text:
package h2o.jenkov.db;

import h2o.jenkov.db.impl.Daos;
import h2o.jenkov.db.itf.IDaos;
import h2o.jenkov.db.itf.PersistenceException;
import h2o.jenkov.db.scope.ScopingDataSource;

import javax.sql.DataSource;
import java.sql.Connection;
import java.sql.SQLException;

/**
 *
 * This class is the starting point of all Butterfly Persistence use. Many things are cached
 * inside the PersistenceManager, so you should reuse the same instance once you have created it. Assign it to a
 * constant, or make it a singleton, like this:
 *
 *

 *
 * public static final PERSISTENCE_MANAGER = new PersistenceManager();
 *
 *

 * IDaos       daos = PERSISTENCE_MANAGER.createDaos(connection);
 *
 *
 *
 *

 * The PersistenceManager instance
 * should be reused throughout the application lifetime. Each application should create it's own PersistenceManager
 * instance.
 *
 *

 * It is safe to share PersistenceManager instances if:

 * 1) The components sharing them are reading the same type of objects from the same database.

 * 2) The components sharing them are reading different types of objects from the same or different databases.

 *
 *
 * @author Jakob Jenkov - Copyright 2005 Jenkov Development
 */
public class PersistenceManager {

    private final DataSource dataSource;

    public PersistenceManager(DataSource dataSource){
        this.dataSource = dataSource;
    }

    public ScopingDataSource getScopingDataSource(){
        if(!(getDataSource() instanceof ScopingDataSource))
            throw new IllegalStateException("The DataSource set on the PersistenceManager is not a ScopingDataSource");

        return (ScopingDataSource) getDataSource();
    }

    /**
     * @return the DataSource used by this PersistenceManager .
     */
    public DataSource getDataSource(){
        return this.dataSource;
    }

    protected Connection getConnection() throws SQLException {
        return this.getDataSource().getConnection();
    }

    /** Creates an IDaos instance containing a connection obtained from the DataSource set on
     *         the configuration of this PersistenceManager.
     * @return An IDaos instance containing a connection obtained from the DataSource set on
     *         the configuration of this PersistenceManager.
     * @throws PersistenceException If opening the connection fails.
     */
    public IDaos createDaos() throws PersistenceException {
        try {
            return createDaos(this.getConnection());
        } catch (SQLException e) {
            throw new PersistenceException("Error creating IDaos instance", e);
        }
    }

    /** Creates an IDaos instance containing the connection passed as parameter.
     * @param  connection The Connection to use in the IDaos instance.
     * @return An IDaos instance containing the connection passed as parameter.
     */
    public IDaos createDaos(Connection connection){
        return new Daos(connection);
    }

}


A few weeks ago the well known virtualization expert and author Mike Laverick decided to offer for free its first book about VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) 1.0.
The 298-pages book is available online at Lulu (you pay only if you want a printed copy).
While it's true that VMware just released SRM 4.0 (which should be 2.0), the book is certainly worth a read, at least to have an independent point of view on the product before adopting it.
Administering VMware Site Recovery Manager covers everything about the implementation and has a couple of interesting additional chapters, the first one on the LeftHand Networks Virtual Storage Appliance (VSA), that Laverick used for his research, and the last one on how to do site recovery without VMware SRM.


Today, Jenna gives bFM listeners a taste of the music-y events that are happening at the Auckland Writers Festival.
This includes three sessions with Alex Ross, author of The Rest is Noise. Tama Waipara's songwriting series 'On Song', featuring musical guests Nadia Reid, Lawrence Arabia and Moana Maniapoto. We also talk about the Ockhams and The Listener Festival Gala.
Last night, Time Out toasted to our 30th birthday! It was especially special to have our two previous owners, founder Sue Lees & Joy Draper celebrating with us. Thank you for all of the publishers, sales reps, staff, fellow booksellers & customers that squished in our upstairs room to party with us.
You may see some dogs, you may see some dogs IN COSTUMES! (This is what we're hoping for anyway.) You may also see some dressed up staff...!
If you bring your dog to visit, they will receive a packet of Purina Dentalife treats.
#3. A GECKO PRESS WOLFY PACK IS TO BE WON!
To celebrate the NZ release of Grégoire Solotareff's Wolfy, we will give the best dressed dog this wonderful book prize from our friends Gecko Press.
We have a very limited number of Bookshop Day Tote Bags to give away with your book purchases. Get in early for these.
#5. Free 2 for 1 Movie Tickets!
We will announce the winners of our book review competition at 5pm. YOU CAN STILL ENTER!
There are so many new books in stock, we can barely fit them in. You can get signed copies of Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor, check our Lucinda in The New Zealand Cat, put your name down for the incoming Man Booker Winner Lincoln in the Bardo and perhaps start on on Christmas shopping?
This isn't actually very good news, but Saturday will be our wonderful Suri's last day before she travels to distant shores. Come in and say farewell.


