been grouped into into a category called "In situ Chemical Reduction" (ISCR). Our work applies to many aspect of ISCR.
The most important ISCR technology is also the area where our research has been most influential: the use of granular zero-valent iron metals (ZVMs) to degrade and/or sequester both organic and inorganic contaminants. We were among the first to investigate this chemistry in the context of groundwater remediation, which lead to the most highly cited paper in the field [7]. Some of the results that made that paper, and several of our subsquent papers [esp., 8,9], influential are summarized at http://cgr.ieh.ohsu.edu/iron/. As a by product of our continued research in this field, we maintain a searchable database of relevent biliographic data at http://cgr.ieh.ohsu.edu/ironrefs/.
Our most recent work on remediation with zero-valent metals has focused mainly on nano-size zero-valent iron (nZVI). The presumed advantages of nZVI over conventional (micron-sized) zero-valent iron are that the smaller particles are more reactive and more mobile. In actual practice, however, the effects of particle size on the behavior of ZVI are more complex, as we have emphasized in a recent review [10]. Our on-going work on nZVI concerns the effect of aging (i.e., diagensis) on the core-shell structure of nZVI and the effects of coatings of organic matter on the reactivity and mobility of nZVI.
Throughout our work in this area, we have strived to be quantitative and mechanistic, down to the molecular scale, while at the same time being rigorous about the holistic behavior of ZVMs in real world applications. This requires using multiple, complementary methods in our studies: ranging from molecular modeling, microscopy, spectroscopy, and mechanistic probe reactions to reactive-transport modeling, column experiments, and field tests. Electrochemical methods have become a signature method in our work, in part because they are applicable to phenomena across the whole range of relevant dimensions (nanometers to meters).
Oxidation in the Environment
Photolysis in Surface Waters
When surface waters absorb sunlight, a variety of transient oxidants are formed, including hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, and singlet oxygen. These transient species (also known as reactive oxygen species, or ROS) are highly reactive and can have both beneficial and harmful effects. For example, singlet oxygen can oxidize organic substances such as phenols, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesticides, resulting in pollutant degradation. However, singlet oxygen can also attack cell constituents, resulting in phototoxicity. An example of this multiplicity of photoeffects can be found in a study we did on the fate/effects of textile dyes in sunlight stream waters [11].
Reactive oxygen species are used for contaminant degradation in a variety of processes classified as Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs), or—when applied to groundwater—In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO). The major approaches to ISCO employ permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, and persulfate. The latter two oxidants require "activation", which catalyzes their breakdown to hydroxyl and sulfate radicals. These radicals are responsible for most of the observed degradation of contaminants (although other ROS may play a role).
Our work on chemical aspects of ISCO has focused on two aspects. In general, we are developing a more comprehensive kinetic perspective on the kinetics of ISCO for groundwater contaminants. Part of this work involves summarizing previously published (second order) rate constants, and we have made the results of this available in a freely-accessible online database called IscoKin.
In addition, we are particularly interested in activated persulfate, because relatively little prior work has been done on its application to treatment of contaminants in environmental media. Persulfate is becoming popular for ISCO because it provides rapid degradation of a wide range of contaminants (like Fenton-type treatments) but is sufficiently stable for effective delivery to contaminated zones (like permanganate). One aspect that we have focused on is the role of temperature in activation of persulfate, which is unique relative to the other ISCO oxidants [12].
As noted above, much of our research on fate and remediation or organic contaminants involves the contaminant as probe (e.g., of environmental redox reactions) and as target substrate. The selection of target substrates involves similar criteria to those used to prioritize contaminants for regulation. Of particular interest are compounds that are regarded as emerging contaminants. Emerging contaminants are rarely new, but new developments (with respect to their use, distribution, toxicity, etc.) have given them new significance.
1,2,3-Trichloropropane
The emerging contaminant among chlorinated solvents is 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP). The combination of its high toxicity, mobility, and persistance has placed TCP among the the contaminants that are being considered by a number of organizations as a possible priority for future research and regulation (e.g., the 3rd Contaminant Candidate List prepared by the U.S. EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act). To support on-going assessments of the risk from TCP-contaminated groundwater, and especially to help identify improved methods for its remediation, we have been studying TCP degradation under a variety of treatment conditions, including the whole range treatments used for in situ chemical reduction (ISCR) and in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO). An overview of prospects for remediation of TCP by ISCR or ISCO can be found in [13].
Most recently, nanoparticles (NPs) have come to be regarded as emerging contaminants. In some respects, assessing the fate and prospects for remediation of NPs is no different than for any other substance, but in other respects NPs are profoundly different. Our interest is primarily with NPs of iron and iron oxides, which probably are environmentally benign overall. However, there are aspects of this that merit further investigation, because the quantity of nZVI used in remediation applications is quite large and use of this technology in the field is spreading rapidly.
Comparison of perchloroethylene degradation by hydrolysis, oxidation by permanganate, or oxidation by heat activated persulfate. Figure from Waldemer et al. [12]. (Click for larger view.)
The analysis of correlations among chemical data serves a variety of purposes: ranging from validation of consistancy, to diagnosing mechansisms, to identificaiton of predictive models [14]. The latter leads to quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs), which are correlations between an important property for a series of related compounds (e.g., oxidation or reduction rate constants) and one or several more convenient independent variables.
