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Quadry is Taking Southern Rap into New Territory
ByGraham Corrigan
Image via Quadry
There's a quiet intensity to Quadry's music, sometimes masked by his lilting delivery. If you didn't understand the words, you might guess he's singing about girls and summer. And while those songs do exist in the Baton Rouge rapper's catalog, he has more important things to say. "It's so American here," Quadry says of his hometown. "It's segregated, there are so many weapons. It's a test tube of America."
He was a quiet kid growing up in Baker, a sleepy, swampy neighborhood on the north end of East Baton Rouge Parish. "My relatives say it was like I was here before," he says. "I would say quick-witted comebacks to adults that would make them say, 'Yo, that was kind of clever.'"
Living as a creative was already feeling a foregone conclusion—Quadry was rapping before his tenth birthday. "Say this is my ninth life," he says. "I feel like in every life, I was an artist... In the Renaissance, even caveman times. I was always an artist."
He was making the discovery in a changed Baton Rouge. Things shifted when Hurricane Katrina devastated low-lying New Orleans in 2005. "I was ten, I was in fifth grade." Quadry remembers. "Baton Rouge didn't get hit as hard as New Orleans—Baton Rouge was okay. But it made a population of people from New Orleans integrate into Baton Rouge. We got their style, their slang, the way they act. That seeped into our rapping, too."
Hurricane Katrina was really pivotal. It made a population of people from New Orleans integrate into Baton Rouge. So we got their style, their slang, the way they act.
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The transplanted culture exposed a young Quadry to artists like Lil Wayne and Master P. As he grew older, Quadry had established himself online as an exciting, agile rapper with early hits like the 2014 Mr. Carmack collaboration "Monday." He built digital connections with then-unknowns like Romil and Tev'n, the North London producer who would end up producing six tracks on Quadry's debut project, America, Me. "He can really paint a picture," Tev'n said over the phone. "His lyrics are so vivid. You can almost touch what he's saying... All the music is really just a backdrop for his stories. That's what I noticed about his stuff originally, and I thought, 'Oh man, I gotta step my game up.'"
One week before America, Me went public, Alton Sterling was killed by police outside the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge. "I grew up in that neighborhood," Quadry says. His family moved to Baker when he was seven. "I used to go to that store for Rice Krispies Treats every Saturday. To have that happen was a shock to my youth… You get colder. But that's just America. That's all it is."
America, Me had released a week later as planned, with much of its content and emotional depth suddenly brought into sharp focus against the backdrop of Sterling's death and the city's growing protest movement. Quadry's name began to circulate locally, and he gained acclaim on blogs. But it was the artist's own intuition that led to the next step.
Brock Korsan built a career working with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and DJ Dahi. He met Quadry on Twitter, when the rapper replied to Korsan's open call for submissions. "I was leaving an A&R meeting at Def Jam, and I was very dejected," Korsan says. "I felt like everything was changing, and I just went on Twitter—which I rarely do, in terms of searching for new music. And I basically said, 'Is there anyone out there feeling overlooked and underappreciated?'
I got like a million replies, and Quadry had put the woman-raising-her-hand emoji, and a link. I just started laughing, I thought it was hilarious. The first song was his 'Pony' flip, and I was like, 'This song is fucking terrible, but the guy can rap.' The next song was 'Monday,' and I thought it was genius. The way he was putting words together, he reminded me of Andre [3000]."
Korsan flew Quadry out to L.A., where he met longtime collaborator Tev'n in person for the first time. Over the next two weeks, Quadry put in time to finish the album now known as Malik Ruff. "I stayed at the studio for 12 days," Tev'n says. "That was the first time [Quadry and I] actually met, but we felt like we already knew each other after talking every day for so long… He's really easy to talk to, and he's a good listener. That's probably why he's such a good writer as well, he just takes everything in."
"Initially, I spent a lot of time with him in the studio," Korsan says. "But after a while, I realized he's just gotta figure out his thing. For as level-headed as Quadry is, he's also very headstrong. I just said, 'I'm going to give you the space, you can use this space as much as you want,' and we started the journey. He knows what he wants to do, and he has a vision, and he's usually correct. We'll be on the fence about things, and when he come back to it I'll say, 'You were right about that.'"
Malik Ruff was released in November 2018 and the world it lives in is Southern hospitality surrounded by shadowy death, where Boosie shares space with Pink Floyd. The album was met with critical acclaim, and has endured a "slow burn" since, as Korsan put it. "I feel like he knows that he's one of the best rappers out there, pound for pound. And he's ready for people to see that. When I found him, he was working at McDonalds. To see everyone react like this—I get texts from some of the biggest artists in the world saying this kid's amazing."
Quadry is taking all the access in stride. "You know in The Wizard of Oz, when they pull back the curtain and found out it was just a man? Before, when I was a fan and listening to albums like good kid m.A.A.d city, Friday Night Lights, or Take Care, I thought those guys were making magic. I thought maybe they were taking some kind of drug, something I didn't have enough money to do or wasn't old enough to do. Now I've learned... all that was preparation, work ethic, and stimulation, like reading. One thing that Brock showed me was that it's not magic. It's just voice and talent. If you work hard enough at it, you'll be one of the best at it."
Congratulations on "bluegrass" getting played on Beats 1 last night.
Thank you bro, I didn't even hear it! I don't know why I didn't want to hear it. You know what it was? I had to do the selfie video, I had to do all types of stuff, and it kind of took the mystique out of it. That was cool, though. It's a milestone. Word of mouth has been the number one form of discovery for my music. Pigeons & Planes had gone on hiatus so I was trying to figure out other ways to get my music to publications. You guys were like the main people that were really pushing my music. Word of mouth took over from there.
What's the story behind the album title?
At first, Malik Ruff was called Black Boy Machine Gun. That was the first title of the album. This is early 2016, after I dropped America, Me. I wanted to make an album about my experiences, but not from a first-person point of view. Malik Ruff was meant to be a pseudonym—this is black male angst on the record, that's the best way I can describe it.
That has some echoes to America, Me, as well. What was the difference in your approach to this album?
The first tape was basically me and Tev'n. Shout out Ricci Riera and Chuck Strangers who worked on America, Me too. But the big difference for Malik Ruff was that I wanted R&B singers to produce the rap songs on there. I got Steve [Lacy], bLAck pARty, even with Tev'n—it's in a way more R&B, melodic range. I wanted to bring in guys who had a strong grasp of song structure and writing. Making the songs more full, and the ideas more fleshed out. We were building almost all of those beats from scratch, so they transformed into what they are now. With America, Me, all of those beats were made just like that and I rapped on them.
Did you always go by Quadry, as an artist?
I was called Lil Quad, but we say it how we spell it, so it was Lit Quad. That was before "lit" had came about. I was 14, 15, just trying to get better at rapping.
What's it like coming back to Baton Rouge now that you've lived somewhere else?
I still go back a little bit. It's not sad because everybody knows what I'm out here to do. It's not a sadness… the sadness comes when I'm out in L.A., and I'm just reminiscing on times. Other than that, as far as leaving, everybody at home is all for it.
How have you seen the city change recently, as far as a music scene is concerned?
I don't want to say we're on the map like a Memphis or Atlanta. To be honest, Baton Rouge rap hasn't even been around for all that long. Maybe '99, at the earliest. I feel like we're still changing—look at the powerhouse that's right next to us, in Houston. That was going back in '86, with the Geto Boys. That gave way to Screw's music, then UGK. And then after that is the explosion, with the Slim Thugs and Paul Walls.
I think Baton Rouge as a city, in the rap game, we're in that mid-stage. We've had national stars, Kevin Gates and all that, but that's just one side of the coin. Baton Rouge has never had, to my limited knowledge, a Dungeon Family type of thing. That's the thing that's changing now, since 2015 or 2016. The lyricists are starting to see themselves as lyricists.
What do you mean by mid-stage? That rap didn't really take hold in Baton Rouge until the mid-'90s?
Late '90s, really, with the Young Bleed and Master P joint "How Ya Do Dat." But for my generation of rhymers and rappers, Hurricane Katrina was really pivotal. It made a population of people from New Orleans integrate into Baton Rouge. So we got their style, their slang, the way they act. That seeped into our rapping, too.
What did Katrina look like for you, how old were you when it happened?
I was ten, I was in elementary school. Fifth grade. Baton Rouge didn't get hit as hard as New Orleans—you gotta understand, Baton Rouge is kind of elevated. The real force of the hurricane hit coastal, up into the Gulf. New Orleans is an underwater city, really. Baton Rouge was okay. But the attitude, that seeped into Baton Rouge.