text:
Wolf Creek Pass Developments
Travel Management Planning
Roadless Area Conservation
Threatened and Endangered Species
Rio Grande National Forest Management Plan
Indoor Air Quality Program
Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE)
Oil & Gas Development
Baca NWR/Lexam Corp
Rio Grande County
Huerfano / Dunes
LATN - Low Altitude Tactical Navigation
Alamosa Ranch
Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area
Antonito Trans-Waste Proposal
50th Wilderness Anniversary Celebrations
Endangered Landscape
Monument Expansion
Annual Review & Membership Letter
Waste Diversion Task Force News
Guess Who Funds Us? You Do!
$25.00 - Senior or Student
$50.00 - Individual
$75.00 - Supporter
$100.00 - Family
$150.00 - Vigilant Support
$250.00 - Sustainer
$500.00 - Primo Partner
$1,000.00 - Lifetime
Annual Reviews & Membership Letter
Recycle your Mattress
Conservation Groups Cheer Latest Court Decision Rejecting Village at Wolf Creek Land Exchange
Conservation Groups Cheer Court Decision Rejecting Village at Wolf Creek Land Exchange
Rio Grande National Forest Again Sides with Developer in Wolf Creek Access Issue
SLVEC Financials 2016-2017
RGNF Management Plan
Victory for the Canada Lynx
Village at Wolf Creek
Ski Area Expansion
Oil and Gas Development
50th Wilderness Anniversary Events and Programs
Alamosa, Colorado 81101
info@slvec.org
Home Projects Archived Oil & Gas Development Baca NWR/Lexam Corp
Baca National Wildlife Refuge/Lexam Explorations
Baca National Wildlife Refuge & proposed land exchange:
Situation: In 2006, Lexam, Inc. a Canadian Mining Company, filed an application to drill two 14,000 ft test wells on the newly created Baca National Wildlife Refuge (BNWR). SLVEC filed a lawsuit in May of 2007, which forced the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to undergo a NEPA process and provide a range of alternatives. In the spring of 2008, the FWS released anEnvironmental Assessment (EA) stating No Significant Impact of drilling. This decision was challenged by SLVEC with a Preliminary Injunction.
In 2011, SLVEC reached a settlement agreement with US Fish and Wildlife Service. The stipulated Agreement was filed just days after a request by Colorado Senator's Udall and Bennet, "to facilitate a discussion about buying out mineral rights in Baca National Wildlife Refuge to protect it from future drilling." The senators sent a letter asking Dan Ashe, the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for a meeting with stakeholders to explore potential solutions to conserving the refuge's natural resources." These actions have been supported by years of public outcry (28,000 responses) for buyout and will further efforts to work towards permanent protection of theBaca National Wildlife Refuge and adjacent public lands.
Although litigation had been focused on the Baca Wildlife Refuge, other federal landmanagement agencies have expressed interest in a broad mineral acquisition that would also protect the unique character of the Sand Dunes National Park and the National Forest Baca Mountain Tract, part of the 2000 Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve legislation.
In March 2012, Senator Udall's and Bennet office, regional and DC, brought together almost 30 representatives from various agencies and interested parties to facilitate a meeting. Present were: 4 representatives from US Fish and Wildlife, including the real estate office, 4 reps from National Park Service, including the new Superintendent, Forest Service real estate office, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District- SLV water users, 2 reps from Trust for Public Land, the Dept. of Interior office, Saguache County Commissioner, BLM's real estate office, SLVEC and Lexam's representatives from Toronto.
Lexam made an announcement. Understanding the financial constraints imposed on the federal government at this time, they offered a land exchange. Lexam already has anoperating gold mine in Nevada and would like to build a facility next to the mine, not to expand the mine, but to improve efficiency in operations. This property is currently owned by the BLM so Lexam is proposing a land exchange of that BLM property in exchange for divestiture of all their mineral rights within the San Luis Valley. This land exchange will require an act of congress since the mineral/land properties in question are contained within two different states. BLM was tasked to go back and discuss this proposal within various BLM and congressional offices. It appears to be a proposal worthy of consideration, but research will need to be conducted in coming months. The various interests left the meeting feeling cautiously optimistic.
Plan, Goals, and Objectives: Federal Mineral Rights acquisition within the San Luis Valley.
During negotiations in 2010, Lexam made an offer to sell their minerals rights for $8.3 million. Trust for Public Land (TPL) agreed to act as negotiator, with the original intention to facilitate purchase with private funding support until federalfunds could be appropriated to move all the rights into the public domain, and then retired. SLVEC secured funds and a Mineral Remoteness Report was developed and given to the Congressional Delegation, Public Land Managers, Water Users, Trust for Public Land and the Dept. of Interior in the fall of 2011.
SLVEC received commitment from a private source to fund a full mineral appraisal of Lexam's mineral rights when that becomes necessary and made that announcement as a point of negotiation at the March 1st meeting. In coming months,the Senatorial offices of Colorado and Nevada will meet to determine the feasibility of this land exchange and in the event of agreement, will prepare legislation to move it through congress. SLVEC will continue to mobilize public support for Mineral rights/BLM Land exchange. We believe that because there is a win/win interest to both the public and private sector, that it will not attract much controversy in congress.
Evaluation: Success will be achieved when serious negotiations are underway and legislation is drafted toexchange Nevada BLM land for the mineral rights under the former Baca Ranch, which includes the Wildlife Refuge, Great Sand Dunes National Park, and the Forest Service Baca Mountain Tract. he Baca National Wildlife Refuge is Colorado's largest and newest Refuge. Flanked by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve to the south, the BNWR spans approximately 92,500 acres. But this largely untouched refuge is under threat from oil and gas development.
After a multi-year battle to protect the water in the San Luis Valley aquifers, the BNWR was created by the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000. This legislation was the result of efforts by many local individuals and groups, including the Citizens for San Luis Valley Water, San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council and other conservation organizations, local governments in the SLV, state officials, local federal officials, and our Congressional delegation. The legislation included the expansion of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, the creation of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, and added additional acreage to the Rio Grande National Forest, known as the Baca Mountain Tract.
Over the course of the following four years, The Nature Conservancy acted as a broker in acquiring the additional lands for the Park, the Refuge, and the Forest. This included the purchase of the Baca Ranch for $33 million, then held by Farallon Corporation. At the time, the mineral rights had already been severed and sold to a third party, Lexam, and were not available for purchase. Farallon could only sell the surface and water rights that it held. It was important to purchase the surface and water rights in the Baca Ranch in a timely manner in order to acquire the property needed for federal designation, and in order to avoid losing the ranch to a third party. In September of 2004, land acquisitions had been finalized, and the official designation was signed by then Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton.
Because of the new lands that were acquired, the Great Sand Dunes National Park had begun the process of creating a General Management Plan late in 2003. The BNWR, due to funding constraints from the US Fish &Wildlife Service (FWS), was not scheduled to begin their own comprehensive management plan until 2011. Surveys of the land, including studies of flora and fauna and cultural resources, were delayed as well.
In December of 2006, Lexam Explorations, owner of the mineral rights under the BNWR, notified the FWS that they intended to drill two 14,000-foot deep exploratory oil & gas wells (see map). Since Lexam owned the mineral rights, and had a surface-use agreement in place that had been established with the previous owner, FWS took the position that they did not need to engage the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) over the issue, and that there was no need to solicit public comment.
Many citizens and environmental groups disagreed. In May of 2007, the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council filed a lawsuit asserting that the FWS had a duty to implement NEPA, and involve public process, to protect the public interest in the BNWR. The lawsuit established important safeguards for the refuge, and the FWS agreed to institute an Environmental Assessment (EA) before any exploratory drilling could begin.
Throughout the year of 2008, the EA process went forward. Over 47,000 comments were received from the public, including comments from many local entities that expressed concern over the fact that no Comprehensive Management Plan had been done for the refuge, and no baseline data existed for evaluating the effects of oil & gas drilling. Specific concerns about air quality were raised by both the National Park Service and the EPA. The State Historic Preservation Office and the Hopi Tribe expressed concerns about the cultural resources that could be damaged by drilling, and requested accountability regarding how these concerns would be addressed.
Despite numerous comments and concerns, expressed both in scoping, and as reaction to the draft EA, (see Press Release on EA) the FWS issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in November of 2008.
As the EA process went forward, concerns arose about the role that Lexam Explorations and its consultants were playing in the creation of the EA. The Citizens for San Luis Valley Water Protection Coalition, who had been involved in water protection in the same area in the 1990's, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, in which they asked for documents and internal communications between FWS, the DOI Solicitor's office, Lexam, Lexam's attorneys, and ENSR Corporation, a consultant working with Lexam.
When these documents were released, it became evident that there was inappropriate influence, including specific wording and edits to the EA, and inappropriate exchange of information. This helped insure that the scope of the final EA was very narrow in its assessment of impacts from drilling. The result was that the EA, and the FONSI Record of Decision, were not a true representation of either the science or the concerns expressed during the EA scoping and comment period.
In September of 2009, at the request of SLVEC's attorneys, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Walker Miller granted a Preliminary Injunction (PI) which recognized the likelihood that environmental groups would prevail in the lawsuit. Judge Miller's decision, subsequent settlement talks, and the small likelihood of finding developable minerals (0.03%, according to a USGS study), have created a situation where purchase and retirement of the mineral rights may be the best alternative. Although litigation is focused on the BNWR, other federal land management agencies have expressed an interest in a broad mineral acquisition, which could further protect the Great Sand Dunes National Park and the Baca Mountain Tract of the Rio Grande National Forest.
In January of 2010, during the process of settlement talks stemming from Judge Walker's PI decision, Lexam became a willing seller and offered to have the Mineral rights purchased for $9.7 million. The current goal is the development and implementation of a public/private partnership that can move swiftly to meet the challenge of purchasing these rights on behalf of the American public and having them retired in perpetuity.
SLVEC continues to advocate for protection of these lands. In approving the legislation of 2000, Congress recognized that these lands offered "unique hydrological, biological, educational, and recreational values deserving of preservation into perpetuity."
We now have the historic opportunity to complete the process that began with the Park and Preserve Act of 2000 and protect this public lands complex for the American people.
Original Lawsuit Filed by SLVEC
Investigative Report on Endangered Species Act and Conflict between Science and Policy
Findings on Preliminary Injunction Order
Stipulated Settlement Agreement
Definition of Significance
NEPA Citizens Guide
Energy drilling may be avoided at wildlife refuge
Telesto Memo on Water Quality/Lexam
Press Release on Suit Filed Against Fish & Wildlife Service
Drilling delayed until August - Valley Courier Article
Drilling on Baca NWR Halted - Press Release
Stipulated Agreement
Copyright© 2015 San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council
Website design by WSB Computer Services, Inc

