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Q: DocumentDb Identity Provider for ASP.NET Core I am trying to provide authorization to the user, using DocumentDb at the backend - But I am unable to find any resources regarding the same.  The documentation provided is for SQL based ones (https://docs.asp.net/en/latest/security/authentication/identity.html).
Any help?

A: To provide you with a starting point, there are several important issues to bear in mind when looking at using Identity with ASP.Net Core:
Framework Compatibility
You mention that you will be using ASP.Net Core, and this can be used with either .Net Core, or the 'full' .Net Framework (e.g. .Net Framework 4.5.1), which can be specified in your project.json under the frameworks property.
The Microsoft DocumentDB native .Net client does not support .Net Core; so, you must configure ASP.Net Core to target the 'full' .Net Framework. If you are unsure how to do this, you can create a new project in Visual Studio 2015, and select the 'ASP.Net Core (.Net Framework)' Project Template; the project.json will have its framework property correctly configured for you.
'Identity' Version
There are several versions of ASP.Net Identity; be aware when selecting a provider, that most currently reference ASP.Net Identity 2.2.1; however, the latest version is 3, released alongside ASP.Net Core, supported by the NuGet package Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity 1.0.0, which has some differences and additional features. (Note that you can use this latter package with the full .Net Framework.)
No Official Implementation
Microsoft has decided not to create an official DocumentDB implementation for ASP.Net Identity, citing that 'there are two community projects available' (reference here)
Third-Party Support
Of the available third-party implementations, this one by Adrian Fernandez is the most widely used that provides support for ASP.Net Identity 3 using the Microsoft native DocumentDB client. Samples are included in the GitHub repository. (Please see update below.)
Example Usage
An example of using this DocumentDB provider with ASP.Net, including additional features, can be found here.
An additional example of using ASP.Net Core with the Microsoft DocumentDB provider can be found here.
I have written my own Identity 3 provider for DocumentDB; if I release this on GitHub I will update this answer with a link.
UPDATE 19/04/2017
For those looking for a solution, I now recommend the AspNetCore.Identity.DocumentDb project by Bernhard Koenig. It is feature-complete, includes Unit Tests, and a sample ASP.Net Core project. Also available via Nuget. It supports netstandard1.6 an net46 profiles.

A: my understanding is the Microsoft made it possible to use Mongo drivers with DocumentDb so maybe you could use this Mongo implementation for asp.net core identity
or google further for existing work that others may have done in this direction.
To implement it yourself you would need to implement at minimum IUserStore and IRoleStore you can also refer to the EF implementations UserStore and RoleStore for inspiration and guidance on implementing those.

A: The best solution would be using a DocumentDB provider for the .NET Core Identity framework. But there were none so far which is why I created AspNetCore.Identity.DocumentDB and decided to publish it on GitHub under the MIT license.
It is a port of an existing mongodb provider for .NET Core Identity and stores Claims, Tokens & Logins as nested objects. Although one could use DocumentDB with a mongodb interface it's recommended to use the native SDK if possible.
The library is already quite stable and available as a NuGet package.
Notice:
The DocumentDB SDK for C# itself does not support .NET Core as a target platform in the stable release. Fortunately Microsoft is already working on adding .NET Core support and published a preview of the DocumentDB SDK with :NET Standard support at the Connect(); 2016 event.
AspNetCore.Identity.DocumentDB supports both SDKs.
.NET Standard is a specification of APIs that should be available on all .NET runtimes and is currently supported by .NET Core and .NET Framework.


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Lagos begins move to equip one million youths with digital skills
Tokunbo Wahab
Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government has begun move to equip one million youths in the State with cyber security and other digital skills, necessary for crime prevention and youths development.
This is part of the measures to protect investments of over 20 million Lagosians from cyber criminals.
Aside from cybersecurity, the state government stated that it was equally empowering youths with skills in digital marketing, entrepreneurship, Python and other programming that conformed with the 21st century Digital age requirement.
Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Education, Tokunbo Wahab who disclosed this on Tuesday while conducting journalists round various Digital Skills Centres, stated that the initiative is aimed at producing more tech-savvy Lagosians,.
He disclosed that over 5,000 youths were currently undergoing training across its 11 centres.
Tokunbo stated that the ongoing digital skills development programme was part of Sanwo-Olu's development agenda aimed at empowering youths and young students across primary and secondary schools within the state.
The Special Adviser added that the training was the second phase of the three phases programme designed to build a system that ensured that youths did not need to wait for employment after their education, rather they become employers of labour as well as solution providers for Nigeria, especially Lagos State.
Phase one of the programme, according to him, is in-school which catered for schoolchildren in both public and private schools, second phase is for the out-of-school; the varsity education seekers, and the third phase is the in-school.
He further disclosed that during the phase one of the scheme, pupils from 720 public and private schools respectively were empowered with the required digital skills, building an army of pupils that are tech-savvy.
He said: "For next year, we are trying to do three phases. And that is the In-school (phase one), Out of school (phase two ) and the in-school (third phase). Our target is to ensure that at least 1million people benefitted from the initiative."
On the inclusion of cybersecurity in the curriculum, the governor's aide noted that it was aimed at deepening the entire empowerment exercise to make youths relevant in the global digital market and become solution providers for 21st century Lagos.
He noted that the government designed the training in compliance with the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) and to also provide human capacity for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in their anti-graft war.
According to him, "there is a lot that we are doing backdoor that we cannot say publicly due to security reasons. And that is why the State Government has been consistent in all its youth empowerment programmes towards a better future and crime free society."
The special adviser hinted that plans are afoot to ensure that different agencies and firms engage anyone certified under the programme in the state.
"We have told the consultants to help engage the best of the lots and some of those that were training the new students were some that have graduated through the scheme and they are not doing this for free.
"We are also trying to ensure that some of the ICT companies engage them. We are not only going to give them that knowledge but also ensure that they could be fixed up in their chosen field".
Earlier, Assistant Project Coordinator, LoftInc Allied Partners Limited, the organisation collaborating with the State Government on the programme, Olatokunbo Aiyenimelo, explained that the training was fully paid for by the government and that it also made the training easy for the trainees.
Tags: Lagos State government Tokunbo Wahab

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Toronto Marlies Re-Sign Hudson Elynuik
The Toronto Marlies announced today that the hockey club has signed forward Hudson Elynuik to a one-year AHL contract.
Elynuik, 22, recorded 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 53 games with the Marlies this season. He split the 2018-19 season between the Marlies and the Newfoundland Growlers (ECHL). The Calgary, Alberta native registered one goal in 10 games with the Marlies, while recording 28 points (9 goals, 19 assists) in 33 games with the Growlers.
He added 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) in 16 playoff games and won the Kelly Cup championship in 2019. Elynuik was originally drafted in the third round (74th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Toronto Marlies are the primary development program for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Toronto Maple Leafs roster at the end of the regular season featured 12 players who were developed with the Marlies (Travis Dermott, Pierre Engvall, Frederik Gauthier, Justin Holl, Zach Hyman, Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen, Martin Marincin, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Calle Rosen and Rasmus Sandin).


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#ifndef __TestCpp__UISliderTest_Editor__
#define __TestCpp__UISliderTest_Editor__

#include "../UIScene_Editor.h"

DEFINE_TEST_SUITE(UISliderEditorTests);

class UISliderTest_Editor : public UIScene_Editor
{
public:
    CREATE_FUNC(UISliderTest_Editor);

    UISliderTest_Editor();
    ~UISliderTest_Editor();

    virtual bool init() override;
    void sliderEvent(cocos2d::Ref* sender, cocos2d::ui::Slider::EventType type);
    virtual void configureGUIScene() override;

protected:
    cocos2d::ui::Text* _displayValueLabel;
};