The one thing I want for my city is for people to care about where each of our artists is actually from, in terms of a neighborhood. I'm from Baker, it's a different vibe from where NBA Youngboy is from. I want people to understand that this is a real specific place where we come from. Baker is at the tip-top of the north side of Baton Rouge. If you're in Baton Rouge, you don't really consider Baker a part of the city, because it's so far north. It's past Southern University, it's past Scotlandville. It's the last black neighborhood before you get into the countryside.
It's also three blocks away from where Alton Sterling was killed. I grew up in that neighborhood, I used to go to that store for Rice Krispies Treats every Saturday. I knew that store, and to have that happen was a shock to my youth. When you're young, you have those rose-tinted glasses and you see things in the most optimistic way. You see a drug addict as a sick man. "Oh, he's just sick." But when you get older, you can see he's a fiend. You get colder. But it's just America. That's all that is. And where I'm from is no different than anywhere else. That's why I think rappers from here relate so good, it's so America here. It's segregated, there are so many weapons. It's a test tube of America.
that's why I think rappers from here relate so good, it's so America here. It's segregated, there are so many weapons. It's a test tube of America.
Do you think people in Baton Rouge have any hope that things are getting better? Sterling's killers walked free, but that cop was convicted in Chicago recently.
It started because people wanted to catch the moment. "Worldstar!" You see what I'm saying? And that led to these acts being caught on camera and posted. I don't know how many times I've seen an incident like that on somebody's phone that never made the internet. I'm talking 2010, 2011. Seeing somebody getting slammed, beat up by police. The advent of social media kind of made it that.
But things can get better when people start taking accountability. South Africa had the reconciliation, and black people in America can't even get their case heard for reparations. And I'm not saying just white people take responsibility. Black people can take responsibility too. We have some soul-searching to do in America. Exclude everybody else for a second and focus on ourselves, and then we can flourish as the people we are meant to be in this country.
And it has to start in multiple places at once, not just criminal justice reform.
I'm thinking about the whole shebangabang, where my son can walk into any establishment and be seen as equal, as a man. We can wash away the laws with a flick of the pen, but when I have my hair nappy—sometimes I don't cut my hair for a few months, and I grow a beard, and when I'm in California, there are places where I get looks like a dog that's off the leash. We have to nick at that too. It's about having empathy.
There's a lot of that on Malik Ruff. Can you talk about "Bible in the Water?"
You can interpret it how you want. It could be interpreted as an indictment on religion, but Tev'n just came in and sung that hook, and I took that. The reason I found it intriguing was the whole thought of a bible in the water—something so sacred, something so close to your heart, is being destroyed in water, but the water moving constantly. I saw it as a metaphor. You can't be stagnant in your thoughts and your beliefs, you have to flow with the water.
Do you believe in reincarnation, or anything like that?
I don't believe in the kind of reincarnation where certain historical figures carry on—like, I don't think Napoleon came back as a baby in South Detroit, or Michael Jackson is a baby in Germany. But I do believe that certain energies carry throughout time. Certain essences. Say this is my ninth life. I feel like in every life, I was an artist, of the zeitgeist of any period. In the Renaissance, even caveman times. I was always an artist.
That's something I thought about when I heard "Wesley (For My Son)," when you were writing from your father's perspective so soon after he passed.
I can tell you exactly the day I wrote it. I had the beat for a while, at least two weeks before. But when we went to the studio and I heard it again, all those emotions started flowing out of me—what I wanted to say, what I needed to say—even that concept of speaking from my dad's perspective came in five, ten minutes. It was one of the one times I really felt like God was in the studio, guiding my hand. I cried while I was writing it, turned off all the lights because I didn't want anyone to see me cry. I learned a lot about being a man when I was making this album. I learned it's okay to be vulnerable, it's okay to have feelings and express them. Not try to push them down—that can lead to something really destructive.
Are there any sessions that stand out?
When I recorded the first verse of "Bluegrass," Romil played me that beat a week before I recorded it. As I remember—I don't think he had any intentions of guiding me through the recording, but he came back for another session four days after showing me the beat. I rapped the verse I had written, and after Romil heard it he said, "Hey, why don't you chop up the lines? Take a pause between the lines." And I said, "YO! Okay!" It's like we both found our wings then, because mind you, this is before [Brockhampton] had even started on Saturation. We were just in there, turned off all the lights—Jabari was there too—and Romil is just coaching me through the verses. I could see him just loving that, reveling in that. And I was too, I want to be coached by a great producer. That's one of the reasons I do it, and Romil's one of the best people I've ever met.
That's the best, when something gets created that none of the individuals could have done on their own.
And that's kind of the story of Malik. I'm the auteur, and I'm holding the reins, but it was a team effort. From the sounds to the lyrics to the arrangement of the songs, everybody had an equal input. And that's how I wanted it.
How did you first meet Romil?
It was back when people would just put their numbers on Twitter, and have their fans talk to them, around 2014. Romil put his number on Twitter and said, "Anybody text me." I texted him and asked who was better, Mannie Fresh or Pharrell. He said Pharrell, which just led into a whole argument about legacies. Then I just kept him updated on what Tev'n and I were doing. Then I sent Brock my music that same year. 2015 was a pivotal year for me. Then in 2016 I dropped America, Me, so by the time I started making Malik Ruff I had enough of a caché to ask Romil if he wanted to work.
It definitely feels like you're taking on a lot more on Malik Ruff, both from an emotional and production standpoint. How much of that had to do with working with Brock [Korsan]?
You know in The Wizard of Oz, when they pull back the curtain and found out it was just a man? Before, when I was a fan and listening to albums like good kid m.A.A.d city, Friday Night Lights, or Take Care, I thought those guys were making magic. I thought maybe they were taking some kind of drug, something I didn't have enough money to do or wasn't old enough to do.
Now I've learned, since working with Brock, all that was preparation, work ethic, and stimulation, like reading. One thing that Brock showed me was that it's not magic. It's just voice and talent. If you work hard enough at it, you'll be one of the best at it. No cap. If I work hard at it, I'll be one of the best rappers.
What were you watching or reading during the making of Malik Ruff?
There's a movie on Netflix now called Dayveon—it's about a 13-year-old living in small town Arkansas, and it matched Malik Ruff so well. The crickets on the end of "Wesley," especially—if Malik Ruff is the music, Dayveon is the film. From watching that film—I had a lot of the songs done, but Dayveon just confirmed my concept. Real issues that young black men go through, like depression. There's just a litany of things that Dayveon deals with, with no sensationalism. In the movie, his older brother dies and he's depressed. He doesn't even know he's depressed, he's just angry all the time. He gets involved with a gang out of pure boredom, in small-town Arkansas.
Was there a specific moment where you realized music could be a career?
I've been thinking about it like this. I don't know if this is me being a douchebag, but I had a conversation with Kendrick Lamar at this breakfast spot in L.A. I just followed him inside and took a chance—I wanted to get a burger anyway. We had spoken before, and afterwards Brock said Kendrick mentioned I had a good personality, and if I could just let people see that, the world would open up for me. So with press, that's really all I want to do, really. I'm not trying to hide anything, I'm not trying to sugarcoat nothing. I'm not trying to do a bait and switch, I'm just trying to show people who I am. If they like it, I love them. If they don't, fuck 'em.
What'd you and Kendrick talk about in the breakfast spot?
He asked me if Baton Rouge had any beaches [Laughs]. I told him kind of—more like riverbanks. And he just shook his head like, "Oh, nah." He just asked me how everything was going, where the music was going. Mind you, this was before Malik Ruff. I was telling him the ideas about it, how I wanted R&B singers to produce it. He was just telling me to follow whatever I had in my mind. I asked him how he approaches projects: does he have 80% planned out or just let it happen in the studio, and he said he has it all planned out before he goes in. That chipped my ego a little bit, because I had been going into the studio and just working it out.
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Being actively involved improves learning significantly, and new research shows that the hippocampus is at the heart of this process.
We know active learning is better than passive learning, but for the first time a study gives us some idea of how that works. Participants in the imaging study were asked to memorize an array of objects and their exact locations in a grid on a computer screen. Only one object was visible at a time. Those in the "active study" group used a computer mouse to guide the window revealing the objects, while those in the "passive study" group watched a replay of the window movements recorded in a previous trial by an active subject. They were then tested by having to place the items in their correct positions. After a trial, the active and passive subjects switched roles and repeated the task with a new array of objects.
The active learners learned the task significantly better than the passive learners. Better spatial recall correlated with higher and better coordinated activity in the hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum, while better item recognition correlated with higher activity in the inferior parietal lobe, parahippocampal cortex and hippocampus.
