text:
Serendipity & Such
"enjoyment is an incredible energizer to the human spirit" – John C. Maxwell
Reading Nest
Artists You Should Know: Standing Egg
Names: Egg 1, Egg 2, Egg 3 + Various vocalists and musicians
Language of Discography: Korean
Genre: Indie/Acoustic Pop
I first encountered Standing Egg while watching a Korean television drama. To be honest, I wasn't finding the drama to be that interesting and I actually never finished watching it. I don't even remember the title of the show! However, there was a scene in which one of the male protagonists is on a city bus with his female friend. The two are talking, laughing, catching up on life until the female friend falls asleep. The male protagonist looks on at his sleeping friend when a song, which I now know to be Standing Egg's Confession, started playing in the background. The song centers around the narrator contemplating confessing his true romantic feelings towards his friend, hinting to the audience that the male protagonist was actually secretly in love with his female friend. As I stated before, I wasn't too vested in the drama as a whole. So when the scene came in my reaction veered more toward: "Oh okay that scene is cute but THE SONG THOUGH?"
At that moment I immediately did a quick Google search for the drama's Original Soundtrack information and went through the track list until I hit the song I was looking for (I hadn't learned how to read Korean script yet). And from there, of course, I tried to dig up as much information about Standing Egg (which you'll soon find wasn't that much) as possible and start going through their discography.
Standing Egg debuted with a self-titled album in 2010 that had only three songs. The group did literally no promotion for it and took to Twitter to release their album to the public. An enthusiastic follower agreed to make a music video for their single La La La, even though the group was merely just joking about that request. Even so, the music video gained unexpected popularity and was ranked on several music charts. In November of 2010, they released a full-length album that climbed to the top of the Melon Indie Music Chart in Korea. Since then, the group has consistently released at least a few songs or an album every year.
One of the things I found interesting about Standing Egg is their concept of anonymity. When someone asks 'who is in the group', the answer is both simple and complex. The group is comprised of three composers/songwriters whose names are not known to the public. They are simply referred to as Egg 1 (composer), Egg 2 (composer/vocalist), and Egg 3 (lyrics). Because The Eggs aren't performers themselves, they enlist the help of various vocalists and musicians to perform their songs. Some include artists such as Lee Yeseul (vocals), Windy (vocals), Han Gyul (double bass/electric bass), and Clover (guitar/vocals) to name a few. While the public isn't aware of the Eggs' identities, anyone who has worked with them personally (i.e. radio hosts, other music artists) have met them and are able to put the brilliant songs to a non-performance face. In this clip from a past Korean variety show, artists came to record a song with Standing Egg. However, the Egg's face was censored to protect his anonymity.
Park Seyong (yellow sweater) and Jang Wooyoung meet one of the Eggs on a variety show to record a single together.
The concept is interesting and a little unusual, but from what I've seen no one has really ever questioned it. A lot of times when we see music artists post on their social media, they'll feature a picture with another artist with whom they plan to collaborate. In Standing Egg's case, their faces are usually censored for the photo or the featured artist will pose for a photo with a stuffed Egg doll named James who has basically become the group's cute little mascot.
Meet James: The designated face for
Standing Egg's 'selfies' on Instagram and the team's mascot.
I find it funny that I discovered Standing Egg as a background song, but it actually outshined the drama that it was supposed to enhance. As stated previously, the song 고백 (Confession) is the internal narrative of a guy who has developed feelings for his best friend. He finds it difficult to continue being 'just friends' with this girl but is also hesitant to confess his true feelings. He describes the everyday nuances of being this girl's friend even though he would rather be more to her:
I don't like it when you cry in front of me because then my heart hurts
I want to do everything for you but I can't be that person
I want to stay by your side like this a little longer
But I can't look into your eyes while hiding my heart anymore
I'm not good at hiding my heart while being next to you
I can't just be a comfortable friend anymore
At the time, my knowledge of Korean was even less than what it is now but I found it amazing I was so drawn to a song that I could relate to so well. Honestly, I feel like most people would be able to relate to the narrative.
I like to describe their songs as 'wondrous acoustic'. If you follow my Instagram, you'll find that whenever I'm in the middle of some awesome scenery, my song of choice will usually be a Standing Egg instrumental.
The Lucky EP was released in 2011 and includes light-hearted tracks like 'Fly' and 'He Loves Me'
Building on the theme of emotion and wonder, one of my favorite tracks is Little Star from their Lucky EP. The song itself is simple in composition, and the male vocalist's voice doesn't raise much higher than a whisper. My initial reaction: this song is beautiful. The funny thing about my first listen is that I immediately had the thought that this couldn't be just another love song. There was something especially pure about the vocal delivery. I looked up the English lyrics and found an especially nice snippet:
My love, my everything, my angel from heaven
My two eyes, my world you stole them all
Little Star, tonight,
I will watch over you
When I see you fast asleep in my arms
I can't take my eyes off of you even for a second
Listening to the song and reading the lyrics in their entirety, it felt like this song was more so about a newborn child than a lover. And I love a song that's essentially just dedicated to the artist's kid (reference Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely or Jamie Foxx's Heaven; songs dedicated to their daughters). I haven't really found any information that can back up my theory, but in either case the song revolves around someone very precious to the narrator and we love pure content!
While Standing Egg utilizes the help of vocalists and musicians for live performances, they also don't shy away from collaborations and features. They also don't limit their featured artists to a specific genre or profession. They have singles that feature actresses such as Park Shin Hye and Park Seyoung, kpop artists like Wheein of Mamamoo, singer/songwriter Ra.D, ballad singer Lee Hae Ri of Davichi, and so on!
The Eggs themselves (and even the live performers) are typically not featured in Standing Egg music videos. The plot lines would usually include familiar drama and movie actors much like 예뻐서 그래 (Because You're Pretty), which features Yoo Yeonseok as a shy guy and his awkward pursuit of a girl (Son Dambi) who just so happens to let him follow her (it sounds creepy but it's actually quite cute).
There's a lot more I can say about Standing Egg; they're one of my favorite musical acts, consistent in their content and their frequency of new releases. Just yesterday they released a touching ballad Good Night (Healing song), a song of encouragement and endearment. This follows a release from March, Travel to You (너라는 세상) Maybe this means another EP or full album could be coming to us soon? In either case, I hope this has been informative and that you take this opportunity to explore Standing Egg. I mean, by now you all should know I've got some…..
egg-cellent taste in music.
I know you want me to be sorry about that line but I'm just not.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Awkward Penguin,
song bird, Uncategorized	acoustic, acoustic pop, album, anonymous, artists you should know, asyk, EP, feature, indie, indie pop, korean, music, musician, standing egg, vocalist
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Criticisms & Witticisms
miscellaneous nonsense


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

    <title>Socket.IO chat test</title>
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="//code.jquery.com/ui/1.12.1/themes/base/jquery-ui.css">

        userId:
        <input id="userId" style="width: 300px" data-inline="true" readonly />
        authenticate
        <input id="authenticate" type="checkbox" data-inline="true" readonly />
        <button id="signup" data-inline="true">signup</button>
        <button id="signup-linode" data-inline="true">signup</button>
        <button id="login" data-inline="true">login</button>
        <button id="login-linode" data-inline="true">login</button>
        <button id="logout" data-inline="true">logout</button>

        <button id="findContactsInfo" data-inline="true">findContactsInfo</button>
        <button id="findContactsInfo-linode" data-inline="true">findContactsInfo</button>
        <button id="getContactsInfo" data-inline="true">getContactsInfo</button>
        <button id="updateContactInfo" data-inline="true">updateContactInfo</button>
        <button id="updateContactInfo-linode" data-inline="true">updateContactInfo</button>
        <button id="addToContactList" data-inline="true">addToContactList</button>
        <button id="removeFromContactList" data-inline="true">removeFromContactList</button>
        <button id="getContactList" data-inline="true">getContactList</button>
        <button id="addToBlockedList" data-inline="true">addToBlockedList</button>
        <button id="removeFromBlockedList" data-inline="true">removeFromBlockedList</button>
        <button id="getBlockedList" data-inline="true">getBlockedList</button>
        <button id="setRelatedList" data-inline="true">setRelatedList</button>
        <button id="reportAbuse" data-inline="true">reportAbuse</button>
        <button id="getContacts" data-inline="true">getContacts</button>
        <button id="getSpecificContacts" data-inline="true">getSpecificContacts</button>
        <button id="startConversation" data-inline="true">startConversation</button>
        <button id="getConversations" data-inline="true">getConversations</button>

        <button id="analyzeText" data-inline="true">analyzeText</button>
        <button id="translateText" data-inline="true">translateText</button>
        <button id="setWordDifficutly" data-inline="true">setWordDifficutly</button>
        <button id="sendRequest" data-inline="true">sendRequest</button>

        cvId:
        <input id="cvId" style="width: 300px" data-inline="true" readonly />
        <button id="setConversation" data-inline="true">setConversation</button>

