Leave the speakers at home when you're hiking, especially if you're headed to a specific Hoh River spot.
I'm getting more deaf by the year, it seems, so silence comes easier to me.
This is both a good and a bad thing. On one hand, I can no longer hear the morning chorus of birds that once awakened me on spring and summer mornings.
I loved that music. On the other hand, it did wake me up.
I've been arguing with the Veterans Administration that my moderate hearing loss was caused by being repeatedly exposed to gunfire and exploding grenades. Back in those days -- yes, it was after we fought the Civil War -- Army Training Centers didn't issue earplugs or other ear protection.
I am told I talk louder so I can hear myself. I guess I talk too loud to my wife, B.B. Hardbody, because she frequently tells me to shut up.
More than a decade ago -- perhaps even today -- there was a place in Olympic National Park where you might be told to shut up. It was the One Square Inch of Silence, and it was dedicated on April 22, 2005.
I haven't been there for a long time, so perhaps nobody tells you to shut up while you're there. But once upon a time, it was possible that if you were being too loud while hiking the Hoh River Trail, Ranger Rick might pop out of the verdant forest and tell you to shut up.
The One Square Inch is said to be the quietest place in the United States. It emphasizes an Olympic National Park policy called Soundscape Management.
Basically, the only sounds permitted at this spot just off the Hoh River Trail, 3.2 miles from the Hoh River Visitor Center, are those made by Mother Nature. It's a silly idea, especially when the Hoh River Valley echoes with the roar of commercial and military jets.
To get to the One Square Inch of Silence, follow the Hoh River Trail upstream for 3.2 miles. Save for one short, easy climb over a hill, the trail is flat as a soccer field.
When you pass Mount Tom Creek Meadows, you turn off the trail and wade into the rainforest. The exact location and directions to the spot are provided on the Website, onesquareinch.org.
These days, hikers of all shapes and sizes walk Olympic trails with speakers blazing tunes. Some talk so loudly along the crowded trails like Sol Duc Falls that you can hear them over the rushing and schussing of the river.
It seems like the sounds of nature aren't adequate for hikers who would rather listen to manmade noise, and I don't begrudge them that. It's just that I'd like to see them keep it to themselves, especially when they're playing noise that my snobbish preference for classical music rejects.
On the other hand, some national parks encourage hikers to make noise. At Glacier National Park, for example, it's not frowned upon to give a shout or whistle now and then to discourage grizzly bears from eating you.
Anyway, that would do me little good because I couldn't hear the bear coming to get me.


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text:
Rocket Car Ball - Download & Play The Fun Sports Driving Game for Free
Rocket Car Ball
Words Mobile
Adventure Games, Arcade Games, Ball Games, Boy Games, Casual Games, Fun Games, Girl Games, Kids Games, Racing Games, Simulation Games, Sports Games, Strategy Games
Do you love soccer, both watching and playing? How about watching or participating in a demolition derby where cars try to destroy each other? What do you think would happen if you combine both soccer and demolition derby? Well, you'd get Rocket Car Ball. It's a sports action-driving game where you get to drive cars and shoot rockets at other vehicles. But that's not all you will have to do.
Your overall goal is to shoot the gigantic ball towards the goal post using your car. That's right! You will play soccer using vehicles. But you can also destroy other cars which will again try to ram the giant ball towards your goal post and win for their team. It's an exciting game to play that you will enjoy. But how do you play this game? Check out the step-by-step guide below.
How to Play Rocket Car Ball?
You can choose to play Rocket Car Ball in Story Mode, Quick Play, or League. Regardless of the game mode, the gameplay would be similar. It's three vehicles against three vehicles inside a caged arena, and the objective is to score more goals than the opponents.
Please take note that the match will start with each team in front of their goal. A giant ball will be dropped in the middle. Both teams will try to go for the ball to see who can push it first towards the enemy's goal post. You can shoot your weapon towards the enemy to lessen their health. If you happen to hit them again, you will kill them and put them out of commission for a short while, providing your team with a slight advantage.
Moreover, just like in real soccer, the game will have two halves that will have 1 minute and 30 seconds each (depending on the match that you are playing). That's the time that you will have to score goals. You need to ram or shoot the ball to make it move. It sounds easy, but it will be a bit challenging first since you can't have full control over the ball.
Lastly, the team with the most goals at the end of the match will win. You can upgrade your weapons and vehicles or even get new ones to help you perform better during the game.
You can see from the guide that this game is very simple and easy to learn, but also a bit challenging to master. It's an exciting game to play, and you won't regret downloading it. But what else does Rocket Car Ball have to offer? Let's check out its main features.
Rocket Car Ball Features
Numerous weapons and vehicles are available to use! .
Realistic 3D graphics to enhance your gaming experience.
Various game modes to enjoy.
Try out heavy weapons including missiles!
Free to play and download.
Download Rocket Car Ball on PC
Play Rocket Car Ball
your Rocket Car Ball installation.
Games Like Rocket Car Ball
Toca Kitchen 2 Casual Games
Stick Fight Action Games
Avakin Life – 3D virtual world Adventure Games
ZombsRoyale.io – 2D Battle Royale Action Games
Dancing Ballz Arcade Games
Exos Heroes: A Quick Review and Basic Game Guide
Asphalt 9: The Pay to Win Controversy
Basic Guide To Weapons & Battlesuits in Honkai Impact 3

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Mining operations, coal-fired plants, and other sources of mercury pollution worldwide have led to the deposition of the neurotoxic metal in the Arctic. The chemical mechanism behind this deposition is not completely understood.
Environmental scientists' prevailing hypothesis is that Hg from man-made and natural sources travels through the atmosphere and collects in the Arctic primarily as Hg2+ that falls in rain and snow.
A study now finds that the primary source of the pollution is absorption of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0) from the atmosphere, not Hg2+ from precipitation (Nature 2017, DOI: 10.1038/nature22997). Hg0 is more stable and lasts longer in the atmosphere, making it more subject to long-range transport, whereas Hg2+ is more reactive and shorter-lived in the atmosphere. The findings have implications for policies to reduce Hg pollution in Arctic ecosystems, which contaminates plants, fish, and mammals that native peoples rely on as food.
In the study, a team led by Daniel Obrist of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and the Desert Research Institute measured Hg levels in air, snow, plants, and soil at Toolik Field Station in northern Alaska and other sites for two years. They found that Hg0 accounted for about 70% of total Hg deposition in the ecosystem, with Hg2+ only a minor contributor.
The study shows that Hg0 accumulates in the tundra all year but to a greater extent in summer, when plants take up additional amounts directly from the atmosphere. The researchers also determined that Hg levels in Arctic soil are up to five times as high as levels in temperate regions. This is likely because warmer temperatures tend to release Hg from plants and soil and return it to the atmosphere.


text:
Blattner Energy takes top U.S. solar EPC spot in 2016 (with chart)
IHS Markit's latest assessment of U.S. solar contractors finds that Blattner outpaced First Solar to take the top spot in 2016.
March 15, 2017 Christian Roselund
Image: Blattner Energy
2016 was a banner year for solar in the United States, with around 15 GW installed according to the estimates of various market analysts. This was particularly true for large solar, with IHS Markit estimating that the utility-scale and commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors made up 80% of market volume.
This boom has also been good to construction companies, whose workers put in long hours to get all of that solar online. Today IHS Markit has released its annual rankings of solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors, finding that Blattner Energy came out of relative obscurity to take the top spot. The Minnesota-based contractor was followed closely by First Solar, which was the top solar EPC in 2015. Swinerton Renewable Energy came in third, as it did in 2015.
"2016 was Blattner's breakout year in PV, capitalizing on strong relationships with leading developers and independent power producers like NextEra Energy," IHS Markit North America Solar Analyst Camron Barati told pv magazine.
IHS Markit notes that Blattner did well in the Western United States, including California and New Mexico, and was also highly active in Georgia. The firm notes that the top four EPCs all installed over 1 GW each during the year.
Among the top five First Solar is the only solar-specific EPC, as all of the others are construction firms that have gotten into solar as one of several businesses. This may be part of a long-term trend.
First Solar's future construction work is expected to slow, as the company has stated that it is reducing its emphasis on development and EPC work to focus on manufacturing, including the move to its large-format Series 6 module. Additionally, SunPower fell out of the top five in 2016, after coming in second in 2015.
IHS has also observed that average project sizes are falling in 2017 from 2016, but expects them to rise again next year.
Christian Roselund
Christian Roselund served as US editor at pv magazine from 2014 to 2019. Prior to this he covered global solar policy, markets and technology for Solar Server, and has written about renewable energy for CleanTechnica, German Energy Transition, Truthout, The Guardian (UK), and IEEE Spectrum.
More articles from Christian Roselund


"In order to serve our customers more efficiently, we constantly invest in both quality of service and advanced information technology solutions. We were first to offer the automated leasing system for car leases to our partners which allows concluding car lease contracts at the point of sales, and from now on the updated and automated loan origination management process will allow us granting consumer credits to costumers much faster. In the nearest future, the same system will allow to automate processes relating to issue of other types of credits provided by the Bank", - said Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Šiaulių Bankas, Head of Business Development Division Daiva Šorienė.
This system is part of a coherent update of the credit systems of Šiaulių Bankas. The loan origination management system of Šiaulių Bankas was developed and implemented by the financial technology company ETRONIKA.
"By implementing advanced solutions and automating part of the processes, the credit issuance time for the customers will be reduced and the efficiency of the activity will significantly improve. For example, the credit process management system is designed to allow even less experienced users to develop complex processes and prepare the required forms for issuing credit, and the entire history of the actions and changes made by the users will be stored, so the process can be easily audited, "- stressed Arnoldas Jankūnas, Director of ETRONIKA UAB.


text:
The Feast in the house : A handsome actor made his coming out
Juan Pablo Di Pace has decided to speak openly about his sexuality and has publicly made his coming out on the occasion of an invitation to a TedX conference Talks. In the video, uploaded on YouTube on June 29, 2019, we may hear him speak with sincerity and emotion.
Although invited in march last to speak, the intervention of Juan Pablo Di Pace has therefore been revealed that, in June and the period has not been chosen by chance since it corresponds to the Pride parade, pride LGBT to the four corners of the world. In the video, titled The Story of Your Life, the actor and singer of argentina has spoken of his homosexuality from childhood to his first steps in show business, actant the moment where he finally understood that he could assume when he took the role of Jesus in A. D. The Bible Continuous on NBC.
"Of all the people in the world who could play this role, it is to me that they have given. So, here I am, hanging from a cross, in Morocco, and I looked at the sky and I thought : 'You could me down with lightning a lightning strike. Are you sure that you want it to be me who plays your son ?' Instead, I felt an immense wave of love and acceptance and freedom that I can't convey with words. A message from God ? Perhaps", he recounted.
And the hunk to explain that before getting to that point as a young teenager he refused to accept to be gay. "To be accepted by the others, it was this that made me feed and, as an agreement, I did everything for. I even thought that if I could change the gay in me, I will be accepted", he added.
Juan Pablo Di Pace has embodied the character of Petros in the film Mamma Mia ! and played on the small screen in the series for teens or Physical Chemistry but also, and particularly in the Feast in The house : 20 years after (Fuller House in English, on Netflix), in which he plays Fernando.