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Local Muslims say Islam is not about violence
The religion of Islam has been receiving a lot of attention from the international media for almost two decades, but with Muslim extremists being responsible for the destruction of the Twin Towers, the Charlie Hebdo massacre, and various other attacks around the world, this media attention has been overwhelmingly negative.{{more}}
However, with the number of followers of the faith increasing over the years in St Vincent and the Grenadines — the 2012 Census figures show there are 111 followers here — local Muslims are keen to dispel the notion that Islam represents violence.
SEARCHLIGHT met with a group of Muslims at their Kingstown mosque on Tuesday, February 3, and they were eager to get across the message that Islam actually promotes peace.
Ahmed Yurusa, who has been living in SVG for the past two years, said that with there being approximately 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, it is unfair to judge and stereotype them all, based on the actions of extremist groups — who are in the minority.
"Islam, the Arabic word, means religion of peace," explained Yurusa. "So many people want to do all they can to make it seem like it's not…"
He added: "Islam says if somebody offends you, the best thing to do is to forgive."
Yurusa, who is originally from Nigeria and a medical student at All Saints University, said that throughout his life, he has had to fight stereotypes and misconceptions that others have made about him, based solely on his religion.
Khadim Dioum, a Senegalese married to a Vincentian woman, said that he shares that experience, but urges non-Muslims to research Islam properly before they believe the misconceptions that are regularly repeated.
"It is important to put things in context," he stressed, referring to parts of the Qur'an that are misinterpreted.
"The misconception of one would bring the ignorance of the other one, and that is no good for anybody… What you say, I might not agree with it, but I don't have to react [negatively] to it. We have to agree to disagree!"
The group also discussed other misconceptions surrounding the religion, including the marriage of the Prophet Mohammed to Aisha (one of his wives) when she was a young girl, and the perception that the religion is overly controlling.
Yurusa explained that, contrary to what many think, Aisha's marriage to the Prophet at age nine was not sexual abuse, as that was the norm in those times, and girls matured (mentally) faster in those times than they do today. He further noted that in religious accounts, Aisha is attributed as being the Prophet's favourite wife, and was so devoted to him that although he died when she was 18 years old, she never re-married — even though she could have.
Mustafa Abdullah Ali, a Vincentian national, said that with regard to there being many rules outlined in the Qur'an, the rules are there to ensure that Muslims live their lives the way Allah intended — with respect for self and for others.
'Sleeper cell' in SVG?
When questioned about their being part of a sleeper cell (a group of people who live inconspicuously within a community until activated by prearranged signal to perform acts of espionage/sabotage/terrorism) for extremist groups abroad, the group firmly denied this.
In particular, Dioum admitted that he is often confronted by persons insinuating that he married a Vincentian woman to gain citizenship, so that he can travel to the United States without hassle from the authorities — something he also denies.
"I get that all the time!" he lamented, pointing out that even before he got married, he resided in the US for a few years.
The Senegalese national said, however, that instead of taking offence to such falsehoods, he sees it as an opportunity to promote the truth about Islam and fight the ignorance perpetuated by many.
Extremism: Terrorism,
ISIS and Boko Haram
"Terrorism should not exist because that is a cowardly way to go out."
This was the assertion of Dioum, who along with the rest of the group condemned the actions of extremist Muslim groups such as ISIS and Boko Haram.
"As we say in the Qur'an, every life you take, when you go in front of God, you have to have good justification… How can you say you are fighting for Islam when you take life in the most cowardly way?" he emphasised.
Esan Abdullah, another Vincentian national, said that judgment and punishment for wrong deeds is the sole domain of Allah/God, and should not be carried out by man.
"Leave them to God – he will deal with them!" he insisted.
Nigerian national Yurusa asserted that groups such as ISIS and Boko Haram are political groups operating under the guise of being Islamic.
Referring to Boko Haram, which has its origins in the north-eastern region of Nigeria, he said: "They even bomb mosques… kill Muslims. If you are fighting for Muslims, why kill Muslims? Except you are not really Muslim!
"The head of the Muslim Association in Nigeria has condemned it; every single Muslim is condemning that."
Dioum also spoke of the recent massacre of several staff members of French magazine Charlie Hebdo, at its offices in Paris.
"What happened at Charlie Hebdo is just the height of ignorance… Nobody has the right to do that."
Muslim women in leadership
On discussing the role of women within Islam, the majority of the group were of the belief that women are not suited for leadership roles (within the religion and wider society) – as stated by the Qur'an.
"In Islam, women can't lead prayer… can't be leaders of the community," said Mustafa Ali. "She is responsible for the household, the husband's property, and protecting her husband's honour."
Yurusa also agreed with standpoint, saying that in the wider society, modern women are attempting to make themselves "equal to men", and this is not a path that Muslim women should adopt.
"The man has always been the one on top… In a place where there are able men, I don't see a reason why a woman should come and lead – except if the men are not able."
Kai Sylvester, owner of popular restaurant Kai's Vegetarian Cuisine, said that he doesn't believe that women are suited to hold positions such as judges and magistrates, because of the fluctuations in hormone levels that women experience during menstruation and pregnancy.
He asserted that these fluctuations affect a woman's ability to think fairly and make sound decisions.
Yurusa said: "All those changes in her body affect her emotionally."
In contrast, Dioum thinks differently – insisting that he personally would like to see more women in leadership roles.
"If there were more women leaders, the world would be a better place… Women have more mercy; they have bigger hearts."
Throughout the interview with the small, yet knowledgeable group, one thing was abundantly clear – those of the Islamic faith are not here to force their religion on Vincentians. Rather, they wish to share their faith with the masses, in the hope that people will join one of at least three of the local mosques of their own volition.
In addition to that, they strive to show the peaceful side of their religion in the hopes of dispelling the stereotypes and misconceptions that many (including the media) propagate. And, of course, they rather not be judged based on their religion.
As Dioum pointed out: "People tend to forget that even before you are Muslim, you are human."


