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Innovative Treatment
Involuntary Self-disclosure
Mental Health Humor Videos
Obscure Psychological Conditions
Psychological Terminology
Self-diagnosis - Funny in the Head
Self-medication
Sub-concious self-disclosure
Drinking On St. Patrick's Day, Green Around the Gills
Alistair McHarg
Funny in the Head
In the world of mental illness and mental health there is a strange border territory where victims and criminals mingle, cause and effect chase one another round and round the barn, and responsibility is almost impossible to assign. I am speaking, naturally, of drug and alcohol abuse. In the eyes of some, drug and alcohol abusers are simply victims of their own hard-wiring, guiltless as the man who, strolling down a city sidewalk one fine spring morning, is crushed to death when the rope being used by non-union piano movers to transport a Baldwin upright into a 4th floor cold water walk-up apartment casts aside its amateurishly tied knots and surrenders to gravity. In the eyes of others, dipsomaniacs and drug abusers are merely self-destructive whackadoomians intent on beating the reaper to his work. There is little sympathy to be found among the members of this chilly community.
As Society Degrades Some Mental Illnesses Now "Normal"
While society may be quick to apply the term "mental illness" to a broad spectrum of behaviors, it is slow to acknowledge the idea that sanity itself is an elusive entity, difficult if not impossible to define, and largely reliant on context. What do we mean by this? Well, let's pick a simple example. If you're a half-eaten jelly doughnut in Akron Ohio, you are also a half-eaten jelly doughnut in Chagrin Falls, Calcutta, Medicine Hat, and St. Petersburg. In other words, location has no impact on how you are perceived, valued, or for that matter, consumed. The same cannot be said for behavior designated as inappropriate, which is to say, demonstrating some form of mental illness. Behavior considered the height of fashion in Cheboygan, (assuming there is fashion in Cheboygan) might be considered bizarre, disturbing, and unwholesome in Chad, Bongo Bongo, and Ulm.
Brand Protection Key Element Of Mentally Ill Merchandising
Branding has never been more popular in mainstream American culture. Roughly speaking, a brand is the idea a prospect has of a given company. When I say NFL, you conjure up a host of opinions and preconceptions. The NFL is one of the most valuable, and fiercely protected, brands ever created. The NFL is careful to distinguish between authorized, sanctioned goods/services and off-label, bootleg material. Let's say you're on your way to enjoy a football game at a major market stadium somewhere in the United States. You walk across the expansive parking lot where people burn chicken parts, drink excessively, and gesticulate with misplaced passion in the mistaken impression that their delirious enthusiasm may somehow influence the upcoming game's outcome.
Psychiatrists Agree Perspective Is Key to Mental Health
I hope you'll stop me if you've heard this story before. It might be true, then again it might not be. I am, as you are almost certainly aware, in the habit of making things up. Like so many people who are creative for a livelihood, there comes a point when I am no longer able to distinguish between what I have made up, what I am claiming to have made up but in fact have not, what I don't know if I've made up or not, and what I absolutely know to be true, to the extent it is ever possible to be certain something is true, which it isn't. But enough about my methods.
Mental Illness And The Presidency
America may not be perfect, it may not even be pluperfect, and, truth be told, its glory days as a superpower seem to be shrinking faster than telephone poles in the rear-view mirror of a Cadillac El Dorado fleeing a crime scene. However, there is one area in which we have progressed nobly, that is, making good on our constitutionally guaranteed claim of unequivocally equal opportunity for all, regardless. It seems incredible today but, when I was just a little Funny In The Head, JFK's Catholicism was a source of fierce debate and considered a political liability. When Barack Obama became president he made history because of his racially mixed heritage. Today, many people believe that Hillary Clinton will be our next president, which would make her the first woman to smash through the nation's loftiest glass ceiling.
Fearless Mental Health Predictions For 2014
One of the consolations of age is the transformation of one's relationship with time. As a young man, I agonized endlessly about the future, speculating and puzzling over a never-ending succession of questions. Would it arrive on time? Would there be enough of it to go around? Would it be in color? Would it be three-dimensional? Would it have sufficient volume to fill the allotted amount of space?
Mental Health Pundits Recommend Resolution Revolution
Well it's that time again; time to wish Funny In The Head readers a Happy New Year. But before we go any further, let us concede quickly that this familiar, comforting phrase means different things to different people, indeed, it would be hard to find two people who defined a happy new year in identical terms. So I'll hasten to qualify by saying that I hope for you a New Year which conforms to your conception of what a New Year resembles, rather than someone else's. Which brings us, I hope, to the subject of today's column, the advisability of New Year's resolutions among those who, through no fault of their own, reside in Greater Whackadoomia, an ever-increasing population cluster located within whistling distance of the outskirts. Since that awe inspiring moment when time and human introspection first collided, guilt-ridden people have attempted to ascend the moral ladder by means of the psychological parlor trick known as - a New Year's resolution.
Christmas Triage: Let Your Expectations Fall Like Snow
Have you heard this one already? Three clinically depressed highjumpers walk into a bar. They lower it. I'm kidding of course. Then again, I'm not kidding, (as always), because if there is anything that will help today's mentally ill individual survive the three-ring-circus of psychological torment and emotional Armageddon known by that deceptively sweet euphemism – the holidays – it is lowered expectations. Why? With every layer of tinsel, every rehashed Christmas chestnut mangled by Beyoncé, every eggnog-infused martini, every promise of no money down and no payments for the first seventeen months, every drug-addled midnight greeter at Walmart scratching his most recent tattoo, every ill-considered fax at every office party, and every other cliché of Christmas cacophony and tintinnabulation comes the rising tide of truly ho-ho-horrible inevitability – the hopes, the joys, the fears of all the years, reindeer and pain dear – that Grinch-ish thief of all that is merry; expectations.
Have Yourself A Narcissistic Christmas
Mental illness is no mere fad, fashion, or lifestyle - it is a way of being. Each particular form of mental illness carries with it a vernacular, a unique configuration of specific attributes reflecting the experiential texture of that milieu. Specific mental illnesses have a diverse palette of associations including sights, smells, sounds, tastes, colors, and even musical forms. Many of the most popular mental illnesses even have their own favorite day. For example, in the expansive realm of compulsive overeaters there is no day to match Thanksgiving, which, all protestations notwithstanding, is a virtual love song to gluttony. Gamblers, by contrast, live for the arrival of Super Bowl Sunday when even the most risk averse and timid in our midst throw caution to the wind and bet cash money on the outcome of an event they cannot control and barely understand. Alcoholics, a notoriously hard to please group, are known to celebrate pedestrian events which go unnoticed by the rest of us, indeed, for them all of human existence is either worth celebrating with a drink, or worth fleeing by means of a drink. Even within this context New Year's Eve occupies a very special place for them. Stripped of all religious consequence, New Year's Eve offers no distraction from the business at hand, that is, two-fisted tippling resulting in a scorched synapse policy rendering participants tight as boiled owls, speaking with lords, and ultimately calling for Ralph.
Claus For Alarm, What Santa Insanity Says About Us
Much can be learned about a society by looking at its mythology. Had we time and inclination, we might consider the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Jolly Green Giant, and even Mickey Mouse with an eye to discovering what they reveal about our cherished values, aspirations, darkest fears, and cultural archetypes. Sadly, since time is at a premium, we must move directly to an examination of that most venerated societal celebrity, Santa Claus. It will be clear after only a cursory examination that the disturbing psychological make-up of this (spoiler alert) fictional character has a great deal to say about the inner workings of the culture from which he emerged.
Mental Illness Jokes I Am Too Proud To Repeat
Rise Of Mental Health Clubs and Metaphysical Fitness Centers
Mental Illness Trivia, Fun Facts And Myths
Shrink-Rapping: When The Doctor Is Out, Way Out
A Sociological Perspective On Mental Illness In America

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Why is Ruby failing to convert CP-1252 to UTF-8? I have a CSV files saved from Excel which is CP-1252/Windows-1252. I tried the following, but it still comes out corrupted. Why?
csv_text = File.read(arg[:file], encoding: 'cp1252').encode('utf-8')
# csv_text = File.read(arg[:file], encoding: 'cp1252')
csv = CSV.parse csv_text, :headers => true
  csv.each do |row|
    # create model
    p model

The result
>rake import:csv["../file.csv"] | grep Brien
... name: "Oâ?TBrien ...

However it works in the console
> "O\x92Brien".force_encoding("cp1252").encode("utf-8")
=> "O'Brien"

I can open the CSV file in Notepad++, Encoding > Character Sets > Western European > Windows-1252, see the correct characters, then Encoding > Convert to UTF-8. However, there are many files an I want Ruby to handle this.
Similar: How to change the encoding during CSV parsing in Rails. But this doesn't explain why this is failing.
Ruby 2.4, Reference: https://ruby-doc.org/core-2.4.3/IO.html#method-c-read

A: Wow, it was caused by the shitty grep in DevKit.
>rake import:csv["../file.csv"]
... name: "O'Brien ...

