text:
Captain America, Alan Moore, Alex Ross, and the Truth
by Greg Carpenter | in Articles | Mon, 31 March 2014
I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. The Captain America film is coming out, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel. I just don't understand Captain America, I guess. I like the costume and the shield and all that, but I'm still not happy. I guess I really don't know what Captain America is all about. Isn't there anyone who knows what Captain America is all about?
As the excitement over the new Captain America movie has built, I've found myself feeling a little like Charlie Brown at Christmastime. I really liked Captain America when I was a kid, but as an adult reader, he rarely seems to work for me. I can sometimes lose myself momentarily in a simplistic, straightforward action story, but when the character begins to take on extra stature—the symbolic weight of an entire nation's ideals—I tend to check out.
This is puzzling because normally I like ambition and even a little pretention in a genre story, but when Cap is presented as a symbol of the nation's best ideals, he seems reduced rather than enlarged—simplified into a costumed platitude. And the more a story piles on abstract notions like truth, fairness, freedom, and teamwork, the less clear and less believable Cap becomes. Those ideals all sound good and universal, but unless they are complicated or challenged in a way that reflects the ambiguity of the real world and the myriad splinters of meaning that extend from each of those abstract principles, then we're left with nothing more than a hollow shell of a character trapped in a self-conscious story and punctuated with empty gestures.
But that doesn't mean that there's not a good story to write that explores the symbolism of Captain America. It's simply that most Captain America stories fail to go far enough. I need to see Captain America fully deconstructed before I'm ever going to be able to buy him as a character. I want a revisionist Cap—a Cap I can believe in because he rings true and speaks to the world we know.
Where are the great revisionist takes on Captain America? Given the way Steve Rogers is usually depicted, you would think that his super soldier serum had been formulated to enhance nobility as much as muscle fiber. Unquestionably, he is a brave, patriotic guy who originally just wanted to serve his country, but it shouldn't necessarily follow that he would be incapable of kicking his dog, picking his nose, or lying to get out of going to a party. He's not Kryptonian and he's not deity. He's Audie Murphy on steroids.
To be honest, we all treat him with such reverence—self included—that even writing that previous sentence makes me a little uncomfortable. But it's this excessive reverence for the character that can often get in the way and prevent the suspension of disbelief.
There've been minor exceptions, of course. In Mark Millar's The Ultimates, we get hints of the ways in which someone could complicate the character. Millar plays with a kind of Mad Men irony by exploring some of the attitudes a World War II-era Rip Van Winkle would express when confronted with the contemporary world. It doesn't always make him likable, but it makes him believable. But where are the really ambitious efforts at complicating his character or re-examining those generic ideals?
What would a real exploration of the concept of "Captain America" look like? Being the living embodiment of a large country with an extensive history has to be a lot more complicated than generic notions of "fairness" or "freedom." If someone truly wanted to take an iconic representation of the entire country and then try to craft a story around it, what would they wind up with? That's when I realized that it's actually been done a few times before—just not with Steve Rogers.
Brought to Light, a graphic novel published by Eclipse Comics in 1988, was written in conjunction with the Christic Institute, a legal organization that helped expose the Iran-Contra scandal in the 1980s. One of the stories in the book, called Shadow Play: The Secret Team, takes place in a bar and focuses on a former member of the CIA who drunkenly recounts the entire history of his organization—"The Company" as it is known. The 30-page story was created by Alan Moore and Bill Sienkiewicz when both were coming off career highs. But what makes Shadow Play relevant to this discussion is that the drunken CIA agent is depicted as far more than a retired agent. He's a man-sized bald eagle. Literally.
Here, we get a hint of what could be done with Captain America—using an iconic emblem of the nation like the eagle to symbolize American foreign policy, and letting the reality of the world inform the depiction of the character instead of vice versa. With this bald eagle, Moore and Sienkiewicz take the premise of Captain America-as-symbol to its full fruition, defining the country's ideals based on its actions rather than its platitudes. In terms of plot, Shadow Play is little more than an information dump, as Moore takes the unpublicized history of the CIA and turns it into a monologue about blood and treachery, corruption and greed. But by applying the same revisionist lens he had already used to deconstruct popular characters like Marvelman and Swamp Thing, Moore is able to use his cartoon symbol to deconstruct one of the most recognizable emblems in the nation's history.
Throughout Shadow Play, Moore emphasizes that most of "the Company's" activities—activities that some might condone as part of the national defense—have ultimately been designed to defend free market capitalism. From its earliest days of opposing the Soviet Union, Moore's eagle notes that everyone from John Foster Dulles to Harry Truman viewed Soviet communism as the greater threat than Nazi Germany: "See, business-wise, we recognized our real competitors." And in almost every instance of CIA incursion into Vietnam, Central America, or the Middle East, the overriding goal was protecting and aiding American corporations, with the eagle couching everything in crass business terms.
It's an extraordinary story in many ways, beautifully written and riotously illustrated, and it contains more direct commentary on the nature of America's foreign policy in its humble thirty pages than I've read in more than a thousand pages of Captain America.
The same is true for Shadow Play's spiritual descendent, Uncle Sam. Released in 1997, the two-part Vertigo series was created by Steve Darnell and Alex Ross, and it came as Ross was still riding the enormous success of Marvels and Kingdom Come, though Uncle Sam couldn't have been less commercial. As with Shadow Play, it features one of the fundamental iconic symbols of America—the cartoon character of Uncle Sam—in order to explore the current reality of America. Only in this case, the iconic character is experiencing an identity crisis and suffering from dementia.
Uncle Sam has been reduced to a series of de-contextualized sound bytes, muttering random sayings from the sublime to ridiculous, reciting from Thomas Jefferson one minute and quoting Richard Nixon's "I'm not a crook" the next. This Uncle Sam is a derelict, wandering the streets, racked by guilt over mistakes from the past, and dismayed by the present where his image has been appropriated by a larger, brassier, and louder "Uncle Sam" on stilts.
The biggest difference between the conclusions of Shadow Play and Uncle Sam is that Darnell and Ross depict more of a character arc for Sam who learns from his mistakes and grows. In the final panels, he fights with the usurper Sam for his hat and for the right to call himself "America." As he dons his hat in the final scene, we get the sense that he's learned better how to locate those abstract, Captain America-style principles in a very real, very ugly world. And maybe we have too.
Both of these stories offer a template for how the symbolic qualities of Captain America could be addressed in a story. The same is true of one other book—this one specifically about Captain America, but not Steve Rogers. Truth: Red, White & Black succeeds wildly at re-examining the origin story of Captain America, taking the revisionist lens to the concept if not the specific character.
Written by the late Robert Morales and illustrated by Kyle Baker, Truth appeared with much ballyhoo in 2003. It was a heady time for Marvel following the promotion of Joe Quesada to Editor-in-Chief in 2000. This was the era of Grant Morrison's New X-Men, Milligan and Allred's X-Force, Neil Gaiman's 1602, Garth Ennis's Punisher, and Bendis and Maleev's Daredevil, not to mention the launch of the Ultimate line. For a company that had often suffered from painful stagnancy when it came to depictions of its iconic characters, this was a daring period.
Amidst this flurry of activity, Morales and Baker presented a radically revisionist take on Captain America's origin. Truth does what no version of Captain America has ever really done. It totally rethinks the Captain America project in a realistic, logical, and historically-sound manner. Morales and Baker identify the implausibility of Steve Rogers being the first test subject for the experimental super soldier serum, recognizing that any preliminary tests would've likely utilized more marginalized, less represented test subjects. In other words, they posit that the serum would've first been tested on African-American soldiers.
It's bold, revisionist thinking, and not just because it's plausible. Lots of things are plausible. Cap surviving for years in a frozen block of ice is … plausible (maybe). But the Captain America origin detailed in Truth is more than just plausible. It's likely. Having a regiment of African-American soldiers experimented on and then discarded as preparation for the unveiling of the blonde-haired, "all-American" Steve Rogers is far more than just plausible, interesting, or challenging. It, more than any other revised version of a popular character's origin, is almost what had to have happened. Once you've seen it you can't un-see it.
If the series has a flaw it's that its concept is so strong that the actual story has trouble living up to it. The most interesting issues are the first two, during which there are hardly any white characters, nor is there any mention of Captain America or the super soldier serum. Considering that it's part of the Marvel Universe, it's a startling book. In the opening chapters of Truth, we're thoroughly immersed in the lives of the African-American characters who will eventually be drawn into the tests. Morales gives us lots of period detail particular to the African-American experience and bits of characterization that are specifically part of the African-American literary tradition. When was the last time you ever read a joke about W. E. B. DuBois in a superhero book?
As noted, the story slowly loses steam as it moves forward and the test subjects begin dying. In the later chapters, Morales starts splitting time between the story of these characters and a contemporary investigation of the history by Steve Rogers. These scenes appear with little-to-no context and almost feel like they're designed to satisfy any concerns that readers might've had about whether Rogers was complicit in any of this. It's a somewhat weak ending for an otherwise astonishing premise.
No one seems to talk about Truth much anymore, and Marvel didn't even bother collecting it into a single volume until 2009. I'm not sure if the story itself remains in continuity or not. Similarly, Shadow Play has been out of circulation since Eclipse went bankrupt, and Uncle Sam also appears to be out of print. Like Charlie Brown's pitiful little Christmas tree, all three books have seen better days. But perhaps, if we wrap a blanket around them and string a few lights, they might find renewed life. Perhaps, as Linus might say, all they need is a little love. Then comics readers can gather around and hum, "America the Beautiful" while the end credits roll.
Tagged Alan Moore, Alex Ross, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brought to Light, Captain America, Kyle Baker, Robert Morales, Shadow Play, Steve Darnall, Truth: Red White & Black, Uncle Sam, United States of America. Bookmark the permalink.
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@tgregcarpenter
Greg Carpenter is a writer, teacher, and recovering coffee addict. He is the author of The British Invasion: Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and the Invention of the Modern Comic Book Writer. In addition to producing a weekly column for Sequart for almost two years, he has also written for RogerEbert.com and PopMatters. He has published essays on a variety of writers and artists including Moore, Gaiman, Morrison, Jerry Robinson, August Wilson, and Tennessee Williams, and he has taught a wide variety of classes, including Comics, Shakespeare, Modern American Literature, and Screenwriting/Playwriting. He currently teaches at a university in Nashville.
See more, including free online content, on Greg Carpenter's author page.
Also by Greg Carpenter:
...David Whittaker says:
31 March 2014 at 6:46am
Thanks Greg. Thought provoking and intriguing. I am definitely tracking down Truth: Red, White and Black.
Did you get round to seeing Winter Soldier yet? I was pleasantly surprised. I found it was a reasonably smart espionage romp that had comic book characters but didn't play out completely like a comic based movie. True there were moments where one had to suspend disbelief, but then there were the moments of clever commentary on recent events such as the trial of Chelsea Manning.
Greg Carpenter says:
Thanks David. I haven't seen the new movie yet. It's not available in my neck of the woods 'til April 4, but I certainly hope it's good. I liked the way Brubaker redefined the series as a spy book.
31 March 2014 at 1:37pm
Eeepp. I hope I haven't spoiled anything.
Alex Frith says:
2 April 2014 at 8:04am
There's something fascinating about the character that has drawn me to him for as long as I can remember, and I share your wish that writers would try harder / publishers would be more willing to experiment with what a person who theoretically represents an entire country could mean.
That said, I'm curious as to which 1,000 pages of Captain America comics you have read. They are terribly unfashionable, but Mark Gruenwald's 120+ issue run on the title in the 1980s and 90s was full of his attempts to ask searching questions about what this kind of man might be like, and what kind of pressure he would put himself under.
I agree that Truth is one of the better Captain America tales, and I continue to be surprised that more people don't rate it, for all the reasons you explain. For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure it is firmly in continuity. One of the Young Avengers is a descendant of a characters from that story.
To my reading, Captain America seems restrcited to the image of America as a bastion of hope and goodness, which allows him to get angery all the time when he feels let down by government. The image of America the country (that I have grown up with as a Brit) is that of a superpower that thinks it knows best and wants to fix the rest of the world accordingly. For whatever reason, Marvel comics has chosen to explore this part of US identity through a different super solider – Cable. Seriously, check out the Darko Macan/Igor Kordey run on that title (from the same era as 'Truth'), and then imagine it with Captain America in the lead role.


