The problem is, that in order to maintain that culture for the purpose of observation it would require denying the members of that culture the right to leave that culture and join the culture of the observers instead. This would be the same sort of oppression forced on slaves, denying them the right to leave the culture of the enslaved to join instead the enslaving culture.
A mixture of two distinct things makes a mixture of two distinct things, each of the two distinct things forming a part of the mixture. It does not make the two distinct things one and the same thing. Mixing water and salt will produce a solution, but it does not make water and salt the same thing.
In terms of the theme of this thread, the Namby-Pamby wants above all to transcend his own culture, and to stand outside it in a judgement of perfect impartiality.
That's it! They want everyone to be part of the book club. I do too. Because if everyone's part of the book club, everyone's huddled within, attacking the outside. But if the outside's gone, the whole thing goes to pieces. The important thing is to maintain the symbolically violent gestures - attacking the other.
My feeling is its irresolvable. And most of the effort is dedicated to a well-choreographed dance around not-attacking. But, nevertheless- we attack.
This is nothing but straw-men, MU. Denying members of that culture the right to leave isn't just observation as I have been stating. Once you've done that you've gone above and beyond what I've talking about (observation).
Think about it this way. When a biologist wants to observe another animal, they hide so that they don't disturb the animal and its natural behavior. They don't want to influence the behavior by making themselves known the other animal. This is what I'm talking about. Scientists would observe from a distance so that their presence isn't noticed so that they can observe their behavior independent of any interaction with them because once you interact you forever change that culture. So cultures change as a result of interacting with other cultures.
Not if it is in one's nature to be cultured, or social, like it is for human beings.
Well looking at practice for a moment, the Sentinelese are above all remote, and their barbarity is tolerable. I don't think the Channel Islanders could expect our ignorance to the same extent, being too near our trade routes and strategically important.
The post-colonial enjoys the benefits of Empire and agonises about the statue of Rhodes in the Quad. Namby-Pambies are guilt-ridden. Look through this thread for the posters that describe the immorality of their own morality, and acknowledge the hubris of their humility - because if it isn't universal, then it isn't a morality - and that is Namby-Pambyism.
Nobody meets the Sentinelese on equal moral terms. John Chau was neither an idiot nor a madman, but a dedicated liberator, whose morality matches any of those here who consider it 'moral' to allow these savages the right to our magnificent civilisation, and to have a couple of Starbucks at least.
"Give them all a good education, and then they can choose".
But the Sentinelese cannot campaign to have a Starbucks, or against it, individually or all together, until the have the benefit of an education (cultural indoctrination) to tell them about Starbucks. And once they have the education and can form the view, they are no longer Sentielese in anything but name.
Perhaps it's worth considering the reflexivity of morality. Jesus did not have a view on Global warming, and thus did not consider a commandment forbidding the extraction of fossil fuels. But we are not more moral because we do. A good person is one who does good deeds according to a moral code. But it is the reflexivity of what makes a good moral code that is in question in this thread, and that requires a ground.
John Chau gave his life to his moral duty; he was a good Christian man according to his own lights, and that is, in the Christian traditional least, the measure of individual virtue, what one will sacrifice for the good. "Greater love hath no man..." Not a Namby-Pamby by any means. So by what moral code does the Indian government, or the liberal elite, or anyone else, judge him to be an evil fanatic, an idiot, a madman, or whatever level of condemnation is attached to him? It seems to me that consistency requires that we treat him as generouslyl as we treat the Sentinelese - he is as innocent as they.
And if we have the right of it, if we are the guardians of morality and civilisation, is it not likewise our duty to gather these miserable sufferers under the yoke of religious indoctrination, and attempt to deprogram them, as the Chinese are doing?
Here's the thread theme tune, by the way.
It was all I could do to keep myself from taking revenge on your blood.
But the subject we're discussing is not simple "observation". What we're discussing is "preserving the more primitive culture for the purpose of...". The subject is preserving the culture, not observing the culture.
All you've done now is changed the subject. You're not talking about preserving a culture any more. So what's the point in proceeding on this path?
I think education is a key point here. And this is why Plato's cave allegory is relevant. The philosopher goes out of the cave and sees (learns) what the others don't see. What the philosopher sees is true and right, being something apprehended and firmly grasped by the mind, but the others cannot apprehend it because they have not been exposed to it. So the task of the philosopher is to educate the others, and it's no simple task because the others have made a comfortable namby-pamby life, living in their own little cave. So the analogy is that of forcing the people to look directly at the light source. It's painful, but the cultural habits, or even the culture itself, must be broken for the good of the people.
I'm having difficulty with your use of "reflexivity", particularly "the reflexivity of what makes a good moral code". It appears that we need to distinguish two different senses of "good". There is "good" in the sense of "according to a moral code", but there is also 'good" in the sense of what justifies the moral code. There's another thread now on the Euthryphro problem, which looks at this same issue from a religious perspective, but I think it's more easily understood in the way that it's presented here.
If I understand you correctly, the reflexivity you refer to is that the moral code must reflect back upon the good of the individual people within the society. So we have "good" #1, which is the people behaving according to the code, and we have "good" #2 which is what the code is doing for the people. The issue is the grounding of good #2. This is why I insist that the identity of the individual, how we define "person", must be derived from outside of the culture, or else we'd just have a circle. The circle is that the good moral code is the one best capable of inspiring the people to follow it. And there is some truth to that, but it just begs for the question of what inspires people to follow the code, and then we must turn to the nature of the individual anyway. If you've read Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, you'll know that he posits "happiness", as grounding for the ethical "good" of the people.
These are issues of the relationship between good #1 and good #2. You ought to see that good #2 must take priority over good #1. Acting according to the code is only good in so far as the code is good. So how is the code judged? And this is where we turn to education. However, the issue is very complex, and it is not simply a matter of education here. Plato uncovered a very difficult problem in his analysis of sophism. The premise was that virtue could be produced by education. Teaching individuals how to recognize and understand "good" ought to inspire them to act well. But this is not necessarily the case, as people choose to do what they know is not good, and choose not to do what they know ought to be done, as good. And this problem was taken up directly, and to a greater extent by Augustine. Virtue is not simply a matter of education, as the sophists claimed "virtue is knowledge", which could be taught. There is a matter of creating the inspiration required to do what one knows is good. (Namby-pambyism doesn't cut it). This is why it is essential to understand the nature of an individual, as an individual, in order to judge a good code from a not so good code. Not only must the code outline what is "good" as a direction for education, but it also must provide the means for inspiration.
I'd kind of like you to apply this to the case of John Chau. John judges himself according to an evangelical culture that he follows/accepts/believes/identifies with. The Sentinelese culture seems to identify him as a white devil invader. The Indian government identifies him as a criminal interfering white idiot. How do you see this individual? I've said I see him as a good man by his own lights.
You want to claim that every one of these cultures is a cave, and you and Plato are outside? Even the way you put it makes no sense to me. "... how we define "person", must be derived from outside of the culture, or else we'd just have a circle." We???? We define things in a shared language and these definitions are thereby cultural. But you want to start with a 'we' that is not a culture!
You ask a difficult question, and the easy answer is to say that I don't really have the information required to make that judgement. I don't really understand his ambition, and that is what drove him to his death. And, you can be sure that he knew death was a real possibility. He was not explicitly asking for death, but he was putting his life into the hands God, where he probably saw two possible outcomes, either he'd have some success with the Sentinelese, or he'd be killed and God would make him into a martyr. Either way, he fulfills his commitment to God.
The bigger question I think though, is his perception of evil. He seems to have proceeded in his actions as an effort to fight evil, and this implies an enemy. Do you apprehend a difference between going forward with the intent of bringing good, and going forward with the intent of fighting evil? The former implies the existence of friends, while the latter implies the existence of enemies. So I think that poor John Chau's approach may have been all wrong. He most likely had good intentions, because fighting evil is of course a good intention, but he didn't properly identify and understand the evil involved, so his approach was all wrong. It is one thing to go out into the world alone, with the intent of doing good, and a completely different thing to go out alone, with the intent of fighting evil.
That we define things with a shared language, and the definitions are cultural, is irrelevant to whether or not the thing being identified, the person, which we are defining, or describing, can be properly defined through reference to one's culture. We use shared language to describe things like the earth and the moon, but this does not mean that these things being defined are being defined by referring to their cultures.
Let me try a different approach for explanation. Do you agree that there are things common to human beings which are not culture specific? When we define what it means to be a human being we refer to these aspects which are common to all of us. and not specific to any particular culture, or group of cultures. We are all in the group "human being" regardless of culture. On the other hand, there are particular human beings, which we call individual persons. So when we go to identify an individual human being, as this particular human being, we must refer to things particular to that person, and this is not the person's culture, because that signifies a group of similar people. That would not identify a particular human being, it would only identify a group, giving us no means to identify the particular individual.
Now we have two extremes. All human beings are the same in one sense, and this validates "we". In another sense each is individual, particular, and this validates "me". We could move further and identify a particular variety of human beings having some similar properties, or habits, as "a culture", but in relation to moral purposes what would be the point of such a determination? "Culture" does not serve to identify the individual, nor does it serve to tell us what's common to all human beings, so what purpose is there to identifying distinct cultures?
How do you know what it is you're preserving without first observing the culture in its primitive state PRIOR to any interference of another culture? Once you've interacted you've destroyed any chance at knowing what the culture is before any external interference changes it. But yeah, you and unenlightened can keep running around in circles if you want.
I don't see what you're arguing, if you are arguing anything. How would you expect to observe a culture without interacting? By spying through telescopes? How could that be respectful of the people's privacy?
I'm afraid this is not the settled unquestionable reality you think it is. On the contrary you have merely hidden the circularity from yourself. We decide who is human, and whoever we have decided is not human does not get to make the decision. And that used to include peasants, slaves, blacks, children, homosexuals, the disabled, and disfigured, and women, at various times and various places. there is still controversy on this board about when a clump of cells becomes a human.
I wasn't arguing anything. I was asking a question and you answered it with another. Are we performing mental gymnastics again? Just answer the question, MU.
Yeah, like I said, it comes down to nature. Humans' use of an arbitrary system of categorization isn't very helpful. The hierarchical nature of life's speciation isn't arbitrary.
Yes, I realize this, and I was wondering if this point might come forward. But what this indicates is that all forms of identifying by group are somewhat arbitrary, and unreliable judgements. This leaves us with the other option, which is to identify by the individual. And this I insist, is the only true form of identity. A thing's identity is found by determining aspects which are unique and particular to that thing itself, not by examining that thing's position within an arbitrary group. That is why law enforcement agencies depend on things like fingerprints and DNA, while profiling is less reliable and in some cases controversial.