>where grep
C:\DevKit2\bin\grep.exe

I also did not need the .encode('utf-8').
Let that be a lesson kids. Never take anything for granted. Trust no one!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


When Duggie Jooste bought Klein Constantia in June 1980, he and Professor Chris Orffer, world-renowned authority on wine varieties, stood on the stoep of the homestead after dinner. "Do you realise," said Orffer, "that in the 18th and 19th centuries only one truly great wine was ever made in the Southern Hemisphere, and do you know where it was made?" "Where?" asked Duggie. "Right here," said Orffer excitedly, "right here in this valley and this farm of yours is part of those vineyards.
"When wine tastings are held at overseas research centres people always ask me to tell them about the old Constantia wine. They're longing to know what it tasted like, how it was made and why it suddenly disappeared like that a century ago.
"It was remarkable for a young country to produce a famous wine like Constantia in such a short space of time – from the wine making point of view that is – which goes back for thousands of years. And it was famous you know. Napoleon, Frederick the Great, the King of England, the King of France – they all drank Constantia."
From that moment onwards Duggie Jooste and everyone at Klein Constantia nursed a secret dream – to bring back "the sweet, luscious and excellent wine of Constantia", which had disappeared without a trace a hundred years earlier.
He, Ernst le Roux, and winemaker Ross Gower delved into the history of Constantia. They studied old wine books, they read accounts by early travellers who had visited the Cape and actually tasted the famous wine, and they also looked at modern research. Discussions went on far into the night as to the best way to set about their task.
Most experts seemed to agree that the original Constantia was a natural sweet wine. Professor Diko van Zyl, who had written a lengthy, well-researched thesis on the history of Cape wine, was unequivocal on this point. "Constantia wine varieties consisted of red and white Muskadel, red Pontac, white Frontignac and Steen", he said, "they were all natural sweet wines, which means they were not fortified."
Professor Abraham Perold, who carried out experiments to try to resuscitate the famous old Constantia wine during the 1936 vintage, had also felt that it was natural and unfortified, without the addition of brandy, sugar or moskonfyt. He used over-ripe grapes which were exposed to the sun for 4-8 days and found that some of the resulting wines had practically the identical composition which had been calculated for Constantia.
Professor Orffer agreed whole-heatedly with these opinions, underlining the fact that Constantia was an original South African wine which made no effort to shelter behind the safety of a European name like Hock or Cape Madeira. Neither did it need the support of a well-known variety. It became famous as Constantia, plain and simple.
Once the Klein Constantia team had definitely decided to make a natural sweet wine, the next step – choosing a grape variety – was crucial. It was imperative to find planting material which came as closely as possible to a variety used for the old Constantia.
They were extremely fortunate when Ernst le Roux, one of the country's most eminent viticulturists, was able to propagate a special clone of Muscat de Frontignan at Ernita Nursery in Wellington. As no records can be found of Muscat de Frontignan being imported to South Africa since Simon van der Stel's time, it is likely that the original stock came from his vineyards.
In July 1982 the new vines were planted on the lower slopes in Klein Constantia's vineyards which had once been part of Simon van der Stel's original farm, Constantia, granted to him in 1685.
It is fitting that Governor Simon van der Stel should be known as the Father of Constantia wine, for it was he who launched the winemaking tradition which later became internationally famous. And it was he who chose the Valley for its beauty and special soil, backing his decision with a thoroughness which characterised everything he did. He set labourers to work digging up basketfuls of soil at regular intervals all the way from Table Bay to Muizenberg. Each sample was sent back to the Castle and carefully tested until he found that the decomposed granite soil from the valley facing False Bay, was exactly what he was looking for.
"The principal praise and honour is without doubt due to the Old Heer van der Stel and then to his son," wrote French traveller Francois Valetijn who visited the Cape several times in the early 18th century, "since, although before their times there were already vines here, and wine had already been pressed, it is certain that the old Heer van der Stel, brought to his outstanding country Estate, Constantia, many sorts of vine stocks from Germany and elsewhere, previously unknown here." He mentions the steen-druif, the blue Muskadel or Catalonian, the white Muskadel, the small blue grape and the kristal-druif.
Valentijn left a detailed description of the whole Constantia estate, but unfortunately he decided against visiting "the large and lovely pressing-house". He was not inclined to risk drinking from the communal wine-tasters cup and walked hurriedly past in case he was invited in!
By 1709 van der Stel had planted 70,000 vines and when he died three years later his farm and his vineyards were divided into three – Bergvliet, the original homestead and de Hoop op Constantia. Although his standards of perfection could not be maintained, the reputation of Constantia wine was preserved by an ambitious young newcomer named Johannes Colyn.
Colyn had married the young widow Kotze, who seemed perfectly happy to hand over her estate, de Hoop op Constantia, to her young husband, as required by Roman Dutch Law. When his daughter married Carl Georg Wieser and they bought van der Stel's old Manor house in 1734, it appears that Colyn ran the two farms simultaneously.
His industry was not in vain, for Constantia began to fetch high prices at well-attended auctions in cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Delft. And now the Dutch East India Company began to show more than a passing interest in the surprising success of this product from their little colony at the futhermost tip of Africa.
Anders Sparrman, the Swedish botanist who sailed around the world with Captain Cook, spent a few months at Alphen as tutor to the Kirsten children in 1772. He visited Constantia several times and enjoyed "the racy, very delicate dessert wine which has something peculiarly agreeable in the aroma of it." He was astounded at the quantity of Constantia wine consumed in Europe. "The genuine wine can only be found in certain vineyards," he noted in his journal, indicating that its unique quality came from the particular locality of the farm and its special soil.
In 1778 the history of Constantia wine took a dramatic turn when Hendrik Cloete arrived from Stellenbosch with enough money from his mother's estate to buy the Manor House. Though not the direct successor to Simon van der Stel, either in time or through family ties, this was his true heir – a dynamic, energetic man with an intense love of the soil and a determination to make the best wine in the country.
He was delighted to be in Constantia, for his sister lived at Bergvliet nearby and his cousin, Johannes Nicolaas Colyn owned de Hoop op Constantia next door. Wieser was no longer at Groot Constantia and Cloete found that subsequent owners had left his new farm in a state of ruin and neglect, with "nearly exhausted vineyards" and a lackadaisical cellarer who ruined his first vintage. "I had to let him have his way," he says regretfully, "because I understood that Constantia needed to be handled in a special way, but he was very ignorant and knew nothing about winemaking!"
"I am now personally in charge," he continues in a letter to his old friend Swellengrebel in Holland. "The weather is better, and I am convinced that the Constantia wine this year will be the best ever." So excited was he at the prospect that he had even given up his customary afternoon naps, "I am all day beside the wine-press without a jacket and in thin trousers," he says as he sits entering sales in his leather-covered register, keeping accounts meticulously up to date and writing to numerous friends and wine-traders in Europe.
Memorials in the archives from Cloete and Colyn addressed to their "High Mightinesses", the Here XVII in 1789 shed interesting light on the effort and expense required to maintain high standards, even in the preparation of barrels alone. Cloete describes the scrubbing, steaming, washing and sulphuring which was repeated over and over again to ensure that worms and impurities were eliminated from the empty barrels. These were then filled with doppenbier and then cleaned again before, "pure and unadulterated Constantia wine", was poured into them.
The annual delivery of their best wines to the Company was a tremendous burden on the two farmers and they often threatened to cease production altogether. This they knew would affect the finances of their lords and masters, whose fortunes had now become closely linked to that of the Constantia wine, "so highly esteemed throughout the whole of Europe".
The Here XVII were well aware of the time and effort involved and that every drop of the wine made by Cloete and Colyn was precious, for it was a high-risk, low-yield enterprise and, unlike other farmers at the Cape, their aim was quality, not quantity. "For preparing Constantia a greater ripeness of the grape is required than is usual for other wines. A diminution of liquid accordingly results, causing a great difference in the quantity of the wine.
When Hendrik Cloete died in 1799, he had seen the invasion of the British and been forced to sign an Act of Allegiance to the conquerors whose army had broken into his beautiful cellar and imbibed his priceless wines in the middle of the battle. He had hoped that the annual delivery of Constantia wines would cease with their arrival, but the British discovered his contract in a drawer at the Castle and came hot-foot out to Constantia, insisting that it be re-instated in their favour.