The critical role of the hippocampus was supported when the experiment was replicated with those who had damage to this region — for them, there was no benefit in actively controlling the viewing window.
This is something of a surprise to researchers. Although the hippocampus plays a crucial role in memory, it has been thought of as a passive participant in the learning process. This finding suggests that it is actually part of an active network that controls behavior dynamically.
 Voss, J. L., Gonsalves B. D., Federmeier K. D., Tranel D., & Cohen N. J.
(2011). Hippocampal brain-network coordination during volitional exploratory behavior enhances learning.
Nat Neurosci. 14(1), 115 - 120.
The idea that bilingual children have superior executive function compared to monolingual children has been challenged in recent research.
A Canadian study involving French-speaking university students has found that repeating aloud, especially to another person, improves memory for words.
Four studies involving a total of more than 300 younger adults (20-24) have looked at information processing on different forms of media.
A study involving 218 participants aged 18-88 has looked at the effects of age on the brain activity of participants viewing an edited version of a 1961 Hitchcock TV episode (given that participants viewed the movie while in a MRI machine, the 25 minute episode was condensed to 8 minutes).
I've written at length about implementation plans in my book "Planning to Remember: How to Remember What You're Doing and What You Plan to Do".
A recent study reveals that when we focus on searching for something, regions across the brain are pulled into the search. The study sheds light on how attention works.
Have benefits of a growth mindset been overstated?


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Ireland: "the class struggle is the source of the national struggle"
éirígí protest in Belfast
The following is a transcript of an interview Basque magazine Ekaitza conducted with the General Secretary of éirígí, Breandán Mac Cionnaith. That magazine can be downloaded here: Ekaitza
1. Hi, could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Breandán Mac Cionnaith and I'm currently the general secretary/rúnaí ginearálta of the socialist republican party, éirígí. I first became involved in Republican activism during my mid-teens in the 1970s. I was imprisoned in August 1981 for a number of years and became re-involved in the struggle again after my release. As well as my political activism, I'm also involved at a grass-roots level with a number of organisations which work to try and address a range of social and economic problems facing my local community.
Brendan Mac Cionnaith
2. First we need to go back 15 years to the Good Friday agreements which were considered a breakthrough for the Irish people. Several things were highlighted by Sinn Fein and the media to promote a successful peace process, for example, the end of the armed conflict and the end of the social stigmatisation towards the Catholic community, as well as amnesty for political prisoners and the dismantling of paramilitary groups. What can you tell us about it?
It is important to remember that the entire political establishment in Ireland, Britain and the US, with EU support, played a central role in shaping that Agreement and in the unprecedented and coordinated media campaign to promote support for it. The Agreement was constructed by all those elements as means to achieve an end to the political conflict on their terms. It most certainly was not about delivering those major and far-reaching social, economic or effective political changes in Ireland which Irish republicans had struggled for over many years.
The secret negotiations conducted between the political parties and the British and Irish governments' took power away from communities and left them vulnerable to the strategic interests of the parties who claim to represent them. That not only is true of the Good Friday Agreement but also the other agreements negotiated since then.
I had many reservations regarding the Good Friday Agreement. Indeed, at that time I declined the offer made to me by the SF leadership to be a candidate for that party in the 1998 Assembly elections. My response to that offer was that while I could understand the reasons why the leadership had signed up to that Agreement, I could not publicly 'sell' an Agreement the merits of which I was not convinced about.
Obviously, the later decision to sign up to the St Andrew's Agreement of 2006, with its full acceptance of partition and final tacit endorsement of British policing, British armed forces and repressive British legislation proved to be a step too far and I resigned from Sinn Féin in 2007.
3. There was, however, the case of Marian Price that we followed over several years. In addition, we've heard that released prisoners lose all kinds of civil rights and are forbidden to engage in political activities under penalty of being returned to prison. Is this correct?
As you've said, the case of Marian Price is one that people outside Ireland would be familiar with. There are others that have not received the same attention. In the case of Martin Corey, as an example, who had not been charged with any offence but who was imprisoned for four years, when he was released from prison last year he was subjected to a period of what could only be described as a form of internal exile for several months which prevented Martin from living in his home town.
Stephen Murney, a member of éirígí, who was held in prison for a year on very spurious charges before being released when a court ruled there was no case against him, was also subjected to similar conditions of being denied the right to live in his home town when he sought release on bail. Stephen rejected those conditions and as a result was denied release from prison until the charges against him were finally dismissed.
Others are also being subjected to similar conditions of internal exile.
In a number of other cases, prisoners have been subjected to the conditions you refer to. Indeed, one prisoner was re-arrested as he left prison simply because another former political prisoner had arrived in a car to collect him at the prison. Former prisoners also have great difficulty in securing employment and are barred from certain jobs.
4. Let's talk about Belfast and the north of Ireland. The media often highlight that one of the largest political advances in the peace process came from the many investors who radically changed the face of the city and brought prosperity to Belfast.
From our point of view, you could say it has led to the emergence of a business-minded middle class, and that Belfast has become a trendy city for tourists. But for the working class nothing has changed. Many figures show that living conditions have gotten worse and unemployment has increased.
Almost seventeen years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the political parties that make up the permanent Stormont coalition still hide behind the so-called peace process to disguise their collective failure to deliver any progressive social, economic or political change. West Belfast, for example, still experiences the highest levels of unemployment and child poverty.
For too many people in the Six Counties, that new dawn promised by the Good Friday Agreement has been proven, like the political parties who supported it, to be completely false and without substance. Emigration, unemployment, poverty and deprivation remain all too commonplace within all working-class communities across the occupied Six Counties. Sectarianism and division are built into the very fabric of 'the peace process'.
From a socialist-republican viewpoint, we understand that the Six-County State is fundamentally irreformable and we reject the notion that the interests of the population of the Six Counties are best served by partition and subservience to Britain.
5. Let's go back to the Good Friday Agreement. A key point in the agreement hangs on the abandonment of the claim to Northern Ireland and the establishment of a Northern Irish government office in the Stormont parliament where Irish republicans and unionists share power. This denies the fundamentals of the Irish national liberation struggle. How could this measure be accepted by the Irish people?
The British-backed unionist veto still exists as a barrier towards Irish reunification just as it was enshrined as such through the original partition of Ireland. You ask why such measures could be accepted by the Irish people and that takes us back to a previous answer where I pointed out that the Good Friday Agreement was largely shaped by the central role played during those negotiations by the political establishments in Ireland, Britain and the US.
In the unprecedented and coordinated media campaign which the political establishments conducted in order to promote support for that agreement, the Irish people were essentially asked to vote for peace or for continued conflict. Given that endorsement of the Good Friday Agreement was deliberately and very consciously couched in those stark terms, it is not surprising the majority of people voted in favour of peace.
Completely absent from that whole debate was any major discussion about how to improve social and economic conditions for the vast majority of people, or how Irish unification would be restored and British involvement in Ireland would be ended.
6. When you listen to Sinn Fein at the Good Friday Agreements, you get the impression you're hearing exactly the same arguments to those which arose after the Treaty of London signing in 1921, that the agreements are only a step towards the final unification of Ireland, that elections and parliamentairism are only means and not ends in themselves. We know how it ended. In the end doesn't this consolidate the legitimacy and sovereignty of the brits?
A recurring theme in the history of the Irish republican struggle has been a refusal by many supporters of the national liberation struggle to accept that the class struggle is the source of the national struggle and that the successful resolution of one is impossible without the successful resolution of the other. Too often the struggle for social and economic rights has been subordinate to the struggle for national rights.
éirígí believes that this represents a fundamentally flawed and reactionary position which has often led to the struggle for 'Ireland' being elevated in importance above, and as something distinct from, the struggle for the interests of the people of Ireland.
There can be no compromise between the capitalist class and the working class, or any question of separating out the question of national liberation from that of class conflict.
Fundamentally, éirígí believes that the root cause of the conflict in Ireland is to be found in the nature of the economic and social relations that have existed for hundreds of years between Ireland and Britain; the history of Anglo-Irish relations is intertwined with the history of the development of the British Empire and of capitalism and imperialism as a global system.
The struggle in Ireland has been and still remains as much about the nature of the economic and social relations that exist between the people of Ireland, as it is about Ireland's relationship with Britain. We are under no illusion as to the fact that the capitalist class ultimately has no allegiance to anything other than its own class interests. A capitalist from Ireland is essentially no different from a capitalist from England or anywhere else. Throughout history the servants of capitalism, and its preceding property-based social systems, have utilised the tactic of 'divide and conquer' to great effect, confusing and dividing people along 'national' and religious lines, so as to deflect focus from the exploitative nature of a society based upon social class distinctions.