The reason I did not answer this question is because it is not relevant to the point I was making. The point I was making is that such cases of preserving are fundamentally wrong. So from my perspective there is no instance of preserving something and you do not know what it is that you are preserving, because "preserving" has already been determined as the wrong procedure.
Remember, I was arguing that preserving a culture is fundamentally wrong, because it can only be successful through oppression of its individual members. If you consider what unenlightened and I have discussed, you'll see that I've been arguing that the group (or culture), is a category of classification created for some purpose. The effort to preserve the correctness of the categorization (preserve the culture) can only be successful through suppression of the individual members' will to diversify. You seemed to think that preserving the categorization for the purpose of scientific observation was somehow acceptable, and fundamentally different from preserving the categorization for the purpose of slavery.
All you are talking about is the political ideology of traditionalism or conservatism being imposed on a culture from outside of the culture. How is this any different from a culture defining itself as being traditionalist and imposing that on it's own people (kind of like how the Republicans are in the U.S.)? A political ideology isn't right or wrong. It is just a method of living. Other cultures have imposed themselves on others for all of history. It the natural way of things.
Again, you don't know what you'd be preserving or changing without first observing.
How does one discover a unique aspect without relating it to the group? Even with DNA the uniqueness of the individual consists of usually a unique combination of traits that are shared in a population, or rarely a unique mutation, which is only found to be so by comparison with the group. That is to say, uniqueness is necessarily a position in a group, like a king in a country, or a runt in a litter. To say that I am unique is to say that I have X, and no one else has X, and it is only through the relation to everyone else that uniqueness can be seen.
And what MU has been telling you for a long time now is that groups, or categories, are arbitrary. To say that something is defined by its relation to some arbitrary category isn't a very good definition. What an individual is is an amalgam of certain features that is shares and doesn't share with other things. We arbitrarily group things based on certain similar features over others. There is simply a way things are and then how we group those things based on some arbitrary need. We have this need to put things in boxes, but that does not necessarily mean that these categories exist independent of the mind that creates them.
I wouldn't say that there is a big difference between these two. And to the extent that members of the culture are oppressed (because we identify "oppression" as bad), this is not good. When certain members of a culture oppress other members it effectively divides the culture in two, so that you are left with one culture oppressing the other. And when Americans brought slaves from Africa, you may think of this as one culture oppressing another from outside it, but the two cultures integrate, living together in that one act of slavery, creating the situation where one culture suppresses its own members. So the two are essentially the same thing, the two cultures are divided, or united into one, depending on your perspective, by that act of oppression.
I believe there is such a thing as right and wrong ideology. And just because you describe something as "the natural way", this does not make it right. Morality is often involved with curtailing what comes natural to us, as is the case with breaking bad habits.
Yes, that's what makes an individual, it's a "unique combination of traits". I would say it's a unique set of characteristics. When we describe something, we cannot describe it by referring to this or that attribute, we must create a set of attributes which is unique to that individual thing. That's a matter of placing the thing into numerous different groups. So if "culture" is the principle of identity for a person, we couldn't describe a person by referring to this or that culture, we'd have to find numerous different cultures which that person is a member of, and create a uniqueness for that person through reference to the numerous different cultures ... is a member of this one, is not a member of that one, etc. But "culture" by itself doesn't serve this purpose because there aren't enough of them distinguished, and the boundaries are not well defined. But it could be used as one of the identifying features.
The notion that I particularly oppose though is the thought that "uniqueness is necessarily a position in a group". I believe that this is off track in two ways. First, as per above, uniqueness is a function of a person's position in numerous groups. The second problem is the idea of necessity. This issue is a bit more complicated because we tend to think that an object has an "objective" identity, an identity independent of any "subjective" identity assigned to it by a human being. (What Harry calls "there is simply a way things are"). This creates the idea of necessity, the identity is necessarily such and such according to the objective position of the thing.
But in general, we talk about "the identity" of a thing as something handed to the thing through human discretion, and that's a matter of judgement, choice. So this identity is inherently subjective. When we are creating an identity for a person, we create groups for classification, and choose the groups where we want to place the person, in order to create a unique identity for the person. The serious problem is that unless it is assumed that there is some objective reality to the groups (and this is a real issue as your example of "human being" in the last post demonstrated) and also that people are inclined to adhere to what is apprehended as "objectively real" when making such judgements, then they are free to create all sorts of different groups as they please, giving different persons all sorts of strange identities. Furthermore, even when the creation of groups follows principles of objectivity, there is a seemingly endless number of different groups which may be created. Therefore there may be numerous possibilities for a person's "unique identity" depending on how one creates the groups of classification, even when the groups of classification follow objective principles. And identity is a matter of choice.
The way things are is what I call contingency. Like Popeye, I yam what I yam. But that tells you nothing; to know something about me, you have to know things that relate me to the world That I am a sailor man, and live in a caravan, that I eat spinach, etc. This is the necessity, that knowing anything about me means knowing how I relate to the world; it is a linguistic, and epistemological necessity. If I am unique, I am unique regardless of what is said or known, but to know that I am unique is to know something about the world, that it only has the one unenlightened in it.
We might say that "identity" in the pure, absolute sense (if there is such a thing) says nothing about the thing; "I yam what I yam", says nothing about Popeye. However, since it identifies Popeye as something distinct and separate from his environment, it still says something about something. It establishes a distinct entity, Popeye, separate from his environment. You might understand this as the difference between saying "that" something is, and "what" something is So prior to saying anything about Popeye, or Popeye's relationship to the bigger entity, his environment, it is necessary to establish that there are boundaries of separation between Popeye and this bigger entity, his environment. To say that there is such a thing as Popeye is to make this separation.
That is what I believe is the necessity of identity. It is not to say anything about the thing, except that it is a thing, and this is to individuate, separate it from everything else. If this process of identification is not done first, prior to any type of saying something about the thing, there will be ambiguity as to the identity of the individual thing which we are talking about when we start to say things about the thing.
So from my perspective, this is a vague and partial truth. It is true that "knowing anything about me means knowing how I relate to the world", but only in the most fundamental sense of "how I relate to the world", meaning knowing that I am an individual, distinct, separate from the world. Knowing "that" I am an individual is knowing something about me, which is not the same as knowing "what" I am. But it is necessarily prior to knowing what I am as an individual, in order to avoid the ambiguity involved with distinguishing whether I am talking about me, or I am talking about the world. So it is not necessary in an absolute sense, but necessary for an accurate understanding. This is the basic necessity, "I am that I am", and any statements about what I am can only follow from this basic assumption. Moving beyond this basic assumption, how I define or describe myself is a matter of choice, and this is where I find contingency.
I think we're about as close to understanding each other as we're going to get at the moment, so I think I'll leave it there. Thanks for the discussion.
Well we all have our differences of opinion, and to me, that's what makes each of us different, forming our different personalities and consequently our identities as persons. That's why I refer to Plato's cave analogy, the "real me" is to be found in my ideas and opinions, whereas my activities and cultural relations are a reflection of the real me. To reverse this, making my ideas and opinions a reflection of my cultural relations, is to deny the importance of free will in choosing what to believe. And determinist ontology leads to all sorts of problems with respect to cultural relations.
I am no determinist. But my position is that freedom arises from limitation; my freedom lies not in the fabrication or forging of identity because that is the given, but in the transcendence of identity. I am, alas, stuck with my middle-class white male Englishness, but I am downwardly mobile, and a revolutionary traitor. Time and place and genes and upbringing make me - cut out the cloth - and my freedom is in what I make of these necessities. But now we're really off topic.
It isn't really off topic, because the nature of freedom, and how it is that some form of freedom can get some sort of status as a fundamental right is important both to the creation and maintenance of diversity, and to the concept of oppression.
So I look at "freedom" as a fundamental element in living organisms, which is responsible for the existence of diversity within these living creatures, not as something which the organism has to strive to obtain, as if freedom can only arise from those efforts. And from my perspective freedom is closely tied to the concept of life itself. In Aristotle's principal biological work, called "On the Soul", he describes the various potencies of living beings. Each capacity that a living being has, from the most basic, self-subsistence, through self-movement, sensation, and intellection, is itself the potential for action. Every such capacity, or potential for action, is a contingency, and according to the nature of possibility, it need not be actualized in any particular way. Therefore I find the freedom to choose (and this is not a rational choice, but closer to a random choice as we'd find with trial and error) to be a basic principle of life itself. And the fundamental freedom to choose is the cause of diversity in life forms.
This is why identity, when it is a living being which is being identified, is so difficult. The power of choice gives that being the capacity to change its identity. That is assuming that we base "identity" in some sort continuity of existence. Aspects of a thing which do not change for a period of time provide us with the identity of that thing. In the case of living beings, what we find is that what does not change, is the capacity for change (choice), and this confuses the hell out of us. So the living being is a true chameleon, always showing you a different identity, and to determine its true identity requires exposing the capacity to change its identity.
The history of the Andaman islands is sordid. The evil here is the evil of the authorities. The British established a penal colony, mainly for those Indians opposed to British colonization. The convicicts were enslaved to provide for the opulence of the authorities. The natives were treated worse. It's no wonder that the natives hate foreigners. The convicts were known to escape, and would therefore associate with the natives, whether the natives killed them or not would depend on the particularities of the situation. What do you think the ancestry of a modern day Sentinelese really is?
Oh I agree with this completely. The business of life is to build freedom. Gravity says stay down, but life refuses. And I think all along in the thread I have emphasised identification as an activity more than something static. - Or perhaps I took it for granted?
I didn't know the history of the Andamans, but I am not surprised. There is hardly a corner of the world that the British have not polluted with their civilisation.
We seem to actually agree on a lot, we just each have a different way of expressing what we believe. But you look at activity as the identifying feature, I look to the reason for the activity (intent) as the identifying feature. That's why when you asked me about John Chau I had to try to learn what motivated him, to properly answer the question. I didn't think I'd be capable of properly judging him simply on the basis of the action reported. But this piqued my interest to do a little more research into the history of the area. The internet is so good for that, no need to go to the library anymore (that's freedom). But I worry it might only be temporary, getting overrun by special interests, so that whatever information you can get for free, will become unreliable.