Despite an initial antipathy towards the British, Hendrik was always ready to take Lady Anne Barnard and her distinguished visitors around the Groot Constantia cellar. She did not sketch the interior, but wrote a beautiful description of treading the grapes. "What struck me most was the beautiful antique forms, perpetually changing and perpetually graceful, of the three bronze figures, half-naked, who were dancing in the wine-press and beating the drum (as it were) with their feet to some other instrument in perfect time."
Hendrik Cloete was happy to leave his estates to his sons, six of whom were winemakers, and happiest of all to leave Constantia to Hendrik Junior, who loved the farm and had worked so hard in its vineyards. In gratitude he was given an added "douceur" in his father's will – 5% of all Constantia wine sales, calculated retrospectively for the 20 years of his father's occupation of the farm.
French artist and traveller Milbert had lunch with the Cloetes in 1804 and was privileged to taste the famous Constantia wine, "sweet as honey", which was brought to the table with much ceremony. He had heard that as the British were the only great maritime power in the world without their own wines, and as their vast fleet was always thirsty, they had captured the Cape for its vineyards alone. (Annexure 1) While this was probably a flight of Gallic exaggeration, the British may certainly have seen the Cape wines, particularly those of Constantia, as an added bonus which came with their mastery of the vital sea route to India.
Hendrik Junior was not only an experienced farmer, he was also a brilliant trader and marketer, bartering wine for bottles, corks, hoops and barrels from Denmark and sending samples of his finest vintages to courtiers and high ranking ministers. It was during his ownership and that of his son, Jacob Pieter, that Constantia wine became truly integrated into 19th century Europe, not only as part of its wine-drinking life but also woven into the imagery of its poetry and novels.
German poet Klopstock wrote a romantic ode to Constantia wine. Jane Austen, that shrewd observer of human behaviour, recommended that Elinore Dashwood, the heroine in Sense and Sensibility, should try a glass of Constantia for it had "healing powers on a disappointed heart". In Edwin Drood, Charles Dickens tells, in a similar vein, of "the support embodied in a glass of Constantia and a home-made biscuit", both of which are to be found in the sublimely fragrant depths of Mrs Crisparkle's diningroom cupboard. (Annexure 2).
"je prefere au constance, a l'opium, aux nuits, L'elixir de ta bouche ou l'amour se pavane," he wrote, "Even more than Constantia, than opium, than Nuits, I prefer the elixir of your mouth, where love performs its slow dance."
In the 19th Century, Constantia was sent all over the world, to Denmark, America, India and Australia, to France, Holland and Germany where Frederick the Great, Bismarck and the King of the Holland all enjoyed it. Hugh Johnson notes that during Napoleon's time, Constantia fetched prices as high as any wine in the world.
During Napoleon's five-year exile on the rocky island of St. Helena he was comforted by the delivery of 30 bottles of Constantia a month which mapmaker and geographer, Comte de Las Cases, had ordered for him. It pleased the Emperor so much that he kept it entirely for himself, and he is said to have asked for "a glass of Las Cases wine" just before he died.
A startling quantity of Constantia was shipped to England "to soften the temper of Ministers and to sweeten the lips of Royalty itself", says William Wilberforce Bird. Governors, admirals, judges, paymasters and whoever else had been nimble enough to get themselves in line received a cask or two – 100 half-aums were sent to the British Prime Minister in 1812, while 50 went to the Colonial Secretary. King George IV, was also eager to receive his share of the spoils, for in April 1827 letters were sent to and from Downing Street organising the delivery of 60 casks of Constantia which arrived in March and April "for the use of His Majesty".
After Jacob Pieter took over at Groot Constantia, (which is when the newly formed farm of Klein Constantia with its 30,000 vines was granted to Johan Gerhard Cloete), many people rode out to buy Constantia wine including astronomers Herschel and Maclear and Cape silversmiths, Lawrence Twentyman and John Townsend. Perhaps the most august and honoured guests were the emissaries who arrived in 1833 to buy wine for Louis Philippe, the King of France. They tasted the wines of Groot Constantia, then trooped over to de Hoop, before deciding after a third tasting, that Cloete's wines were definitely superior. An extremely good time was had by all and when the gentlemen returned, a trifle unsteadily, to their ship, they left a contract from the King which is still in the Manor House today.
Louis Philippe obviously continued to import Constantia into France, for in a letter dated 1847 – fourteen years after the original contract -'% a Monsieur de Cerlan requests red and white Constantia which he wishes to offer to certain Ministers of State who have been fortunate enough to drink it with the King. "Please be sure it is your very best," he says "I would be desolate if they felt that mine was not as good as his!"
Jacob Pieter Cloete wrote and spoke French perfectly. He had set up an agent in Paris, where his wines won several silver medals and he had sent his son Henry to Nantes to learn the language. He could not have forseen that this interest in all things French might become an overriding passion, but this is exactly what happened. Henry went back to France in 1875 and stayed in Europe for ten years, losing interest in the farm which had been the pride and joy of his family for four generations.
However, winds of change had started to blow through the Valley earlier than this. They were imperceptible at first, but then they reached devastating force. Bankruptcies swept many old families from the scene, a fungal disease called oidium was discovered in the vines followed by phylloxera which caused utter destruction.
When Henry returned from Europe in 1885, Groot Constantia was sold by public auction to the Cape Government for 5,275 pounds sterling. It was decided to uise it as training and experimental farm farm and a new Austrian viticulturist, Baron Carl von Baow, took over.
"The old order changeth, yielding place to the new ..." and with it went the famous Constantia wines, living on in memory, immortalised in poetry and prose, yet still vibrantly alive in many old bottles forgotten in the cellars of Europe's great wine collectors.
The Klein Constantia team with Ernst le Roux and prizewinning winemaker Ross Gower were filled with nervouse excitement after their first harvest of the Muscat de Frontignan grapes in 1986. They had followed the style of the old Constantia step by step, reducing the crop by almost 50% and allowing the remaining grapes to ripen on the vines until late March, when they became sweet and shrivelled, almost like raisins. What Hendrik Cloete wrote so many years earlier, namely that the making of this wine was a labour of love, a high-risk, low yield, labour-intensive enterprise, still holds true in modern times. For Klein Constantia the effort was definitely worthwhile; they had achieved their goal – a golden, almost amber coloured wine, with an intense aroma, high alcohol and a lingering sweetness. A renaissance of "the sweet, luscious and excellent wine of Constantia", had finally been achieved.
"Waiting for it," he says, "just waiting for it. That was the hardest part of all.
"Wine Analysis: Alcohol 13,7 Vol% R.S. 95 grams/litre.
RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN by Jill Baikoff.
Die Geskiedenis van Wynbou en Wynhandel in die Kaapkolonie, 1795-1860, Professor D. van Zyl, Cape Town, 1975 – Constantia a Natural sweet wine, p. 74.
Ou Constantia Wyn, C.J. Orffer, 1990, unpublished MSS.
Beschrijveninge Van der Kaap der Goede Hoop Met Die Zaaken Daar Toe Behoorende. Francois Valentijn. Van Riebeeck Soc., 2 Vols 1971 & 1973 – Simon van der Stel's Estate & Grape Varieties 113 – 115.
Van der Stel in 1709, Accessions KA 2250, Cape Archives.
A Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope Towards the Arctic Polar Circle Round the World & to the Country of the Hottentots & the Caffres From the Year 1772 – 1776 – Anders Sparrman. Van Riebeeck Society, Cape Town. – The genuine wine only produced in certain vineyards p. 76.
Briefwisselling van Hendrik Swellengrebel Oor Kaapse Sake, Van Riebeeck Society, Cape Town, 1982 p. 332.
"Elysian Fields" Hugh Johnson. The World Atlas of Wine, Mitchell Beazley, London, 1979. p. 246.
Requesten (Memorials) 1715 – 1806 Ed. H.C.V. Leibrandt, Government Printers, 1905. Memorials from Cloete & Colyn to the Here XVII Vol 1, p.331 Here XVII, 1786, p. 311.
Milbert, M.J. Voyage Pittoresque a L'Ile de France. A. Nepveu, Paris, 1812 – van der Stel & baskets of soil, p. 346, "sweet as honey," p. 347, British invasion, p. 348. Lunch with the Cloetes p. 369.
Hendrik Cloete's Will MOOC 7/1/45 No 52, Cape Archives.
F.G. Klopstock's Ode, Der Kapwein und der Johannesberger. In Dessertwyn in S. Afrika,	Andre P. Brink, Buren, Cape Town, 1974.
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen, p. 197-8, The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1923.
Hugh Johnson's Modern Encyclopaedia of Wine, Mitchell Beazley, 1983, p. 480.
Les Fleurs du Mal, Baudelaire, Blackwell's French Texts, Ed. E.A. Evert, Oxford, 1942, p. 202.
Records of the Cape Colony, Ed. G. McCall Theall, Govt. Printers 1897. – King George IV & Constantia wine, 1827, p. 74, 77 & 278.
Comte de Las Cases. Napoleon & Constantia Wine. My Residence at the Cape of Good Hope, Balkema 1970.
Cape Silversmiths buying wine at Groot Constantia – Cloete Wine Ledger, 1825 & 1840, Groot Constantia Manor House.
Contract with Loius Philippe, King of France at the Groot Constantia Manor House.
Die Alledaagse Lewe op Groot Constantia Tussen die Jare 1685 – 1885. 2 Vols, M.P.S. van der Merwe. – Groot Constantia Sale, Vol.11, p. 294. Colyn supervising winemaking at Groot Constantia Vol. 1, p. 71.
"Sweet luscious & excellent wine" R. Percival, An Account of the Cape of Good Hope, London 1804.