At Performance Portfolio Management, we feel that as business partners it is our obligation to provide the greatest value possible. That's why our trained staff goes beyond just collecting past due balances. Our team is trained to not only collect what's past due, but also collect on what remains 'in contract'. Additionally, we recognize that now more than ever, your clients have a variety of gym/fitness/health club options within a very short distance. It is our goal and our 'firm but friendly' approach which allows us to collect what's due but also retain your client for a continued revenue stream. That's the difference between a collection agency and a business partner. That's the PPM difference.


The facility is focused on, but not limited to, wheat breeding. Researchers are using state-of-the-art techniques, such as di-haploid production, to develop wheat varieties that are superior in yield and have a genetic tolerance to diseases (specifically Fusarium head blight).
The building itself has been designed to make use of the newest technology. A thermalization cabinet allows plants to be grown at 3°C to simulate winter. In another growing chamber, LEDs, which give off a red-blue light, are used to mimic sunlight and speed up plant growth. They provide a more uniform dispersal of light throughout the room than traditional fluorescent lights.
Four seed varieties have been named finalists in the eighth annual Seed of the Year competition for eastern Canada, sponsored by the University of Guelph and SeCan.
Divident VL Orchard Grass, ExRico Beans, OAC Bayfield and DH 410 are the 2012 finalists.
These varieties, along with their breeders, will be honoured at the eastern Canada Seed of the Year recognition event at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto in November. The winner will be announced at that time. The event will be open to industry professionals, plant breeders, media and farming community members.
Through the Seed of the Year application process, breeders are encouraged to highlight their research accomplishments in developing a new field crop, forage, fruit, vegetable or herb variety. Any publicly developed Canadian variety is eligible to compete. Entries were evaluated based on innovation, presence throughout the value chain, sustainability, marketability and overall impact on the Canadian agri-food industry.
Bayer CropScience has announced that it has signed an agreement to purchase AgraQuest, Inc. for US$ 425 million plus milestone payments. The acquisition is subject to approval by the relevant authorities.
AgraQuest, headquartered in Davis, California, is a global supplier of innovative biological pest management solutions based on natural micro-organisms. This acquisition will enable Bayer CropScience to build a leading technology platform for green products and to strengthen its strategically important fruits and vegetables business, while also opening new opportunities in other crops and markets.
The company's current product portfolio includes product brands such as Serenade®, Rhapsody®, Sonata® and Ballad® fungicides and Requiem® insecticides, which provide effective disease and pest control and will complement Bayer CropScience's product offering.


Posted by sarcozona on April 3, 2018 . No comments.
Posted by sarcozona on October 15, 2015 . No comments.
And universities are bragging about it. This is a flyer for a heavily advertised co-op program within my university.


I talk to many small business owners who don't bother spending much time on updating their website. So why have a website if it doesn't give you business?
Maybe your main business is from referrals. You're very lucky.
So, let's see what we can do about your website. Let's find out why it's not performing well. The two main reasons are: (a) it can't be found easily online and/or (b) it has a very high bounce rate, meaning visitors don't hang around to see what you offer.
You haven't updated it or added new services for months.
You (wrongly!) assumed potential clients would find you once your website was complete, so you haven't done any more since.
You assumed that your web service supplier had carried out SEO on your new website – it's often not the case.
You don't have a blog – the best way to add content.
The wording and look of the site does not encourage potential clients to call you.
You do not have a CTA (call to action) on every page.
You don't make it clear right at the start what you offer.
You don't make it easy to navigate.
You use lots of boring blocks of test without headings and images.
You haven't added new blog posts, using new keywords.
You are putting too many services or products on the same page – this confuses Google.
You haven't done keyword research to find the best ones to use. Use a keyword research tool.
Your SEO meta headings and descriptions for each page are poor (they all need to be 'green'.
You don't use your area keywords (ie: your local town name) in your SEO. Your potential clients will probably use these in a search.
There are literally 100s of other possible reasons, some are very technical. However, it you apply the ones above, you will notice a difference in your website traffic, and hopefully even result in enquiries.
If all this baffles you and you need professional help, just ask me! Call Sue on 01825 761890.


The achievements of our alumni are of special significance to us because they reflect not only on their accomplishments but also on this Department. We want to keep in touch with you and have provided a contact page for your convenience.
The Alumni Hall of Fame are alumni who have been identified by their peers and by the faculty of the Department as having demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in their chosen career.


These are the top ten most wildly popular Phil Factor posts of 2017 based on views. If you missed them the first time, just click the title. They're new to you!
10. Dear Women, We Are Not Them: Considering the public outrage over virtually every famous man being a creep and predator, I'm surprised this one didn't get even more views.
9. Do Drugs, Not Hugs: My humorous ode to those that aren't fans of physical contact with mere acquaintances. There's a poll at the end of this one. You should go vote.
8. Dear Donald Trump,: Mr. Trump didn't ask for my advice, but I gave it to him anyway. This one got a ton of shares to other social media.
7. Want a Million Dollars? Make Your Bed (and other things that will make you rich): Is there something to be learned from the habits of the uber wealthy and my sarcastic comments about them?
6. Facebook People vs. Twitter People: Is there really a difference, or do we act differently on different social media?
5. Blogger Stereotypes: Are You One? Are you as original as you think? Maybe not.
4. My Psychic Predictions for 2017: I got a couple right and some were near misses that might still pan out. Come back on Saturday for my Earth shattering psychic predictions for 2018!
3. Music Monday! The Strangest Thing I've Ever Seen on A Music Stage: This one completely surprised me. I posted a video of Judas Priest's Rob Halford singing with #Babymetal, an unusual Japanese heavy metal act, and the next day I had, for about a week, the most popular blog in Japan.
2. Me and Billie Joe Armstrong: My musical story from childhood until now. And in spite of the brilliant writing, not even an e-mail yet from the frontman of "God's favorite band".
1. People Are Stupid, So Why Should It Be …: My frustration with a lot of stupidity in the world. Based on this posts popularity, either a lot of people love Depeche Mode, or they love to hate.
This entry was posted in Current Events, Humor, Music, pop culture, Top Ten and tagged 2017 psychic predictions, Babymetal, Facebook vs. Twitter, humor, letter to Donald Trump, The Phil Factor, Top Ten, Top Ten Tuesday. Bookmark the permalink.
All beauties, each and every one!
All were entertaining. But always like the predictions.
The snakes in the can one haunts me to this day!
You didn't like me before?


Hollie was a wonderful, vibrant four-year-old who wanted to get as much done as she possibly could every day of her short life.
It all started in early 2002. Hollie had a very bad attack of the chicken pox – you couldn't put a pin between them. She never really regained full health after that, suffering from throat infections and sore lips.
The last outing Hollie ever had was on July 6, 2002. It was her auntie's wedding and she was a bridesmaid and was thrilled with the ringlets she had had put in her hair for the occasion. She did her best to enjoy the day, but she was visibly tired and subdued.
Two days later her throat was swollen, her mouth blistered and she was generally very poorly. Hollie was taken to the doctor's twice that week. On the first visit we were told she had a virus and on the second, Hollie's mum, Debbie, insisted on a blood test. She was booked in for one two days later.
Two hours after the blood test Debbie received a call from the doctor telling her to get Hollie to the hospital immediately because she had leukaemia. We were all devastated and in total shock.
Over the following three weeks Hollie got progressively worse. The treatment was going wrong and hospital staff couldn't understand why. The blood test that confirmed Hollie's leukaemia was taken on July 15. Hollie passed away on August 11, 2002, aged four years, seven months and 22 days.
She suffered two massive brain haemorrhages after having an allergic reaction to her chemotherapy which had resulted in all her organs closing down, one by one.
Just two months after having lost Hollie, I had organised our first fundraising for the Hollie Leukaemia Research Appeal. It was very hard, but I did it with the help of family and friends.
So many people have helped us. In February 2005 the International Mediums of Psychic Private Eyes on TV, Colin Fry and Tony Stockwell, donated one of their shows to Hollie's charity. They gave us £12,000 and an extra £717 was collected in buckets as people were leaving.
Colin and Tony have continued to support us. To date The Hollie O'Brien Leukaemia Research Appeal has donated over £27,000 to Children with Cancer UK. I continue to look for new ways of raising money in Hollie's memory.


text:
std::string Utility::getExecutablePath(){
    char buf[BUF_SIZE];
    if(GetModuleFileNameA(NULL, buf, BUF_SIZE) != 0){
        std::string s1 = buf;
        return s1.substr(0, s1.find_last_of("\\/")) + '\\';
    }
    throw std::runtime_error("Error when extracting the path to your .exe file.");
}

#elif __linux__

#include <unistd.h>

std::string Utility::getExecutablePath(){
    char buf[BUF_SIZE];
    if(readlink("/proc/self/exe", buf, sizeof(buf)) != -1){
        std::string s1 = buf;
        return s1.substr(0, s1.find_last_of("\\/")) + '/';
    }
    throw std::runtime_error("Error when extracting the path to your executable.");
}

#elif __APPLE__

#include <mach-o/dyld.h>

std::string Utility::getExecutablePath(){
    char buf[BUF_SIZE];
    uint32_t bufSize = sizeof(buf);
    if(_NSGetExecutablePath(buf, &bufSize) != -1){
        std::string s1 = buf;
        return s1.substr(0, s1.find_last_of("\\/")) + '/';
    }
    throw std::runtime_error("Error when extracting the path to your executable.");
}

