text:
Hack 70. Break Codes with Etaoin Shrdlu
You never know when you will have to decipher a cryptic message, whether it's one intercepted by your man, James Bond, or one scribbled illegibly onto a prescription pad by your doctor. Here are all the statistical tricks you'll need, Agent 003.14159.
You might have noticed that certain keys on your computer keyboard get dirty or wear out more quickly than others. That's because you hit them more often than the others. You might also notice that these letters tend to be in the middle of the keyboard or, more correctly, in small circles near where your hands are when they are centered on a keyboard.
Both the wear and tear on your keys and the placement of them in a standard typewriter (a.k.a. QWERTY, for the first six letters on the top row) pattern are based on their frequency of use in English. Different letters in the alphabet are used with different frequencies in the spelling of words in a language. By applying the known frequency of these letters, along with other statistical tricks, you can quickly decode classified documents, whether they are Leonardo da Vinci's diary, a puzzle in the newspaper, or big, bright letters being turned by Vanna White on TV.
Single Substitution Ciphers
The simplest and oldest type of letter-based code is the single substitution format. In these codes, some message is transformed from the actual letters in the words to other letters in the alphabet. In the simplest form of this type of coding, the same letter substitutes for the same letter throughout the message. For example, a simple cipher might use the substitution pattern shown in Table 6-18, in which the letters on the top row (the plain text) are replaced by the letters on the bottom row (the cipher text).
Table A single substitution cipher
Plain text A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Cipher text N A O B P C Q D R E S F T G U H V I W J X K Y L Z M
With a code like the one shown in Table 6-18, the following plain-text passage:
Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush.
appears in cipher text like this:
Jut nhhpnipb ug jdp wrbpynfs yrjd n axospj uc ydrjp yhwd ngb u fugq-dngbfpb aixwd.
The passage looks like nonsense, but with the key shown in Table 6-18, anyone could easily replace the nonsense letters with the original letters, causing the opening sentence of the second paragraph in Chapter Two of Tom Sawyer to reveal itself.
Using Probability to Decode Substitution Ciphers
Of course, the real task when deciphering ciphers is to do it without access to the code key. Real-life code breakers and winning contestants on Wheel of Fortune use the same tool to solve their problems: they apply the known distribution of letters in English language words.
The advent of computers, computer analysis, and electronic copies of millions of books has made the calculation of exact probabilities for each letter of the alphabet possible, though cryptographers (code makers and breakers) have known the basics for some time. Here are some of these basics:
The most common letter, in terms of usage in English, is E.
The least commonly used letter is Z.
The most common consonant is T.
J and X are rarely used, as is Q.
When Q is used, it is almost always followed by U.
Only A and I are used as one-letter words in English.
With even just these basic probability facts, you could begin to tackle decoding a cipher such as our Mark Twain passage. The most commonly appearing letters in the garbled version are P and N. Because N is used as a single-letter word, it cannot be E (N is most likely A), so a good first guess for P is that it substitutes for E.
With just a little knowledge of letter distribution, we have already identified the substitutes for E and A. We can't be sure we are right, but like any good statistician, we think we are probably right. Table 6-19 shows the likely distribution for each letter of the alphabet.
Table Frequency distribution of letters in English
A 8.04 percent
B 1.54 percent
C 3.06 percent
D 3.99 percent
E 12.51 percent
F 2.30 percent
G 1.96 percent
H 5.49 percent
I 7.26 percent
J 0.16 percent
K 0.67 percent
L 4.14 percent
M 2.53 percent
N 7.09 percent
O 7.60 percent
P 2.00 percent
Q 0.11 percent
R 6.12 percent
S 6.54 percent
T 9.25 percent
U 2.71 percent
V 0.99 percent
W 1.92 percent
X 0.19 percent
Y 1.73 percent
Z 0.09 percent
ETAOIN SHRDLU
The strange phrase "ETAOIN SHRDLU" is a mnemonic device (memory tool) for remembering the most frequently occurring letters. These 12 letters account for over 80 percent of total letter frequency.
You might notice that the order of letters in ETAOIN SHRDLU is not exactly the rank order of popularity shown in Table 6-19. It is close enough, though, and easier to pronounce than if it were exactly correct. Another thing to remember is that any "definitive" list of letter probability depends on the source material for the letter count. You can find many different lists of letter order and frequency, and some differ slightly from others.
For example, one organization that produced a list of statistical distributions of letters in English text relied on a computer analysis and actual count of letter occurrence in seven literary classics, such as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Two of these seven books were Tarzan novels. I'm guessing that if we were to compare that table of letter distributions with others, we would find that the proportional number of times the letter Z appeared was greater than if other sources were used. For the common letters, thoughsuch as E, T, and Athere is wide agreement on their use as best first guesses for code breaking.
Wheel of Fortune Strategy
On the TV game show Wheel of Fortune, before solving the big puzzle at the end, the producers are nice enough to provide certain letters and show whether they appear in the hangman-type phrase. They provide R, S, T, L, N, and E. These are given, of course, because they are common letters, and are in our top 12: ETAOIN SHRDLU. The player is allowed to choose three more consonants and another vowel. Using our statistical knowledge of letter frequency, a good basic strategy would be to pick A as the vowel and the three most common consonants not yet shown: H, D, and C.
Statistical Analysis of Coded Texts
Here's how you might use these letter stats in real life to decode a secret message or solve a puzzle. This method works best if the coded text is lengthy, but it works surprisingly well even for shorter passages. Calculate the distribution of the coded, substitute letters (the cipher text), and then compare it to the distribution shown in Table 6-19.
Figure 6-8 shows how this process might look graphically. Only the first 10 most common letters are shown, but the analysis would use all the letters. This example pretends that there is a lot of coded text and that the substitute cipher shown in Table 6-18 is being used.
Figure 6-8. English letter frequency (left) and coded letter frequency (right)
Because the most common substitute letters are P, followed by J, a good guess for breaking the code would be to see whether P could really be E and J could really be T. These first guesses can be made all the way down the line for each letter. By starting with the most frequently appearing letters and moving down the list, a code breaker can quickly see whether these first hypotheses are right or wrong and change guesses around until English words start to appear.
Other Common Letter Patterns
Beyond just knowing the frequency of individual letters appearing, good code breakers use probability information about other patterns of letters:
Words are most likely to start with T, O, A, W, or B.
Most words end with an E, T, D, or S.
If two letters are doubled in a word, they are most likely to be SS, EE, TT, FF, or LL.
Frequently appearing two-letter words include of, to, in, it, and is.
By far, the most common three-letter words are the and and. Other common three-letter words include for, are, and but.
Letters that tend to come in pairs include TH, HE, AN, IN, and ER.
The most frequently used words are the, of, and, to, in, a, is, that, be, and it.
Perhaps indicating what people tend to write about, the top 100 most-used words in written texts include dollars, great, general, and public. Debts just barely failed to make the top 100, but it is surprisingly common.
A good explanation of single substitution ciphers can be found under the entry for frequency analysis at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_analysis.
Some of the statistics reported in this hack were found at http://www.data-compression.com and http://www.scottbryce.com. Good information and advice for solving cryptograms and other codes using statistics can be found at those sites.
Statistics Hacks: Tips & Tools for Measuring the World and Beating the Odds
Authors: Bruce Frey
InDesign Type: Professional Typography with Adobe InDesign CS2
Baseball Hacks: Tips & Tools for Analyzing and Winning with Statistics
Mind Performance Hacks: Tips & Tools for Overclocking Your Brain
Conquering Risk: Attacking Vegas and Wall Street
Mind Hacks: Tips & Tools for Using Your Brain
High-Speed Signal Propagation[c] Advanced Black Magic
Linear Equalization: Long Backplane Trace Example
Limits to Attainable Distance
Crossover Wiring
150- W STP-A: Radiation and Safety
Single-Mode Fiber-Optic Cabling
SQL Tips & Techniques (Miscellaneous)
Using SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML) to Insert and Manipulate Data Within SQL Tables
Using Data Control Language (DCL) to Setup Database Security
Working with SQL JOIN Statements and Other Multiple-table Queries
Repairing and Maintaining MS-SQL Server Database Files
Working with SQL Database Data Across the Internet
Professional Java Native Interfaces with SWT/JFace (Programmer to Programmer)
Overview of Java UI Toolkits and SWT/JFace
Jump Start with SWT/JFace
Combos and Lists
Creating a Text Editor with JFace Text
MySQL Cookbook
Protecting Option Files
Writing Library Files
Specifying Which Columns to Display
Converting Between Times and Seconds
Finding Smallest or Largest Summary Values
Quartz Job Scheduling Framework: Building Open Source Enterprise Applications
The Cron Expression Format
Running Quartz with JobStoreTX
Brief Overview of Java RMI
The QuartzInitializerServlet to the Rescue
Configuring JobStore Settings


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Mysterious illness killing birds may be in N.C.