text:
using System;
using XrmFramework.DeployUtils;

namespace XrmFramework.RemoteDebugger.Client.Configuration
{
    ///
    /// Information on the Target DebugAssembly, Definition of constants and conventions
    ///
    public class DebugAssemblySettings
    {
        /// Name of the Remote Debugger Assembly, should be standard and pushed in all recent solutions
        public const string DebugAssemblyName = "XrmFramework.RemoteDebuggerPlugin";

        /// Name of the Remote Debugger Plugin, should be standard and pushed in all recent solutions
        public const string DebugPluginName = "XrmFramework.RemoteDebugger.RemoteDebuggerPlugin";

        /// Name of the Remote Debugger CustomApi, should be standard and pushed in all recent solutions
        public const string DebugCustomApiName = "XrmFramework.RemoteDebugger.RemoteDebuggerCustomApi";

        ///  Name of the Assembly that is currently being computed for debugging in <see cref="RegistrationHelper.UpdateDebugger"/>
        public string TargetAssemblyUniqueName { get; set; }

        ///
        /// This constant defines how many characters will be added in the CustomApis prefix to make them unique

        /// The characters will be taken from the debug session id so they will be the same for a given debugee
        ///
        private const int DebugCustomPrefixNumber = 3;

        public DebugAssemblySettings(Guid debugSessionId)
        {
            DebugCustomApiPrefix = debugSessionId.ToString().Substring(0, DebugCustomPrefixNumber);
        }

        private string DebugCustomApiPrefix { get; }

        /// <see cref="Guid"/> of the Debugger Assembly
        /// <remarks>As the debug Assembly is heavily manipulated,
        /// it is simpler to keep these stored in a separate object make sure they're not lost</remarks>
        public Guid AssemblyId { get; set; }

        /// <see cref="Guid"/> of the Debugger PluginType
        /// <remarks>As the debug Assembly is heavily manipulated,
        /// it is simpler to keep these stored in a separate object make sure they're not lost</remarks>
        public Guid PluginId { get; set; }

        /// <see cref="Guid"/> of the Debugger CustomApi PluginType
        /// <remarks>As the debug Assembly is heavily manipulated,
        /// it is simpler to keep these stored in a separate object make sure they're not lost</remarks>
        public Guid CustomApiId { get; set; }

        ///
        /// Removes the added prefix used to deploy a CustomApi so it can look like the original
        ///
        /// <param name="prefix"> Unique Name of the CustomApi deployed on the RemoteDebugger</param>
        /// <returns>The Unique Name of the CustomApi stripped from its artificial prefix</returns>
        public static string RemoveCustomPrefix(string prefix)
        {
            return prefix.Remove(prefix.Length - DebugCustomPrefixNumber);
        }

        ///
        /// Adds an artificial prefix to a Unique Name so it can be pushed on the CRM without conflicting the original CustomApi
        ///
        /// <param name="prefix"> Unique Name of the original CustomApi</param>
        /// <returns>The Unique Name of the CustomApi ready to be deployed on the RemoteDebugger</returns>
        public string AddCustomPrefix(string prefix)
        {
            return prefix + DebugCustomApiPrefix;
        }

        public bool HasCurrentCustomPrefix(string prefix)
        {
            var index = prefix.Length - DebugCustomPrefixNumber;
            return prefix.Substring(index).Equals(DebugCustomApiPrefix);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Mexico vs Canada: Predictive and possible forms
Arzu 3 days ago 4 min read
The rematch of the 2021 Gold Cup semi-finals on Friday will take place when Mexico hosts Canada at the Estadio Azteca. The Mexican players were undefeated in qualifying for the 2022 CONCACAF World Cup, returning to a 1-1 draw with Panama in their previous match, while the Canadians recorded their first Octagon victory with a 3-0 win over El Salvador. Mexico and Canada clash at 3:40 a.m. Italian time
Pre-match Mexico vs Canada: Where are the two teams?
Since they were disqualified from the 1990 tournament for using older players in the 1988 U-20 tournament, it is not surprising to see that El Tri is at the top of the Leaderboard, knowing that they have not lost the World Cup. In three games, they are in good shape to play abroad for the eighth time in a row in the final, with seven points so far. It was an exciting year for Gerardo Martino and his team, who played 17 games, losing both the CONCACAF Nations League final and the Gold Cup final, each time to the USA. With El Tri scoring just one shot each in their first two qualifying rounds, penetrating their well-defined defense has not been an easy task, with 10 goals not scored so far in 2021. Mexico should be very confident in going against the Canucks team. , Who have not beaten them in over 21 years, have scored a total of 16 goals in their previous seven games against Canada. However, when they finally faced their northern neighbors, the Canadians gave them everything they could in the Gold Cup semi-finals, with the Mexican defense repeatedly under pressure and scoring in practice in the final action of the El Tri game. A goal in the ninth minute of injury time, won 2-1. Although they rarely had trouble getting to the World Cup, Mexico finished first in the final qualifying round in 2018 for the first time since the 1998 season.
READ In Canada, coyotes attack humans: they are feared to be narcotics
Last month's Toronto-inspired game gave new life to Canada's World Cup hopes of qualifying for the final for the first time since 1986. The first two had to come back to get a draw against Honduras and the United States. Games in Octacon, in the last game they were far ahead of El Salvador, scoring three goals just before the hour of the game, while not conceding a single shot. In that match, they had to face some physical Salvador players in a happy relationship that tested their composure, but in this upcoming match, Canada will face another challenge, that is heat and hostility. This is Mexico City. They have scored just one goal in their last seven away games against Mexico 0-0 in the 2000 friendly, saying that Canada have struggled against Mexico, after three games, they already have five points. Only one less than the last time they reached the final of the 1998 World Cup qualifiers. At that point the Knox failed to get even a point from home, but they already had a point in that qualifying round, tying the United States 1-1. . John Hertmann's 22nd victory as manager of the Canadian men's national team because he has done his magic with the team, taking 10 wins so far this year.
All World Cup qualifiers in Qatar
Four different Mexican players scored in their first three games, Alexis Vega took them to the winner of their first match as Henry Martin scored his only goal from that spot against Arbelin Pineta Costa Rica, and Jesus Corona drew against Panama. His first player on the national team after the final of the CONCACAF Nations League. Their captain Andres Gurtado is second in the national team with 169 appearances, while Claudio Suarez has only 177 runs, while defender Hector Moreno has just three more to play in 117 appearances to advance to ninth. Former attacking midfielder Guahdemok Blanco. Hector Herrera scored the winning goal in the final victory over Canada in the Gold Cup, while Rogelio Funes Mori, who has led the team to three goals in the Gold Cup, has been goalless in the previous five games. He gave the ball to his team in the final qualifier, scored six minutes into the match, and if he appears on Thursday, he will be equal to 88-year-old Julian de Guzman for the senior team. Chail Lorin leads 9 CONCACAF Soldiers. The goals in the qualifying round were drawn in Octagon's first two games, and two more were enough to equal Dwayne de Rosario's 22, while Lucas Gavalini and Jonathan David each scored 16 goals in their Canadian career. Fifth place. Alfonso Davis has returned to action after missing the match against El Salvador with a minor knee injury, while a strong performance at the club level by Toronto striker Jacob Schaefelberg earned him a call-up to the national team.
READ Skating: Picture. Skate Canada, Guignard-Fabbri - Good start to other games
Possible formats of Mexico vs Canada
Okoha; Guard, Araujo, Montes, Sanchez; dos Santos, Herrera, Pineda; Corona, Jimenez, Funes Mori
Porgen; Johnston, Vittoria, Miller, Laria; Hutchinson, Eustaquio, Buchanan; Lorraine, David, Davis
Previous Canada, the crisis of managers
Next How To Choose The Right Nail Primer For acrylic nails.
Record heat in Canada kills one billion marine animals
11 hours ago Arzu
"No place is safe" – Corriere.it