For chemical properties that determine the fate and effects of environmental contaminants, the field is mature enough to have already engendered several generations of compilations of predictive models. However, the application of QSARs to environmental redox reactions is less well developed, and the only reviews on this topic are [15-16].
Larson, R. A., and E. J. Weber. 1994. Chapter 3. Reduction. In: Reaction Mechanisms in Environmental Organic Chemistry. Lewis, Chelsea, MI, pp 169-215.
Schwarzenbach, R. P., P. M. Gschwend, and D. M. Imboden. 1993. Chapter 12.4: Oxidation and Reduction Reactions. In: Environmental Organic Chemistry. Wiley, New York, pp 399-435.
Tratnyek, P. G., and D. L. Macalady. 2000. Oxidation-reduction reactions in the aquatic environment. In: D. Mackay and R. S. Boethling (ed.), Handbook of Property Estimation Methods for Chemicals: Environmental and Health Sciences. Lewis, Boca Raton, FL, pp 383-415.
Smolen, J. M.; Weber, E. J.; Tratnyek, P. G. Molecular probe techniques for reductant identification in reducing sediments. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1999, 33, 440-445. (DOI: 10.1021/es980297p)
Tratnyek, P. G.; Macalady, D. L. Abiotic reduction of nitro aromatic pesticides in anaerobic laboratory systems. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1989, 37, 248-254. (DOI: 10.1021/jf00085a058)
Van der Zee, F. P.; Cervantes, F. J. Impact and application of electron shuttles on the redox (bio)transformation of contaminants: A review. Biotechnology Advances 2009, 27, 256-277. (DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2009.01.004)
Matheson, L. J.; Tratnyek, P. G. Reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated methanes by iron metal. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1994, 28, 2045-2053. (DOI: 10.1021/es00061a012)
Johnson, T. L.; Scherer, M. M.; Tratnyek, P. G. Kinetics of halogenated organic compound degradation by iron metal. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1996, 30, 2634-2640. (DOI: 10.1021/es9600901)
Nurmi, J. T.; Tratnyek, P. G.; Sarathy, V.; Baer, D. R.; Amonette, J. E.; Pecher, K.; Wang, C.; Linehan, J. C.; Matson, D. W.; Penn, R. L.; Driessen, M. D. Characterization and properties of metallic iron nanoparticles: Spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and kinetics. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2005, 39, 1221-1230. (DOI: 10.1021/es049190u)
Tratnyek, P. G.; Johnson, R. L. Nanotechnologies for environmental cleanup. NanoToday 2006, 1, 44-48. (DOI: 10.1016/S1748-0132(06)70048-2)
Tratnyek, P. G.; Elovitz, M. S.; Colverson, P. Photo effects of textile dye waste waters: Sensitization of singlet oxygen formation, oxidation of phenols, and toxicity to bacteria. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 1994, 13, 27-33. (DOI: 10.1002/etc.5620130106)
Waldemer, R. H.; Tratnyek, P. G.; Johnson, R. L.; Nurmi, J. T. Oxidation of chlorinated ethenes by heat activated persulfate: Kinetics and products. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007, 31, 1010-1015. (DOI: 10.1021/es062237m)
Tratnyek, P. G.; Sarathy, V.; Fortuna, J. H., Fate and remedation of 1,2,3-trichloropropane. In International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds, 6th, Monterey, CA, 2008, Vol. pp. Paper C-047. (PDF)
Tratnyek, P. G. Correlation analysis of the environmental reactivity of organic substances. In Perspectives in Environmental Chemistry; Oxford: New York, 1998; pp. 167-194.
Tratnyek, P. G.; Weber, E. J.; Schwarzenbach, R. P. Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) for chemical reductions of organic contaminants. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2003, 22, 1733-1742. (DOI: 10.1897/01-236)
Canonica, S.; Tratnyek Paul, G. Quantitative structure-activity relationships for oxidation reactions of organic chemicals in water. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2003, 22, 1743-1754. (DOI: 10.1897/01-237)
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How it's made | Candy Canes
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Review: Beware Not "The Ides of March"
Published at 11:04 am on October 6, 2011
Beau Willimon worked on Howard Dean's doomed-from-the-start 2004 presidential campaign. A year later he mined the experience to write "Farragut North," a play about a young media consultant working on a presidential campaign, whose libido and vanity land him in a heap of trouble. George Clooney has now adapted that play into the feature film "Ides of March." Watching the movie, one shudders to think just how ugly democracy can get backstage.
Ryan Gosling stars as Stephen Myers, a 30-year-old political wunderkind working on the presidential campaign of Ohio Gov. Mike Morris (Clooney), a progressive who's sworn to do things the right way, without selling out or trading favors—the man is a boy scout. When Stephen one day gets a call from Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), manager of the opposition campaign, who asks him to join him for a beer, Stephen accepts against his better judgment.
Around the same time, Stephen gets another invitation, of a very different sort, from the infinitely more attractive Molly Stearns, an intern on the Morris campaign, who also happens to be the daughter of the Democratic National Committee head. Suffice to say, things get ugly fast for Stephen, who at first thinks he's playing chess against grizzled masters only to find he's actually just a pawn in their game.
This is Gosling's third lead role of the year, coming after his Lothario in "Crazy Stupid Love" and his laconic stunt driver/getaway man in "Drive". Throw this into the mix, and one is left wondering if there's a 21st Century part he can't play. In addition to bringing his occasionally hypnotic focus to the film, Gosling even manages to ditch the Brooklyn-ese accent that sometimes bleeds into his readings.
This is Clooney's fourth directorial effort, and he continues to develop a more assured eye, one that has clearly been informed by the political thrillers of the '60s and '70s: the off-center framing; the three-planes deep action of a busy office; a nervously twisting torso at a phone booth.
The film's only weakness is that as director, Clooney plays things a little too cool, not letting the action pop as sharply as he might. He's assembled one of the best casts of the year, a collection of men and women who can handle drama at its most dizzying, why he doesn't unleash the fury or heighten the tension is a mystery. Arguably the most explosive scene in the film is one that takes place off-screen and that we hear about only after the fact.
Nonetheless, "Ides of March" is a gripping game of cat-and-mouse, a bleak view of how the political sausage gets made and a cautionary tale about hubris all rolled into one.