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text:
global
======

Stuff not related to any specific repo, rather related to all repos.

## mbo theme

For Sublime text:
https://github.com/mbonaci/global/blob/master/Mbo.tmTheme

For CodeMirror:
https://github.com/marijnh/CodeMirror/tree/master/theme

For Eclipse:
http://eclipsecolorthemes.org/?view=theme&id=20305

For Atom:
https://atom.io/themes/mbo

For Brackets:
https://github.com/birdwing/Brackets-MBO-Theme

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Starsky and Hutch. . Wallpaper and background images in the Starsky and Hutch (1975) club tagged: starsky and hutch paul michael glaser david soul.
This Starsky and Hutch (1975) photo might contain знак, плакат, текст, классной доски, and доске.


"My teaching largely follows a constructivist approach, providing a scaffolded, supportive environment in which students can engage with course material while keeping their own academic interests and goals in mind."
"The lectures were amusing and explained the material well. The discussions really helped to understand the material further for those who did not have a full grasp of it. The activities were fun."


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2 people sentenced for Ponzi scheme
On Behalf of The Law Firm of Frank Stanley PC | Oct 28, 2021 | White Collar Crimes |
A man and a woman from Michigan were sentenced for their roles in an alleged multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme. The alleged fraud involved multiple states and reportedly affected over 140 people. The accused individuals pled guilty in 2019, but their sentencing was delayed until October 2021.
Scheme operated through churches
The man responsible for the alleged white collar crimes was a 64-year-old man who was once a church pastor at Abundant Life Ministries in Flint. Prosecutors say that the man and his 60-year-old female associate enticed wannabe investors at financial seminars that were held at several different churches in Michigan and other states. The pair led people to invest in Treasure Enterprise, LLC, which they said was an asset management and financial planning service.
Many of the investors in Treasure Enterprise reportedly handed over their retirement accounts and 401(k)s because they were promised guaranteed, high returns. However, the money was never actually invested. Instead, the $9.3 million was deposited into the LLC's bank account, used to fund Abundant Life Ministries, pay Treasure Enterprise employees and make payments to earlier investors.
Prosecutors said that this case is another reminder that if an investment company promises extremely high returns, the investment is probably too good to be true. Prosecutors also said that investors shouldn't trust investment advisors just because they belong to the same organization that they do.
Several years in prison
Both of the accused individuals were sentenced to federal prison time followed by two years of probation. The man received a sentence of 100 months in prison, and the woman received a sentence of 42 months in prison. There will be another hearing to determine the restitution payments.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Montreal's Mont-Royal Ranked #6 Best Jogging Trail In The World
CNN shows the city some more love.
Photo cred - Nicolas Paquet
If you jog in Montreal, then you've no doubt hit the trails littered up, down, and all over Mount Royal. Magical to run through anytime of year (save winter) the mountain offers a fantastic view of foliage and nature as you work up a sweat. Montrealers aren't the only ones aware of the amazing jogging routes Mount Royal offers, as CNN cites the trails as the reason Montreal made their top ten world's best city jogging trails.
Ranked number six on the worldwide ranking, CNN technically puts Mont-Royal Park on the list, though we're assuming they're referring to the whole mountain, only because that would make their description of the area as "a network of jogging trails that offer beautiful views of changing fall leaves" make a bit more sense.
Avid joggers in Montreal, or anyone who can appreciate the beauty of Mount Royal in the fall, would have to wholeheartedly agree with CNN. Nothing beats a solid run up and down the mountain in autumn, when the leaves offer a colourful distraction and the weather is cool enough so that you won't get all overheated.
To see how Montreal ranked on CNN's list, here are the news organizations choices for the world's best jogging cities, with trail included.
London's Thames Path
New Orleans' French Quarter jogging tours
Sydney's Bay Run Trail
Shanghai's Xuhui Riverside trail
New York's High Line park trail
Montreal's Mount Royal trails
Hong Kong's Victoria Peak to Pokfulam Resevoir Hong Kong Trail
Dallas' Trinity Skyline Trail
Chattanooga's Riverwalk
Tokyo's Yoyogi Park
This isn't the first time CNN has shown Montreal some love. as they've already ranked Montreal as one of the best cities for biking and partying/nightlife, and also named our clock tower one of the most beautiful in the world. CNN, you're doing all the things right.


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Mikael Lindnord: "Arthur has changed everything for me"
December 14, 2017 Life, SportsAdventure Racing, Arthur, Ecuador, Mikael Lindnord, SwedenMartin Bauman
Few stories are as timeless as a man and his dog. For Mikael Lindnord and his mongrel, Arthur, the story is one for the ages. Few could have predicted the circumstances that would bring them together: a chance encounter during the 2014 Adventure Racing World Championship in the mountainous jungles of Ecuador.
An extreme endurance athlete from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, Lindnord and his Peak Performance team had entered the race with an eye on the podium. For the ever-competitive Lindnord, the race represented his team's chance for a major breakthrough after years of steady improvement.
"I did everything to win [this race]. We had spent all the sponsorship money, all our savings, everything to go to Ecuador," he says.
Over the course of 700 kilometres, the race would take its contestants through mountains, jungle, marsh, and river — running, cycling, and kayaking nearly nonstop for days on end. Lindnord's team from Sweden had been preparing for months.
A race of such magnitude is difficult enough to finish without curveballs, but sometimes, fate intervenes. On a designated transition area midway through the race, Lindnord's team had paused to refuel on food when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye: a stray dog looking at him from across the courtyard.
The first reaction I had is, like, don't come close to me — because I [could] get all the diseases in the world," says Lindnord, now the author of Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home.
Covered in dirt, and with an open sore on its backside, the dog was clearly hurt — and as Lindnord dug into his pouch of cooked food, a pang of guilt hit him.
"I looked at him again, and I thought, no one has ever been nice to this fellow. I took some meatballs and put them in front of him on the ground — two, three meatballs at most, because I was eating."
With that, he and his team were off on the road again — out of sight, out of mind. It wasn't until later that night that Lindnord and his team learned they had picked up a follower. In the dark of the night, his headlamp flashed across the figure of a dog — the same dog as before. He had followed them for kilometres — hours of travel — through the jungle.
Even as the way became increasingly difficult — the trail turning to knee-deep mud, and then river crossings — the dog followed, and a bond grew between him and Lindnord. It became clear he was coming along for the journey. So began Arthur's journey from stray dog in Ecuador to Swedish celebrity.
Arthur finished the race with Team Peak Performance — despite his ill health, and despite the race's kayak segment. The team missed out on a podium finish, but they had picked up a new member — and caught the world's attention in the process. In the days after the race, Lindnord called home to his wife: he wanted to bring Arthur back to Sweden.
"He put everything on this golden ticket. He [risked] his life to [follow] us," says Lindnord.
Now three years later, Arthur still leaves Lindnord with a catch in his throat.
"Arthur has changed everything for me," he says. "He didn't give up. He never gave up."
Photo: Krister Göransson.
Lindnord's book, Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home, is available through Greystone Books.
← Eric Drozd: "[We] need curious people to ask the right questions"	Chris Urquhart: "All travellers are freaks, really" →