By Associated Press and Spectrum News Staff North Carolina
PUBLISHED 9:19 AM ET Aug. 11, 2021 PUBLISHED 9:19 AM EDT Aug. 11, 2021
NORTH CAROLINA — A mysterious ailment that sickened and killed songbirds in several mid-Atlantic states may have moved into North Carolina, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
The illness, which is expanding its reach, appears to cause the eyes of birds to crust over.
An illness killing songbirds in mid-Atlantic states may now be in North Carolina
The main visible symptoms are swollen eyes or crusty discharge around the eyes
Wildlife officials are urging people to remove backyard bird feeders and avoid handling sick birds
No human health issues have been reported in connection to the bird disease
Wildlife managers and veterinarians first received reports in late April and May of sick birds in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Washington, D.C. Later reports came from Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Ohio and Indiana.
"More recently additional states have been included, and our agency has begun receiving reports of sick and dying birds, which may be due to the new disease," the N.C. wildlife officials reported in a Facebook post Tuesday.
The outbreak may have peaked in June and be declining in some early hotspots, but it's ongoing in other regions, according to Brian Evans, a bird ecologist at the Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
While scientists are still racing to confirm the cause, it seems juvenile birds may be most susceptible.
The U.S. Geological Survey, which oversees responses to some natural hazards and risks, has recommended that people temporarily take down bird feeders and clean out bird baths to reduce places that birds could closely congregate and potentially spread disease.
WHICH BIRDS ARE AFFECTED?
So far, the majority of birds reported as ailing have been fledgling blue jays, American robins, European starlings and common grackles, but other songbirds are also affected.
The main visible symptoms are swollen eyes or crusty discharge around the eyes, as well as off-balance movements that may indicate neurological damage.
WHAT'S CAUSING THE SICKNESS?
Scientists at the USGS, the Smithsonian and universities are still working to determine the causes. Through testing of sick and deceased birds, they have determined that this outbreak was not primarily caused by salmonella, chlamydia, avian influenza virus, West Nile virus or a few other viruses that commonly afflict birds.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
USGS is recommending that people remove backyard bird feeders, avoid handling sick birds and keep pets away from birds. The agency also recommends that people with bird baths disinfect them with a solution of 10% bleach and 90% water.
"Because we don't know what it is, we have to be that much more vigilant. We still don't know if it's caused by a virus or a bacteria" or a toxic chemical in pesticides, said Jordan Rutter, director of public relations at the American Bird Conservancy, a nonprofit group.
However, removing bird feeders doesn't have to mean ignoring the needs of birds. Rutter suggested that people with yards could incorporate native plants that provide food, such as berries and nectar, while also attracting insects birds eat.
HOW UNUSUAL IS THIS OUTBREAK?
Birds are susceptible to several viruses and bacteria. When a contagious pathogen begins to spread among birds in an area, wildlife managers typically recommend that residents remove outdoor feeders. This spring an outbreak of salmonella among wild songbirds in several states caused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue such a warning.
What's different in this instance is that scientists do not know the cause of the ailment.
No human health or domestic livestock and poultry issues have been reported.
North Carolina officials ask anyone who finds a dead bird to email hwi@ncwildlife.org with a photo of the bird(s), including the location and date found. Click here to report sick birds to a licensed rehabilitator.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This post is loosely based on the Youtube video i posted about six months ago.
The conversations that happen between myself and the students whose teachers i sub for are never dull. Often, the most random, interesting, and memorable ones are those i overhear and decide to insert my own two cents in (there was an abortion debate in a class on Thursday last week). This is not the time for an expanse of that topic, but if you so desire, comment and i'll share that conversation and my reflections because of it (it was definitely an interesting time).
On Friday–9/28/2018–a student asked me what kind of music i listen to. I answered by saying my primary is rap, but i also enjoy rock. The student shook her head disappointedly when i said rock, but i don't just like any old rock music. It needs to either be rap-like (think: Linkin Park's first few albums) or heavy, metal-ish rock.
As believers, we are called to be "in the world but not of the world" (see John 17:13-19). A part of this is using what the world loves to point them back to Jesus. As such, i'd merely like to argue that when comparing and thinking about two songs from BFMV's album Hand of Blood, it becomes clear that they inadvertently preach the gospel.
The it that rips holes in friendships is the four words ("look at me now"). This is because comparison games are dangerous, and ultimately divisive, even amongst those in the world. No one wants to be told/reminded that someone else is better than them.
And for Christians, it is even more valid. It doesn't matter whether you are a janitor no one notices or a pastor of thousands. It doesn't matter whether you are too poor to afford your next meal or rich enough to own two houses. As Christians, we should never compare ourselves to each other, and we should never brag about our status either. There's only one person we should compare ourselves too, and when we compare ourselves to Him, bragging will cease from our lips.
This is precisely why we shouldn't brag about our status if we are Christians. All of us have messed up immensely. Another word for this messing up is sin. We are all guilty of sinning against a holy and perfect God. And the fact of the matter is we will never know why God chose to love us, but praise HIM: He did love us!
If we were all spiritually dead before Christ saved us, then what right do we have to say, "Look at me now"?
Exactly. None. We have no right.
I pray that you believe in Christ if you never have before. He loved me, and He snatched me out of a garbage pile of sin. I don't know why, but i know my life is different as a result. I still mess up daily, but still, He loves me.
He wants to save you too! Surrender your life. He died on the cross to take the punishment you deserved. Spiritually dead people deserve to remain spiritually dead; Christ died to give you eternal life!
Trust Him today, and praise Him for His grace, and refuse to treat others like you're better than them!


Posted by Ellee on Dec 19, 2010 in Blog, sponsored post, UnrulyMedia | 4 comments	I wish I had seen this festive video before I did my Christmas shop at the Body Shop last week. By playing it, you will be able to click on the video which will take you to their Facebook site where you can download a 30% discount voucher. Also, why not play it and see if you recognise any familiar faces, why not Share the Joy ….


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Already at this summer's World Cup, we've seen a number of crucial VAR interventions, resilient performances from underdogs and dramatic late finishes, and with England kicking off their campaign on Day Five in Russia, we were bound to see more of the same – and we sure did.
A VAR decision helped Sweden to victory in their Group F game against South Korea at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
Former Wigan Athletic defender Andreas Granqvist slotted home the resulting penalty to send his nation joint-top of their group alongside yesterday's shock winners Mexico.
Sweden were competing in their first World Cup since 2006 after coming through a tough qualification campaign which saw them register victories against Italy and the Netherlands, and they carried that momentum into this afternoon's game.
They went into the game as favourites and should have taken the lead in the first half. Ola Toivonen's ball to the edge of the six-yard box was met by his strike partner Marcus Berg, but the 31-year-old's close range effort was brilliantly stopped by Korean goalkeeper Hyun-Woo Cho.
South Korea struggled to create opportunities, even with their Tottenham talisman Heung-Min Son, who was largely anonymous.
But the big chance for their opponents came close to the midway stage of the second half. Viktor Claesson appeared to be blatantly bundled over in the area by first-half substitute Kim Min-Woo, but referee Joel Aguilar allowed play to go on.
He was advised by his team of VAR officials to take a second look at the incident however, and changed his mind – pointing to the spot.
Spectators may have expected one of the strikers, RB Leipzig's Emil Forsberg or even set-piece specialist Seb Larsson to take the kick, but no, up stepped central defender and captain Andreas Granqvist.
It was a gutsy call, but one that paid off, as the 33-year-old veteran coolly sent Cho the wrong way to put Sweden ahead.
The Koreans offered little in the way of a response, with their best chance falling to Red Bull Salzburg striker Hee-Chan Hwang, who put a free header wide from ten yards out in the closing stages.
Sweden held out for their victory, on a welcome return to World Cup football after a 12 year absence.
There was no fairytale World Cup debut for Panama as Belgium got their campaign started with a routine win in Sochi.
Napoli's Dries Mertens broke the deadlock early in the second half with a wonderful dipping strike, whilst Romelu Lukaku sealed the win with a brace.
But despite the final scoreline, Roberto Martinez' side didn't have it all their own way.
The first half was uninspiring to say the least, despite the Belgians registering a number of early efforts on goal.
Yannick Carrasco saw a side-foot shot roll comfortably into the hands of goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, whilst Mertens had a volley brilliantly palmed away.
There was nearly a nightmare moment for Panama hero Román Torres whose loose backpass was latched onto by Eden Hazard, but the defender's blushes were spared as the Chelsea attacker could only find the side-netting from a tight angle.
Torres did make amends later on however, sliding in brilliantly to put a Kevin De Bruyne low cross behind for a corner, preventing a Lukaku tap-in.