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Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. Files Trade Case Against Unfairly Priced and Subsidized Chinese Imports
About Us/News/AMI Case Against Chinese Silica Fabrics/Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. Files Trade Case Against Unfairly Priced and Subsidized Chinese Imports
Today, Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. ("AMI") filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission requesting imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on certain amorphous silica fabric, an industrial textile, from the People's Republic of China. AMI is the largest U.S. manufacturer of silica fabric, operating two manufacturing plants in Maine. AMI is the principal supplier of amorphous silica fabric to the U.S. Navy.
AMI has lost a significant number of sales to Chinese imports due to increasingly low import prices. As detailed in the petition, AMI believes that imports of silica fabric from China are being "dumped" in the U.S. market at unfairly low prices. AMI also provides evidence in the petition that the Chinese government is providing unfair subsidies to Chinese producers of silica fabric.
As a result of the lost sales, AMI has suffered decreased production, revenue and profits. AMI has seen an ever larger amount of sales be awarded to Chinese imports, especially since 2014. AMI believes that these imports are not compliant with either the Buy American Act (requiring over 50% US content), or the Berry Amendment, which generally requires textiles purchased with funds allocated by the Department of Defense to be 100% of U.S. origin.
Without relief from dumped and subsidized low-priced Chinese imports, it will become increasingly difficult for AMI to continue making this product. This is the latest segment of the U.S. textile industry to be replaced by Chinese imports as a result of unfair trade practices. In the long run, if these unfair practices are not curbed, the U.S. military will suffer because it will be unable to source these products from U.S. companies. The filing of the petition was necessary to keep AMI as a viable supplier to the Navy and to protect textile workers in Maine.
AMI looks forward to investigations by the two U.S. government agencies to confirm AMI's evidence of dumping, subsidization, and injury, and urges the U.S. government to impose antidumping and countervailing duties to offset the injurious effects of these dumped and subsidized Chinese imports.