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Lone Wolf Attack
Bastille Day Terrorist Attack In Nice – The Enemy Which We Refuse To Name Strikes Again
July 15, 2016 Samuel Hooper2 Comments
As #PrayForNice trends on Twitter and another European city is plunged into terror and tragedy, what action have we taken to name, confront and defeat the evil which threatens us?
The news and images coming from the French city of Nice on what should be the most celebratory of days for the French people – Bastille Day – are awful, and heartbreaking, and wearily familiar.
As of this time, 77 people are confirmed dead, mown down on the Promenade des Anglais by a truck driven at high speed and containing an arsenal of weapons and explosives. This is clearly an act of terror – the numerous bullet holes in the windshield of the blood stained truck a testament to the amount of force it took the security services to stop the vehicle. And of course this is the third time in nineteen months that the French have suffered a grievous, high profile terrorist attack on their soil – first Charlie Hebdo, then the Bataclan, both in Paris, and now the Bastille Day celebrations in Nice.
To this we can add the Brussels terrorist attacks in March this year and, looking beyond Europe, numerous deadly attacks in Turkey as well as the terrorist shootings in San Bernadino and Orlando.
This is the future. This is the kind of terrorism which we are now going to face – not truly grand attacks on the level of 9/11, where casualties run into the thousands, but a long, slow grind of relentless medium-sized attacks, often on lower-value targets or in second tier, provincial cities. Often their planning and execution may turn out to be quite crude – this is not the age of the cunning master plan coordinated from a supervillain's lair, but of "quick and dirty" plots hatched by autonomous cells and all the more unsettling precisely because they do not strike where we expect.
Now, murder comes to the airport entrance before the security checkpoints, or to an unremarkable concert venue, or a nondescript office or the main strip of a seaside town. Places which with the best will in the world are impossible to defend 24/7.
Radical Islamist terror has moved firmly into the age of the lone wolf, or the quasi-autonomous sleeper cell.
Why? Think of it like WiFi. Terrorist networks can no longer safely rely on coordinating large scale attacks in the West from a remote location with a reasonable degree of confidence that they will go undetected. Therefore, if ISIS and other fundamentalist Islamist organisations cannot physically cooordinate logistics and dispatch operatives to conduct attacks in Western cities, they must resort to other, remote means.
When the traditional methods of internet, telephone and even face-to-face communication are at risk of being intercepted by the security services, proponents of fundamentalist Islamist ideology must instead rely on transmitting their ideology and broad objectives through more general means, including YouTube and social media, targeted at the right susceptible population – usually disaffected and alienated young Muslim men who do not feel connected to or fully invested in society. The leaders of this death cult then rely on some of their indoctrinated targets possessing sufficient initiative to become their own mini terrorist masterminds.
We saw this approach in San Bernadino last winter, and again in Orlando last month. As more facts emerge, it may become clear that the Nice attack followed this pattern. Alternatively, it may be that Europe's porous border and chaotic influx of migrants allowed foreign terrorists to slip through the net and aid in the planning or execution of the attack (press reports currently indicate that ID found on the truck driver suggest that he is a 31-year-old with dual French-Tunisian nationality, but this ID could well be fake or stolen).
But what is already crystal clear is the stark, uncomfortable fact that since Paris and Brussels (or Madrid and London, if you want to cast back a decade) our leaders have done nothing – nothing at all – to meaningfully grapple with this scourge of Islamist terrorism. So terrified are they of being accused of intolerance or racism that all we hear is the furious insistence that these atrocities have "nothing to do with Islam".
And it's just false. Of course the barbarity in Nice has absolutely nothing to do with the peaceful, moderate Islam practise by millions of adherents in the West and elsewhere. But it cannot be denied that those who do commit mass murdering acts of terrorism often explicitly reference Islam as their inspiration and justification – and do so from a very literal reading of certain Islamic texts. Moderate Islam does not inspire terrorist attacks, clearly. But fundamentalist, radical Islam often does, and we need to admit as much, for if we cannot even name the threat which we face what chance do we have of overcoming it?
As Douglas Murray rightly pointed out in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre:
Contra the political leaders, the Charlie Hebdo murderers were not lunatics without motive, but highly motivated extremists intent on enforcing Islamic blasphemy laws in 21st-century Europe. If you do not know the ideology — perverted or plausible though it may be — you can neither understand nor prevent such attacks. Nor, without knowing some Islamic history, could you understand why — whether in Mumbai or Paris — the Islamists always target the Jews.
[..] We have spent 15 years pretending things about Islam, a complex religion with competing interpretations. It is true that most Muslims live their lives peacefully. But a sizeable portion (around 15 per cent and more in most surveys) follow a far more radical version. The remainder are sitting on a religion which is, in many of its current forms, a deeply unstable component. That has always been a problem for reformist Muslims. But the results of ongoing mass immigration to the West at the same time as a worldwide return to Islamic literalism means that this is now a problem for all of us. To stand even a chance of dealing with it, we are going to have to wake up to it and acknowledge it for what it is.
The cost of this furious pretence that Islam is totally unconnected to the "so called" Islamic State and the terror attacks committed in its name can now be measured in a growing toll of human lives. And the slickness with which we now mourn these events, with standardised tributes and modes of behaviour, only serves to emphasise our utter lack of coordination in preventing their recurrence.
As this blog commented after the recent Brussels attacks in March, charting the inevitability of the public grieving followed by zero meaningful action:
Impromptu shrines appear in a major square of the afflicted city, with candles, chalk drawings and sometimes a bit of impromptu John Lennon.
And the day closes with Europe and America's major landmarks illuminated to resemble the national flag of the afflicted nation. They're getting really good at that part now.
Fast forward a day, and plans are well afoot to grant even more powers to the well-meaning but overstretched security services – who were unable to make use of their current extensive powers to thwart the attack – and generally at the expense of our civil liberties. Particularly our rights to privacy and free speech.
Fast forward a month, and we have all moved on. Domestic political concerns, celebrity scandals and daily life have reasserted themselves.
I think we can all agree that we've got the public grief, cathartic expressions of solidarity and stern faced authoritarianism down to a fine art at this point.
When are we going to start acknowledging – and maybe even tackling – the root causes?
Unless our leaders can openly and unequivocally acknowledge that the terrorist scourge which sees murder brought to the streets of Europe on a near-monthly basis has its roots in a fundamentalist, literalist and militant strain of Islam, how are we ever to really get to grips with the issues of radicalisation and non-assimilation?
If the deaths of eighty slain people in Nice have nothing whatsoever to do with Islam then how do we hope to save young and impressionable Muslim schoolgirls in London from stealing away to Syria to join ISIS, or young and impressionable Muslim boys from falling under the seductive spell of jihadist recruiters?
If we cannot openly and comfortably name the enemy which we face – not an entire religion, but certainly a very real and present strain of Islam – then how do we even begin to formulate policies which will meaningfully reduce this threat over time?
The answer is that we cannot. We can clamp down further on our precious civil liberties, bartering away even more of our freedoms in the hope of purchasing additional security (and letting the terrorists win, since they count as a victory anything which diminishes our liberal democratic way of life). We can ramp up the surveillance state and clamp down on freedom of speech to make it look like we are doing something purposeful, even though the costs of such draconian measures far exceed the benefits. But none of these measures will stop two radicalised guys and a truck from repeating the horrors of Nice in Camden Town or Edinburgh.
It is impossible to create the perfectly secure country, and the closer one tries to get to this ideal, greater and greater are the liberties which must be traded away in exchange. Therefore, the only way to stop more Nice attacks from happening is to approach the problem from the other end and seek to tackle the radical, fundamentalist Islamist extremism.
And this is the one thing which our leaders, in their tragic fear of giving offence, shamefully refuse to do.
Top Image: Guardian
Europe, Religion, TerrorismBastille Day, Charlie Hebdo, Daesh, Douglas Murray, France, Fundamentalism, ISIL, ISIS, Islam, Islamic State, Lone Wolf Attack, National Security, Nice, Radical Islam, Surveillance, Terrorism