éirígí's position vis-à-vis the 'national' question is that British military-political interest in Ireland has always been intimately related to securing the interests of the capitalist-imperialist system; the updated, ongoing occupation of the six-county area involving the pro-British puppet-parliament at Stormont and the whole military-security apparatus of paramilitary police, British troops and intelligence agencies merely reflects the age-old British ruling class objective of securing and defending its interests in Ireland.
It was James Connolly who most clearly identified both the historical nature of the struggle in Ireland and the complementary nature of both the class struggle and the struggle for national liberation when he argued that:
'The Irish question is a social question, the whole age-long fight of the Irish people against their oppressors resolves itself in the last analysis into a fight for the mastery of the means of life, the sources of production in Ireland'.
As we approach the centenary of the 1916 Rising in Ireland in just over a year's time, it becomes clearer and clearer on a daily basis that the vision of the 1916 Proclamation remains just that – a vision. It is evident that the most important aspect of the liberation of Ireland – the liberation of its people – is impossible under capitalism and is impossible under the current political structures which exist. The chasm that exists between the intent and objectives of the men and women revolutionaries of 1916 and those of every subsequent government in the Twenty-Six Counties, and more recently in the Stormont coalition parliament, grows wider with each passing year.
7. The reformists argument favoring the Stormont parliament is a particularly debated strategy when we observe that Sinn Fein can only count on 29 members in the Northern Irish Assembly, while the Unionist party currently has 38 members. In the Republic of Ireland Assembly Sinn Fein counts 14 members in a parliament of 166, so the fourth strongest political force in the country. Is election, as a sole political expression, not a dead-end for Irish people?
As Irish socialist-republicans, as members of a relatively new and growing revolutionary party, we fully understand the inherent weaknesses of the current electoral process and the impotence of the elected institutions that stem from those processes in both partitionist states in Ireland.
In deciding the party's position on the role that elections and elected institutions could possibly play in a revolutionary struggle, éirígí has studied the national and international historical experience. That history is littered with examples of revolutionary parties, genuine or nominal, which foundered on the rocks of elections and elected institutions.
While these experiences highlight the potential dangers of engaging in the electoral process, éirígí does not believe that the correct strategic reaction to these dangers is complete detachment from the electoral process.
Instead éirígí believes that current-day revolutionaries in Ireland and elsewhere need to learn from all of the lessons that were so cruelly taught to our predecessors who entered the arena of elections and elected institutions.
éirígí does believe that it is possible for a revolutionary party to move closer to its objectives by tactically contesting elections and tactically participating in specified elected institutions.
Such a tactical approach can provide a major additional platform to challenge and expose the status quo while representing the interests of working people and promoting a socialist alternative.
However, unlike previous and ongoing engagements in elections by other republican parties, any éirígí engagement must and can only be premised on a clear understanding that the existing elected institutions must ultimately fall before a new, genuinely democratic system can emerge.
The primary purpose of éirígí tactically participating in elections and elected institutions is therefore to expose the limits of the capitalist economic and imperialist partitionist systems and give voice to those whose interests lie in direct contradiction to both the capitalist and imperialist system.
Of equal importance and in parallel to exposing the flaws of the current system, éirígí is committed to developing alternative community and workplace based initiatives with which people can engage. Ultimately, the allegiance and loyalty of working people will need to transfer from the institutions of the capitalist state towards those forums and institutions which represent their interests.
At its inception, éirígí stated that "electoral and parliamentary politics alone cannot deliver the type of change required in Irish society" and that "a Democratic Socialist Republic can only be established and sustained through the collective action of a progressive social movement incorporating local communities, organised labour, cultural organisations, campaigns groups, political parties etc."
That analysis still remains valid today. Elections and elected institutions are only one front in a multi-front battle against injustice and exploitation. Elections and elected institutions should never be the sole focus.
8. Has the normalisation of political relations and the coexistence between Irish Republicans and British Unionists in the Stormont Parliament had a direct impact on the Irish people's capacity for mass mobilisation, which was formerly one of the Republican's great forces?
The 'peace process' was predicated on the exclusion of the vast majority of people from any influence over it. The exclusion of ordinary people from the peace process meant that they were not actively engaged in it.
That stands in stark contrast to the late 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s when vast numbers of people were actively engaged in street politics which in turn helped develop the politicisation of ordinary people.
In contrast, the 'peace process' was inherently a pacification process which, along with ending the political conflict, also sought to demobilize ordinary people and to negate and marginalise any form of dissension to the agreed status quo. By dissension, I not only refer to republican dissension, but also to dissension from within wider society to the policies being implemented by Stormont.
Indeed, Stormont politicians have often been quick to describe any criticism of their social and economic policies as "an attack on the peace process". Even trade unionists campaigning on issues directly impacting upon their members have been accused by Stormont politicians in recent years of "endangering the process" which demonstrates how ridiculous the situation has become.
However, it is noticeable that more people are now prepared to at least question the austerity agenda which has been implemented collectively by the Stormont coalition since 2010/2011.
Earlier this month, at the beginning of March, trade unions held a one-day strike to oppose the latest budget agreed at Stormont as part of the recent 'Stormont House Agreement'. Significantly, this is the first time trades unions have openly opposed any Stormont deal. On every previous occasion, right back to 1998, the trade union movement praised the outcomes of those previous negotiations and deals.
9. In 2006, the United Kingdom began employing several hundred members of the MI5 in a building in an old military camp in Belfast forming the largest of the British secret services outside London. The departure of the English from Northern Ireland has never really been on the agenda.
That is correct. Seventeen years ago, the Good Friday Agreement promised a Bill of Rights. Today there is still no Bill of Rights, and human rights are under a severe and sustained attack. MI5 dictates British security policy on the ground within the north of Ireland; the Police Service of Northern Ireland is one of the most heavily armed forces in Europe and has access to a wide range of repressive legislation; and Britain's secret covert troops, known as the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, have been deployed for the past several years.
Constitutional nationalist parties have created a smokescreen of propaganda to mislead their community into believing that those parties had achieved major progress on ending the era of political policing which has existed for as long as the Six-County State itself. That is simply a deceit.
As I also said earlier, the British-backed unionist veto still exists as a barrier to national re-unification in Ireland.
10. Here in Euskal Herri (the Basque Country – Redline), many take the example of the Irish peace process as a model to follow. What would your view be on that?
I would caution any genuine liberation movement against using the 'Irish peace process' as a model to follow if they are sincere in achieving their ultimate aims. Let's not forget that Britain and the US have used the 'Irish model' and Irish participants in that model to assist in the pacification and normalization processes which followed their wars of invasion in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Most damning of all, and something which is not widely publicized by adherents of the 'Irish model', was the role played by Irish politicians, including erstwhile Irish republicans, in those disastrous political interventions in the years that preceded the onslaught against the Tamil liberation movement in 2008/2009 which resulted in both a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe.
When one looks at how the 'Irish model' was used in those countries, then you can understand why I urge others in Euskal Herri to use caution.
Similarly, if one looks at Palestine, the Fateh-led Palestinian Authority's record has led to disaster after disaster for the Palestinian people. Sinn Féin has an uncritical relationship with the PA despite the latter's catastrophic failure to protect and defend the Palestinian people against US-backed Israeli aggression. It is also no small coincidence that the architect-in-chief of the 'Irish model', former British prime minister Tony Blair, has been the so-called 'peace envoy' on behalf of the EU, UN and US in that region for almost eight years.
In contrast, through our contacts with PFLP comrades, we are aware that organization has adopted a more critical analysis of the 'Irish model' and that they are acutely aware of the dangers inherent in that model.
The PFLP fully recognise that the British imperialism which we seek to end in Ireland is the same British imperialism that brought the Balfour Declaration and welcomed the Zionist movement to colonize and occupy Palestine.
11. On the question of the institutional development in Northern Ireland, long and difficult negotiations finally accomplished the transfer of company tax collection management from London to Belfast, a status which, amongst others, the Basque Autonomous Community already had for decades. Have you something to say on the subject?
The various parties which make up the Stormont coalition have consistently proposed reducing corporation tax as a 'magic bullet' for economic regeneration. The coalition continuously 'sells' the Six Counties as a 'good place' for global businesses to set up shop on the basis that a well-educated but low-paid workforce exists here.
Stormont's coalition partners have learned nothing about the profit-driven motivation of those multi-national or major companies that would benefit most from a corporation tax reduction.