        <button id="updateConversation" data-inline="true">updateConversation</button>
        <button id="updateConversationUserData" data-inline="true">updateConversationUserData</button>
        <button id="addParticipants" data-inline="true">addParticipants</button>
        <button id="removeParticipants" data-inline="true">removeParticipants</button>
        <button id="updateParticipant" data-inline="true">updateParticipant</button>
        <button id="addMessage" data-inline="true">addMessage</button>
        <button id="addComment" data-inline="true">addComment</button>
        <button id="updateEvent" data-inline="true">updateEvent</button>
        <button id="updateEventUserData" data-inline="true">updateEventUserData</button>
        <button id="markEventAsRead" data-inline="true">markEventAsRead</button>
        <button id="markConversationAsRead" data-inline="true">markConversationAsRead</button>
        <button id="getUnreadEventCount" data-inline="true">getUnreadEventCount</button>
        <button id="getEvents" data-inline="true">getEvents</button>
        <button id="getRelatedEvents" data-inline="true">getRelatedEvents</button>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Intermittent Network Share Speeds I have a 2008 Server box that is running file sharing between 2 Apple G5's.  When I try to upload a file say one that is 500 MB.  The upload will start, immediately jump to about 60 megs, slows down on the transfer down to 0 for a few seconds, then picks back up to full transfer rate, then repeats the cycle for the rest of the transfer.  Any ideas on what is wrong here?

A: Chances are good that the G5's and Server 2008's TCP stacks aren't able to stabilize the connection. This typically a tcp-windowing fault of some kind. Microsoft rewrote the Windows TCP/IP stack with Server 2008, and that has caused various issues with older TCP/IP stacks, such as with your G5's and whatever OSX version they're running. Laying blame is tricky here since there are many ways to build a TCP/IP stack.
You may be able to tell the Windows IP stack to behave differently enough that transfers are speedy. Unfortunately, I don't the exact magic sauce that'll make it work for 10.4 or 10.5.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This generation of parents is overwhelmed with parenting advice; Carla Naumburg sets out to remind them that they have everything they need to raise healthy, happy children. Mindful parenting is about paying attention to what is going on with your children and yourself without judging it or freaking out about it or thinking everyone, including yourself and your child, should be doing something differently. In Parenting in the Present Moment, Naumburg shares what truly matters in parenting--connecting with children in ways that are meaningful to them and you, staying grounded amidst the craziness of parenting, and staying present for whatever life throws your way.
With reassuring, compassionate storytelling, she weaves the most current theories--about healthy relationships, compassionate self-care, and mindfulness--throughout vignettes of her own chaotic childhood and parental struggles. She shows how mindfulness creates a solid foundation for any style of parenting, regardless of your cultural background, socio-economic status, or family structure. She also introduces the STAY model for tough times: Stop whatever it is you're doing; Take a Breath; Attune to you thoughts and those of your child; and Yield to what is happening so you can respond from a place of connection and compassion.
Parenting is an ongoing journey that constantly challenges every parent. Parenting in the Present Moment will help each family find its own way.


Oregon to get a subdivision of tiny houses?
Minimalist homes: antidote to housing market.
Using a blower door to help with air sealing.
Chemicals found in several cities' drinking water.
European green homes take root in Brooklyn.
Saving energy with a fireplace insert.


text:
Rooney urges Jadon Sancho to stay put
Tue, 07/16/2019 - 20:05 — isport
Former England international Wayne Rooney has urged Jadon Sancho to stay put with Borussia Dortmund rather than pursuing a fresh challenge elsewhere.
The young attacker has been the subject of interest from Manchester United in the past few months but Rooney believes his compatriot is better off continuing his development with the Bundesliga side.
Speaking to Bild, Rooney said that Dortmund provide the perfect platform for Sancho and other young players to develop. He added that Sancho should continue his progress with Dortmund rather than sealing a return with a Premier League giant where he could find himself on the substitutes' bench.
He said: "Dortmund is a great club with great fans, they trust their young players and you can see that in Sancho and the progress he has made in the last 12 months. Now Jadon has to ask himself whether he would get the playing time he gets in Dortmund when he moves to England, or would he just sit on the bench? Playing time is so important for a young player like Jadon, so if he gets the most playing time in Dortmund, he should stay there."
Sancho had a stunning second season with the Bundesliga giants and he accumulated a tally of 13 goals and 19 assists across all competitions for the club. As such, Dortmund have clearly stated that they have no ambition to sanction his sale for the summer and it remains to be seen whether they stick with the same stance for the remaining weeks of the transfer window.
Meanwhile, United have shown a keen focus on pursuing young British talents and they have so far landed the signatures of Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. They could continue with the same trend with the purchase of Sean Longstaff from Newcastle United, though the midfielder may not come on the cheap. The Magpies are understood to want more than £50m for their graduate.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


E-bookstores overflow with Mindful Work, Mindful Teen, even Mindful Birthing. Participants at the Davos' World Economic Forum could opt to sit in on a session. Phil Jackson of the Knicks credits it with promoting general well-being. Even Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini, having introduced yoga and meditation throughout the healthcare giant, says those practices have reduced stress levels and pain while improving sleep levels and productivity.
With its origins in the Buddhist concept of sati, or the memory of the present, mindfulness was appropriated by a savvy scientist in the 1970s, who then parlayed it into a worldwide movement.
Is it mainstream yet? Well, sorta. Ellen Langer, a researcher into this topic for more than four decades, explains that, bottom line, mindfulness simply helps you appreciate why people behave the way they do. Her perspective: That life consists of moments – and if you make the moment matter, everything will matter.
It reminds us of the reason many of us started in this business: To make things matter and, by extension, to make ourselves matter. By starting with awareness, the foundation for all of advertising and marketing and communications work, or so our thoughts went, we can awaken people to new things, new philosophies, new ways of being. The challenge today (other than mastering the chaos around us): To ensure that we're mindful of what truly matters.


text:
About Last Night: CC Sabadthia
by Stacey Gotsulias May 4, 2017
Let's not sugarcoat things. CC Sabathia has not looked good in his last three starts, and on Wednesday night against the Blue Jays it was more of the same.
In his first three starts Sabathia went 2-0 while only giving up three earned runs in 18 1/3 innings. He held opposing batters to a .182 average and only allowed one home run. In his last three starts, Sabathia is 0-1 and yielded 17 earned runs in 14 2/3 innings. Opposing batters are teeing off against him batting .359 and they have hit five home runs. One positive to take away from Sabathia's last three starts is that he's still striking out batters more than he's walking them but not by much. He has 14 strikeouts compared to eight walks. He struck out six and walked four on Wednesday.
So what went wrong for Sabathia on Wednesday? He was victimized by a fastball that wasn't doing much and he ended up surrendering the first four runs with two outs in the first inning.
He gave up singles to Kevin Pillar and Jose Bautista to start the game. Then he struck out Russell Martin and got Kendrys Morales to fly out and it looked like Sabathia would escape without surrendering any runs. Then the Jays got to him—Justin Smoak singled home Kevin Pillar and Yankee killer Steve Pearce hit a three-run home run to put Toronto up 4-0.
Pearce's home run was off a fastball that was high in the zone.
Sabathia got Devon Travis to line out to end the inning.
In the second inning, things didn't get much better for Sabathia. He gave up a double to Darwin Barney on a 92.4-mph fastball. Again, it was a pitch high in the zone and Barney made good contact.
Ryan Goins singled and Barney got to third. Sabathia got Pillar to ground out which advanced Goins to advance to second. Sabathia then walked Bautista on six pitches.
He followed that up with another walk to Martin and force in the fifth run of the game. In the next at-bat, Morales hit into a force out and Goins scored the sixth run.
Sabathia stopped the scoring there. He pitched two more scoreless innings and was pulled from the game in the fifth after he walked Martin and surrendered a single to Morales.
His cleanest inning was the top of the fourth when he struck out the side: Goins and Pillar were called strikeouts while Bautista struck out swinging. Sabathia relied on his slider more than his other pitches and the batters couldn't touch it.
Sabathia's final line: 4.0 IP, 7H, 6ER, 4BB, 5K and 1 HR. He threw 84 pitches and only 48 were for strikes.
So what needs to happen for Sabathia to go back to the way he was pitching to start the season? He needs to get his slider working like it did in the fourth inning of Wednesday's game.
In April, Sabathia relied more on his sinker, slider and cutter and it worked for him.
After the game, he told reporters that he felt good in his bullpen before the game and in his side session this week but on Wednesday night, he couldn't command the inside part of the plate. He added that not having command of the inside part of the plate is what has caused his bad performance over the last three starts.
Luckily for Sabathia, his teammates bailed him out with another come from behind win, but he needs to find his command of the inside of the plate again or it will be a long rest of the season for the veteran lefty.
Photo credit: © Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports
Stacey Gotsulias
Follow @@StaceGots
Editor-in-Chief of BP Bronx
read more from Stacey Gotsulias
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text:
package ru.ifmo.ctddev.kovanikov.task6;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Random;

/**
 * The <tt>MatrixMultiplication</tt> class realizes
 * matrix multiplication in several threads.