This week I was joined by Dave Dixon and Jon Covey, two homebrewers-turned-innovation brewers for Braxton Brewing company. I wanted to try to capture a little bit of their journey, and what it means to have a brewery that operates with a culture of innovation.
It's all relevant with the recent news of Braxton's expansion into what they're calling the Braxton Labs (there will be more about that soon on the show).
It was a great show, and a really special look "behind the curtain" of a side of the industry that most of us don't get to see that often.
Previous Previous post: Braxton's Next Can? Summertrip.


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Supernal Living with Dana Taylor
Supernal Living–Best-selling Amazon author Dana Taylor, exploring spirituality, healing energy, visionary writing, and wonder
Dana Taylor Books and Bio
Ever-Flowing Streams Excerpt
Following Christ Without the Old-Time Religion
← Opening Chakras with The Lord's Prayer
Tuning into Sound Therapy →
Edgar Cayce for the Ages
There are classic books you tell yourself you should read….sometime. You might even come across one in a bookstore and buy it to read…sometime. The Story of Edgar Cayce: There is a River by Thomas Sugrue is one such book for me. Finally, Edgar Cayce had popped up in so many of our Supernal Spiritual Development Circles, I decided I should break down and read the book.
I first learned about Edgar Cayce in the 1970's through the work of Jess Stern. Edgar Cayce: The Sleeping Prophet played a major role in kicking off the New Age movement. Cayce lived from 1877-1945. Born in Kentucky, he was steeped in the farming and Protestant culture of his time. He became famous for giving amazing psychic health and life readings while asleep. He left behind over 14,000 documented readings covering treatments for almost every medical condition. Beyond that, he touched on such subjects as philosophy, metaphysics, reincarnation, history, and the future. The Association for Research and Enlightenment was formed in 1931 to explore the areas brought to light in the Cayce readings. The Association based in Virginia Beach is still following its mission:
The Mission of the A.R.E. is to help people transform their lives for the better, through research, education, and application of core concepts found in the Edgar Cayce readings and kindred materials that seek to manifest the love of God and all people and promote the purposefulness of life, the oneness of God, the spiritual nature of humankind, and the connection of body, mind, and spirit.
There are now multiple volumes about every aspect of Edgar Cayce's life and work, but There is a River was the first. Thomas Sugrue was handpicked by the Edgar and Gertrude Cayce to tell their story. He first met Cayce in 1927. He knew the man, not the legend. There is a River is the product of personal interviews with Edgar and his family, who struggled with making a life while possessing an amazing, but often burdensome, gift.
Though the book is over 70 years old, it's easy for the modern reader to get involved with the story and the characters. Sugrue was more storyteller than biographer and captures the emotions of his subjects. Edgar Cayce comes across as a humble, simple man of great Christian faith. When he first shows signs of his extraordinary gifts, he is bewildered and frightened. As a product of the South, he fears his abilities may be of the devil and constantly weighs actions as good or evil. The love story between Edgar and Gertrude Evans is sweet and compelling. She became his wife and helpmate in every way. She followed him to the grave only four months after his passing.
There were no grand triumphs during Cayce's lifetime. The dream of opening a holistic hospital only lasted two years, thanks to the Great Depression. The small victories came in the mail—the thank you letters from people who benefitted from the Cayce readings. There is a River was first published in 1943 and ironically played a part in hastening Edgar's death. Stuffed sacks of letters requesting readings induced him to sacrifice his health by stepping up the readings beyond his capacity.
Thanks to meticulous work of longtime secretary, Gladys Davis, and the devotion of the oldest son, Hugh Lynn Cayce, the readings lived on. The A.R.E. carries forward the work. Hopefully, Edgar and Gertrude on the other side are aware and well pleased that their lives of service are appreciated by those who have followed.
By Dana Taylor • Posted in Book Reviews, Health, Spirituality	• Tagged Edgar Cayce, healing
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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment — 3 Mar 22
Here are some of the "highlights" of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
· Here is the ISW assessrep for today.
· Putin spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday. Putin, who is probably already a killjoy at parties, stated that he intends to occupy the whole of Ukraine and "denazify" it. WTOP reported this morning that Putin may also be preparing for "mass mobilization".
· New Russian laws outlawing "fake news" are now forcing independent Russian news agencies to close their doors lest their journalists take a 15-year sabbatical to a cozy Siberian gulag. This is now in addition to barring the words "war" and "invasion" within the press. This is likely in response to mass protests and announcements of severe casualties.
· China shows its true colors by sticking to Russia's side. In other news: water is wet.
· Some Russian oligarchs are reportedly offering a $1 million bounty on Putin.
· Not sure who needs to hear this, but "Please don't shoot artillery at the nuclear power plant." In an act of baffling stupidity, Russian Army units rocketed the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine which also happens to be the largest in Europe. Thankfully, the building that they struck was an out building used for training. Despite the fact that it caught on fire, the Russians also attacked the firefighters trying to respond to the emergency. According to the IAEA, no other damage occurred to the plant. Still the Russian Army should be the automatic winners of the 2022 Darwin Awards.
· Yesterday, I offered an explanation for the absence of Russian air power. Here is a better explanation. Though the Russian Air Force has the basing to support air operations, it suffers from critical incompetence in airspace deconfliction (i.e. high risk of Russian SAMs shooting down Russian aircraft), severe shortage in precision guided munitions, and woefully undertrained pilots. According to this RUSI report, Russian pilots tend to average about 100 flight hours per year for combat aircraft. That is less than half that US pilots require for minimum proficiency. The conservation of the Russian Airforce is likely a strategic risk mitigation factor against UA SAMs and St. Stinger on the part of its generals.
· Reference graphics below: Advance to encircle Kyiv is still slow. From the Northeast, Russian forces continue to advance west towards the Dnieper while bypassing pockets of UA resistance. Heavy bombardment of Kharkiv continues. In the East, the UA continues to give ground, and it appears that the Northeast and East fronts are now joined. In the South, Russians have also captured the town of Mariupol. This effectively joins the South to the East and eliminates any Ukrainian port access east of Odessa.
· The pause around Kyiv is giving the city's residents time to set up anti-armor fortifications. As with Kharkiv, it is highly unlikely that the RA will push into the city with armor until they've bombarded it for a few days with artillery.
· Overall, despite lack of logistics, comms, airpower, or even morale, the Russian Army is still poised to win through brute force and a great deal of ignorance.
· As President Macron said after his chat with Poutain, "the worst is yet to come."
Happy Friday,
Eric B (token Army guy)
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First Images from The Walking Dead Season 2
By Dan Bradley on June 9, 2011, 7:44 pm
Production is underway on the second season of AMC's The Walking Dead, the insanely popular television series based on the comic book series of the same name. A total of 13 episodes are being produced and you can bet zombies will be littered throughout each and every one of them.
Coinciding with the beginning of The Walking Dead production are the first two images released from the Atlanta shoot. Both images feature "Walkers," what the show refers to as zombies who stumble about the streets, woods and anywhere else they can reach.
The original surviving cast of The Walking Dead season 1 returns for season 2, and new characters are expected to join the fight for survival. Details have been kept under tight wraps thus far other than small tidbits like Merle (Michael Rooker) popping up at some point.
If you missed the first season of The Walking Dead, be sure to check it out on Blu-ray, DVD or instantly on VOD before season 2 premieres this fall on AMC.
Source: AMC
TAGS AMCDVDMerle Michael RookerVOD


Cytometry and cell sorting core at the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research. The facility has a BD FACSAria II housed in a sterile biosafety cabinet in a BSL2+ facility, allowing sorting of unfixed, live cells into a variety of tubes and plates. Equipment, consultation, dedicated operator, and data analysis available to outside researchers.
To schedule an appointment please contact one of our flow core personnel.
"BD FACS Aria II cell sorter equipped with 4 solid state lasers: 100mW 405nm violet measuring up to 8 parameters, 50mW 488nm blue measuring up to 2 parameters in addition to FSC and SSC, 150mW 532 green measuring up to 5 parameters, and a 200mW 628nm red measuring up to 3 parameters, allowing sorting panels of up to 18 fluorescent markers. This instrument is housed in a biosafety cabinet in a BSL2+ laboratory, allowing for sterile sorting of live cells into a variety of tubes and plates."
"Two BD LSR II analyzers, each equipped with 3 solid state lasers: 100mW 404nm violet measuring up to 8 parameters, 100mW 488nm blue measuring up to 5 parameters in addition to FSC and SSC, and a 40mW 639nm red measuring up to 3 parameters, allowing panels of up to 16 fluorescent markers."


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Seacroft Tesco relaxes parking rules after uproar over £60 fines
A camera at the back exit of Seacroft Green Shopping Centre.
Customers who park outside Seacroft Green Tesco and leave to use other facilities in the area will no longer be fined.
There was uproar in the area when people who parked outside Tesco and went to use the post office, Seacroft Community Hub and Leeds City College at Deacon House, were slapped with £60 fines, rising to £100, for leaving the confines of the retail park.
-> This is why people keeping getting parking tickets at Seacroft Green Tesco
A four-hour limit - enforced using numberplate cameras - remains in place, but wardens will no longer punish people for leaving the retail park on foot within four hours.
Motorists first started complaining about getting fines and not knowing why earlier this year.
A petition calling on Tesco to scrap the changes set up by Samvarta Bandyopadhyay, the operator of Seacroft Post Office, and was signed by more than 1,000 people.
The fact that the Post Office logo is still on the shopping centre sign only added to the confusion.
Local councillors David Jenkins, Katie Dye and Paul Drinkwater campaigned against the changes, and MP Richard Burgon wrote to Tesco CEO Dave Lewis, demanding an end to the 'unfair and unnecessary' charges.
The land has been leased to Tesco by Leeds City Council and campaigners believe Tesco should not punish people who use the car park to access community services.
-> 11 philanthropists who made their mark on Leeds
Tesco had said it wanted to stop people using the car park as a park and ride to get into Leeds.
But Cllr Jenkins said he was told only around 12 people were doing this and said an arrangement could have been made with them.
"Tesco have used a sledgehammer to crack a nut," he said.
"It has caused hell for some people. We've had 89-year-olds getting tickets for going to the post office and students fined while they are at college.
"The whole thing has been a farce. These are all public services that people are using, it's not as if they are private competitors."
Leeds Bradford Airport 'needs to improve performance' for disabled passengers says aviation watchdog
This is where the red light cameras are in Leeds
He also called on Tesco to refund all fines that were given out to people who were using community services.
A Tesco spokesperson said: "Following feedback from customers and the local community we have made changes to the parking restrictions to allow parking for four hours at our Seacroft store."