The Six Counties is littered with examples of huge companies who previously received substantial subsidies, amounting in some individual cases to many tens of millions of pounds, to locate in the north. Having taken every subsidy, grant and tax-break on offer, they closed up and moved elsewhere where the labour costs were cheaper and state subsidies were higher.
Reducing corporation tax rate will not stabilise the economy, it will merely exacerbate economic instability for workers and their families. It will inevitably lead to widespread zero hour contracts, less legal protection for workers and further non-unionising of workplaces.
While the Stormont coalition advocates lessening the tax burden on those best placed to pay more, it steadfastly refuses to resist implementing cuts in education, housing, health, and social services provision. The community and voluntary sectors, the vital threads running through many communities, are being stretched to breaking point.
The British Tory government's austerity agenda has already been implemented by Stormont politicians for the past number of years.
Here again, Stormont's ineptitude is laid bare. Worse still, the record of both the SDLP and Sinn Féin has been shown as two-faced, despite those parties' claims to be the erstwhile defenders of the less well-off and the working poor.
12. We're going to finish this interview by going back a bit on what's happening currently. Could you talk about austerity in Ireland? We're beginning to have more information on the subject since "Water Tax" was established, causing large mobilisations throughout the country. To what degree do éirígí participate in the anti-austerity struggles? How is this organised?
Even before the financial crisis which hit the Twenty-Six Counties several years ago, as a party éirígí had warned that the so-called 'Celtic Tiger', with its huge profits for industrialists, property developers, financiers and bankers, was unsustainable.
An example of how a political system placed private business interests above those of the people was the decision of the Dublin government to establish NAMA and bail out the private banks. Those decisions have burdened the people of the Twenty-Six Counties with massive debt to private banks for generations to come and they demonstrate the fallacy of the notion of democracy in capitalist society.
Our members have been very active in campaigning against austerity measures in both parts of Ireland well before the current anti-water tax campaign in the Twenty-Six Counties gained momentum. As a party, we were a constituent part of the original Campaign Against Home and Water Taxes and we had a track record in opposing the privatisation of our natural resources.
Our activists are very much involved in the campaign groups within communities, and several of our members have been arrested for their role in those groups.
Our party chairperson, Brian Leeson, was one of the main speakers at a recent national anti-water tax demonstration attended by tens of thousands of people from across Ireland.
The Anti-Water Tax campaign is very much a 'bottom-up' movement, composed of hundreds of local groups across the country. On a daily basis, members of those groups are engaged in disrupting and preventing the installation of water meters to people's homes.
Within the Six Counties, we have been running a 'Stormont Isn't Working' campaign since 2010, exposing Stormont's systematic implementation of year upon year of cuts to essential public services such as health, education, and housing.
We make no apology for correctly forecasting that widespread cuts across all public sector services would be dutifully implemented in both partition states in Ireland through 'modernisation agendas', 'health service streamlining', 'reform initiatives', and 'private investment incentives'.
Of course, we were accused of scare-mongering when we said that the reality of such policies for people across Ireland would be a massive, negative impact on housing, employment, health and social services, with continued community disintegration and housing shortages, reduced services for the ill and vulnerable, and further financial pay-offs to companies through the privatisation of public services with rock-bottom wages.
The austerity policies presently being implemented in both parts of Ireland show the correctness of our position.
What is clear is that the local anti-austerity campaign groups are starting a new debate at grass roots' level and are reflecting a desire by many to see a country where the economy, society and politics are run according to the needs and wants of the majority of people and before the profit-seeking of international investors, bankers, multinationals, property speculators and the wealthy.
As a party, éirígí, will continue to be engaged in that debate and that movement.
Would you like to say anything else before we finish?
I'd like to thank you for this opportunity of being able to explain to people in Euskal Herri about éirígí and about our type of politics. We are conscious of the fact there are strong bonds of friendship and solidarity among both our peoples and we extend fraternal greetings to our comrades in your country.
'Counter-insurgency'
'Mainstream' media
At the coalface
capitalist crisis
Censorship and free speech
Class Matters
Democracy movements
Imperialism and anti-imperialism
Limits of capitalism
Mass resistance
PFLP
Revolutionary figures
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United States - politics
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package com.intellij.psi.util;

public interface CachedValue<T> {

  T getValue();

  CachedValueProvider<T> getValueProvider();

  boolean hasUpToDateValue();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
by Jenni Davidson
@HolyroodJenni
4G to 5G - Image credit: Scotland 5G Centre
Network of 5G hubs to be launched across Scotland
A network of 5G hubs is being launched across Scotland to support the rollout and adoption of 5G services.
Supported by £4m funding from the Scottish Government, the S5GConnect hubs will be delivered by the Scotland 5G Centre, which was set up in October 2019 as a partnership between the University of Strathclyde, the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Futures Trust to promote 5G.
The first hub will be in Alloa, serving the wider Forth Valley region, with a further nine hubs to be rolled out in 2020 and 2021.
Each of the S5GConnect hubs will promote innovation and investment, focusing on sectors relevant to their local areas.
They will work with mobile operators and private network providers to accelerate regional 5G networks, offer a private network with advanced capabilities, as well as access to an accelerator facility and mentoring schemes.
The hubs will also provide specific support packages for small businesses, helping them to develop, prototype and test real-world experiments and use cases over a 5G innovation platform and offering one-to-one consultancy and professional support to develop and scale up businesses.
The Alloa hub builds on a partnership between Scotland's International Environment Centre, which is part of the University of Stirling, and BT.
The aim of the programme is to build a national 5G infrastructure and establish the country as a global leader in 5G technologies.
Launching the hubs programme, Minister for Energy, Connectivity, and the Islands Paul Wheelhouse said: "The 5G revolution presents a significant opportunity for us in the years ahead, and seizing such opportunities is particularly important as we look to build the economic recovery following the lockdown required to suppress the COVID-19 virus.
"A study conducted by Deloitte in 2019 found that harnessing enhanced 4G and 5G connectivity could increase Scotland's GDP by more than £17 billion by 2035.
"The Scottish Government's investment of £4m through the S5GConnect programme will enhance and widen digital connectivity in all parts of the country because we believe that it is through deploying next-generation technologies that we can create something special for businesses, families and communities.
"The Forth Valley Hub, as the first of ten such hubs, will initially focus on the delivery of digital platforms that support job creation, skills programmes, and innovation support for SME and R&D activities.
"Its first project will aim to develop a green data recovery platform, which will support Scotland's net zero economy.
"Potential locations for nine additional hubs across Scotland are being considered with plans for further rollout over the course of 2020 and 2021."
Paul Coffey, chief executive of the Scotland 5G Centre, said: "We are delighted to be launching the S5GConnect programme today and to be able to start the process of offering businesses across Scotland the opportunity to get involved in the acceleration of 5G deployment.
"The role of the Scotland 5G Centre is to act as a catalyst for bringing together industry, academia and the public sector and this programme allows us to do that.
"We are excited to begin working with industry partners from a variety of sectors on this initiative."
Read the most recent article written by Jenni Davidson - The Holyrood baby: More likely to live in poverty now than the day she was born
Business & Economy Connect
Call for applications to Connecting Scotland fund
Scottish Government announces 'initial' £4m for tech start-ups
Treat computing science like maths or physics, tech sector review recommends


In 2013 right-handed pitcher Bud Norris was in his dugout as a member of the Houston Astros. The Astros were on the road playing in Baltimore against the Orioles. Just before the trade deadline, Norris was traded to the Orioles. The next night, Norris started for the Orioles against his former team and won.
That is life as a professional athlete. On the outside, trade talk is all about salary caps, contracts, rosters, and roles on a team. For a player being traded, those things never cross their mind. Traded players need to gather up their stuff. They have to take care of living arrangements, transportation to their new city, and a multitude of other things that fans could care little about. What kind of effect do trades have on players, and how will it effect your betting strategy?
If you didn't remember, Houston Rockets guard James Harden began his NBA career in Oklahoma City. What you may have also forgotten is that Harden started just seven of 170 games with the Thunder. In his final season with the Thunder, Harden did average 31.4 minutes per game and scored 16.8 points. His life – and his basketball life – really changed after his trade to Houston in 2012.
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When OKC and Harden couldn't agree on a new contract, the Thunder traded Harden to Houston. Despite having to deal with all of the difficulties associated with changing teams, Harden dropped 37 points in a win over Detroit in his first game as a Rocket.
A couple nights later, he scored 45 against Atlanta. His scoring numbers have continued to increase each season and Harden currently leads the NBA averaging 36.5 points a game. For Harden, his trade to Houston has worked out just fine, and has padded bettor's pockets in the process.