#endif /* defined(__TestCpp__UISliderTest_Editor__) */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Vancouver's KiAN Concert Sound Services Adds New L-Acoustics K2/Kara System
The company will also soon be granted L-Acoustics Certified Provider status upon completion of mandatory in-depth product training.
Mark Reimann of KiAN Concert Sound Services pictured with his company's recent shipment of K2, Kara, KS28, LA-RAK II and other new L-Acoustics products. (Photo credit: Mary Beck)
In 1997, KiAN Concert Sound Services in Vancouver became the first Canadian company west of Toronto to own an L-Acoustics V-DOSC system, and now, more than two decades later, the sound reinforcement provider has re-invested in L-Acoustics with a new system built on K2 and Kara.
Sharing inventory between its Vancouver and Seattle area locations, KiAN's latest system complement, delivered in May, is comprised of 48 K2 and 24 Kara enclosures, 24 KS28, eight K1-SB and four SB18 subs, 10 LA-RAK II touring racks — each loaded with three LA12X amplified controllers — and three Milan-certified P1 AVB processors. In tandem with the purchase, the company will soon be granted L-Acoustics Certified Provider status (CPr) upon completion of the mandatory in-depth product training that has been delayed due to current COVID-19 travel restrictions.
"We purchased V-DOSC 23 years ago and our system continues to give us great ROI," says KiAN President and Owner Mark Reimann, who first joined the company in 1985. "It's been out on tour with Willie Nelson and ZZ Top and used at the Merritt Mountain and Squamish Valley Music Festivals, just to name a few clients over the years. We also installed V-DOSC at the iconic Commodore Ballroom in 1997, and it's still in use there, demonstrating the quality, reliability and long-term rider acceptability of the L-Acoustics product."
KiAN president/owner Mark Reimann (left) and general manager Derek Mahaffey (right) with many of the company's newest L-Acoustics components. (Photo credit: Mary Beck )
Based on this success with V-DOSC and recommendations from its engineers, the company again turned to L-Acoustics. "We're always looking toward the future and seeking better ways to support our customers, so earlier this year, when the timing was right for us to grow our inventory with new loudspeaker systems, it was not a hard decision," concludes KiAN general manager Derek Mahaffey. "We love the power-to-weight ratio of K2, and with how light the enclosure is, we feel it will be the perfect solution to a common problem where other PAs are too heavy to achieve the vertical coverage needed. Our clients are all very happy to hear that we've added it to our inventory and they're looking forward to using it soon."
KiAN Concert Sound Services
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Ashly Audio Partnering With Electro-Acoustics Systems For Southeast Asia Distribution
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RØDE Founder & Chairman Peter Freedman AM Makes $5 Million Donation To Sydney Festival
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NAMM Presenting Interviews With Melissa Etheridge & Gibson President/CEO JC Curleigh
NAMM President/CEO Joe Lamond talking with Etheridge about how artists connect with fans and Curleigh about the state of the industry and more.
KMD Productions Presenting Webinar Focusing On "How To Network In An Industry In Turmoil"
Panel of industry veterans to address the importance of information and service exchange in the music and entertainment industry next Wednesday, January 13.


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Ironclad Evidence
Iron-deficient women can boost their aerobic capacity by simply increasing their iron intake.
By Jane Unger Hahn
Most women know that anemia can sap their strength and wreak havoc on their running. But few realize that even marginal iron deficiency can impair aerobic performance. The silver lining? Iron-deficient women can boost their aerobic capacity by simply increasing their iron intake.
Researchers at Cornell University studied the aerobic performance of 41 women who were iron-deficient, but not anemic. Half of the women were given iron supplements while the other half received a placebo for 6 weeks. All of the women trained on stationary bikes for the last 4 weeks of the study. Ultimately, both groups saw improvements in muscle endurance and maximum VO2, but the women who received the iron supplements experienced significantly greater improvements in maximum VO2.
Most important to women runners, this study clearly indicates that you don't have to be anemic to still experience a decrease in aerobic capacity. "Since there may be at least twice as many women who are iron-deficient without anemia as there are women who are anemic, the impact of this problem may be widespread," says Jere D. Haas, Ph.D., professor and director of the division of nutritional sciences at Cornell University, and one of the study authors.
So what's the best way to boost your iron status? Improve your diet.
Reach for meat. The iron found in red meat is best absorbed by the body, so shoot for two servings of lean red meat per week.
Stock up on vitamin C. This vitamin helps boost iron absorption when eaten at the same time as other iron-containing foods. An easy way to do this is to drink citrus juices when you eat iron-rich foods such as meat, beans, whole grains, and fortified cereals.
Watch what you drink with your meals. The tannins in beverages such as red wine, coffee, and tea can interfere with iron absorption.
Use cast-iron cookware. Using cast-iron cookware increases the iron content of foods. The more acidic the food, and the longer it is cooked, the more iron will leech into it.
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Being a Creative Director myself now, I see just how important communication is within an agency -- things get complex quickly and it's important not to miss any crucial details. Tasks need to be communicated efficiently, seamlessly, and constantly. Creativity thrives on innovation Even after 20 years, it seems like some things in advertising have remained unchanged. When we lack the resources, we still end up giving larger scopes of work to the same group of people. However, we are now equipped with better ways to solve this issue.
As soon as the AE got to the shoot, he was overwhelmed and immediately created a Google Hangouts session and shared the Jam session (download Jamboard App now for Android and iOS on a phone or tablet to start real-time collaboration.) As a result, we communicated altogether via Jamboard. He shared with us the four different outfits the stylist had in mind and the photos immediately appeared on the digital whiteboard in our conference room. The Art Director was able to immediately discuss the options with the copywriter. After selecting the best photo, they were able to collaborate on-screen by enlarging the image, rotating it, and adding a frame. They were even able to draw and write directly on the screen.


For Immediate Release, January 30, 2018, Winnipeg, MB … The Winnipeg New Music Festival resounded with an exceptional opening weekend, infused by the thrilling presence of living legend Philip Glass and attracting audiences numbering over 4,000 in total. Opening night on Saturday, January 27 featured the Canadian premieres of Glass' Symphony No. 11 and Björk's Family, as well as new works by Canadian icon Michael Snow, and WSO composer-in-residence Harry Stafylakis. Sunday evening saw an equally enthusiastic crowd for a transporting performance of Glass' complete Piano Études featuring pianists Jenny Lin, Vicky Chow, Jónas Sen, local favourite Madeline Hildebrand, and Philip Glass himself. And the enthusiasm continued for Monday night's concert, Through the Looking Glass, at Westminster United Church, which had been sold out weeks in advance. Winnipeg choirs Polycoro and Camerata Nova presented excerpts from Philip Glass' ioperas, along with the world premiere of Orphic Hymn by Iceland's Jóhann Jóhannsson and several other stunning works in a powerfully-eclectic concert exploring identity, politics, and spirituality.
There are many more Festival highlights to come, including the world premiere of Philip Glass' String Quartet No. 8 with the JACK Quartet, deemed "superheroes of the new music world" by The Boston Globe. The concert on Thursday, February 1 also features works for string quartet by Sabrina Schroeder (Canada/UK) and Brian Ferneyhough (UK/USA), and the Canadian premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas' (Austria/USA) stunningly hypnotic String Quartet No. 9, performed in total darkness.
The JACK Quartet joins the WSO the next evening, Friday, February 2, for The Next World, performing the Canadian premiere of Pascal Dusapin's (France) virtuosic Hinterland for string quartet and orchestra. Also featured is rising star Samy Moussa's Symphony No. 1, Concordia, which recently premiered to huge acclaim with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Kent Nagano, The WSO also performs WNMF alumna Cassandra Miller's (Canada/UK) new work Round.
Tuesday night's concert, January 30, is devoted to Orchestral Voices of the Future – the performance of the winning work of the 2018 Canadian Music Centre Prairie Region Emerging Composer Competition, and new works from the six participants of the WNMF Composers Institute (wnmf.ca/ci). Audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session after the performance.
The concert on Wednesday night, January 31 is Dark Matter, featuring a highly-anticipated premiere for orchestra and choir by Iceland's Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, who will be in attendance. The evening includes two other orchestral works: the Canadian premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Symphony No. 3; and the premiere of the WSO-commissioned #DryColdConversations by Winnipeg's Karen Sunabacka.
Directly following the official festival, on Saturday, February 3, is the premiere of a new, live film score to Dawson City: Frozen Time. Film director Bill Morrison pieces together the bizarre history of a long-lost collection of 533 nitrate film prints from the early 1990s. The Dawson City Collection was uncovered in 1978 when a bulldozer dug up a horde of film cans. These permafrost-protected, rare silent films and newsreels, paired with archival footage, interviews, and historical photographs, get a new live score by Sigur Rós producer/collaborator Alex Somers (of Jonsi and Alex, and Riceboy Sleeps). In collaboration with Jazz Winnipeg.
Continuing throughout the week, the WNMF is stepping out into the daylight for bite-sized, free performances during the lunch hour around Winnipeg: wnmf.ca/in-the-community. Festival goers also have numerous opportunities to discover Portal Zero, a new 16-foot installation residing in the lobby of Centennial Concert Hall throughout WNMF. Part maze, part listening booth, part architectural marvel, Portal Zero is created in collaboration with StorefrontMB.
Previous article The Eastman Wind Ensemble (EWE) will perform with jazz saxophonist James Carter on Monday, February 5 at 8 p.m.


