Donald Trump is an embarrassment. He's been serving a purpose, in a perverse way, but now it's time for him to exit stage left and serve a purpose in a different way.
Trump's recent comments about John McCain are inexcusable. Obviously, it's perfectly acceptable for anyone to disagree with Senator McCain about immigration. It's not an easy issue, and it covers a lot of different big picture items, from employment to trade to national security against potential terrorist incursions. In America, there is room for many different positions along the political spectrum about immigration.
It isn't appropriate, however, to question McCain's patriotism, or his service, or to casually dismiss the meaning and impact of McCain's POW experience. It not only is unfair to the man who was tortured and forced to live as a captive in a North Vietnam prison, it also shows an appalling lack of respect for all of those who have served in our armed forces and put their lives and personal security on the line. The reality of war is that some members of the military may get captured by the enemy, through no fault of their own. When that happens, those members of the military deserve our support, and when they bear up through their POW experience with the courage and dignity and fortitude shown by John McCain, they deserve to be called heroes. This is not a hard question — but apparently it is beyond Donald Trump.
Trump's entry into the presidential race has been serving a purpose, in a perverse way — he's been demonstrating by omission the qualities we should be looking for in a President. Do we want someone who responds to every criticism by lashing out with anger and insult humor, or do we want someone who is thick-skinned and capable of responding with grace and intelligence? Do we want a boastful schoolyard bully who never tires of touting his own wealth and accomplishments, or do we want a mature adult who has the skills to build a consensus around a reasoned position? Do we want someone so self-absorbed that he'll say whatever is necessary to grab another headline, or do we want someone with the self-assurance to work behind the scenes in order to get the job done? In many ways, Donald Trump exemplifies all of the qualities of the anti-President; standing next to him, virtually any candidate would look like a thoughtful statesman.
As a society, we tend to tolerate people like Trump. He's like a contestant on The Gong Show whose act is so bizarre that it briefly entertains through shock value — but quickly becomes tiresome and uncomfortable. With his comments on John McCain, Trump has crossed into gong territory. I'm glad to see that there seems to be a growing, uniform sentiment that Trump's comments about Senator McCain are inexcusable. Trump may be serving a purpose in another way: by showing that, in our divided country, it is still possible to develop a true consensus about something.
I can't help but reach the conclusion that the Syrian situation has been badly handled by the White House and the State Department.
From the President's early comments that purported to draw a "red line" if the Syrian government used chemical weapons, to the announcements that the U.S. would be involved in an imminent strike after claiming to have incontrovertible evidence of Syria's use of gas against its own people, to Great Britain's embarrassing refusal to become involved in any action, and finally to President Obama's abrupt decision to seek Congressional approval for some kind of action against Syria, the Obama Administration seems to be making it up as it goes along. The President now needs to resort to what the New York Times describes as "the most extraordinary lobbying campaign of Mr. Obama's presidency" to try to convince lawmakers to support the Administration's plans and avoid a humiliating loss in Congress that would further undermine the President's credibility abroad. In the meantime, even the President's supporters think his performance has been "embarrassing" and the Syrians feel like the President's decision to reverse course is a victory of sorts.
This blundering means that the problem goes beyond Syria and its use of chemical weapons to raise much broader issues. President Obama often seems to think that his rhetorical powers are so extraordinary that if he just gives a speech, everything will change — but that's not how things work in the world. He should never have drawn the "red line" without knowing that he would be supported, in Congress and in the world at large, in taking action if Syria crossed it. Obviously, he didn't do so. Now, his credibility, and the credibility of the United States as a whole, is at stake.
Thanks to those mistakes, we'll never have the ability as a country to have a free discussion about whether to intervene in Syria or, as Secretary of State John Kerry puts it, engage in "armchair isolationism," because the congressional debate will be colored by comments, like those of Senator John McCain, that the failure to back the President's hasty words with action could be "catastrophic." Such comments recognize that the Syrian chemical weapons issue, tragic as it is for the Syrian people, is a small blip on America's geopolitical screen. The much bigger and more important issues are what might happen if China or Russia — or Iran or North Korea — feel that the President's words mean nothing. Once he loses credibility with our adversaries it will never be fully regained.
I happen to think we shouldn't intervene in Syria, and I don't care whether a blowhard like John Kerry calls me an "armchair isolationist" or not. As a country, America needs to address this issue and decide what our role in the world will be and make some hard choices about our vital interests in view of our finite economic resources. Now we may be cornered and forced into taking ill-advised, poorly defined action in a country where our national interests really aren't implicated because the President didn't think before he talked. Indeed, Kerry's remarks yesterday suggest that the Obama Administration wants to leave open the option of sending our ground troops into Syria — which seems like an extraordinarily bad idea in just about every way.
These are an amateur's unfortunate mistakes, but mistakes that could have real, painful consequences for our country nevertheless.
Mr. President, Please Don't Shoot Yourself In The Foot!
Can President Obama actually be considering nominating Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State? Some are reporting that Rice is his choice, and at a press conference yesterday he forcefully defended her against criticism by John McCain and other Senators. The President said Rice has done "exemplary" work at the UN and that if he decides she would be the best choice, he will go ahead and nominate her.
It seems inconceivable that Rice would be on the President's short list for the most visible position in the Cabinet. For many Americans, she is the face and voice of what they consider to be an unconscionable attempt to mislead and cover up the truth about the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans at the consulate in Benghazi, Libya. When Rice went on the Sunday talk shows and attempted to blame the Benghazi attacks on a YouTube video, she was presenting a false narrative that, increasingly, has been shown to be at odds with the facts known to many in the Administration — that the Benghazi incident was a planned and carefully executed terrorist attack, not a a spontaneous mob reaction to an incendiary video. As a result, many angry Americans view Rice as either a know-nothing shill who was out of the loop but faithfully presented the phony talking points given to her or a knowing participant in an effort to deceive the American people. Either way, she has little credibility with them.
If the President nominates Rice, he will be guaranteeing a bruising confirmation fight and extended hearings into what Rice and others knew about the attack. Why run that risk? Rice may be capable — although I'm not sure what has been "exemplary" about her service at the UN — but there undoubtedly are hundreds of people who also could capably serve as Secretary of State. Can't the President pick someone who won't serve as a lightning rod for criticism about an ugly, poorly handled foreign policy disaster that involved the death of four Americans?
I cringed when I read the President's statement that "[i]f Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me." We don't need silly macho posturing right now. When the President won re-election, people wondered whether he would be more of a compromiser in his second term, or whether — freed from the need to ever again stand for election — he would demand that things be done his way, no matter what the opposition. If the President insists on nominating Rice, he will be indicating that he is following the latter course, which in turn will just harden the opposition and make compromises less likely. If the President shoots himself in the foot by sending Rice's name to the Senate, we may be in for more long years of bickering, gridlock, and inability to tackle our debt, deficit, and entitlement problems. We can't afford that possibility — and the President can't either.
We're now less than seven months away from the 2012 presidential election. What does the race look like, from the perspective of battleground Ohio?
I think the 2012 election will be much less emotion-charged than 2008 was. In 2008 many hoped that Barack Obama would be a transformative figure whose election would finally slay the dragons of racism in America. Many others were panicked by the financial abyss yawning open beneath our feet and were looking for the candidate they felt was best suited to deal with the crisis.
Barring unforeseen events, neither of those emotional themes will be at work in 2012. President Obama still has many supporters, but I don't know anyone who views him as a kind of magical arbiter capable of bringing people together through sheer force of oratory and personality. His time in office has demonstrated, to all but the true believers, that the President is a politician who makes the same kinds of political calculations that other politicians do. The hopes for a miraculous national reconciliation and a perfect leader that motivated many people in 2008 just don't seem to exist now.
Nor does the terror that gripped some people in 2008. Worries about a complete financial meltdown cut both ways in that election; some voted for Barack Obama because he seemed to deal with the crisis without drama, others voted for John McCain because he was more experienced. Now, I think, people are not panicky, but rather are concerned and angry — concerned because, years later, the economy still stinks and jobs remain hard to come by, and angry because our political leaders don't seem to be doing anything much about it.
What does this mean? First, I think fewer people will be deeply involved in the election and a smaller percentage of people will vote. No one will be arguing that the election offers a chance to vote for a perfect candidate. Second, I think many people have already made up their minds, based purely on their assessment of President Obama's performance. They either think he has done a good job in avoiding another Great Depression despite the obstructionism of his opponents or believe he has spent recklessly and put the country on the path to financial ruin. Even the most powerful political ads aren't going to change their competing perceptions.
Third, I think many people are still reserving judgment and want to see how things play out. They'll be making two judgments in the coming months. First, is Mitt Romney up to the job? Can he handle the pressure and juggle the competing demands without meltdowns or gross missteps? If Romney passes that test, then they'll think about whether President Obama has done a good job.
Elections in which an incumbent is on the ballot are almost always referendums on the incumbent's performance, and I think 2012 will be no different. Stripped of illusion and romantic hopes, undecided voters will consider whether the economy is improving in ways that affect their lives. Are family members and friends who have been out of work getting hired, or are other acquaintances getting laid off? They'll look at gas prices, and unemployment statistics, and the stock market, and I think those indicators will tell the tale. If unemployment rates inch back up, and gas prices remain at or above $4 a gallon, President Obama will face a very tough road.
Events in Syria are taking a turn for the worse. Every day brings a new report of a gruesome massacre of civilians by government forces, and efforts by the international community to arrange for a cease-fire have failed.
Some have argued that America should take military action in Syria to stop the killing. Senator John McCain is one such voice. So far, however, the Obama Administration has resisted any military intervention, hoping instead that international pressure will eventually topple the Assad regime.
I'm with the President on this one. The reports of cold-blooded civilian killings in Syria are heart-breaking, but America simply can't take military action anywhere and everywhere that despotic governments are killing and mistreating their citizens. Military intervention should be reserved for what should be rare instances implicating our vital national interests. As tragic as events are in Syria, it's hard to see how crucial American interests are at stake there.
It sounds cold-blooded to talk of money at a time when innocents lives are being lost, but the United States also needs to consider its financial situation. The missiles, airplane fuel, ordinance, and military personnel that would be used in any Syrian intervention would cost money that we just don't have right now.
We need to start making choices as part of getting our fiscal house in order, both domestically and abroad. This is an instance where the choice should be to stay our hand. If there is to be military action in Syria, let it be led by the Arab League states. They should use their oil revenues to police their own neighborhood.
This week marked the end of the Iraq war and I am in agreement with Bob's post earlier this week that the president should not be touting this war as a foreign policy success.
During the time prior to March 20, 2003 when we initially invaded Iraq we were told that this would be a quick war, that we would be greeted as liberators, that the war would be paid for in full by Iraq's oil revenues, that Iraq had connections to al-Qaeda and that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.
What ended up happening was the war lasted almost ten years, we were considered occupiers by many in the Arab world, we ended up paying $2.7 trillion in conflict spending ($4.4 trillion if you add in obligations to wounded veterans and interest payments on the money we had to borrow to fund the war), there were no connections between Iraq and al-Qaeda and Saddam's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons were discontinued in 1991.
It's not surprising that John McCain came out against the president's decision to withdraw having said in the past that it was fine with him if we were in Iraq for one hundred years since we have been in Japan for sixty years and in South Korea for fifty years. It's this kind of thinking that I voted against in 2008.
Below is a brief exchange between Senator McCain and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta about a month ago regarding the Iraqi withdrawal that shows a stark contrast between the current administration's foreign policy and McCain's had he become president.
I particularly liked Panetta's comment where he says "we need to stop telling independent nations what they need to do". The Iraq War turned out to be a pig and putting lipstick on it just isn't pretty.