text:
Usa news site
Celebtity
UK hospitals are so overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients the government is transferring them to hotels
January 13, 2021 UsanewssiteComment(0)
Summary List Placement
Hospitals in the UK are so overwhelmed with COVID-19 that the government is starting to discharge patients early and transfer them to hotels, The Guardian reported.
The UK is experiencing its worst moment of the pandemic, with the number of people in the hospital at its highest in the pandemic. More than 35,000 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday, according to the BBC.
National Health Service hospitals and medical professionals are also struggling to cope, particularly in London, where Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a "major incident" on Sunday.
As a result, the NHS has launched a "home and hotel" plan to create room for emergency cases or new admissions in hospitals, and to stop parts of the health service from imploding, The Guardian and the Evening Standard reported.
That plan would see thousands of hospitalized patients discharged early to hotels or back to their own homes, The Guardian reported.
King's College Hospital in south London has already started moving some homeless COVID-19 patients to rooms at a hotel operated by the London Hotel Group in nearby Croydon, the newspaper reported.
These patients have recovered or are recovering from COVID-19 and do not need specialist medical attention, a LHG spokesman told the Evening Standard.
The London Hotel Group, which manages a collection of hotels across the capital, has already offered to provide the NHS with beds for at least 5,000 patients, the newspaper said.
Asked Wednesday about reports of hotels being used to house patients, Matt Hancock, the UK health secretary, told Sky News that "in some cases, people need step-down care, they don't actually need to be in a hospital bed."
"We'd only ever do that if it was clinically the right thing for somebody."
The NHS is also asking care homes to start taking on elderly people who have not recently tested negative for COVID-19, but who have spent two weeks in isolation, The Guardian said.
Read more: What's coming next for COVID-19 vaccines? Here's the latest on 11 leading programs.
Hospitals across the UK are close to bursting, and temporary morgues set up during the last peak in April have been reopened.
The UK is struggling with a new coronavirus variant that jumps from person to person more easily, meaning a person who has been exposed to it has a higher chance of infection. England entered its third national lockdown last week.
As of last weekend, as many as 46,000 NHS hospital staff were unable to work because they are sick with COVID-19, The Guardian reported at the time.
In late December, some hospitals also started moving critically ill patients to less strained hospitals hundreds of miles away to free up room for new patients, according to the Independent.
Southend Hospital, in southeastern England, has capped the amount of oxygen that can be given to COVID-19 patients given the "critical situation," the BBC said.
UK hospitals reported being overburdened during the April surge in cases, but the number of people hospitalized as a result of …read more
Source:: Business Insider
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Fox News ratings fell below both CNN and MSNBC for the first time since 2000 in the wake of the attack on the US Capitol
January 12, 2021 Usanewssite
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Bridge: Jan. 13, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjm-d1-qX3E
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I spent only $400 on an all-inclusive honeymoon thanks to the IHG Rewards Premier credit card, and it continues to save me money on travel


(Opium poppy) Source of opium and the narcotic alkaloids, morphine and codeine, used to control pain, coughs and diarrhea. The plant is far more important for its culinary uses. Its seeds, which do not contain alkaloids, are widely used on breads, cakes, bagels and in Middle Eastern delicacies. The seeds also yields a good quality oil used for salads, soap, ointments and paints. A beautiful cool season annual with a mixture of single and double flowers in a riot of colours from pink to purple but most are blood red.


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    preprocessors: {
      ['../src/index.js']: ['webpack'],
      ['../src/**/*.spec.js']: ['webpack']
    },

    webpack: webpackConfig,

    // test results reporter to use
    // possible values: 'dots', 'progress'
    // available reporters: https://npmjs.org/browse/keyword/karma-reporter
    reporters: ['progress', 'coverage'],

    coverageReporter: {
      reporters: [
        {type: 'lcov', dir: '../coverage', 'subdir': '.'},
        {type: 'json', dir: '../coverage', 'subdir': '.'},
        {type: 'text-summary'}
      ]
    },

    // web server port
    port: 9876,

    // enable / disable colors in the output (reporters and logs)
    colors: true,

    // level of logging
    // possible values: config.LOG_DISABLE || config.LOG_ERROR || config.LOG_WARN || config.LOG_INFO || config.LOG_DEBUG
    logLevel: config.LOG_INFO,

    // enable / disable watching file and executing tests whenever any file changes
    autoWatch: false,

    // start these browsers
    // available browser launchers: https://npmjs.org/browse/keyword/karma-launcher
    browsers: ['PhantomJS'],

    // Continuous Integration mode
    // if true, Karma captures browsers, runs the tests and exits
    singleRun: true,

    // Concurrency level
    // how many browser should be started simultaneous
    concurrency: Infinity
  })
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home » Turkish Plotters: who is who
Turkish Plotters: who is who
Former Air Force Commander Gen. Akın Öztürk has been described as the ringleader of the foiled coup.
Öztürk also served in the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv from 1998 to 2000. He was military attache in Israel. The 64-year-old military figure stepped down as air force commander last year, but continued to serve on Turkey's Supreme Military Council.
He was honored by medals from his own air force as well as from NATO.
Second detained high-ranked general is the commander of the Second Army, General Adem Huduti.
He was Commander of the Turkish Cypriot Peace Forces in rank of Lieutenant General in 2010-2012. In August 2012 he take up a position in Ankara Army Wholesale Logistics Command.
The Second Army, based in Malatya, responsible for protection of Turkey's borders with Syria, Iraq and Iran.
The Malatya Garrison Commander, Maj. Gen. Avni Angun, and the Third army commander, Erdal Öztürk were also detained.
They also were connected well with NATO.
Brig. Gen. Bekir Ercan, commander of İncirlik Air Base, also was arrested.
The point is that jets that attacked building in Ankara were supported by Turkish tanker aircrafts based at the İncirlik Air Base. This base is also being used by the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). About 1,500 U.S. service members staying there.
It is important to note that chief military assistant to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Col. Ali Yazıcı.
As part of the operations on alleged coup attempters, police teams entered the Air Force Academy in the Yeşilköy neighborhood in Istanbul's Bakırköy district on July 18, detaining four soldiers, including a colonel.
According to Turkish sources, 25 generals and officers held a secret meeting at the campus and removed surveillance cameras and computer hard disks afterwards.
Turkish officials told that coup was released in July due to an upcoming meeting of the Supreme Military Council, which convenes every August to consider military appointments and retirements.
After the coup 7543 people had been detained, including 100 police officers, 6,038 soldiers, 755 judges and prosecutors, and 650 civilians. Of these, 316 have been arrested.
Pro-American coup in Turkey
Gulen-influenced coup
Background of Turkish Coups in a Nutshell
Su-24 incident: trace of Gülen and CIA
Why Is Erdogan Shifting the Coup Blame to Fethullah Gulen?
Post-Coup Turkey Will Be Distinctly Eurasian
After the Coup in Turkey
Latest facts on coup in Turkey
Coup in Turkey
Erdogan and his Islamists might not go quietly, and the US' estimation in engineering this Gullen-influenced coup was...
The history of 20th-century Turkey is rich with a number of coups. Turkey's military staged three coups between 1960...
KATEHON.COM
Can Ataklı, a journalist from Sözcü Gazetesi, said in his column that he had recently met with a former officer and...
Can Ataklı
Why Is Erdogan Shifting the Coup Blame to...
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed the uprising on Fethullah Gulen, a retired Islamic cleric and former political...
What to expect in Turkey soon
Prime Minister Benali Yildirim said 161 people were killed and 1,440 wounded in the overnight violence. He said 2,839 plotters were detained....
At least 60 people died and 1,000 people were injured across the country. More than 750 detained. Media reported today at morning that sounds of...
Related Agenda
A coup attempt has taken place in Turkey. At this moment the fate of the country is being decided. A military group occupied the state television...
A Brief Summary of the Rothschild Crime Syndicate's...
There has been much that has already been written about the Rothschild crime syndicate. We acknowledge that for those who are not part of the...
Russian S-400 Finally In Turkey. How Will Washington...
Since 2017, politicians and experts have been debating whether Turkey will buy Russian air defense systems despite US threats. Today, all these...
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A video has just surfaced where Erdogan brags about how Turkey's military operation in northern Syria has always been for the purpose of advancing...
Multipolarity
Is That Armageddon Over The Horizon?
The insouciance of the Western world is extraordinary. It is not only Americans who permit themselves to be brainwashed by CNN, MSNBC, NPR, the New...
The US Ambassador met coup leader the day before the...
The new evidence of the US participation in the coup attempt in Turkey emerged. Greek press published a photo made a day before the coup. It shows...
Eurasian Economic Transformation Goes Forward
At this juncture it's clear that the attempt of the Trump Administration and related circles in the US military industrial complex have failed in...
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The US Senate ratified the protocol on Montenegro's accession to NATO on Tuesday with 97 votes in favor and two against. The only two "no" votes came...
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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday called for deepening military-civilian integration, while highlighting sci-tech innovation as the key to...
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Improving partnerships between Moscow and Tokyo should please in theory, but it practically reminds us an undercover fight between two "implacable...
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For the second time in recent years, a great power has been putting forward an ultimatum to the President of Turkey. This time, he is asked to choose...
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Reports that US General John F. Campbell was the organizer of a coup d'etat in Turkey surprised no one. Recall that the July 25th edition of the...
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The NATO summit in Warsaw is a part of the nuclear "chicken game". Washington and the NATO Generals are trying to provoke Russia into an escalation...