Each year, the South Gloucestershire Partnership looks at different measures which make an area a good place to live – health, safety, education – to see whether the quality of life in South Gloucestershire is getting better, worse or staying the same. Most of these measures have been monitored over a long period of time; some are more recent but looking at them overall enables partners to see where there have been positive changes due to the work they do as well as areas where further improvements are needed.
Download the full report for the current year. Previous reports can be selected from the menu on the left of this page.


text:
Q: Aligning on a Word .data
myBytes BYTE 10h,20h,30h,40h
myWords WORD 3 DUP(?),2000h
myString BYTE "ABCDE"

If we were to declare our variables as such, would myBytes, the very first declaration, be aligned at an offset that is optimal for the CPU (which is on a word)?

A: No, usually, you have to use meta assembler like .align to force correct allignment. Check your assemblers manual

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
British soldier arrested for protesting collusion in Saudi's Yemen war
'I've seen enough not to speak out and I'd rather sleep peacefully in a cell than stay silent for a pay cheque.'
Lance Corporal Ahmed Al-Babati being arrested outside Downing Street.
In late August a serving British soldier was arrested for protesting against British involvement in the war being waged by Saudi Arabia against Yemen.
Lance Corporal Ahmed Al-Babati, a soldier in the Royal Signals, absconded from duty to protest in uniform outside the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in London. During his demonstration he blew a whistle every 10 minutes to indicate the death of another child in the conflict.
Footage posted to the internet showed Al-Babati being led away from his protest by military police.
In a video recorded beforehand, Al-Babati explained his motivations: "It is clear this government has blood on their hands, so with that being said I refuse to continue my military service until the arms trade with Saudi Arabia has been put to an end.
"It is reported that a child dies every ten minutes in Yemen, so I'll be standing outside 10 Downing Street blowing a whistle every ten minutes so that they can hear every time a child dies due to a war they continue to arm and support,"
"I joined the army in 2017 and took an oath to protect and serve this country, not to be part of a corrupt government that continues to arm and support terrorism.
"What made this decision so easy for me and why I choose to sacrifice a lot of things including possibly my freedom is for the simple fact that me, myself as somebody that was born in Yemen, I could have easily fell victim to one of those air strikes or died out of hunger.
"I've seen enough not to speak out and I'd rather sleep peacefully in a cell than stay silent for a pay cheque."
At least 18,500 civilians have been killed or injured in air strikes since the war began in 2015, which has also created the world's biggest humanitarian disaster.
Moreover, some 2 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition and hundreds of thousands more have died of hunger during the course of the war. Around half of Yemen's population is on the verge of starvation.
The Saudi government is one of Britain's closest military allies, purchasing 49 percent of all UK arms exports. BAE systems alone sold more than £15bn worth of arms and services to the Saudi military in the last five years.
Alongside war materiel, Britain provides training to Saudi air force pilots, with more than 100 trained in the last decade by the RAF and some still in training as of July 2020. In addition, Britain has some 200 military personnel stationed on Saudi soil providing training services, as well as maintaining and repairing aircraft.
Saudi Arabian involvement in Yemen is ostensibly aimed at restoring former president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to power following his ousting during the Arab Spring by the Houthi-led popular protest movement. Despite Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates controlling vast swathes of territory in southern Yemen, Hadi has yet to return.
In reality, the war is a pretext to control areas of strategic importance, as well as to monopolise vast untapped natural resources. Britain's continued interest in facilitating the war in Yemen, despite the many civilian deaths and the ongoing humanitarian disaster, needs no further explanation when one considers the vast profits in arms sales and the possibility of grabbing a share of the Yemini people's natural resources.
In 2010, British soldier Joe Glenton served nine months in prison for refusing on principle to return to the war in Afghanistan. Al-Babati is likely to receive a similar sentence following his highly public protest.
Workers must give full support to all military personnel who follow their conscience and refuse to take part in criminal wars of imperialist aggression.
More than that, we must work to ensure that all trade unions in Britain adopt an active policy of non-cooperation with criminal imperialist wars, so that workers have full support from their workmates when they refuse to participate in furthering the war effort.
We want an end to the victimisation of individuals who follow their conscience. All workers must be protected from finding themselves in the invidious position of having to choose between assisting in a criminal war or losing their job.
Solidarity with Ahmed Al-Babati!
Drive to war
Non-cooperation
Saudis continue to violate the truce in Yemen
BLM, XR: No reds under the bed … yet
Italian dockers obstruct Saudi's criminal war on Yemen
Who is really fighting whom in Yemen?
Comrade Ella tells Chinese conference: 'A decent future is ours for the taking'
Former soldier Mike Pike on why workers should refuse to fight in imperialist war
Despite ceasefire agreements, Saudi military attacks are ongoing, as is the brutal blockade of Yemeni ports, leaving millions at risk of starvation.
Our rulers are nervous that workers may start to put up really meaningful resistance to imperialist domination, despoliation and war.
2 Apr 2021, Proletarian
Dockworkers in Genoa have given a vital lesson to workers everywhere in how to harness our collective strength.
30 May 2019, Proletarian
The genocidal onslaught on Yemen is either ignored or misrepresented in western media, obscuring the fact that all the justifications for the war are lies.
20 Feb 2021,
It is the right and the duty of workers to demand a bigger share of the wealth their own labour has created.
How can we bring the weapon of Marxism to the world's people as they face the growing crises of poverty, hunger and war?
3 Sep 2022, Proletarian
How working-class kids are dehumanised and taught to hate so they can serve the ruling-class agenda abroad.
19 Jul 2018, Eva K Bartlett YouTube
20 Feb 2021, Workers Party of Britain
Instead of helping workers weather the inflation crisis, our rulers are preparing to suppress any future rebellion.
16 Jan 2023, Proletarian TV