#else
#error The operating system is not supported!
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Press and Information Division
PRESS RELEASE No 70/02
Opinion of Advocate General Geelhoed in Case C-491/01
The Queen v Secretary of State for Health, ex parte British American Tobacco (Investments) Ltd and Imperial Tobacco Ltd
THE ADVOCATE GENERAL PROPOSES THAT THE COURT OF JUSTICE RULE THAT THE DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF 5 JUNE 2001 CONCERNING THE MANUFACTURE, PRESENTATION AND SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS IS VALID
According to Advocate General Geelhoed, the Community legislature is empowered, on grounds of the harmonisation of the internal market, to adopt rules governing the manufacture of cigarettes even where that manufacture takes place for the purpose of exporting cigarettes from the European Union.
The Court of Justice has been requested for the second time to rule on an EC directive designed to counter tobacco consumption. After annulling the directive on tobacco advertising on 5 October 2000, 1 the Court is now being called on to examine Directive 2001/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2001, which imposes new requirements on the composition and designation of cigarettes. In regard to composition, the maximum permitted yields for tar are reduced, while maximum yields for nicotine and carbon monoxide are laid down for the first time at EU level. Concerning designation, two obligations are central to the Directive: the warnings which must be carried on cigarette packets are made more severe and must cover a significantly larger portion of packets, while at the same time the use of what are known as "descriptors", such as "light" and "mild", is prohibited. Such descriptors tend to suggest that a particular tobacco product is less harmful than others.
A major new element in the Directive is the fact that in every case the requirements as to composition apply not only to tobacco products placed on the market within the EU itself but also to tobacco products exported to non-member countries. Implementation of the Directive in Member States' national legislation must be completed by 30 September 2002. There is an extension of a further year in the case of the ban on descriptors.
On 3 September 2001 British American Tobacco (Investments) Ltd and Imperial Tobacco Ltd, who are British manufacturers of tobacco products operating on an international scale, brought proceedings before the High Court of Justice (Administrative Court) challenging the intention and/or obligation of the United Kingdom Government to transpose the Directive into national law.
The High Court of Justice (Administrative Court) requested the Court of Justice of the European Communities in December 2001 to deliver a preliminary ruling on the validity of the Directive. 2 The following questions are central to this case:
* Can a measure be based on the Community law relating to harmonisation of the internal market if that measure: (a) seeks to guarantee the protection of public health and: (b) relates to the manufacture of products intended for export to non-member countries?
* To what extent is the Community legislature empowered under the EC law on the common commercial policy to impose restrictions on exports of specified products to non-member countries in the context of the risks to public health which those products present?
* Is the measure appropriate and does no other - less intrusive - measure exist which might provide equally good protection for public health ( principle of proportionality)?
The Advocate General delivers his Opinion in this case today. It is the function of the Advocates General, acting in complete independence, to propose a legal solution in a specific dispute. Opinions of the Advocates General are not binding on the Court.
Advocate General Geelhoed first points to the particular character of the case, inasmuch as the Court is being called on for the first time to rule on the admissibility of preliminary questions on the validity of a directive which have been raised by affected parties in proceedings before a national court before the directive has been implemented in national legislation. The Advocate General takes the view that the Court has jurisdiction even during the implementation phase.
I Harmonisation of the internal market
A. Protection of public health:
The Community legislature has the power to adopt harmonisation measures which have as their object the establishment and functioning of the internal market. Should a (potential) barrier to trade arise, the Community must be in a position to take appropriate action. The purpose of such a measure is in this regard not material. The measure may follow from the desire to protect public health.
The Advocate General reasons in this regard as follows:
- barriers to trade frequently arise through action taken by a national legislature for the purpose of protecting a public interest recognised by Community law, such as public health;
- it must be possible in such a case for the Community legislature to intervene by taking over the protection of that public interest from the national legislature. The EC Treaty in some instances imposes an obligation to act in this regard;
- this assumption of the task by the Community legislature may not result in less protection being afforded to the matter of public interest (in this case, combating tobacco consumption).
To summarise: were the Community legislature not to exercise its power to harmonise rules in the area of public health, an important instrument for the realisation of the internal market would thereby be rendered ineffective. Indeed, it is frequently the justified national measures intended to protect public health that create barriers to trade.
Once a barrier has been confirmed, the Court must determine whether the measure in fact relates to a matter of public interest recognised by Community law and whether the action taken by the Community legislature is appropriate for contributing to the removal of that barrier.
In the case of Directive 2001/37 - which seeks to counter smoking and to that end regulates the trade in cigarettes - this appraisal leads to a positive result, according to Advocate General Geelhoed. In the absence of action by the Community legislature, it may quite reasonably be assumed that different national legislative authorities would themselves take action, thereby giving rise to divergent legislation within the European Union and thus also creating trade barriers.
B. Manufacture for purposes of exportation to non-member countries:
According to Advocate General Geelhoed, the Community legislature is empowered, on grounds of harmonisation of the internal market, to adopt rules on the manufacture of cigarettes even where such manufacture takes place for the purpose of exporting cigarettes from the European Union.
In this he bases himself on the reasons given by the Community legislature, in particular the desire to prevent the regulation of the internal market from being undermined. It was, he states, clear from the proceedings in the case before the Court that the legislature was concerned about the illegal re-importation of cigarettes which do not satisfy the norms imposed by the Directive and also wished to prevent cigarettes from being directly placed illegally on the market within the European Union.
In the view of Advocate General Geelhoed, the Community legislature is authorised to act in such a situation subject to the following conditions:
* The damage which circumvention may have on the effect of the measure must be serious. In other words, there must be an appreciable distortion of the internal market.
* The damage can reasonably be avoided only if there is a guarantee that all Member States are acting in uniformity. In other words, if there is divergence of national implementing provisions and practices, or at least a real risk that national provisions will diverge, it will not be sufficiently certain that genuinely effective action can also be taken against circumvention. Trade will then transfer to those Member States having the least stringent rules.
* The lack of supplementary rules results in disproportionately heavy charges for implementation and enforcement.
The Advocate General assesses the seriousness of potential damage by estimating the risk that an illicit market may be created. Cigarettes are a stimulant and represent for that reason an element of excitement for smokers. This is particularly the case with regard to young smokers, to whom the anti-smoking policy is in large measure addressed. In such a situation it is entirely reasonable to assume that an illegal market will be established in cigarettes that are banned within the European Union but which can be obtained outside it. The illegal nature may in itself mean that the product concerned will find a market.
II The common commercial policy
Given that the Community legislature was not certain that internal market harmonisation could also serve as a legal basis for regulating cigarettes intended for export from the European Union, the Treaty provision governing the common commercial policy was added as a legal basis for this specific aspect of the Directive.
Advocate General Geelhoed begins by stating that the competence of the Community legislature within the area of the common commercial policy may be exercised for a measure that is primarily designed to protect public health. In this sense, this competence of the Community legislature is nothing other than the competence in regard to the internal market. This is certainly the case in regard to a measure such as Directive 2001/37 opposing the exportation of cigarettes of inferior quality that are banned on the internal market.
However: in that case the addition of this legal basis fails under the principle that reasons must be given. The only reason that the Community legislature gives is that application of the Directive to exports is intended to ensure that the internal market provisions are not undermined. That is not an objective of the common commercial policy.
Advocate General Geelhoed concludes that the Treaty provision governing the common commercial policy was incorrectly included as a legal basis for the Directive. The Community law on harmonisation of the internal market can serve as a legal basis for the applicability of the Directive to the manufacture of cigarettes regardless of their intended destination. That legal basis can thus support the entire Directive. According to the Advocate General, this will not result in invalidity of the Directive as, even after the second legal basis falls, a sufficient legal basis still subsists.
III The principle of proportionality
In regard to the choice of a measure, this principle asks whether the measure is appropriate and whether it is true to say that no other - less intrusive - measure exists which would provide equally good protection for public health. Advocate General Geelhoed answers those questions in the affirmative. He examines in particular the proportionality of two special elements of the Directive: the production ban (in connection with applicability to exports) and the prohibition of the use of descriptors such as "light" and "mild".
For Advocate General Geelhoed it is evident that a production ban is necessary in order to attain the objective pursued by the measure. He points out the following:
* there is a plausible risk that an illegal market will develop, whether through re- importation or through the fact that products are brought directly on to the illegal market;
* action at Community level is required to counter this. Unilateral national measures are ineffective for purposes of control;
* unilateral national measures also result in significant distortion of the internal market.
So far as descriptors are concerned, Advocate General Geelhoed attaches conclusive significance to the fact that the ban applies to a limited number of common designations which may cause confusion among consumers, particularly in regard to the harmfulness of the product. Relevant in this regard, according to the Advocate General, is the serious doubt as to whether a change by consumers to cigarettes having a lower tar yield is beneficial in health terms.
Unofficial document for media use only; not binding on the Court of First Instance.
Available in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
For the full text of the Opinion, please consult our Internet page
www.curia.eu.int at approximately 3pm today.
For further information please contact Reinier van Winden:
Tel: (00 352) 4303 3355; Fax: (00 352) 4303 2731
1 - Judgment in Case C-376/98 Germany v Parliament and Council [2000] ECR I-8419. 2 - Observations have been submitted to the Court by the British manufacturers, Japan Tobacco, the European Parliament, the Council and Commission, and by the Governments of Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Sweden.


text:
\section{Introduction}
\label{intro}

Based on the correspondence of string theory in anti-de Sitter (AdS)
space and conformal field theory (CFT) in physical
space-time~\cite{Maldacena:1997re}, a class of AdS/QCD approaches
was recently successfully developed for describing the phenomenology
of hadronic properties. In order to break conformal invariance and
incorporate confinement in the infrared (IR) region two alternative
AdS/QCD backgrounds have been suggested in the literature: the
``hard-wall'' approach~\cite{Hard_wall1}, based on
the introduction of an IR brane cutoff in the fifth dimension, and
the ``soft-wall'' approach~\cite{Soft_wall1}, based on
using a soft cutoff. This last procedure can be introduced in the
following ways: i) as a background field (dilaton) in the overall
exponential of the action, ii) in the warping factor of the AdS
metric, iii) in the effective potential of the action. These methods
are in principle equivalent to each other due to a redefinition of
the bulk field involving the dilaton field or by a
redefinition of the effective potential.
In the literature there exist detailed discussions of the sign
of the dilaton profile in the dilaton exponential
$\exp(\pm\varphi)$~\cite{Soft_wall1,Soft_wall2a,Soft_wall2b
SWminus,SWplus} for the soft-wall model (for a discussion of the
sign of the dilaton in the warping factor of the AdS metric see
Refs.~\cite{Soft_wall3a}). The negative sign was suggested in
Ref.~\cite{Soft_wall1} and recently discussed in Ref.~\cite{SWplus}.
It leads to a Regge-like behavior of the meson spectrum, including a
straightforward extension to fields of higher spin~$J$. Also, in
Ref.~\cite{SWplus} it was shown that this choice of the dilaton sign
guarantees the absence of a spurious massless scalar mode in the
vector channel of the soft-wall model. We stress that alternative
versions of this model with a positive sign are also possible. One
should just redefine the bulk field $S(x,z)$ as
$S(x,z) = e^{\varphi(z)} \, \tilde S(x,z)$,
where the transformed field corresponds to the dilaton with an opposite
profile. It is clear that the underlying action changes, and extra
potential terms are generated depending on the dilaton field
(see detailed discussion in~\cite{Gutsche:2011vb}).
Here we present a summary of recent results:
meson mass spectrum and decay constants of light and heavy mesons,
baryon masses, nucleon electromagnetic form factors and generalized parton
distributions~\cite{Gutsche:2011vb}-\cite{Soft_wall9}.
Our starting point are the
effective $(d+1)$ dimensional actions formulated in AdS space
in terms of boson or fermion bulk fields, which serve as holographic
images of mesons and baryons.