Just like our smartphones, tablets, and laptops, the lithium-ion batteries found in these products are prone to defects. However, at the foot rest of the popular 2015 "Hoverboards" the "cheap" battery is a lot more dangerous. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) conducted tests on models to determine the cause of the fires. This resulted in a massive recall of over half a million hover boards. The issue has become so serious that major airlines have banned hover boards on board – U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 1,400 hover boards in JFK alone last December. If you or someone you know has been injured while being around a hoverboard, contact a Sacramento personal injury attorney immediately.
Depending on the above model, you will either receive a refund, repair or replacement.
What makes hover boards so dangerous is not the product itself, but the batteries in them. To meet the high demand, brands are using cheaper components to lure shoppers in for a more affordable hands-free segway. The quality and consistency of these batteries are typically not as good as what is found in laptops and other consumer products.
Each battery contains a "separator" designed to separate the anode and cathode – which is what the current flows through – so nothing short circuits. In a cheaper battery, the separator may not be aligned correctly. Due to impurities in metal particles, the separator could be prone to small holes. The punctured separator, therefore, can result in a short circuit. Another practice that can can lead to short circuit is overcharging. Lithium ion batteries cannot accept overcharge, which is why products contain cut-off mechanisms. Your hoverboard's charger detects when the battery is charged, and stops the charging process automatically. However, defects in this feature, may lead to overcharging and therefore a fire.
Most modern batteries now incorporate all kinds of safety measures such as emergency vents, but because hover boards are new, it's a product without a safety standard. If you or someone you know has been injured while using a hoverboard, contact a personal injury attorney immediately.
And although batteries have been the main cause of hover board fires, a defected charger could also lead to a scooter explosion. The best way to prevent a hover board to burst into flames is to buy from a trusted manufacturer, but that could be difficult to tell given this category is completely new. This fad makes it difficult to tell which of these companies will even be around in the coming years, let alone, which ones are the safest.Another way is to keep a close eye on the charging process and even use an external universal charger for safer precautions. Also make sure to take good care of the hover board as to not drop it, kick it, or hit sharp objects with it that could potentially damage the separator sheets.
As much as a consumer can do to protect the safety of himself/herself and others around them, product defects still occur and it's important to contact a Sacramento personal injury attorney for help.
The Weinberger Law Firm has years of experience handling personal injury cases so we understand how difficult and stressful this time may be. You can trust that our accident attorney will provide the compassion and dedication you need to get the compensation you deserve. Give us a call at (916) 357-6767 for a free consultation.