Sometimes, trades don't work out for at least one party involved. Nearing the trade deadline in 1998, the Seattle Mariners had suffered through an 8-20 stretch and realized they might be better off unloading superstar pitcher Randy Johnson.
The Big Unit was to become a free agent at the end of the season and the likelihood of re-signing him was a percentage closer to zero than anything.
Houston happened to have a nice lead in the National League West at the time and figured they could acquire Johnson to help the Astros win a World Series. Houston also felt like it might have the inside track on signing Johnson to a long-term contract after the season.
Neither worked out. The Astros got spanked by the San Diego Padres 3-1 in the NLDS. Johnson would go on to sign a five-year deal with Arizona after the season.
Lost in all that mess is the fact that Johnson actually flourished in Houston. He started 11 games and went 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA. He pitched a total of 84.1 innings and pitched four shutouts.
Did you know smart bettors use two or three sportsbooks? Go find out why.
Sometimes, players find out they have been traded at the most inopportune of times. Take Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes as an example. Barnes scored 10 points through three quarters in a 99-93 win over Charlotte one day prior to the 2018-19 trade deadline.
While sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter, Barnes was informed that he was being traded to Sacramento. The trade was made official after the game ended, but Barnes knew that he would be packing up and leaving Dallas the next day.
Jimmy Johnson had taken over as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who started the 1989 season at 0-5. Johnson was not impressed with running back Herschel Walker and somehow orchestrated a deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Dallas agreed to send Walker to Minnesota for five roster players and six draft picks. The Vikings felt like Walker was the missing piece in obtaining a Lombardi Trophy. They were wrong.
Minnesota made the playoffs in the year of the trade, but failed to in the next two seasons. Walker's commitment to the game and to the team was questioned. The Vikings' locker room fell apart. Walker was released after the 1991 season.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, would go on to acquire somewhere between 16 to 18 players as a result of the Walker deal. Those 16 to 18 players would become part of a roster that would win three Super Bowls between 1992 and 1995. Did you see my article about How to Manage Playing in a Super Bowl?
Like drafting players, trading a player away and acquiring another involves huge risk. There is much more to just acquiring a player the caliber of Herschel Walker. His presence didn't ensure Minnesota would become a champion. Harden has been in Houston six-plus seasons and the Rockets have failed to make even a single NBA Finals appearance.
Bettors should always beware and do their research. Too often, trades have not garnered the results that the involved parties had been hoping for.


Barn End Cottage is a stunning property located in the quaint village of Broad Campden. Beautifully blending traditional character with contemporary style, the cottage is the perfect base for exploring the picturesque Cotswolds region and beyond.
Barn End Cottage is a beautiful semi-detached property, which sleeps a maximum of five guests, in two well presented bedrooms (with the +1 option being a single sofa bed in the living room), with a family bathroom. The open plan living area has been finished in a contemporary style, yet retains many lovely character features, including exposed wooden beams and a cosy wood burning stove.
The character of the property is complemented by elegant décor and modern facilities, including wireless internet access, a Smart TV with access to Now TV and a well-equipped kitchen. There is off-street parking available on the shared driveway for two cars.
Barn End Cottage is situated in the picturesque village of Broad Campden, surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside and farmland. This peaceful and idyllic village benefits from having a well-regarded pub and an historic parish church, notable for its unusual round bellcote.
Broad Campden is off the beaten track, and therefore avoids heavy tourist traffic, allowing visitors to feel a real sense of rural life, such as enjoying the many country walks which fall within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Broad Campden is just south of Chipping Campden, one of the most recognisable market towns of the Cotswolds, which is home to a wide range of shops, tea rooms and restaurants. Further afield places such as Stratford-upon-Avon, Blenheim Palace and Oxford are also within easy reach.
The maximum occupancy of the property is five guests, at any point during your stay. Unauthorised over occupancy is a breach of our terms and conditions and may result in the cancellation of your booking and additional charges. Please consult us prior to booking if you wish to discuss the possibility of having more than five guests at the property.
Up to two medium sized dogs are accepted, at a cost of £20 per booking per dog.
Electricity and gas are included in the rental price. An initial basket of logs is provided for the wood burning stove from October to April, and further log supplies can be purchased locally.
The property has free wireless internet access and a Smart TV with access to Now TV.
Mobile phone reception is variable.
There is off-street parking for two cars on the shared driveway, and free on-street parking is available in the village.
Where a letting exceeds nine nights, a mid-stay clean, bed linen and towel change may be included in the price. Please check with us to confirm.
Additional housekeeping services may be available on request.
A high chair is provided, and guests are welcome to bring their own travel cot. Please note a travel cot would need to be placed in the master bedroom due to space restrictions in bedroom 2.
This is an old, period property with many character features, including low beams, sloping ceilings and steps into some rooms, all of which could pose difficulty to guests with limited mobility, or carrying babies, both in terms of their general movement and their ability to quickly exit the property in the event of an emergency.
Our aim is for you to enjoy Barn End Cottage as if it was your own home and this information is provided to ensure that you are aware of, and are able to use, all the facilities that are available.
Barn End Cottage is located in the peaceful, picturesque village of Broad Campden, in the heart of the North Cotswolds.
Broad Campden is easily accessed by car, being located approximately three miles away from the A44 and approximately five miles away from the A429 (Fosse Way), which are two of the main roads through the North Cotswolds.
The nearest railway station to Broad Campden is Moreton-in-Marsh (approximately five miles away), which has regular, direct services to London Paddington, with a typical journey time of approximately 90 minutes.
Birmingham International Airport: 40 miles, approximately 60 minute drive.
x Guests like this one! 15 visitors in the past 48 hours.


Where do I access my "imported Tax Summary" to TurboTax?
In what category should I record medical expenses such as copay, etc.?
Do I have to buy QB Personal Online App in order to track individual personal expenses, or is there a way to track these expenses thru QBSE?
how do I enter a cash expense in QBSE?


I just had an epiphany! Or rather, my brain did while I was sleeping!
I had one of my usual weird dreams that are like a medley collage of scenes from my life blended with various abstract stray thoughts!
Now, as crazy as this sounds, it is actually scientifically feasible. An alternating electromagnetic field will interact with the brain, and through the phenomena of interference, can cause latent links between neurons to fire. In this way, memories can be enhanced and we can repeat long forgotten experiences.
In a way, our minds act like a hologram already. When we hear an old song we've forgotten about, it can trigger memories of an old girlfriend or the bicycle we had as a child or any other stray thought or experience that is concurrent with when we first heard that song.
But it goes beyond music. Any sensation of sound, light, smell, touch or taste can trigger memories of other related experiences. And because our brains are partially electrical in nature, we can use a coherent electromagnetic wave as a reference beam to set up a mental 'recording' of a scene or experience. A small electronic device, used while listening to a lecture or reading a book, could be used to 'replay' a memory during an exam. It would not only help us to pass that exam, but would further augment the neural links for that knowledge. Thus, our memories and knowledge of the subject in question would be reinforced automatically.
Robot wars will never be the same again!!


faces reflecting a calmness so unfamiliar to me.
unknowingly relying upon their presence.
We share the same planet, yet I feel upon another.
is no more than a mystery.
when the soul remains unfulfilled.
I am on a path that no longer fits my feet?
yearning to burst forth and be poured upon another.
only to find the carriage empty.


1.1 Subject to the terms of the Agreement, Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to provide Customer (a) the Services in accordance with the Service Level Terms attached hereto as Exhibit A and (b) any mutually agreed upon implementation services in connection with the setup of the Services for Customer ("Implementation Services"). Customer will provide reasonable cooperation and support in connection with Company's performance of the Implementation Services.
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2.4 Customer shall be responsible for obtaining and maintaining any equipment and ancillary services needed to connect to, access or otherwise use the Services, including, without limitation, modems, hardware, servers, software, operating systems, networking, web servers and the like (collectively, "Equipment"). Customer shall also be responsible for maintaining the security of the Equipment, Customer's account login credentials (including but not limited to administrative and user credentials) and files, and for all uses of Customer's account or the Equipment with or without Customer's knowledge or consent, including any access or use of the Services by its authorized users ("Authorized Users"), except to the extent any unauthorized use of Customer's account is caused by Company. Company will ensure that all Authorized Users comply with its obligations under the Agreement. For the Agreement, the acts or omissions of any Authorized Users are considered acts or omissions of Customer.