 Best Price on Sea Symphony Villa in Checker Hall + Reviews!
Located on a private beach in north-west Barbados, Sea Symphony Villa offers a private pool, lush gardens and a patio with sea views. It features a fully-equipped kitchen, plasma-screen TV and free Wi-Fi. This open-plan villa has a spacious lounge and indoor and outdoor dining areas. Each air-conditioned bedroom has an private bathroom, while the master suite includes a private balcony and walk-in wardrobe. The villa's staff includes a maid, laundress, chef and pool attendant. A masseuse is available on request. Located on Fryers Well Bay, Sea Symphony Villa is just 1.9 mi from Speightstown and a 30-minute drive from Bridgetown. Guests enjoy free airport transfers and free on-site parking.
The villa can be rented as 2,3,4,5 or 6 bedrooms-rental is prorated and remains exclusive. Unused rooms are closed off and not rented to any other party. The rates quoted depends on the number of rooms used - maximum 2 people per room. Please inform Sea Symphony Villa of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation. A damage deposit of USD 500 is required on arrival. This will be collected by credit card. You should be reimbursed on check-out. Your deposit will be refunded in full, in cash, subject to an inspection of the property.


Image Title: Contemporary Laminate And Thermofoil Door Styles CWP Regarding Shaker Style Cabinet Doors Plan 15. Post Title: Shaker Style Cabinet Doors. Filename: contemporary-laminate-and-thermofoil-door-styles-cwp-regarding-shaker-style-cabinet-doors-plan-15.jpg. Image Dimension: 520 x 1006 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: Kendall Raynor. Uploaded Date: Friday - May 04th. 2018 13:04:27 PM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: ikea.com. Pinterest To Doors In Style Shaker 0. Cabinet 00 With Homecrest Styles Door Regard 25 9. Prepare Pyramid Gray Ideas Spotlats Kitchen Within Arbor Aristokraft 14. Custom How And 12. Beautiful Plan Design Decor 8. Unfinished 7. 13. Cabinetry Of 1 Throughout Idea Benton Cabinets Plans Pertaining Amazing RTF Fronts 3. Regarding Best NC 2. Shkr Rtf Build 10.


No real shocker that values are continuing to increase. The average sales price from April 2017 to April 2018 had a significant increase of over 10% at an average price of $237,000. That's incredible for all of you that purchased your home in 2017! You're quickly gaining lots of equity. If you're on the fence to sell - why even sit and ponder anymore? Your home has MOST likely increased it's value and our team can help you get the most money for your home in a SHORT period of time. Interested in that value? We offer a custom market analysis for you with no further obligation.
While home prices are rises our inventory is decreasing unfortunately. Buyers out there are snatching homes as soon as they hit the MLS due to the lack of active listings on the market. We're down 10% of inventory in 2017, although up a smidge of .4% from the previous month, March 2018. Don't be discouraged by the lack of homes for sale, contact us and let us know what you're looking for - we have a handful of homes that have not quite hit the market yet that MAY fit your needs. Or give us your needs and wants and we can set you up on a search to get the homes emailed to you the minute they hit the MLS.
On average, once homes are listing to pending the current market stat is 55 days before going under contract. This number can vary quite a bit. We're seeing that homes do not last nearly 55 days on the market, more like 55 hours! Ha. This number stims from ALL homes in the MLS, which include homes that have been active and overpriced for nearly a year. Our team prides ourselves with an average 18 DAYS ON THE MARKET for the full year in 2017.
If you're listing your home at $300,000 the likliehood of you getting an offer at or above list price is always possible, but the average home is selling for 97.5% of the list price. That number for a $300,000 home would look like this - $292,500. Very close to asking!