Courses would cover things like identification of plants, growing plants from seed and how to use gardening machinery safely.
You could get into this job through a horticulture and landscape operative intermediate apprenticeship.
The Royal Horticulture Society also offers horticultural apprenticeships in some of its national gardens for 16 to 19 year olds.
You could move onto a landscape or horticulture supervisor advanced apprenticeship as you get more experience.
You could also start as an assistant gardener and work your way up.
If you have some related work experience, this could help you to get a job.
To work as a gardener you would need to be able to show employers that you have the gardening skills, knowledge and enthusiasm they are looking for. Experience in gardening or a horticultural role is highly valued by employers.
The Royal Horticultural Society offers courses which are suitable if you want to learn more about gardening, or if you want to get qualifications that will help you get a job in horticulture.
You can find out more about becoming a gardener from Grow Careers and Horticulture Week.
You could work in woodland, in a park, at a client's business or at a client's home.
With experience, you could become a senior or head gardener.
You could move into other work like landscaping, greenkeeping or the care of trees and shrubs (arboriculture).
You could also set up your own business, offering a service to private customers.


text:
Q: domain NSURLErrorDomain code 4294966292 My request crashes "domain NSURLErrorDomain code 4294966292".
let request = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: NSURL(string: IPPost)!)
let session = NSURLSession.sharedSession()

request.HTTPMethod = "POST"

request.HTTPBody = "text".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding);

request.addValue("text/plain; charset=UTF-8", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")

let task = session.dataTaskWithRequest(request, completionHandler: { (data, response, error) -> Void in

    let strData = NSString(data: data!, encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding)

The file "info.plist" I added "NSAllowsArbitraryLoads = true"
Prompt, please, what am I doing wrong?

A: 4294966292 is the Unsigned Int32 version of -1004.  You can convert it via: Int32(bitPattern: 4294966292) for your reference.
Error code -1004 is for cfurlErrorCannotConnectToHost, see the docs here: https://developer.apple.com/reference/cfnetwork/cfnetworkerrors/1417006-cfurlerrorcannotconnecttohost
Likely this means there is something wrong with the server you are trying to connect to (whatever the URL of IPPost is).  I have hit this error before when my server was down and had forgot to turn it back on.  It's also possible you have malformed the URL so it's trying to access a site that doesn't exist.
I would try printing out the URL and manually double checking it with a browser or a curl command first.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Inspired Kara: Ricotta, I love you.
This little treat makes the best breakfast, snack,or dinner when your husband is away.
This is also delicious with roasted pears or baked apple slices.
I love warm weather food.
i've got to try this. yep.


text:
Vol 10 No 4B (2022): Journal of Engineering Research /
Using the Plate-Creep test to determine the impact strength properties of concrete
Murat Gökçe Amasya University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36909/jer.14429
The paper aims to design a concrete against repetitive impact and abrasion resistance. Macro/micro steel fibers and two types of crushed stone based on limestone and corundum as aggregate were used in concrete mixtures. Impact test device has been modified, designed and used for impact strength testing of concrete. The usability of the plate creep test in determining the impact strength of concrete was also investigated.
According to the impact test results, it was found that increasing the compressive strength of concrete is not very effective against impact effect, but the increase in the amount of fiber used is effective in terms of impact resistance. While corundum aggregates were effective for friction and abrasion, the total fiber volume ratio directly affected the test in the impact resistance test. In the creep test, a high correlation was found between the abrasion, impact resistance tests and the creep test. It was revealed that the strength of concrete samples was effective in the formation of the first cracks, while the fiber dosage was important in toughness and energy absorption capacity in the creep test.
Key words: Impact resistance, energy absorption capacity, corundum and limestone aggregates, abrasion strength, macro-micro steel fibers.
Vol 10 No 4B (2022): Journal of Engineering Research
P.O.Box 17225, Khaldiyah 72453, Kuwait
jer@ku.edu.kw
kuwaitjournals@gmail.com
(+965) 2498 6100 / 2498 4487 / 2481 6261 (Dir)


text:
("Jaws" is also a: user.)
(person) by WWWWolf Tue Sep 26 2000 at 8:05:38
A villain in James Bond movies The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, played by Richard Kiel.
Has metal teeth, and enough jaw power to bite through everything. Tall and tough. Doesn't talk much. Not an entirely bad character (as seen in Moonraker).
Dr. Holly Goodhead: You know him?
James Bond: Not socially. His name's Jaws, he kills people.
(Moonraker)
(thing) by Orange Julius Wed Jul 12 2000 at 22:02:07
Jaws - 1975 (Anniversary Collector's Edition DVD) - Directed by Steven Spielberg
Running Time: 125 minutes. Rated PG by the MPAA.
Spotlight On Location: The Making Of Jaws
Deleted Scenes And Outtakes
Get Out Of The Water! Trivia Game
Shark World
Production Notes And storyboard|Storyboards]
Original Theatrical Trailers
Dolby Digital Sound
English 5.1 Surround Sound
English Captioned
French Subtitles
Widescreen Ratio - 2.35:1 Anamorphic
Dual Layer
"Shark's in the water, our shark!" Awesome, awesome, awesome!
More DVD Reviews
(thing) by Karla Wed May 09 2001 at 1:52:18
Before it was a movie, Jaws was a novel, written by Peter Benchley, and published in 1974. It's a really good read, if you ask me. Pretty suspenseful, even without the creepy theme music.
This is the quotation at the beginning of the book:
"Carcharodon carcharias, the White Death Shark, is the fiercest and more fearsome predator on earth. Growing to a length of more than thirty feet, always on the prowl and always hungry, it will attack anything that appears even remotely edible. The stomach contents of one such shark, caught off the coast of Australia, included a pair of gum boots, a keg of roofing nails, and half a horse."
-Robert F. Jones, Washington Post
(thing) by LordNathan Mon May 21 2001 at 23:55:54
There was also a video game made for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) that was based on the movie. The game was made by LJN Toys, Ltd. and released in 1987. It is ridicuously simple to beat, from the first time that you get it it, it isn't difficult to beat it in only about 30 - 40 minutes. Nevertheless, it is entertaining.
You start with three lives, and you lose one when you touch ANY of the sea creatures.
You drive around a fairly small map in a boat, occasionally hitting objects, and sometimes even hitting Jaws. Once you have hit an object (but not Jaws), a message is displayed telling you that you have, and you are placed in the water as a diver. The water can be either shallow or deep (depending on where you were on the map). While in the water, you swim around shooting at the various undersea creatures, which are limited to manta rays, jellyfish, and small sharks. From senselessly killing these creatures, you usually earn one of three things: a conch shell which is used to upgrade your ship, a starfish which upgrades your points, or a crab, which also upgrades your points. And, sometimes if you kill a small shark, you get to play a bonus scene. Sharks always give shells, and jellyfish rarely do. You leave the water after a few minutes. But you never get a better driver so that you stop hitting stuff.
In the bonus scene, you are in an airplane, making passes back and forth across the screen. You are trying to hit the groups of 5 jellyfish that appear on the screen. You have unlimited ammo, but you can only shoot about three at a time. There are several groups of jellyfish that pass, and after they are all gone, you get 1 shell for every three jellyfish that you hit.
After collecting a certain amount of shells, you can head to one of the two ports (you can't visit the same one twice in a row), where you can get either a Jaws Tracker (necessary to kill Jaws), or increase your power (as it increases, the power of your shots when attacking Jaws goes up, so his power decreases more quickly). You start at power level one (imagine that), at which it takes forever to decrease Jaws' Power even a little bit. And he gets his power back as soon as you leave the water and get back in the boat. So, you keep killing innocent sea creatures until you have enough shells to increase your power several times. The cost of doing this increases by 5 shells each time and starts at 5. As soon as you think you have enough power, you go out looking for Jaws.
While in the water with Jaws, it is very easy to avoid death, since Jaws cannot go to the very top of the water. So, you shoot him as he approaches you, and then when he gets close, you go to the top. Using this process, you will wear down his health until he is killed. After he is killed, you are in the boat, and Jaws is swimming around you, much like the scene from the end of the movie. You wait until he is close, hit your strobe to cause him to jump out of the water, and then shoot him. And that is the end of the game.
And, as if it wasn't already easy enough, you sometimes can find a yellow submarine on the map. You obtain it by moving over it with your boat. The sub allows you to shoot faster while underwater, move faster, and also stop faster.
Overall, not a bad game.
(thing) by Jet-Poop Tue Jun 11 2002 at 17:40:50
"You're going to need a bigger boat."
American thriller/horror movie from 1975, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb, based on Benchley's novel. It starred Roy Scheider as Chief Martin Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper, Robert Shaw as Quint, Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody, Murray Hamilton as Mayor Larry Vaughn, and Bruce as the shark. The famous and very, very menacing musical score was composed by John Williams.
The plot is familiar to most: a Great White Shark moves into the waters outside Amity Island and starts munching on a number of swimmers. The mayor wants the crisis hushed up so the summer's tourist trade isn't threatened, but as the shark attacks increase, the police chief, a marine biologist, and grizzled sea captain set out to try to end the shark's rampage.
By now, you probably know that this was the first Summer Blockbuster, that the mechanical shark rarely worked right and was replaced by spooky first-person cinematography and ominous music, that Shaw wrote his own monologue about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. You probably know that Benchley objected to some elements of the script (particularly the ending), that Spielberg delivered the movie late and over budget, and that it still made the studio a ton of money. I like to fool myself that the character interaction is my favorite thing in the movie (Show me a better or more rousing rendition of "Show Me the Way to Go Home" and I'll punch you in the teeth, you sneaky little bastard), but I can't deny that the scene with Scheider pitching chum into the water gives me chills every time I watch it. I have no idea whether Alfred Hitchcock ever watched this movie, but if he did, I reckon he liked it. It's one of the most suspenseful movies in decades. If you haven't watched it yet, you're denying yourself one of the great pleasures of cinema.
Some research from the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com)
Moonraker Mola Mola Steven Spielberg USS Indianapolis
Jabberwock Zen in the art of fly fishing Freedom Scientific John Williams
AFI Top 100 list of thrilling films Spanish Ladies Great White Shark The Car
I can't see it film music Robert Shaw Lochjaw
Tampopo Conodont Roy Scheider horror movie
Shark Attack 3: Megalodon Planet of the Dinosaurs Bedford, the Bedford Lake Alligator
social Darwinism
From across a crowded room
pwnt