 *
 * Gets matrix size n and number of threads m from
 * command-line arguments, creates two matrices with size n * n,
 * multiplies them using {@code Math.min(n * n, m)} threads, sets result
 * into third matrix and writes elapsed time and sum of resulting matrix
 * into standard output.
 *
 * @author Dmitriy Kovanikov
 * @version 1.0
 */

public class MatrixMultiplication {

	/**
	 * Number of rows and also number of columns in matrices.
	 */
	private int size;

	/**
	 * Number of threads using to multiply matrices.
	 */
	private int threadsNumber;

	/**
	 * Left matrix of multiplication.
	 */
	private int[][] a;

	/**
	 * Right matrix of multiplication.
	 */
	private int[][] b;

	/**
	 * Constructs class containing two random matrices with {@link #randomMatrixGen()}
	 * which will be multiplied with number of columns and rows equal to {@link #size} and
	 * sets the number of using threads.
	 *
	 * @param size {@link #size}
	 * @param threadsNumber {@link #threadsNumber}
	 */
	public MatrixMultiplication(int size, int threadsNumber) {
		this.size = size;
		this.threadsNumber = threadsNumber;
		this.a = randomMatrixGen();
		this.b = randomMatrixGen();
	}

	/**
	 * Generates random matrix with size {@link #size} * {@link #size}.
	 *
	 * @return integer containing matrix with <tt>0-1</tt> values.
	 */
	public int[][] randomMatrixGen() {
		Random rnd = new Random();
		int[][] a = new int[size][size];

		for (int i = 0; i < size; ++i) {
			for (int j = 0; j < size; ++j) {
				a[i][j] = rnd.nextInt(2);
			}
		}

		return a;
	}

	/**
	 * Auxiliary class that implements <tt>Runnable</tt> interface
	 * and calculates some matrix elements in the individual thread.
	 *
	 * @author Dmitriy Kovanikov
	 * @see Runnable
	 */
	public class MultiplyThread implements Runnable {
		/**
		 * We assume that matrix elements can be numbered in <tt>0..n * n - 1</tt> segment
		 * from left to right and from above to down.

		 *
		 * The start of segment of elements which current thread is calculating.
		 */
		private int start;

		/**
		 * The end of segment elements.
		 */
		private int end;

		/**
		 * Matrix in which we writes result.
		 */
		private int[][] c;

		/**
		 * Constructs separate <tt>Runnable</tt> object with segment of
		 * calculated elements and resulting matrix.
		 *
		 * @param start {@link #start}
		 * @param end {@link #end}
		 * @param c {@link #c}
		 */
		public MultiplyThread(int start, int end, int[][] c) {
			this.start = start;
			this.end = end;
			this.c = c;
		}

		/**
		 * Implements <tt>Runnable</tt> method <tt>run</tt>.
		 * Actually calculates elements of matrix {@link #c} from
		 * {@link #start} to {@link #end} excluding.
		 */
		public void run() {
			for (int i = start; i < end; ++i) {
				int row = i / size, column = i % size;
				for (int j = 0; j < size; ++j) {
					c[row][column] += a[row][j] * b[j][column];
				}
			}
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Multiplies two randomly generated matrices a and b
	 * using threadsNumber threads.
	 *
	 * @return matrix - result of multiplication {@link MatrixMultiplication#a} and {@link MatrixMultiplication#b}
	 * @throws InterruptedException if on of threads is interrupted
	 */
	public int[][] matrixMul() throws InterruptedException {
		int size = this.a.length,
				numElements = size * size, // number of elements in thread
				blockSize = Math.max(1, numElements / threadsNumber); //number of elements, calculated by one thread
		int[][] c = new int[size][size]; // resulting matrix
		List<Thread> threads = new ArrayList<Thread>(threadsNumber);

		for (int i = 0; i < Math.min(numElements, threadsNumber - 1); ++i) {
			threads.add(new Thread(new MultiplyThread(i * blockSize, (i + 1) * blockSize, c)));
			threads.get(threads.size() - 1).start();
		}
		if (threadsNumber <= numElements) {
			// adding remaining elements to the last thread
			threads.add(new Thread(new MultiplyThread(blockSize * (threadsNumber - 1), numElements, c)));
			threads.get(threads.size() - 1).start();
		}

		// waiting for completing all threads
		for (Thread thread : threads) {
			thread.join();
		}

		return c;
	}

	/**
	 * Reads size of matrix and number of threads from args,
	 * creates an instance of <tt>MatrixMultiplication</tt> class.
	 * Multiply two matrices using {@link #threadsNumber} threads and writing
	 * the time of computation and sum of elements of resulting matrix.

	 *
	 * Writing error messages to standard output stream if arguments are invalid.
	 *
	 * @param args as command-line arguments
	 */
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		if (args.length < 2) {
			System.err.println("Not enough arguments.");
			System.exit(0);
		}

		try {
			int n = Integer.parseInt(args[0]), m = Integer.parseInt(args[1]);

			if (n <= 0 || m <= 0) {
				throw new NumberFormatException();
			}

			MatrixMultiplication multiplicator = new MatrixMultiplication(n, m);

			long startTime = System.nanoTime();

			int[][] matrix = multiplicator.matrixMul();
			long sum = 0;
			for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
				for (int j = 0; j < n; ++j) {
					sum += matrix[i][j];
				}
			}

			long endTime = System.nanoTime() - startTime;

			System.out.println("Calculating took " + endTime / 1000000000.0 + " seconds");
			System.out.println("Sum of elements is " + sum);
		} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
			System.err.println("Matrix size and number of threads must be positive integers: " + args[0] + " " + args[1]);
		} catch (InterruptedException e) {
			System.err.println("Thread is interrupted");
		}
	}

}


text:
ARKANSAS LEGISLATOR: BILL WOULD REQUIRE RETURN TO 'POP TOPS' ON ALL CANS OF BEER SOLD IN ARKANSAS
All new cans of beer sold in Arkansas after January 1, 2024 would be required to sport the 1970's-style pull ring tab opening, colloquially known as a "pop top," under new legislation proposed by Rep. Jason Bogard (R-Davis County) for the next legislative session.
Bogard described the rationale behind the bill, labeled HB2018, during a sparsely-attended Thursday news conference in the Hindman Conference Room at the Capitol. The text of Bogard's bill would only apply to alcoholic beer as defined under the state's liquor laws. In keeping with the theme of the meeting, Bogard appeared to be somewhat inebriated while giving his remarks.
Bogard opened with a rough description of the bill and noted "This has been one of my priorities since I first came into the Legislature. I have spent three years trying to get the big beer companies to listen or return my calls. Now I'm going to make it the [inaudible] law of my land and they can deal with it. Decades overdue, killing this radical leftist agenda, telling me how I open a beer. Patriots, real Arkansans, should be able to drink us real beer with a real pop top, like a real man," Bogard pointedly opined, drawings nods of approval from several older males gathered around him. "Use our manly arms and hands to grab that ring, pull that tab off, toss it and look like real 1970's cowboys [when we] take a swig and don't apologize to nobody. Then go piss in the creek and enjoy it," Bogard bellowed, while swaying slightly.
Bogard's associates at the meeting all appeared to be canned beer enthusiasts, as all of them drank from cans of beer during the news conference. Bogard introduced one of the men as his father, Earl Bogard, but appeared to blank on the names of the other men. One unidentified elderly man carried under his arm a 12-pack box, from which he offered cans of a common, watery name-brand American lager to those without. Bogard further tried to explain the bill's language and, with a wave of his hand, dismissed any possibility that it might increase littering or raise the cost of canned beer or make it difficult or impossible to find within the state's borders.
A pop top, which consisted of a small, teardrop-shaped piece of aluminum scored out on the top of the can and connected to another finger-sized ring of the same metal, separated from the can when it was opened. Pop tops were the most common means of opening an aluminum-canned beverage from their introduction around 1965 to their phase-out in the early 1980's. Replacing the earlier "zip tabs" and "church key" openers that had sharp metal edges and were more prone to cause injury to the imbiber, the pop top itself came under criticism for its own sharp edges and its propensity to be discarded on the ground or possibly swallowed by the inebriated. In the 1970's and 1980's pop tops were commonly seen at campsites and in parking lots as trash, serving as a hazard to children and the barefooted. The anti-littering campaigns of the era succeeded in replacing the pop top with the "StaTab", a tab of metal that stays attached to the can. While the StaTab is still in use today, the pop top still holds a certain cachet among certain overprivileged frat boy retro-hipster dumbasses.
As the news conference appeared to be nearing an end, Bogard rambled but then recovered enough to introduce a surprise guest. "Those feminized leftists can sip their Diet Coke and fizzy water with their wimpy little tabs still on the can. Pop tops were good enough for my grandpa. Pop tops were good enough for my dad here. Hell, when I was little one time he threatened to cut me with one. Heh, I deserved it. And dammit, they were good enough for Jimmy Buffett to sing about them. And hey, look who we have here." With that, Bogard stood aside and the video projection screen behind him came to life, showing a Zoom meeting screen. Moments later the smiling visage of Jimmy Buffett, live from his home in Palm Beach, Florida, entered the video conference, creating a stir of recognition and delight from those in attendance.
The popular singer-songwriter Buffett, 75, is well-known for his songs portraying a laid-back, sun-and-surf, Florida-man-running-from-something lifestyle centering around the Florida Keys. Over a career spanning decades, Buffett's highest-charting solo song was 1977's "Margaritaville", an ode to the margarita drink. The song is noteworthy for the lyric "Blew out my flip flop / Stepped on a pop top." This famous mention of the pop top comes up in every published article about the pop top, including this one. Buffett has parlayed the song's lasting popularity into an astonishing number of business ventures and licensed product tie-ins, including restaurants, apparel, furniture, bicycles, caskets, and food products. The latter category not surprisingly includes margarita mix, to go along with the obvious Margaritaville-branded drink blender.
Jimmy Buffett makes a surprise appearance during the news conference (Radio Free Ozarks).
"Hello Jimmy! Thank's for popping in today," a beaming Bogard greeted Buffett in this virtual appearance, which suffered from some minor internet dropouts. "Hello there, Jason, everybody in Arkansas, from Margaritaville," Buffett exclaimed, apparently viewing the proceedings. "Gosh, looks like some booze in the blender, if you know what I mean. Representative Bogard, I fully endorse your effort to bring back the pop top," Buffett announced. "It's a good start [garbled] for the brand. I have to say, the kids, the teens, they come to the shows with their parents and I see it most every night. You know, I sing that part of the song about stepping on a pop top and grayer heads disappear for a minute because the older folks are leaning over explaining it to their kids. Anyone under 30 has no idea what the hell I'm [garbled] up there," Buffett said as he donned a straw hat with a colorful band. "So I'm all in on this bill and I hope other states [garbled] cool as you [garbled] keeping me relevant. Parrothead approved." Buffet grinned and gave the thumbs-up sign.
"Hey, Jimmy, I know you got to run, but how about closing us out with 'Margaritaville'?" Bogard asked. Buffett's smile seemed to freeze into an awkward pause, or possibly the internet connection had a stutter. "Now, Jason. You bought the 'quick hello' package. No song included," Buffett replied, and reached forward to apparently end his video feed. Bogard quickly responded: "Hey, come on, Jimmy. We're all big fans." Buffett concluded his call by half-singing, "And you know, Jason, it's your own damn fault." Call ended, Bogard abruptly stumbled out of the room, the press conference apparently over. The elderly beer-drinkers were still standing around, nodding and drinking beer when this reporter was led from the room.