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package tutiplen.curiosidades;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.util.ArrayList;

import org.xmlpull.v1.XmlPullParser;
import org.xmlpull.v1.XmlPullParserException;

import android.util.Xml;

public class CuriositatXmlParser {

	private static final String ns = null;

	public ArrayList<Curiositat> parse(InputStream in) throws XmlPullParserException,IOException {
		try{
			XmlPullParser parser = Xml.newPullParser();
			parser.setFeature(XmlPullParser.FEATURE_PROCESS_NAMESPACES,false);
			parser.setInput(in, null);
			parser.nextTag();
			return llegirNoticies(parser);
		}
		finally{
			in.close();
		}
	}

	private ArrayList<Curiositat> llegirNoticies(XmlPullParser parser) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException{
		ArrayList<Curiositat> noticies = new ArrayList<Curiositat>();

		parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, ns, "curiositats"); //Document Arrel
		while (parser.next() != XmlPullParser.END_TAG) {
			if (parser.getEventType() != XmlPullParser.START_TAG) {
				continue;
			}
			String nomTag = parser.getName();
			if (nomTag.equals("curiositat"))
			{
				noticies.add(llegirNoticia(parser));
			}
			else {
				skip(parser);
			}
		}
		return noticies;
	}

	private Curiositat llegirNoticia(XmlPullParser parser) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException {
		parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, ns, "curiositat"); //Fill document arrel

		String titol = null;
		String id = "0";
		String text = null;

		while (parser.next() != XmlPullParser.END_TAG) {
			if (parser.getEventType() != XmlPullParser.START_TAG)
				continue;

			String nomTag = parser.getName();

			if (nomTag.equals("titol")) {
				titol = llegirTagSimple(parser,"titol");
			} else if (nomTag.equals("curiositat")) {
				id = llegirAtribut(parser, "curiositat", "id");
			} else if (nomTag.equals("text")) {
				text = llegirTagSimple(parser,"text");
			} else {
				skip(parser);
			}
		}
		return new Curiositat(Integer.parseInt(id), titol, text);
	}

	private String llegirTagSimple(XmlPullParser parser,String tag) throws IOException, XmlPullParserException {
		parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, ns, tag);
		String title = llegirText(parser);
		parser.require(XmlPullParser.END_TAG, ns, tag);
		return title;
	}

	private String llegirAtribut(XmlPullParser parser,String tag, String atribute) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException {
		parser.require(XmlPullParser.START_TAG, ns, tag);
		String title = parser.getAttributeValue(ns, atribute);
		parser.next();
		parser.require(XmlPullParser.END_TAG, ns, tag);
		return title;
	}

	private String llegirText(XmlPullParser parser) throws IOException, XmlPullParserException {
		String result = "";
		if (parser.next() == XmlPullParser.TEXT) {
			result = parser.getText();
			parser.nextTag();
		}
		return result;

	}

	private void skip(XmlPullParser parser) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException {
		if (parser.getEventType() != XmlPullParser.START_TAG) {
			throw new IllegalStateException();
		}
		int depth = 1;
		while (depth != 0) {
			switch (parser.next()) {
			case XmlPullParser.END_TAG:
				depth--;
				break;
			case XmlPullParser.START_TAG:
				depth++;
				break;
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}


While instalment and payday loans have a lot of similarities, they are different types of short term loans that work for different people, depending on your circumstances.
Payday and instalment loans are both short term loans that allow you to borrow a small amount of money over a short period. It depends on your lender as to how much each allows you to borrow, but it can range anywhere from £50-£1000 with the limit often being lower for first time customers.
Both loans are intended to provide emergency money when you're caught short and it's vital that whichever you choose, you can afford to pay it back in the time frame agreed upon by you and your lender.
There are a few differences between payday and instalment loans. However, the primary difference is in the way that they are paid back. Payday loans are short term loans that are paid back in one amount after 1-35 days (depending on the lender). Instalment loans, on the other hand, are paid back over the course of multiple months.
Instalment loans vary considerably but the overall loan is paid back in multiple instalments over a longer period of time compared to payday loans. Most small instalment loans are paid back between 1-6 months (depending on the lender), with 3 month instalments being the most common. This can make it easier to afford the repayments because you pay back smaller amounts each month rather than a larger single repayment.
There are varieties of larger loans that can be classed as instalment loans because they're paid back in monthly instalments until the overall loan has been repaid.
This quick comparison list should give you a quick overview of the difference between payday and instalment loans and which might work better for you.
Bad credit scores or thin credit history.
Those looking for smaller loans.
Bad or good credit scores, depending on the lender.
Those looking for small to medium sized loans.
Those who can afford to payback smaller amounts over a longer period.
When taking out a loan, you will need to pay back the amount borrowed with additional interest, which will vary according to the lender. This is how the lenders make money from loans. The different types of loans have different costs.
Known for having very high APR/interest rates.
Often balanced by the fact the loan is paid back over a short period.
APR and interest vary greatly between lenders.
Paying over multiple months helps to spread the cost.
The terms of each loan will vary a lot between different lenders, so it's vital that you thoroughly read all the information that a lender provides. However, there are some patterns in terms when it comes to instalment vs payday loans.
Which is better, payday or instalment?
When asking whether a payday or instalment loan is better, you have to consider your own personal circumstances, requirements from a loan and your financial situation for repayment. It will depend on these which type of loan would be better for you.
If you need a smaller amount of cash for a short time to cover an emergency payment before you're next paid, then a payday loan might be the better choice. If you need to borrow a slightly larger amount then an instalment loan might be best for you; the method of repayment makes borrowing larger amounts more affordable. For example, cashasap.co.uk offer payday loans up to £400 and instalment loans up to £750.
If you have a bad credit score, you might find it easier to get a payday loan -- although this isn't always the case as many instalment loan lenders cater for borrowers with bad credit.
You should also consider how you can afford to repay the loan. If you know that you can cover it completely in your next payday -- while still affording your normal costs such as rent, bills and food -- then a payday loan could be a great option. Alternatively, if paying the money back in smaller installments over a few months helps to ensure that you can afford repayment, then an instalment loan could be the better choice for you.
Payday and instalment loans both allow you to borrow money over short periods, but payday loans are repaid in one sum between 1-35 days (depending on the lender) while instalment loans are paid back in multiple instalments over a few months.
Can you have an instalment loan and payday loan at the same time?
Generally speaking, payday lenders shouldn't provide more than one loan at a time. This helps to ensure you can afford to pay back the money you have borrowed. If you need to borrow a higher amount, you should consider another type of loan or talk to a money advice service.
What is the difference between an installment loan and a personal loan?
An installment loan is a type of personal loan. Personal loans are loans which help an individual cover costs and they aren't secured against your home or another asset, like your car.
We hope that our guide to payday and instalment loans has helped you to understand the differences between each loan, the advantages and which might be better for you.
If you still have questions about instalment vs payday loans, then you can get in touch with cashasap.co.uk. We offer both payday and instalment loans from £100 to £750.


text:
Ross House tenants fight evictions, rent increases
ccap Uncategorized 0 Comments
"The manager bullied me and said "sign or you leave," Humberto Macias-Carracas told people at a news conference in front of the Ross House on Alexander St. on New Year's day. "I can't see, I don't even know what I am signing. I have nowhere to go, I am going blind, I don't know what to do. They do whatever they want. I don't have any family, I don't have anybody."
Downtown Eastside landlords have discovered a new tool for evicting tenants and increasing rents that could result in many more homeless people. The landlord at the Ross House on Alexander St. is using Fixed Term Leases to evict tenants and raise rents by up to $210 a month. The landlord actually said in a statement to the media: "The method we use to try to control the tenants… is the fixed term residential tenancy agreement which is provided for in the Residential Tenancy Act."
Right at a news conference on Jan 1, the Ross House landlord deactivated the key fob of one of the tenants, Aurora Dunkley-Johnson, who was speaking out against the injustice. This meant Aurora couldn't get into the building where her room was unless another tenant let her in, which they did. Later the landlord evidently realized her action was illegal and reactivated the fob. Aurora and other tenants, trusting their landlord and not knowing their rights, had signed a fixed term lease that let the landlord evict them or raise their rents after 2 months. Rumours are that other DTES landlords are asking tenants to sign these leases, or to initial the box on the Residential Tenancy Act form that allows the landlord to fill in the rest of the form and then evict tenants at will, or raise their rent as much as they like.
"I have lived here for a year and my rent was $500, Michael, another Ross House tenant, told the news conference." My rent went from $500 to $660 and we were pretty much stuck paying it or moving out. There is a really bad homeless situation in Vancouver already and there really is nowhere to go. It is a tough time for this to happen, and it is really hard to find anywhere to move especially around Christmas time," explained Michael. "I have filled out the paperwork for welfare and I still owe the landlord 50 dollars."
"I lived here for over 2 years," said Aurora at the news conference, sponsored by the SRO Collaborative and Carnegie Community Action Project. "I moved in August, 2014. They only brought a lease to my attention 4 months ago. I wouldn't have signed it if I knew my rights. I just got evicted now for speaking out, the landlord just locked the door on me," said Aurora. "The landlord says she doesn't need an order of possession."
But the landlord does need an order of possession and didn't have one and eventually let Aurora back in.
"We think we have a legal case for these tenants at the Residential Tenancy Branch," said Wendy Pedersen of the SRO Collaborative. "This kind of intimidation is not unique for this building, tenants are feeling this across the neighbourhood." Pedersen is helping tenants get legal advice from advocates at First United Church.
In a statement to the media the landlord compared its SRO rooms with a gentrified SRO in Strathcona that charges $795 to $1095 a month. The statement also slagged people on welfare, suggesting that able bodied people "refuse to work and pay their way [and] feel entitled…"
"We have 1,000 homeless people in the neighbourhood with nowhere for them to live," said Jean Swanson of the Carnegie Action Project. "We desperately need the province to implement real rent control and get rid of this fixed term loophole or we'll have even more homelessness."
« Downtown Eastsiders grill NDP MLAs on housing crisis	» Job posting: CCAP administrator and community organizer