The dining set in place, comprising of dining table and chairs, is the focal point from the dining room décor. The table and chairs that you select for the dining space should be complementary to the environment of the room. Apart from funds, the area of the dining space, the material and the design of the furniture should be taken into account while selecting dining tables and chairs. A spacious dining area requires large whereas tiny sleek dining sets could be easily accommodated in more compact dining areas. For standard family meals, a several to six-seater table is acceptable for most living arrangements. However , for large family get-togethers or for entertaining guests, you may need extra dining space - this is where larger extendables come in which can accommodate around eight to 10 diners contentedly. Dining tables with easily-removed leaves are a popular decision in a large number of modern homes. These tables can be adjusted consequently to accommodated diners during special events. In a dining collection, the table and recliners are selected to match one another. However , if you are buying bar stools and tables separately, be certain that the design, color and resources of the chairs complement the table and are at an remarkable dining height. The quality of home furniture is usually reflected in its selling price. Among the wooden furniture items, the finest products are constructed from oak and other durable timbers. Instead of buying oak dining chairs and a table separately, you can save a few pounds by buying a dining set with chairs and table as being a pre-packaged set. This quite often ensures that the styles might match well and the sizes are compatible. Most are rectangular or perhaps square and such tables often come with an extendable function including leaves. Oval or round tables however can be likewise versatile. Tables with circular pedestals are ideal for contemporary dining areas, and offer a lot of legroom. Dining chairs appear in a wide range of styles with a full-range of upholstery and manner options. Along with the traditional real wood dining chairs, chairs made from metal and plastic may be included in a dining place with the right style knowhow. Upholstered chairs are compatible with many types of dining table styles. These chairs are fashionable and comfortable.
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Learning to breath, to self-calm and to have a positive connection with our bodies begins when we are children. While kids yoga is a luxury for many families, the science behind its benefits in childhood and into adulthood is clear. Language is another barrier for these children, since the majority are native Spanish speakers. Our teacher shares Biligual yoga and meditation in Spanish and English with the 3 and 4 year olds receiving free pre-k education at the Head Start in Central Islip. There are 116 children at this center in total, with the project spanning 8 classes over 2 days a week. All children are precious and are deserving of our attention and love!
Carolyn is a native Spanish speaker from Peru. She teaches Yoga and Mindfulness at a day care and is pursuing a degree in Psychology and Neuroscience. She has a special connection with children and feels we all deserve equal opportunities.


Internet of Things or IoT is one of the most trending topics in today's world. Windows 10 brings some of the most futuristic products and services when it comes to IoT. Aligned to this, on June 5th, 2018, Windows announced Windows 10 IoT Core Services. As mentioned by Program Manager of Windows 10 IoT, this offering will provide 10 years of support along with services to manage device updates and assess device health. This will enable the IoT partners of Windows to create solutions to address their customers' needs.
Windows 10 IoT Core was first released in 2015. It is an edition of Windows 10 designed for building smart things and optimized to power intelligent edge devices. The IoT Core has been adopted by industry innovators such as Johnson Controls, Askey, and Misty Robotics.
The Windows 10 IoT Core is a free edition and is available via the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC). Windows 10 IoT Core Services is built on the Windows 10 IoT Core operating system. It will be a paid offering for IoT devices.
So what will companies benefit from the Windows 10 IoT Core services?
The first and foremost advantage is, users will get 10 years of Windows OS support via the Windows Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC). With this support, users can keep the security of their devices up to date with quality updates. Devices using the LTSC release won't receive feature updates, enabling them to focus on stability by minimizing changes to the base operating system. Microsoft typically offers new LTSC releases every two to three years, with each release supported over a 10-year lifecycle.
Another benefit that comes along, is the Update control with the newly announced Device Update Center or DUC. DUC provides the ability to create, customize, and control device updates. Updates can be applied to the operating system, device drivers, as well as OEM-specific applications and files.
Third advantage that Windows 10 IoT Core services offer if Device Health Attestation or DHA. The DHA lets enterprises and OEMs to keep a tab of the security of their organization with hardware-attested security.
As mentioned in the announcement, users can commercialize a device built on Windows 10 IoT Core with these features. Users can also know that you have the enterprise-grade support and security that is synonymous with Windows.
For more information about Windows 10 IoT Core Services, read the Windows Blogs.