Penedo made a couple of routine saves and Mertens was left frustrated as a couple of efforts went wide, but he got his goal inside the opening two-minutes of the restart after half time.
The 31-year-old's cross into the box was headed away but eventually fell back to him, and he hit a brilliant dipping volley that flew over Penedo and in, much to the relief of his teammates and coach.
Most thought Belgium would kick on from there, but Panama looked to respond.
Their biggest chance of the game came just over five minutes later – Carrasco was sleeping at the back and full-back Michael Murillo was played in, but couldn't finish as Thibaut Courtois smothered the ball.
They had another chance through Édgar Bárcenas who hit a shot just wide, but from then on the Belgians took control.
First, De Bruyne found Lukaku with a stunning pass with the outside of his boot, and the Manchester United striker comfortably headed in.
Then, 15 minutes from time, Hazard ran at the Panama defence and spaced opened up again for Lukaku, who was played in before chipping the onrushing Penedo.
Panama had a go at the Red Devils late on but to no avail. Their wait for a first World Cup goal goes on, whilst Belgium made it the perfect start.
England won their opening game at a World Cup for only the third time as Harry Kane struck late on to secure victory against a tough Tunisia side.
Both goals for the Three Lions came from corners – first, Kane was on hand to turn in a rebound, and then after Tunisia had equalised through a dubious penalty, the Tottenham hitman was on hand again to head in at the back post after a flick on to seal the win.
Gareth Southgate's side started brightly and could have scored within a couple of minutes in Volgograd. After Tunisia won the ball back following an England attack, Dele Alli nicked in to steal the ball and it fell for Jesse Lingard, but the Manchester United man's effort was saved by the legs of Mouez Hassen.
Although it didn't take much longer for England to find their breakthrough. An eleventh minute Ashley Young corner was powerfully headed goalbound by John Stones, Hassen got across to make an almost impossible save, but there was poacher Kane – on his toes at the back post – to take the opportunity and slot home his first World Cup goal.
Tunisia's Hassen seemed to injure himself making the save and had to be replaced by Farouk Ben Mustapha, but that didn't seem to bother the Africans.
A cross into the England box was shepherded away by Kyle Walker, but the Manchester City man was adjudged to have caught the face of Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, and Colombian referee Wilmar Roldán made no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Midfielder Ferjani Sassi made no mistake from the spot despite Jordan Pickford getting fingertips to his effort, and all of a sudden it was game on.
Kane and England were adamant they should have had a penalty before half-time as replays showed he was wrestled to the ground from a corner, but the referee waved away appeals and no VAR referral took place.
The scores remained level at the break, and as the second half started, England looked slow and lethargic in their build up.
Striker Kane had another penalty shout turned down, and in search for inspiration, manager Southgate introduced two young prospects in Marcus Rashford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Both men contributed in a raising of the tempo, and as the game neared its conclusion, England finally got their rewards against the stubborn and aggressive Tunisians.
A Kieran Trippier corner was flicked on by the impressive Harry Maguire, and all alone at the back post was that man again – true striker's instinct shown by Kane, who twisted his body to nod in a vital winner.
It may be England's youngest World Cup squad since 1958, but the group managed to overcome the pressure to seal a huge victory, putting them in the driving seat for a place in the last 16.
Just a few weeks ago, England manager Gareth Southgate finalised his 23-man squad for Russia 2018.
With a strong focus on youthful exuberance, it has since been revealed that it is in fact the youngest English side at a World Cup since 1958. The team also has the least amount of international caps collectively of any other nation at the tournament.
So who would be the main man, the leading lion to carry the team in Russia?
England's youngest ever tournament captain also became his country's first player to score a World Cup double since 1990 with a match-winning performance against Tunisia.
The Three Lions' captain's brace also marked his first two international tournament goals, putting his own personal demons of Euro 2016 in France to bed.
Both finishes seemed relatively simple for Kane, but there was something about them that showed a wisdom beyond his 24 years.
England's frontman took his two goals like a true seasoned pro, getting himself into the right place at the right time on both occasions. The way he peeled away from the Tunisian defence for the winner is the kind of movement English fans haven't seen from a frontman for years; especially on such a big stage at a tournament.
Kane is one of the most natural finishers England have had in a long time. His incredible form over the past few years has catapulted himself into discussions over who the best striker is in world football.
He's not short of confidence either, publicly stating his desire to challenge the likes of Ronaldo for Russia's golden boot.
And with two tournament goals already to his name, who's to say he won't do just that, and lead England to even more successes?


Small Tv Wall Mount With Shelf - All flat panel plasma and LCD TV's come using a stand or a pedestal. One of the numerous attractions of LCD TVs and flat plasma is they are thin enough to mount on the wall like a priceless Monet, making them highly efficient as it pertains to maximizing space and light. It also gets rid of the unsightly bulk when it is not in use, the tv product that was old has.
You'll find numerous types of TV wall mounts that go in compliance with all the dimensions of it. Units vary from the typically fixed mounts that hold your screen that is flat up to the ones with swivel strength, like a photo on the wall, letting you direct as you maneuver around across the room, where your TV is facing.
When deciding on a a TV wall mount, consider the kind of design that you want. Would you choose something fixed to a wall or something that allows a bit more versatility when it comes to viewing? Think about how a TV would appear like when it is switched off off. Can it hassle you that it is protruding in the wall? Could you prefer some thing discreet that's affixed to your own wall?
The cheapest and most simple type of TV wall mount is the mount. You're the one who has to do the relocating when you want to view tv since it is fixed. Flat mounts are best for flat PLASMA - TV that tend to be broader.
Related Post "Small Tv Wall Mount With Shelf"


I was speaking with a friend today and whining about how I didn't expect my life to be where it is at this age and stage. "I need a new beginning," I lamented, "but I don't even know where to start."
"Start where you are," she said.
Four simple words that pretty much sum it up. In a nutshell, this is where I am: I'm 54, I'm broke, and I'm broken. Okay, so I'm being somewhat hyperbolic. But that's what it feels like on my bad days—like today, when both my body and soul ache in equal measure.
It wasn't always this way. I once had a career that worked pretty well for me: traveled a lot on business, loved interacting with people, received regular promotions and accolades. I once had a body that worked pretty well for me: ran marathons, hiked mountains, ate and drank whatever the hell I wanted, still looked and felt good. My mistake was holding the false notion that things would always be on the upswing, that my star would continue rising because I would continue doing what I was doing.
I didn't plan for the possibility that I might one day get sick. Sick enough that my body would never be the same again. Sick enough that my recovery would only go so far before early-onset menopause would halt all progress and serve up a heaping helping of autoimmunity and severe osteo-arthritis with a side of cancer just to drive the point home. I didn't understand that the medical insurance policies I used to scoff at in my younger years every time I accepted a bigger better position at a new company and went through the process of selecting my benefits package would only go so far when I actually needed them. Didn't understand how quickly the out-of-pocket costs for every attempt I made to improve my wellness both inside and outside the standard western medicine model would add up.
When I left my last position running an international nonprofit four years ago, I thought the debilitating pain that had become a part of my everyday experience was due to being burned out, that I simply needed a few months to sleep, play, and read all those novels I'd bought but hadn't cracked. I figured I'd rest up and refuel before finding another position that didn't require a commute halfway across the country. But as the months—then years—passed, I realized I was getting worse, not better. The doctor visits increased, medications and treatments and surgeries were doled out, new diets and physical therapy approaches were experimented with, and I experienced a constant two steps forward, one step back. On some days, it was one step forward, two steps back.
Over the years I've discovered some things that work for me: sleep—and lots of it, fresh whole foods and restrictions on alcohol and crap food (mmmm, pizza), massage and other forms of body work, gentle floor-based yoga, water jogging (yes, I've joined those middle-aged women I used to make fun of), pain meds as needed, laughter, friends. I now celebrate when I discover something else in my body that works a little better, or hurts a little less. I measure my physical successes in the small things, like being able to get my arms high enough to put my hair in a ponytail, no longer at the mercy of a stranger in the locker room to clip it up for me.
But the woman I was, that woman who traveled incessantly, ran through airports, gave multiple speeches and media interviews in the same day, who once flew to another city in the middle of a ten-day sales conference to run a marathon—that woman is gone. Forever. As much as I want her back, I know she is never coming back. I need to mourn the loss of her—and move on.
Instead of cursing the fact that I have handicapped handrails on my toilets at home and a handicapped parking placard hanging from the rearview mirror of my car, I need to see them for what they are—a gift, that tiny bit of extra help when it feels like any one of my joints could snap with the mere flick of a finger. And some days, I know, I will awaken with more physical pain than usual and will need to simply stay in bed and read a book or, better yet, sleep. Because some days, that's what my body—very clearly—tells me I need to do. I no longer have the luxury of pushing through and paying the price later. That bill came due years ago.