Hey there -- now you know you are ready to become a DIY'er!!! Lol...3 hours is great, my last retightening took four and half, ugh! I'm so jealous!!!! No B&B I hear is the downfall to us all, I'm going to keep up it up for another year, it can't hurt right. So what type of tool do you have, post a picture.
Just wanted you to know that I love your page. You have a tremendouse sense of humor and positive vibe. I wish you luck on your journey and I hope that you are experienceing less problems with your beautiful hair. Peace!!
I've never seen that tool, whats it called? Due to the size of the tool I would think tht you would still have a 1/4 inch or more left of hair that you couldn't retighten. And if you were to try you may pop some of the hairs, like you said you need something that can slide through easier. Go with the NL tool.
Thanks for the photos. That's neat little tool. How'd you get it? Did you make it yourself and have you tried it yet? I like the way it's short, but it seems fat near the top and may interfere with rotations...do give us feedback when you use it.
A friend of my consultant makes them in Barbados - she was selling them on his behalf. Has anyone use the Loc Key (http://www.loc-key.co.uk/) I see this is UK based so could save me a bit on shipping costs, otherwise I'll have to go for the International (Nappy lock tool) option.
I think I've seen the loc-key and it pretty much has the same design as the nappyloc tool so if that is more cost efficient I would go with that, if I remember it's made from sterling silver and in the ads the lady uses it as a necklace too.
I tried to buy the loc-key a last year, but got no joy(ordering was that difficult!) I have a medium sized NL tool which I used when I had BLS, but with Sls I needed the smaller size, but couldn't bring myself to pay that postage a 2nd time. Anyway, it was a good thing b'cos I found a metal yarn needle and I haven't looked back since. It cost 99p in a craft/sewing shop and it's as good as the NL tool. You need to widen it a touch in the middle with pliers or scissors, but the size of the loop makes it ideal for sls.
I emailed the NL tool team about 3 wks ago, asking them to confirm postage to the UK, to date I've received no reply so I'm reluctant to give them my card details etc (esp. since they're requested BEFORE your total is shown).


text:
28-30½ (780-782½)
スケアリー モンスターズ
Sukearī Monsutāzu
The President's Conspiracy A Little Grave on the Wide, Wide Prairie
Scary Monsters (スケアリー モンスターズ, Sukearī Monsutāzu) is the sixth volume of Steel Ball Run and the eighty-sixth volume of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga. It covers most of the Scary Monsters story arc.
028 (780). Scary Monsters (1)
Extra 2. The Story of F. Valentine
" Women tend to do it more often, but have you ever been told that you looked like someone else? For my part, people used to tell me I looked like James Spader, the actor who played in Stargate for instance... But lately, I've been told that I looked more like Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, or to Prince's album 1999. Among other likeness that have been found, there's Jackie Chan, Masakuza Tamura, a dog, a horse, a cloud, a car and Rock the vampire from Osamu Tezuka's work... All of this is puzzling me! "
Chapter 28"> Chapter 29"> Extra Chapter 2">


text:
Covid-19: Paris city hall calls for three-week confinement for the capital
The mayor of Paris will offer the government a 3-week confinement to deal with the Covid-19 epidemic in the capital in order to "To have the prospect of reopening everything" at its end, including bars, restaurants and cultural places, said the first deputy, Emmanuel Grégoire, Thursday February 25 on France Info.
→ CONTEXT. The announcements of Jean Castex of February 25
Rather than confinement on weekends, a measure "Very restrictive in terms of societal impact and relatively ineffective in terms of health", the first deputy prefers "Simple confinement" in Paris so as to "Really give fresh air and have the prospect in three weeks of reopening everything", while maintaining health protection measures.
"We must take courageous decisions"
"You cannot force yourself to live in a semi-prison for months. We must now take courageous decisions ", declared the deputy mayor, Anne Hidalgo (Socialist Party), after the announcement by the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, of the "Enhanced surveillance" of Paris facing the epidemic rise, alongside 19 departments. These territories may be subject to local containment measures from the weekend of March 6 if the situation continues to deteriorate, after "Consultations with elected officials", added the head of government.
→ ANALYSIS. Treatments against Covid-19: France relies on monoclonal antibodies
If the government's method of initiating dialogue between prefects and local elected officials "Is the correct one", Emmanuel Grégoire believes that "The current situation, which seems a little bit wait-and-see to us, is the worst because these are half-measures with bad results".
The town hall, also favorable to "A return to teleworking on a mandatory basis" and measures "Targeted, with discernment and of limited duration" vis-à-vis traders, intends to forward its proposals to the government early next week, after dialogue with the regional health agency and the police headquarters over the weekend.
The opposition denounces an "aberrant" proposal
Asked Thursday evening about Emmanuel Grégoire's statements, the Prime Minister's entourage declined any comment, simply referring to "Prefect / elected officials". The opposition group of centrists, independents and Republicans in the city council denounced on its site a proposal "Aberrant". "Claiming to confine Paris without taking its neighbors into account is absolute nonsense: the virus does not stop at the gates of the ring road! ", castigate the elected officials of the right and the center of Paris who reproach Anne Hidalgo for having made this proposal "Without any consultation, neither with the mayors of the district, nor with the elected officials of the bordering communes".
→ ANALYSIS. Covid-19: Can vaccines block virus transmission?
The president of the region Valérie Pécresse, for her part, qualified "Illusions" any health decisions taken "At the departmental level in Île-de-France in a statement to the Parisian. How do you do in a region where millions of people take public transport every day to go to work and move daily from one department to another? ".
Tags: call, capital city, confinement, Coronavirus, ethics, health, Paris, Science, town hall, Weeks
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Innocent face, eyesight… Know who is The Family Man 2's Kalyan aka Salman


text:
Raspberry Pi at Maker Faire Rome 2022 with an international team!
electronics, Maker Faire Rome, Maker Faire Rome 2022, Melopero, MFR2022, Partner, Raspberry Pi, sponsor
Melopero will host the company from Cambridge, Raspberry Pi, in Its exhibition area, booth E.13
It's official: Raspberry Pi will be at the 10th edition of the Maker Faire Rome! The appointment is in the E.13 exhibition area, together with Melopero, an Italian electronics company who are the only Italian Raspberry Pi Approved Reseller.
Within the area you will be able to meet both companies, talk about your projects, discover new products and have fun programming the Raspberry Pi Pico, thanks to the Raspberry Pi team, who will help you step-by-step.
Raspberry Pi Team
Raspberry Pi, the technology accessibile to all
The company that put a computer in the hands of millions of young people and conquered the enterprise market in a few years
Starting in 2012, with the public release of its first single-board computer, Raspberry Pi is committed to the aim of making computing accessible and affordable for everybody.
Melopero, from distribution to electronics production
The Roman company with a passion for electronics and the Internet Of Things
There is a strong link between Maker Faire Rome organizers and the founders of Melopero. Over the years Maker Faire Rome Team has encouraged the electronics company, born in Rome in 2015, to invest in the main European event for makers, until it became, for the 2022 edition, Bronze Partner.
Join Melopero team at Maker Faire Rome from October 7 to 9
Raspberry Pi Pico W, the IoT dev board for the cost of an ice cream
Based on the RP2040 Microcontroller, developed in the UK by Raspberry Pi
The brand new Raspberry Pi Pico W is the latest board produced by Raspberry Pi. It takes the functionality of the RP2040 microcontroller to the next level by adding Wi-Fi connectivity.
Raspberry Pi Pico W
Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition has been committed since its very first editions to make innovation accessible and usable to all, with the aim of not leaving anyone behind. Its blog is always updated and full of opportunities and inspiration for makers, makers, startups, SMEs and all the curious ones who wish to enrich their knowledge and expand their business, in Italy and abroad.
From October 7 to 9 come and visit Maker Faire Rome at Gazometro Ostiense. Info and tickets: https://makerfairerome.eu/it/biglietti/