Monochrome living room design interior design ideas. 31 black kitchen ideas for the bold, modern home. Tolix stools contemporary kitchen angus fergusson. Homes that use a concrete finish to achieve beautiful results.


Monthly Update on Sylmar Charter High School's Attendance Rate!
Update as of 03.07.2019: The attached file summarizes our current attendance data. Included in these data are several exciting analytics, so please take a moment and review our data!
Attendance Proficiency Rate: This metric analyzes our attendance data through the lens of our Performance Meter. In terms of attendance, in order for a student to be considered proficient, he/she can be absent no more than seven (7) days out of the school year. This translates to a 96% attendance rate. Looking at it another way, in order for a student to reach attendance proficiency, he/she can only be absent for one day out of every twenty five instructional days. The District goal is for 70% of all students to be in attendance 96% of the time. Our proficiency rate thus far is 68.3%, so we are closing in on this goal!
Our Chronic Absence Rate: This is the newest metric, and it forms part of the new California Dashboard. Students whose attendance rate is 91% or below are considered to be chronically absent. The District goal is to have no more than 9% of all students be identified as chronically absent. Our Chronically Absent Rate is 14.8%, so our Spartan Attendance Recovery Team is currently working hard to decrease this rate.
Staff Attendance Submission Rate: Our Submission Rate is 100.0%! We have not has a single incident of unsubmitted attendance since September 17, 2015. That is remarkable! You earned that distinction!


To request an appointment at Allied ENT Specialty Center, please complete the form below. This contact form is only to be used for non-emergent matters. For urgent medical matters, please contact our office directly at (574) 232-4800 during regular business hours. In case of a medical emergency, call 911.


Deborah Dunlap, Executive Director of Black Sheep Farm, Ltd., became a HearMath Certified Coach in April 2016. Deborah is currently accepting clients to work on HeartMath in conjunction with HorseSynergy to significantly improve your quality of life. Please inquire for corporate, individual and family needs.
Deborah Dunlap, Executive Director of Black Sheep Farm, Ltd., finished her HorseDream certification in Germany in October 2015. Deborah is now a licensed HorseDream Partner.


text:
Pacific Professor Ahmar Zaman, Student Esther Fiore PsyD '26, Tell Washington Post Readers How to Apologize Appropriately
Pacific University Assistant Professor Ahmar Zaman, along with doctoral student Esther Fiore PsyD '26 and another co-author, published an op-ed in the Washington Post about what is required in an appropriate apology.
Politics and Government Chair Boykoff Speaks Out Against IOC, Beijing Games
Pacific University Politics and Government Department Chair and Professor Jules Boykoff is a go-to voice of skepticism about the Games, and a particular critic of the choice to award them to Beijing. He offers an overview about these Olympics.
Pacific University's Visiting Writers Series Presents Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
Poet Laureate Joy Harjo will be joining Pacific University's Visiting Writers Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28.
Far Away Kicks Off Fall 2021 Theatre Season
Far Away, a play by Caryl Churchill, comes to Pacific as the fall 2021 theater production. The play asks the toughest questions we're grappling with now: how our actions affect others near and far. What are we choosing to ignore? And have we made the environment irreversibly unlivable? And yet, because of the magic of Churchill's imagery and language — and because it has the quality of a fable — we don't want to look away.
Researchers Publish List of Deaths of Indigenous People Who Lived at 'Indian Schools' in Forest Grove, Chemawa
Two historians have compiled and published a sortable list of Native people who died while attending two boarding schools for Indigenous Americans in Oregon. The online resource, which covers deaths dating back to 1881, documents approximately 275 students and 30 non-students who were buried at the Chemawa School Cemetery near Salem, and two who are buried in unmarked graves at the Forest View Cemetery in Forest Grove.
Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month 2021
Pacific University's Push to Train Dental Therapists Wins Support From Oregon Legislature
Pacific University faculty members and supporters have advocated for several years for recognition for a new class of dental care provider. This month, the Oregon Legislature signed on.
Pacific University Celebrates Juneteenth
Juneteenth marks the date that the last enslaved people in America learned of their freedom on June 19, 1865, more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Please join Pacific University for a day filled with thought-provoking discussions and celebrations!
Professor Edwards-Leeper Tells 60 Minutes of Her Concerns About Rushed Gender Transitions
Pacific University Psychology Professor Laura Edwards-Leeper told a 60 Minutes interviewer she fears that some physicians approve gender transition treatments without sufficient examination.
Pacific Professor Boykoff in Forefront of Movement Against Tokyo Summer Olympics
Throughout the controversy over the Tokyo Games, Boykoff has been everywhere. Just this year, he has been cited or interviewed by the BBC, Reuters, the Sydney Morning Herald, the New York Times, NBC, Bloomberg, Time Magazine, the Voice of America, the Washington Post, CNBC, the Irish Times — in short, by every outlet looking for informed criticism of the Olympics.


CNET News has coverage of a report which states that the growing popularity of online games could stress ISP's current infrastructure and force them to upgrade in order to better serve their gaming customers. There isn't much ISPs can do to improve the situation, once a packet leaves its network it's at the mercy of other networks. Not everyone can be an LPB.
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Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd
Going great guns for Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd.
Coming from army bomb disposal into construction skills development, could Rob Cawley ensure that a Welsh infrastructure project went off with a bang?
Identifying bombs and booby traps for safe disposal in Afghanistan must demand nerves of steel. Then again, coming completely fresh to skills development in a £55 million construction project needs its own kind of bravery.
Fortunately, time in the Royal Engineers gave Rob Cawley insight into civil engineering projects, logistics and the kind of organisational skill set that is currently in huge demand in the construction industry.
"It wasn't only my first construction industry project," says Rob, project skills co-ordinator with civil engineering firm, Griffiths. "It was also our first ever project with National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC) status.
"We regarded that as a big success in itself, but there was more to it again. It was also the first NSAfC in Mid-Wales and CITB's first ever for a project under £100 million."
The work was to construct a 6.5km bypass around Newtown in Powys, while upskilling existing staff, training and recruiting local people, and developing a local supply chain.
A further aim was to promote civil engineering and construction to underrepresented groups. No small order.
Undaunted, Rob quickly set about researching his role. "I used all my contacts to understand what had to be done. I spoke to other project skills co-ordinators, visited other building sites, formed relationships with local businesses, colleges, careers organisations and training providers.
"I closely studied the key performance indicators (KPIs), and put a plan in place to achieve them.
"We quickly developed effective partnerships so that we could get training and recruitment support we needed and offer it in innovative ways.
"Soon we had the apprenticeships, work experience, training courses, careers events and so on up and running."
But the remote location of the project was challenging. "It was really hard for some of our work placements to get to site because of its rural location and lack of transport links," Rob says.
Making a success
Even so, they exceeded 13 out of 14 of their KPI targets. "We had more than 50 work placements, supported 20 apprenticeships and created more than 30 new jobs," Rob says.
"Local businesses supplied about a third of our workforce, and we gave them on-site training to reduce travel expenses and time away.
Who: Rob Cawley
Role: Project Skills Co-ordinator
Company: Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd.
Project: A483/489 Newton Bypass
Challenge: Get local people and businesses into construction, while upskilling existing staff
Impact: Meaningful career opportunities and the development of a local supply chain boosted the local economy with £1.69 reinvested for every £1 project spend.
Hints and tips: "Engage early with the supply chain and get buy-in from managers. Be positive and form good working relationships."
"It's not just about numbers and awards. It's the lives behind them."
Rob Cawley, Project Skills Co-ordinator, Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd
"We also reached out to more than 2,500 local students, sowing the seeds about what's possible in construction.
"We ended up winning a host of awards, including the Responsible Business Award for Inspiring Young Talent. The Civil Engineering Contractors Association gave the Most Promising Apprentice Award to one of our apprentices."
Life-changing results
"But it's not just about numbers and awards. It's the lives behind them," Rob says. "The opportunities we're making can be life-changing, providing a fresh start for people who have been long-term unemployed or for young adults who've had a tough time."
"We are reversing standard industry practice by offering all of our apprentices a full-time job when they finish their training. No wonder we have industry-leading completion rates."
A win for everyone
"The NSAfC is a win-win. We have better employee engagement, loyalty and retention, and a more skilled workforce, while young or disadvantaged people are getting new opportunities to follow rewarding careers.
"On top of that, there can only be positives for our relationships with our supply chain, local businesses and the industry as a whole.
"Having worked in the bomb squad I'm used to nasty surprises. On this job, the only surprise was how well everything went."