\section{Approach}

Our starting point are the
effective $(d+1)$ dimensional actions formulated in AdS space
in terms of boson or fermion bulk fields, which serve as holographic
images of mesons and baryons. For illustration we consider the
simplest actions --- for scalar fields
($J=0$)~\cite{Soft_wall8}-\cite{Soft_wall5}
\eq
S_0 = \frac{1}{2} \int d^dx dz \sqrt{g} e^{-\varphi(z)}
\biggl[ g^{MN} \partial_M S(x,z) \partial_N S(x,z)
- \Big(\mu_S^2 + \Delta V_0(z)\Big) \, S^2(x,z) \biggr] \,.
\en
and $J=1/2$ fermions~\cite{Abidin:2009hr,Soft_wall9}:
\eq
S_{1/2} &=&  \int d^dx dz \, \sqrt{g} \, e^{-\varphi(z)} \,
\biggl[ \frac{i}{2} \bar\Psi(x,z) \epsilon_a^M \Gamma^a
{\cal D}_M \Psi(x,z) - \frac{i}{2} ({\cal D}_M\Psi(x,z))^\dagger \Gamma^0
\epsilon_a^M \Gamma^a \Psi(x,z) \nonumber\\
&-& \bar\Psi(x,z) \Big(\mu_\Psi + \varphi(z)/R)\Big)\Psi(x,z)\biggr] \,,
\en
where $S$ and $\Psi$ are the scalar and fermion bulk fields,
${\cal D}_M$ is the covariant derivative acting on the fermion field,
$\Gamma^a=(\gamma^\mu, - i\gamma^5)$ are the Dirac matrices,
$\varphi(z) = \kappa^2 z^2$ is the dilaton field, $R$ is the AdS radius,
$\Delta V_0(z)$ is the dilaton potential.
$\mu_S$ and $\mu_\Psi$ are the masses of scalar and fermion bulk fields
defined as $\mu_S^2 R^2 = \Delta_M (\Delta_M - d)$ and
$\mu_\Psi R = \Delta_B - d/2$. Here
$\Delta_M = \tau_M = 2 + L$ and $\Delta_B = \tau_B + 1/2 = 7/2 + L$
are the dimensions of scalar and fermion fields, which due to
the QCD/gravity correspondence are related to the scaling dimensions
(twists $\tau_M, \tau_B$) of the corresponding interpolating operators,
where $L = {\rm max} \, | L_z |$~\cite{Soft_wall2a} is the maximal
value of the $z$-component of the quark orbital angular momentum
in the LF wavefunction or the minimum of the orbital angular momentum
of the corresponding hadron.
These actions give information about the propagation of bulk fields
inside AdS space (bulk-to-bulk propagators), from inside
to the boundary of the AdS space (bulk-to-boundary propagators)
and bound state solutions - profiles of the Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes in
extra-dimension, which correspond to the hadronic wave functions
in impact space. We suppose a free propagation
of the bulk field along the $d$ Poincar\'e coordinates with four-momentum
$p$, and a constrained propagation along the $(d+1)$-th coordinate $z$
(due to confinement imposed by the dilaton field).
In particular, it was shown~\cite{Soft_wall2a}
that the extra-dimensional coordinate $z$ corresponds
to the light-front impact variable. It was also shown~\cite{SWplus}
that in case of the scattering problem the sign of the dilaton profile is
important to fulfill certain model-independent constraints.
But we recently showed~\cite{Gutsche:2011vb} that in case of the
bound state problem the sign of the dilaton profile is irrelevant,
if the action is properly set up. Moreover, in solving the bound-state
problem, it is more convenient to move the dilaton field from the exponential
prefactor to the effective potential~\cite{Soft_wall2a,Gutsche:2011vb}.
Then we use a KK expansion for the bulk fields factorizing
the dependence on $d$ Poincar\'e coordinates $x$ and the holographic
variable $z$. E.g. in case of scalar field it is given by
$S(x,z) = \sum_n \ S_n(x) \ \Phi_{n}(z)$,
where $n$ is the radial quantum number, $S_n(x)$
is the tower of the KK modes dual to
scalar mesons and $\Phi_n$ are their extra-dimensional profiles
(wave-functions) satisfying the Schr\"odinger-type equation with
the potential depending on the dilaton field.
Then using the obtained wave functions $\Phi_n$ we calculate matrix elements
describing hadronic processes.

\section{Results}

We present the results of our calculations for mesonic decay
constants (Table 1), the meson spectrum (Tables 2 and 3)~\cite{Soft_wall8}
and the baryon spectrum (Tables 4 and 5).
A detailed analysis of nucleon helicity-independent generalized parton
distributions (GPDs) $H_{v}^{q}$ and $E_{v}^{q}$~\cite{Soft_wall9} is
discussed.
Note, by construction we reproduce the power scaling of nucleon
electromagnetic (EM) form factors at large
$Q^2$~\cite{Abidin:2009hr,Soft_wall9}:
\eq
F_{1}^p(Q^2) &=& C_{1}(Q^2) + \eta_{p} C_{2}(Q^2)\,,\nonumber\\
F_{2}^p(Q^2) &=& \eta_{p} C_{3}(Q^2)\,,\nonumber\\
& &\\
F_{1}^n(Q^2) &=& \eta_{n} C_{2}(Q^2)\,,\nonumber\\
F_{2}^n(Q^2) &=& \eta_{n} C_{3}(Q^2), \nonumber
\en
where $Q^{2} = - t$. The $C_i$ functions, defining the Dirac and Pauli
factors, are given by:
\eq
C_1(Q^2) &=& \frac{a+6}{(a+1)(a+2)(a+3)} \,, \nonumber\\
C_2(Q^2) &=& \frac{2a (2a-1)}{(a+1)(a+2)(a+3)(a+4)} \,, \\
C_3(Q^2) &=& \frac{12 m_N \sqrt{2}}{\kappa} \,
\frac{1}{(a+1)(a+2)(a+3)} \,, \nonumber
\en
where $a = Q^2/(4\kappa^2)$. Note that we obtain the correct
scaling behavior of the nucleon form factors at large $Q^2$,
$F_1^{p,n} \sim 1/Q^4$ and $F_2^{p,n} \sim 1/Q^6$.

Our predictions for
the EM radii compare well with data:
\eq
& &\la r^2_E \ra^p =
0.91 \ {\rm fm}^2 \ {\rm (our)}\,,
\
0.77\ {\rm fm}^2 \ {\rm (data)}\, ; \
\la r^2_E \ra^n =
- 0.12 \ {\rm fm}^2 \ {\rm (our)}\,, \
- 0.12 \ {\rm fm}^2 \ {\rm (data)}\,, \nonumber\\
& &\la r^2_M \ra^p = 0.85 \ {\rm fm}^2 \ {\rm (our)}\,,
\
0.73 \ {\rm fm}^2 \ {\rm (data)}\, ; \
\la r^2_M \ra^n =  0.88 \ {\rm fm}^2 \ {\rm (our)}\,,
\
0.76 \ {\rm fm}^2 \ {\rm (data)}\,. \nonumber
\en
In the following we discuss in detail our results for GPDs, which
are related to the electromagnetic form factors via
sum rules~\cite{Ji:1996nm,Radyushkin:1997ki}.
In particular, in momentum space $H_{v}^{q}$ and $E_{v}^{q}$ are given by
\eq
H_{v}^{q}(x,Q^2) &=& q(x) \, x^a \,,
\label{HqAdS}\\
E_{v}^{q}(x,Q^2) &=& e^q(x) \, x^a \,.
\label{EqAdS}
\en
Here $q(x)$ and $e^q(x)$ are distribution functions given by:
\eq
q(x)   = \alpha^q \gamma_{1}(x) + \beta^q \gamma_{2}(x)\,, \quad
e^q(x) = \beta^q \gamma_{3}(x)\,,
\en
where the flavor couplings $\alpha^q, \beta^q$
and functions $\gamma_i(x)$ are written as
\eq
\alpha^u = 2\,, \ \alpha^d = 1\,, \
\beta^u = 2 \eta_{p} + \eta_{n} \,, \
\beta^d = \eta_{p} + 2 \eta_{n} \,
\en
and
\eq
\gamma_{1}(x) &=&
\frac{1}{2} (5 - 8x + 3x^{2})\,, \nonumber\\
\gamma_{2}(x) &=& 1 - 10x + 21x^{2} - 12x^{3} \,,
\label{gamma} \\
\gamma_{3}(x) &=&
\frac{6 m_N \sqrt{2}}{\kappa} (1 - x)^{2} \,. \nonumber
\en
The parameters are $\kappa = 350$ MeV, $\eta_{p} = 0.224$,
$\eta_{n} = -0.239$, which were
fixed in order to reproduce the mass $m_N = 2\kappa \sqrt{2}$ and
the anomalous magnetic moments of the nucleon
$k_p = \mu_p - 1 = 1.791$ and $k_n = \mu_n = - 1.913$. The plots of
the GPDs in momentum space are presented in Fig.1.