And so this is where I am. My mind and soul are still strong, but they're now traveling through life in a vehicle that was in a near-fatal pile-up and will never perform the way it once could. I am reminded of my first literal automobile accident a month after receiving my driver's license and how the frame of the family station wagon was bent, requiring my mom to replace the car less than two months later. Until full body transplants are available, I don't have that luxury.
But hey, I'm still here. I still have brains and know-how and plenty of life experience from which to draw. And I'm now sufficiently bored with being "a patient in recovery." I'm so ready to get back out there, in whatever form that takes. So ready to interact with others, to solve problems that have nothing to do with my health, to create and be creative. To begin anew, even with a body that isn't so new.
And to do that I will start where I am.
Sweet! Thanks for weighing in from across the seas.
Super sweet Lauren! Thanks for sharing.
Lauren, I have always looked up to you, literally & figuratively. I thought of you as having this larger then life existence that only people in novels experience. You are a smart, beautiful person with an amazing family who helped mold the lovely, funny talented woman you are. So many of us are looking at our lives and seeing/feeling the aging process sans having gone thru the hell you've lived through. You are a miracle & an effing inspiration so keep on keeping on, sister girl. Btw-it's ok to stay in bed all day.
The life of a novel character. Yep, that's me. "The World According to AARP" maybe. Cheers!


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Novichok poisonings
'The whole world knows us': Salisbury one year on from novichok attack
Some talk of anxiety following the Skripal poisoning, yet the city is determined to move on
Steven Morris and Caroline Bannock
Mon 4 Mar 2019 01.00 EST Last modified on Mon 4 Mar 2019 03.32 EST
Tailor Jason Regent in his shop in Salisbury: 'Every time I hear an ambulance I think: "Is it happening again?"' Photograph: Sam Frost/The Guardian
A year after the nerve agent attack on Salisbury, Jason Regent is still startled by the sound of sirens.
"Every time I hear an ambulance I think: 'Is it happening again?'" says Regent, who runs a tailoring shop in the city. "I'm a little bit scarred. It was like being in a film with all the helicopters clattering overhead.
"We used to struggle to explain where Salisbury was to people. We would say we were near Stonehenge. Now the whole world knows us."
Regent was cycling with his nine-year-old son in Salisbury when the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, collapsed on a park bench on Sunday 4 March.
'People just want their lives back': Salisbury dreams of a calm 2019
As it became clear over the following weeks that Skripal had been the victim of an assassination attempt, it deeply affected both Regent and his son. At one point the boy had to go to A&E after suffering a panic attack. "He is still reluctant to sit on park benches," said Regent. "It makes him anxious."
At the Casa Fina gifts and accessories shop on High Street, owner Susi Mason said it was hard to believe that two would-be killers armed with the nerve agent novichok were sent at the behest of the Russian state to Salisbury. "You could never have dreamt of something so bizarre happening in a quiet corner of England. I think people were affronted."
Susi Mason at her shop Casa Fina in Salisbury. Photograph: Sam Frost/The Guardian
Like most of the shops in Salisbury, the attack affected Mason's business. Footfall in the city remains around 10% down. "I suppose if you are going to visit a cathedral city and you're thinking of York, Winchester, Truro or Salisbury, maybe this wasn't the year when you'd have chosen Salisbury," said Mason.
Anne Sykes, who lives in the city centre, said she was never fearful. "I grew up in London in the 1970s when the IRA were setting off bombs," she said. Sykes was shocked when a London friend wondered – only half-jokingly – if it was safe to shake her hand. "I told them: 'You have more chance of catching something strap-hanging in the tube than you have of getting novichok from me.'"
That sort of attitude lingers. A school sports team from another part of Wiltshire arrived in Salisbury last week and jokingly warned each other not to drink the water or not take in too much air. Such teasing still grates in the city.
On Sunday the city was reflecting on the events of a year ago and looking forward. Robed dignitaries celebrated the anniversary of the granting of Salisbury's charter with a procession to St Thomas's church.
"It's a chance to remember what happened and how difficult it has been but also to celebrate what we've learned about ourselves," said the rector, the Rev Kelvin Inglis. "I think Salisbury has understood better the values we share as a community and a city. In the face of the evil and indiscriminate attack, we uphold the rule of law, the freedom to live in peace, and care and concern for the vulnerable in our midst."
Rev Kelvin Inglis, rector of St Thomas's church. Photograph: Sam Frost/The Guardian
Many heroes have emerged over the last 12 months – the armed services personnel in the hazmat suits who put their lives at risk; the police and other public servants who worked excruciatingly long hours; the postal workers who had to cross the cordons to deliver to Skripal's former neighbours; those who helped the homeless people when they were forced out of their car park encampment next to the bench where the former spy collapsed.
The government has handed back the Skripal house – where he is believed to have been poisoned – to the council after months of decontamination work, effectively declaring the county free of novichok. But are the authorities sure Wiltshire is now safe?
Dawn Sturgess, who died after being exposed to the nerve agent novichok. Photograph: Metropolitan Police/PA
The death of Dawn Sturgess in July still gives people pause. Sturgess fell fatally ill in Amesbury, 11 miles north of Salisbury, after her partner, Charlie Rowley, gave her a perfume bottle that turned out to contain novichok.
The thesis the counter-terrorism police appear to be working on is that the bottle used by the attackers to spray novichok on the door handle of the Skripal house was then discarded by them and found by Rowley. But Rowley claimed that the perfume bottle he found was boxed and sealed – which could suggest that this was a second container, and leaves the possibility of there being others.
Wiltshire deputy chief constable, Paul Mills, pointed out that nobody else has fallen ill since July. But the disconcerting message from Public Health England remains that people should not pick up anything if they didn't drop it. "We're confident that is the right message," said Mills.
Novichok victim Dawn Sturgess's parents tell of their anger and hurt
Alistair Cunningham, the chairman of the South Wiltshire recovery coordination group, said the one-year mark was an important milestone. "We will revisit all the businesses and all the people one year on just to check how they're faring and then we'll do that periodically as we move forward," he said. "It is an ongoing thing."
More people are seeking help for the psychological impact. "These things play out for a long time in people's minds," said Cunningham. "You see more cases of people coming forward thinking: 'I don't feel right.'"
Salisbury cathedral, one year on from the novichok attack in the city. Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images
Amesbury can get a little forgotten but the impact is felt keenly there. One of Rowley's neighbours, Rosemary Northing, said there was great sorrow for Sturgess in the area and she felt the place was "tainted" by its accidental association with the attack.
Tiny things have slipped. Northing, for example, wanted to begin a rock-hunting group, in which participants hunt brightly painted pebbles that have been secreted away. "I meant it to be a way of bringing the community together. Obviously we haven't been able to do that," she said. Many complain that the place is a little scruffier because the advice on not picking anything up means that collecting litter remains off limits.
'We did our best': police who rushed to Skripal scene tell of shock and pride
There is much to look forward to this year in Wiltshire. The county will host Armed Forces' Day in June – exactly a year after Sturgess fell ill; a major cycle race is expected to pass through; an ambitious arts festival is taking place.
The cathedral is already planning the celebrations of its 800th year in 2020. Its visitors are down 15% year on year but the Dean, the Very Rev Nick Papadopulos, said a corner had been turned.
"We are blessed to live and work in one of the most beautiful cities in England," he said. "We are built where five rivers meet; we are surrounded by water meadows; our medieval street pattern is still evident. It's no wonder [painter] John Constable loved it here. And we have a proud history of creative artistic endeavour.
"I believe that in the wake of 2018 we treasure that more than ever and are determined – together – that it should flourish. There is a lot of work to do to make up the ground that was lost last year – but I sense a confidence in the city that we can and will do this."


text:
Uber List
Quotes by Tom Hollander
About Tom Hollander:
Thomas Anthony is an English actor. He began his career in theatre, winning the Ian Charleson Award in 1992 for his performance as Witwoud in The Way of the World at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. He is known for his roles in comedic films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride & Prejudice, and In the Loop, and drama films such as Enigma, Gosford Park, and Hanna. He played the lead role in the sitcom Rev., which won the British Academy Television Award for best sitcom in 2011.
Somehow I find it easier to inhabit characters if they are a little bit pathetic. I do seem to have an affinity with pathetic people.
Tom Hollander
I've always wanted to do a real comedy. I haven't done enough, and it seems silly not to do more, considering the fact that people tend to laugh at me.
My parents are very lovely people - the sort of people that one should aspire to be like, really.
I prefer to be flippant about acting, just in case I'm rubbish.
I'm no Kenneth Branagh or Ben Stiller. I'm not that single-minded, 'I'm producing it, directing it, and starring in it' kind of person; that's not me.
The danger with playing a part that defines you is that it swallows up everything else.