Mälardalen University, School of Innovation, Design and Engineering, Embedded Systems. Westermo Reserarch and Development AB.
Strandberg, P. E., Afzal, W. & Daniel, S. (2018). Decision Making and Visualizations Based on Test Results. In: Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement, 12th International Symposium on ESEM18: . Paper presented at Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement, 12th International Symposium on ESEM18, 11 Oct 2018, Oulu, Finland. , Article ID 34.
Mälardalen University, School of Innovation, Design and Engineering, Embedded Systems. Westermo R & D AB, Sweden.
Background: Testing is one of the main methods for quality assurance in the development of embedded software, as well as in software engineering in general. Consequently, test results (and how they are reported and visualized) may substantially influence business decisions in software-intensive organizations. Aims: This case study examines the role of test results from automated nightly software testing and the visualizations for decision making they enable at an embedded systems company in Sweden. In particular, we want to identify the use of the visualizations for supporting decisions from three aspects: in daily work, at feature branch merge, and at release time. Method: We conducted an embedded case study with multiple units of analysis by conducting interviews, questionnaires, using archival data and participant observations. Results: Several visualizations and reports built on top of the test results database are utilized in supporting daily work, merging a feature branch to the master and at release time. Some important visualizations are: lists of failing test cases, easy access to log files, and heatmap trend plots. The industrial practitioners perceived the visualizations and reporting as valuable, however they also mentioned several areas of improvement such as better ways of visualizing test coverage in a functional area as well as better navigation between different views. Conclusions: We conclude that visualizations of test results are a vital decision making tool for a variety of roles and tasks in embedded software development, however the visualizations need to be continuously improved to keep their value for its stakeholders.
Flemström, D., Enoiu, E. P., Afzal, W., Daniel, S., Gustafsson, T. & Kobetski, A. (2018). From natural language requirements to passive test cases using guarded assertions. In: Proceedings - 2018 IEEE 18th International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security, QRS 2018: . Paper presented at 18th IEEE International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security, QRS 2018, 16 July 2018 through 20 July 2018 (pp. 470-481). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.


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Coaches Corner: Tommy Edgmon
Aydan Rolph, Co-Entertainment EditorDecember 21, 20161 Comment
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Tommy Edgmon graduated from Goddard High School after playing soccer and winning three state wrestling titles. He attended Pratt Community College and Fort Hays State University on a wrestling scholarship where he was a four-time national qualifier and received two All-American awards. He was also a National runner-up. He has been a P.E. teacher and head wrestling coach at Newton for two years and feels it is his duty to give back to the sport that paid for his degree; the sport he fell in love with.
What is your coaching style?
"I'd say we drill a lot. We work a lot on muscle memory, a lot of conditioning, and building mental toughness. Wrestling is a mental game. You may be tired, but you can always go one more. I try to build up their confidence mentally and really work that muscle memory."
How have you prepared for this year?
"We're trying to incorporate those new freshmen coming in, and get them to buy in on how we do things. A lot of that is our upperclassmen taking them under the wing and saying 'Hey, we're in high school now. This is how the high school team does it, this is what a duel looks like, and this is why it's important to win your match not only for yourself but for your team.' "
How do you motivate your athletes?
"Tell them 'hey, self confidence', believe if they want to do it, they can make it happen. If you need to get extra workouts in, if you need to do this on your own time- there's always opportunity to get better. We just give them that opportunity so they know that they can be as good as they want to be, but the effort needs to be put forth."
What is your biggest obstacle this year?
"I think our biggest obstacle is staying healthy. Last year we had some injuries and had a lot of setbacks to where we ended up pulling up a lot of JV kids up to varsity, and having open weights. This year, if we can keep everyone healthy we can have a solid lineup from top to bottom. We have a very solid incoming freshman class and some returning players and starters, so obviously our goal is to do a little bit better than last year. Regionals is set up a little different and maybe a little bit harder to get kids to state."
Aydan Rolph, Newtonian Co-Entertainment Editor
Aydan is a Senior and has been on staff for two years. He is a poet who spends far too much time playing baseball and thinking about vegetarian cuisine....
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Thomas • Feb 28, 2022 at 6:46 am
Awesome Job Tommy Edgmon!
https://railernews.org/676/sports/coaches-corner-tommy-edgmon/#comment-51

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac during Idea exchange on Thursday. Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav. 17.05.2018.
Kerala Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac Thursday presented an expansive annual budget for the fiscal year 2019-20, covering a wide range of sectors with special emphasis on rebuilding efforts post the devastating floods last year and aiming to open new avenues to generate non-tax revenues.
The cost of the budget is pegged at Rs 1.42 lakh crore this year, with an aim to reduce the fiscal deficit by 1 per cent and revenue deficit by 3.3 per cent.
Battered by the floods last year which slashed the state's growth by at least 1.5 per cent and revenues not picking up despite the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the finance minister had signalled in an interview with the Indan Express Wednesday that it would be suicidal for the government not to go for an expansive budget. He had hoped that the coming years would enable the government to go for fiscal consolidation through greater GST and VAT revenues and lay out a larger plan for investment.
The finance minister laid out 25 special programmes for 'Navakeralam' (New Kerala) project of the state government for the rebuilding of the state post-floods. A sum of Rs 250 crores would be set aside for village panchayats affected by the deluge. The Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) received Rs 3,229 crores till date, out of which Rs 1,732 crores have been spent on rehabilitation efforts.
The finance minister targeted the Centre for allowing just Rs 3,000 crores for flood relief and putting its foot down on accepting foreign aid and taking loans from monetary agencies.
"The question 'why such cruelty to Keralites' is resonating in the minds of every Malayali," Isaac said.
The budget has allocated Rs 1,000 crores for the PWD department to rebuild roads and an equal amount for the Kuttanad region, considered the state's granary. The region, situated lower than the sea level, remained submerged for weeks after the deluge, inflicting heavy losses for the paddy farmers. A duck breeding farm at a cost of Rs 16 crores will come up in Kuttanad.
An additional 'flood cess' of 1 per cent on the GST has been ratified in the budget.
On the lines of the branding of 'Araku Valley' coffee in Andhra Pradesh by tribal communities, Isaac has announced a similar plan in Wayanad. The coffee grown in the hill district will be branded as 'Malabar' coffee and will carry a 'carbon neutral' tag. The 'carbon neutral' project, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint in a particular area to zero by planting more trees, is already underway in the Meenangadi panchayat.
Additionally, a KINFRA mega food park with common processing facilities for coffee will come up this year in order to enhance the revenues of coffee bean farmers. Steps would also be taken to procure ripe coffee beans directly from farmers.
The budget allocates Rs 5 crores to rejuvenate pepper farming in Wayanad and Rs 70 crores to increase the production of coconuts and getting a higher price for the same. Under the aegis of Kerala Coconut Council, 10 lakh coconut saplings will be planted every year with a special project titled 'Keragramam' designed to ensure scientific care of the trees.
Rs 20 crore have been allocated to set up rice parks of international standards at Thrissur, Palakkad and Alappuzha with the outlay for paddy cultivation set at Rs 91 crores. To enhance the support price of rubber, Rs 500 crore have been earmarked with a special company to be registered to take care of the same.
To rebuild the agricultural sector, Rs 2,500 crore has been set aside out of which Rs 770 crore is for plan outlay. Separate funds will be allocated for issuing soil health cards, floriculture, spices and availability of good quality seeds.
A total outlay of Rs 574 crore has been earmarked for the IT sector with funds for Technopark (Trivandrum and Kollam), Technocity (Trivandrum) and Infopark (Kochi, Thrissur and Cherthala). Separately, Rs 10 crore has been set aside for the innovation zone at the Integrated Startup Complex in Ernakulam.
The Kerala Startup Mission has been a successful project and has served as an incubation factory for several innovative startups. A fund of Rs 70 crores has been allocated for the KSUM's youth entrepreneurship programme.
Construction on an independent, elevated double railway line connecting the state's northern district of Kasaragod all the way to the southern point in Thiruvananthapuram will begin next year, the finance minister announced. The 515 km line can enable the trains to travel at 180 km/hr and thus complete the journey in just about four hours. Currently, superfast trains on the existing, highly-congested network take about 12 hours between the two points. An estimated expenditure of Rs 55,000 crores is required which can be availed through foreign loans and domestic fund mobilisation measures.
The Hindu pilgrim centre at Sabarimala, which witnessed chaotic scenes over the last four months, continues to receive a generous amount of funding in the state budget. Rs 739 crores have been allocated out of which projects for drinking water, roads between the base camps of Nilakkal and Pamba, midway shelter at Erumeli and sewage treatment plant at Pamba will be implemented.
In his budget, Isaac outlined a comprehensive health security scheme which involves upgrading primary health centers to family health centers, making private hospitals participating in the secondary and tertiary services and in its third stage, comprehensive health insurance.