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NOW MagazineNewsFrequently asked questions about getting weed in Toronto
Frequently asked questions about getting weed in Toronto
Your guide to the rapidly changing world of medical marijuana in the Big Smoke
By Miles Kenyon
[Note: this post was last updated by Kate Robertson on March 27, 2017.]
Laws governing medical marijuana in Canada seem to be as sticky as premium ganja itself. Weed is still illegal in Canada, but Trudeau has committed to changing that. Weed to cure what ails you, though, is a different story.
Nowadays in Toronto, you can find doctors, clinics and dispensaries in almost every neighbourhood offering to hook you up. From the Annex to Runnymede to Little Italy to the Danforth, you don't have to travel far to get high. Some of these operate within the letter of the law, claiming they're the only ones with legitimate claim to the game. Others, however, operate in a legal grey area, bolstered more by philosophy and a seemingly disinterested police force [unless you work for Cannabis Culture].
To clear the haze, here's everything you need to know about getting smoked in the Big Smoke:
Is medical marijuana actually legal?
Yes. Cannabis for medicinal purposes can be used as treatment for specific conditions or to alleviate certain symptoms when authorized by a doctor. Since a 2001 Supreme Court ruling, qualifying patients can use medical marijuana, but the specifics about who can prescribe it has changed throughout the years.
Health Canada, however, continually does not outright endorse its use but must comply with the courts and provide reasonable and safe access to the medicine.
Where can I get medical marijuana?
You have two main options: clinics or dispensaries.
Clinics are medical facilities that have in-house doctors specially trained in the diagnosis and prescription of medical marijuana. When original medpot legislation was introduced, the responsibility fell on Health Canada to oversee who could qualify for access. Since 2013 when the new Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations Act came into effect, the onus shifted to individual doctors to prescribe cannabis to qualifying patients.
Ronan Levy is a director at Canadian Cannabis Clinics, the largest system of clinics specializing in connecting weed-friendly doctors to patients in the country. When responsibility shifted to GPs, Ronan said many doctors were uncomfortable: some were morally opposed to prescribing weed but most said they simply didn't know enough about its medicinal properties.
"So even though it was legal and technically every doctor in Canada had the ability to prescribe, very few would actually do so," Levy says.
That's where places like Canadian Cannabis Clinics come in.
"We provide [patients] with access to doctors who will assess them and determine whether cannabis is a suitable treatment option, and for the doctors who are open to the use of cannabis as medicine, we provide them with the structure they need in a safe manner that's not going to jeopardize their license."
These clinics are just like any other health practice in Canada and are completely free. The only payment comes when you actually purchase weed from a licensed supplier. Some so-called clinics charge a fee to connect you with a physician who will be more likely to write you a green prescription but, if you're looking to abide by the letter of the law, you may as well stick with a clinic like Levy's that does the same for free.
Dispensaries are the other option. These storefront operations are popping up around the city at an astonishing rate: Levy speculates that there were about four of them in total in 2015. Even since Project Claudia, a wave of dispensary raids in May of 2016, and the more recent Project Gator raids that targeted the Cannabis Culture chain, there are currently more than 20.
Dispensaries skirt much of the red tape of clinics, making it easier to buy cannabis. The best thing to do is go in and ask any questions you have about how it works. Unlike clinics, dispensaries don't employ doctors. Instead, often they're encouraged to keep up-to-date on news, trends and to test the products firsthand.
Some take a grassroots approach, allowing patients to lead the charge in determining whether they think medical marijuana is in their best interest and removing many administrative barriers, allowing patients to receive weed that day. However, they also lack the stringent oversight that clinics and their suppliers operate under since they're not beholden to the same official guidelines.
So, wait: are dispensaries illegal?
Technically, yes.
In addition to operating Canadian Cannabis Clinics, Ronan Levy is also a lawyer. He says that getting weed from anywhere but a clinic like his is simply illegal.
"From the letter of the law perspective, selling cannabis at a dispensary and purchasing it from them is illegal," he says. "But they're popping up everywhere." Despite his strong words, he concedes that there are good reasons why they're around.
When Health Canada initially allowed patients to use marijuana, you could either buy it from one of a few licensed producers, grow it yourself or authorize someone else to grow it on your behalf. Some enterprising individuals received authorization to grow weed on behalf of a plethora of patients. The rules governing how many plants could be grown for each individual patient were inflated, meaning these third party growers soon had tons of surplus. This surplus was then transferred to compassion clubs and modern-day dispensaries.
Initially, according to Ronan, police were hesitant to stop this practice because it was seen as altruistic – to help sick people. When the government changed the regulations, allowing only licensed and regulated producers to grow weed for medical purposes, these third party growers fought back and they were grandfathered in, meaning they're allowed to continue to operate. Kind of.
Now, Health Canada has reintroduced "provisions for individuals to produce a limited amount of cannabis for their own medical purposes or to designate someone to produce it for them." But that's a complicated process.
So why aren't police shutting all of the dispensaries down?
In February of 2016, Mark Pugash, a spokesperson for Toronto police, told us that there's "no grey area" – these dispensaries are illegal – but they're not likely to shut them down.
"The law is in the process of changing but our position is: we respond to community complaints or public safety issues," he says.
"Officers have a considerable amount of discretion which they use. We have a large number of competing priorities and so we make decisions about where we think our resources will do the most good and where they're most needed."
At the time, Conor Purdon, the district manager of now-closed Weeds Gifts and Glass, said multiple officers had stopped by the Danforth shop – but just to joke around and ensure there was no smoking on the premises or sales to minors.
In May, police smashed through the shop's windows as part of Project Claudia. In March of 2017, Project Gator targeted the Cannabis Culture chain.
What's the process for getting weed?
Again, clinics and dispensaries differ.
Clinics require you to have a referral from your GP or medical specialist. Since marijuana can't be used as a first line treatment, you need to show that you've tried alternatives and they haven't worked. You then meet with a doctor who assesses your viability for treatment. Once they agree that marijuana could be used to treat you, you meet with a counsellor who helps determine what kind of weed would be best for you. You then receive a 'medical document' (doctors can't technically write prescriptions for marijuana) which you bring to a licensed producer of cannabis. Licensed producers are businesses that have been authorized by the government to grow and sell marijuana for medical purposes (there are currently 40 in Canada). Once your paperwork has been received by the producer, your weed is mailed to you about two weeks later.
Different rules apply at dispensaries. Just go in and ask some questions: you may be asked for a prescription from your doctor or valid photo ID that shows you're over 19. Investigate.
What can weed be used to treat?
According to Levy, there are five general categories that may justify the use of medical marijuana: pain (arthritis, chronic back problems), disorders that impair movement (MS, Parkinson's, ALS), anxiety and depression, epilepsy and cancer.
How can I get high?
Workers at clinics try to deter patients from smoking, so they offer dried weed for vaping, oils for taking orally and fresh weed for customers to make their own edibles at home.
Dispensaries used to have a wide variety of edibles, but Project Claudia scared off dispensary owners from selling them – although you can find them for trade on social media networks and there are many brands perfecting their recipes underground. You can also buy concentrates, so you can dab like Kendrick Lamar.
What do I do if I get stopped by the cops?
If you've gone through a clinic, then show them the label from the packaging of the marijuana that was mailed to you and an additional card that would have come from the licensed producer. If you don't have them on you, Levy says police are usually pretty easy-going about allowing you to produce it at a later date.
If you've gone through a dispensary, your membership to the store doesn't mean anything. So far, customers have not been charged as part of the dispensary raids (but who knows what happens to any saved client information when a dispensary is raided).
How much does medical marijuana cost?
If you go through a clinic, the price typically runs around $7 per gram. Price points at dispensaries are higher, around $12 per gram.
Will my insurance cover it?
Probably not, but it depends on where you work. Employers typically dictate to insurance providers what their employees will be eligible to expense, not the other way around. If you've got an open-minded boss who you think would be amenable to covering cannabis, they might be willing to add a new clause to their policy. In 2015, Sun Life agreed to cover Waterloo University student's Jonathan Zaid's prescription after much persistence.
Should I go to a dispensary or through a clinic?
Depends on what you want, your reason for buying medical marijuana and the risks you're willing to take. Regulations for dispensaries are generally more relaxed, but you may not know exactly what you're getting and the cannabis will be a little more expensive. It could take two weeks to receive a shipment if you go through clinics and their licensed producers, and dispensaries can provide over-the-counter service.
Essentially, licensed producers and the clinics they supply are great at regulating and creating products that have been verified and tested. Dispensaries offer a retail experience that some customers want.
When will marijuana be legal for adult recreational use?
Former Toronto police chief Bill Blair has been appointed to head up the initiative that will investigate how to legalize, regulate and govern weed in Canada.
On March 27, CBC News reported that recreational, adult use of cannabis could be legal by Canada Day of 2018, with legislation being announced the week of April 10 – just in time for 4/20.
website@nowtoronto.com | @nowtoronto
Bill Blair Cannabis dispensaries FAQ Health Marijuana natural health