text:
Charmhaven fire destroys property and closes highways and railway station
TOPICS:bushfiresCharmhavenfiresleadRFS
The extent of the area ravaged by fire at Charmhaven, Blue Haven and Wyee. Photo: Central Coast Aero Club,
The fire which started at Charmhaven on New Year's Eve, and spread over 335ha, is officially out. District Manager for Central Coast Rural Fire Service, (RFS) Superintendent Viki Campbell, said the fire was declared out on Friday, January 17, following significant rainfall. "
There's still a lot of summer to go and we are remaining vigilant," Supt Campbell said. "Our mopping up started along the edges of the fire and roads, and went in about 50m where we chopped down trees that could be dangerous. "People should definitely not be going any further into the burnt off areas where there might be some places still affected by fire and falling trees could be dangerous," Supt Campbell said.
Meanwhile, police are treating the fire as "suspicious" and an investigation into the cause of the fire is continuing. A Police Media spokesperson said there was no evidence to support claims on social media that the fire was lit by youths who discarded lit cigarettes in the bush. The New Year's Eve fire was reported before noon as a small fire in Arizona Rd, Charmhaven, and quickly escalated to emergency level.
It progressed during the day and even though on ground fire fighting was supported by several water bombing aircraft, soaring temperatures, the intensity of the fire and wild winds pushed the fire front in different directions. The southerly front hit about 9pm and strong winds fanned the fire, pushing it towards Blue Haven across Wallarah Creek. It quickly tore through bushland, leaping over the motorway at Thompson Vale Rd and spreading out over Bushells Ridge and on to south Wyee.
Widespread ember attacks rained on Birdwood Dr in Blue Haven as the fire flared and multiple fire crews were diverted to protect houses there. Police and firefighters were doorknocking in Blue Haven advising residents to evacuate. Evacuation centes opened at Doyalson RSL Club and Avondale University at Cooranbong, where about 170 people from Wyee and Blue Haven sought safe refuge. It wasn't until later in the night and into New Year's Day that fire crews could bring the fire under control.
More than 270 properties were saved, however, nine were damaged, and one house in Birdwood Dr was lost in the fire. Crews worked on the first day of the year on strengthening containment lines of the fire in order to limit the chances of further flare ups. By mid morning on New Year's Day, the RFS reported that conditions had eased across the fireground and the fire was being controlled, so the alert was downgraded to "advice" level, which meant that there was no immediate threat but residents should stay informed. The fire had, so far, consumed about 335ha.
The Pacific Hwy was closed from Goorama Ave at Blue Haven through to the roundabout at Lake Haven Dr for three days, and the Doyalson motorway link road was closed between the M1 freeway and Wyee Rd for two days. Wyee Rd was closed near Gorokan Rd, and because of the safety risks caused by the bushfires, trains and buses were not stopping at Wyee railway station and it was closed. Community meetings have been held on January 17 and 21 at Blue Haven to address concerns and provide information to help residents recover after the bushfire.
They were organised by Central Coast Council and Cr Jillian Hogan said that they were well attended by people affected by the fires, particularly families in Popran Way, where the fire came right up to their fences. She said the team from San Remo Neighbourhood Centre had been working with families to support them in their recovery. "It is an extremely frightening event that leaves long term scars both physically and emotionally," she said. "Unlike what we have experienced before through numerous floods and storms, the impact of these ferocious fires is very different and traumatising for residents."
Director of Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan, outlined the numerous support services available to help in the recovery for people, property, pets and the environment. The meetings included talks and information from the Rural Fire Service, NSW Fire and Rescue, the NSW Health, Land and Environment Department, Community and Justice Department and several sections of Council.
Cr Hogan said residents indicated that their main concerns were that they did not know where, and from whom, they could get help. "This ranged from financial help or in practical ways for health requirements, and where to get help for mental health," she said. "Two things were evident, information is needed to be activated straight away as well as practical assistance. "We need a coordinated approach to disaster recovery, on the ground, locally, to help and support people immediately," Cr Hogan said.
Source: Interview, Jan 20 Supt Viki Campbell, District Manager for Central Coast RFS Media statement, Jan 21 Northern Region Police Media Media statement and Interview, Jan 20 Councillor Jillian Hogan Websites, Dec 31, 2019 & Jan 1 NSW Central Coast Incident Alerts RFS Central Coast Charmhaven RFS Reporter: Sue Murray


text:
National TV is still a big deal for Mizzou football
Mizzou plays Nevada tonight on ESPN.
One of the great things about building up a solid college football program that had never really done anything until recently is the effect national TV can still have on a program.
Tonight, Mizzou will play a National TV game against Nevada. The Tigers are used to being on national TV now…and the school has noticed the difference. Applications and enrollments are at record levels for University…and that success can be directly traced to the success of the football team.
Additionally, national TV is a great recruiting tool. Friday nights aren't that great because most high school players are playing, too…but if a kid sees highlights of college football on sportscenter tonight, it's going to be of Mizzou.
And, it's going to be a team that plays a fun,
aggressive, high scoring offense, with a great
quarterback in Blaine Gabbert and an array of receivers. Granted everybody runs that offense now…but the Tigers do it with a little more flair.
It's no big deal if you're Florida or Miami or Washington…who have won national championships in the past. But for Mizzou, national TV is still special, still a big deal…and still perceived as a benefit to an ascending program.


text:
It's a Snake Eat Snake World
Occurred on February 12, 2016 / Pine Creek, Queensland, Australia
Info from Licensor: "A red-bellied black snake eats a green tree snake, while our dogs play."
Location Pine Creek, Queensland, Australia
Occurred Feb-12-2016
Posted On May-23-2017
snake eat snake dog eat dog
viralhog
It's a
Cleared! (id: 5706496)
It's a Clean Team
Big Dog Thinks It's a Lap Dog
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Sex Doll?
Dog Thinks It's a Hummingbird
Kitten Thinks It's A Chicken
It's a Truck Trike
It's a Dog Massage Dog World
It's a Fish Eat Fish World


Get your style on with The Original MouseRug? mouse pad, CoasterRug coasters and the BookRug bookmark. Far more than a mouse pad, coaster or bookmark; functional MouseRug, CoasterRug and BookRug art can bring stylish personality to your desk or cubicle, and also makes a great gift that will be used and appreciated for many years. Tiny flock fibers are screened into intricate color-separated patterns and propelled with high-voltage electricity into exclusive Lextra Flock Graphics designs. The resulting texture is soft, velvety, richly colored and permanent.


text:
require "wraith"
require "wraith/helpers/logger"
require "yaml"
require "anemone"
require "uri"

class Wraith::Spider
  include Logging

  EXT = %w(flv swf png jpg gif asx zip rar tar 7z \
           gz jar js css dtd xsd ico raw mp3 mp4 m4a \
           wav wmv ape aac ac3 wma aiff mpg mpeg \
           avi mov ogg mkv mka asx asf mp2 m1v \
           m3u f4v pdf doc xls ppt pps bin exe rss xml)

  attr_reader :wraith

  def initialize(config)
    @wraith = Wraith::Wraith.new(config, { imports_must_resolve: false })
    @paths = {}
  end

  def crawl
    logger.info "Crawling #{wraith.base_domain}"
    Anemone.crawl(wraith.base_domain) do |anemone|
      anemone.skip_links_like(/\.(#{EXT.join('|')})$/)
      # Add user specified skips
      anemone.skip_links_like(wraith.spider_skips)
      anemone.on_every_page do |page|
        logger.info "    #{page.url.path}"
        add_path(page.url.path)
      end
    end

    logger.info "Crawl complete."
    write_file
  end

  def add_path(path)
    @paths[path == "/" ? "home" : path.gsub("/", "__").chomp("__").downcase] = path.downcase
  end

  def write_file
    logger.info "Writing to YML file..."
    config = {}
    config['paths'] = @paths
    File.open("#{wraith.config_dir}/#{wraith.imports}", "w+") do |file|
      file.write(config.to_yaml)
      logger.info "Spider paths written to #{wraith.imports}"
    end
  end
end


text:
Press Release: How To Eat A Small Country by Amy Finley
"A charming, bare-bones chronicle of a woman reclaiming her family. . . . The author's account of her determination to rework her life into one worth living is bracing and uplifting. A five-star read." —Kirkus Reviews
HOW TO EAT
A SMALL COUNTRY
A Family's Pursuit of Happiness, One Meal at a Time
By Amy Finley
"With her very capable taste buds . . . Finley explores the endless idiosyncrasies of French cuisine. Personal but never oversharing, Finley bravely relays the difficulty of her feelings during this nadir-turned-adventure, and folds her family's unlikely story into a bold bouillabaisse of a food memoir." —Booklist
A professionally trained cook turned devoted stay-at-home mom, Amy Finley decided on a whim to send in an audition tape for season three of The Next Food Network Star, and the impossible happened: she won her own cooking show on national television. So why did she walk away from it all? HOW TO EAT A SMALL COUNTRY: A Family's Pursuit of Happiness, One Meal at a Time (Clarkson Potter; on sale April 2011) is Amy's triumphant and endearing tale of family, food, France, and forgiveness.
While Amy was hoping to bring American families together with accessible recipes from her show, The Gourmet Next Door, she ended up separating from her French husband, Greg, who couldn't handle the thought of being married to a celebrity or having their family thrust into the public eye. Amy felt betrayed. She was living a dream—or was she? She was becoming famous, cooking for people out there in TV land, in thirty minutes, on a kitchen set . . . instead of cooking and eating with her own family at home.
In a desperate effort to work things out, Amy made the controversial decision to leave her budding television career behind and move her family to France, where she and Greg lived after they first met and fell in love. HOW TO EAT A SMALL COUNTRY is Amy's incredibly personal story of her rewarding struggle to reunite her family through the simple, everyday act of cooking and eating together. Meals play a central role in Amy's new life, from meeting the adorable little bunny destined to become their classic Burgundian dinner of lapin à la moutarde to dealing with the aftermath of a bouillabaisse binge. And as she, Greg, and their two young children wend their way around rural France, they gradually reweave the fabric of their family.
At times humorous and heart-wrenching, and always captivating and delicious, HOW TO EAT A SMALL COUNTRY chronicles the food-filled journey that one couple takes to stay together.
AMY FINLEY was the winner of the third season of the hit show The Next Food Network Star. After her win, she hosted Food Network's The Gourmet Next Door. A Paris-trained cook and pastry chef, she was a regular contributor to Bon Appétit. She lives in San Diego, CA, with her husband and their children.
HOW TO EAT A SMALL COUNTRY
Clarkson Potter/Publishers
On Sale: March 29, 2011 • ISBN 978-0-307-59138-8 • Price: $24
Visit Amy Finley on the web at www.howtoeatasmallcountry.com and www.facebook.com/howtoeatasmallcountry.
For more information on the book and Amy Finley, please contact:
Jill Browning, Clarkson Potter Publicity, at 212-572-6182 or jibrowning@randomhouse.com.


text:
using namespace std;

class Lion;

class Game : public GameTemplate
{
public:
	Game();
	~Game();
	void update();
	void special( int key );
	void specialUp( int key );

	int game_state;
	int stage;
	float camera;

	bool keyLeft;
	bool keyRight;
	bool keyUp;
	bool keyF1;

	GameObject* ringLayer;
	GameObject* jarLayer;
	Lion* lion;

private:
	void resetMap();
	void stageUpMap();
	GameObject* makeJars();
	GameObject* makeRings();

	void moveState();
	void moveCamera();
};


text:
El Imperio luba fue un Estado fundado por la etnia luba en África, en lo que hoy es el sur de la República Democrática del Congo y el noreste de Zambia. Durante el reinado de Ilunga Kalala (ca. 1840-1870) el imperio vivió su época de mayor esplendor comercial. A finales del siglo XIX se sumergió en una guerra civil a causa de una crisis dinástica y una serie de presiones extranjeras que lo hizo desaparecer.