2.5 Customer represents and warrants that: (a) it has the right and authority to access and use the Services to interact with or perform any services for its customers; (b) its access or use of the Services will not violate any agreement or obligation between it and a third party or cause Company to be in violation of any agreement between Company and a third party; (c) its access or use of the Services will not violate any applicable law or cause Company to be in violation of any applicable law; and (d) the Customer Data (defined below) does not now and will not in the future infringe, misappropriate or violate any intellectual property rights of a third party.
3.1 Each party (the "Receiving Party") understands that the other party (the "Disclosing Party") has disclosed or may disclose non-public business, technical or financial information relating to the Disclosing Party's business (hereinafter referred to as "Proprietary Information" of the Disclosing Party). Proprietary Information of Company includes, but is not limited to, non-public information regarding proposed, negotiated, and/or agreed upon Fees and Terms of Services, and features, functionality and performance of the Services, including any documentation made available by Company. Proprietary Information of Customer includes non-public data and content provided by Customer to Company ("Customer Data"), including the names, email addresses, phone numbers and other personal information of Customer's customers, Authorized Users, agents, employees, vendors and suppliers that Customer or its Authorized Users provide to the Services ("Customer PII"). The Receiving Party agrees: (i) to take reasonable precautions to protect such Proprietary Information, and (ii) not to use or disclose to any third person any such Proprietary Information (except in performance of the Services or as otherwise permitted herein). The Disclosing Party agrees that the foregoing shall not apply with respect to any information after five (5) years following the disclosure thereof or any information that the Receiving Party can document (a) is or becomes generally available to the public without the fault of the Receiving Party, or (b) was in its possession or known by it prior to receipt from the Disclosing Party, or (c) was rightfully disclosed to it without restriction by a third party, or (d) was independently developed without use of any Proprietary Information of the Disclosing Party.
3.2 Company shall implement commercially reasonable security measures designed to protect Customer PII from unauthorized access, use or disclosure or loss, theft or damage, including, but not limited to, by: (a) taking reasonable precautions with respect to the employment of and access given to Company personnel; and (b) implementing reasonable technical safeguards.
3.3 The Receiving Party may disclose Proprietary Information of the other Disclosing Party: (a) to its employees, contractors and professional advisors who have signed a non-disclosure agreement with provisions that are no less restrictive than those set forth in this Section 3 or who are subject to equivalent professional responsibilities; or (b) to the extent required by applicable law or court order.
3.4 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, Company shall have the right to collect and analyze data and other information relating to the provision, use and performance of various aspects of the Services and related systems and technologies (including, without limitation, information concerning Customer Data and data derived therefrom), and Company will be free (during and after the Term) to (i) use such information and data to improve and enhance the Services and for other development, diagnostic and corrective purposes in connection with the Services and other Company offerings, and (ii) disclose such data solely in aggregate or other de-identified form in connection with its business. No rights or licenses are granted except as expressly set forth herein.
4.1 Customer grants Company a non-exclusive right tomodify, distribute, reproduce and publicly display Customer Data to provide the Services or as otherwise agreed to by the parties.
4.2 Except for the license granted under Section 4.1, Customer shall own all right, title and interest in and to the Customer Data.
4.3 Subject to the terms of this Agreement, during the Term, Company grants Customer under Company's intellectual property rights, a non-exclusive, non-transferable and non-sublicensable license to install, access and use the Software solely as intended for the purpose of facilitating Customer's use of the Services.
4.4 Except for the limited license granted under Section 4.3, Company shall own and retain all right, title and interest in and to (a) the Services and Software, and all improvements, enhancements or modifications thereto, (b) any software, applications, inventions or other technology developed in connection with Implementation Services or support, and (c) all intellectual property rights related to any of the foregoing.
5.1 The Initial Services Period specified in any Order Form shall automatically renew upon expiration for additional periods thereafter of the same duration as such Initial Services Period (each, a Renewal Period, and together with the Initial Services Period, the "Services Period"), unless either party requests termination in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the end of the then-current Services Period. Subject to earlier termination as provided below, the term of the Agreement commences on the Effective Date specified on the initial Order Form and continues until the Service Periods of all Order Forms, including any Renewal Periods, expire ("Term").
5.2 In addition to any other remedies it may have, either party may also terminate the Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice (or without notice in the case of nonpayment), if the other party materially breaches any of the terms or conditions of the Agreement and fails to cure such breach within such 30-day period. Upon termination or expiration of the Term: (a) Customer will immediately pay in full to Company any unpaid Fees payable by Customer under this Agreement; and (b), Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to make all Customer Data available to Customer, other than Customer Data originating from Customer's systems, for electronic retrieval for at least thirty (30) days, but thereafter Company may, at its discretion, delete stored Customer Data. All sections of the Agreement which by their nature should survive termination will survive termination, including, without limitation, Sections 3, 4.2, 4.4, 5.2, and 7-10.
6.1 Customer will pay Company all applicable fees specified in this Agreement, including as specified in any Order Form, (collectively, the "Fees"). Prior to the expiration of the then-current Term, Company reserves the right to change the amount of the Fees, and to institute new Fees, payable by Customer during the subsequent Renewal Term with at least thirty (30) days prior notice to Customer (which may be sent by email). If Customer believes that Company has billed Customer incorrectly, Customer must contact Company no later than sixty (60) days after the closing date on the first billing statement in which the error or problem appeared, in order to be eligible to receive any adjustment or credit. Inquiries should be directed to Company's customer support department.
6.2 Except as otherwise specified in an Order Form, Company will invoice Customer for all Fees, and Company will pay any such invoice within thirty (30) days after the mailing date of the invoice. Unpaid Fees are subject to a finance charge of 1.5% per month on any outstanding balance, or the maximum permitted by law, whichever is lower, plus all expenses of collection and may result in immediate suspension of the Services until full payment is received. Customer shall be responsible for all taxes associated with Services other than U.S. taxes based on Company's net income.
Company shall use reasonable efforts consistent with prevailing industry standards to maintain the Services in a manner which minimizes errors and interruptions in the Services and shall perform the Implementation Services in a professional and workmanlike manner. Company does not make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from use of the Services or that any notice language or functionality made available via the Services may be relied upon to comply with applicable laws (including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act). Except as expressly set forth in this section, the Services, including any Implementation Services, are provided "as is" and Company disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.
8.1 Company shall defend, indemnify and hold Customer harmless from liability to third parties to the extent resulting from a third-party claim arising from: (a) infringement by the Services of any United States patent or copyright or misappropriation of any trade secret or (b) Company's breach of Section 3.2. The foregoing obligations under subsection (a) of this paragraph do not apply to the extent arising from Customer's breach of the terms of the Agreement or with respect to portions or components of the Service (i) not supplied by Company, (ii) made in whole or in part in accordance with Customer specifications, (iii) that are modified after delivery by Company, (iv) combined with other products, processes or materials where the alleged infringement relates to such combination, or (v) where Customer continues allegedly infringing activity after being notified thereof or after being informed of modifications that would have avoided the alleged infringement.
8.2 If, due to a claim of infringement, the Services are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be or are believed by Company to be infringing, Company may, at its option and expense (a) replace or modify the Services to be non-infringing provided that such modification or replacement contains substantially similar features and functionality, (b) obtain for Customer a license to continue using the Services, or (c) if neither of the foregoing is commercially practicable, terminate the Agreement and Customer's rights hereunder and provide Customer a pro-rata refund of any prepaid, unused Service Fees.
8.3 Customer will defend, indemnify and hold harmless Company against any damages, losses, liabilities, settlement amounts and expenses (including without limitation costs and attorneys' fees) arising from any third-party claim or action related to (a) an actual or alleged breach of Section 2 or other unauthorized use of the Services by Customer (including its Authorized Users); or (b) any alleged or actual infringement, violation, or misappropriation of any intellectual property rights by Customer (including its Authorized Users) related to any Customer Data: (c) violation or non-compliance with applicable law related to Customer's access or use of the Services.
8.4 In the event of any claim subject to indemnification under Section 8.1 or Section 8.3: (a) the indemnified party will promptly provide written notice to the indemnifying party of any such claim; (b) the indemnifying party will not settle or compromise such claim, except with prior written consent of the indemnified party (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed); and (c) the indemnified party will give, at the indemnifying party's expense, such assistance and information as the indemnifying party may reasonably require to settle or oppose such claims. The indemnified party may participate, a its own expense, in such defense and in any settlement discussions directly or through counsel of its choice on a non-controlling basis. The indemnified party's failure to provide timely notice pursuant to clause (a) of this Section does not limit or discharge the indemnifying party's obligations pursuant to this Section 8 except to the extent that the indemnified party's failure to give such timely notice prevents the indemnifying party from defending an indemnified claim.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, except for bodily injury of a person, neither party nor its suppliers (including but not limited to all equipment and technology suppliers), officers, affiliates, representatives, contractors and employees shall be responsible or liable with respect to any subject matter of the Agreement under any contract, negligence, strict liability or other theory: (a) for error or interruption of use or for loss or inaccuracy or corruption of data or cost of procurement of substitute goods, services or technology or loss of business; or (b) for any indirect, exemplary, incidental, special or consequential damages, whether or not Company has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Except for Fees that are payable by Customer under this Agreement, the total liability of either party under this Agreement, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence or strict liability), or otherwise, will not exceed the amount of Fees paid or payable by Customer to Company for the Services under the Agreement in the 12 months prior to the date that a claim or demand is first asserted.