Stephen Fry Explains Cloud Computing « Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers!
Stephen Fry explains the history of computer thinking and the revolution of utility in cloud computing in this 5 minute animation.
Very beautiful. Although it turns out in the last 5 seconds that it's a commercial for a cloud infrastructure supplier.


text:
/*
 * lock.h
 *
 *  Created on: 3 июня 2016 г.
 *      Author: klopp
 */

#ifndef LOCK_H_
#define LOCK_H_

#ifdef USE_LOCKING
# ifndef __WINDOWS__
#  include <pthread.h>
typedef pthread_spinlock_t   __lock_type;
#  define __initlock(var)   pthread_spin_init(&var, 0)
#  define __lock(var)       pthread_spin_lock(&var)
#  define __unlock(var)     pthread_spin_unlock(&var)
# else
typedef long                 __lock_type;
#  define __initlock(var)   var = 0
#  define __lock(var)       EnterCriticalSection(&var)
#  define __unlock(var)     LeaveCriticalSection(&var)
# endif
# define __lock_t(var)     __lock_type var
#else
typedef int                  __lock_type;
#  define __lock_t(var)
#  define __initlock(var)
#  define __lock(var)
#  define __unlock(var)
#endif

#endif /* LOCK_H_ */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Int J Curr Pharm Res, Vol 10, Issue 2, 35-37Review Article
PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY METABOLITES OF ACACIA ARABICA BARK
MAHENDRA A. DESHMUKH, MADHURI A. THENG
Department of Pharmacology, Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati, Pin 442301, MS-Mharastra
Email: thengmadhuri7@gmail.com
Received: 25 Dec 2017, Revised and Accepted: 05 Feb 2018
The study includes phytochemical screening and quantification of primary and secondary metabolites like chlorophyll, carbohydrates, protein, lipids, phenol, tannin and flavonoids from Acacia arabica bark. For these purpose aqueous extract of bark was prepared by "Soxhlet extraction method". The result of these study suggests that the Acacia arabica bark in which presence of primary and secondary metabolites.
Keywords: Phytochemical screening, Primary and Secondary metabolites, Acacia arabica bark
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ijcpr.2018v10i2.25889
Since ancient times, people have been exploring the nature particularly medicinal plants in search of new drugs. Medicinal plants are used by 80% of the world population for their essential health needs. India is the birthplace of the renewed system of indigenous medicines such as Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani. Traditional systems of medicines are prepared from a single plant or combinations of more than one plant. This efficacy depends upon the current knowledge about taxonomic features of plant species, plant parts and biological property of medicinal plants which in turn depends upon the occurrence of primary and secondary metabolites [1]. Plant synthesize a wide range of chemical compounds which are classified based on their chemical class, biosynthetic origin and functional groups into primary and secondary metabolites. Primary metabolites directly involved in growth and development while secondary metabolites are not involved directly and they have been worked as biocatalysts. Primary metabolites are widely distributed in nature, occurring in one form or another in virtually all organisms. They are like chlorophyll, amino acids, nucleotides, carbohydrates etc. which have a key role in metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, respiration and nutrient assimilation. They are used as industrial raw materials and food additives. The drugs selected for this work were Acacia arabica these is important herbs are reported to have significant antibacterial, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities which are complementary to wound healing process. The growing popularity of natural and herbal medications, easy availability of raw materials, cost-effectiveness and the paucity of reported adverse reaction [2].
The plants were selected on the basis of their phytochemical screening, quantitative analysis of primary and secondary metabolites and their medicinal uses reported in the literature. The herbs (Acacia arabica) were purchased from the local area of the city and authenticated by Taxonomist in the department of Botany, Shri Shivaji Science and Arts College, Chikhli. All other chemicals were of analytical grade and used without further purification.
Preparation of the plant extracts
The bark was washed under running tap water to remove the surface pollutants and the bark was air dried under shade. The powdered bark samples were subjected to successive extraction with chloroform, methanol and acetone using soxhlet apparatus. Fresh bark material was ground using distilled water and filtered and used as an aqueous extract. The extracts obtained using solvents were concentrated using rotary vacuum evaporator and then dried. The extract thus obtained was used for various analyses.
Phytochemical screening of extracts
Chloroform, methanol, aqueous and acetone extracts were used for preliminary phytochemical analyses using standard procedures. The following qualitative tests for both the metabolites were done as follows:
a) Test for alkaloids
Wagner's test: About 10 mg of bark extract was taken and few drops of Wagner's reagent was added and the formation of a reddish brown precipitate indicates the presence of alkaloids.
b) Test for flavonoids
Shinoda test-10 mg of bark extract was added to a pinch of magnesium turnings and 1-2 drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid were added. Formation of pink color indicates the presence of Flavanoids.
Lead acetate test-10 mg of bark extract was taken and few drops of 10% lead acetate solution was added. Appearance of yellow colour precipitate indicates the presence of flavonoids.
c) Test for phenols and tannins
Lead acetate test: Ten mg of bark extract was taken and 0.5 ml of 1% lead acetate solution was added and the formation of precipitate indicates the presence of tannins and phenolic compounds.
Ferric chloride test-5 mg of bark extract was taken and 0.5 ml of 5% ferric chloride was added. The development of dark bluish black color indicates the presence of tannins. Sodium hydroxide test: Five mg of extract was dissolved in 0.5 ml of 20% sulphuric acid solution. Followed by addition of few drops of aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, it turns blue which indicates the presence of phenols [3].
d) Test for carbohydrates
Fehling's test-5 ml of Fehling's solution was added to 0.5 mg of bark extract and boiled in a water bath. The formation of yellow or red precipitate indicates the presence of reducing power.
Benedict's test-5 ml of Benedict's solution was added to 0.5 mg of extract and boiled in a water bath. The appearance of red or yellow or green precipitate indicates the presence of reducing sugars.
e) Test for saponins
Honeycomb test-0.5 mg of bark extract was taken in a test tube and few drops of 5% sodium bicarbonate solution was added. The mixture was shaken vigorously and kept for 3 min. Formation of honeycomb like froth shows the presence of saponins.
Foam test-0.5 mg of extract was diluted with 20 ml distilled water and shaken well in a graduated cylinder for 15 min. The formation of foam to a length of 1 cm indicated the presence of saponins.
e) Test for glycosides
Glycoside test-0.5 mg of bark extract was dissolved in 1 ml of water and then aqueous NaOH solution was added.
Formation of yellow color indicates the presence of glycosides.
f) Test for protein and amino acids
Biuret test-To 0.5 mg of extract equal volume of 40% NaOH solution and two drops of 1% copper sulphate solution was added. The appearance of violet colour indicates the presence of protein.
Ninhydrin test-About 0.5 mg of extract was taken and 2 drops of freshly prepared 0.2% ninhydrin reagent were added and heated. The appearance of pink or purple colour indicates the presence of proteins, peptides or amino acids.
g) Test for anthraquinone
Borntragers test-About 0.5 gm of the bark extract was taken into a dry test tube and 5 ml of chloroform was added and shaken for 5 min. The extract was filtered and the filtrate was shaken with an equal volume of 10% ammonia solution. A pink violet or red colour in the lower layer indicates the presence of anthraquinone.
Quantitative determination of primary metabolites
Determination of carbohydrate
100 mg of extract bark was hydrolysed in a boiling tube with 5 ml of 2.5 N HCl in a boiling water bath for a period of 3 h. It was cooled to room temperature and solid sodium carbonate was added until effervescence ceases. The contents were centrifuged and the supernatant was made to 100 ml using distilled water. From this 0.2 ml of sample was pipetted out and made up the volume to 1 ml with distilled water. Then 1.0 ml of phenol reagent was added followed by 5.0 ml of sulphuric acid. The tubes were kept at 25-30 °C for 20 min. The absorbance was read at 490 nm. [4].
Determination of protein
The dried extract bark samples was extracted by stirring with 50 ml of 50% methanol (1:5 w/v) at 25 °C for 24 h and centrifuged at 7,000 rpm for 10 min.0.2 ml of extract was pipette out and the volume was made to 1.0 ml with distilled water. 5.0 ml of alkaline copper reagent was added to all the tubes and allowed it to stand for 10 min. Then 0.5 ml of Folin's Ciocalteau reagent was added and incubated in dark for 30 min. The intensity of the colour developed read at 660 nm.