i360 guides organizations in achieving business results through the transformation from waterfall processes to Lean-Agile and DevOps practices.
To keep up with ever-changing business conditions and technologies, every organization must continuously improve its way of working. Our consultants provide training, coaching and consulting services to support the enterprise holistically in its Agile transformation, spreading the principles and practices of lean-agile throughout the organization, especially in the public sector.
Get prepared for the new wave in agile public sector enablement - become a certified SAFe Government Practitioner today or browse other course offerings below!
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For Scrum Masters learning about their role in a SAFe enterprise context. Learn to facilitate Team and Program Level events for successful program execution, explore Scrum in the context of the entire enterprise, and become a servant leader and coach. In this two-day class, attendees will learn how to help Agile Teams to deliver the maximum business value that is achievable through SAFe.
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The Scaled Agile Framework for the Lean Enterprise (SAFe) is a framework of proven, integrated principles and practices for integrating Lean, Agile, and DevOps practices. With the release of SAFe for Government guidance, supported by the corresponding SAFe for Government course, agency leaders will have the tools to overcome common barriers to SAFe adoption and Lean-Agile practices, enabling better results.
SAFe helps businesses address the significant challenges of developing and delivering enterprise-class software and systems in the shortest sustainable lead time. It combines the power of Agile with systems thinking and Lean product development and synchronizes alignment, collaboration, and delivery for multiple Agile teams.
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Our i360 Lean-Agile consultants and coaches lead organizational transformations from waterfall projects to lean-agile and DevOps practices. We work at all levels of your organization to create an environment of relentless improvement.
i360 offers five different SAFe certification courses. Our public SAFe training courses provide a flexible, cost-effective option for individuals or small teams to learn new skills to transform your organization. Our trainers are knowledgeable consultants with years of on-the-job experience. We also offer private, tailored training courses.


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The Legislature, the body that makes transparency laws, exempts itself from the Open Records Act. It routinely refuses to give the media and the public its emails and other records.
Important bills show up at the 11th hour, giving the people of Mississippi little chance to see them before they are enacted.
This penchant for secrecy is one reason, when pollsters asked Mississippians if they trusted state government, only 26 percent said either all the time or some of the time. It's one reason the Center for Public Integrity gave Mississippi a D- in 2015.
Secrecy also allows scandals such as the one at the Department of Corrections to fester for years before they're uncovered.
If the record-breaking Powerball jackpot has you dreaming of how you would spend the winnings — you are not alone. But where you live plays a big role in how much of the prize you would get to keep. By: Nicole L. Cvetnic and Sarah Whitmire / McCla
Mississippi does have a Transparency website and it does offer a lot of information about government spending and contracts. But navigating it isn't easy. One researcher called it impossible to figure out.
There are signs the state is changing. It tightened its campaign finance laws and ended secret meetings of public hospital boards. New State Auditor Shad White has added a website that puts that agency's contracts and requests for proposals online for all to see.
We understand there is sometimes a need for secrecy. There are children to protect, criminals to catch and negotiations that best not be carried out in public. We allow some secrecy because we trust our government. But when government takes advantage of our trust and secrecy becomes a knee jerk reaction to every problem, that trust wears thin.
Those in government should never forget who they are working for. They should let the public in on their debates and discussions whenever possible. They should make websites such as Transparency easy and inviting.
They sometimes fall short. But they show signs they get it and are improving.
Every time a lawmaker or other official comes up with a bill, we hope they leave behind those provisions that would keep the people in the dark. Instead, they should allow in a healthy dose of sunshine.
The editorial represents the views of the Sun Herald editorial board. Opinions of columnists and cartoonists are their own.
A senator reads over a bill summary of the proposed Mississippi Lottery Law, as the legislation is presented before the body in Senate Chambers, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Republican leaders have outlined a package to divert existing tax revenue, take on debt and create a lottery. Rogelio V. Solis AP
How America has changed: 225 years of statistics
Sound Off for Sept. 24: Railroad crossings in Biloxi need to be fixed
If only we all would think as I do. Then we would all live in paradise. What? You don't agree? Sorry typo, replace "I" with "You." Thought so.
Fix the crossing
Another large truck is stuck on the railroad tracks in Biloxi Ms.. When are they going to fix the tracks so large trucks and buses won't get stuck and endanger lives. Does anyone know why the city will not fix this problem?
Bill Walker needs to hold himself accountable for his actions — and pay up
Letters to the Editor for Sept. 16
We ask the Legislature to pass a lottery bill today
President Trump, we're not 'enemies of the people.' End your war on our free press
We hope Pascagoula officials have learned a lesson. It's OK to trust, but verify, too
Hey, Long Beach residents: Go out and vote and invest in your kids' future


The idiom "Stay the Course" means to persevere, endure to completion. Educators live this. Educators work diligently, and passionately, to accomplish all of their tasks in a day. Those that do so give the rest of us something to strive toward.
The reality, however, is that many days we fall short of completing our lists. Not due to lack of desire or passion but often to the reality of our work. Our days are not even close to consistent. That comes with the territory and we knew that when we took the charge to be teachers and administrators.
Furthermore, to "stay the course" we also know that one has to be self-disciplined, organized, focused and have a thorough understanding of what their end result is going to be. Character traits that we each posses at any given time without a doubt. However to apply these each day with each task, challenging at best.
Write it down. Once you have determined what your goal to accomplish is, make sure to write it down on a piece of paper, journal it or place it on an index card and post it in your office. When the tasks are big, make the post-it note even bigger. Make sure you can read what it is that you are hoping to accomplish so you have a constant reminder of where you are heading.
Find smart people, inspiring people, and surround yourself with them. I often share with others that without the support of those around me growing up, I would hardly be where I am today. Without hesitation I can give credit to certain people that were somehow placed along my path that helped guide me to where I am now. Whether a high school or college classmate, my first teaching colleagues or members of my administrative team, each person played a significant role in my success. And in todays digital world, we are connecting with those inspiration people each and every day. I make sure to find brilliant, inspirational people and surround myself with them.
inventory of where we are in the process and regroup to finish off the work that needs to get done. I am not suggesting we take long lunch breaks or drop it for a long period of time, just breathe, appreciate what has been done, and then get back to work. The more rushed you are the less productive you will be.
Fail and move on. We have all heard the stories of the Abe Lincoln and his lack of success with voters prior to his Presidency. The story of Michael Jordan being passed over for his basketball team. And of course, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and the stories of how their success came via a less then "traditional" academic path. The reality is that we are each going to fail from time to time. And, the harder we work and the more the more failures we will endure. Accept that it is a part of the process. The challenge therefore is simply to learn from those failures and move on. As we tell our own children as they stumble in life, "pick yourself up and brush yourself off". Failure is part of the process.
If want something bad enough, go out and fight for it.
Or, as Theodore Roosevelt shared; Nothing in life is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty...".
So as you progress through your tasks each day or each week, remember to keep focused on what it is you truly want to get accomplished. Many great ideas have fallen short of coming to fruition because the mind behind the idea lost its way. If you believe in what it is you have set out to do, then finish what you have started.
It is those that stay the course that bring the greatest success to their own lives and those around them.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful post. I'm constantly rethinking what I do and setting new goals. This year, in a new position, I'm finding I'm constantly having to pause, reflect, adjust, and take new steps. When I started the year working in primary reading intervention, I had set goals to work toward strengthening and developing the reading community in our school. I knew I wanted the readers I work with each day to feel connected to other readers, authors, and books. While I have put some of these ideas in place, there is still more to do.
Your clear suggestions here will help me to take the next steps. I have always written goals down, but I am grateful for the suggestion to post them where I can see them. That's something I don't always do and know that looking at the goals will help to remind me of what I hope to accomplish and keep it in the forefront of my thinking. Thanks for the thoughtful suggestions to help me stay the course.
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Don't Make Resolutions, Make Promises.
Thanks to You, I Learned.
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February 25th - March 3rd, 2018.
Known to be an organized and detail–oriented yogi, business skills came naturally to Devinder. As a child, she played shop selling peaches and cherries from her Grandmother's garden in British Columbia, where she grew up. Her work ethic flourished as a teenager, and she opened her first retail business at age 21 while earning degrees in Political Science and Business Administration from the University of Victoria.
Today, with over 25 years of experience as a self–employed business owner and business/IT consultant, she is a much requested presenter on television programs, at local and national Yoga and Women's conferences, and travels extensively as a guest trainer for Hatha and Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training programs.