Nothing else is as fulfilling as playing a part in which you are able to have a significant say in the creative process all the way through. How many actors get to do that? It's extremely rare.
When we get christened or married or die, we drift naturally in the direction of the church. And in moments of crisis, when our spiritual Tom-Tom is no longer telling us what to do, we find ourselves scrabbling at the vicarage door.
Every now and then, I feel terribly uncomfortable with what I'm working on, and then I think maybe I am an artist. I'm not very articulate about it, but I do know that you have to follow your gut.
My father was ethnically Jewish, but his family converted to Catholicism.
In the periods of my life when I've had least contact with the Church, I've always assumed a belief in God is a solid thing, but clearly it's a relationship; it has good days and bad days.
My sister and I both benefited hugely from the great security that our parents had given us, and then we went off and squandered it all rushing around in showbiz.
People behave differently to TV stars and film stars; it's to do with the scale of the medium. Film stars get hushed awe, TV stars get slapped on the back. Neither is good for you. Famous people don't hear the word 'no' enough.
I meet people who are famous, and it's made me realise that fame has huge lifestyle disadvantages. I'm nervous about that. I don't want to become a celebrity.
For me, faith is more about aspiration than complacency - the smug satisfaction that other people find distasteful.
Stories about vicars are always being told because they're at the heart of our society. Vicars touch all parts of the community and see life in all its extremity.
Acting is a general thing; it's not like being a primary artist like a painter or writer which stands the test of time. I don't think acting stands the test of time, but it can capture the mood of the moment ,which is in itself very exciting, but it ...
Obviously I'd love to have kids and all that. Luckily, as a man, there's not such an egg timer on it, but I'd like to be able to pick them up without Nurofen first.
NameTom Hollander
DescriptionBritish actor
CountryUnited Kingdom
ProfessionActor
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Tag Archives: Nigeria
"I have not seen anywhere else in the world a gun lobby that has the same level of influence on its own government as the NRA does in the United States." –Andrew Feinstein.
"I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of insidious forces working from within." – Douglas MacArthur.
"The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all" – John F. Kennedy
The topic for today is the importance of both increased national and international security and the nature of leadership we need in a changing world. However the focus will be on the first one, with an example of things starting at home in the US. Both with proper legislation and law enforcement within the domain and control of US Congress. The US here is just an example and different examples do exist all over the world.
When times are economical challenging, foreign policy matters are rarely the topic of discussion. But in recent weeks issues on both foreign policy and security worked their way up within the public domain of attention.
During the crisis with North Korea in which China played for certain a role of influence for the better, – we had first the Boston Marathon bombings with the related questions about terrorist connections. This is relatively a new element that from areas where you don't expect it, people find their way on US ground and evolve in personalities able to prepare bombs with the intention to kill indiscriminately. And so they did, as others may do again anywhere. Both inside the US and outside the US.
Whilst the airliner plot over the Atlantic and World Trade Centre attacks are unlikely to happen anymore in the identity as they evolved, – the prospect of terror from a different kind seems to be more of an issue in the future.
It is terror of a different kind than 9/11. But it is the terror on top of increased gun violence in the US anyway, and from both sides of the spectrum there is easy access to guns, assault weapons and other tools to inflict destruction.
It's a warning that dynamics in society are changing and that we need to be mindful of the fact that we are simply not ready for this.
Proper legislation in line with the spirit of our time and similar law enforcement need to be in place. This being prepared in a proactive way by anticipation on the dynamics in society.
Within those recent dynamics in the US the civil war in Syria did break the news with a high index of suspicion of chemical warfare being used against the opposition in Syria. This followed by an Israeli bombing near Damascus to prevent the transport of missiles and chemical weapons close to the borders of Israel.
At the same time Congressional hearings in the US provided more detail about what happened in Libya when the US ambassador Christopher Stevens and other Americans were murdered during a terrorist attack. Lacking the total picture, some Republicans claim that the White House should be held responsible for either insufficient protection or misleading information. It would seem that the dynamics within the domain of some Republican members of US Congress go that far that they would like any effort to try to impeach President Obama on this issue, if they could. A reflection of a "House Divided" where some members of this honourable branch of Government lost touch with both reality and the priorities of this country.
It illustrates the dangerous paradox in this country, the downfall of democracy when Congress is misaligned on some major topics and obstructive elements are able to block progress against the will of the majority of voters.
This is not new and it may happen anywhere in countries with democracies. It might be considered as the play game of democracy but in some events it's a dangerous play game setting the tone for more little fruitful dynamics in society…
Whilst not proven perhaps, there is more chance a society at peace or stable in itself at times of peace, – will sustain the disharmony at times of no peace better than the kind of society already divided in itself.
It illustrates somehow as well the sad thing that people often tend to stick together in crisis only, but go their own way when there are no dangers on the horizon.
We live however in a world where simple escalating events may lead to massive drama's all around.
For this reason the topic to be discussed today is an interesting one as the perceptions about leadership, democracy and security are almost as different as the dimensions about security and leadership on its own. Issues about eg Israeli's and Palestinian security have different perceptions all around the world. History shows that people can make a difference within certain positions.
Interestingly we had recently 2 US Presidential candidates with different perceptions and personalities. The person who started his US Presidency in 2009 was able to continue in 2013. The perceptions of one leader and the choices being made on behalf of international security may define the outcome of many future dynamics. Likewise within the US, US Congress may define the outcome on other dynamics.
It's a matter of leadership and being proactive, with inclusive views.
The nature of fast growing and increasing economic and financial interdependence of countries around the world, with all sorts of growing interactions, – need a far stricter international security than ever before. It all starts in home land activities, to get grip on those things we don't want, those things being disruptive for our well-being in the countries where we live, – the things affecting national security. An issue for all of us, wherever we may live.
Both National and International security are in ways connected.
Speaking about security at a challenging time in US history, we only need to look back some 150 years ago.
A time where US Congress and legislative issues paved the way for the dynamics leading to the US civil war in the 18th Century.
President Lincoln would not have been the person history remembers if he would not have been challenged after his Presidential election to lead his country through one of the most difficult times in US history.
He was the unexpected President exposed to the worst, which through a combination of circumstances made him the best!
Some would say that the American civil war in those day was a security and a significant emancipation issue for the US as a Union.
Emancipation still to be remembered, still to be remembered by those members of the Republican Party who are unable to see that emancipation and inclusive progresses are ongoing issues in history. Running behind the important social and political events of time will catch up with those who have to deal with the implications in the future. History learns that not being proactive comes at a cost.
Being true what he said in his inauguration, President Lincoln did not allow a minority to disintegrate the Union, – but he preserved the Union, by which he followed through with his planned declaration of Emancipation to end slavery.
He succeeded as part of the Republican movement at the time to create the next endeavour in US history, keeping the right balance on the required issues of national security in his days.
Whilst generally Southern Democrats were obstacles for Emancipation in the 1860 ties, – Northern Republicans are generally stumbling blocks for 21st Century US progress. Both with exceptions within each party in the days of President Lincoln and today. True is that the Republicans were the driving force for progress one and half century ago.
Republicans should take this on board.
The last still in a most divided America.
Congressional choices long ago by overturning the so-called Missouri compromise which intended to restrict slavery, played part in the evolving drama in the 1860ties, before it actually happened.
Today we jump a fair bit in time. To illustrate that divisions can go one way or the other but unresolved within the required legislation will lead to all sorts of processes in society hard to contain.
Also an issue subject to Congressional choice. The choice either being proactive or reactive.
It is not long ago the National Rifle Association moved to block a UN treaty on gun control. The NRF serves strongly the interest of both national and international arms deals, with a high level of influence in US Congress. Clear is that US Congress has been willing to serve the power position of the NRA by simply not approving Presidential proposals to revise gun legislation. The majority however of US voters wants a change in the current legislation on gun control as increasing gun violence disrupts a nation and may compromise eventually national security, the last because the current legislation is not aligned with changing dynamics in US society with more gun related violence and deaths, – both at the cost of children and adults.
Whilst some 700000 people died during the American civil war at the time of President Lincoln,- more even died as a result of unlawful gun use in the US over various decades.
The downfall of a democracy is that a minority may act against the will of the constitutional rights of voters. Voters to have their voice properly represented in the legislation a country deserves. It is true that the ignorance of a few voters – in the words of John F Kennedy – may impair the security of all. In some cases the security of a Republic.
Congressional ignorance on the issue of gun control may disregard national security interest where it comes to the protection of US citizens. Voters want to reduce the risk of more generalised and increasing gun violence in the US as the extremes will come together in the context of changing social dynamics. The last as part of increased globalisation. Congress is not allowing those facts to be considered within the concept of national interest and as such tolerating the death toll of existing gun violence, – eventually debilitating the US ability to keep control in own house. Getting worse when the forces of external terrorism meet existing dynamics in US society with more or less free access to unrestricted guns and assault rifles, enabling massacres at large scale.