Quantitative determination of secondary metabolites
Determination of total phenolics and tannins
The total phenolic content was determined according to the method described by25. Ten microlitre aliquots of the extracts (2 mg/2 ml) was taken in test tubes and made up to the volume of 1 ml with distilled water. Then 0.5 ml of Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent (1:1 with water) and 2.5 ml of sodium carbonate solution (20%) were added sequentially in each tube. Soon after vortexing the reaction mixture, the test tubes were placed in dark for 40 min and the absorbance was recorded at 725 nm against the reagent blank. The analysis was performed in triplicate and the results were expressed as tannic acid equivalents. Using the same extracts the tannins was estimated after treatment with polyvinyl polypyrrolidone (PVPP). One hundred milligrams of PVPP was placed in a test tube and to this 1 ml distilled water and then 1 ml of the sample extracts were added. The contents were vortexed and kept in the test tube at 4 °C for 4h. Then it was centrifuged (3000 rpm for 10 min at room temperature) and the supernatant was collected. This supernatant has only simple phenolics other than tannins (the tannins would have been precipitated along with the PVPP). The phenolic content of the supernatant was measured as mentioned by25 and expressed as the content of non-tannin phenolics (tannic acid equivalents) on a dry matter basis. From the above results, the tannin content of the sample was calculated as follows: Tannin (%) = Total phenolics (%)–Non-tannin phenolics (%)
Determination of total flavonoid content
The flavonoid content was determined by the use of a slightly modified colorimetry method described previously by26. A 0.5 ml aliquot of appropriately (2 mg/2 ml) diluted sample solution was mixed with 2 ml of distilled water and subsequently with 0.15 ml of 5 % NaNO2 solution. After 6 min, 0.15 ml of 10% AlCl3 solution was added and allowed to stand for 6 min, and then 2 ml of 4% NaOH solution was added to the mixture. Immediately, water was added to bring the final volume to 5 ml, and then the mixture was thoroughly mixed and allowed to stand for another 15 min. The absorbance of the mixture was determined at 510 nm versus water blank. The analysis was performed in triplicate and the results were expressed as rutin equivalent [5].
All the analyses were performed in triplicate and the results were statistically analyzed and expressed as mean (n=3)±standard deviation (SD).
The phytochemical analysis is of supreme importance in identifying new source of therapeutically and industrially valuable compounds having medicinal plants have been chemically investigated. In the present investigation, primary and secondary metabolites were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed using Acacia arabica bark. The results are presented in table 1and 2 and fig. 1.
Table 1: Preliminary phytochemical screening of acacia arabica bark
Plant constituent Extracts
Chloroform extract Methanol extract Aqueous extract Acetone extract Name of test
- - - - Wagners test
2) Flavonoids - + - + Shinoda, Lead Acetate test
Phenolic and Tannins
- + + - Lead acetate test, Ferric chloride test
- + - - Fehlings test, Benedict test
- - + + Honey comb test, Foam test
- + - - Glycosides test
Protein and Amino acid
+ + + - Biuret test, Ninhydrin test
+ + + - Borntragers test
Table 2: Quantification of primary metabolites of Acacia arabica bark
Carbohydrates 155.61±25.62
Amino acids 8.08±0.03
Protein 104.6±3.78
Lipids 6.04±0.002
Values are mean of four independent analysis±SD(n=4).
Fig. 1:
From the above remarks, it can be concluded that all the parameters of the Acacia arabica bark extract in which presence of phytochemical components of carbohydrate, protein, lipids, phenols, flavonoids and tannins.
Thus the result obtained in the present study indicates Acacia arabica bark extract have the potential to act as a source of useful drugs because of presence of various phytochemical components such as carbohydrate, protein, lipids, phenols, flavonoids and tannins. The results are very much encouraging but scientific validation is necessary before being put in to practis.
All the author have contributed equally
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Best Recipes Evar. They're Tastylicious! The best recipes on the internets.
I am a Mexican food fiend. It's my favorite food group. Yep you read that right. Salsa is my test bed for whether or not a Mexican food place will be good or not. More often than not if the place has good salsa it will have great food.
That being said I have a lot of jalapeños and serrano chiles growing in my garden this year. I have had to figure out something to do with them. My usual go to is salsa. Sometimes I add them to salads and other fun things. This recipe makes a lot of salsa so you may want to share with your neighbors. It's a good welcome to neighborhood or housewarming gift. My kids love this salsa, lately they have been taking it for lunches. I feel it's much healthier than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Have fun with it, it's pretty forgiving if you want to add things too it.
Put all ingredients, except for green onions, in a blender.
Chop green onions thin and stir them into the salsa.
Eat up or put in the fridge for the flavors to marry for a few days.
I love breakfast foods. Most of them are like desserts, but you can have them for a whole meal! You have a sugar rush to start your day. Isn't that the best thing ever? This crunchy french toast is a fun twist on french toast. I have had some frosted flakes in my pantry for a while. The girls haven't wanted to eat it whatsoever, not sure why not but whatever. I figured I would try to use some of it up. I had seen some recipes where people used Captain Crunch or corn flakes as a kind of batter or outside. I figured I would give it a try. The end result was fantastic. The kids really enjoyed it and thats good enough for me. I hope you try it.
Mix everything together except corn flakes and bread.
Pour corn flakes in a ziplock plastic bag and roughly crush with bottom of measuring cup. You could do it with your hand but it will feel like 1000 little cuts. Pour into shallow dish.
Working 1 at a time, dip bread into egg mixture, then place soaked bread in corn flakes and press into the corn flakes, repeat on other side.
Heat griddle or pan, melt some butter and add bread and cook 2-3 minutes per side or until browned.
When I make these dinner rolls I remember my Grandma. She made the best dinner rolls. I have her recipe, but every time I try to make them they never turn out right. These dinner rolls taste a lot like hers. I like to think that she smiles down upon me when I make them. One thing you have to know about how I make these, is that I use a lot of butter. They are a hit at every dinner, get together, or feast. There are rarely any left. I can't describe how good they are. I can try: buttery, flaky, sweet, salty, mmm delicious.
Combine milk, water, sugar, and butter into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until butter is melted. Once melted take a whisk or other stirring utensil and stir the mixture together, mainly to get the sugar dissolved. Pour this into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
To cool this mixture down enough to add the yeast, stir in 3-4 cups of flour, then add the egg, and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes. After it has cooled add the yeast and the salt as the mixer is mixing. Mix it enough to where you see strands of dough (I imagine them as gluten strands) Once mixed in replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook.
Gradually add in 3-4 more cups of flour 1 or 2 cups at a time. Only add enough to make a dense but sticky dough. Don't add too much flour, less flour is better than more so watch it. When you stick your finger in it, just a little bit of the dough should come off onto your finger. If too much does then add a little more flour, if none does you have added too much.
Let dough raise until its doubled in size. When ready to shape, add 1 stick each of butter to 2 cookie sheets and stick it in the oven under the broiler until the butter melts pretty much all the way, but don't let it burn. Repeat with other cookies sheet. Take out set and set aside.
I spray my working surface with a light coating of oil as to not add additional flour. Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls, as even as you can get them.
Working 1 ball at a time, roll out in to a circle about 1/4″ thick or a bit thicker. Grab that 1 stick of softened butter and smear 1/4 of it over each dough circle. Just get your hands all in it. Don't be afraid to do it.
Take a pizza cutter and cut the circle into quarters, then take those quarters and cut each into three equal triangles.
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. Once they are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven 'till they are golden brown. About 10 – 15 minutes , It may take longer depending on how hot your oven cooks. Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right time for the second. If you have a convection oven you can put them both in and just make sure to rotate and switch half way through the process.
While they are still hot and fresh out of the oven run a stick of butter over the tops of the rolls.