text:
Peter is the March Draw Winner
The latest cash prize winner in the Quarters Ball Club Draw is Peter Barrington.
Peter, a long time WWFC supporter, Legacy Trust Member and one of the Chairboys Funders (2013-2020) receives the nice sum of £692.80. The blue quartered ball was not drawn out, so the bonus of £1891.40 rolls over to the April draw when the prize pot could well be close to £2800
The draw was made in the Caledonian Suite by a young supporter, Dylan and witnessed by a large crowd having been held over from the Trust Board meeting last Thursday night. Dylan pulled out ball number 170, one of the 5 balls bought by Peter every month for the past year.
Peter travels in, to watch the Chairboys, from Newport Pagnell with his son Will. When asked how he might spend his winnings, Peter said "all I've got to do is decide whether to pay some of the gas bill or put diesel in the car!" We hope he will still have a little left to enjoy spending.
Entries are already coming in for the next draw, likely to be held on Thursday 28th April. Entries need to be in before midnight on the 25th to qualify.
If you are not already in the draw, which is open to all WWFC supporters (no need to be a Trust member for this) then please go to https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLE4NEDGQ0YM4/checkout/KZP3EU6Z2FJD44QBWMLH43OB
More To Explore...
Free tickets for those in need
Trust help with the Cost of Living The Trust will be providing a pair of tickets for each of the remaining WWFC home games at
Trust Board Meeting – Thursday 2nd Feb
Our first Board Meeting of 2023 will be held on Thursday 2nd Feb, starting at 7pm. Hot drinks will be provided as usual, so please


text:
« Suburban Legends band commends WCU
The Pride wins 'favorite band' poll, returns home »
The WCU band marches in the Rose Parade.
KTLA-TV is sharing video footage from all of the bands, including Western Carolina University's Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, that marched in the Rose Parade. Visit the station's web site to watch video of the WCU band to vote for WCU as the best band in the Rose Parade. (Note: WCU's band is listed as "West Carolina University." The university's name was listed incorrectly in one of the Tournament of Roses event programs.)
Other related posts at roseparade.wcu.edu include a collection of comments from band members and fans about the parade, videos of band director Bob Buckner and Chancellor John W. Bardo speaking to the band after the parade as well as a video of a drummer giving his drumsticks to a parade-goer, and slideshows of the band taken from a media stand on the parade route and the warm reception the members received upon their arrival back at the hotel.
Later on Jan. 1, the band celebrated the year at a more than 4-hour band banquet. Members gave speeches expressing thanks to all who made the year possible and special thanks was offered to director Bob Buckner, who plans to retire in the spring.
The evening included presentations from formal awards to less-formal awards, including gold-painted paintbrushes "inscribed" with "You paint the fields of our hearts" presented to volunteers who helped paint the lines on the practice field.
Many expressed gratitude to Chancellor John W. Bardo for his support of the band and helping it grow, including his role in changing the group's name from the Marching Cats to the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band. "He changed our world," said Buckner.
Students shared memories of personal experiences with Buckner, who was presented with a Silver Baton award. Keith Marwitz, a senior, remembered the talk Buckner gave him after he was late his first day as a freshman. "I have never been late again," said Marwitz light-heartedly. Drum major Amy Shuford recalled how Buckner told her he wanted her in his band and gave her his card when she was at WCU for a band event years before she came to Western Carolina. "I just want to let you know I still have your business card in my wallet," said Shuford. Kate Murphy, an alumna who works at WCU and instructs the color guard, read a letter she wrote to Buckner in which she said the Pride makes her heart explode with purple and gold. "You make non-band people fall in love with us."
The band will enjoy Disneyland on Jan. 2 before begin travels back to North Carolina.


text:
Quarantine Act Legislation: Frequently Asked Questions
Sarah Leamon May 12, 2020
FeaturedHealthLaw64 views
Earlier this month, the federal government took an unprecedented step in the fight against COVID-19 and began enforcing the Quarantine Act.
A relatively mysterious piece of legislation, the Quarantine Act is rarely – if ever – referred to or used by our government authorities. At this point, however, public officials have decided to begin enforcing the Act in the battle against COVID-19. According to elected officials, the Quarantine Act has what it takes to help minimize the impacts of the pandemic on our population and to stop the spread of the virus.
So, what is this document and – more importantly – what can we expect?
I'm here to answer your biggest questions about the Quarantine Act.
(1) What Is the Quarantine Act?
The main objective of the Quarantine Act is to contain the spread of communicable disease through screening, health assessments, medical testing, and quarantining.
In order to do this, it grants law enforcement agencies increased power and flexibility in issuing penalties to those who fail or refuse to comply with orders issued under it. Passed in 2005, following the SARS epidemic, the Quarantine Act has been blissfully unneeded
up until now.
(2) Who does the Quarantine Act apply to?
The Act applies to travellers. Those entering and departing from Canada are subject to it.
(3) What kind of powers will police have under the Quarantine Act?
As any process aimed at halting the spread of a virus is an integrate one, with many moving parts, the Quarantine Act provides peace officers with wide-ranging powers in order to exercise their duties and ensure compliance. The Quarantine Act allows officers to ask relevant questions in order to determine whether
they pose a risk with respect to a communicable disease and to provide the officer with any information or record in their possession that they officer may require. If a travel has a reason to believe they may be sick or have a communicable disease, they have a positive obligation to disclose this to a quarantine officer and they must also comply with screening measures. Refusing to answer questions or undergo a health test may result in an arrest. Under the Quarantine Act, peace officers have vast powers to ensure compliance, including the ability to arrest travellers without a warrant.
(4) When can an officer make an arrest under the Quarantine Act?
In order to arrest, a peace officer must have reasonable grounds to believe that the person has committed an offence under the Quarantine Act itself, such as refusing to comply with an isolation order for example. Again, this "reasonable grounds test" echoes legal principles that have been long-established by our criminal laws, both in terms of legislation and case law. So, it really isn't all that foreign to us and should be something that both authority figures and our court systems are familiar with handling.
(5) What kind of penalties will people face if they breach the Quarantine Act?
While some offences under the Quarantine Act may result in tickets with more minor monetary fines ranging from $275 to $1000, others carry a much greater jeopardy. More serious offences can result in charges under the Criminal Code and criminal penalties, including a criminal record and even jail time. Others still include much more extreme options for enforcement, including fines of up to $1,000,000 and three years behind bars. The most severe punishments, however, are reserve for the most severe crimes.
Under the Quarantine Act, the maximum penalty applies to circumstances where a person caused a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another through wilful or reckless contravention of the Act itself.
With any luck, cases like these will be very few and far between.
(6) Is the Quarantine Act actually being enforced right now?
While it is up to each province to actually follow through with its enforcement, the Quarantine Act has being applied in British Columbia. Police in this province have already made over 500 home visits in order to ensure compliance with self-isolation orders under the Quarantine Act for travellers who have recently returned to Canada from abroad – and we can only expect more in the future. This is no surprise for a province that houses four international airports and numerous land border crossings.
(7) So, what can travellers expect?
Travelers entering B.C. at through either Vancouver International Airport or at any land border crossing are expected to fill out a detailed self-isolation form and to verbally present their self-isolation plans to authorities for approval before moving forward.
(8) What are the implications of enforcing the Quarantine Act?
Travellers should have adequate arrangements to self-isolate for the statutorily prescribed period of fourteen-days. If they are unable to do so, arrangements must be made in order to ensure that they do. As of right now, hotels are being made available – but we can't expect these types of accommodations to last forever without considerable expense to individual travellers or taxpayers.
Once we've curbed community-based COVID-19 transmissions, the Quarantine Act will help to ensure that our safety has not threatened by travellers, who may risk unintentionally re-introducing the virus without proper precautions in place. It may allow us to lift travel restrictions and to resume life closer to normal again. But any great result must be accompanied by great restraint. It is important that, as our officials continue to apply the Quarantine Act, they do so prudently and uniformly. Not only must each territory and province must ensure fluent compliance if all Canadians are to be protected, but they must also ensure that practices and policies are applied in a sparing and non-discriminatory manner. After all, our future depends on it.
Follow @cannalifenet for more info
legislationquarantine acttraveling 2020
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Sarah Leamon
Sarah Leamon is a criminal defence lawyer and founder of Sarah Leamon Law Group. Sarah specializes in impaired driving offences and cannabis law. In 2017, Sarah was invited to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights to discuss the legal implications of Bill C-46. Sarah has been sought out for her legal insights by both the House of Commons and the Senate on multiple occasions since then. Sarah regularly writes for The Georgia Straight, The Huffington Post, The Her(b) Life and The Cannabis Life Network. She is also involved in numerous non-profit organizations, including, The Coven Club and The Women's Association of Criminal Lawyers – British Columbia. Sarah was nominated in Canadian Lawyer Magazine's 25 Most Influential Lawyers list in 2018 and 2019 and won Business in Vancouver's 2018 Forty Under 40 award. She won the 2019 Integrity Award from the Universal Womens Network.
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Much controversy surrounds the generosity of unemployment insurance in modern economies. Do generous benefits discourage workers from looking for jobs and increase unemployment? Or does unemployment in recessions simply stem from a lack of jobs? CEPR DP8132 explores the optimal level of unemployment benefits during the booms and busts of the business cycle.