Another interesting aspect to consider are the nucleon GPDs
in impact space. As shown in~\cite{Burkardt:2000za},
the GPDs in momentum space are related to the impact parameter
dependent parton distributions by a Fourier transform.
GPDs in impact space give access to
the distribution of partons in the transverse plane, which is
quite important for understanding the nucleon structure.
Soft-wall AdS/QCD gives the following predictions for
the impact space properties of nucleons:
\eq
q(x,\bfb) &=& q(x) \frac{\kappa^2}{\pi\log(1/x)}
e^{- \frac{\bfb^2\kappa^2}{\log(1/x)}} \,, \nonumber\\
e^q(x,\bfb) &=& e^q(x) \frac{\kappa^2}{\pi\log(1/x)}
e^{- \frac{\bfb^2\kappa^2}{\log(1/x)}} \,, \nonumber\\
\rho_E^N(\bfb) &=& \frac{\kappa^2}{\pi}
\sum\limits_{q} e_q^N \int\limits_0^1 \frac{dx}{\log(1/x)}
q(x) e^{- \frac{\bfb^2\kappa^2}{\log(1/x)}} \,, \nonumber\\
\rho_M^N(\bfb) &=& \frac{\kappa^2}{\pi}
\sum\limits_{q} e_q^N \int\limits_0^1 \frac{dx}{\log(1/x)}
e^q(x) e^{- \frac{\bfb^2\kappa^2}{\log(1/x)}} \,, \nonumber\\
\la R_\perp^2(x) \ra_q &=& \frac{\log(1/x)}{\kappa^2} \,, \nonumber\\
\la R_\perp^2\ra_q &=& \frac{1}{\kappa^2}
\biggl( \frac{5}{3} + \frac{\beta^q}{12 \alpha^q} \biggr) \,.
\en
Fig.3 shows some examples of $q(x,\bfb)$ and in Fig.4
we plot $\rho_E^N(\bfb)$ and $\rho_M^N(\bfb)$ for proton and neutron.
For the transverse rms radius of $u-$ and $d-$quark GPDs we get
similar values:
\eq
\la R_\perp^2\ra_u = 0.527 \ {\rm fm}^2\,, \quad
\la R_\perp^2\ra_d = 0.524 \ {\rm fm}^2\,.
\en
One should stress that the obtained nucleon GPDs both in momentum and
impact spaces correspond to the so-called ``Gaussian ansatz'' and
are consistent with general predictions for their asymptotic
behavior for $x \to 0$ or $x \to 1$ and $Q^2 \to 0$ or
$Q^2 \to \infty$. The plots of GPDs in impact space are given in~Fig.2.

\begin{center}

Table 1. Decay constants $f_P$ (MeV) of pseudoscalar mesons

\vspace*{.25cm}

\def\arraystretch{1.1}
\begin{tabular}{|l|c|c|}
\hline
Meson &Data & Our \\ \hline
$\pi^-$& $130.4\pm 0.03 \pm 0.2$ & 131 \\
$K^-$ & $156.1\pm 0.2 \pm 0.8$ & 155 \\
$D^+$ & $206.7 \pm 8.9$ & 167 \\
$D_s^+$ & $257.5\pm6.1$ & 170 \\
$B^-$&$193\pm11$ & 139 \\
$B_s^0$&$253 \pm 8 \pm 7$ & 144 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\newpage

\begin{center}

Table 2. Masses of light mesons in MeV

\vspace*{.2cm}

\def\arraystretch{1.1}
\begin{tabular}{|l|c|c|c|l|l|l|l|}
\hline
Meson&$n$&$L$&$S$&\multicolumn{4}{c|}{Mass} \\
\hline
$\pi$&0&0,1,2,3&0&$ 140$&$ 1355$ & $1777$&$2099$ \\
$\pi$&0,1,2,3&0&0&$140$&$1355$&$1777$&$2099$ \\
$K$& 0&0,1,2,3&$\;0\;$&$496$&$1505$&$1901$ & $2207$ \\
$f_0[\bar n n]$&0,1,2,3&1&1&$1114$&$1600$&$1952$&$2244$ \\
$f_0[\bar s  s]$&0,1,2,3&1&1&$1304$&$1762$&$2093$&$2372$ \\
$a_0(980)$&0,1,2,3&1&1&$1114$&$1600$&$1952$&$2372$ \\
$\rho(770)$&0,1,2,3&0&1&$804$&$1565$&$1942$&$2240$ \\
$\phi(1020)$ &0,1,2,3&0&1&$1019$&$1818$&$2170$&$2447$ \\
$a_1(1260)$&0,1,2,3&1&1&$1358$&$1779$&$2101$&$2375$ \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\vspace*{.1cm}

\begin{center}

Table 3. Masses of heavy-light mesons in MeV

\vspace*{.2cm}

\def\arraystretch{1.1}
\begin{tabular}{|l|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
Meson&$J^{\rm P}$&$n$&$L$&$S$&\multicolumn{4}{c|}{Mass} \\
\hline
$D(1870)$&$0^{-}$&0&0,1,2,3         &0& 1857 & 2435 & 2696 & 2905 \\
$D^{\ast}(2010)$&$1^{-}$&0&0,1,2,3  &1& 2015 & 2547 & 2797 & 3000 \\
$D_s(1969)$&$0^{-}$&0&0,1,2,3       &0& 1963 & 2621 & 2883 & 3085 \\
$D^{\ast}_s(2107)$&$1^{-}$&0&0,1,2,3&1& 2113 & 2725 & 2977 & 3173 \\
$B(5279)$&$0^{-}$&0&0,1,2,3         &0& 5279 & 5791 & 5964 & 6089 \\
$B^{\ast}(5325)$&$1^{-}$&0&0,1,2,3  &1& 5336 & 5843 & 6015 & 6139 \\
$B_s(5366)$&$0^{-}$&0&0,1,2,3       &0& 5360 & 5941 & 6124 & 6250 \\
$B^{\ast}_s(5413)$&$1^{-}$&0&0,1,2,3&1& 5416 & 5992 & 6173 & 6298 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\vspace*{.1cm}

\begin{center}
Table 4. Masses of light baryons in MeV

\vspace*{.2cm}

\def\arraystretch{1.1}
    \begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}
      \hline
      Baryon & Our results & Data    \\
\hline
        $N$    &    939  & 939                   \\
  $\Lambda$    &   1114  & 1116                  \\
  $\Sigma $    &   1180  & 1189                  \\
  $\Xi    $    &   1328  & 1322                  \\
  $\Delta $    &   1232  & 1232                  \\
  $\Sigma^\ast$&   1381  & 1385                  \\
  $\Xi^\ast$   &   1533  & 1530                  \\
  $\Omega $    &   1688  & 1672                  \\
      \hline
    \end{tabular}
\end{center}

\vspace*{.1cm}

\begin{center}
Table 5. Masses of $N$ and $\Delta$ families in MeV

\vspace*{.2cm}

\def\arraystretch{1.1}
\begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}
      \hline
      Baryon & Our results & Data \\
\hline
$N_{1/2^+}(939)$  &  939  & 939                   \\
$N_{1/2^+}(1440)$ &  1372 & $1440^{+30}_{-20}$   \\
$N_{1/2^+}(1710)$ &  1698 & $1710 \pm 30$        \\
$N_{1/2^+}(1880)$ &  1970 &                    \\
$N_{1/2^+}(2100)$ &  2209 &                    \\
$\Delta_{3/2^+}(1232)$ &  1232 & $1232$   \\
$\Delta_{3/2^+}(1600)$ &  1587 & $1600^{+100}_{-50}$   \\
$\Delta_{3/2^+}(1920)$ &  1876 & $1920^{+50}_{-20}$   \\
      \hline
    \end{tabular}
\end{center}

\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[scale=0.7,angle=0]{fig1a.eps}
\includegraphics[scale=0.7,angle=0]{fig1b.eps} \\
\includegraphics[scale=0.7,angle=0]{fig2a.eps}
\includegraphics[scale=0.7,angle=0]{fig2b.eps}
\caption{Nucleon helicity-independent GPDs in momentum space}
\end{center}

\vspace*{.5cm}

\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{cc}
    \includegraphics[scale=0.45,angle=0]{figGPDu.ps} &
    \includegraphics[scale=0.45,angle=0]{figGPDum.ps} \\
    \includegraphics[scale=0.45,angle=0]{figGPDd.ps} &
    \includegraphics[scale=0.45,angle=0]{figGPDdm.ps}
\end{tabular}
\caption{Nucleon helicity-independent GPDs in impact space.
Plots for $q(x,\bfb)$ for $x = 0.1$:
$u(x,\bfb)$ - upper pannels, $d(x,\bfb)$ - lower pannels}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

\newpage

\section{Conclusion}
We present a summary of recent results obtained in a soft-wall model
based on the gauge/gravity duality:
meson mass spectrum and decay constants of light and heavy mesons,
baryon masses, nucleon electromagnetic form factors and generalized
parton distributions.

\vspace*{1cm}

{\large\bf Acknowledgements}

\vspace*{.5cm}

The authors thank Stan Brodsky and Guy de T\'eramond for useful discussions
and remarks. This work was supported by Federal Targeted Program ``Scientific
and scientific-pedagogical personnel of innovative Russia''
Contract No. 02.740.11.0238, by FONDECYT (Chile) under Grant No. 1100287.
A.V. acknowledges the financial support from FONDECYT (Chile)
Grant No. 3100028.
V.E.L. would like to thank Departamento de F\'\i sica y Centro
Cient\'\i fico Tecnol\'ogico de Valpara\'\i so (CCTVal), Universidad
T\'ecnica Federico Santa Mar\'\i a, Valpara\'\i so, Chile for warm
hospitality.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Comic-Con Museum to induct Wonder Woman into Character Hall of Fame
by: City News Service
Posted: Oct 21, 2021 / 12:32 PM PDT / Updated: Oct 21, 2021 / 03:01 PM PDT
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – In celebration of Wonder Woman's "incredible impact" on popular culture over her 80 years, the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park will Thursday induct The DC Comics character into the Comic-Con Museum Character Hall of Fame.
The virtual event will go live at 4 p.m.
Rare corpse flower bloom expected in days at San Diego Botanic Garden
Brian Laundrie's remains found in Florida, attorney says
Larry Millete expected in court Thursday
SD Loyal clinch first postseason berth in team history
"The virtual event will be chock-full of all the things that make Wonder Woman the fan-favorite icon she is," said David Glanzer, spokesman for San Diego Comic Convention, the parent organization of the Comic-Con Museum. "The induction is also a celebration featuring some very special guests, a look at her history and some wonderfully emotional remembrances."
Winter weather outlook: Here's what to expect in SoCal as La Niña emerges
Wonder Woman joins past inductees, the caped crusader of justice — Batman — and the beloved ghost-gobbling icon, PAC-MAN.
"Wonder Woman is one of the most enduring feminist icons in fiction, who has paved the way for countless others that have followed in her Amazonian footsteps," a museum statement read.
Copyright 2021, City News Service, Inc.


text:
Sobarocephala albitarsis är en tvåvingeart som beskrevs av Leander Czerny 1929. Sobarocephala albitarsis ingår i släktet Sobarocephala och familjen träflugor.