Bronike obtained Seal of Dath'Remar.
Lixodem obtained Band of the Ancient Dredger.
Lixodem obtained Rattling Jar of Eyes.
Jadzas obtained Boots of the Dark Iron Raider.
Vaidutis crafted item Tempered Deep Sea Gloves of the Quickblade.
Vaidutis obtained Cursed Monkey Palm.
Vaidutis obtained Divine Fury Raiment.
Alytiskis obtained Kimbul's Razor Claw.
Drógs obtained Vestments of Indomitable Will.
Ashariukas obtained Arcing Thunderlizard Legplates.
Jadzas obtained Drape of Valiant Defense.
Drógs obtained Crown of A'akul's Dark Reign.
Alytiskis obtained Boots of the Gilded Path.
Kovas obtained Sinister Gladiator's Maledict.
Ashariukas obtained Drape of Valiant Defense.
Kovas obtained Honorbound Vanguard's Leggings.
Kairyspautas obtained Invocation of Yu'lon.


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What is Numismatically Trending
Sep 30, 2020 | coins, commentary | 2 comments
Over the last few weeks, I have been posting and watching the chatter on social media about the current offerings by the world's mints. Given the opportunity, I engaged several people to conduct an informal poll. I did not define specific questions. I allowed people to discuss and argue about what they really think. Based on these conversations, here is what I learned.
Basketball Hall of Fame 2020 Colorized Half Dollar (U.S. Mint Image)
Many people are interested in colored coins. More than half of the people who responded to public statements or my direct queries said they were interested in the colorized Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins. It was almost unanimous amongst this group that they favored using color as an enhancement to the design.
Although those favored using color as an enhancement, an overwhelming majority did not like all printed coins. Many of the complaints came from the lenticular coins from Canada. And while most would not purchase many of the coins with comic book themes, the only objections were the printed designs.
Few people objected to the commercial themes used on coins. Whether the coins celebrate Star Trek or Star Wars, the only difference was if the collector wanted to be beamed up or was with the Force. Those who did not like colored coins would be interested in coins struck using these themes.
Niue $2 THE CAPED CRUSADER™ – GOTHAM CITY™ 1oz Silver Coin (Image courtesy of the New Zealand Mint)
I heard from a small group of comic book fans who love the coins with their favorite characters' themes. Many pointed to fandom websites that celebrated the coins produced by the New Zealand Mint, Royal Mint, and Royal Canadian Mint. They do not care who produces the coins. These fans see the coins as an extension of their comic book fandom.
Last week, I talked with someone about classic rock, which was wearing a Kiss tour jacket. He expressed excitement at finding the Kiss Challenge Coins online. He also mentioned challenge coins and medals from other bands. After our conversation, I searched online for the information. I found that Kiss authorized four challenge coins with each member's image plus one for Eric Carr, the late drummer who died in 1991. Exonumia is a part of numismatics.
Themed coin series is a trendy way of collecting outside of the United States. Several British collectors thought that the Royal Mint's 50p coins' themes were a lot of fun. The Royal Mint produces 50p coins that celebrate children's book characters, famous authors, and historical figures. A mother of three youngsters was excited about the recently released Winnie the Pooh 50p coin. Aside from being a children's favorite, Winnie's creator, A.A. Milne, also wrote speeches for Winston Churchill.
It's not a " classic" coin but the Drummer Boy reverse is still one of my favorite modern designs.
Then there were the hard-core, anything made after 1964 and not silver contingent. These collectors were a minority but were the most vehement about the "right way" to collect coins. When I asked how they would classify my collecting habits, I was accused of collecting junk or trinkets or buying into scams. I never told them that I compiled a complete set of high grade (not in slabs) Peace Dollars. With one exception, everyone in this group was male and over 50 years old. The other was in his late-40s.
Numismatics is a hobby. Hobbies are supposed to be fun. You are supposed to like what you collect. If you like Kiss Challenge Coins, then go out and find them all. If using different metals to create interesting effects like the Royal Canadian and New Zealand Mints create, have fun. Even if you find enjoyment with searching pocket change for coins, you are a numismatist and are welcome to the hobby.
Everyone who collects numismatics should be welcome without being told they are collecting the wrong way. As time moves on, I will be proposing new ideas on making the hobby more inclusive. I welcome everyone's feedback!
Robert J. Graul on September 30, 2020 at 6:08 PM
There are no words to tell you how fed up I am with these over 50 male dealers. They are a bunch of Czar Nicholas II's.
V. Kurt Bellman on October 6, 2020 at 12:54 PM
Yikes, you've got yourself a pretty serious "crusade" going there, don't you, Bob?


Fire, 2016, Acrylic on canvas, 70 1/10 × 78 3/10 × 16 9/10 in, 178 × 199 × 43 cm, by Silvia Lerin This work stems from Silvia's interest in the relationships between shapes, volumes, colours and textures and their resulting presence. She tends to create in series, often in response to her current environment, like a visual diary of circumstances. This painting is in two sections. The lower section leans on the wall from its wooden stretcher and the top section fixes onto the wall with vinyl tape (provided). Silvia Lerin moved to London in 2014 after developing an established career as an artist in Spain where she was represented by Gallery La Nave in Valencia and in Germany by Sophien Edition gallery in Berlin. She has exhibited her work in the Prairie Center of the Arts in Peoria, IL, USA, and received an award from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York in 2014 that funded her to come to London, where she decided to stay.