"The arrest of Mohamad Soueid for spying on Syrian expatriates publicly validates what Syrian-Americans have been living with for years. The regime of Bashar Assad has employed agents around the world as part of their expansive diplomatic network and covertly as part of the "Syrian-expatriate" network who are explicitly tasked with reporting to Damascus any and all activities of Syrians who live abroad.
Yet, despite the wisdom of the indictment, the U.S. Magistrate Judge T. Rawles Jones bizarrely commented that ""There is no evidence that he is a trained operative." He oddly ignored the fact that Syrian Intelligence used the information that Soueid collected and transmitted to them to identify and torture family members of Syrian-Americans who are still imprisoned behind the borders of Assad's Syria. Rawles comments and subsequent decision to release Soueid demonstrate a profound lack of understanding of the threat that Syrian intelligence poses to Syrian Americans and their families inside Syria.
Similarly, comments from Soueid's attorney Haytham Faraj, as reported by AP, "that it's ludicrous to think that Soueid's alleged activities, which consisted primarily of videotaping and recording anti-Assad protests in the U.S., would be of any value to Syrian intelligence," plays Americans for fools. It is common knowledge among Syrians that Syrian intelligence (Mukhabarrat) are ever-present within American Syrian communities and attempt to penetrate every family possible in collecting information on Syrians abroad and domestically . Willing agents of the Syrian regime have been conducting these types of operations for decades on our soil and globally. And a video that is focused on the faces of the protestors put together with an operative who collects personal information such as family names, timings, groupings, and cliques, can do significantly more harm than a random YouTube video of even the same event.
Any comments against the interests of the Assad regime by any Syrians around the world have long been a threat to close or even distant family members inside of Syria. The regime has exacted reprisals including imprisonment and torture simply as a result of a vocal family member in the U.S. or outside of Syria. This has created a global culture of fear within the Syrian expatriate community. Regimes like Assad's know full well of the impact which any global, especially an American policy to isolate his government can have upon his longevity.
As we have seen with the Arab Spring, more Syrian Americans have gained the courage to step out from behind this curtain of tyranny and confront the brutalization that is taking place in their homeland. That has brought cases like Mohamad Soueid's out of the shadows and into the public eye. But these cases need competent jurists who understand what is at stake.
Unfortunately Mohamad Soueid is just one of many. In May, Save Syria Now! highlighted a similar threat that exists in Orange County, California from the Honorary Syrian Consul General Hazem Chahabi. The son of Hafez Assad's long time Syrian Army Chief of Staff, Hikmat Chehabi, Hazem Chahabi is also an American citizen whose loyalties are divided as an honorary general consul for the rogue nation of Syria. Chahabi has close connections to the Assad regime and was accused by other Syrian Americans in California of having staff from the consulate video record protests in Southern California. Chahabi's connections to the Assad regime and his efforts on US soil since April are frightening, but nothing has been done to hold him account for those actions.
The reality is that the US has foreign agents working on our soil to intimidate and control Syrian American opposition as a battlefront in their ongoing massacre against the Syrian people. Those that escaped Syria know all too well that the ruthlessness of an evil regime like Assad's can be overwhelming and paralyzing to all free speech.
The arrest of Mohamad Soueid was an important first step by our government to help Syrian Americans step past that fear and do all that we can to help the brave protesters in the streets of Syria. But if we are unable to hold these people to account, because a judge does not understand the complexities of the threat, the Syrian people are in grave danger.


text:
Nearby Spaces to 118 West 109th Street
Columbus Ave & West 108th Street $33 2,000 $ 5,500
Broadway & West 113th Street Negotiable 3,200 Negotiable
W End Ave & Clove Road $72 5,700 $ 34,200
Amsterdam Ave & West 96th Street Negotiable 14,300 Negotiable
Lease Office 118 West 109th Street
118 West 109th Street is a 5-story office space building located in Upper West Side. The total square feet is 9,435 and built in 1900. It is considered a class C building.
There are a variety of small medium and large offices available at 118 West 109th Street for rent or lease.
118 West 109th Street Property Overview
Bulding Address: 118 W 109th St
Bulding Name: West 109th Street Portfolio
Building Alternate address(es): 118 W 109th St
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Lease Office 118 West 109th Street.