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Haze by L. E. Modesitt, Jr
June 9, 2010 June 8, 2010 Cybermage.se Books
I started to listen to the audio book version of Haze on my way to work and it is space opera just the way I like it. A mystic planet surrounded by an impregnable shrouding haze and an expandable government operative is sent down to infiltrate and report back any intelligence he could find. This reminds me of 'Solens Vargar' (Sun Wolves) a book by the Swedish science fiction writer Dénis Lindbohm about an agent sent out by an oppressive government to hunt down a stolen weapon that can be used against it only to become the hunted himself. Here is my view:
Title: Haze
Author: L. E. Modesitt, Jr
Narrator: William Dufris
Genre: Space Opera
Audio book: 10h 32m
Publisher: Tor 2009| Tantor Media
Order from: Tor | iTunes | Audible | Amazon US | UK | B&N | Sfbok
Excerpt: Chapter 1
What lies beneath the millions of orbiting nanotech satellites that shroud the world called Haze? Major Keir Roget's mission is to make planetfall in secret, find out, and report back to his superiors in the Federation, the Chinese-dominated government that rules Earth and the colonized planets.
For all his effectiveness as a security agent, Roget is troubled by memories of an earlier mission. When he was assigned to covert duty in the Noram backcountry town of St. George, he not only discovered that the long-standing Saint culture was neither as backward nor as harmless as his superiors believed, but he barely emerged with his life and sanity whole. Now, scouting Haze, he finds a culture seemingly familiar, yet frighteningly alien, with hints of a technology far superior to that of the Federation. Yet he is not certain how much of what he sees is real—or how to convey a danger he cannot even prove to his superiors, if he can escape Haze.
I listened to the unabridged audio version narrated by William Dufris, his voice works for the story even if he might come across a little bit snotty at times.
The story is told along two timelines; the now were Major Keir Roget makes planetfall and visits the world below; and retrospects to his earlier missions that made him to the man he is but also made his superiors send him to Haze.
This is very much a political space opera with some pointers to our contemporary society.
I have enjoyed L.E. Modesitt, Jr. for some time now. The Recluse Saga, Flash, Gravity Dreams and The Octagonal Raven are some of my favorites among his work. I read The Elysium Commission recently and reviewed it here, it reminded me a great deal of Flash just not as good. L.E. Modesitt, Jr. lives in Cedar City, Utah.
The oppressive interstellar Federation is dominated by China and Chinese culture. Noram as former North America is called is kept in poverty, its citizens kept from leadership positions and harsh green taxes are levied against pollution and travel forcing depopulation of rural areas.
The retrospects back to when Keir was undercover as an energy inspector measuring temperature in the river water to find the slightest misuse of energy worked fine to establish a realistic and believable world occupied by living and breathing people.
Some of the technologies used in the book are interesting but not explained in any detail.
The plot is thrilling and somewhat suspenseful. It is never boring.
Major Keir Roget and four other agents are dispatched to make planetfall on Haze. Keir survives the entry, lands and walk around in a familiar but slightly different greenery until he is met by a young human woman that seems to have been expecting him. The society he meets on Dubiety, as its inhabitants call it, is very different from the Federation. Their's is not an utopia but close enough, their values clash with Keir's preconceptions and their technology is not only different but also surpasses that of the Federation. Keir also worry about it all being some kind of high tech virtual reality and how he will be able to report back to his superiors.
One of L. E. Modesitt, Jr. strengths is characterization, compared to Flash and such these characters are not as well crafted, the retrospects works to establish motivation and some of the nature of Keir's personality but he still comes across a bit two dimensional in my opinion. I still like the characters but I expect more from Modesitt.
Unwrapping the mystery of Haze is fun and interesting just the way space opera should be. Major Keir Roget makes a journey and grows as a man as he should but the big idea is the contrasting societies. This is not a novel about big space battles and tactical details. Recommended if you like the political side of L. E. Modesitt's earlier works.
Dénis Lindbohm High Tech L. E. Modesitt Jr. Lost Colony Review Science Fiction Space Opera Superior Technology
Rubicon First Promo
Snippet 51 for Mission of Honor by David Weber (Honor Harrington 12)