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13.1 Million Viewers Watched "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors"
Published December 11, 2015 / Last Updated March 1, 2016
Team Dolly at Dolly Parton Productions
Team Dolly is a collaboration of writers, editors, and publishers assembled by Dolly Parton Productions. Each member is dedicated to accurately publishing the latest news and historical archives of the living legend that is Dolly Rebecca Parton.
Managing Editor - Jacob Timmons
Senior Editor - Amanda Webb
Creative Director - Sarah Chapman
Culinary Creations Abound At Dollywood - December 18, 2020
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Honoring Robert Lee Parton…One Book At A Time - December 7, 2020
13.1 million viewers watched the world-premiere of "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors," and they loved it!
Fans and critics alike warmly embraced "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors" after its Thursday night premiere on NBC. Not taking into account sports and live musicals, Dolly's heartwarming story drew the largest audience the network has seen in this time slot in six years, according to The Wrap. Headline Planet gives a complete Nielsen ratings report.
In addition to the huge viewership, critics gave this heartfelt story high praises.
"Like Parton's music, [Coat of Many Colors] manages to be somehow clear- and misty-eyed at once, a mix of the natural and the sentimental." Los Angeles Times
"'Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors' is a TV movie like mama used to make." Variety
"[Coat of Many Colors] will warm winter audiences with its inspiring tale of overcoming devastating tragedy, discovering the healing power of faith and love, and Parton's triumphant spirit as a 9-year-old girl in the Great Smokey [sic] Mountains." Biography
"[Coat of Many Colors] extols faith, love of family, love of the Lord and a child having the strength and wisdom to stand up for those values when others mock them." Huffington Post
"Nettles captures the quiet, solitary sadness of Dolly's mother with great subtlety, and it's a pleasure to hear the Sugarland singer's beautiful voice…" Entertainment Weekly
"In her dolled-up, down-home way, Parton seems determined to teach her fans to love one another at least as much as they love her." The Washington Post
"This is the time of year when sentimentality can be a warming thing, and Parton's Coat will keep an awful lot of people warm this winter." Yahoo!
Watch "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors" on NBC.com or the NBC app.
Fans can also enter to win a "Coat of Many Colors" merchandise prize pack, a tour of Dolly's Tennessee Mountain Home and much more in Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" Sweepstakes.
Team Dolly13.1 Million Viewers Watched "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors" 12.11.2015


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by admin · Published May 21, 2018 · Updated May 24, 2019
"Mark maintained that Sami was living with him in London".
"Mark said he was living in a close Egyptian community in London with friends".
– Excerpts from the Daily Mail et al
The semantics are important here because one could be forgiven for thinking that "living with him in London" quite literally means living under the same roof, when in fact it means living in the same city. This very confusion in fact arose at my trial, where one particular witness made the honest mistake of conflating the two. The Honourable Judge Reddihough explained in his summing up that although JP had "made a presumption" to this effect, he "agreed that Mark had never told him personally that his father was living with him".
Certainly, when I came home in the New Year to find the house empty, I could only assume that dad was staying with friends from the Coptic Church. I explain why here.
Back to: 10 things the Daily Mail got wrong about the trial of Mark Alexander or move on to: Mistake #10
by admin · Published May 21, 2018 · Last modified May 24, 2019
Mistake #10
Next story Mistake #10
Previous story Mistake #5
Mark's former Boss
I was very impressed with Mark's academic abilities, and suggested that he might consider working for me at IBM during his 'gap year' after his A-Levels. He leapt at the opportunity and joined the 'Futures' gap-year student employment programme of IBM, working for me [2007].
"I recall feeling that Mark had a strong sense of duty to his father. It was clear to me that he cared deeply for him, and devoted a lot of time to looking after his father during his illness, and in particular after his time in hospital [2008].
I have always found Mark to be a very pleasant person, sociable, quick to make new friends and participate actively in social situations. He is intelligent and thoughtful, and has a great sense of humour. He was always careful to ensure he wasn't taking up too much of my time, recognising that I was busy and being sensitive to that.
He was highly regarded at IBM – clearly a future star that we should nurture, and always extremely popular with friends. He was very popular with the team at Wimbledon and made a good impression. He went to work there for several months in support of the IT systems for the Tennis. Mark is very creative – a great talent that was used to great effect in the work he did.
Mark was highly entrepreneurial – during his law studies he was involved in a number of ventures in emerging internet technologies such as Virtual Worlds and Web 2.0 projects [2009]. These were around providing services to companies, like virtual business meetings. Certainly a visionary! He ran a small company that provided these software services to other companies. He mentioned a few times during his course that he had to very carefully balance his university work with his outside work.
The best words I can use to describe what I thought when I heard Mark had been arrested were: complete disbelief. From everything I know of Mark, the way he cares for people, the way he interacts with people, the efforts he went to in looking after his father during illness, his aspirations for the future, the fact he had everything to live for; there's no way, to my mind, that he could possibly have murdered his father and disposed of the body."
(These comments are made in a personal capacity and not on behalf of IBM United Kingdom)
I was very impressed with Mark's academic abilities, and suggested that he might consider working for me at IBM during his 'gap year' after his A-Levels. He leapt at the opportunity and joined the 'Futures' gap-year student employment programme of IBM, working for me [2007]. "I recall feeling that Mark had a strong sense of duty to his father. It was clear to me that he cared deeply for him, and devoted a lot of time to looking after his father during his illness, and in particular after his time in hospital [2008]. I have always found Mark to be a very pleasant person, sociable, quick to make new friends and participate actively in social situations. He is intelligent and thoughtful, and has a great sense of humour. He was always careful to ensure he wasn't taking up too much of my time, recognising that I was busy and being sensitive to that. He was highly regarded at IBM – clearly a future star that we should nurture, and always extremely popular with friends. He was very popular with the team at Wimbledon and made a good impression. He went to work there for several months in support of the IT systems for the Tennis. Mark is very creative – a great talent that was used to great effect in the work he did. Mark was highly entrepreneurial – during his law studies he was involved in a number of ventures in emerging internet technologies such as Virtual Worlds and Web 2.0 projects [2009]. These were around providing services to companies, like virtual business meetings. Certainly a visionary! He ran a small company that provided these software services to other companies. He mentioned a few times during his course that he had to very carefully balance his university work with...
http://www.freemarkalexander.org/testimonials/marks-former-boss/


Spending money wisely is one of many responsibilities in life.
Being a grown up is all about taking responsibilities.
At a certain age comes great responsibilities.
For those who have everything handed to them, from mommy and daddy paying for everything, good luck.
Also, it's not your fault that you're spoiled, but it is your fault if you constantly take and never put in an honest hard day's work.
When you're an adult, you must remember your parents may not always be there.
They may not leave you anything, and this is going to cause you some issues if you don't have your life together.
You're going to hit the wall and have a major reality check… and the older you are, the worse it's going to be.
Some of us don't have the luxury of everything being handed to us and some had to start working at an early age.
While some people have had a head-start in life, some constantly have to work to stay afloat in this life.
We have to physically work to pay our bills and for our tuition, and we have to mentally work to do well in our classes.
It's tough but growing up poor builds character and teaches you if you want to make it in this world, you must work hard to achieve your dreams.
But this idea of "growing up," isn't just a financial thing, it's a maturely level we must all build up at some point in our lives.
Being mature is doing tasks on your own, taking care of yourself and getting the job done.
Maturity is going that extra mile.
You took out the trash.
You're supposed to do that, it's called cleaning up after yourself.
But don't expect your college roommates to put in a new bag because you finally did one little chore.
Do it yourself, go the extra step, go that extra mile and be an adult.
The world isn't going to wait on you hand and foot.
If you can't even clean up after yourself, how will you make it in the real world?
So, if you're in college, if you haven't yet already, it's time to pull your own weight in the world and be a functioning citizen.
It's time for you to grow up and take some responsibility for yourself.