Wall mounting acrylic frames with the corners perfectly rounded for a stylish modern display of prints or photos. Available in a choice of colours, with a 30mm boarder to show the frame colour perfectly.
Acrylic poster frames with rounded corners for a modern and stylish look.
The back panel of the wall mounted picture frames are available in a choice of colours.
The coloured or clear back panel on the frame creates a natural 30mm border around your photo or poster.
These frames are available in a selection of standard sizes to buy online.
The frames are made from 2 pieces of 4mm or 5mm thick acrylic, depending on the size or colour of the frame.
Custom sizes can be made to order, please contact us with your desired dimensions and we will be happy to supply a quotation.
Product: the frames are fine but the packaging isn't ideal. individual packaging would be best for our purposes.
Service rating: They unfortunately sent my item in the wrong colour. However their customer service since was helpful, and they have assured my item (in the correct colour) is on its way by courier.
Service rating: Good all round service.
Product: Suited the purpose and we are happy with the result.
Service rating: i did not receive all of my order. They told me they would resend the missing parts, as they had run out of them, however, I still have not received them after nearly a week!
Service rating: The round edged frames that we ordered arrived with square edges. We returned them in the packaging they sent and their replacements never arrived. Two months later the business manager called to chase up the delivery which we were promised the following week; a week later - still no frames. Luke warm response from the company so we cancelled the order. We are now awaiting a refund.
Product: The round edged frames never arrived.
Service rating: Having bought these frames for our daughter's room, my first impression was formed by the delivery service which was very good.
Product: I was somewhat disappointed with the fact that one of the frames did not have the hole drilled in all 4 corners, so I had to drill it myself as I could not be bothered to return the item. It also came to light that the position of the holes were not symmetrical, meaning you had the put the pieces together in one position or the edges would not align on all 4 sides. Putting up the mounting pillars was straightforward enough but required a delicate drilling operation to ensure no drift of the drill when mounting on a brick wall or again it would misalign (no criticism of the product there) but I found I had to slightly open the mounting holes with a slightly larger drill to give some tolerance as even a drift of 1mm would misalign the pillars. This is not intended to be a negative review, just the experience of using the product for the first time. Overall the end effect achieved our objective and is visually a nice item.
Service rating: Easy to order through the website. Good communication and reasonably prompt dispatch. Arrived well packaged.
Product: Great product at reasonable price. Quality control is good - very happy.
Good product, good communication just a shame about the lead time.
Service rating: Good product, good communication just a shame about the lead time.
Product: This is my third A3 wall mounted frame with rounded corners, the second nearly had to go back owing to some scuffs and scrapes but I was able to work around those, I was happy to use again.
Delivery time was far too slow Product was okay but overpriced.
Service rating: Delivery time was far too slow Product was okay but overpriced.
Product: Average product - expected more for the price.
Service rating: First class service and sent out a spare part with no questions asked.
Service rating: I think you should stock picture frames as a month is a long time for small items.
Service rating: Good product and good communication, slightly long lead time. Delivery system works well with courier and always supremely well packaged.
Product: Excellent material thickness, well specified and quality finishings. Double sided tape or spray mount is a must. I've bought two, one to mount a picture the other I've converted to provide a backing to a medal rack. Both look the biz! I'll be buying more soon.


text:
Saint-Calais () is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire in north-western France.

Prior to the French Revolution it was known for its Benedictine abbey named after the Anisola stream (modern Aniole, a tributary of the Braye). Saint-Calais is a later name coming from one of the local saints of the Perche area. William of St. Calais, a product of this monastery, was a post-conquest bishop of Durham. There are no remains of the Abbey, which was a principal land-owner in the vicinity. The existing parish church has a fine Renaissance facade. The Aniole was dammed by the monks, thereby retaining a significant lake area.

Reaction against monastic landowners and the relative proximity to Paris (under twenty-four hours by stage-coach) conditioned the nineteenth century politics of the town. The coming of the railways and more recently of the motorway favoured neighbouring La Ferté-Bernard which has grown at the expense of Saint-Calais, which has a population under 4000 and which lost its sous-préfecture status in 1926. The town however retains certain services appropriate to that level, e.g. hospital facilities.

History
Saint-Calais was involved in the 1906 Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France, the world's first motoring Grand Prix. The D357 towards Le Mans and the D1 towards Vibraye and La Ferté-Bernard formed two sides of the triangular course.

People
Famous persons from the town include Cardinal Louis-Ernest Dubois, archbishop of Rouen and subsequently archbishop of Paris in the early twentieth century.

See also
Communes of the Sarthe department

References
Paul Bois, Paysans de l'ouest
The Le Mans Charters

Communes of Sarthe
Orléanais

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Paper Moose appoints James Sykes as head of strategy
by Anna Macdonald
After announcing the appointment of two creative directors last week, creative agency Paper Moose has announced the appointment of James Sykes as head of strategy.
Sykes is replacing Eddie Bennett, who previously held the role at the independent agency.
James Sykes, Paper Moose's head of strategy
Sykes has worked for 15 years in WPP's European creative, design, and media agencies. He was chief marketing officer Asia Pacific and Latin America at Beam Suntory. Skyes has worked with brands such as Jim Beam, Canadian Club, and Roku gin.
Nick Hunter, CEO and co-founder at Paper Moose, said: "Having a strategic titan like James join the herd is incredibly exciting. His wealth of experience across business strategy, comms strategy and new product development is a thrilling complement to our creative offering and I'm very much looking forward to him sharpening all aspects of our strategy even further."
On his appointment, Sykes said: "My bent was always spotting the ideas that make a difference and driving them home, striking a degree of risk that works for everyone. Moose is a decade long example of how I always imagined agencies should be, but never quite materialised. Moose is all scrum, no silo, with production, tech build and design under one roof. It shortens the distance between idea and reality, so it feels like coming home to a renovation I never quite finished."
Paper Moose's recent campaigns includes work for University of Technology Sydney and Felix.
Sykes also previously co-founded the consultancy Clean Thinking with James Greet, who recently joined Hero as chief operating officer.
Anna Macdonald
Anna Macdonald (she/her) is a reporter at Mumbrella. She started in October 2019 as the researcher for Mumbrella Pro and was promoted to editorial assistant in March 2021. Anna graduated from the Australian National University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law (Hons).
topics James SykesNick HunterPaper Moose