Compressed raw Pu-erh tea presented in a special bamboo holder, makes it the great taste with the fresh smell of the bamboo.
PREPARATION: To prepare Pu-erh Bamboo tea, split the bamboo holder and break off the desired amount leaves and place in a teapot. Rinse by covering with boiling water and quickly pour off. Cover with boiling water again and let steep 5-30 seconds (depending on how light or dark you want the tea) and serve. Pu-erh tea can be steeped 10-20 times.


In celebration of World Water Day, Nestlé Waters Canada has announced that its Hope, British Columbia (BC) factory is the first Canadian facility to receive certification under the rigorous Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard.
Created by industry leaders and prominent environmental conservation groups such as The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the AWS Standard is the first comprehensive global standard for measuring responsible water stewardship, not just in terms of environmental criteria, but also social and economic dimensions.
While Nestlé Waters Canada's Hope facility has operated sustainably over the last 17 years, the AWS certification process encouraged the company to further increase our knowledge of water usage in the catchment and incorporate actions to be a stronger and increasingly transparent community partner.
The programme is part of Nestlé's global commitment to caring for water, supporting the company's 2030 ambition to strive for zero impact in its operations.
Last fall, Nestlé Waters pledged to certify 20 of its water bottling sites around the world. To date, the company has certified eight facilities around the world, seven of which are located in North America.


text:
Twitter Is Finally Adding An Edit Button
by Brett Claxton
Twitter users rejoice! It seems that an edit button is finally on the way to the platform. An edit button has been one of the most requested features on Twitter for a long time and it seems that the team are finally listening.
They said on Twitter.
"now that everyone is asking… yes, we've been working on an edit feature since last year! no, we didn't get the idea from a poll. We're kicking off testing within @TwitterBlue Labs in the coming months to learn what works, what doesn't, and what's possible."
👀 pic.twitter.com/I13wE3eLdn
— Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) April 5, 2022
This news comes after a post on April 1st this year that many thought was a joke. They simply said "we are working on an edit button." At the time of writing the tweet has over 1.3 million likes.
Interestingly this news has also been revealed shortly after we were made aware that Elon Musk is now the biggest shareholder of Twitter.
Credit: Time Magazine
Elon Musk and Twitter
Elon Musk has taken a 9.2% stake in Twitter. The stake is worth a total of $2.89bn, making him the largest shareholder in the company. To help put it into perspective, that's more than four times the 2.25% holding of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.
Musk is already has a large presence on the platform. At the time of writing, he has over 80.6 million followers. On April 5th 2022 he tweeted a poll saying "do you want an edit button?" which has received over 4 million votes.
Do you want an edit button?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 5, 2022
What do you think about Twitter having an edit button? What about Elon Musk being the biggest shareholder of Twitter? Make sure to let us know on Facebook.
Check Out The GameByte Shop
Looking to pick up some games, headphones or even a PS5? Make sure to head over to the GameByte Shop and pick yourself up a bargain today!
Categories Tech & Mobile Post navigation
Roblox Condos – How To Keep Your Kids Safe
Elden Ring Player 'Will Smith' Is Invading And Slapping Players


Why Choose Dental Implants Instead of Dentures?
· Dental implants look and feel more like your natural teeth. They're inserted into the jawbone using a screw, and do not come out of your mouth. No one will know the tooth isn't natural unless you tell them.
· Although dental implants skokie il cost more than dentures, most people agree the money is well-spent. Implants can last a lifetime if they're properly taken care of. Dentures, on the other hand, must be replaced every 5 – 15 years.
· You'll have more confidence in your smile when using dental implants. Denture wearers fear their teeth will fall out of their mouth or move when they speak. Implants forego that worry.
· Dental implants are easy to care for. In fact, you care for them the same way that you would care for your natural teeth.
· Improved speech is also a benefit that you get when using implants.
· You'll feel better about yourself and improve self-esteem and confidence when using implants.
· It is easier to smile when implants are in your mouth.
The many advantages that dental implants provide over dentures make them worth taking a look at if you need to replace a tooth or teeth that you've lost. The benefits above are only some of the many, so don't hesitate to talk to your dentist to learn more.
Need to make sure your sexual harassment policies are up to standard?
When Was the Last Time You Got a Cleaning?


It is very rare to find unanimous agreement among entrepreneurs, consultants, investors and professional business plan writers on virtually anything. But one subject that gets an almost universal nod from these disparate groups is the recommendation that you should always - always - always - have someone review your business plan before it's submitted to an investor or loan officer.
Ideally, the individual(s) reviewing your plan should be someone who is not directly involved in the new business venture. They should be knowledgeable and most importantly they must be brutally honest. A family member or close friend may not be objective.
Have you clearly and concisely described the opportunity?
Have you quantified the market size, stage and key market drivers?
Does your plan clearly articulate what makes your business model different, better, unique?
Are your business strategies consistent with your business model?
Are your financial projections a logical extension of your strategies?
Are your funding requirements adequate and realistic?
Have you acknowledged or footnoted your sources of information?
Will your marketing plan create adequate exposure and demand for your product?
Will your distribution channels adequately and cost effectively reach your target demographic?
Do you have research data to backup your market analysis?
Do you really understand the strengths of your competitors?
Are the financial statements reasonable, verifiable and well presented?
Are your financial statements consistent with the rest of your plan?
Have your established a level of confidence that you can meet your objectives?
Have you chosen a management team that is up to the task?
Does your plan flow and is there a natural progression from one section to the next?
Is your business plan compelling?
If your plan misses the mark on one or more of these points, you want to know before your plan get in the hands of an investor or loan officer. A professionally trained business plan analyst can help you identify the weaknesses in your plan and can offer insights into how improvements can be made. Considering the relatively low cost of these services, this additional step is an exceptional bargain that can make a tremendous difference in how your plan is received.