A matter of national security.
Congressional choices may define future dynamics whilst the US President is almost powerless to change this at a time this being required.
It's a matter of poorly understood national security of the United States of America. The dynamics of society turning into increasing and senseless massacres, – the last often caused by ill minded and mentally disrupted people from which the statistics say they are only on the increase. Meanwhile US Congress allowing to be influenced more by NRA interest, and not taking the dynamics in society or the wishes of voters on board.
Douglas MacArthur within a different context reflected once his concern for his own great Nation; "not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within".
He was right in one sense, but today the danger comes from 2 directions, – both from threats within and without, and with the current Congressional attitude towards increased gun control as is today, – this is a potential menace to the security of the Union.
Lincoln would have turned away from this, – if he could! It is a matter of emancipation, constitutional emancipation.
Where history changed with new dilemma's to be sorted, – the ask of true leadership is more profoundly needed all over the world.
But it all starts at home to have the required legislation and law enforcement in place.
We are faced with different dilemma's this century.
True leadership is required today when the proper balance gets disrupted with lots of things being at stake. And often as it proved in history it falls back on people with a distinct personality and attitude, – bright in their assessment and determined in their actions.
The last applies for US Congress as well. An honest and fair assessment being required, both based on the choice of people being represented and the dynamics in society.
If we speak about the issue of security in a broader sense:
Not only increased globalization is asking for stricter national and international security, but also a new political economy with shifting influence from west to east and a population growth hardly possible to sustain, – with an increased unstable relationship between our fragile global civilisation and an increased depletion of our resources.
The last will become vital in the future.
Hence from an international perspective, international security in the Asia-Pacific region can't be allowed to be compromised by nuclear dictators as eg in North Korea.
Similarly US security can't be compromised by increasing gun violence inflicted by more people turning their hatred on society, with the same easy access to guns and rifles because Congressional legislation did not follow the trend in society.
Rifles and gun's being far more advanced than when the Constitution was written. Dynamics within society and international far more different than they have ever been. The US more at edge than ever before.
The issues of both national and international security are getting more important as more things can go wrong at the same time with wider implications faster speed and greater destruction and disruption.
Without the right tools, the right brains and the best possible assessment, – we lose both momentum and direction for a more stable world.
And again it all starts at home.
If we look at the Middle East, the situation in Syria is a prime example of major dangers and the potential of an escalating conflict. Civilisation and reason totally lost.
There have been dangers and evils in the past, so will there be evils and dangers in the future and we need to recognise them at an early stage.
When Lincoln made his Emancipation declaration amidst the American Civil war, – it took still hundred years before the Civil Rights movement got its way into proper and equal legislation for each American citizen.
I hope the desired emancipation on gun control and the required restrictions on gun related violence will not take an other 50 years in the US. It would be a massive drain on society, both for victims and their families, but also for those who have to work in authority within the given restrictions of incomplete gun legislation.
People in the police force have families as well.
Fortunately there is no room for racial hatred anymore, but whilst the last belongs largely to the past new issues of friction and potential hatred arise at the spectrum of social development, – with mixture of cultures and religions, and increased travel from various countries around the world.
Being multicultural in one sense is good and has the potential to bring the goodness of different nations together. The downfall could be when people from poverty stricken area's in today's world travel at different countries, – with at times the narrow and restricted perception of only blind hatred. Receiving in some occasions terrorist training in their homeland of origin, with a mission to destruct and destroy.
Alqaida has eg booklets designed to help terrorists overseas to make bombs and strike and kill in various ways. The target quite often seems to be the US and its allies.
We might be horrified to know of what is possible to happen, – but most of us get horrified when it happens. Whilst we need to love our neighbour as ourselves, we have to denounce the persons and groups inflicting violence and terrorism. Similar with countries deliberately exporting this sort of people or ideology to be held accountable in line with international law, – the last subject for renewal and change at various levels to combat the dangers of our time.
But again it starts at home.
Insufficient restrictions on international nuclear control and allowing more countries to have access to nuclear weapons by lack of internal law enforcement is asking for more dictators or other countries "pulling the trigger", – like allowing more people in the US to have access to lethal rifles and other dangerous guns, – is asking for a more unstable society, – creating a situation with potential "mass pulling of triggers" where the US army may have to act against its own citizens at times of national unrest.
It seems correct that the Bush Administration prepared for FEMA concentration camps in case of social unrest. More important is that the triggers for social unrest never escalate in the use of massive gun violence in one society, – just for the sake of civilisation and protection of citizens. The law simply needs to be adapted to prevent an almost unlimited access is some States.
Again a matter of Congressional choice, but it would not seem they see it this way with some members of this establishment even devoted to get the Obama Administration down on what happened in Benghazi, Libya. Not being able to take the long view but using the short-sighted view to debilitate proper Governance at a time this being required makes jurisdiction stagnant.
Just an illustration how members of Congress can add to a "House divided" by not getting the priorities right.
It happened in the past, with US civil war just 150 years ago. It is for some part up to Congress to prevent this ever happening again by reducing increasing gun violence in a similar divided nation on different issues by proper legislation in line with the spirit of time.
With eg the Boston bombing just recently behind, an alleged terrorist rail plot being foiled in Canada, sarin – gas being possibly used in Syria, and North Korea "one click away" from pushing the launch button of firing ballistic missiles, – it is clear that changing international patterns are evolving into more risk involving scenario's waiting to become reality. both national and international.
This is what I mean when I say that at some stage the extremes are coming together, both from outside the country and inside the country.
At the end of the day the means to have control is largely a matter of the right legislation being in place with the proper law enforcement and the proper people right for our time. This both applies at the arena of national and international politics.
National Security starts at home and coming back on the US, Congress should act in favour of increased gun control.
A matter of civilised and effective legislation to support both national security and the safety of US citizens.
On the extremes outside – and within the context of international security and coöperation against terrorism – it is encouraging that President Putin from Russia emphasised the need for increased international intelligence coöperation, as prevention at an early stage is the better substitute.
G8 summit in Ireland, June 17, 2013
Some nations posses the power to abolish any form of human poverty but also any form of human live. Both a matter of responsibility and choice, – a matter actually of priority to support any extended nuclear freeze proposals, and contain the current level of nuclear experience where it comes to the development of new weapons of mass destruction.
Whilst most nations appreciate the responsibilities on this and have already reduced their nuclear arsenals, new powers arise with the wish to have those weapons as well, – and with a clear intent to either use them or apply international blackmail.
Those countries are an issue of serious concern. They need to be stopped at the earliest possible stage through reason and if reason and sanctions do not help, through force if so required, – in line with international coöperation by those nations committed to stop the dangers to multiply.
The UN plays a central role.
International security on this is based on the practical choice not to allow any new country to develop those weapons, – regardless the question whether it is good or wrong that other countries do already have those weapons. It is clear that with increasing countries having access to nuclear or chemical weapons it is getting more difficult to keep the world secure.
Same applies with providing at times even more unpredictable people an almost free access to fire arms, – as such creating increasing difficulties to prevent massacres of any kind as result of gun violence, the last with a potential domino effect.
Stable we can make it through more succesful partnerships on the issues we face in the 21st century. US Congress is not much familiar with succesful partnerships on this issue of restricting gun violence.
Science is able to unleash the powers of destruction by human choice, unless we prevent humankind and powers to make this choice, – by restricting at least the powers who are able to destruct each other. Most of them who are nuclear now do realise that the choice of such destruction means self-destruction, involving all humanity.
Likewise science provides terrorists the means to unleash powers of more limited destruction, both by senseless shootings or bomb blasts at areas of their choice. However the means by which terrorists are able to apply this destruction in the future is by no means sure and increased international coöperation is required to recognise at an early stage the features of certain persons and groups committed to terror
Whether terror is provoked or inflicted by guns or bombs makes in essence not much difference when we consider the lethal outcome on both children and adults. School shootings where people die are as terrible as disrupted sport events where people are killed through the hands of terrorists using bombs. Those tools need to be be banned from the street with the restriction (if the Constitution can't be changed as yet) of gun's being controlled, registered and only in the hands of mindful people, – and assault rifles being excluded in any case for "civil use".
We live in a world insufficient prepared for terrorism, – which does not mean we have to learn to live with terrorism as if this would be our fate.
Both National and International security starts at home in our own countries with the things we can control, with proper legislation and law enforcement on issues being required in the context of changes in society, changes in the way children are brought up and the way they become adults, apart from the changes related with globalization and the technology which brings people down from different countries.
Whilst it is hard to change or control the mindset to take lives for no reason, it is easier to control or limit the means by which we are able to do this.
This applies both to guns and nuclear weapons, – and it all starts at home where we are privileged to make choices on restricting the tools and dynamics of violence.