Unless otherwise specified in an Order Form executed between the parties, Company may use Customer's name, logo and marks to identify Customer as a customer of the Company on Company's website, on social media, and other marketing and advertising materials.
If any provision of the Agreement is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the Agreement will otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable. Neither party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party, not to be unreasonably withheld, except that either party may assign this Agreement without the other party's consent to any purchaser of all or substantially all of such party's assets or to any successor by way of merger, consolidation or similar transaction. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement will be binding upon, enforceable by and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and assigns. Any attempted assignment in violation of this Section will be void. The Agreement is the complete and exclusive statement of the mutual understanding of the parties and supersedes and cancels all previous written and oral agreements, communications and other understandings relating to the subject matter of the Agreement. All waivers and modifications must be in a writing signed by both parties, except as otherwise provided herein. No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment is created as a result of the Agreement and Customer does not have any authority of any kind to bind Company in any respect whatsoever. In any action or proceeding to enforce rights under the Agreement, the prevailing party will be entitled to recover costs and attorneys' fees. Neither party will be liable for failure or delay in performance to the extent caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, severe weather, power loss, denial of service attacks outages of third party connections or utilities, acts of government, flood, fire, earthquakes, civil unrest, acts of terror, strikes or other labor problems, computer, telecommunications, Internet service provider or hosting facility failures or delays involving hardware, software or power systems not within a party's possession or reasonable control, All notices under the Agreement will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given when received, if personally delivered; when receipt is electronically confirmed, if transmitted by e-mail; the day after it is sent, if sent for next day delivery by recognized overnight delivery service; and upon receipt, if sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. In the event of any conflict between an Order Form and the SaaS Services Agreement, the SaaS Services Agreement will control unless the Order Form expressly identifies a section of this SaaS Services Agreement that it intends to override. The Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California without regard to its conflict of laws provisions. With respect to all disputes arising out of or related to the Agreement, the parties consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the courts located in the Northern District of California.
1. Service Availability. The Services shall be available 99.9%, measured monthly, excluding maintenance described under Section 3 of this Exhibit A ("Maintenance"). Availability will be calculated as the total number of minutes in a calendar month minus the number of minutes in such calendar month that the Services are suffering from a service outage as confirmed by Company, other than as a result of Maintenance or Force Majeure, divided by the total number of minutes in such calendar month (and multiplied by 100 to be expressed as a percentage). Company's blocking of data communications or other Services in accordance with its policies shall not be deemed to be a failure of Company to provide adequate service levels under the Agreement.
2. Remedy. Customer's sole and exclusive remedy, and Company's entire liability, in connection with Services availability shall be that for each period of downtime lasting longer than one (1) hour, Company will credit Customer prepaid Service Fees prorated for every minute of downtime, rounded up to nearest 30 minute interval, excluding Scheduled Maintenance. Downtime shall begin to accrue from the time the Customer notifies the Company in writing at [email protected] that downtime is taking place, and continues until the availability of the Services is restored. Customer must notify Company in writing of the request for a credit no later than sixty (60) days after the month in which the availability requirement was not met. The total credits for a given month will, in no event, exceed an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of the then-current pro-rata monthly Service Fees. If the Term expires or is terminated and Customer is still owed credits under this Exhibit A, Company will pay such credits to Customer.
3. Maintenance. Services may be temporarily unavailable for scheduled maintenance, maintenance requested by Customer, or for unscheduled emergency maintenance, either by Company or by third-party providers, but Company shall use reasonable efforts to provide advance notice in writing of any scheduled service disruption.


Ready to Make an Offer?
Before you begin the selling process, really evaluate why you're moving. Do you have too few rooms, or too many? Has your job moved to another city and you're relocating? Are the neighbours driving you away? Or are you simply looking for a change? A complete analysis of your current position will set a good foundation for your next home hunt.
Buy or sell first? That's tricky. After all, if you find a purchaser for your existing home, before you've found a new one, you may find yourself living out of a suitcase if convenient closing dates cannot be negotiated. On the other hand, if you find your dream home before you have sold your existing home, you may be faced with carrying two mortgages for a time.
So how do you manage? Easy. Do your homework and have a good idea about the neighbourhood and type of home you're looking for. Do an honest evaluation of your family's needs and budget.
Speak to your sales representative and start your new home search as soon as your existing home hits the market.
If you've found a home, before you've sold your existing one, use "sale of your existing home" as a condition on your offer. If you don't sell your house within a fixed period of time, you can choose not to go through with the offer. This, however, is a difficult condition for many vendors to agree upon and you may find that you have to forgo your price negotiating power.
Purchasing a home before you sell could be a risky strategy if you're counting on the proceeds from the sale.
If you've found a purchaser before you've found your next home, use "purchase of a new home" as a condition when you sign back the agreement. Again, it will only be for a fixed time. Even if you have not found the ideal next house by the time the deal closes, you may still wish to proceed with the offer. As a buyer with a "sold house" you will be in a better position to negotiate price.
While we all believe that our home is our castle, our personal tastes may not appeal to everyone. Your sales representative will work with you to give you an impartial analysis of your home – how it relates to other "competing" homes on the market and how your home reflects current design and style trends. Your sales representative will also take a good look at the general condition and upkeep of your dwelling.
Overall, your sales representative will work with you to position your home on the market so that your sales experience will take place as expeditiously as possible.
Your home will be advertised on many Internet Real Estate Portals to ensure that the details of your home will be seen by a large number of potential buyers.
In addition to giving your home the once over with a mop and dust cloth, have your sales representative prepare a home feature sheet. This is a one-page synopsis of your home that highlights lot size, room dimensions, features and upgrades as well as utility costs and taxes. Prospective buyers will take a sheet and refer to it while viewing your home. Plus, it makes for a great reference sheet when the buyers are comparing properties.
The Open House: This is usually not a pleasant experience. The upside is that you usually won't have to be there to act as a guide. The downside is that you might have a series of open houses over a few weeks, with people poking through all areas of your home. And you'll have the constant pressure of keeping your home looking its best.
The Viewing: When a sales representative has a client who is interested in your home, they will first call to make an appointment with your sales representative. If you're lucky, you'll have time for the last-minute tidying. Of course, you can say no if the prospective purchaser wishes to come at an inconvenient time.
During the viewing, make sure you give the viewer and the sales representative a feature sheet and get the sales representative's business card. Give viewers the freedom to wander around your home by themselves. Following may make them uncomfortable. The sales representative will stay with the prospects to offer some protection against theft or property damage.
Thinking About Selling Your Home? Get Your Free No Obligation Home Evaluation.


2. 洛克威爾 言論自由 1943 油彩畫布 45 ¾×35 ½ inch 1943年2月20日《The Saturday Evening Post》封面插畫 Collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©SEPS: Curtis Licensing, Indianapolis, IN. All rights reserved.
4. 洛克威爾 免於匱乏的自由 1943 油彩畫布 45 ¾×35 ½ inch 1943年3月6日《The Saturday Evening Post》封面插畫 Collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©SEPS: Curtis Licensing, Indianapolis, IN. All rights reserved.
5. 洛克威爾 免於恐懼的自由 1943 油彩畫布 45 ¾×35 ½ inch 1943年3月13日《The Saturday Evening Post》封面插畫 Collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©SEPS: Curtis Licensing, Indianapolis, IN. All rights reserved.
7. 洛克威爾 女鉚釘工 1943 油彩畫布 52×40 inch 1943年5月29日《The Saturday Evening Post》封面插畫 Collection of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2007.178 ©SEPS: Curtis Licensing, Indianapolis, IN. All rights reserved.
15. 洛克威爾 金律 1961 油彩畫布 44 ½×39 ½ inch 1961年4月1日《The Saturday Evening Post》封面插畫 Collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©SEPS: Curtis Licensing, Indianapolis, IN. All rights reserved.