Reviewer's Note: Way back in 2006, I began reviewing the first four seasons of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. for DVDTalk. So, for this new complete series set, I'll combine some of those older reviews with new observations and information about this release.
Shazam! CBS DVD and Paramount have released Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series, a single volume, 24-disc collection of the CBS smash-hit sitcom that ruled the Nielsens during its 1964-1969 run. Starring Jim Nabors and Frank Sutton (one of television's most accomplished, and least appreciated, comedy teams), Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. absolutely enraged elitist "television critics" and baffled bitter social commentators who lamented the series' massive popularity as a sure sign that 1960s TV was a cultural wasteland of science-fiction, fantasy, and hillbilly junk, aimed at the lowest common denominator. Affording these helpful purveyors of aesthetic tastes their proper due respect, tens of millions of weekly viewers in "fly-over" country promptly sounded a Bronx cheer to their "betters," and went right back to enjoying the silly, sweet (and beautifully executed) antics of Private Pyle and Sergeant Carter, in the process making Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. a truly iconic comedy series that survives to this day in syndication, and with good reason: it's funny as hell. I didn't see anything new here in terms of transfers or extras, compared to earlier single season DVD releases of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (the extras all come on season one), so if you have those sets already, there's no need to double dip. However, anyone new to the show (as well as those fans of its host series, The Andy Griffith Show) will want this set. Got that, you knuckle-headed, goldbricking goof-offs?
On the last broadcast episode of the 1964 season of The Andy Griffith Show, gas station attendant Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) marched into Sheriff Andy Taylor's (Andy Griffith) Mayberry office, singing the Marine Corps hymn, and announced that he had just signed up for active duty. Having co-starred on The Andy Griffith Show for only a year and a half, it was quite a coup for the multi-talented Nabors to be given his own starring vehicle--particularly one with such an impressive pedigree and potential for success. Originally intended for George Lindsay (who would go on to play Goober Pyle, Gomer's nephew, on the Griffith show), the Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. spin-off series was the idea of Aaron Rubin, a veteran of TV comedy (it's important to note here, though, that legendary scripters Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell are credited with creating the "Gomer Pyle" character for The Andy Griffith Show). Rubin had worked as a writer for the classic military service comedy, The Phil Silvers Show, as well as being a producer, writer and story consultant for the enormously popular The Andy Griffith Show. Along with Andy Griffith (who gets an "Associated with" credit at the end of each Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. episode), Rubin's premise took the bumbling, country yokel with the heart of gold, and stuck him into the toughest military outfit in the world, matching Pyle up with the meanest, loudest drill instructor they could find: Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter (Frank Sutton). A pilot was shot, featuring Sheriff Taylor taking Gomer to his induction, while helping Gomer through the first few hours of his boot camp. That fall, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. premiered, and was an immediate smash hit with viewers (at least according to the Nielsens), ranking third overall in the 1964-1965 ratings, even beating out its original host series (an event, according to some insiders, that apparently rankled Andy Griffith, when Nabors undiplomatically crowed about beating his old series). During its five year prime-time run, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. never left the Nielsen Top Ten--a considerable accomplishment for a sitcom.
Considering its intimate connection with one of the most beloved, iconic sitcoms in television history, it's too bad that Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. has never received the kind of fan adoration or critical scholarship that's been afforded its host series, The Andy Griffith Show. Equally popular with viewers during its original run, it has lasted for decades in syndication all over the world, just like The Andy Griffith Show. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. features one of that show's most popular reoccurring characters, supported by most of the creative talent that went into making The Andy Griffith Show a pop culture phenomenon. While I would guess one of the big reasons Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. never achieved any kind of cult following was the show's own limited format (no insular "universe" populated by eccentrics, such as Mayberry, is created), certainly as big a stumbling block was the (unfair) initial and seemingly enduring critical reaction to the Gomer Pyle character, dimming the series' chances at later appreciation. The Andy Griffith Show was well-liked by the critics during its original broadcast run, but they didn't think it was the masterpiece that everybody considers it now. And when Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. premiered, those same critics were far less kind. Something about the over-enthusiastic, slow-on-the-uptake Gomer going through the slapstick motions of Marine basic training, rubbed the urban, elitist critics the wrong way, provoking a disdain for the show and the character that quickly made even the mere mention of the series' name a punch line for comedians and talk show hosts who wanted a cheap laugh (Carson used it for years as a reliable laugh-getter). Despite its enormous popular success, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. was never nominated for an Emmy, another good indication of how it was taken for granted in an industry that could barely contain its disdain for anything Southern or rural.
Viewed today, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. comes off extremely well compared to its ignominious reputation. First and foremost, it accomplishes what it sets out to do: it's funny. That may seem simplistic praise, but creating a comedy show that gets laughs over forty years later is no small accomplishment, considering the changes in time and taste. You have to hand it to Jim Nabors; he is paralyzingly funny as Gomer Pyle. Comedy of course is subjective; what strikes one person as hilarious can cause teeth-grinding with another (Jerry Lewis would be the acid test for that theory...and you know where I stand with that genius). So it's difficult to bring somebody over from the "other side". Either you find Nabors funny as Gomer, or you don't. I do. Enacting a character such as Gomer, a totally pure, naive, optimistic, good-hearted personality, who also happens to be a slow "country bumpkin," takes a complete commitment by the actor, a willingness to be 100% honest in his portrayal, while being "in the moment" and at one with the character, at all times on the screen. Otherwise, the character becomes a cartoon; we never really believe in him as a whole person. While critics then and now may suggest that's precisely what Gomer was--a grotesque cartoon characterization--I find that not to be the case at all. Nabors is quite adept at making Gomer a believable human being, with faults and a range of emotions that result in quite an endearing, likeable character. Nabors may state in one of the episodes' commentaries here that's he's not a great actor (he had never acted before taking on the role for Griffith), but perhaps what he meant was that he's not a traditionally-trained actor. Creating a character such as Gomer Pyle, whom people remember and still seek out fifty years later, is nothing to sneeze at for any actor, regardless of their training or pedigree.
Of course, you can't have such a sweet character like Gomer in a show without a comedic foil, a counterbalance, and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. found a brilliant one in the guise of Frank Sutton's Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter. Unlike Nabors, Sutton was a classically trained actor prior to this TV assignment, and as hot-headed Sgt. Carter his is letter perfect. I can't imagine a tougher assignment for an actor than Sutton's basic responsibility in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: blow up at Pyle each time he screws up. But somehow, particularly in the first season when Sgt. Carter is at his most adversarial with Pyle, Sutton manages to bring a new spin to each of his patented explosion scenes, doing a slow burn better than just about anybody in the business. There's something about the absolute insanity of his rage, the savage anger in his face and voice, that makes Sutton's chewing out of Nabors surprisingly riveting...and fall-down funny. Again, if that was all Sutton had to do, he'd be a cartoon, as well. But he manages to bring subtleties to the role, as well; all one has to do is watch his alert, bright eyes to see that this is an extremely skilled actor listening, watching, and reacting to Nabors, in perfect synch. He's totally in the moment and in the character, just like Nabors. They're a justifiably famous TV comedy team, with a chemistry together that is rare (and the crime is, you never hear their names mentioned when the great comedy teams of television are listed or discussed).
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'s framework, both thematically and visually, is a bit more rigidly structured than its host series, The Andy Griffith Show, with Gomer and Sgt. Carter sticking close to that claustrophobic barracks for much of the series. However, it's really no different from most successful TV series in the 1960s, when the networks strived for a reliably repeatable experience for its mainstream audiences. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. utilizes the same four or five basic sets (the men's barracks, Sgt. Carter's barracks, the small area outside the barracks, and then pick-up shots in various anonymous bars, lobbies, stores and other buildings--all from the famous "Forty Acres" lot), to create a visual continuity that varies very little from episode to episode, season to season. Camerawork is restricted to the same master shot, two-shot, over-the-shoulder P.O.V., and close-up technique that marks most televised shows from this era, and background mise-en-scene is limited to the barest essentials (that set dresser couldn't have been too busy). What we have, then, is a regimented visual field created strictly to showcase the actor delivering the screenwriter's dialogue. Now some TV critics detest such rigidity, seeing it as artistic non-growth. But that view doesn't take into account the honing of the performances that occurs when actors, particularly in a sitcom, have the chance to perfect their timing and delivery over a period of years, within a stable framework. And with Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., the scripts, while at times perhaps too "sitcom-y" for some more fussy modern tastes, deliver solid, dependable laughs time and time again, due largely to the expert mugging of Jim Nabors and Frank Sutton. With the series under the steady guidance of creators Aaron Rubin and Sheldon Leonard, it deviates little from its locked-down premise; week after week, Sutton and Nabors are able to cruise along with these silly little 25-minute farces with supreme ease, finding endless variations on line deliveries and facial expressions that never cease to amuse.
The characterizations, and then subsequently the comedic dynamics, did subtly change over the five seasons, though. After all, there had to be some growth; you couldn't just have Carter yelling at Pyle for his umpteenth foul-up for 150 episodes. As the series progressed, Carter became more of an overt friend to Gomer, while Gomer became much more competent in his duties. You can already see the progression the series would take right in the first season, when Carter, despite his hatred for Pyle's disorganization, comes to realize that Pyle is a hard worker and a good soul. Slowly but surely, Gomer's and Carter's relationship moves closer towards friendship, rather than strictly a D.I. and his recruit. Gomer of course considers Carter his true friend; that dynamic never wavers, and provides plenty of the comedy (and pathos) whenever Carter balls out Gomer (and feels guilty about it later). Carter begins to realize that he has to deal with Gomer, regardless of how he feels about him, and a grudging, growing kind of tolerance (or at least acceptance) for Gomer's screw-ups, settles in, before they become full-blown pals, hanging out together during free time, and even double-dating. Those love lives of Gomer's and Carter's gets a boost during the fourth season, when the series spends a bit more time with the boys' relationships with girlfriends Lou-Ann Poovie (Elizabeth MacRae) and Bunny Wilson (Barbara Stuart). The hijinks centered around the barracks and "peacetime" military life on a Marine base (at least it was peacetime according to CBS) are still here, but more traditional sitcom romance plot lines eventually creep in. Sergeant Carter has the overtly "funny" relationship with the experienced Bunny. Ever fearful of total commitment, Carter's misadventures with his long-term girlfriend are usually predicated on his stretching the truth, or ignoring her feelings outright, until he comes around and realizes he has it pretty good with the understanding Bunny.
Gomer's love life (now there's something to ponder), nonexistent during the early seasons, seems to be steady and solid as the series wound down. What, exactly, the nature of that relationship is, though, is anybody's guess. "Chaste" wouldn't even begin to describe Nabors' pursuit of MacRae--in fact, "pursuit" is too strong a word, as well. The screenwriters have the unenviable task of maturing Gomer through the series (he's doing rather well on base by the last two seasons), while still trying to keep him an innocent from Mayberry, going blithely through the world, oblivious to its sophistications. So how do you have a character be a Marine (not exactly a sexually reticent occupation, according to decades of stereotypes in movies and TV), with a steady, gorgeous girlfriend, and evidently a fistful of nightly passes (he does seem to go off base quite a bit), and yet still keep him a virgin? Or is he a virgin? Gomer's sexuality is necessarily vague because the minute the audience sees Gomer as a sexually active man--not just a sexually active man but a Marine, for god's sake--his innocence, and the show's, is lost. So dinners at the cafe, and movies, and snuggling on the couch are about the only action we're going to see here between Gomer and Lou-Ann. When Gomer finds himself going to a drive-in movie with guest star Carol Burnett as Corporal Carol in a season four outing, he's oblivious to Carol's expectations that he "perform." Looking at a nearby couple making out, Gomer says, with genuine wonder, "They're missing the best part of the cartoon." That's sweet, innocent, naive Gomer, through and through.
And of course, the simple, "country" ethics of the show (brought over from The Andy Griffith Show) are on display throughout the series, with the same message hammered home episode after episode: good-natured, good-humored, thoroughly honest Gomer will win out every single time over someone--usually Sergeant Carter--who is dishonest in either their actions or, more importantly, their true feelings. A big source of the comedy in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is watching Carter expend a terrific amount of energy trying to suppress Gomer's goodness (telling him he's naive, trying to get him to be less conscientious because he goes overboard), only to admit defeat and understand, in the end, that Gomer was right all along. It was better to be honest and truthful. And good. If Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. has an identifiable central theme, it might be best described as: Gomer's seemingly simple-minded ideals may be old-fashioned and even comical, but they're still the best way to live one's life. Quite a few critics, then and now however, saw the show differently, reserving a special level of scorn for it because Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. failed, in their minds, to be "honest" about Vietnam. After all: how could a TV series, set on a Marine base in contemporary late 1960s America, not mention Vietnam?
Of course that's a ridiculous complaint for an entertainment show that was in no way designed to be socially or politically relevant. What were the producers of the series supposed to do--turn Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. into a hard-hitting, fact-based docu-drama to satisfy some self-important, faux-outraged critics? The public was well aware of what was going on in Vietnam; they saw it every night on their national news, and every week big and small towns all across the country welcomed home their fallen soldiers for the last time. Did those viewers need Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., of all shows, to give them further elucidations on that awful war? Those critics couldn't see the simplicity of the transaction the show offered to the public? Just for one half hour every Friday night: a reassuring respite from the horrors of that all too real war (and please don't insult me by emailing that it unfairly enticed kids to join up--what kid didn't know this was all fantasy? TV viewers have always been way smarter than critics allow)? Yes, it was a fantasy version of Marine life, but in its own way, within in its own fictional boundaries, a valid one, since Gomer never actually went off to war (CBS demanded that Pyle never be deployed into action, lest the realities of the world intrude on the fantasy land of Gomer's and Carter's Marine life--such as the tragic reality that a number of those young men seen marching with Jim Nabors in the opening credits, would later fall in battle overseas). Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. never claimed to be anything but an entertaining service comedy, and at this, it expertly succeeded. If it failed to reflect the reality of its context outside the domain of its small, square TV box, it did so deliberately for the sake of its weary, increasingly set-upon audience...and not because it was too dumb to see what was going on over in Asia.
If you're the type that sneers at something like Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. because it didn't try and "teach" its audience something--because you think real "art" is transformative and "entertainment" is ultimately meaningless--I would direct you to the gallery where Picasso's shattering anti-war painting, Guernica, now hangs, having previously toured the world where millions of people viewed it over the decades. It's certainly "art" with a message and an intent to teach and warn...and it hasn't stopped one war, as far as I can tally. So why should something like Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. be attacked for doing no more or less? In the fifth season episode Flower Power, from Bill Idelson and Harvey Miller, Gomer has to camouflage a communications truck for a big-scale exercise. Enter three hippies, including The Committee's Rob Reiner and Leigh French, who can't understand why Marine Gomer's truck is choking off the sunlight to all those pretty daisies. In a sweetly-written little scene, Gomer and the hippies get to know each other, with some amusing asides about materialism, before they all sing Dylan's protest song, Blowin' in the Wind. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'s producers may have been forbidden by the network to discuss Vietnam, but even the most casual, apolitical viewer of the show back in '69 would have paused, and understood exactly what was what, when the camera does a one-shot of Nabors, in uniform, singing, "how many deaths will it take, till he knows that too many people have died?" It was as understated-yet-clear a message as the last shot of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. In the final episode, Goodbye Camp Henderson, Hello Sergeant Carter, when Sgt. Carter, relieved that Pyle won't be transferred out of his command, shakes his true friend Gomer's hand...he realizes they're stuck together permanently: Gomer was lacquering the Sgt.'s chair. It's a fitting final image for one of television's most accomplished comedy teams, in one of the best sitcoms of the 1960s.
As I wrote in my previous reviews, it's entirely possible that episodes have been edited for content (in seasons 2-4), most likely for musical numbers that Nabors sings for which CBS couldn't (or wouldn't) get legal releases. Most episodes do run at least 25 minutes, so...it's up to you if this is a deal breaker (life's too short: don't hold your breath that anyone is going to pony up exorbitant amounts of money for song releases when this entire series set is selling for less than $40 dollars on Amazon--art aside, the profit margin for a set like this simply doesn't warrant that expenditure). Otherwise: the fullscreen, 1.37:1 black and white (season one)/color (seasons 2-5) transfers look very good. Image detail is pretty sharp, color isn't bad (perhaps a bit off in values, due to age), contrast is fine, and screen imperfections are at expected levels.
The Dolby Digital English mono audio tracks are fine, with very low hiss and a decent re-recording level. English closed-captions are available.
The extras here, are the same ones from the season one release of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., back in 2006, including audio intros for that season's episodes from Nabors. On disc one, the pilot episode for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., from The Andy Griffith Show, is included. It's essential viewing to see the transition from Mayberry to the Marines. The disc producers have also included the rare black-and-white sales promotion pitch bumpers for the pilot, performed by Nabors. As well, Nabors offers an interesting audio commentary for this pilot episode. Nabors also provides an audio commentary for the premiere episode of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. Nabors has lots of stories to tell about the show, as well as emphasizing his well-known affection and respect for the Marine Corps. Nabors comes across extremely well here (he doesn't sound a day older than Gomer from forty years ago), offering an extremely heart-felt, sincere thank you to his fans at the end of the commentary. On disc two, there's another interesting commentary from Ronnie Schell, who played Duke on the series. A friend of Nabors, Schell also sounds exactly the same, and he has a wealth of information packed into a short 25 minute commentary. It's a shame we couldn't hear more from these two gifted actors. Disc two also has a short color clip from The Lucy Show, which features Nabors at the very end (it's more loud than funny). On disc three, there's an undated, 11 minute interview with Nabors, conducted by British TV personality, David Frost. It's a quick, but interesting look at Nabors relaxing outside of his Gomer Pyle persona. And on disc five, there's a short 9 minute clip from The Jim Nabors Hour, Nabor's CBS variety show that followed the Gomer Pyle run. The clip features a skit entitled The Brothers-in-Law, and features Frank Sutton and Ronnie Schell, as well. Most alarming is watching Frank Sutton breathing so heavily during the skit; it's not surprising when you hear Schell, in his previous commentary, recount how Sutton smoked 18 Brazilian cigars a day. Other than that: no new extras.
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!--Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is one of the best sitcoms of the 1960s...no matter what the snooty critics, then or now, say. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. never received the critical respect it deserved during its day. Perhaps Jim Nabors was too good portraying the "knuckle headed, goldbricking, goof-off" country boy Pyle; perhaps critics thought he wasn't really acting. Or maybe it was the fact that the show offered simple pleasures to loyal fans, executed by total professionals who didn't care if the critics liked them or not. And loyal fans they were; in that neglected "fly-over" country between New York and L.A., Jim Nabors was a TV superstar, and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. quickly became a pop culture sensation, as well as one of the highest-rated TV programs of the 1960s. Sharp, funny writing from the same production team of that masterpiece of the 1960s sitcom genre, The Andy Griffith Show, and the inspired team of Jim Nabors and Frank Sutton--a brilliant duo--make Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. must viewing for fans of TV comedy. I'm highly, highly recommending Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series.