Who Is Responsible for Puerto Rico's Debt?
There's evidence some of it is illegal—and activists agree that Washington's colonial control over the island's economy helped create the crisis.
Hillary Clinton's decisive victory over Bernie Sanders in the Puerto Rico Democratic primary on Sunday was not surprising. She won for the same reason she enjoys strong support from blacks and Latinos in the States: Previously established political networks that get out the vote, and the loyalty to local leaders and elected officials, translate into her margin of victory. Despite his more progressive policies, Sanders is not strongly enough embedded in this ground-level political discourse.
Yet the positions they take on Puerto Rico represent two competing strands in the fight to save the island from Republicans in Congress, who want to impose conservative, pro-business economic growth models, and hedge- and vulture-fund owners, who want to have their way with Puerto Rico's wealth and people. Clinton reluctantly endorses a debt-restructuring bill that would impose a fiscal-oversight board with colonial powers; Sanders favors emergency action from the Treasury Department in the form of loans and access to Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
There is a general consensus for many of the parties involved in the rapidly unfolding drama known as the Puerto Rican debt crisis that July 1 represents the clock striking midnight, the point at which we enter the potential chaos of unbridled bondholder lawsuits and even more draconian government cuts in services to the unincorporated territory inhabited by 3.5 million US citizens. At that point, Puerto Rico is expected to default on an $800 million debt payment of general-obligation bonds, which will spur the owners of that debt—whose payment is given priority over other governmental expenditures by the island's Constitution—into legal action. This was ostensibly the impetus for the House Committee on Natural Resources to release the final version of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act, a k a PROMESA, on May 18, a bipartisan effort that drew sharp responses from various interest groups on the right and left.
The debt-crisis battle features a dizzying array of combatants: First are the bondholders, who are roughly divided into hedge- and vulture-fund owners mainly invested in what is called COFINA debt, which is secured by a share of the island's 11.5 percent sales tax; and other hedge fund and mutual-fund owners, who own general obligation (GO) bonds.
The latter group, represented by the lobbying efforts of the Koch-brothers-backed America Future Fund, Main Street Bondholders and 60 Plus organizations, supposedly consists of "average" Puerto Rican and US senior-citizen bondholders. But as The New York Times wrote last December, "Puerto Ricans own less than one-fifth of the island's debt," and "most of the group's revenue comes from a few large, anonymous contributors." Koch-affiliated groups are not happy with the PROMESA bill because it requires restructuring of the GO debt, even though it is backed by Puerto Rican constitutional guarantees, and they have voiced loud displeasure.
Even though Senator Bob Menéndez called the PROMESA bill "neocolonial," several members of the Hispanic caucus endorsed it.
Vulture-fund groups, many of whom bought bonds as cheaply as 30 cents on the dollar and which have more to gain by the potential of acquiring government-owned assets as part of a settlement, seem to be happy with the bill. Democrats like Nancy Pelosi strongly backed PROMESA because the bill "achieved a restructuring process that can work," even with its poison pill of austerity measures that include lowering the minimum wage to $4.25 for workers under 25 (if the governor chooses to enact this provision). Republicans like the sharply conservative Puerto Rico–born Raúl Labrador and Rob Bishop, who shepherded the bill through the House as committee chair, are satisfied, since the bill left out any provision for healthcare parity and satisfied the Republican mantra of shrinking government spending and mandating a business-friendly economic growth plan.
But Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro García Padilla, who in April signed on to an emergency moratorium law justifying the island's default on a $422 million payment due on May 1—along with many mainstream island politicians, activists, labor unions, and community groups—is deeply unhappy about PROMESA's fiscal-oversight board. The board became a fait accompli in Congress after the failure of repeated attempts by Puerto Rico's non-voting representative in the House, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, to gain support for his debt-restructuring bill after it was attacked as a "bailout" by bondholder lobbyists.
The seven-member oversight board—four of whom would be appointed by Republicans, two by Democrats, and one by the president, with only one required to maintain a residence in Puerto Rico—would have so much authority over the island's fiscal and governmental affairs that it is seen as a throwback to the early days of US colonial rule, when the governor was a US military officer appointed by the president and the legislature was divided into an upper and lower house, with the upper house completely controlled by Washington.
Despite some pushback from Representative Luis Gutiérrez and Senator Bob Menéndez, who called the PROMESA bill "neocolonial," several members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have endorsed it. "When measured against the worsening crisis in Puerto Rico, this legislation is necessary," said Representative Raúl Grijalva, an outspoken immigration-reform activist, like Gutiérrez. So there is a growing sense in the Beltway media echo-chamber that Washington has spoken on the issue, and all Puerto Rico has left is to hope the bill passes to begin an orderly process of debt restructuring, with at least a temporary stay in legal action by bondholders. But all this posturing reflects little or no sense of what Puerto Ricans think or how they may react if the bill is signed into law. The rhetorical flourish on PROMESA is that it will "save" Puerto Rico, but a growing chorus is not convinced, and is challenging the colonial dynamic, as well as the legality of the debt itself.
The gathering at 32BJ was a response to the over-emphasis on Congress and to previous attempts to organize the diaspora, including one held in New York just a few weeks before at Hunter College's Center for Puerto Rican Studies. The Hunter event featured a panel with Antonio Weiss—Treasury Secretary Jack Lew's point person on the debt crisis—that heavily centered on Diaspo-Rican elected officials like US Representatives Luis Gutiérrez, Nydia Velásquez, and José Serrano, as well as emerging leaders like New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
Weiss, although perceived by some Democrats as representing Puerto Rico's interests in fighting for pensioners' priorities and advocating for Democratic proposals like an earned-income tax credit, was the subject of a Hedge Clippers report last September. That report questioned his impartiality, in view of the fact that Weiss went from a position at Lazard Frères, a firm that had been active in buying Puerto Rican debt, to his job at Treasury—for which he was opposed by Elizabeth Warren in 2014, who was very uncomfortable with Weiss's mergers and acquisitions background. Weiss, who received a $21.2 million golden parachute from Lazard upon leaving, has an eclectic history as both an investment banker and former publisher of The Paris Review, which suggests that he might be a more liberal thinker. But as Warren argued, the overrepresentation of the Wall Street view is not desirable in domestic economic policymaking.
The Debt: Odious… and Illegal?
One of the great ironies of the debt crisis is that following its victory over Spain in 1898, the United States successfully argued against responsibility for debts incurred by Spain when Washington was granted possession of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. This was so-called "odious debt," because it had not been incurred in the interests of the people in those colonies. While in some senses one could argue that the debt taken on by the Puerto Rican government over the past few decades was in the interest of the people, since it kept government operating and provided services, some argue that aspects of it are illegal, and could thus be annulled in court.
A government commission that authorized a debit audit found several possible illegalities.
Figueroa felt that auditing the debt was key in Vamos4PR's fight to prevent Washington—heavily lobbied by bondholders—from determining the island's fate. "We need to have a forensic investigation independently of those who issued the debt, of those who own the debt, of those who are speculating with the debt, to understand the extent to which this debt is chaining the people of Puerto Rico to a future of misery and poverty," he insisted in his speech at the 32BJ teach-in.
Puerto Rico labor leader Roberto Pagán, who participated in the teach-in, agreed. "I haven't met with treasury or Antonio Weiss. I think that he is wrong, and we are looking for the opportunity to sit down and present our vision, including audit of the debt," he said in a phone interview with The Nation. Pagán is also the president of a government commission established last July that authorized an audit of the last 45 years of government bond transactions. But the commission has suffered from underfunding, and only began operating in January of this year.
On June 1 the commission released what it called a "Pre-audit Survey" of the two most recent debt issues, the spectacular $3.5 billion general-obligation bond sale of 2014, which took place after the bonds were graded as junk by major ratings agencies, and one issued in 2015. The report contained several findings that suggest possible illegalities: Throughout the crisis it has been casually stated that the Puerto Rican government ran into trouble because it borrowed to cover deficits; indeed, has borrowed over $30 billion to do so, and may have been doing it since 1979. But the report points out that the island's Constitution "explicitly prohibits" budget deficits.
There's more: The audit commission found that Puerto Rico is spending somewhere between 14 and 25 percent of government revenues on debt repayment—this is significant, because the Constitution prohibits spending more than 15 percent. It also prohibits most bond sales that would mature more than 30 years after their issue, yet the commission found that, because of the terms of the 2014 sale, debt issued in 1987 will not be paid off until 2035, 48 years later. This practice of refinancing mature debt with new debt, called "scoop and toss," seems to be systematic.
The debt-audit strategy—taken up by Argentina and Greece during their debt crises—gained strength last October when Hostos Community College professor and lawyer Nelson Torres-Ríos brought up the 1885 Litchfield v. Ballou case, which held that bonds created in violation of a municipal debt limit do not have to be repaid. In the Detroit bankruptcy proceedings, according to the pre-audit survey, Litchfield, among other cases, was used to show how evasion of the debt limit could invalidate some debt.
The Puerto Rican government's failure to issue financial statements and provide information about the most recent bond sales has led to public pressure for information, as symbolized by the suit by Puerto Rico's Center for Investigative Journalism demanding details of the $3.5 billion issue in 2014. Despite a ruling in the center's favor almost a year ago, the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank has not released the information. By June 2, the center, with support from various civil society groups, had helped arrange three public hearings supporting the creation of a transparency law.
There are two Supreme Court cases, to be ruled on soon, that may affect the debate. One of them is the appeal to last year's court ruling that struck down Governor García Padilla's 2014 Puerto Rico Public Corporations Debt Enforcement and Recovery Act. That bill attempted to set the terms of debt restructuring in the absence of bankruptcy protection for Puerto Rico, which was mysteriously taken away by Congress in 1984. The other is Puerto Rico v. Sánchez Valle. A favorable ruling in Sánchez would acknowledge that Puerto Rico does indeed have the limited autonomy supposedly granted in its 1952 Constitution, which would give the island the right to restructure its own debt.
Another possibility available for Puerto Rico is pushing the executive branch to act. This has been done by Representatives Nydia Velázquez and Luis Gutiérrez and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders; all have brought up the fact that the Federal Reserve can be "creative" by lending money to Puerto Rico to buy back some of its debt and force creditors to sell at a discount. But that would, of course, be perceived as a "bailout," which is one word that Democrats seem desperate to avoid during an election year, not to mention that it is one of the GOP's unflagging talking points about "wasteful government spending." This would also seem to explain the lack of "political will" President Obama seems to have in taking executive action.
One very sensitive issue is how resolution of Puerto Rico's debt crisis will affect the stability of the troubled municipal-bond market; there could be a ripple effect on other distressed municipalities in the United States (New Jersey Governor and Trump booster Chris Christie had been pushing for a fiscal-control board for Atlantic City, but a recent compromise granted the state "broad authority" in monitoring its finances). In remarks to a C-SPAN panel of reporters last month, Rob Bishop made it very clear that PROMESA was designed so as not to set a precedent for any debt problems in the states.
Some might hope that this drawn-out drama has been part of a strategy: that Obama has been biding his time this election year. But, as Antonio Weiss says, we're running out of time. The July 1 default could trigger a cycle of hospital closures, electric-grid instability, infrastructural collapse, and emergency-service breakdowns. In addition, the government pension fund is $43.2 billion in debt. Even under PROMESA, public-sector pensions won't be protected, which means they could be severely cut. This would trigger a crisis among the island's increasingly elderly population, much of which was employed by the government.
The debt crisis has certainly allowed presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to further distinguish himself from Hillary Clinton. In a statement issued last month, the Vermont senator denounced PROMESA's proposed control board as an ugly manifestation of Puerto Rico's colonial reality. He has since proposed legislation that would allow the Federal Reserve to grant Puerto Rico loans and bankruptcy protection. Hillary Clinton has merely expressed concern about the powers of the fiscal-oversight board and the threat to the island's minimum wage; she says "we must move forward on the legislation," because there is seemingly no other option than the House bill to alleviate Puerto Rican suffering.
It's unclear whether Clinton's position is related to the fact that some vulture- and hedge-fund operators have been major contributors to her campaign. They include Marc Lasry, who as late as last November was continuing to buy up Puerto Rico bonds. Two weeks ago, she lost the support of the progressive Mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, and LGBT activist Pedro Julio Serrano. In withdrawing their endorsement, both cited Clinton's lack of opposition to the oversight board. She did, however just win the endorsement of Governor García Padilla.
What progressives in the United States and Puerto Rico agree on is that pressure must be put on Washington to own up to its responsibility in the debt crisis. Washington's colonial control over the country's economy helped create this situation; UCLA professor César Ayala says that Puerto Rico would rank next to last on a list of world countries in GNP-to-GDP ratio. Only $67 billion out of the island's $100 billion in earnings stays in Puerto Rico. Ayala estimates that between 2004 and 2013, US multinationals repatriated $313 billion from Puerto Rico, which is enough to repay the debt fourfold.
While everyone agrees there is a shared responsibility for the crisis, and that a series of elected Puerto Rican governments played a role in continuing to amass debt, it can also be argued that they had no choice and were acting much like many US state governments and municipalities in recent years. Such an obvious failure should not be a reason for Puerto Ricans on the island or on the mainland to accept the odious imposition of PROMESA's fiscal-oversight board. Of course, even if the bill passes the House, it could be softened in the Senate. But for now, there is a growing consensus, among mainstream politicians and grassroots activists here and on the island, that it must be rejected, and that Congress is gravely mistaken if it thinks this will save Puerto Rico.