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U.S. Department of Justice Submits Brief in Georgia Voter Intimidation Case
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted a brief in a lawsuit filed on behalf of Fair Fight and two voters alleging that True the Vote, a right-wing "election integrity" organization that has been accused of voter intimidation since 2012, violated Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which prevents voter intimidation. The plaintiffs argue that True the Vote"launched a massive, multifaceted campaign of voter intimidation" leading up to the 2021 Senate runoff elections in Georgia. As part of this campaign, True the Vote allegedly "launched the largest mass challenge effort in Georgia history, targeting hundreds of thousands of voters just two weeks before the January 2021 runoff election." True the Vote argues that these voter challenges do not intimidate voters under the plain meaning of the law, they are protected by the First Amendment and as a result Section 11(b) of the VRA is unconstitutional. The group also raises the specter of vote dilution — a common theme in many recent conservative voting lawsuits — as a defense against the plaintiffs' case, suggesting the possibility of ineligible voters voting dilutes the value of their lawful votes.
In advance of a hearing in the case on Feb. 1, the court invited the DOJ, which was not an original party in the lawsuit, to respond to True the Vote's arguments about the constitutionality of Section 11(b). In the supplemental briefing filed yesterday, the DOJ writes that the court "should reject Defendants' challenges to the constitutionality of Section 11(b)." The DOJ begins by rejecting the defendants' attempt to limit the scope of 11(b) because their "proffered limitations…have no basis in its text, history, or precedent." The DOJ argues that the plain language of the VRA provides no limitations or exceptions to the "core prohibition on intimidation, threats, and coercion" and does not require proof that the voter intimidation was intentional or successful to find an 11(b) violation. Additionally, the DOJ says that 11(b) has "an unlimited reach, covering all people who are intimidated, threatened, or coerced…regardless of whether they were specifically targeted." The DOJ also rejects True the Vote's argument that voter challenges allowed under state law, as in Georgia, can never violate 11(b), writing that "filing knowingly or recklessly false voter challenges or filing challenges in an intimidating, threatening, or coercive manner would violate the statute."
The DOJ continues by defending the constitutionality of Section 11(b), noting that the statute "proscribes," meaning forbids, "intimidating, threatening, and coercive conduct, which the First Amendment generally does not protect." Section 11(b)'s application to "knowingly or recklessly false voter challenges would be consistent with the Free Speech Clause" since the First Amendment does not protect knowingly or recklessly false speech when such speech inflicts harm, like depriving a voter of their right to vote. Finally, the DOJ argues that even if some of the defendants' conduct was protected by the First Amendment, Section 11(b) would still be constitutional since "'protecting voters from confusion and undue influence' in the voting process is a 'compelling interest.'" As the brief notes, 49 states, Washington, D.C. and the federal government "all proscribe voter intimidation," reflecting a universal understanding that the government can limit First Amendment rights to protect voters. The DOJ then rejects the defendants' argument that the statute is too vague to be constitutional.
The DOJ ends the brief by contesting the defendants' claim that vote dilution represents a legitimate defense against Section 11(b). As the DOJ notes, vote dilution arguments can only be made "under Article 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, the Reconstruction Amendments, or the Voting Rights Act" and "determining whether someone has intimidated, threatened, or coerced a voter has no relation to…any…circumstance that could give rise to an affirmative vote dilution claim." Additionally, because the defendants have other ways to challenge any perceived vote dilution, a claim of vote dilution "does not excuse unlawful voter intimidation."
The plaintiffs and defendants also submitted supplemental briefs to the court yesterday addressing several questions posed by the court. The plaintiffs' brief echoes the DOJ's argument that Section 11(b) should be interpreted broadly to cover voter challenges as potentially unlawful voter intimidation. They also agree that vote dilution cannot be used as a defense since "any interest individuals maintain in preventing the dilution of their own voting power…cannot possibly justify the intimidation of eligible voters whose ballots are entirely lawful." The defendants' brief, meanwhile, argues that Section 11(b) requires "a direct connection between the person claiming to be intimidated and the alleged perpetrator," a connection they argue doesn't exist in the case. They also contend that applying Section 11(b) to their voter challenges would prohibit them from protecting their vote from vote dilution.
Read the DOJ's brief here.
Read the plaintiffs' brief here.
Read the defendants' brief here.
Learn more about the case here.
Learn more about intimidation and disenfranchisement in the 2021 Georgia Senate runoffs here.
U.S. Department of Justice Asks To Participate in Texas "Wet Signature" Lawsuit
Colorado Judge Dismisses Defamation Claims in Voter Intimidation Case
2022 Litigation Report: How Republicans Lost and Voters Won in Court
How Democracy Will Head to the Courts in 2023
Litigation Look Ahead: January
Florida Republican Introduces Proposal to Allow Recalls of Election Officials
On Monday, Jan. 9, Florida state Rep. Joel Rudman (R) introduced House Joint Resolution 131, a proposed amendment that would allow Florida voters to recall all elected county officials in the state, including supervisors of elections.