The 26th National Sports Collectors Convention is proud to announce an agreement with The Chicago Sun Times for promotion of the 26th National Sports Collectors Convention. The industry�s premier event will be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont IL, July 27-31, 2005.
In addition to the heavy print coverage to run in the Sun Times during the month leading up to the National, additional promotion through coverage of celebrity contests is part of the agreement. More effort, contests, excitement, and exposure will result from working closely with the Sun Times. It also marks the earliest agreement in National history for developing an agreement with the primary local advertising source. Over $250,000.00 worth of Sun Times ads and marketing will comprise this foundation of publicity. The agreement also includes exhibit space for the Sun Times on the National show floor. This marks the second time that the Sun Times and the National have teamed up to promote the National in Chicago.


One of the great things about art is that it's a universal medium that everyone can understand.
Remember when we showed you that Greek artist who used his artwork to protest the Greek government?
Well, there's another artist out there who's transforming his frustrations into artwork that makes a pretty powerful political statement.
The infamously secretive street artist Banksy recently popped up in Palestine with a new series of graffiti that sends a strong message about this war-torn region of the world.
His latest series showcases four murals, which are all strategically placed in carefully chosen locations that really emphasize the devastating conditions in Gaza.
They're backdrops really add to the overall impact of the political messages Banksy is trying to communicate through his artwork.
Gaza is often described as 'the world's largest open air prison' because no-one is allowed to enter or leave. But that seems a bit unfair to prisons -- they don't have their electricity and drinking water cut off randomly almost everyday.
A local man came up and said 'Please -- what does this mean?' I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website – but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens.
It's not hard to see Banksy's art serves as a powerful form of peaceful protest that brings attention to the devastating effects of war.
Banksy just unveiled four new pieces of street art in Gaza.
...and another mural named "Bomb Damage."
It's not hard to see the location of this one is quite fitting.
...which stands out amongst the ruins of this devastated city.
This stenciled quote packs a pretty powerful message about Palestine's political state.
Check out Banksy's video from his trip to Palestine below.


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Loose Power Button on iPhone 5 is ANNOYING!!!
Discussion in 'iPhone' started by Kelped, Oct 3, 2012.
My phone came with a loose power button that rattles when I shake it. After almost two weeks of trying to ignore the issue, it's really starting to annoy me. When my phone vibrates, I can hear it buzzing. When I'm listening to music through the speakers, I can occasionally hear it buzz.
It's probably the flash if its that loud.
My lock button does not move an mm, even when trying to force it. Nada.
Call or take it to Apple, I'm sure that they will give you a replacement.
First few days of owning my 3GS I noticed the volume buttons would stick if pressed down, took it to them at the store and no questions asked gave me a brand new replacement phone.
OP I have exactly the same problem. I've hesitated from going to exchange it as it doesn't seem to me to be a big deal. Please post what you end up doing!
I've yet to see one that doesn't have a bit of play in the home button (but I've only seen a few.) My 4s does NOT have any play but the 5 does... no biggie I don't think.
Not trying to be snarky, but why don't you actually do something about the problem instead of just complaining? What I mean is your complaint here leads to nothing to solve your problem. So just handle the problem.
I'm sure if there is a defect, Apple will make it right as they have in the past with other problems.
The power button on my 4 is much more solid, no play at all.
The power button on my 5 is definitely a little looser, but it doesn't rattle when I shake the phone.
My only suggestion, stop shaking your phone.
If it annoys you, take it to Apple for replacement.
Mine not rattling when i shake it..But if tap the back anywhere above logo, its rattling, kinda annoying whenever i place it on the table its rattling, feels so cheap.. just wondering if everyone has this issue or just few?
Are you sure its the power button and not the camera? If you tap the back of any iphone you should hear the camera rattle.


Four Seattle skateboarders will set out to break a world record, to skate 34 skateparks in one day. Kenneth Barger and his friends range from the ages of 31-45, but they all have one goal in mind: fundraise as much as they can for the Seattle Children's Hospital. Some of the parks will be good, some will be bad and others will be legendary. One thing is for certain, these dudes are helping children in need through skateboarding. All you need to do is visit www.getrad4kids.com to donate to Seattle Children's Hospital and Kenneth and his friends will do the rest.
The new SK8MAFIA video drops in less than two weeks. Find out when and where here!
From looking like Muska's son to defending vert skating, Riley Hawk reads YouTube hater comments for Crailtap's We Shred It, You Said It, We Read It.
Route One Direct brings you the Manchester stop of the Dwindle European Summer Holiday Tour. Featuring Tommy Sandoval, Ryan Decenzo, Flo Mirtain, Kris Vile, TJ Rogers and Chris Haslam.


I just installed Unpaywall. Fab extension to Chrome that finds you the ungated version of any academic paper. Open Access rocks.
I've also got a proper podcast channel now, check out the latest interview with Yuen Yuen Ang and tell your podcast-y friends.


Ken Hanley has done it again - and beat himself at it: made a book about the less traditional fly fishing in the salt. Compared to his previous Fly Fishing Afoot in the Surf Zone, this book has a lot more volume and a lot more content. Built along the same lines: instructive, insightful and well written, the new title manages to get around more types of fly fishing for traditional as well as almost unknown species.
Hanley speaks with experience and knowledge on these matters. Numerous pictures of the author with a variation of species in hand document the fact that he has been there and done that. Hanley's experience as a teacher and a guide also aides him in obtaining the task of teaching us how to attack the coast.
The sequence of subjects covered in the book is quite logical and text book worthy: habitat, species, tackle and tactics. Learn to know your water and your species, gear up right and the rest will come seems to be the message.
The author also touches the subject of watercraft and of course specific fly patterns.
Through its 180 pages the book manages to convey so much practical information that it is overwhelming. The chapters on the individual species cover the natural history of the fish in brief, selection of tackle and flies as well as the different approaches you can use to target it. They range from different traditional species such as stripers, skipjacks and bonitos to some rarely fished species with halibut, flounder and even sharks as the extreme.
These chapters are valuable, but my personal favourite part of the book is the coverage of the sea as an ever changing habitat, where Hanley manages to emphasise the importance of understanding and reading the complex behaviour coastal waters: The meaning of not only tides and currents but also what could be referred to as microhabitats and temporary habitats like sloughs, weed beds, rock clusters, current seams and other smaller and less noticeable structures and phenomenon.
Hanley fishes as much with his eyes and his brain as with his rod, and I like that.
Should I point out one less appealing side of the book, it must be the fact that it is mainly done in black and white. There is a central section where many photos are reprinted in colour, but the mainstay of the book is in B/W, and the reproduction of the otherwise excellent photos is less than desirable.
I know and understand full well the motive for this decision. Economics! Printing a full colour book this size is expensive, and changing from black and white would probably have added significantly to the price of this otherwise reasonably priced book.
No matter what this books is a prime example of a book that tries to tech you new ways of fishing things over repeating what has been said and written many times before. It is highly recommended to those pursuing fish in the Pacific and certainly interesting to the rest of us saltwater rodders.


The park represents the Northern Tropical dry deciduous mixed forest type, as well as dry thorn forest, typical of North-Western Madhya Pradesh. The forests here are home to antelopes like Nilgai, Chinkara and Chowsinga and Deer including Chital, Sambar and Barking Deer. One can see animals like the Leopard, Wolf, Jackal, Fox, Wild Dog, Wild Pig, Porcupine, Marsh Crocodile and the Python.
Having a varied terrain of wooded hills, dry, mixed deciduous forests, and flat grasslands around the lakes, the park offers abundant opportunities of sighting a variety of wildlife.