Artens utbredningsområde är Paraguay. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Träflugor
albitarsis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Enthusiastic Artist: I got an award!
A short while back I received a pay-it-forward award from another Zentangle afficianado and blogger, RevByrd. How delightful! Thank you! Unfortunately, it's taken me a while to get around to sharing it.
2. Award 15 of your own awards to favorite or recently discovered blogs and let them know you nominated them. Then they get to give out their own awards.
3. Share seven interesting things about yourself that people may not already know about you.
Finally, here are seven things that many of you probably don't yet know about me.
I'm a big Calvin and Hobbes fan. The dialogue is delightful and the artwork superb. In most comics, you get either one or the other (or maybe neither!). Bill Watterson is the man!
I'm a fairly good swimmer, and swam a mile years ago. It had to be done in under 45 minutes; it took me 42.5. I still swim for fun and exercise.
In the time period that my husband and I refer to as "B.C." - Before Chloë (our eldest) - I took a course in travel agency procedures and realized that I'd rather go there than plan trips for other people!
I'm a good person to have around in an emergency. I go on auto-pilot and simply know what needs to be done, and do it.
I generally prefer vegetables to fruit.
I'm overweight, but unfortunately would rather draw at my desk than go to the pool!
I think I have the best kids on the planet, but then, I'm their mum.
Congrats on your award. Learning 7 new things about you was cool. We have number 6 in common. :-) Have a lovely day and you deserve an award.
Congrats, Margaret! Thanks for sharing your lovely art. It's a never ending source of inspiration for so many and I always look forward to your posts. AND thanks for including my on your list of faves!
Margaret, we've not met; however I too am a CZT (# XII). I love your blog, your art and your tidbits of wisdom I occasionally encounter all over the art part of the Internet! These days, when I see your Zentangle and ZIA pieces (other than on your website) I usually know they are yours before I see your name attached! I love that. :) I am so grateful that you are inclined to share your art as well as your thoughts. I always find inspiration here and I always include a link to your site in the short list of "must visits" I share with my students. So thank you!!!
And thanks for sharing my blog with your students. The more the merrier.


We have Ski and Snow Board equipment for all ages for hire as well as a range of useful equipment and other items for sale. You can book your Snowsport Tuition on line and at the same time, book your equipment . For groups we can transport the rented equipment to the Ski Slopes and if renting for more than one day the equipment can be left overnight at our Ski School located at Glenshee.
Click here for our on line booking system.


text:
Frost & Sullivan Awards Monitronics as Company of the Year
By Heather Klotz-Young
Just two days before the announcement that Ascent Media Corporation acquired Monitronics International Inc., Frost & Sullivan recognized Monitronics with the 2010 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Company of the Year. Based on its recent analysis of the alarm monitoring residential security market, Frost & Sullivan cited Monitronics' consistent growth based on its industry-leading qualities in the face of a global financial crisis and downturn in the security industry as the crowning achievement for this recognition.
"Monitronics has been able to overcome critical factors such as cost, scalability, coverage, and jamming issues," said Frost & Sullivan senior research analyst Neelima Sagar. "The company's key differentiators are flexibility, reliability, enhanced customer service and responsiveness."
The company's revenues grew from $207.7 million in 2008 to $234.4 million in 2009, a growth rate of 12.5 percent. The company expects to report continued strong sales growth and to increase its international reach and strengthen its position as the leader in the security market. The company's most recent endeavor is the False Alarm Control Team (FACT), which targets false alarm reduction. Since its inception, the team has decreased false alarms by 16.8 percent.
"In the North American alarm monitoring market, fast response time, excellent customer service, and stringent quality are the primary factors that decide a company's success," says Mitch Clarke, vice president of marketing at Monitronics. "Monitronics has gained a keen understanding of customers' needs and has found an effective and efficient method to support more customers and grow the business."
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated great growth strategies and implementation. The award lauds the recipient's innovation in business processes, products and/or technologies to garner leadership in customer value and market penetration.
KEYWORDS: growth Monitronics
Heather is the Senior Editor of SDM Magazine. She can be reached at (630) 962-0096 or klotz-youngh@bnpmedia.com.
Frost & Sullivan Names Company of the Year for Alarm Monitoring
Ontic Earns Frost & Sullivan's 2022 Global Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award
Ambiq Wins IoT Semiconductor Company of the Year Award in 2021 IoT Breakthrough Awards Program
Solving Cyber Risk: Protecting Your Company and Society
The Complete Guide to Physical Security
Risk Analysis and the Security Survey, 4th Edition
PropTech and the Future of the Hybrid Work Model
ON DEMAND: Is your office space ready for the future?
The Housing Company
The Housing Co. products are 100% made in the U.S. and include injection molded polycarbonate housings for card readers, intercom and camera installations & steel/aluminum gooseneck pedestals. Specifically designed for use in parking entry, perimeter security & gated entries. Housings never dent, rust or impede RF signals.


text:
<?php
	class Model_DbTable_Decisions_Pr_Units extends Zend_Db_Table{
		protected $_name = 'decision_production_units';

		function add($parameters, $game_id=null, $company_id=null, $round_number=null){
			$front = Zend_Controller_Front::getInstance();
			if ($game_id==null){
				$game=$front->getParam('activeGame');
				$game_id=$game['id'];
			}
			if ($company_id==null){
				$company=$front->getParam('activeCompany');
				$company_id=$company['id'];
			}
			if ($round_number==null){
				$round=$front->getParam('activeRound');
				$round_number=$round['round_number'];
			}
			$productionData=$parameters['production_units'];
			$factory_number=1;
			while (isset($productionData['factory_number_'.$factory_number])){
				$production_factory=$productionData['factory_number_'.$factory_number];
				$product_number=1;
				while (isset($production_factory['product_'.$product_number])){
					$production_product=$production_factory['product_'.$product_number];
					$channel_number=1;
					while (isset($production_product['channel_'.$channel_number])){
						$production_channel=$production_product['channel_'.$channel_number];
						$region_number=1;
						while (isset($production_channel['region_'.$region_number])){
							$units=$production_channel['region_'.$region_number];
							self::insert(array('game_id'=>$game_id, 'company_id' => $company_id, 'round_number' => $round_number, 'factory_number' => $factory_number, 'product_number' => $product_number, 'channel_number'=>$channel_number, 'region_number'=>$region_number, 'production_units'=>$units));
							$region_number++;
						}
						$channel_number++;
					}
					$product_number++;
				}
				$factory_number++;
			}
		}

		function updateDecision($parameters, $game_id=null, $company_id=null, $round_number=null){
			$front = Zend_Controller_Front::getInstance();
			if ($game_id==null){
				$game=$front->getParam('activeGame');
				$game_id=$game['id'];
			}
			if ($company_id==null){
				$company=$front->getParam('activeCompany');
				$company_id=$company['id'];
			}
			if ($round_number==null){
				$round=$front->getParam('activeRound');
				$round_number=$round['round_number'];
			}
			$productionData=$parameters['production_units'];
			$factory_number=1;
			while (isset($productionData['factory_number_'.$factory_number])){
				$production_factory=$productionData['factory_number_'.$factory_number];
				$product_number=1;
				if(($this->ExistsFactory($game_id, $company_id, $factory_number))==null){
					$this->add($parameters, $game_id, $company_id, $round_number);
				}
				else {
					while (isset($production_factory['product_'.$product_number])){
						$production_product=$production_factory['product_'.$product_number];
						$channel_number=1;
						while (isset($production_product['channel_'.$channel_number])){
							$production_channel=$production_product['channel_'.$channel_number];
							$region_number=1;
							while (isset($production_channel['region_'.$region_number])){
								$units=$production_channel['region_'.$region_number];
								self::update(array('production_units'=>$units), 'game_id = '.$game_id.' AND company_id = '.$company_id. ' AND round_number = '.$round_number. ' AND factory_number = '.$factory_number.' AND product_number = '.$product_number.' AND channel_number = '.$channel_number.' AND region_number = '.$region_number);

								$region_number++;
							}
							$channel_number++;
						}
						$product_number++;
					}
				}
				$factory_number++;
			}
		}
		function getActiveRoundLastDecisionSaved(){
			$front = Zend_Controller_Front::getInstance();
			$game=$front->getParam('activeGame');
			$company=$front->getParam('activeCompany');
			$round=$front->getParam('activeRound');
			$array=array();
			$decisions=$this->fetchAll('game_id = '.$game['id'].' AND company_id = '.$company['id'].
									   ' AND round_number = '.$round['round_number'],
									    array('factory_number ASC', 'product_number ASC', 'region_number ASC', 'channel_number ASC'));
			foreach ($decisions as $decision){
				$array['factory_number_'.$decision['factory_number']]
					  ['product_'.$decision['product_number']]
					  ['channel_'.$decision['channel_number']]
					  ['region_'.$decision['region_number']]=$decision['production_units'];
			}

			return $array;

		}
		function getDecision($game_id, $company_id, $round_number){
			$array=array();
			$decisions=$this->fetchAll('game_id = '.$game_id.
								   ' AND company_id = '.$company_id.
								   ' AND round_number = '.$round_number, array('factory_number ASC', 'product_number ASC', 'region_number ASC', 'channel_number ASC'));
			foreach ($decisions as $decision){
				$array['factory_number_'.$decision['factory_number']]
					  ['product_'.$decision['product_number']]
					  ['channel_'.$decision['channel_number']]
					  ['region_'.$decision['region_number']]=$decision['production_units'];
			}
			return $array;
		}
		function ExistsFactory($game_id, $company_id, $factory_number){
			$decisions=$this->fetchRow('game_id = '.$game_id.' AND company_id = '.$company_id.' AND factory_number = '.$factory_number);
			return $decisions;
		}
	}
?>


The hubby and I closed on our house yesterday! We are officially homeowners. Yesterday after we closed, we started cleaning house (washed walls, etc) and had a HUGE shopping spree at Lowe's. Then today he's has been there all day painting trim and cleaning more. I can't wait to move in. And I especially can't wait to start my garden! I'll be sure to document my garden experiences here.
So today is Thursday and I don't have work tomorrow because of Good Friday! Since tomorrow we're painting, cleaning, and picking up a washer and dryer that was donated to us (perfecting timing!), today I'm showing you items from Etsy that show my love for all things tea. Enjoy!