En el siglo XVIII, fecha de contacto con los primeros colonos europeos, el Imperio luba era en realidad una serie de estados de tamaño pequeño o mediano que habían evolucionado desde una primitiva cultura upemba del . A finales del , los reinos lubas se unieron bajo un poder central mucho más poderoso, cuyo máximo mandatario era el mwata o mulopwe, por motivos fundamentalmente económicos y de forma pacífica, configurándose como imperio comercial.

Estados

Estados fundadores
Los estados más importantes que formaron el imperio fueron:
 Kikonja
 Luba Lomani.

Estados en disputa
Durante la guerra civil que cubrió los últimos años de la historia del imperio, este se fragmentó en diversos territorios, entre los que destacaron dos:
 Luba de Kasai
 Luba de Shaba

Fronteras
En su época de mayor esplendor, en los primeros años del siglo XIX, el imperio extendía sus territorios y su vasallaje desde los bosques centroafricanos al norte (Sudán del Sur) hasta el Cinturón de Cobre al sur (actual Zambia), y desde el lago Tanganika al este hasta el Reino Kanyok al oeste, inclusive.

Mito del génesis luba
Existe una narración que relata el origen mitológico de los luba y de su dinastía sagrada. Las evidencias lingüísticas, arqueológicas, etnológicas y geológicas desmienten la narración. Este conjunto de datos sugiere que los luba vivieron siempre en el sur del Zaire, y que experimentaron un gran periodo de estabilidad que les permitió desarrollarse. No obstante, algunas interpretaciones traslucen que puede contar hechos reales. Por medio de este mito se legitima la sucesión luba y se engrandece su pasado.

El mito se transmitía oralmente, de modo que cambia un poco cada vez. Algunos de las primeras versiones escritas datan de 1929 y 1948. Puede resumirse de la siguiente manera:
 Antes de que las tierras de los luba fueran habitadas un hombre, Kyubaka Ubaka (Sombrerero), y una mujer, Kibumba Bumba (Ceramista) vivían en el curso alto del río Zaire cada uno por su lado. Después de conocerse observaron a dos hienas apareándose y supieron cómo copular. Tuvieron dos hijos gemelos, un varón llamado Kyungu y una mujer llamada Kabange. Cada generación que se sucedía se iba desplazando hacia el oeste, hasta ocupar las tierras de los luba. Uno de sus descendientes fue Mwamba, luego llamado Nkongolo (Arcoíris).
 Seya, madre de Mwamba, era de piel rojiza. Comprendió que aprovechándose de las tierras por las que pasaba las escamaba. Fijó su residencia y aprendió a utilizar un cuchillo con el que fabricar utensilios.
 Viendo a unas hormigas derrotar a un mayor número de termitas, Nkongolo quiso ser un líder. Estableció una capital y conquistó a muchas gentes.
 Mbidi Kiluwe (Mbidi el Cazador), quien tenía la piel muy negra, visitó las tierras y los reinos cercanos a los luba en busca del perro perdido de su hermana. Finalmente llegó al reino de Nkongolo, donde las hermanas de este le encontraron subido a un árbol y fueron a decírselo a su hermano. Nkongolo llevó al forastero a su casa y le ofreció comida y bebida, que fueron rechazadas. El sirviente que acompañaba a Mbidi Kiluwe explicó que este siempre comía y bebía sin que nadie le viera, pues guardaba un fuego sagrado en su cocina.
 Un día, Nkongolo dijo una broma que hizo reír a su huésped y pudo verle dos dientes afilados. Al comentarlo, Mbidi Kiluwe se ofendió y dijo volverse al este, a su casa. Antes de irse Mbidi, que había preñado a las hermanas de Nkongolo, dijo que si los hijos nacían con la piel oscura sería suyos, pero que si su piel era rojiza no serían de su competencia. Mbidi dejó al dios Mijibu Kalenga dos bolas máginas, una de caucho y otra de hierro, y le dijo que se las diera a sus hijos si querían encontrarle, para que pudiera reconocerlos. Al volver a cruzar el río Zaire de regreso a su casa, Mbidi Kilowe tomó medidas para que ningún hombre de piel roja lo atravesara.
 Uno de los hijos nació negro, Kalala Ilunga (Ilunga el Guerrero), que precozmente se convirtió en un gran atleta y cazador. Ya adulto, tomó la bola de hierro con el objetivo de ganar en un juego a su tío, Nkongolo. Tras esto se creyó invencible. Nkongolo retó al otro hijo del extranjero, Kisula, a un juego diferente, quien tomó la bola mágica de caucho. Kisula la pateó y la bola rodó por la cocina tirándolo todo, venciendo en el juego. La madre de Nkongolo, que lo vio, se rio de la derrota de su hijo, por lo que fue enterrada viva.
 Kalala Ilunga, que vio a unas hormigas cargar un grupo de termitas, determinó hacer la guerra a Nkongolo y logró matar a algunos de sus seguidores.
 Nkongolo, enfurecido por sus derrotas ante sus sobrinos, cargó contra Kalala Ilunga y una vez derrotado este, le obligó a bailar frente a él en un lugar donde había excavado y tapado un hoyo a modo de trampa. El dios Mijibu Kalenga previno a Kalala Ilunga de ella. Este pudo huir ayudado de Mungedi y escapó al este en busca de su padre. Mungedi murió posteriormente.
 Nkongolo y su ejército salieron en busca de Kalala Ilunga, pero al tener la piel roja no les dejaron atravesar el río Zaire. Intentaron construir naves y un puente, pero no pudieron y tuvieron que darse la vuelta.
 Kalala Ilunga reunió un ejército en el reino de su padre y fue a conquistar el de Nkongolo. Le sorprendió construyendo una fortaleza en una isla, en la confluencia de los ríos Lomani y Luguvu. Nkongolo huyó a las cavernas de Kai en el río Luembe, donde se escondió. Fue descubierto al cabo por una mujer, quien fue a contárselo a Kalala Ilunga, y Nkongolo fue apresado y ejecutado. Su cabeza y genitales fueron separados de su cuerpo y colocados en una cesta sagrada.
 Una noche se olvidaron la cesta en una aldea llamada Kimona y por la mañana había allí un hormiguero. Fue tomado por una señal de que el espíritu quería quedarse allí, y Kimona se convirtió en la primera ciudad sagrada de los luba.
 Kalala Ilunga estableció una corte en Munza y se llamó a sí mismo Mwine Munza (Señor de Munza), y obligó a todas las naciones adyacentes a pagarle tributo.
 De los hijos de Kalala Ilunga sobrevivieron dos: Kazadi Milele, que era normal, e Ilunga Mwila, que tenía el cuerpo cubierto de pelos como si fuera un animal. Furioso con su aspecto, Kalala Ilunga ordenó matarle, pero sus ejecutores decidieron esconder al niño y engañar a su padre.
 Kazadi Milele murió en una misión encargada por su padre. (de baixo)Su cabeza cortada fue depositada en una cesta sagrada y se dejó en un pueblo llamado Shinta, que se convirtió en pueblo sagrado. Cuando Kalala Ilunga se lamentaba por no tener herederos le contaron el engaño. Entonces Kalala Ilunga fue a buscar a su hijo. Ilunga Mwila sucedió felizmente a su padre y continuó la dinastía sagrada.
 Kasongo Mwine Kibanza (Kazongo, Señor de Kibanza) sucedió a Ilunga Mwila en el trono. Tuvo cuatro hijos físicamente anormales, por lo que no les creía capaz de gobernar. Uno de ellos era Ilunga Mpuji, que cometió adulterio con la esposa mayor de su padre. Los dos fueron ahogados en el río, a lo que les acompañó otro de los hijos. Volvieron al pueblo en espíritu, convertidos respectivamente en leopardo, león y elefante, y comenzaron a matar gente. Kasongo Mwine Kibanza consultó al espíritu divino Nkulu, y a sus instancias puso comida y cerveza en las encrucijadas. De tal manera pudo atrapar a los animales y matarlos.
 Kasongo Bonswe, hijo del hermano no adúltero muerto en el río, era el nieto favorito de Kasongo Mwine Kibanza. Un día que Kasongo Mwine Kibanza tenía sed pidió a sus hijos que fueran a buscar agua, pero todos se negaron. Entonces Kasongo Bonswe fue a buscarla, y de camino cogió miel de una colmena. Kasongo Mwine Kibanza se sintió tan agradecido quele nombró su sucesor. Cuando a la muerte de Kasongo Mwine Kibanza, sus hijos se declararon sucesores, todos fueron muertos por animales o en batalla. Kasongo Bonswe se convirtió en soberano y estableció su capital en Kabanda, que pasó a ser una ciudad sagrada.

Historia
Se han encontrado vestigios arqueológicos de la llamada cultura Upemba al sur de la República Democrática del Congo que datan del  en adelante. A partir del siglo VIII un periodo de calma y bonanza permitió la existencia de una civilización en los territorios luba que dominaba la metalurgia y que daría lugar a la etnia. En el siglo XIII se puede hablar ya de la etnia luba, que comenzó a establecer su sociedad y que se une definitivamente en naciones desde el siglo XV. En el siglo XVII, al norte del Reino de Cazembe, se estableció el mayor de los reinos de los luba hasta el momento, algunos de cuyos territorios habían pertenecido al reino Upemba doscientos años antes. Curiosamente sus centros de culto estaban en lo alto de la depresión del Upemba, pero no en sus zonas más bajas, como había sido hasta entonces. De este reino, nacido en un periodo conocido como Era Kisalian, se conocen pocos datos.