Included below are homes for sale in Meadowview Park_Ledu, a neighborhood in Leduc, Edmonton, which are updated daily from the Edmonton MLS.
For more information on any of these Meadowview Park_Ledu listings, just click the "Request More Information" button when viewing the details of a property. We can provide you with disclosures, past sales history, dates and prices of homes recently sold nearby, and more. And, if you haven't already, be sure to register for a free account so that you can receive email alerts whenever new Meadowview Park_Ledu real estate listings come on the market.


Yes, whatever you share during your therapy sessions will be kept private and confidential. There are codes of ethics and licensing laws that require that your psychotherapist does not divulge what is shared or discussed during sessions unless yours or someone else's life is in danger.
How long is a therapy sessions?
Sessions typically for for 50 minutes, although 90 minute sessions can be arranged for couples or families.
How often should I attend counselling sessions?
I would recommend weekly sessions to get the most benefit out of your counselling experience. More or less can be arranged to suit your needs and time schedule.
Do you offer a reduced or sliding scale fee?
I offer a 10% discount when you book and pre-pay for 6 counselling sessions in advance. With this option, the 6 sessions must be used within 3 months.
I require 48 hours notice if you need to cancel your appointment or if you need to change the time. The full fee will be charged unless such notification is given.
If you are looking for guidance towards a sense of authenticity, inner confidence and meaningful relationships please contact Stephen for a friendly, obligation free chat or to schedule an appointment.


Gravity Manipulation is an ability in Torment:Tides of Numenera.
"You treat one of the fundamental forces of the universe as a tool. You draw enemies into your orbit or send them reeling away with the power of your mind alone."


text:
Angie's List Is Tearing Down Its Paywall, Will Soon Be Free
Lauren Debter Forbes Staff
I write about all things retail.
(Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg)
Angie's List is finally tearing down its paywall.
The online reviews site, which has traditionally charged visitors a membership fee, will soon make its basic reviews and ratings available for free.
That means consumers will be able to surf the site at no cost when choosing which plumber, electrician or painter to invite to the house. They'll also be able to submit reviews of their own.
The paywall has acted as a "barrier" that has stunted the company's growth, said CEO Scott Durchslag on Thursday. By the third quarter, it will be history.
Unsurprisingly, the change will result in a decline in membership revenues, but that should be offset by fewer marketing dollars spent, said Angie's List. It expects the move to result in $750 million in added revenue by 2020.
Still, the company offered a soft forecast for the year. It is calling for revenue of $345 million to $355 million this year, shy of the $362 million Wall Street analysts were looking for.
Angie's List will also start offering some freemium and premium choices for certain services this year, like emergency service hotlines and short-notice handyman visits.
The announcement comes just days after Angie's List added three people to its board of directors, including activist investor and founder of TCS Capital Eric Semler.
In November, Angie's List said it wouldn't pursue an acquisition by IAC because it was offering too little.
Angie's List has struggled tremendously (Yelp is free, remember) and last year turned its first yearly profit since going public in 2011.
Shares of Angie's List, which are down 18% over the last three months, rose 4% to $8.67 on Thursday.
Lauren Debter
I am a staff writer at Forbes covering retail. I'm particularly interested in entrepreneurs who are finding success in a tough and changing landscape. I have been at Fo


Like a Frankenstein's monster in digital form, a team of nostalgic nerds have resuscitated this cult classic platform for the new generation of latte-sipping, safe-spacing twitterati – lord help us.
The site's design is modelled on the most important sections from the mags heyday, along with a few fresh ideas we hope will meet with approval from fans of the original PC Zone and new readers alike – and you can rest assured that our conversational and irreverent style of language would fit right in should you choose to compare us to any article gleaned from a dusty old copy of Zone carefully stored in your attic.
We're not pretending it's the same (we're covering games across all platforms, unlike the mag) but we are hellbent on making it feel like home to those who loved the original publication. Like a favourite pair of slippers or better yet, those day-glow hole-ridden joggers from the mid 90s that you just can't seem to part with.
This site won't be for everyone, we'll have some strong opinions (and strong language) just as the magazine did, but whatever your taste we hope you'll appreciate our alternative (and reassuringly familiar) voice in an all too one-note crowd of banal gaming rag sheets.