text:
Grant Reveals Rumour Eden & Erin From Love Island Have Split
Grant might not always be in the know when it comes to various facts about the world but it seems he's all caught up on the Love Island goss.
Love Island's Grant Crapp has been joining us in studio all week for a game we like to call 'Crapp Or Not?' where we test his general knowledge on random facts. We've asked him about things like the dinosaurs, various animals and even how Kyle and Jackie O met, but today Kyle decided to test Mr Crapp on something a bit closer to home.
And according to Grant, him and Tayla might not actually be the only couple from the Grand Final of Love Island Australia that haven't made it the distance…
"I heard this last night, tell me Crapp or not Crapp, Eden and Erin have broken up?" asked Kyle.
Eden and Erin were the only couple to meet on the first day of the reality television show and not recouple throughout the show. They fell fast and hard for each other, making their relationship official and even saying the 'L' word while the show was on air but now it seems like there's a possibility that our favourite pumpkin pies are no longer!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlfhcA4ne5L/
Grant seemed to think long and hard about what he said next so as not to cause any more problems for himself than he already has (you know with the whole secret girlfriend thing and lying to Tayla about it). Eventually he replied saying he'd heard this rumour too.
"That's some goss isn't it," said Grant nervously. "I've heard a few whispers but I can't confirm."
Grant went on to say though that Erin was supposed to be at an appearance that Grant was attending yesterday in Melbourne, which is Erin's hometown, but she never showed up. Whether this means anything or not is up to our own interpretation though.
"I was supposed to see Erin last night but she wasn't anywhere to be seen," continued Grant. "She was supposed to be there with me and Teddy but no show.
"I can't confirm it but there's rumours. John's heard the same thing as well, John James. We all heard it and I was like 'hmmm'."
After a sneaky stalk on Instagram we've found that both Erin and Eden have been posting pictures together as recently as a few days ago looking all loved up. So if they have split then they're definitely trying to keep it quiet!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlUnMMKHSjo/
Grant promised to find out some more information on this rumour for us and fill us in tomorrow when he's back in for another round of Crapp Or Not and we can tell ya we're waiting on the edge of our seats to find out what's going on here!
We seriously hope it's not true though because that would mean that two of the couples who actually fell in love on the show didn't stay together! Don't ask us why we're so invested in this show…we just are okay!
Erin and Eden's relationship got them all the way to the grand final of Love Island Australia's first season and they came runner up to Tayla and Grant. Since Tayla and Grant's split, fans have been saying that the winning money should be given to Eden and Erin seeing as they actually stayed together.
Listener Claims Charlie Goldsmith Has Healed Her Migraines
Spencer Pratt Is Talking With Mtv About The Hills Reboot
'I Still Love You' Grant Reads Out Texts To Tayla On Air
Love ISLAND: Post Breakup Grant Reveals His Biggest Weakness


text:
Q: How do I identify if my EarPods lightning are original? When I connect the EarPods purchased along with iPhone from suspect source I see this:

Is this not weird? Are they original or not?

A: The screenshots you have are identical to ones I have seen before with third party (non-original) minijack-to-Lightning adapters.
The EarPods that comes with an iPhone matches the iPhone. Therefore if you have an iPhone with just a Lightning connector, then your EarPods should have had a Lightning plug and not require an adapter.
This seems to indicate that the EarPods you have did not originally come with that iPhone. Whether they are are original or not is hard to say from the information given - it might be original EarPods with a non-original minijack to Lightning converter.

A: Based on the fact that the word Beats at the top of the 2nd image is misspelled I'd think it would be safe to say that the Earpods are not original.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


BAGHDAD — The U.S.-led military coalition in Syria has begun the process of withdrawing troops from Syria, a U.S. military official said Friday, declining to comment on specific timetables or movements.
"Out of concern for operational security, we will not discuss specific timelines, locations or troops movements," he said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.
Confirmation of the first withdrawals comes amid confusion over plans to implement President Donald Trump's pullout order and threats from Turkey to attack the Kurds, who have been America's partners on the ground in the war against the Islamic State group in Syria.
There are 2,000 American troops in Syria. Trump's abrupt decision in December to pull them, declaring in a tweet the defeat of IS, sent shockwaves across the region and led to the resignation of U.S. Defense Minister James Mattis and the top U.S. envoy to the anti-IS coalition. It also led to major criticism that the U.S. was abandoning its local Kurdish allies amid Turkish threats of an imminent attack.


The difference between a wigwam and a tepee is that a wigwam is a permanent structure and a tepee is portable. A wigwam, which is usually round-roofed or dome shaped, is covered with birch bark and sometimes packed with moss to provide added insulation from the winter cold. A tepee, which takes the conventional pyramid shape, is covered with animal skins which can easily be removed and packed.
What you are looking at here is a wigwam in the shape of a tepee. This photo was taken at the small Indian encampment near the fort. The participants recreate the lifestyle as authentically as possible.
The research these young people do and the effort they put forth to recreate an authentic 1815 campsite and fort is just remarkable. Certainly young children would find this interesting. Actually, I found it quite interesting, but wished I had had more time to visit Ft. William. The fort contains 42 buildings. It was a fur trading fort only–not a military outpost–and it was really interesting to how it was set up. Here, still in the Indian campsite outside of the fort, a young woman fries bread, one of the staples of the time. We were able to taste it as well. It had a mild, bland flavor, with the consistency of a firm biscuit.
Of particular interest to me was the apothecary. The apothecary did everything medical–provided drugs, remedies of all sorts, dental work, surgery–everything! It was quite interesting to hear him describe how he handled various ailments. He also showed us his surgical tools (not shown–just ask if you'd like to see the pic). He took the time to explain how a tooth was pulled and showed us the tools to do it. He also spent some time on the practice of bleeding patients, a common practice at the time. In fact, what I found interesting was that he recommended the practice for healthy people as well, noting that many women of the time underwent the procedure to maintain a pale complexion, which was considered desirable in those times.


text:
Q: Update table on the basis of multiple columns using grails domain I am trying to update one column in a table on the basis of multiple columns(in where clause) using grails domain.
My domain class is as follows:
class Objectattributestrans  {
    String id
       String attrvalue // 50
  // String transid // 50
   int attribid
   static mapping = {
          id column: 'trans_id'  //['transid', 'attribid']
          table name: 'object_attributes_trans'
          attrvalue column: 'value'
          attribid column:'oa_attrib_id'
          version  false
          }

   static constraints = {
          attribid blank:false, nullable:false
          id blank:false, nullable:false
          attrvalue maxSize: 50, nullable:true
   }

}
and I am using this domain as follows for update:
 Objectattributestrans.findAllByIdAndAttribid(transacId, queryKey).each {

         it.attrvalue = updateVal.toString()
         it.save(flush:true) ; // this will perform "update"

 }

But,whatever the query is building is given below.
update object_attributes_trans set oa_attrib_id=?, value=? where trans_id=?
But,I want the update statement as
update object_attributes_trans set value=? where trans_id=? and oa_attrib_id=?
How can I do this using above domain?
Thanks.

A: Your code sample is a bit unclear.  I can't quite tell if you have a compound primary key.
That aside, when using a dynamic finder (findAllBy...) as you have in your example, GORM/Hibernate will retrieve a collection of all matching objects. If you then loop through them, updating each and calling save(), GORM/Hibernate will issue an UPDATE statement for each object.  The UPDATE statements will reference only the primary key(s) / id field(s) rather than your original criteria.
It would be more efficient (and closer to what you are after?) to use a where query along with updateAll or a similar HQL statement.
1) Using a where query
def query = Objectattributestrans.where {
    transid == myTransid && attribid == myAttribid
}
int total = query.updateAll(attrvalue: updateVal)

2) Hibernate HQL method (note that this will not work with non-RDBMS data stores for which HQL support does not exist)
Objectattributestrans.executeUpdate(
    "update Objectattributestrans o set o.attrvalue = :newAttrvalue " +
    "where o.transid = :transid and o.attribid = :attribid",
    [newAttrvalue: updateVal, transid: myTransid, attribid: myAttribid])


The jamband Umphrey's McGee underwent a change in lighting designers in the last 9-10 months, from Adam Budney to Jeff Waful. Adam has moved on to pursue other interests, and Jeff has taken on the task of lighting Umphrey's. Music mag Glide Magazine's Hidden Track section posted some images of their performance at NYC's Nokia Theatre a little while ago – I'm just catching up on a whole bunch of stuff after my month-long trip to Columbus – these shots are great. I'd watch for Jeff Waful – his stuff is looking interesting.


Hello, and happy Friday. (also, happy February, finally!) It's that time, once again, where I join the cool kids and write inspired by the Five Minute Friday prompt, linking up over at the FMF site.
Drafty old home, snow blown landscape on the outside, pear scented and filled with photos on the inside. This house I live in looks like mine, it sometimes feels like mine, but other times it feels like one more facade to pretend this life is a life that it is not.
For years I was told, well before the inauthenticity of social media was on trend, that my life was a projection of playing house. Not a real mom. Not a real marriage. Not a real ____________. Playing house- pretend. It did not feel like that then, deep in the trenches of adoptive parenting, broken hearts and trying to bleed my best into everything, only to fail miserably time and again, ending up bled dry.
Today though, surrounded by photos of moments I both remember and do not, silence filling these "empty nest" walls far more than sound- I feel like the accusations were more right and I was just the fool who was last to see it. Attempting to work through an issue I have been so overwhelmed with regarding my motherhood, one of my kids assured me that my kids don't have to be a part of my life to keep me a mother, and if I were to die they would surely come to my funeral.
Two months later I am still not sure how to take those words, but I can honestly say the only validated the fear that it was nothing more than a role I overcommitted to, and now the show has run its course. Finito, curtain closed.
This is where I am at. It is brutal and unwelcoming, like the icy snow winds outside of this home. A life's pursuit of motherhood feels like a forced journey that collectively those involved feel I should not have taken, but I did and now I am lost.
Where does that leave me? I don't know.
But truthfully speaking, plain and simple, this is where I am.
Sometimes I feel like I'm pretending, too. Strong, honest essay.
And…congratulations. Your dog inspired a sonnet.
Eleanor's your dog, you say?
for him, and each try blundered.
except that she'd prefer a Chevy.
LOVE LOVE LOVE it! You're the best! Elenor approves!


Searching for the perfect back to school top?! The ~Comfy in Ruffles Top~ is just for you!! Features a lightweight, soft material with a flowy bust & body, a round neckline, and ruffle hemming along the sleeves and bottom of the shirt. Style this top with denim jeans for the perfect look!