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Home»US»The Truth About The US' "Continuity Of Government" Plans & Coronavirus Perfect Storm
The Truth About The US' "Continuity Of Government" Plans & Coronavirus Perfect Storm
Whitney Webb 2020-03-28
Whitney Webb / March 28, 2020
Last week, Newsweek published a report entitled "Inside The Military's Top Secret Plans If Coronavirus Cripples the Government," which offers vague descriptions of different military plans that could be put into effect if the civilian government were to be largely incapacitated, with a focus on the potential of the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to result in such a scenario.
The article's author, William Arkin, largely frames these plans as new, though — buried deep within the article — he eventually mentions that such contingency plans can be traced back to the Eisenhower administration (though they were in place before) and have since been developed and updated by most subsequent administrations, largely through the issuance of executive orders. Arkin also points out that some of these "Continuity of Government", or COG, plans include the "devolution" of leadership and Constitutional authority, which he notes "could circumvent the normal Constitutional provisions for government succession, and military commanders could be placed in control around America."
Yet, there are key aspects of COG and its development that Arkin leaves out. For instance, in his timeline on how such plans have developed in the post-World War II era, he conveniently fails to mention any of the Reagan administration's major changes to COG, including the Reagan-era Executive Order on which all current COG programs are based. Indeed, many of the "extra-Constitutional" aspects of COG that Arkin mentions began during the Reagan administration, when these plans were redrafted to largely exclude members of Congress, including the Speaker of the House, from succession plans and even moved to essentially eliminate Congress in the event of COG being implemented, with near total power instead being given to the executive branch and the military. It was also during this time that the "devolution" aspect of COG was hammered out, as it created three president-cabinet "teams" to be stationed in different parts of the country outside of the nation's capital. Arkin's decision to not mention how COG was a major focus of the Reagan administration is striking given that that administration poured hundreds of millions of dollars annually into COG planning and development and also conducted COG drills on a regular basis.
Furthermore, the Miami Herald revealed in 1987, that the COG programs of that era were deeply connected to what the Herald termed "a virtual parallel government outside the traditional cabinet departments and agencies" that began operating "almost from the day Reagan took office" and included military and intelligence operatives as well as many of Reagan's closest advisers, including then-CIA Director William Casey. The Herald further claimed that this "parallel government" had been responsible for the Iran-Contra scandal (i.e. "involved in arming the Nicaraguan rebels") as well as "the drafting of martial law plans for national emergencies," i.e. COG, as well as "the monitoring of US citizens considered potential security risks." This "parallel government" planned to use COG to install itself as the ruling power of the country and to detain potential opponents of a US war with Nicaragua in the event that the Reagan administration moved to invade the country.
Other key players in those Reagan-era COG developments, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney, former CIA Director James Woosley and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, are also left unmentioned in Arkin's article. Not mentioning Cheney and Rumsfeld are particularly glaring omissions given that they were involved in the implementation of aspects of those COG plans that went live in the wake of the September 11 attacks, when both men were serving in key posts in the George W. Bush administration.
While Arkin's omission of the role of the Reagan administration and leading neoconservatives in the development and use of COG is significant, arguably more significant is his failure to mention one of COG's major components, one that has gone essentially unmentioned by well-known media outlets for well over a decade – Main Core.
The government's database of 'potential troublemakers'
When Reagan issued Executive Order 12656, he created COG plans that could be implemented during "any national security emergency," which the E.O. loosely defines as "any occurrence, including natural disaster, military attack, technological emergency, or other emergency, that seriously degrades or seriously threatens the national security of the United States." E.O. 12656 also put the National Security Council (NSC) in charge of developing and administering COG policies. The NSC official placed in charge of this "secret" COG program was Oliver North, whose name would later become infamous for the key role he played in the Iran-Contra Scandal. During the Iran-Contra hearings in the late 1980s, then-Representative Jack Brooks (D-TX) attempted to ask the following question to North: "Colonel North, in your work at the NSC, were you not assigned at one time to work on plans for the continuity of government in the event of a major disaster?" Brooks, however, was immediately cut off by Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), who stated:" I believe that question touches upon a highly sensitive and classified area, so may I request that you not touch upon that, sir." Brooks protested, but North was ultimately not required to give an answer.
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As the de facto leader of COG development and planning during the Reagan administration, North oversaw the creation of a controversial database that later became known simply as "Main Core." The Main Core database, first built using the stolen PROMIS software (more information on PROMIS here and here), was essentially a list of American dissidents and "potential troublemakers." A senior government official with a high-ranking security clearance and service in five presidential administrations described the database to journalist Chris Ketcham in 2008 as follows:
A database of Americans, who, often for the slightest and most trivial reason, are considered unfriendly, and who, in a time of panic might be incarcerated. The database can identify and locate perceived 'enemies of the state' almost instantaneously."
In 1993, Wired magazine stated that:
Using PROMIS, sources point out, North could have drawn up lists of anyone ever arrested for a political protest, for example, or anyone who had ever refused to pay their taxes. Compared to PROMIS, Richard Nixon's enemies list or Sen. Joe McCarthy's blacklist look downright crude.
Main Core is the aspect of COG that is most often ignored in reporting on these types of plans, with Arkin's article being just a more recent example. While most of the rare mentions of COG in the mainstream touch on how those plans would result in the implementation of martial law and the suspension of the Constitution, they even more rarely — if ever — mention Main Core. Indeed, the last "mainstream" reports on Main Core were written over a decade ago — all in 2008 — by Chris Ketcham in Radar, by Scott Horton in Harper's and by Tim Shorrock in Salon.
Given that COG is now creeping back into mainstream reporting, revisiting Main Core is essential as the database still exists and has grown considerably since Oliver North first oversaw its creation in the early 1980s. In Ketcham's 2008 article on the subject, he quotes then-senior government officials who said that, at the time, the number of "unfriendly" Americans on that database was approximately eight million. Ketcham further notes that, in the event COG is implemented, these individuals could be subject to anything ranging from "heightened surveillance and tracking to direct questioning and possibly even detention."
Tim Shorrock, in his coverage of Main Core, noted that the database was seen in use at the White House following the September 11 attacks and there is strong evidence pointing to it having been used by the George W. Bush administration to guide its domestic surveillance activities in the post-9/11 era. A government official who had told a reporter about having seen the database operational at the White House following September 11th "turned white as a sheet" when the reporter mentioned the name "Main Core" specifically. Shorrock's reporting also details how Main Core includes vast amounts of information on those "unfriendly" Americans, including the fruits of the vast domestic surveillance programs of the NSA and other US federal agencies that continue today and are now set to be expanded due to the current coronavirus crisis.
In a report written last year on the involvement of US and Israeli intelligence and their private sector allies in pushing for new, troubling pre-crime programs, I noted that Main Core is not only available to US intelligence but also Israel's intelligence apparatus and that Israeli intelligence was involved in the creation and expansion of Main Core. That report also detailed how Main Core was used by members of Reagan's NSC to blackmail members of Congress, a practice that is likely to have continued under subsequent administrations. It also noted how Main Core today likely involves the same software now used by every US intelligence agency and numerous other federal agencies that is marketed by Palantir, a company created and owned by Trump ally Peter Thiel. Palantir's software boasts "predictive policing" capabilities and tracks a category of person using the label "subversive," very much in keeping with the spirit of Main Core.
Main Core and Bill Barr's Power Grab
Though Main Core was reportedly in use after September 11 to target "unfriendly" individuals for increased domestic surveillance, concern that COG plans in the age of coronavirus could take a more drastic turn and involve the detention of Americans included in that database now seems more plausible than ever. On Saturday, Politico reported that the Department of Justice has demanded new "emergency powers" during the current pandemic and these powers include being able to indefinitely detain Americans without trial. Politico also noted that the DOJ's controversial new requests "span several stages of the legal process, from initial arrest to how cases are processed and investigated." Per the DOJ's requests, indefinite detention would emerge through a new ability whereby the Attorney General or a judge could pause court proceedings whenever courts are "fully or partially closed by virtue of any natural disaster, civil disobedience, or other emergency situation."
What Politico did not include in its report is that current Attorney General William Barr has spent the past several months fine-tuning and implementing a "pre-crime" program. Officially known as the "National Disruption and Early Engagement Program" (DEEP), it aims to "identify, assess and engage" potentially violent individuals "before they strike." Barr first announced this program last October in an official memorandum and therein stated that the program was to be implemented sometime over the course of 2020 and would involve "an efficient, effective and programmatic strategy to disrupt individuals who are mobilizing towards violence, by all lawful means."
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A training conference for that program took place this past December and involved members of the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and "private sector partners." One recent DOJ statement regarding an arrest made last year in Nevada, claimed that that specific case was part of the DOJ's "National Disruption and Early Engagement Program," suggesting that this program is already in use — at least in some parts of the country.
In his memorandum, Barr further notes that the program's "early engagement tactics" were "born of the posture we adopted with respect to terrorist threats" following the September 11 attacks, essentially stating that this pre-crime program will utilize methods from the "War on Terror" domestically and on a massive scale.
Given the context of the current coronavirus crisis, the DOJ's recent request for sweeping new powers and the role of Main Core in COG plans, one part of Barr's pre-crime memorandum stands out. In the part of the document where Barr outlines what actions will be taken once an individual is deemed potentially violent or threatening, he writes that those individuals will be subject to detention, court-ordered mental health treatment and electronic monitoring, among other measures.
The possibility of pre-crime detention was also present in the DOJ's recent request for new "emergency powers" in light of the coronavirus crisis, as it specifically asks that those new powers apply to "any statutes or rules of procedure otherwise affecting pre-arrest, post-arrest, pre-trial, trial, and post-trial procedures in criminal and juvenile proceedings and all civil process and proceedings." Norman L. Reimer, executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, told Politico that the inclusion of the term "pre-arrest" likely means that "you could be arrested and never brought before a judge until they decide that the emergency or the civil disobedience is over. I find it absolutely terrifying."
Thus, if DOJ is granted these new powers it has requested, the William Barr-led Department of Justice will not only be authorized to indefinitely detain Americans without trial, it will be able to detain them without any proof of those detainees having committed a crime or even having plans or the intent to commit a crime. Instead, the DOJ only needs to argue that the individual was "mobilizing towards violence," an extremely vague phrase that could potentially be used against anyone who expresses discontent with the government or government policy.
Furthermore, with the FBI having recently flagged "conspiracy theorists" (and by extension those who distrust or question government narratives of both past and present) as a "domestic terror threat," the DOJ could even make the case that failure to blindly trust government narratives presents a threat to the public order. Given that the Main Core database in its current form contains bulk surveillance gathered from social media, phone conversations/messaging apps and even financial information (i.e. purchasing history, etc.) on Americans deemed unfriendly "often for the slightest and most trivial reason," this unprecedented power grab by the DOJ has an authoritarian and Orwellian potential to target legitimate dissent like never before.
With the specter of COG now snaking its way into mainstream discourse during the coronavirus crisis, it is essential that Americans stay vigilant, as these Orwellian and dystopian "solutions" to allegedly protect us from the current pandemic have been in place long before COVID-19 made its appearance on the world stage or landed on US shores.
It is also essential to remember that COG, Main Core and the DOJ's pre-crime program were all created and are currently controlled by extremely corrupt and fundamentally untrustworthy individuals who have not only been involved in innumerable scandals over the years, but have also installed and supported some of the most authoritarian, savage and horrific dictators the world has ever seen. To trust them with such unprecedented and dangerous powers in a period of national confusion and panic is tantamount to beckoning the horrors of those dictatorships — past and present — to come home to roost.
Reprinted with permission from The Last American Vagabond.
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The Ademola Adeleke's Campaign Organization has alerted the general public of an alleged plot by agents of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Osun State Government to compromise corps members deployed to the state for the Saturday governorship election.
The organization claimed that the sum of Ten Thousand Naira (10,000) has been paid into the bank accounts of almost 8000 corps members deployed for the elections.
This allegation was contained in a statement signed by Olawale Rasheed ,the Director of Media and Publicity for the Campaign Organisation and made available to DAILY POST on Thursday.
The statement added, "We have it on good authority that the disbursement was done a day after those of security agents also on election duty in Osun state.The payments said to be the first installment is designed to compromise the service personnel who will serve in various capacities during the elections.
"We use this opportunity to alert parents of corps members posted to Osun to prevail on their wards not to fall for APC trap. We also remind corps members that their safety and commitment to democracy should supersede any monetary consideration. Anybody assisting slave holders to rig this election is an open enemy of the people of Osun state.
"The National Youth Service Corps is a patriotic service organisation and her members should not be part of any evil design to thwart the will of the people. Any corps member who surrender himself to the service of anti-people manipulation and falsification of election process will have the angry people of Osun state to contend with.