Ya en el siglo XVIII los luba se agrupaban en distintos reinos, más o menos pequeños e interrelacionados entre sí. La riqueza generada por el comercio del marfil motivó a la clase aristocrática a crear una superestructura política estable a finales de ese siglo.

Los distintos jefes lubas, interesados en construir un imperio comercial, ofrecieron siempre que fue posible relaciones de vasallaje mediante tributos, en una suerte de Pax Luba. Las tribus que la aceptaban gozaban de cierta estabilidad política y de crecimiento comercial. Esta falta de agresividad comenzó a cambiar en el siglo XVIII. Las principales conquistas del imperio fueron las de los reyes Ilunga Sunga (c. 1780 o 1790 - c. 1810), Kumwimba Ngombe (c. 1810 - c. 1840) e Ilunga Kalala (c. 1840 - c. 1870). Estros tres reyes consiguieron crear el mayor imperio que había existido en el África Subsahariana.

Ilunga Sunga intentó expandirse al oeste por Kalundwe, sin éxito. Notando la resistencia en esa dirección extendió su influencia hacia el este, entre el lago Tanganica y el río Lualaba. Su hijo Kumwimba conquistó la región de los lagos del Lualaba, rica en peces y aceite de palmeras, tras lo cual se dirigió al sur y consiguió controlar las minas de los samba, territorios cercanos al Reino bemba, que comenzaba a ganar poder. Al mismo tiempo consolidó las conquistas del este creando allí una provincia.

El Imperio luba alcanzó su mayor extensión bajo el reinado de Ilunga Kalala. Para entonces el imperio era centro de un gran comercio internacional. En los años 1870 el mwata comenzó a perder poder a la vez que la economía dejaba de crecer, propiciando la inestabilidad del imperio. Se cree que el sistema de sucesión dinástica fue discutido, pues no aseguraba que todos los líderes estuviesen preparados para gobernar, lo cual desembocó en guerra. Lo cierto es que no puede asegurarse, ya que los escritos de esa época son escasos y mucha información luego recopilada ha sido a través de historias contadas oralmente. Sí es cierto que entre los tres reyes citados se habían intercalado reinados efímeros y disputas.

Más probable, sin embargo, es que la crisis de los lumba fuera propiciada por la caída del comercio de marfil, que había supuesto su principal mercado. Con el fin de este comercio las relaciones internacionales de los luba cambiaron. El Reino de Yeke al sur comenzó a conquistar los territorios de las minas de cobre en la década de 1860 y se hacía fuerte. Este mismo reino, cuyo poder se basaba en lo militar y no en lo económico, introdujo por primera vez a gran escala en la región el uso de armas de fuego. Al norte, los árabes swahili traspasaban las fronteras lubas para conseguir el marfil por ellos mismos.

Ante estas dos amenazas los lubas intentaron intercambiar armas por esclavos, pues ya apenas disponían de marfil. Estos fueron aceptados a precios muy bajos. El imperio intentó sobrevivir a costa del comercio de esclavos, reduciéndose sus fronteras por el norte y por el sur. Esto generó disensiones entre la población. A todo esto se le sumó otro problema, el de la etnia cokwe, que durante siglo XIX había experimentado un gran aumento demográfico y desde la década de 1870, asentados principalmente en el Imperio lunda, atacaban y aterrorizaban a buena parte de los centroafricanos, incluidos los lubas.

Todas estas causas influyeron en la caída del poder central del imperio, que se sumió en una guerra civil y terminó por desaparecer a finales del siglo XIX.

Economía

Las excavaciones revelan que en torno al siglo VIII las civilizaciones que habitaban la zona de África Central que luego ocuparían los luba vivieron un esplendor de la metalurgia y otras técnicas y comenzaron a comerciar.A finales del siglo XVIII el territorio luba estaba dividido en pequeños estados o principados especializados en economías concretas como la pesca, la obtención de sal y la de aceite de palmera. Los países del sur obtenían cobre y se lo vendían a los luba. El medio fundamental de intercambio de productos entre los luba era el tributo. Los productores pagaban a sus jefes y así sucesivamente, siempre siguiendo un esquema vertical.

A finales del siglo XVIII y comienzos del XIX los estados del Imperio luba comenzaron a comerciar con otros países, como ya habían hecho sus vecinos de Lunda y Cazembe, especialmente Luba Lomani, el estado que más rápidamente se aprovechó de las grandes rutas comerciales. Probablemente también era el mayor y más centralizado. Este estado comenzó estableciendo relaciones con los mercaderes de marfil de Bisa, que ya no podían seguir comerciando con el Reino de Cazembe debido a la escasez del producto. El Imperio luba generó un mercado de marfil centralizado y unas normas de tasación para poder exportarlo a Bira. Los comerciantes y cazadores de elefantes que llegaban al imperio desde Bira no portaban armas de fuego, por lo que fueron bien recibidos por los luba.

Durante el reinado de Ilunga Kalala el imperio tenía un comercio internacional desarrollado de sal, aceite de palmera, cobre, esclavos, ropa, cestas, hierro, pieles de cebra y peces. Tenía contactos con el Imperio lunda y el Reino Kaniok. En la década de 1870 la economía luba empezó a debilitarse.

Política y sociedad
La religión era importante en el Imperio luba, y los bambudye y los nigromantes gozaban de un buen estatus social.

Los bambudye formaban una asociación o institución aristocrática a la que debían pertenecer todos los jefes y líderes de cualquier tipo. Su origen es desconocido. Los gobernantes lubas debían mantener escrupulosamente los ritos de la asociación si querían mantenerse en el poder, de modo que el imperio estaba sujeto, mediante estos, a los bambudye como colectivo. A él pertenecían, como es evidente, los jefes locales, tanto de las tierras incorporadas al imperio durante un reinado anterior como los de las nuevas conquistas. De esta manera la asociación se convertía en un foro de debate que intermediaba entre las decisiones de los gobernantes y el pueblo.

Arte
No conocían el uso de la carpintería para tallar muebles ni otras muchas cosas de los hombres blancos. Les llamaba la atención en particular los ropajes europeos, pues para ellos la ropa tenía un componente mágico. Sin embargo la cultura luba es conocida por sus esculturas de madera, y forma parte importante de la historia artística de la región del Congo.

Los reyes lubas adoptaron a partir del siglo XVII insignias arqueadas fabricadas en hierro y después, talladas en madera.

Véase también
 Imperio lunda
 Reino bulozi
 Reino de Cazembe

Bibliografía
 Q. Reefe, Thomas; The rainbow and the kings: a history of the Luba Empire to 1891. Ed. Universidad de California (1981). ISBN 978-0-520-04140-0.
 Kabongo, K. & Bilolo, M., Conception Bantu de l'Autorité. Suivie de Baluba: Bumfumu ne Bulongolodi, Ed. Publications Universitaires Africaines, Munich - Kinshasa, 1994.
 VVAA; The Cambridge History of Africa: From c. 1790 to c. 1870. Ed. Universidad de Cambridge (1986). ISBN 978-0-521-20701-0.
 Padwick Burton, William Frederick; Luba religion and magic in custom and belief. Ed. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale (1961).
 C. Yoder, John; The Kanyok of Zaire: An Institutional and Ideological History to 1895. Ed. Universidad de Cambridge (2002). ISBN 978-0-521-52310-3.
 M. Maurer, Evan; Spirits embodied: art of the Congo : selections from the Helmut F. Stern Collection. Ed. Minneapolis Institute of Arts (1999). ISBN 978-0-912964-79-9.
 Ehret, Christopher; The civilizations of Africa: a history to 1800. Ed. James Currey Publishers (2002). ISBN 978-0-85255-475-3.

Imperio luba

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


UN patrol team, Western Sahara. CREDIT: UN Photo/Martine Perret.
Wrapped along the coast of Northwest Africa is the continent's last colony: Western Sahara. For over a century, the people of Western Sahara have been denied our fundamental right to decide our future. First a Spanish colony, Western Sahara was brutally annexed by our Northern neighbor, Morocco, in 1975. Our people have been forced to choose between the horrors of occupation and the hardship of being a refugee ever since.
At the time of Morocco's incursion, my family was one of thousands forced from our native land of Western Sahara into the refugee camps in neighboring Algeria. Like many of my fellow Sahrawis, some of my family did not survive. Of those who did, many remained in the occupied territories, unable to flee the sudden onslaught of the Moroccan army.
Today, a 2,700 km sand wall lined with landmines and Moroccan soldiers—the largest active military barrier in the world—partitions Western Sahara into two distinct territories. Thousands of fractured families live on either side. West of the so-called "Berm" (or more accurately, the "wall of shame"), Sahrawis live under Moroccan occupation, where they are subjected to a strict media blockade and daily human rights abuses. East of the wall, Sahrawis live in freedom, but as refugees, making due with mud huts and inadequate resources, all hoping to make the long-awaited journey back to the land of our fathers and mothers.
Both have made clear that the status quo is over. The U.S. administration, in particular, has insisted that there can be no more "business as usual" with Western Sahara. The time for political progress is now. The U.S.'s new commitment to resolving the issue—and its decision to link the renewal of the mandate of the UN mission for Western Sahara to progress made on the political progress—has yielded a significant result: a resumption of diplomatic talks designed to end the decades-long stalemate and deliver on our people's rights to self-determination.
Thus far, the U.S. administration has shown a genuine willingness to exert meaningful pressure on the parties—threatening to rescind its support for the UN peacekeeping mission's mandate if progress on the political track is not achieved. Looking forward, the United States—and other members of the United Nations—will have to consider what other means can be used to encourage Morocco to negotiate in good faith and to take the difficult decisions that it has long avoided.
It is obvious that ending one of the longest-running conflicts in Africa will require the political will and determination of all countries with a stake in the continent's security and economic development. That includes European countries, too.
Europe has long overlooked Morocco's rampant human rights abuses in the occupied territories for fear of antagonizing the Moroccan monarchy, which it views as a strategic ally. Just last month, the European Parliament authorized a non-binding trade deal greenlighting Morocco's plundering of Western Sahara's natural resources—a decision that effectively pre-empts political negotiations, and deals a blow to the UN personal envoy overseeing the political process. It is unethical and illegal, as determined repeatedly by the European Court of Justice.
Despite Morocco's illegal barrier to our West, well-functioning state institutions in the Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic have thrived and provide public services to all our citizens. We Sahrawis manage our own schools, run our own hospitals and administrative offices, and provide governance and security to the more than 174,000 Sahrawis who live as refugees. We have had over four decades of democratic governance, successfully running elections at the local and national level. Moreover, for 27 years, our independence movement has been ardently committed to non-violence, and to the pursuit of diplomatic means to create the state we desire in our homeland of Western Sahara. All the while, Morocco has plundered our fisheries and phosphate reserves in the occupied territories, imprisoned and beaten those who dare to call for freedom, and invested billions of dollars to entrench a brutal occupation that brazenly violates international law.
It is time to reach a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Western Sahara. After 27 years spent waiting for independence, our people's patience is wearing thin and confidence in the UN process is diminishing. Sahrawis are tired of broken promises and wary of meetings in far-flung capitals that all too often fail to deliver. Sahrawis' expectations—and their growing frustration—are all the more reason to move ahead robustly and quickly to ensure the current UN process succeeds where others have failed.
No doubt, there will be difficult decisions required from all sides. But we, the Frente POLISARIO, have always proved willing to do what it takes to achieve our people's right to self-determination. It is time for the international community to create the context in which Morocco feels compelled to do the same.
After the speech that he gave at Defense Forum Foundation in Washington, DC in March 1998, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton was asked what U.S. security interests were involved in Western Sahara. Recalling his work on this issue along with former Secretary of States James Baker, he said: "What we were doing was based on a pretty fundamental American principle: that we wanted the people of the Western Sahara to make up their mind what their status was going to be."