Mother to me, sister and brother (after I canceled Thanksgiving late last night because I just can't even this week with the kiddo, the job, the pain in my leg and other assorted whineries): It's too late for me to defrost a turkey, so I got asparagus, butternut squash, salad and chicken piccata from Costco. I'm expecting you and Daniel.
Me (18 hours later, texting a friend in protest): Doesn't Costco sell unfrozen turkeys? We don't like Chechen placentas.
I'm so glad that you're coming tomorrow. So, so glad. Words really do fail. But I'd feel bad if I didn't try to explain some stuff that has happened. Try to remember, I've been sick, and the inmates have been running the asylum.
There's some bright yellow hair superglued to the kitchen counter. Don't be alarmed. I think it was an Easter egg mishap before I grabbed the glue stick and took away the Kragl. The men thought superglue was, well, super. And please don't mistake that for the bright pink spots on the counter. Daniel's new babyistter is amazing, and yesterday they made brownies with homemade frosting. With hot pink food coloring in it. Without asking me.
Daniel's bathroom is a mess. Try as I might, his aim (at the toilet) and mine (to keep the bathroom remotely sanitary) remain out of sync (paraphrasing Friend there). Brendan mentioned a puddle near the trash can on Friday, and then he mentioned it was gone. I don't know what that means; maybe he cleaned it up, maybe it dried up. I haven't looked. And believe it or not, I do scrape the toothpaste out of his sink myself with some frequency but to no avail. We took your advice and all got new toothbrushes, though I don't know which one of them is the new one in Daniel's bathroom. I think it has Mutant Turtles on it.
The miniature horse in the crate is named Millie. Brendan thought the cure for Whooping Cough was a puppy. He swears I said it was the only thing that would get me over the pertussis, and I went and picked her out at a breeder's house. I have no memory of this. Obviously, he was drunk and I was delusional from the coughing if any of this is to make sense. Yes, I know she's 18″ tall and weighs 30 pounds, but she's only 11 weeks old. This is what happens when mom is a huge Chocolate Lab and dad is a huge Bernese Mountain Dog and the boyfriend takes you seriously when you have a fever and can't breathe from the coughing and say, "Tory Burch is making Birkenstocks this season, so I guess I'll have to get a puppy cause there are no new sandals to love." He comes home with a puppy two days later and looks baffled when you look incredulous and stop speaking to him.
Also, she has no manners. She jumps. She nips. She talks. And howls. And sings. Actually, she just has a lot of opinions about things that she shares in a deafening way. She practices her vocal stylings day and night. Telling her to use her "indoor voice" just seems to make her louder. Nugget's existence makes her completely crazy. So, you'll probably find him sitting next to her crate washing his paws or sitting on it dangling his tail at her. He's sensitive like that.
Because of the new addition, the cat litter box got moved into the master bathroom. That's now a disaster area, too, with three humans, two cats and a wildebeest traipsing through it. I've tried to keep after the trailing litter, but I think I've failed. We bought a gate, but within about 10 minutes, the dog figured out she could climb it, then that she could jump over it, and finally that if she ran at it head first, it would come down. So, yeah.
We've done our best with the Nature's Miracle and so on, but the place has gotten away from me. There are Legos everywhere, so be careful. The living room is a brightly colored Lego minefield. Well, the Legos that the puppy hasn't eaten, I mean.
Never let me skip a week again, okay? I mean, even if I have to buy you a Hazmat suit…we can't go this long without professional intervention.