I am posting this blog meme a wee bit late but better late than never. If you are a writer with a blog please leave me a note and I'll tag you, and link to your blog, then next Wednesday (or any belated day after) answer these questions, blog em, post em, tag away!
The purpose of this meme is to let everyone know a bit about what you got cooking--novel wise. So, here are the beans on the manuscript I have that is the closest to completion. Cheers!
I was tagged by the lovely and talented Rebecca Emin whose blog can be found here.
For right now. "Blood Brilliant" although that is very much a working title.
The main idea came from an image I had in my head of a woman struggling with a man who snaps her neck. It came from a nightmare I suppose, but I began to wonder what circumstances led that woman there and what could I build around it.
Oh dear! Let me think. For the lead, Talitha, I would really like an unknown. She's a temperamental tough, Texan who does not fit the stereotypical svelte body of a Hollywood ingenue and I'd hate to see the role go to someone who is just wearing a fat-suit or gaining weight for the role. I'd like her to be played by someone authentic.
Her father, Ethan Curie, however is totally Brenden Gleeson. Nuff said.
For Robert Christobel I'd love to see a young Spanish or Mexican actor.
Danielle Blakely I'd love to see played by Kat Graham.
Lena Mirinova would be brilliant for Olga Kurylenko and Antonius Merryn is perfect for someone like Bill Nighy.
Amy Ryan would be awesome for Annie and Rose Byrne would be a great fit for Miranda.
A young girl suffering from a lifetime of loss and self loathing is ripped from her shell as she is forced to fight for the life of her new best friend who has been kidnapped and held hostage by vampires.
I am still considering self publishing but the prevalence of good indie press out there has me really loving the idea of submitting to small market publishers. I am not at all concerned with money or instant prestige so much as I just would love to have my story out there.
The first draft took about one year to write before edits. I sat on the IDEA for about 11 years, haha, before actually rolling up my sleeves and doing it, however.
I feel it is a lot closer to the young adult books I read growing up, like "The Silver Kiss" and "Blood and Chocolate" by Annette Curtis Klause, and "The View From the Cherry Tree" by Willo Davis Roberts. There is a combination of paranormal and suspense thriller to it that I think matches well with those types of books. It's the element of a young person suffering who is still forced to take matters into their own hands when things go over their head.
I think my inspiration to write it has always been my love of reading, above anything else. I grew up devouring books and I loved being a reader but then I began to feel the urge to create something of my own for someone to read. I remember being frustrated at times however, as books geared towards my age group often were 90 percent love triangle and 10 percent action, and so I began by writing the story I would like to read.
Also, I am a rabid fan of the vampire genre, and the beautiful thing about that genre is that the author has the freedom to create whatever world they please. The trend right now is towards a beautiful, romantic sort of hero, and that's fine. What I wanted to create however, is a vampire who is more an unabashed villain, someone pitiless and cruel. My protagonist is a teenage girl who despite all her emotional ills and traumas has a solid core that she needs to rediscover for herself. The vampires in this case serve as the rat in the grain exposing that core, but they are not the crutch for her to create a new sense of self.
I think it will appeal to the reader who is looking for a dark, vampire tale without all the sweetness of romance and longing. If the reader is looking for a lone-wolf style heroine and vampires that stay evil, well then, this book is for them.


text:
TEST(ImageUtilTest, JPEGEncodeAndDecode) {
  gfx::Image original = gfx::test::CreateImage(100, 100);

  std::vector<unsigned char> encoded;
  ASSERT_TRUE(gfx::JPEG1xEncodedDataFromImage(original, 80, &encoded));

  gfx::Image decoded =
      gfx::ImageFrom1xJPEGEncodedData(&encoded.front(), encoded.size());

  // JPEG is lossy, so simply check that the image decoded successfully.
  EXPECT_FALSE(decoded.IsEmpty());
}

TEST(ImageUtilTest, GetVisibleMargins) {
  int left, right;

  // Fully transparent image.
  {
    SkBitmap bitmap;
    bitmap.allocN32Pixels(16, 14);
    bitmap.eraseColor(SK_ColorTRANSPARENT);
    gfx::ImageSkia img(gfx::ImageSkia::CreateFrom1xBitmap(bitmap));
    gfx::GetVisibleMargins(img, &left, &right);
    EXPECT_EQ(8, left);
    EXPECT_EQ(8, right);
  }

  // Fully non-transparent image.
  {
    SkBitmap bitmap;
    bitmap.allocN32Pixels(16, 14);
    bitmap.eraseColor(SK_ColorYELLOW);
    gfx::ImageSkia img(gfx::ImageSkia::CreateFrom1xBitmap(bitmap));
    gfx::GetVisibleMargins(img, &left, &right);
    EXPECT_EQ(0, left);
    EXPECT_EQ(0, right);
  }

  // Image with non-transparent section in center.
  {
    SkBitmap bitmap;
    bitmap.allocN32Pixels(16, 14);
    bitmap.eraseColor(SK_ColorTRANSPARENT);
    bitmap.eraseArea(SkIRect::MakeLTRB(3, 2, 13, 13), SK_ColorYELLOW);
    gfx::ImageSkia img(gfx::ImageSkia::CreateFrom1xBitmap(bitmap));
    gfx::GetVisibleMargins(img, &left, &right);
    EXPECT_EQ(3, left);
    EXPECT_EQ(3, right);
  }

  // Image with non-transparent section skewed to one side.
  {
    SkBitmap bitmap;
    bitmap.allocN32Pixels(16, 14);
    bitmap.eraseColor(SK_ColorTRANSPARENT);
    bitmap.eraseArea(SkIRect::MakeLTRB(3, 2, 5, 5), SK_ColorYELLOW);
    gfx::ImageSkia img(gfx::ImageSkia::CreateFrom1xBitmap(bitmap));
    gfx::GetVisibleMargins(img, &left, &right);
    EXPECT_EQ(3, left);
    EXPECT_EQ(11, right);
  }

  // Image with non-transparent section at leading edge.
  {
    SkBitmap bitmap;
    bitmap.allocN32Pixels(16, 14);
    bitmap.eraseColor(SK_ColorTRANSPARENT);
    bitmap.eraseArea(SkIRect::MakeLTRB(0, 3, 5, 5), SK_ColorYELLOW);
    gfx::ImageSkia img(gfx::ImageSkia::CreateFrom1xBitmap(bitmap));
    gfx::GetVisibleMargins(img, &left, &right);
    EXPECT_EQ(0, left);
    EXPECT_EQ(11, right);
  }

  // Image with non-transparent section at trailing edge.
  {
    SkBitmap bitmap;
    bitmap.allocN32Pixels(16, 14);
    bitmap.eraseColor(SK_ColorTRANSPARENT);
    bitmap.eraseArea(SkIRect::MakeLTRB(4, 3, 16, 13), SK_ColorYELLOW);
    gfx::ImageSkia img(gfx::ImageSkia::CreateFrom1xBitmap(bitmap));
    gfx::GetVisibleMargins(img, &left, &right);
    EXPECT_EQ(4, left);
    EXPECT_EQ(0, right);
  }

  // Image with narrow non-transparent section.
  {
    SkBitmap bitmap;
    bitmap.allocN32Pixels(16, 14);
    bitmap.eraseColor(SK_ColorTRANSPARENT);
    bitmap.eraseArea(SkIRect::MakeLTRB(8, 3, 9, 5), SK_ColorYELLOW);
    gfx::ImageSkia img(gfx::ImageSkia::CreateFrom1xBitmap(bitmap));
    gfx::GetVisibleMargins(img, &left, &right);
    EXPECT_EQ(8, left);
    EXPECT_EQ(7, right);
  }

  // Image with faint pixels.
  {
    SkBitmap bitmap;
    bitmap.allocN32Pixels(16, 14);
    bitmap.eraseColor(SkColorSetA(SK_ColorYELLOW, 0x02));
    gfx::ImageSkia img(gfx::ImageSkia::CreateFrom1xBitmap(bitmap));
    gfx::GetVisibleMargins(img, &left, &right);
    EXPECT_EQ(8, left);
    EXPECT_EQ(8, right);
  }

  // Fully transparent image with odd width.
  {
    SkBitmap bitmap;
    bitmap.allocN32Pixels(17, 14);
    bitmap.eraseColor(SK_ColorTRANSPARENT);
    gfx::ImageSkia img(gfx::ImageSkia::CreateFrom1xBitmap(bitmap));
    gfx::GetVisibleMargins(img, &left, &right);
    EXPECT_EQ(9, left);
    EXPECT_EQ(8, right);
  }
}

TEST(ImageUtilTest, ResizedImageForSearchByImage) {
  // Make sure the image large enough to let ResizedImageForSearchByImage to
  // resize the image.
  gfx::Image original_image =
      gfx::test::CreateImage(gfx::kSearchByImageMaxImageWidth * 2,
                             gfx::kSearchByImageMaxImageHeight * 2);

  gfx::Image resized_image = gfx::ResizedImageForSearchByImage(original_image);
  EXPECT_FALSE(resized_image.IsEmpty());
  EXPECT_EQ(resized_image.Width(), gfx::kSearchByImageMaxImageWidth);
  EXPECT_EQ(resized_image.Height(), gfx::kSearchByImageMaxImageHeight);
}

TEST(ImageUtilTest, ResizedImageForSearchByImageShouldKeepRatio) {
  // Make sure the image large enough to let ResizedImageForSearchByImage to
  // resize the image.
  gfx::Image original_image = gfx::test::CreateImage(600, 600);

  gfx::Image resized_image = gfx::ResizedImageForSearchByImage(original_image);
  EXPECT_EQ(resized_image.Width(), 400);
  EXPECT_EQ(resized_image.Height(), 400);
}