US Congress should reconsider the issue of effective gun legislation for the benefit of a more secure society where people are becoming slowly less at risk of violence as due to unlawful use of bullets, – regardless whether those bullets come from US citizens or people who travel from overseas to inflict violence for the reason of hatred against US society.
Waiting for escalating gun violence in the future, wherever it comes from, is pointless. The warnings are there, written already in the hearts of many people who lost loved ones in this repetitive cycle of non-required violence, – waiting to get worse only.
We have neither right to inflict suffering nor death on another human being unless there is an unavoidable necessity for it and any culture or country which endorses the right to bear arms amongst it citizens has blood on the law provision it provides on this and will pay at later date a price being higher than initially intended at the time those laws were made.
The clause on the right to bear arms in the US Constitution is a serious defect considering the time spirit of the 21st Century and lays the foundation of the potential destruction of it's culture through internal destructive forces, – if not adapted.
How Hollywood cloaked South Sudan in celebrity and fell for the 'big lie' (theguardian.com)
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Sen. Bernie Sanders: 2014: Seize the Moment (huffingtonpost.com)
Who Legalized Arming Black Men to Kill Confederates? (theroot.com)
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The Destabilization of Africa. A Machiavellian Intrigue of Colossal Proportions (rinf.com)
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September 28, 2012 Paul Alexander Wolf	3 Comments
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=human+trafficking+photos&go=&qs=n&form=QBIR
English: Prostitutes in front of a gogo bar in Pattaya, Thailand. Original text: Like slaves on an auction block waiting to be selected, victims of human trafficking have to perform as they are told or risk being beaten. Sex buyers often claim they had no idea that most women and girls abused in prostitution are desperate to escape, or are there as a result of force, fraud, or coercion. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
-Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative past Tuesday, US President Barrack Obama took the remarkable step calling modern day slavery "barbaric" and "evil" as he spoke against trafficking and praised companies, organizations and people taking up the fight against the traffickers: "It ought to concern every person, because it's a debasement of our common humanity. It ought to concern every community, because it tears at the social fabric". "It ought to concern every business, because it distorts markets. It ought to concern every nation, because it endangers public health and fuels violence and organized crime"."I'm talking about the injustice, the outrage, of human trafficking, which must be called by its true name – modern slavery."
A 2011 paper published in The Human Rights Review about Sex Trafficking, the trends, the challenges and limitations of International Law, noted that since 2000 the number of sex-trafficking victims had risen while costs associated with trafficking had declined: "Coupled with the fact that trafficked sex slaves were/are the single most profitable type of slave, costing on average $1890,= each but generating $29000,= annually, leaded to stark predictions about the likely growth in commercial sex slavery in the future." In 2008, over 12 million people were classified as "forced labourers, bonded labourers or sex-trafficking victims," – as the study stated. Approximately 1.39 million of these people worked as commercial sex slaves, with women and girls comprising 98% (or 1.36 million) of this population. Trafficking as can be seen is a lucrative industry. It has been identified as the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. It is second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable illegal industry in the world.
President Obama signed legislation for domestic federal contracts, and tightening anti-trafficking rules for government contracts. He praised businesses in their industry, church groups for using their faith to tackle slavery and people trying to make sure the products they buy are slave-free. He further said: "Our fight against human trafficking is one of the great human rights issues of our time, and the United States will continue to lead it." The President also spoke about modern-day slavery in the U.S., from child sex slaves to migrant workers who have their documents taken from them. He said: "Last year we charged a record number of predators with human trafficking… We are going to do more to spot it and stop it."
What he said should apply to each country, should be the responsibility of each nation, – the rule of each State to make sure there is proper law enforcement to irradiate this crime against humanity, – to ease the burdens of those who are forced to live at the bottom of a total unacceptable social and moral spectrum. A spectrum where the law of criminals rules, where people get abused and tortured for life, if they survive.
There are countries whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act's (TVPA) minimum standards but there are many countries as well whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA's minimum standards. Some of them are making efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards. Others however do not comply with the bare minimum required standards and neither are they willing or making efforts to do so.
A White House news release recently mentioned: "More than 20 million men, women, and children worldwide are victims of human trafficking". "Companies around the world are taking steps to end the potential for trafficked labour in their operations and supply chains, and President Obama is committed to protecting vulnerable people as government contractors and subcontractors perform vital services and manufacture goods procured by the United States." "As the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, the U.S. Government has a responsibility to combat human trafficking at home and abroad, and to make sure American tax dollars do not contribute to this affront to human dignity."
Why is this single issue so important?
This single issue represents at large the standard of any morality in any country, and failing to comply with the protection of human rights as such in this area is of predictive value as how the social & political standards of counties do evolve, – some of them simply ignoring and blind folded by the gross injustice affecting vulnerable people. Not taking any action against it is similar as allowing the world to become a worse place where cruelties within nations themselves are interlinked with the level of increasing moral decay of institutions where criminals have increasing free play. It is very clear which countries are the worst culprits in allowing this injustice spreading.
In 2009 it proved that seven countries at least demonstrated the highest possible performance in effective policies for the most significant dimensions of protection, even though those countries had problems on this issue as well. At least they did something. These countries were Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and the US. The second best performing group included France, Norway, South Korea, Croatia, Canada, Austria, Slovenia and Nigeria. The worst performing country in 2009 was North Korea, receiving the lowest score. The global extent of the problem is still horrendous. Thousands of children from Asia, Europe, North America and South America are sold into the global sex trade every year. Often they are kidnapped or orphaned, and sometimes they are actually sold by their own families, – a problem still tolerated by many countries all over the world.
Whilst there is still a lack of understanding of human trafficking issues, poor identification of victims and deficient resources for the key pillars of anti-trafficking, besides identification, protection, prosecution and prevention, – the good thing is that the current US President is voicing his opinion on the matter. It's an international dilemma and it deserves international attention.
The ignorance of the violent past is inadequate for the even more stormy future if little is going to change on this important aspect of human rights. Whilst ignorance is able to multiply on thousand occasions ,violence against human rights is able to multiply on a million of occasions The occasion is piled high with difficulty like we see amidst a different scenario in Syria, and we must rise with the occasion. We can't afford to turn a blind eye against gross inhumanity across the globe without the last and final implication that at some stage we will be ourselves the victim of similar gross inhumanity, as where we allow others to fall we will degrade ourselves as well. People not being educated on the moral issues of our times are lost people, like a child uneducated is a child lost.
Progress in our general humanity is neither automatic nor can it be escaped, however the road towards increasing justice is as old as Methuselah and requires struggle and suffering, besides the tiredness efforts and passionate concern of dedicated people who feel compassion, in which all ethics must take root. Compassion only can meet its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living people at the disadvantaged level of the human spectrum and the fight against human trafficking is one of the corner stones of respecting human rights, – and international law enforcement on this issue should be at the corner of our international efforts as it is both right and a reflection of human justice.
Abolishing of human trafficking is at the heart of global civilisation as it will decide our approach on other issues affecting human rights, – both here and around the world!
Human activities during war-time may lead to war crimes against humanity.
From my perception human trafficking is a crime against humanity and needs to be dealt with accordingly, without mercy for those who commit them.
Modern Slavery Bill to be published: Human traffickers will receive life sentences under new draft legislation (independent.co.uk)
Meet raises concern over human trafficking (assamtribune.com)
Maine joins anti-human trafficking effort (wgme.com)
Scottish government want tough anti-slavery law (scotsman.com)
Sex Trafficking (sexpornandjesus.wordpress.com)
The Link – Porn and Human Trafficking (lindasummerslinked.wordpress.com)
Human Trafficking: I'm Not Liam Neeson, What Can I Do? (urbantimes.co)
Sudanese parliament discusses draft bill containing death penalty against human traffickers (sudantribune.com)
Human trafficking victims must be supported (christiantoday.com)
Modern slavery bill to be published (theguardian.com)
AsiaAustraliaBarack ObamaCanadaClinton FoundationContemporary slaveryFranceHuman rightsHuman traffickingInternational LawItalyNetherlandsNigeriaNorth KoreaSex TraffickingSexual slaverySlaverySouth KoreaSwedenTuesdayTVPAUnited StatesVictims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000WomenWomen's RightsYvette Cooper


text:
Topolovica est un village de la municipalité de Veliki Grđevac (Comitat de Bjelovar-Bilogora) en Croatie. Au recensement de 2001, le village comptait  habitants.

Histoire

Notes et références

Ville dans le comitat de Bjelovar-Bilogora

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Attorney Nayib Hassan, P.A.
Firearm Crime
Federal Fraud
Medicare Fraud
PPP Fraud
When is Selling Drugs a Federal Offense vs. a State Crime?
In addition to carrying a stigma, drug crimes are often punishable by heavy fines and long prison terms.