text:
Cambridge Film Classics
Download list of titles
About Cambridge Film Classics
The Cambridge Film Classics series provides a forum for studies of the classic works of cinema from the perspective of the 'new-auteurism', which recognises that films emerge from a complex interaction of bureaucratic, technological, intellectual, cultural and personal forces. The series consists of concise, cutting-edge reassessments of the canonical works of film study, written by innovative scholars and critics. Each book provides a general introduction to the life and work of a particular director, followed by critical essays on several of the director's most important films.
Edited by: Ray Carney, Boston University
Over 3 years (9)
Film, Media, Mass Communication (9)
Cambridge Film Classics (9)
9 results in Cambridge Film Classics
The Films of Ingmar Bergman
Jesse Kalin
Print publication: 13 October 2003
This volume provides a concise overview of the career of one of the modern masters of world cinema. Jesse Kalin defines Bergman's conception of the human condition as a struggle to find meaning in life as it is played out. For Bergman, meaning is achieved independently of any moral absolute and is the result of a process of self-examination. Six existential themes are explored repeatedly in Bergman's films: judgment, abandonment, suffering, shame, a visionary picture, and above all, turning toward or away from others. Kalin examines how Bergman examines these themes cinematically, through close analysis of eight films: well known favorites such as Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal, Smiles of a Summer Night, and Fanny and Alexander; and important but lesser known works, such as Naked Night, Shame, Cries and Whispers, and Scenes from a Marriage.
The Films of Woody Allen
Sam B. Girgus
Print publication: 18 November 2002
The Films of Woody Allen was the first full-length work to examine the director as a serious filmmaker and artist. Sam Girgus argues that Allen has consistently been on the cutting edge of contemporary critical and cultural consciousness, challenging our notions of authorship, narrative, perspective, character, theme, ideology, gender and sexuality. This revised and updated edition includes two new chapters that examine Allen's work since 1992. Girgus argues that the scandal surrounding Allen's personal life in the early 1990s has altered his image in ways that reposition moral consciousness in his work. The union between Allen's public and private selves that created a special 'aura' about him remains intact despite the director's concerted efforts to separate his private life from his screen image. Allen now assumes a postmodern moral relativism and 'sensual realism' that differs profoundly from the moral sensibility of his earlier work.
The Films of Federico Fellini
Peter Bondanella
Print publication: 17 January 2002
The Films of Federico Fellini examines the career of one of Italy's most renowned filmmakers through close analysis of five masterpieces that span his career: La Strada, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Amarcord and Interview. Providing an overview of Fellini's early career as a cartoonist and scriptwriter for neorealist directors such as Roberto Rossellini, this study traces the development of Fellini's unique and personal cinematic vision as it transcends Italian neorealism. Rejecting an overtly ideological approach to Fellini's cinema, Bondanella emphasizes the director's interest in fantasy, the irrational and individualism.
The Films of Mike Leigh
Ray Carney, Leonard Quart
Print publication: 19 June 2000
The Films of Mike Leigh is the first critical study of one of the most important and eccentric directors of British independent filmmaking. Although active since 1971, Leigh has only come to the attention of an international audience in the 1990s through films such as Secrets and Lies and Career Girls. Like Robert Altman and John Cassevetes, Leigh works improvisationally, beginning with a small group of actors around whom he builds his films during months of private rehearsal. The script is written during this process. Ray Carney examines Leigh's working method and films in the intellectual and social contexts in which they were created. He argues that Leigh cannot be simply considered within the British realist tradition of Osborne and Loach. All of Leigh's major box office successes, including Naked, Life is Sweet and High Hopes, are analyzed, interpreted, and shown to be among the finest examples of cinema.
The Films of Jean-Luc Godard
David Sterritt
Print publication: 13 August 1999
The Films of Jean-Luc Godard examines the work of one of the most versatile and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. With a career ranging from France's New Wave movement in the early 1960s to a period of political experimentation in the late 1960s and 70s, and, currently, a contemplative period in which Godard has explored issues of spirituality, sexuality, and the aesthetics of sound, image, and montage, the filmmaker's work defies easy categorization. In this study, David Sterritt offers an introductory overview of Godard's work as a filmmaker, critic, and video artist. In subsequent chapters, he traces Godard's visionary ideas through six of his key films, including Breathless, My Life to Live, Weekend, Numéro deux, Hail Mary, and Nouvelle Vague formats. Linking Godard's works to key social and cultural developments, The Films of Jean-Luc Godard explains their importance in modernist and postmodernist art of the last half century.
The Films of Michelangelo Antonioni
Peter Brunette
Print publication: 28 September 1998
The Films of Michelangelo Antonioni provides an overview of the Italian director's life and work, and examines six of his most important and intellectually challenging films. L'avventura, La notte, and L'eclisse, released in the early 1960s, form the trilogy that first brought the director to international attention. Red Desert was his first film in colour. Blow-up, shot in English and set in swinging London, became one of the best-known (and most notorious) films of its era. The Passenger, starring Jack Nicholson, is the greatest work of his maturity. Rather than emphasizing the stress and alienation of Antonioni's characters, in this book Peter Brunette places the films in the context of the director's ongoing social and political analysis of the Italy of the great postwar economic boom, and demonstrates also how they are formal exercises that depend on painterly abstraction for their expressive effects.
The Films of Joseph Losey
James Palmer, Michael Riley
The Films of Joseph Losey examines the career of the expatriot director through a close analysis of five of his most important and challenging films. When his leftist politics made him a target of the House Committee on Unamerican Activities in 1951, the blacklisted Losey left America and continued his film career in England. Concerned mainly with the use and abuse of power inherent in intimate relationships, Losey also examined these issues as manifested in institutions and social classes. The book also examines Losey's close working relationships with playwright/screenwriter Harold Pinter and actor Dirk Bogarde, his experimental form of storytelling, the psychological complexity of characters acting as narrator of their own stories, and the intricate handling of time in the structure of his films. Close studies of King and Country, The Servant, Accident, The Go-Between, and The Romantic Englishwoman confirm Losey's stature as a director of powerful and compelling films of both moral importance and great formal complexity.
The Films of Paul Morrissey
Maurice Yacowar
Print publication: 28 May 1993
The Films of Paul Morrissey is the first appraisal of one of the major figures of American independent cinema. An innovator in the narrative cinema that emerged from Andy Warhol's Factory, Morrissey, as established in this study, was also the force who shaped the most important films that have up till now been attributed to Warhol. The director's experiments in the use of non-professional actors, controversial subject matter, and language are demonstrated through analysis of his most accomplished achievements, including Mixed Blood, 40 Deuce, and Spike of Bensonhurst. The Films of Paul Morrissey furthermore reveals the director's challenge to the moral, social and political values of contemporary liberalism.
The Films of Roberto Rossellini
The Films of Roberto Rossellini traces the career of one of the most influential Italian filmmakers through close analysis of the seven films that mark important turning points in his evolution: The Man with a Cross (1943), Open City (1945), Paisan (1946), The Machine to Kill Bad People (1948–52), Voyage in Italy (1953), General della Rovere (1959) and The Rise to Power of Louis XIV (1966). Beginning with Rossellini's work within the fascist cinema, it discusses his invention of neorealism, a new cinematic style that resulted in several classics during the immediate postwar period. Almost immediately, however, Rossellini's continually evolving style moved beyond mere social realism to reveal other aspects of the camera's gaze, as is apparent in the films he made with Ingrid Bergman during the 1950s; though unpopular, these works had a tremendous impact on the French New Wave critics and directors. Rossellini's late career marks a return to his nonrealist period, now critically reexamined, in such works as the commercially successful General della Rovere, and his eventual turn to the creation of didactic films for television.