text:
Q: Given that $f:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ such that $f(xy)=xf(y)$ for all $x,y \in \mathbb{R}$. Then prove that...
QUESTION: Let $A$ be the set of all functions $f:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ such that $f(xy)=xf(y)$ for all $x,y \in \mathbb{R}$. $$$$
(a) If $f \in A$ then show that $f(x+y)=f(x)+f(y)$ for all $x,y \in \mathbb{R}$ $$$$
(b) For $g,h \in A$, define a function $g\circ h$ by $(g \circ h)(x)=g(h(x))$ for $x \in \mathbb{R}$. Prove that $g \circ h$ is in $A$ and is equal to $h \circ g$.

MY ANSWER: Here's what I have done..
Putting $y=1$ we get $f(x)=f(1)x$.
Say $f(1)=k$ for some $k \in \Bbb{R}$
$\therefore f(x)=kx \text{ }\forall x \in \Bbb{R}$
This is the solution to Cauchy's Functional Equation which takes the form $f(x+y)=f(x)+f(y)$. But the problem is the domain of $x$ and $y$ in Cauchy's Equation is $\Bbb{Q}$ while we have $\Bbb{R}$. Therefore we prove $(a)$ as follows -
Say $y=bx$ for some $b \in \Bbb{R}$
$$ax(1+b)=ax+abx$$
$$\implies ax(1+b)=ax+ay$$
This is similar to saying -
$$f(x(1+b))=f(x)+f(y)$$
$$\implies f(x+bx)=f(x)+f(y)$$
$$\implies f(x+y)=f(x)+f(y)$$
Q.E.D. $\square$
Now, I have two questions..
Firstly, is the above proof alright ?
Secondly, how do I solve point $(b)$ ?
$goh(x)$ is simply another way of saying $g(h(x))$, and everyone knows that $goh(x)=g(h(x))$. Then what is the information given based on which we may proceed ?
Thank You for your help in advance..

A: From your work we know $f(x)=f(1)x=kx$. To show $a)$, note that
$$f(x+y)=k(x+y)=kx+ky=f(x)+f(y)$$
To show $b)$, note that
$$g(h(x))=g(k_hx)=k_gk_hx=(k_g k_h)x$$
Then
$$g(h(xy))=(k_gk_h)xy=x(k_gk_h)y=xg(h(y))$$
Also
$$h(g(x))=h(k_gx)=k_hk_gx=(k_hk_g)x=(k_gk_h)x=g(h(x))$$
We conclude $g(h(x))=h(g(x))\in A$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
PSD intercepts attempted drug smuggles leading to several arrests
The Anti-Narcotics Department at the Public Security Directorate (PSD) has foiled three attempts to smuggle narcotics in and out of the Kingdom during the past few days, and arrested those involved in the three cases Tuesday.
The media spokesperson for the PSD said that the workers in the Anti-Narcotics Department have been actively following up on all criminal activities related to narcotic substances, smuggling, trafficking and promotion.
They have intercepted three attempts to smuggle narcotic substances, two of which came from two border crossings, in cooperation with security authorities and Jordanian customs.
In regards to the first drug interception, The Anti-Narcotics Department received tips about a group of people preparing large quantities of pills to smuggle into one of the neighboring countries.
Two individuals were arrested while the vehicles were searched and 100,000 pills were found in the vehicle tire.
The second drug interception took place in Queen Alia International Airport, where a suspicious parcel containing sweets was searched.
Twelve bags were found containing Methamphetamine, which were hidden in an undisclosed fashion and one person was arrested.
In the third drug interception, a person of Arab nationality was arrested on one of the border and two kilograms of Methamphetamine was found in his luggage.
The three cases were transferred to the Public Prosecutor of the State Security Court.
Anti-NarcoticsDepartment
Anti-Narcotics arrests one person, seizes narcotics and ....
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text:
They Knew What to Expect
Author: ReutersReuters
Virtually everything that has happened in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck was predicted by experts and in computer models, so emergency management specialists wonder why authorities were so unprepared.
"The scenario of a major hurricane hitting New Orleans was well anticipated, predicted and drilled around," said Clare Rubin, an emergency management consultant who also teaches at the Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management at George Washington University.
Computer models developed at Louisiana State University and other institutions made detailed projections of what would happen if water flowed over the levees protecting the city or if they failed.
In July 2004, more than 40 federal, state, local and volunteer organizations practiced this very scenario in a five-day simulation code-named "Hurricane Pam," where they had to deal with an imaginary storm that destroyed over half a million buildings in New Orleans and forced the evacuation of a million residents.
At the end of the exercise Ron Castleman, regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared: "We made great progress this week in our preparedness efforts.
"Disaster response teams developed action plans in critical areas such as search and rescue, medical care, sheltering, temporary housing, school restoration and debris management. These plans are essential for quick response to a hurricane but will also help in other emergencies," he said.
In light of that, said disaster expert Bill Waugh of Georgia State University, "It's inexplicable how unprepared for the flooding they were." He said a slow decline over several years in funding for emergency management was partly to blame.
In comments on Thursday, President Bush said, "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
But LSU engineer Joseph Suhayda and others have warned for years that defenses could fail. In 2002, the New Orleans Times Picayune published a five-part series on "The Big One," examining what might happen if they did.
It predicted that 200,000 people or more would be unwilling or unable to heed evacuation orders and thousands would die, that people would be housed in the Superdome, that aid workers would find it difficult to gain access to the city as roads became impassable, as well as many other of the consequences that actually unfolded after Katrina hit this week.
Craig Marks who runs Blue Horizons Consulting, an emergency management training company in North Carolina, said the authorities had mishandled the evacuation, neglecting to help those without transportation to leave the city.
"They could have packed people on trains or buses and gotten them out before the hurricane struck," he said. "They had enough time and access to federal funds. And now, we find we do not have a proper emergency communications infrastructure so aid workers get out into the field and they can't talk to one another."
Most of those trapped by the floods in the city of some 500,000 people are the poor who had little chance to leave.
Ernest Sternberg, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Buffalo, said law enforcement agencies were often more eager to invest in high tech "toys" than basic communications.
"It's well known that communications go down in disasters but people on the frontlines still don't invest in them. A lot of the investments that have been made in homeland security have been misspent," he said.
Several experts also believe the decision to make FEMA a part of the Department of Homeland Security, created after the Sept. 11 attacks, was a major mistake. Rubin said FEMA functioned well in the 1990s as a small, independent agency.
"Under DHS, it was downgraded, buried in a couple of layers of bureaucracy, and terrorism prevention got all the attention and most of the funds," she said.
Former FEMA director James Lee Witt testified to Congress in March 2004: "I am extremely concerned that the ability of our nation to prepare for and respond to disasters has been sharply eroded.
"I hear from emergency managers, local and state leaders, and first responders nearly every day that the FEMA they knew and worked well with has now disappeared. In fact one state emergency manager told me, 'It is like a stake has been driven into the heart of emergency management,"' he said.
Underlying the situation has been the general reluctance of government at any level to invest in infrastructure or emergency management, said David McEntire, who teaches emergency management at the University of North Texas.
"No one cares about disasters until they happen. That is a political fact of life," he said.
"Emergency management is woefully underfunded in this nation. That covers not only first responders but also warning, evacuation, damage assessment, volunteer management, donation management and recovery and mitigation issues."


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text:
package com.github.davidmoten.fsm.runtime;

public final class ClockDefault implements Clock{

	private static final ClockDefault instance = new ClockDefault();

	public static ClockDefault instance() {
		return instance;
	}

	@Override
	public long now() {
		return System.currentTimeMillis();
	}

}


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As an overachiever, content creator, and photographer, David is known for his versatile and cross-functional skills. With the vision of working for a marketing firm under an advertising agency, David currently is a third-year Business Management Student. He is currently pursuing a Double Major in Marketing Management & Global Management Studies, complemented with a minor in eBusiness. As an individual that is familiar with the entertainment industry, David has professional experience as a freelance event photographer. As this year's Vice President of Marketing, David plans to expand the reach of REC to the masses.
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