text:
After 62 years, Cuba is today a poorer and a more unequal and repressive society.
The 8th Congress of the PCC is going to be held in a country in which that party and its government no longer command, but obey a tiny mafia group that controls the main economic resources, monopolizes the use of force and decides the national and international direction of the country. The Congress is landscape, scenery. The mafia caste controls these institutions, not the other way around.
That power elite is present in all state institutions but is not subordinated or controlled by them. It is located outside of any effective control of the Party, the People's Power Assembly, the Council of State or the General Controller's Office. Faced with this reality, it is not the time to ask or continue to wait for reforms of state and party institutions that have been stripped of all real decision-making power. Political and military power is exercised in a totalitarian way by that caste that has also accumulated immense economic power through their personal control over GAESA.
It is necessary to take the reins of that oligopoly, -which today has unknown shareholders, as well as main offices and bank accounts located abroad. GAESA is also an entity linked to illegal international operations that compromise the prestige and national security of the country. This entity must be subjected to a strict, transparent and independent audit and its resources be redirected urgently towards the critical situation of health services and food and medicine production.
What legacy do these 62 years leave behind? A society with broad sectors in poverty, with water, health, education and transportation services in ruins. With a housing deficit in the millions. A people plagued with fines and impossible prices for basic services and food. A society subjected to the longest-lived dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere. A country in ruins controlled by a group of mafia families who flaunt their opulence before a starving people. There is no way to mask that reality with speeches and doctrines in the 8th Congress of the PCC.
The current system forms an integral whole that cannot be reformed selectively, by sections, like a Frankenstein. We need freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Without the rule of law the economy cannot be fixed and without freedom and democracy the social rights of the less privileged cannot be protected. The current system is politically and economically irreparable. It must be replaced comprehensively. And for this, it is also necessary –among all- to replace the mafia elite with a legitimate government. Any partial reform under its control will only serve to prolong the agony of society.
Today it is clear that the feeling of all Cubans is Patria y Vida, and that we are already raising definitive questions about our future in the short, medium and long term. Yes, our future, because what is at stake from now on is the future of all Cubans.
Today it is necessary to answer frankly and fully some obvious questions:
Who turned the country over to foreign interests?
Who destroyed the national productive apparatus and condemned entire generations to poverty and the search for a better future beyond the seas?
Who are persecuting free thought, art and the very essence of freedom by killing, torturing, imprisoning and banishing our brothers and sisters?
Who allowed foreign intelligence advisers and troops to establish themselves in our homeland to then do the same in Venezuela?
Who allied themselves with international drug trafficking to profit from crime thus muddying Martí's legacy?
Where are the billions of dollars that our families save and send to Cuba when they give us devalued Cuban pesos? Who controls that money and who controls those who seize it?
In whose name are the shares of GAESA companies and why are their main offices located in other countries?
Who stole (and continue to steal) every last dollar from these companies to take them to tax havens, and to bank accounts abroad outside of all institutional control?
Who traffic in our doctors, export them to enslave them with abusive contracts that deny their labor rights, take 80% of their wages, force them to work as informants against their own patients and expose them to death while in our hospitals their absence is so sadly felt?
Who sells abroad the drugs produced by the national industry and then orders them to be destroyed to justify the charge for care to false patients reflected by their adulterated medical statistics? All this while our loved ones die due to the lack of the most basic medicines in all the national hospitals and pharmacies.
Who is responsible today, six decades later, for the constant growth of poverty, the abandonment of public services and the food and medicine crisis faced by ordinary citizens?
The answer is obvious: the same ones who continue to demand sacrifices from the people and oppose any important change while they live in plenty.
The new Cuba will belong to all and will be for everyone, without distinction of skin, creed, ideology or opinion, the Cuba that we will build together; because a Cuban is a Cuban in Havana and Pinar del Río, in Miami or New York, in Tokyo or Madrid.
We are a transnational society divided in two by the current system. Those who broke our families, prevented all contact between them for many years and still treat us as second-class citizens have presented the exiles as a hotbed of hatred and revenge waiting for the moment to take away from the people their homes, schools and health centers. Today it is clear that they were the ones who turned those services into ruins. What now sustains the economy of many families in Cuba are the remittances sent by their relatives from abroad. Those who nevertheless still require a permit – under the euphemism of "enabled passport" – to be able to visit the country in which they were born. We Cubans do not need reconciliation to be preached to us. We are reconciled.
Those of us abroad will help to repair and build the million homes that are needed.
We will finally be able to reunify and rebuild the Great Cuban Nation. Among all, we have what it takes to relaunch Cuba in the world and to begin immediately to reverse poverty and promote prosperity. Not in 20 years, not in 25 years. In just 5 years Cuba will be another.
The Cuban people is just one and we have the human resources, the talent, the initiative, the global relationships and the financial resources to achieve that prosperous Cuba for the good of all. Together we can build that future, and finally connect Cuba to the world of the 21st century.
It's over! The time is over to go from congress to congress begging for reforms, getting frustrated with the crumbs and waiting for the next one to see if we have better luck.
It is time for those who act as absolute owners of our lives to step down. We don't want them, we don't need them.
Women, men, young, old, white, black, living on the island or in exile. Today, We are One!
FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN CUBA


text:
Q: How do you preserve the updated_at date field when saving the the database in Symfony? This has to be simple...
I'm trying to preserve the current date that is already stored in an updated_at field in the DB.
I'm updating a single field value in the same row and then saving but I don't want it to update the updated_at field.   I want to preserve the existing updated_at value.
I only want to do this in one, maybe two situations so I don't need to overwrite the model for every other action in the program.
I've tried this:
$originalDate = $this->getUpdatedAt();
$this->setUpdatedAt($originalDate);
$this->save();

This seems like it should work but still it seems to update the field.

A: The updated_at column only gets set with the current time if it has not been changed. This is checked with the isColumnModified method. You can trick the object in believing this has been modified if you first change it to some value, and then change it back to the original value.
$updatedAt = $book->getUpdatedAt();
$book->setUpdatedAt(null);
$book->setUpdatedAt($updatedAt);

$book->setInStock(4);
$book->save();

In Symfony 1.2, this behavior is added in SfObjectBuilder::addSave(), and cannot be disabled (it checks for a column named updated_at or updated_on). In Symfony 1.3 and 1.4, the newer behaviors of Propel 1.4 are used, so I think you have to explicitly add them to get the effect. The same trick works to circumvent the updating.