What if nature had the rights of a person?
An anthropologist at University of Colorado, Denver.
In recent years, the US supreme court has solidified the concept of corporate personhood. Following rulings in such cases as Hobby Lobby and Citizens United, US law has established that companies are, like people, entitled to certain rights and protections.
But that's not the only instance of extending legal rights to nonhuman entities. New Zealand took a radically different approach in 2014 with the Te Urewera Act which granted an 821-square-mile forest the legal status of a person. The forest is sacred to the Tūhoe people, an indigenous group of the Maori. For them Te Urewera is an ancient and ancestral homeland that breathes life into their culture. The forest is also a living ancestor. The Te Urewera Act concludes that "Te Urewera has an identity in and of itself" and thus must be its own entity with "all the rights, powers, duties, and liabilities of a legal person". Te Urewera holds title to itself.
A majestic mountain sits not far north-west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Like a low triangle, with long gentle slopes, Mount Taylor is clothed in rich forests that appear a velvety charcoal-blue from the distance. Its bald summit, more than 11,000 feet high, is often blanketed in snow – a reminder of the blessing of water, when seen from the blazing desert below.
Over millennia they migrated across the south-west, with important medicine societies and clans living around Mount Taylor. After settling in their current pueblo homes, Zunis returned to this sacred mountain to hunt animals like deer and bear, harvest wild plants like acorns and cattails, and gather minerals used in sacrosanct rituals that keep the universe in order. Across the generations Dewankwin Kyaba:chu Yalanne has come to shape Zuni history, life and identity no less than the Vatican has for Catholics.
There is a stereotype that Native American peoples have a singular connection to nature. And yet in my experience, they do see the world in a fundamentally different way from most people I know. Whether it is mountains, rivers, rocks, animals, plants, stars or weather, they see the natural world as living and breathing, deeply relational, even at times all-knowing and transcendent.
During one project with the Hopi tribe, we came across a rattlesnake coiled near an ancient fallen pueblo. "Long ago, one of them ancestors lived here and turned into a rattlesnake," the elder Raleigh H Puhuyaoma Sr shared with me, pointing to the nearby archaeological site. "It's now protecting the place." The elders left an offering of cornmeal to the snake. An elder later told me that it soon rained on his cornfield, a result from this spiritual exchange.
Understanding these cultural worldviews matters greatly in discussions over protecting places in nature. The American west has a long history of battles over the control of land. We've seen this recently from the Bundy family's takeover of the federal wildlife refuge in Oregon to the current fight over turning Bears Ears – 1.9 million acres of wilderness – into a national monument in Utah.
Much of my research has involved documenting sacred places because they are being threatened by development projects on public land. The Zuni's sacred Mount Taylor, much of it managed by the US National Forest Service, has been extensively mined for uranium, and is the cause of violent disputes over whether it should be developed or protected.
Even though the US does not legally recognize natural places as people, some legal protections exist for sacred places. Under the National Historic Preservation Act, for example, the US government must take into consideration the potential impacts of certain development projects on "traditional cultural properties".
This and other federal heritage laws, however, provide tribes with a small voice in the process, little power, and rarely lead to preservation. More to the point, these laws reduce what tribes see as living places to "properties", obscuring their inherent spiritual value.
In the US and elsewhere, I believe we can do better to align our legal system with the cultural expressions of the people it serves. For instance, Congress could amend the NHPA or the American Indian Religious Freedom Act to acknowledge the deep cultural connection between tribes and natural places, and afford better protections for sacred landscapes like New Mexico's Mount Taylor.
Navdanya, the organization founded and led by Vandana Shiva, is co organizing, along with multiple civil society organizations, the Monsanto Tribunal and People's Assembly to take place at The Hague from 14 to 16 October 2016. The Monsanto Tribunal will hold Monsanto accountable for their crimes against humanity, human rights violations and ecocide, in tandem with the People's Assembly, a gathering of leading movements and activists working to defend our ecosystem and food sovereignty, to lay out the effects of industrial agrochemicals on our lives, our soils, our atmosphere and climate. Over 800 organizations from around the world are supporting and participating in this process while over 100 people's assemblies and tribunals are being held across the world.
In the last century, giant agribusiness interests which came out of the war industry, have poisoned life and our ecosystem, are destroying our biodiversity and the lives of small farmers, appropriating their land, in an attempt to control and profit from these essentials for life on earth. The risks keep increasing as these multinationals diminish in number as a result of aggressive takeovers and mega-mergers – such is the case with the recent 66 billion Bayer-Monsanto merger. A merger which serves to further extend the control of these multinationals over agricultural and food production systems. There is only one way to translate this process: maximum focus on potential profit, and a minimal concern towards the environment, to the quality of our food, to consumers and to workers in the sector.
Large multinationals are lobbying democratically elected governments to take on neoliberal policies and international 'free' trade agreements such a TTIP and TPP: the race towards deregulation is an unprecedented attack on biodiversity and to life itself on Earth. Multinationals like Monsanto have already expanded their control over our seeds, our food and our freedom, depriving us of our basic human rights and our right to democracy. With patents and international property rights (IPRs) as their tools, they have established monopolies and threatened the rights of farmers and consumers.
Participating at the People's Assembly will be leading representatives of movements and associations, seed custodians, farmers and journalists from all over the world. The aim of the Assembly is to shine the light on crimes against nature and humanity of mega chemical and biotechnological industrial corporations which through patents on seed have opened the doors to the invasion of GMOs. Based on the ecocide and genocide of the past century, the Assembly will lay out the necessary actions for a future based on the rights of small farmers to save and exchange seed, on food sovereignty, on agroecology, the rights of consumers and workers in the sector, on the commons and a sharing economy, as well as on the rights of nature and a true Earth Democracy.
Speakers include: Vandana Shiva, Nnimmo Bassey, Andre Leu, Ronnie Cummins, Hans Herren, Dr. Eric Seralini, Percy Schmeiser, and others.


Four individuals who pleaded guilty to insider trading won a reprieve from a federal judge who vacated their earlier pleas and instead entered pleas of not guilty for them in a criminal insider trading case that stems from IBM's acquisition of statistical software maker SPSS, Inc. (SPSS). Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr. said in a three-page order that he was "swayed" by what some may call dicta in the Second Circuit's December 2014 Newman opinion, which he said implied that tipping liability is governed by the same standards no matter if it is based on the classical or misappropriation theories of insider trading (U.S. v. Conradt, January 22, 2014, Carter, A.).
Drive to settle Second Circuit law. Judge Carter said Newman was an effort by the Second Circuit to unify that circuit's insider trading law. Specifically, he pointed to one sentence from Newman equating the classical and misappropriation theories.
The Second Circuit in Newman had clarified that in order for the government to get a conviction in an insider trading case, it must prove that a tippee knew an insider disclosed confidential information and he did this for a personal benefit. Because the jury instruction in Newman failed to include this language, the court vacated the convictions won by the government against two hedge fund analysts. The Newman court also told the district court to dismiss the related indictments with prejudice on remand.
Early last week, the government offered its views on Newman's impact in its related insider trading case against another alleged IBM-SPSS trader, Benjamin Durant. According to prosecutors, Newman was a classical insider trading case and its excursions into the misappropriation theory of insider liability are unpersuasive here. Specifically, the government said Newman's one-sentence remark on the equivalence of classical and misappropriation cases added nothing to the elements for cases based on the misappropriation theory.
"It would be incorrect to read more into this one sentence than it can logically bear. Beyond merely restating clearly established law, it is also surely dicta inasmuch as it has no bearing on, and no connection with, Newman's twin holdings concerning the benefit standard, and the requisite knowledge of the benefit by a tippee, in the classical context," said prosecutors.
In essence, Judge Carter's observation here about Newman boiled down to a contest between Newman's dicta and dicta the judge cited in a footnote to his order vacating Thomas Conradt's, David Weishaus's, Trent Martin's, and Daryl Payton's guilty pleas. Judge Carter said in the footnote that Newman found the cases cited by the government there (i.e., arguing that Second Circuit misappropriation cases do not require a personal benefit to the tipper) were consistent with that court's contrary holdings. Judge Carter's footnote also said the government's reliance on the Second Circuit's Libera opinion was inapt because the First Circuit, in SEC v. Sargent, had read Libera's mention of a benefit not being required in misappropriation cases as being no more than dicta.
By contrast, Judge Carter said forceful dicta deserve great weight. "Accordingly, even assuming arguendo that the Government is correct that the cited language in Newman is dicta, it is not just any dicta, but emphatic dicta which must be given the utmost consideration." According to Judge Carter, the Newman "dicta" is forceful enough to vacate some guilty pleas made under pre-Newman Second Circuit law.
Judge signaled plea ruling. The government based its case against Conradt, Weishaus, Martin, Payton, and Durant on a chain of tippers and tippees that took root in the offices of a big New York City-based law firm. According to the government, an attorney known only as "Attorney-1" at that law firm, who also worked on the IBM-SPSS deal, allegedly tipped Martin, a research analyst at a financial services firm, that IBM was to make an above-market price offer to acquire SPSS.
Martin then told his friend and roommate, Conradt, about the IBM-SPSS deal. Conradt in turn let Weishaus, Payton, Durant, and someone identified in court filings only as "CC-1," a co-conspirator, of the impending acquisition. Durant, Payton, Weishaus, and CC-1 allegedly profited handsomely from their purchase of SPSS call options, while Martin and Conradt gained much less than the others from their purchases of SPSS common stock. All told, the defendants here made over $1 million from their trades.
Judge Carter's decision to vacate the four guilty pleas put an explanation point on a result that was much anticipated. Little more than a week after the Second Circuit issued its Newman opinion, the judge had indicated he was leaning towards vacating Conradt's, Weishaus's, Martin's and Payton's pleas. In yesterday's order, Judge Carter emphasized that federal criminal procedure rules imbue him with authority to vacate guilty pleas prior to entering a judgment, if the pleas lack a strong enough factual basis.
Government's next move in Newman. The government zealously argues that the Second Circuit got Newman wrong. As the government told Judge Carter in a January 12 brief, it believes the Second Circuit's opinion may deprive it of the ability to prosecute a large swath of insider trading cases and that the opinion runs counter to Supreme Court precedent. The government's latest arguments to Judge Carter also echo those of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara from the day the Second Circuit issued Newman.
"The decision affects only a subset of our recent cases, and in those cases—as in all our criminal cases—we investigated and prosecuted misconduct based on our good faith assessment and understanding of the facts and the law that existed at the time. We are still assessing the Court's decision, which appears in our view to narrow what has constituted illegal insider trading, and are considering our options for further appellate review," said Bharara last December.
The government recently won a 30-day extension of the time it has to decide if it will seek panel and en banc rehearing of the Newman case in the Second Circuit. The government was due to make its decision today. As of publication, the court's docket did not yet reflect prosecutors' next move in the Newmancase, but widely published reports said prosecutors have asked the Newman panel and the full Second Circuit to rethink the decision.
What's next for Durant. Judge Carter was to hold a status conference today on Durant's and Payton's motion to dismiss the indictment against them in the IBM-SPSS case. Durant pleaded not guilty in that case and had recently asked the court to dismiss the indictment against him in light of the Second Circuit'sNewman opinion. Durant had been set to go on trial February 23. As of publication, the court had not indicated the result of today's hearing.
The case is No. 12 Cr. 887.
Attorneys: Catherine L. Redlich (Driscoll & Redlich) for Thomas C. Conradt. Michael John Grudberg (Ballard Spahr LLP) for David J. Weishaus. Larry Howard Krantz (Krantz & Berman LLP) for Trent Martin. Peggy Cross-Goldenberg (Federal Defenders of New York Inc.) for Benjamin Durant. James Michael Roth (Stampur & Roth) and Lloyd Epstein (Epstein and Weil) for Daryl Payton. A. Damian Williams, United States Attorney's Office for the USA.
Companies: International Business Machines; SPSS, Inc.