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WB Unveils New 'Justice League: War' Clip
Trailer: Feast of New 'Looney Tunes Cartoons' Debuts Jan. 21
First Look: Adult Swim Returns to 'Final Space' in 2021
NBJC & CN Launch Gender Identity Comic to Celebrate Diversity
Warner Bros. Animation's upcoming latest entry into the DC Universe Animated Original Movies canon, Justice League: War, is just weeks away from its bi-coastal premieres (The Paley Center for Media in NYC on Jan. 21 and in L.A. Jan. 30) and its Blu-ray, DVD and Digital launch (Feb. 4), but fans can check out an advance slice of the action awaiting them in the new 2D animated project from director Jay Oliva and scripter Heath Corson. The new clip shows Batman (Jason O'Mara) and Green Lantern (Justin Kirk) meeting for the first time while tackling a both a renegade parademon and the local police.
Based on Geoff Johns and Jim Lee's Justice League: Origin graphic novel, JL: War kicks off when Darkseid (Steven Blum) and his massive forces invade Earth, forcing a group of previously unaligned, misunderstood super heroes to combine their skills and work as a team. Batman, Superman (Alan Tudyk), Wonder Woman (Michelle Monaghan), Green Lantern, Flash (Christopher Gorham), Shazam (Sean Astin) and, in his origin story, Cyborg (Shemar Moore), unite for an all-out battle to save the planet.
Related Topics:Alan Tudyk, Blu-ray, Christopher Gorham, DC Universe Animated Original Movies, DVD, Geoff Johns, Heath Corson, Jason O'Mara, Jay Oliva, Jim Lee, Justice League: Origin, Justice League: War, Justin Kirk, Michelle Monaghan, Sean Astin, Shemar Moore, Steven Blum, Warner Bros. Animation
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19th April 2016 30th December 2018 Brian
The sad thing watching this beautifully restored version of The Hound of the Baskervilles from 1983 is the regret it causes. The regret is that Ian Richardson only got such a limited opportunity to commit his interpretation of the famous sleuth to screen. He is fantastic as Holmes. Serious and funny, charming and cold, clever and genial, complicated and manipulative. He is an affable pleasure to watch. Possibly too cheerful for some Holmes purists, but all the more watchable for it.
Richardson starred in two films as Holmes in 1983, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of Four. They were made originally as television films by the American producer Sy Weintraub and English producer Otto Plaschkes as part of an intended series of six – before the Granada Television commitment to film every single Sherlock Holmes story with star Jeremy Brett became clear and led to some legal wrangling which resulted in the abandonment of the project.
These HD and widescreen restored editions of both films are now available for the first time.
The Hound of the Baskervilles looks stunning – despite being filmed for the most part in a studio set, with limited location footage, the staging of the world of Holmes is wonderfully done. The set built as the exterior of Baker Street is a huge and intricately detailed piece of old fashioned film-making.
This is one of the most famous Sherlock Holmes stories and one of the most often filmed. This production doesn't do anything particularly new with the story, but does its thing very well. The tale of the Baskerville family being tormented by a giant glowing monster dog on the foggy Devonshire moors is a famous one, even if you don't know who/ what is responsible for all the deaths. For the most part the film follows the story of the book, with Donald Churchill's particularly befuddled Watson being sent ahead to the big house while Holmes does his own reconnaissance and investigations alone.
Churchill is a properly old school Watson, charmingly huffing and puffing with exasperated confusion at his best friend's cleverness. Ronald Lacey as a slightly creepy Inspector Lestrade gives good value and Denholm Elliot, Connie Booth, Eleanor Brown and Glynis Barber are particularly worthy of note. Brian Blessed is also wonderful as a jealous local artist – a brilliantly judged performance of disappointment and anger which seems both subtly restrained and over the top in a single moment. A neat trick.
One of the best physical performances in the film though is from Martin Shaw as Sir Henry Baskerville. I say physical performance because in a very curious move, especially for an actor as well known as Shaw was at this point, his entire vocal performance has been overdubbed by another actor (reportedly an un-credited Kerry Shale). Was Shaw's American accent not that great? Presumably not. However it's incredibly disconcerting watching someone performing with physical skill when you know that what you're hearing is patently not them.
The climax on the foggy moor is done with a lot of dry-ice, which clings to the ground like a music video and gives robs proceedings of much of a sense of reality. In fact it makes everything seem like a science fiction swamp planet. But it works; the stylistic flourishes in the movie adds drama.
The film is a great entry to the album of Sherlock Holmes films, and the playful glint in Ian Richardson's eyes as the genius sleuth makes it very watchable indeed. If you like a bit of late Victorian and early Edwardian detective fiction, it's very much worth a watch.
Both The Hound of The Baskervilles and The Sign of Four are released on Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand/ Download on the 25th April.
Blu-Ray review, Reviews Adaptation, Brian Blessed, Charles Edward Pogue, Connie Booth, Crime, David Langton, Denholm Elliott, Donald Churchill, Douglas Hickox, Drama, Edward Judd, Eleanor Bron, Glynis Barber, Historical, Ian Richardson, Martin Shaw, Nicholas Clay, Ronald Lacey, Thriller permalink
The Sign of Four (1983)
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Great British Bake Off: Episode 1 - France 1: Britain 0
Posted: 31st August 2018
Categories: Current
Great British Bake Off, Episode 1, Channel 4, Tuesday 28th August, 8pm (contains spoilers!).
One of this year's intake of GBBO hopefuls compared competing in the marquee with playing at Wembley in the FA Cup Final: it's appropriate as the series finale now brings in more viewers than any celebrated football match. Just like the early rounds of the Cup, it's hard to get too attached to the sides. There are always a few non league/not-much hopers struggling to make an impact and a couple of big hitters who you can mark down as favorites from the off.
The very first task was, controversially, biscuits. Now that really piqued my interest, as I survived on three packets a day from the 20p biscuit bin in the NISA shop on Northgate Street in Great Yarmouth from 1977 to 1980 when I started in my first job in a professional kitchen. Biscuit and crisps form the standard chef's diet, so who better to pass judgment than I? Alas there were no custard creams, no Nice and no fig rolls, just a variation on the one biscuit that's always left at the bottom of the barrel, the shortbread.
The brief was to reflect the contestant's regionality. Thankfully we have no Norfolk contestant this year: the Norfolk Nob really doesn't travel well (I think it gets lost in translation). Prue (Leith, judge) said she wanted biscuits of imagination and colour, much like her outfit. Put her alongside Noel's shirt and contestant Kim-Joy's make up and they look like a walking, talking box of broken Party Rings. (An aside - I, alone it seems, love Noel's new look. As he said himself, he's rocking the hybrid Elvis/Shakin Stevens look. I'd go so far as to add in a soupcon of Paul Shane from Hi De Hi and I think you'd have his measure).
We have the usual suspects competing; among the more memorable are Rahul, a nuclear physicist who's scared of marshmallow and Karen, a lovable but slightly dotty grandmother who eats a packet of salt and vinegar crisps as she cuts her cookies. Gentle baking enthusiast Terry seemed a nailed-on certainty to be the first to pack his bag with a batch of (Paul) "rough old biscuits" covered in chocolate sheep. As per usual, they all complained that it was too hot in the famous Bake Off tent: not surprising with twelve ovens in a marquee during a heatwave, although they all acted as if it was a shock. Worst of all was the man who admitted he sweated profusely on a regular basis to Sandi (Toksvig, presenter) before wiping his forehead with the same cloth he was using to take food out of the oven.
The technical challenge threw the contestants another curve ball, with perfect Paul (Hollywood, judge) asking the baking dozen to produce a set of Wagon Wheels. Not an easy task, involving as it does, biscuit, jam, marshmallow and chocolate. Some succeeded, others looked as though they had been dipped in a mug of tea before being presented. Some looking as if they'd been run over by a wagon. Biscuits and then Wagon Wheels: it was all going so swimmingly before it descended into farce.
The finale involved making an edible biscuit 'selfie cake'. Who knew there was such a thing? When I won pastry student of the year at Norwich City College in 1982, I had to make a bread and butter pudding, marzipan fruits and a Swiss roll amongst other pastry creations. Thank God selfies weren't about in the late 1980s. I found myself eating humble pie, however, as most of the crazed biscuit plaques resembled not only the artist's impression of them but also their owner, although I'm not sure I'd want to eat any of them.
The judges tried to take it seriously, telling poor Karen that she'd created a masterpiece and then whipping away the cloth when they pointed out it lacked rosewater flavour (they had, earlier, warned her not to use too much rosewater). Contestant Ruby, meanwhile, has obviously got the huff with the judges from the off. In the end, Terry saved himself after two terrible bakes with a Picasso-esque brandy snap-snap of himself and Imelda was shown the door - despite her half decent set of coconut and oat cookies – due to a lacklustre portrait of her by a grim looking stretch of beach.
Unsurprisingly, French competitor Manon won Star Baker. She's French: of course she's going to be the best cook. She also knows how to play the PR game in claiming she fell in love with baking after moving to the UK from France. You. Cannot. Be. Serious. Has she seen how our bakeries compare with the ones over the channel? Zut Alors! Let's see how her newfound friendship with Briony matures as they realise they are head, shoulders and chef's toques above the others, with Karen worth a nod on the outsider stakes.
The show has hooked me in from the off. It's spectacular TV, there's terrific chemistry from the hosts and visually its a veritable riot of colour; from Prue's 'I got dressed in the dark' outfit to Antony's turmeric Goosnargh cookies, the sickly psychedelic icings to the Viva Las Vegas delicious diorama rendered in biscuit.
I've pressed record and also fiddled with the colour contrast on the box. Here's hoping for Hob Nobs next week.