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Staci and Kim's Great Adventure Smooth sailing…almost.
What do you get when you mix a 15 year old teenager, a 50 something old lady, a ton of baggage, and an overnight flight to Munich? One exceptionally LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG day. The boarding passes are printed, the bags and skis are packed, and that's exactly what Staci and I have to look forward to tomorrow. We take off from Newark around 5:00PM and get into Munich at 7:30AM. I'm ready to get going, a little nervous, and very excited. Should be a good trip – we'll keep you posted!


text:
Sectarian Reflections on Lawyers' Ethics and Death Row Volunteers
Notre Dame Law Review, Vol. 77, pp. 795-830, 2002
36 Pages Posted: 16 May 2005
See all articles by Richard W. Garnett
Notre Dame Law School
What should lawyers think about and respond to death-row volunteers? When a defendant accused of a capital crime attempts to plead guilty, or instructs his lawyer not to present a particular defense; when a convicted killer refuses to permit the introduction of potentially life-saving mitigating evidence - or even urges the jury to impose a death sentence - at the sentencing phase of a death-eligible case; when a condemned inmate refuses to file, or to appeal the denial of, habeas corpus and other post-conviction petitions for relief; when he elects not to object to a particular capital-punishment method, to call into question his own competence to be executed, or to file an eleventh-hour, last-ditch appeal citing newly discovered evidence of his innocence -what should lawyers do?
These are not questions of merely professional interest, narrowly conceived, for lawyers and judges. That said, the death-row volunteer is of particular interest to lawyers because he poses particularly chilling problems for lawyers. It is suggested in this paper that something is missing from our thinking and conversations about the death-row-volunteer problem: Our arguments - which sound primarily in the register of choice, competence, and autonomy - reflect and proceed from an unsound moral anthropology. That is, they proceed from a flawed account of what it is about the human person that does the work in moral arguments about what we ought or ought not to do and about how we ought or ought not to be treated. The unfortunate result is that the professed commitment to human dignity that drives and sustains so many capital-defense lawyers is often undermined by these same lawyers' responses to death-row volunteers.
Keywords: capital punishment, death penalty, death-row volunteers, legal ethics
JEL Classification: K10, K14
Garnett, Richard W., Sectarian Reflections on Lawyers' Ethics and Death Row Volunteers. Notre Dame Law Review, Vol. 77, pp. 795-830, 2002. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=723404
Richard W. Garnett (Contact Author)
Notre Dame Law School ( email )
Notre Dame, IN 46556-0780


The Toronto Maple Leafs trimmed their training camp roster to 53 players Sunday.
Ten players were reassigned to Toronto of the American Hockey league: Eric Faille, T.J. Foster, Justin Holl, Justin Johnson, Max Nicastro, Jack Rodewald, Matt Rupert, Ryan Rupert, Nikolai Skladnichenko and Brady Vail.
The Carolina Hurricanes trimmed their training camp roster by eight players, bringing the total number of players in camp to 49.
The Hurricanes will play their first two exhibition games on Monday at the Washington Capitals and Tuesday at the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Arizona Coyotes assigned four players to their respective junior teams.
The Calgary Flames assigned Tyson Baillie, Riley Bruce, Pavel Karnaukhov and Mason Marchment to their respective junior teams and released Taylor Burke from training camp.
To read more from the Flames website, CLICK HERE.
The Nashville Predators assigned defenseman Jack Dougherty and goaltender Evan Smith to their junior teams.
Nashville's training camp roster is now at 51 players – 29 forwards, 17 defensemen and five goaltenders.


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Cuba Guide: Planning Your Trip
Your Guide to Cuba: How to Plan Your Trip
What Americans Should Know
Best Hotels in Havana
Neighborhoods to Explore
One Week in Cuba
48 Hours in Havana
Day Trips from Havana
Top Things to Do in Cuba
Things to Do in Havana
Museums to Visit
Where to Go Shopping
Best Restaurants in Havana
Nightlife in Havana
Caribbean Cuba
••• Nikada / Getty Images
Meena Thiruvengadam
Explore This Guide
Day Trips & Itineraries
Some countries take more planning to visit than others. Cuba is one of them, especially if you're traveling on a U.S. passport. Figuring out the hoops you'll need to jump through to legally travel to Cuba—visiting under an accepted category and purchasing the necessary health insurance—is only part of the challenge. Landing at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, you'll find no free Wi-Fi, no rail station, and no ATMs that accept American debit cards and see Cuba is no ordinary holiday destination.
Best Time to Visit: It's pretty much summer all year long in Cuba, but some months are hotter, stickier, and more uncomfortable than others. The best time to visit Cuba is between November and April. These are not only Cuba's driest months, but also good bets for 70 degree blue sky days made for exploring the country's cobblestone streets and lounging on its secluded postcard-perfect beaches.
Language: Spanish is most commonly spoken in Cuba. Many Cubans also speak English, but you're likely to find even your broken high school Spanish comes in handy here.
Currency: With two different Cuban currencies—one type of Cuban peso for visitors and another for locals—Cuba's currency situation is complicated. American credit and debit cards don't work in Cuba, nor do Venmo and Paypal. You'll want to bring cash to swap for Cuban Convertible Pesos at airports, hotels, banks or foreign exchange offices at a rate of one Cuban convertible peso to $1.
Getting Around: Cuba isn't blessed with an extensive, easy-to-figure-out public transit system. Rideshare services also haven't made it here yet. You'll want to avoid complicated, expensive car rentals and opt for local buses, private taxis, and the occasional tuk tuk or pedicab. Many Cuban taxis are well maintained classic cars from 1950s Detroit.
Travel Tip: Wi-Fi is available in Cuba, but accessing it won't be free or easy. To get online in Cuba, you'll need to both be in a place with a Wi-Fi network and buy a prepaid Internet access card. These scratch-off cards are available at government telecom shops, hotels, and many Airbnbs. Several restaurants, bars, and coffee shops have Wi-Fi networks as do some public parks. See a bunch of people on their phones in the park? Chances are it's one with Wi-Fi. Access typically costs $1 to $2 an hour. Log out of your account when you're not actively browsing, or the clock will keep ticking.
Cuba is a country with miles of beautiful beaches, rich cultural heritage, and historic architecture seemingly built for Instagram. Havana is home to museums, art galleries, an opulent theater housing the Cuban National Ballet, more live music than you'll have the bandwidth to listen to, and more mojitos than you can drink. Beyond Havana, you'll find pristine beaches, well-preserved colonial architecture, and some of the country's hottest festivals, including Santiago de Cuba's summer Fiesta del Fuego and Carnival celebrations. Get your trip started with some of these activities:
Explore Cuba's beaches. You can lounge on the beaches of Playa del Este just outside of Havana or escape from everything at the tranquil Playa Paraiso or more developed Paya Varadero. There's also great diving near the sunken ships off the coast of Playa Santa Lucia.
Learn about Cuban history in Old Havana, where you can visit Havana's Museo de la Revolucion to learn about the Cuban revolution or explore the underground Cold War bunker at Hotel Nacional de Cuba in Havana.
Immerse yourself in Cuban culture during carnival in Santiago de Cuba, listen to live jazz in Havana, or appreciate well-preserved colonial architecture in Trinidad.
Find out more great things to do in Cuba, including day trips, best beaches, and museums.
What to Eat and Drink
Since an American trade embargo came into effect in the 1960s, food has been complicated in Cuba. Import restrictions and government policies have taken a toll, and the nation's diet has changed as a result. Nowadays, rice, beans, and sandwiches are staples of the Cuban diet while chicken, pork, and seafood dishes make regular appearances on restaurant menus.
There's more to Cuba's culinary scene than food. Cuba is a place perhaps best known for its rum, making it an ideal spot to sip rum-based cocktails like mojitos and daiquiris. For a daiquiri with a dose of history, head to El Floridita. The centrally located bar was a favorite of writer Ernest Hemingway, and its neon sign has become synonymous with Cuba around the world.
Learn more about must-try foods in Cuba, as well as the top 10 restaurants in Havana.
Because of decades of economic sanctions, you won't see major American hotel chains in Cuba. There are a few large hotels run by foreign operators or the Cuban government, but a growing network of casa particulars—private homes—have become the backbone of tourist accommodation in Cuba. Most casa particulars are listed for rent on Airbnb. In Havana, you'll want to focus on listings in Old Havana, Central Havana, and Vedado. Outside of Havana, look for Airbnbs near city centers or the attractions where you plan to spend most of your time. Because public transportation is limited and renting a car is complicated, staying within walking distance of where you want to go can have great value.
Plan your trip by learning more about the best neighborhoods in Havana, plus our picks for top hotels.
Visitors to Cuba will want to fly into the nation's main airport, Havana's Jose Marti International Airport. The airport is a short drive from the heart of Havana and offers domestic connections to other destinations across Cuba. Commercial carriers, including American, Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue, operate flights between the U.S. and Cuba for visitors whose travel falls into several acceptable categories. While tourism isn't among those categories, support for the Cuban people is and is frequently cited by visitors planning to pump cash into the pockets of private business owners along their journeys. Renting a car is complicated in Cuba and best avoided.
Cuba is an open country with a laid back culture and few etiquette rules. Do be friendly and make small talk with wait staff and others in the service industry. Shake hands with strangers, and don't be surprised if people you know great you with a kiss or double-cheek kiss.
Tipping 10 to 15 percent is customary in Cuban restaurants and bars when service charges aren't included on your bill. Do feel free to tip more for excellent service, and don't be mean to the staff.
Do consider bringing toiletries and other basics to leave behind as gifts. Years of economic turmoil and trade restrictions have led to shortages or the unavailability of essential items like toiletries, art supplies, plastic ponchos, and over-the-counter medications. Gifts of chocolate and other treats are also well-received. Cuba is one place where the daily necessities you leave behind can fulfill real needs. If you're looking for a reason to overpack, a trip to Cuba is it.
Avoid traveling during peak times like Easter, Christmas, and New Year's when prices tend to climb due to increased demand. Invest time into figuring out the Cuban bus system, particularly for trips between cities, to save money on transportation within Cuba. Some airlines charge a $50 fee to obtain the $50 health insurance policy required for Cuban visitors. Check if the airline you're considering is among them.
Avoid using your American cellular plans because most are quite costly to use in Cuba. T-Mobile, which generally offers free texting and at least slow speed data in many countries, charges $.50 each for outgoing texts in Cuba. Data is priced at $2 a MB and phone calls at $2 a minute.
Limit the amount of alcohol and cigar you bring home. Americans who are 21 or older and traveling to Cuba can bring back one liter of liquor and 100 cigars without having to pay additional taxes.
What Americans Traveling to Cuba Need to Know
The Top 17 Things to Do in Cuba
Looking for a Rental House in Cuba? Now You Can Airbnb or Homestay It!
The Best Time to Visit Cuba
One Perfect Week in Cuba
Nightlife in Havana: Where to Find the City's Best Bars, Clubs & More
48 Hours in Havana: The Ultimate Itinerary
10 Foods You Must Try in Cuba
Your Trip to the Dominican Republic: The Complete Guide
How to Travel to Cuba If You Are an American
Your Trip to Scotland: The Complete Guide
A Guide to Public Transport in Cuba
Where to Go Shopping in Havana
A Guide to Airports in the Dominican Republic
19 Things to See When Your Cruise Is in Havana
Best Miami Guide to Discovering Calle Ocho