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Last updated: 02:05 PM ET, Thu April 27 2017
IHG Joins TripAdvisor's Instant Booking Platform
Hotel & Resort	Patrick Clarke April 27, 2017
PHOTO: The Crowne Plaza in Ventura Beach, Calif. (photo via Flickr/Clotee Pridgen Allochuku)
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is the latest hotel giant to join TripAdvisor's instant booking marketplace.
Announced Thursday, the partnership will allow guests to book all of IHG's hotel brands through TripAdvisor.com or the company's mobile app.
The integration will take place in the coming months and, once fully up and running, users can click "Book Now" to initiate a reservation. The IHG brand will handle the transaction and customer service from there.
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"Trusted hotels, like those within the IHG family of brands, give hotel shoppers confidence that they'll be able to have a better booking experience through TripAdvisor because of the wide range of inventory, room content and the best rates we offer," TripAdvisor's senior vice president of global advertising Robin Ingle said in a statement.
IHG boasts approximately 5,200 hotels and 770,000 available rooms in almost 100 countries around the world. In addition to its flagship brand InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, IHG's popular brands include Holiday Inn, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza and Candlewood Suites, among others.
TripAdvisor's partnership with IHG comes just three months after Hilton agreed to join the platform and is the latest of many expansions since the platform initially launched in 2014.
Marriott International, which is now the world's largest hotel company after completing its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide last year, signed on to the platform during 2015. The the marketplace was further expanded beyond the U.S. and U.K. to nine other English-speaking countries in 2016, including Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and South Africa.
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Beyond instant booking, TripAdvisor's traveler reviews have delivered a huge boost to the travel and tourism industry. Last year, an Oxford Economics study found the site influenced $478 billion in spending on travel during 2014.
In the site's latest effort to simplify travel, it's teamed up with Facebook Messenger to launch a chatbot that allows users to access reviews and recommendations from the popular messaging platform.
The bot does the heavy lifting and can eventually nail down users' preferences to make better suggestions in the future.
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