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DAS KAPITAL: 'How to Save a Dying Republic'. Lincoln & the Greenbacks – By Matthew Ehret
September 12, 2020 by alexander philip
RIELPOLITIK
Source – strategic-culture.org
– "…Will Trump have the strength to give neocon vipers in his cabinet the Bolton treatment before they unleash war with Russia and China? Will he be able to avoid a new economic meltdown, civil war and coup d'état before 2021? Will Lincoln's system be revived both in America and alongside other nations like Russia and China before a global catastrophe befalls us? Those questions remain to be seen"
How to Save a Dying Republic: Lincoln and the Greenbacks – By Matthew Ehret
While some onlookers have found themselves cheering on this impending meltdown of the "great American empire", I think it is wiser to take a more measured approach to the tragedy now unfolding in America and across the entire trans-Atlantic Community. After all, what would we expect to see under conditions of dissolution of the union into civil war and economic collapse? Would the danger…
THE 9/11 PSY-OPERA: Osama Bin Laden believed 9/11 was an 'inside job' – US documents
Source – presstv.ir
– In the last days of his life, Osama bin Laden realized that the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States were an inside job, and were not carried out by al-Qaeda militants, according to newly released US intelligence documents.
On Wednesday, the Obama administration released an extensive list of materials what they said were collected by US Navy SEALs during the 2011 raid that killed Bin Laden.
Among the Bin Laden treasure-trove, there were several books, including David Ray Griffin's New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11, which have challenged the US government narrative on the 9/11 attacks.
The September, 11, 2001 attacks, also known as the 9/11 attacks, were a series of strikes in the US which killed nearly 3,000 people and caused about $10 billion worth of property and infrastructure damage.
A man stands in the rubble after…
OILIGARCHY: 'Petro-Islam', Understanding Al-Qaeda & the Domestic Fall-Out from America's Secret War
Source – ammo.com
– "…From 1982 to 2005, during the reign of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, over $75 billion is estimated to have been spent in efforts to spread Wahhabi Islam to various, much poorer Muslim nations worldwide. By comparison, the Soviets spent about $7 billion spreading communism worldwide in the 70 years from 1921 and 1991″
The 9/11 Attacks: Understanding Al-Qaeda and the Domestic Fall-Out from America's Secret War
With American military personnel now entering service who were not even alive on 9/11, this seems an appropriate time to reexamine the events of September 11, 2001 – the opaque motives for the attacks, the equally opaque motives for the counter-offensive by the United States and its allies known as the Global War on Terror, and the domestic fall-out for Americans concerned about the erosion of their civil liberties on the homefront.
Before venturing further, it's worth noting that…
MEDICINE WHEEL: Was Seaweed Behind Japan's Initial Low COVID-19 Rates?
Source – articles.mercola.com
– "…Writing in the Journal of Applied Phycology, researchers from the University of Coimbra and Canada's Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and Environment suggested that there may be a connection and the low initial rates "were possibly related to the traditional and widespread consumption of seaweed and the regular supply of iodine in their diet"
Seaweed for SARS CoV-2 – By Dr. Joseph Mercola
Researchers are looking into seaweed extracts as potential treatments against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19
A dose response study was performed with five seaweed extracts, revealing the effective concentration that inhibits 50% of viral activity — known as EC50; a lower EC50 is indicative of a more effective extract
The results revealed that the seaweed extract RPI-27 had an EC50 of about 83 nanomolar, compared to remdesivir's 770 nanomolar
Remdesivir is an antiviral drug that has shown some promise in treating…
THEATER OF THE ABSURD: 'Technosexuals', …Talk Dirty To Me Alexa
Source – zerohedge.com
– "…U.K.-based psychologist, Lucy Beresford, wrote in The Telegraph that the number of technosexuals is increasing as their "primary source of arousal are through interacting with their tech," indicating that society is "sleepwalking into a different kind of epidemic – one of loneliness and fear of intimacy" driven partially by the lockdowns"
Rise Of 'Technosexuals' – 14% Of Men Are Aroused By Amazon Alexa
A new study commissioned by WeVibe, a sex toy company, found loneliness and anxiety during the virus-induced lockdowns has likely resulted in the emergence of "technosexuals."
Readers must be confused about what exactly the term means. Well, it turns out that anyone who is sexually attracted to machinery, robots, and or, in this case, smart-speakers, is a technosexual.
WeVibe surveyed 1,000 men and discovered 14% of respondents confessed their Amazon smart-speaker sexually aroused them.
Also known as "Alexa," Amazon's smart-speaker is no longer…
BIG BROTHER: 'It Reeks Of Orwell', The COVID Coup – By Angelo Codevilla
Source – americanmind.org
– "…From early March 2020 on, the best-known authorities on epidemics—the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control—presented the COVID-19 respiratory disease to the Western world as a danger equivalent to the plague. But China's experience, which its government obfuscated, had already shown that the COVID-19 virus is much less like the plague and more like the flu. All that has happened since followed from falsifying this basic truth"
"It Reeks Of Orwell" The COVID Coup (How to unlock Ourselves) – By Angelo Codevilla
Panicked by fears manufactured by the ruling class, the American people assented to being put essentially under house arrest until further notice, effectively suspending the habits, preferences, and liberties that had defined our way of life. Most Americans have suffered economic damage. Many who do not enjoy protected status have had careers ended and been reduced to penury. Social strains and…
9/11: A Conspiracy Theory — The Mad Truther
TRANSCRIPT: On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 men armed with boxcutters directed by a man on dialysis in a cave fortress halfway around the world using a satellite phone and a laptop directed the most sophisticated penetration of the most heavily-defended airspace in the world, overpowering the passengers and the military combat-trained pilots on 4 commercial aircraft before flying those planes wildly off course for over an hour without being molested by a single fighter interceptor.
These 19 hijackers, devout religious fundamentalists who liked to drink alcohol, snort cocaine, and live with pink-haired strippers, managed to knock down 3 buildings with 2 planes in New York, while in Washington a pilot who couldn't handle a single engine Cessna was able to fly a 757 in an 8,000 foot descending 270 degree corskscrew turn to come exactly level with the ground, hitting the…
Original 9-11 Footage Media "Lost"
Dylan Eleven Truth11.com
Truth11 would like to remind us all that no planes were used to bring down the twin towers or the pentagon. Below is clear, UN-edited footage. See for yourself.
First the pentagon, this is the missing camera footage that the media lost and could not show. It shows clearly a missile flying by, not a plane.
And Second the twin towers showing an explosion clearly without a plane hitting the second building. The official narrative has inserted a digital plane. See for yourself. This footage shows clearly without doubt that no planes were used. See min 2:03 on the left tower.
Via https://truth11.com/2020/09/11/on-the-anniversary-of-9-11-we-remind-us-all-that-no-planes-were-used-two-videos-showing-the-real-footage/
Indigenous Activists Fight Climate Change
Immunto (Change)
Island Reach Foundation (2020)
This is a documentary about indigenous activism against climate change and growing collaboration between Third and First World activists to minimize and mitigate catastrophic climate change.
The indigenous communities featured are from Vanuatu, Morocco, Uganda, and Vietnam.
Owing to rising sea levels and a loss of protective coral reefs, the islands of Vanuatu are facing flooding of coastal homes and loss of crops due to salinization* of their soils. They also face more frequent and devastating tropical storms. Their climate activists are working to regenerate their reefs via a process known as "coral gardening." They are also replanting forests and trying to strengthen ties with first world activists.
Morocco and Uganda are experiencing increased desertification due to decreased rainfall. In Morocco, activists are trying a new technology called "fog harvesting." They use finely woven nets to trap rainwater, which they collect and…