Many drug crimes, such as possession and intent to distribute, are prosecuted on the state level.
However, depending on the quantity, type, location, and whether you cross state lines, you could face federal charges.
Regardless of whether you are arrested for a federal or state crime, if you are charged with intent to distribute, or any other drug offense in Florida, you need experienced legal help.
Controlled Substances Act
In 1970, Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), which combined all previous federal drug statutes into a single law.
The CSA regulates the distribution and manufacture of illegal substances such as narcotics, depressants, hallucinogens and stimulants.
The federal statute classifies drugs into five "Schedules" based on their potential for abuse and their medical benefits to society:
I — Includes ecstasy, LSD, heroin, and marijuana
II — Includes cocaine and morphine
III — Includes anabolic steroids, Vicodin, and Marinol
IV — Includes Ambien, Xanax, and Valium
V — Includes Lyrica and cough suppressant
The penalties you face depend on the schedule, the amount, and your drug crime history.
States have their own drug laws and penalties, but generally try to adhere to the CSA.
Federal vs. State
Federal laws generally focus on movement across state borders, such as drug trafficking.
For example, if you cross state lines with a large quantity of a controlled substance, you may be charged with the federal offense of drug trafficking. You may also be charged with a federal drug offense if you are caught selling drugs on government property.
Or, you may face federal drug selling charges if you sell and transport drugs using the United States Post Office or a private mail carrier.
State laws focus on possession and manufacturing.
It is also important to understand that while recently many states have decriminalized marijuana possession, it remains illegal under federal law.
Federal drug crime defense lawyer fights for Florida residents
If you are arrested for a drug crime in Florida, the Law Office of Nayib Hassan, P.A., is ready to provide you with experienced defense counsel.
Call (305) 403-7323 or contact us online to speak with an experienced drug crime attorney in Florida today.
6175 NW 153 St
© Law Office of Nayib Hassan. All Rights Reserved. Attorney Website by Uptime Jurispage | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy


A luxurious lobby sets the tone for an evening at Al Nahham and this touch of class continues on your 25-minute trip to the restaurant in a top-of-the-range boat.
As we disembark and walk over the floating footbridge to reach the main lobby, we hear a four-person percussion band playing some energetic beats. We're awestruck with the surrounding beauty, turquoise waters and overwater villas in the distance. No, this isn't a Maldives travel feature. We're off the coast of Doha in the gorgeous Banana Island Resort by Anantara and words do not do justice to the tranquility and exclusivity of this place.
The view from the outdoor seating area of Al Nahham is simply spectacular, and getting here just before sunset makes this experience even more perfect, as you watch how Doha transforms into a beautifully-lit night across the skyline.
The welcome drink is a delicious date concentrate mixed with rose water and dry fruits. We try some Arabic mezze, and absolutely love the muhammara. It has distinct flavours and is perfectly tangy with a hint of spiciness. There's a little too much sesame, though. Out of the mixed grills (which are served still cooking nicely on the charcoal), the lamb chops are excellent, cooked in a mouth-wateringly tasty marinade and so tender you don't even need a knife. The beef is just as great and the kofta is juicy. The chicken has more spices than its counterparts, and its smoky flavours enhance the taste of all that marinade. The portion is slightly pricey (QR225), but the quantity is abundant and perfect for two very hungry people. We end the meal with a kunafa that really surprises us with how good it tastes. And although the Moroccan tea is disappointingly light, the weather is perfect as we relax with it afterwards.
The service is impeccable and we're inclined to think this place could be an underrated gem. The walk back to the boat is much-needed. En route, we're already discussing a return trip.
Stunning views with incredible food.


Aliens vs. Predator 2 2007 (complete texture overhaul) Version 1.1 by dex909 This mod is a graphical enhancement to the game in the way it should actually look like (my opinion of course). More movielike, less comic. Basically I wanted to change the overall looks and feel of the game to be more realistic, dark and detailed. This is a step away from the colourful comic-look and changes various things. All flags for every modified dtx texture have been checked, compared with each original dxt and set by hand in Dedit as there is no other way to retain the original settings for fullbright, sounds on impact or each detailtexture right. No bugs with textures so far.
I combined some textures from Yaji's High Resolution Weapons and his higher resolution Aliens as well as several graphics and sounds from AJL and did a full overhaul. I did not simply copy and paste them, though. All of Yaji's skins as well as the original game's worldtextures, skins, characters etc. have been reworked to make them look less "saturated" and less "comiclike". I used a "fake" bumpmapping effect over every texture to gain a bit more depth and basically make it appear more realistic. I did not change any things that were perfect in first place, or game mechanics like weaponstats etc. are all original. The motion tracker from AJL has been tweaked a bit (rotation was a bit rough), the HUD colours for human weapons (ammon counter digits) and the Predator energy display were changed to red to make it a bit more movielike. I tweaked some inventory-graphics from the predator to match the new (darker) weapon skins and altered some menu-graphics slightly. The saturation of the marine weapon in the loading screen has been slightly altered to look more realistic and the marine menu skin is now darker. Everything is true to the original "Aliens" and "Predator" universe. Even more movielike were the Projam skins which I also "de-comic-a-lized" but only included in my PRIVATE version of the mod, those skins are not going to be released to the public due to Projam copyrights, sorry (takes a lot of the realism away though, if they ever change their policy I'd be happy to include these).
I also edited the cshell.dll to make the colour of the light the shoulder lamp casts white/blue instead of yellow and give all the Predator vision modes a slight distortion as seen in the movies. Several attribute files have been changed to alter various things like: changing the colour and font of subtitles to appear more movie/dvd like as well as changing the colours from the ammo counter in the marine hud to red (and only the ammo counters). This change comes in a separate .rez so you can choose if you want to use it or not (or to prevent compatibility problems when playing online).
Many changes are subtle and it would take too long to explain and count everythig I did. I am finally happy with this game, as in my opinion it's now looking the way it should. But as with all texture mods, this is a matter of personal preference and taste.
Version 1.1 Changes: - The folder "MODELS" which was included in one rez in the initial version was removed the models there are broken (caused problems in MP) and not intended to be in the mod release.
This mod is a graphical enhancement to the game in the way it should actually look like (my opinion of course). More movielike, less comic. Basically I wanted to change the overall looks and feel of the game to be more realistic, dark and detailed. This is a step away from the colourful comic-look and changes various things. All flags for every modified dtx texture have been checked, compared with each original dxt and set by hand in Dedit as there is no other way to retain the original settings for fullbright, sounds on impact or each detailtexture right. No bugs with textures so far.
I combined some textures from Yaji's High Resolution Weapons and his higher resolution Aliens as well as several graphics and sounds from AJL and did a full overhaul. I did not simply copy and paste them, though. All of Yaji's skins as well as the original game's worldtextures, skins, characters etc. have been reworked to make them look less "saturated" and less "comiclike". I used a "fake" bumpmapping effect over every texture to gain a bit more depth and basically make it appear more realistic. I did not change any things that were perfect in first place, or game mechanics like weaponstats etc. are all original. The motion tracker from AJL has been tweaked a bit (rotation was a bit rough), the HUD colours for human weapons (ammon counter digits) and the Predator energy display were changed to red to make it a bit more movielike. I tweaked some inventory-graphics from the predator to match the new (darker) weapon skins and altered some menu-graphics slightly. The saturation of the marine weapon in the loading screen has been slightly altered to look more realistic and the marine menu skin is now darker. Everything is true to the original "Aliens" and "Predator" universe. Even more movielike were the Projam skins which I also "de-comic-a-lized" but only included in my PRIVATE version of the mod, those skins are not going to be released to the public due to Projam copyrights, sorry (takes a lot of the realism away though, if they ever change their policy I'd be happy to include these).
- The folder "MODELS" which was included in one rez in the initial version was removed the models there are broken (caused problems in MP) and not intended to be in the mod release.
You will need a patched full version 1.0.9.6 (english) of Aliens vs. Predator 2 for the complete modification. The skins will also work on foreign language releases and maybe other versions, simply don't use the AvP207DLL.rez then. (The dll and attribute changes might work as well though, I couldn't test it.) The modification might have higher hardware requirements than the original AvP2 game. This will not work with the addon "Primal Hunt".
After you edited the command-line, activate the "Always specify these command-line parameters" option just below the command line.
SPECIAL THANKS: To Yaji who allowed me to use his high resolution textures for my mod right away!
SPECIAL THANKS: To AJL, creator of the famous AJL mod, who also allowed me to use some sounds and HUD textures for my mod right away!
Thanks to everyone at the PlanetAVP forums who was helping me on this one, especially Jegu27, KingKenny, Predxjoe14, WsCandy and Windebieste!
All modifications made to the textures, dll changes, attribute changes and edits by dex909 in 2007.