Double Bedded Non A/C is suitable for 02 Adults how ever 01 extra adult is permitted. 01 children of below 06 years can stay in this room.
Double Bedded A/C is suitable for 02 Adults how ever 01 extra adult is permitted. 01 children of below 06 years can stay in this room.
Twin Bedded Non AC Room is suitable for 02 Adults how ever 01 extra adult is permitted. 01 children of below 06 years can stay in this room.
Twin Bedded AC Room is suitable for 02 Adults how ever 01 extra adult is permitted. 01 children of below 06 years can stay in this room.


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The battle cry is sounding across the forests, hills, strip malls, and subdivisions of Michigan: "We must stop urban sprawl!" Sounds good. But what is "urban sprawl?"
Local and state government officials and environmental activists use the term to create images of disorder, chaos, and irrational decision making about land use by Michigan's private landowners. These officials and activists have adopted "stopping sprawl" as their mantra to support more government control over land use decisions through central planning and policies aimed at farmland preservation.
Derogatory references to "urban sprawl" are now part of the popular debate over land use issues, but amazingly, no one has ever bothered to clearly define what is meant by "sprawl." Often, the term is indiscriminately applied toward any form of suburbanization and "urban sprawl" has thus become an "I know it when I see it" issue.
This study critically examines suburbanization and land use in Michigan and determines that the state's economy and citizens' quality of life are not threatened by "sprawl."
The study analyzes five key issues: general land use trends, farmland preservation, economic development's impact on the cost of government services, big city revitalization, and development's effects on the environment. Data from the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the Michigan Agricultural Statistics Service, the U. S. Bureau of the Census, and other sources are analyzed to find the following:
1. Urbanization does not claim substantial amounts of land statewide. Although Michigan ranks 11th nationally in its degree of urbanization, only 9.8% of its territory is urbanized. Nationally, less than 5.0% of all land is urbanized.
2. Urbanization is not threatening Michigan's agricultural industry. Farmland loss has moderated in recent decades, falling from a 17.0% loss rate in the 1960s to just 2.8% in the 1990s. At the loss rates of the 1960s, Michigan would run out of farmland in 47 years. But at current rates — even if farmland loss does not further moderate — Michigan has hundreds of years' worth of farmland remaining. In addition,
Urbanization accounts for less than one-fourth of the acres taken out of farming;
Most farmland loss can be attributed to the creation of urban parks, reversion to forest, or other non-urban uses;
Public Act 116, an existing Michigan tax credit program, currently protects 41% of the state's farmland from short-term development.
Meanwhile, Michigan's agricultural output has remained stable in the 1990s and world and U. S. food output has increased dramatically since 1980.
3. The negative effects of development on local infrastructure costs are exaggerated. Previous studies did not accurately account for the costs and benefits of suburban development. While revenues from farmland appear to offset government costs, they actually account for less than 2% of local budgets. Residential development appears to drain local government services, but this "negative" impact is the result of erroneous fiscal calculations based on the inclusion of local school costs, which are actually absorbed by general local government revenues.
Even if land use policy forced housing onto smaller lots to conserve land, the statewide impact on land use trends would be minor. Urban land development would fall from 12.4% to 11.8% over the next 25 years and farmland loss would fall from 2.8% to 2.6%.
4. Factors such as crime, poor schools, and high taxes drive people from cities. People often migrate from central cities to suburban and rural communities due to cities' poor schools, high crime and tax rates, and burdensome regulations. Until cities resolve these factors that "push" residents out, retaining urban populations will be difficult.
5. Higher residential densities may increase pollution levels. Higher density residential areas are associated with higher levels of air pollution, suggesting that the suburbanization of people and employment can mitigate pollution problems by decentralizing large cities.
Over the next 13 years, Michigan's economy is expected to grow by 17.8%, personal income by 12.4%, employment by 9.0%, and population by 5.1%. More people than ever will be living, working, and playing in Michigan and state policy must therefore accommodate growth rather than prohibit it. This necessitates adopting market-oriented solutions to urban land use issues. Michigan policy makers should craft a policy that
Adopts an economically neutral stance that does not favor one industry over another;
Supports full-cost pricing for public services to ensure that local governments do not subsidize land development;
Pursues voluntary and flexible approaches to land preservation such as tax credits;
Strengthens private property rights to facilitate markets, protect citizens' freedom, and ensure the smooth transition among land uses; and
Facilitates rather than impedes community change and acknowledges that markets effectively match land uses and housing opportunities to the preferences of Michigan residents.
"Urban sprawl" is not a monster to be tamed; it is the natural evolution of free people pursuing peaceful ends and their shot at the American Dream.


The documents referred to above will be available for inspection at Trafford Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford, Manchester M33 OTH by prior arrangement. Please telephone Dave Muggeridge 0161 912 4534 to make an appointment.
Copies of the above documents will be supplied to electors on request on payment of £5.