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Q: How to hide audio source in viewpage source just like spotify or soundcloud does? I am making a music player using javascript but want to hide the music source in the view page source code. How do I make sure that no one is able to download the EXCLUSIVE music?
Thanks !

A: The short answer: You simply cannot! On the internet everything is freely accessible.
The long answer: All you can do is make it pretty hard for someone to get to that information. This can be done by code obfuscation (Try https://obfuscator.io/) and hiding the information, so it is not obviously visible. (Some websites add enough whitespace at the top of their source code, so if the source code view is opened by a non expert, it looks like it is empty.) But any expert with enough time and effort will find the content in the end.
If someone uses the network tab in the browsers developer tools (CTRL + SHIFT + I), the incoming and outgoing requests are visible. There are even more sophisticated network sniffers, like Fiddler or Wireshark, which offer to save packages to the harddisk.
Some modern streaming websites provide the content with streaming servers, which makes it a little bit harder to get the streamed content, but even that is possible, by downloading all the chunks and combining them. (Even content poisened with DRM can be downloaded, by just playing it and recording the screen.)


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Home > Population Heath Science > Psychology > Psychology Articles > 14
Ethical approval for national studies in Ireland: an illustration of current challenges.
Mary Smith, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Frank Doyle, Royal College of Surgeons in IrelandFollow
Hannah McGee, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Davida De La Harpe, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Cardiology Service, Hospital, Data Collection, Decision Making, Organizational, Ethical Review, Ethics Committees, Research, Ethics, Research, Health Services Research, Hospitals, Public, Humans, Ireland, Multicenter Studies as Topic, Tissue and Organ Procurement
"This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Irish Journal of Medical Science. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02914559".
BACKGROUND: Ethical approval of research projects is, appropriately, an essential prerequisite in health settings. AIMS: This paper outlines difficulties encountered with procedures for gaining ethical approval for two multicentre surveys in Ireland.
METHODS: The experiences of two national surveys were documented. RESULTS: Delays in processing ethics applications led to substantial delays in both surveys. Research ethics committees (RECs) assessed applications in an idiosyncratic manner.
CONCLUSION: In Ireland, there is currently no accepted mechanism for single location ethical approval for multicentre studies. Instead, they require separate approval from all participating centres. The challenges of this system of application to multiple committees are outlined in this paper, and possible solutions presented.
Education | Psychology
Smith M, Doyle F, McGee HM, De La Harpe D. Ethical approval for national studies in Ireland: an illustration of current challenges. Irish Journal of Medical Science 2004;173(2):72-4.
http://epubs.rcsi.ie/psycholart/14
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