A: Well it seems this slight change works:
$originalDate = $this->getUpdatedAt();
$this->save();

$this->setUpdatedAt($originalDate);
$this->save();

But there has to be a more elegant way so that you don't have to do two separate saves.

A: In symfony, usually, when a table has a column called created_at, it is used to store a timestamp of the date when the record was created. The same applies to updated_at columns, which are to be updated each time the record itself is updated, to the value of the current time.
The good news is that symfony will recognize the names of these columns and handle their updates for you. You don't need to manually set the created_at and updated_at columns; they will automatically be updated.
If you want to keep information other created_at and updated_at you should create another field.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Sponsored by BitSight
Effective Risk Management With Security Ratings
With the growth in the number and sophistication of cyber threats and daily reports of security breaches, cyber risk is high on the list of the most significant risks that organizations face. Measuring and managing security risk levels continues to be a difficult task. Faced with a constant stream of evolving...
Risk To Your Organization's Reputation
A lot of the risk to an organization's reputation is caught up in how an organization is able to respond to a cyber attack. Over the years, organizations have suffered serious consequences from a cyber attack. They've lost a lot of data, and the public response to those incidents has really further damaged the...
Sponsored by VMware and Intel
A Practical Guide for Automating IT
Embrace an approach that fully automates the delivery and management of infrastructure and application components, including network and security services to accelerate IT service delivery, and respond faster to the dynamic needs of a digital business. This practical guide shows you how. VMware and Intel enable IT...
Why Reputational Risk Management Matters
When it comes to breach preparation, it isn't just about protecting IT assets. Increasingly, the conversation is about reputational risk management, says Jacob Olcott of BitSight Technologies. In an interview about reputational risk management, Olcott discusses: The intersection of cybersecurity with...
Why Reputation Risk Management Is Critical For Your Organization
You know the risk of a cyber incident when it comes to finances or operations. But what happens if your company's reputation suffers? In today's cyber risk environment-especially with the rapid spread of information over social media-companies are becoming more and more concerned about how a cyber incident could...
Sponsored by Digital Guardian
The Definitive Guide to Data Loss Prevention
As security professionals struggle with how to keep up with threats, DLP - a technology designed to ensure sensitive data isn't stolen or lost - is hot again. This comprehensive guide provides what you need to understand, evaluate, and succeed with today's DLP. It includes insights from Forrester Research, Gartner,...
Sponsored by SentinelOne
A New Approach to Endpoint Security Software Testing
Security product testers have architectured their test suites to adhere to the technologies of the past 10 years. However, as endpoint security and the threat landscape continue to evolve, so must testing suites evolve as well. Advanced methodologies and a more robust testing criteria are essential to keep...
Sponsored by Trend Micro
The 15 Endpoint Security Providers that Matter Most and How They Stack Up
The endpoint security market is growing because more security professionals see the endpoint security suite vendors as a way to address their top challenges. What's more, security pros increasingly trust providers in this space to act as strategic partners, advising them on top endpoint security decisions. The...
Sponsored by NSS Labs
Drowning in Data, Starving for Actionable Intelligence
Today's threat landscape constantly throws new problems at organizations already struggling to keep up with yesterday's issues. New malware, ransomware, botnets, and fileless attacks target a growing list of enterprise vulnerabilities with clever new exploits and social engineering tactics, and these attacks are...
Empowering the Overwhelmed SOC: Creating an Effective Security Operations Center
While security teams continue to add to their threat protection arsenal, they are struggling to keep up with the threats. Security information and event management (SIEM) products, threat analytics platforms, advanced endpoint protection (AEP) products, user entity behavior analytics (UEBA) tools, and incident...
The Rebirth of Endpoint Protection: A Guide to Finding the Right AEP Product for Your Organization
Advanced endpoint protection (AEP) shows significant promise for protecting endpoint devices. However, this emerging market is rapidly growing and is in a constant state of flux. Assessing new technologies is no small undertaking and analysts must often rely on comparing limited information from less-than-ideal...
SIEM: The New Force Multiplier Powered by Actionable Intelligence
CISOs and security analysts alike complain that security information and event management (SIEM) technology has not fully lived up to its promises. Even with SIEM systems in place, enterprises still suffer from alert fatigue, and security teams armed with SIEM event and flow data still miss untold numbers of attack...
Sponsored by Rsam
ROI of Vendor Risk Management: How to Leverage the Efficiencies of Automation
Organizations across sectors have come to understand the inherent security risks posed by third-party vendors. But too many approach vendor risk management with a manual process, says Daniel de Juan of Rsam. To attain true ROI, security leaders must explore new, automated VRM solutions, says de Juan, Director of...
The Vendor Risk Management Solution Guide
As enterprises continue to outsource more aspects of their operations to third parties, they expose themselves to more shared risk. It can be a staggering responsibility. Most organizations understand the need to automate vendor risk management activities to keep up with increasing scope and scrutiny. Yet they...
The Evolution of Vendor Risk Management in Financial Institutions
Learn how Financial Services organizations have moved from trustbased exercises, to evidencebased, continuous monitoring of vendor security. The Financial Services industry has long been a pioneer in developing risk management practices. As third party data breaches have increased in recent years, regulators...


Gigabit Ethernet Media Converters connect copper and fibre networks at speeds of up to 1000 MB per second. They are a cost effective way to extend ethernet networks beyond UTP limits by increasing bandwidth, improving network security and consolidating your cabling.
The converters feature an RJ45 connector for the copper side and either an ST, SC or LC fibre connector on the other. Gigabit Ethernet converters are available in multimode and single-mode units and are compatible with OS1, OM1, OM2 and OM3 fibre types.