text:
The Mountain that Eats Men: A Journey into the Mines of Cerro Rico, Potosí, Bolivia
Cerro RicoMined since Pre-Columbian times, this mountain dominates the skyline above Potosí
The 'Monstrous Babylon'
I can scarcely believe my eyes when I peer into the gloom of the small store before me. Amid the clutter on the floor are several plastic bags marked 'ANFO' which are bulging with light pink grains. 'That's ammonium nitrate!' I whisper to Martin, who then proceeds to raise the jaw-dropping stakes even further by pointing out an open box containing sticks of dynamite! We block the doorway staring in wild eyed bewilderment at one of just scores of potential tinder boxes in this narrow street. 'Go inside', smiled Roberto, our guide, 'you have to buy some gifts to give to the miners we will meet on our tour'.
Shop in the Miners' MarketEverything a miner needs can be bought here, including high explosives!
Martin and I are in Potosí, a mining city at the southern end of the Bolivian Altiplano. It's impossible not to notice Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) which towers over the narrow cobbled streets of the city. Over 4,700 metres in height, it has given birth to the highest mining city in the world. The silver lodes of Cerro Rico were worked in Pre-Incan times, but were exploited on a grand scale by the Spanish Conquistadores making the mines of Potosí world famous. Indeed novelist, Miguel de Cervantes, placed the words 'Vale un Potosí' (It is worth a Potosí), into the mouth of his hero, Don Quixote. The ore derived from these mines bankrolled the Hapsburg Empire for centuries, exciting the envy and suspicion of all other monarchs in Europe. It was said that you could have built a bridge of silver ingots to Madrid from the ore mined here.
But this incredible wealth came at a huge cost to human life. Cerro Rico can be seen as a colossal monument to the tragedy of Spanish conquest. Potosí, now a World Heritage Site (WHS) boasts a number of ornate Baroque churches, a virtually intact mint and opulent colonial buildings, all raised on the back of slave labour and was formerly described as 'a monstrous Babylon'. Some say this city and its mountain represent the largest site of physical exploitation in the world during the colonial period (1546-1825). Countless indigenous men from across the Andes were press-ganged by the Spanish into servitude to work the mines under the Pre-Colombian mita system. Alongside black African slaves, the miteros toiled in the most appalling and dangerous conditions, often sleeping underground for weeks on end. Many never saw their homes or families again, killed in the mines, literally worked to death, or poisoned by the toxic effects of mercury used on the patio (ore processing) floors. Although records of fatalities were not kept, it is estimated that over eight million mineworkers perished in Potosí during colonial times. Enough hapless victims to build a road of bones from Cerro Rico, 'the mountain that eats men', all the way to Madrid.
By the early nineteenth century, the output of the Cerro de Potosí began to significantly decline as the silver deposits worked in the rich oxidised zones in the upper part of the mountain were mostly worked out. Compounded by looting during the 1820s Wars of Independence, Potosí's star began to wane. However, deeper tin lodes (along with other base minerals such as zinc, lead and cadmium) gradually supplanted silver during the twentieth century. But by the 1930's the tin barons who controlled the majority of Bolivian mines were perceived to be exploiting the indigenous labour force. Groups of workers banded together to fight for more autonomy, and the tin barons were eventually marginalized when the mining sector was nationalised and the Bolivian Mining Corporation (COMIBOL) was formed after the revolution of 1952.
The collapse of the tin market in 1985 resulted in massive layoffs of miners and considerable restructuring of the mining sector, including the decentralisation of COMIBOL into five semiautonomous and privatised mining enterprises in 1986. In order to survive in this hostile climate, the miners formed cooperatives which are still functioning today. COMIBOL still owns Cerro Rico but licenses its operation to a handful of multinationals and over 200 such cooperatives who pay to rent an area of the mountain in which they have been granted permission to work, sharing the profits of their labour between themselves. The rise in mineral prices in recent years has witnessed a recovery and expansion of the mining sector. Over 16,000 miners are presently estimated to be at work in the mines of Potosí. Most work in cooperatives that are extracting low grade silver-bearing ore from the old workings in Cerro Rico which is becoming dangerously unstable…
Intrigued by the history of this famous mining area, for a mere US $10 Martin and I have signed up for a half day tour into Mina Candelaria (the Candlemas Mine named for the famous Catholic fiesta in February). Kitted out with well-worn protective overalls, a helmet, battery powered cap lamp, wellies and colourful bandanas, we hop aboard a minibus with several other people.
Mining statues in PotosíMining is the lifeblood of Potosí as these commemorative statues illustrate This sluggishly groans up a maze of narrow streets spewing clouds of black fumes, before entering a bustling square where it shudders to a halt. At its centre is a huge rocky mound at the base of which is a grilled adit entrance with a mine wagon behind it. Atop this mound, supposedly meant to represent Cerro Rico, is a gleaming golden figure of a miner holding a pneumatic drill in one hand and a gun aloft in the other. It speaks volumes about Bolivian history! My eye then catches another resplendent figure kneeling below. It's a chola woman complete with characteristic full skirts and bowler hat, brandishing a small hammer in her right hand and a rock in her left. She represents one of the palliris, female ore-breakers, who fossick through the mine dumps of Cerro Rico to grub an informal living to help to maintain their families.
Although it has been a WHS since 1985, to suggest that Potosí possesses a charm comparable to other WHS cities in the Andes is stretching the imagination somewhat. It is bitterly cold at night and the altitude means you fight for every breath walking up its steep cobbled streets where you are choked by sooty clouds of cheap petrol fumes from the incessant traffic and the unavoidable inhalation of the beige haze of fine mineral dust that seems to seep into every nook and cranny. Many parts of the city are gritty working neighbourhoods and numerous buildings in the historic centre look decidedly down at heel; an atmosphere of quiet neglect appears to have settled over the streets along with the fuel soot and mineral dust.
The Miners' Market running higgledy–piggledy up the steep side of Cerro Rico which is thronged with squatting vendors hawking goods from hand carts, and fast food stalls feeding ravenous groups of miners just off-shift, definitely falls into this category! It is in one of the small stores here where we spot the dynamite and ANFO for sale. We find it hard to believe that high explosives are stored so casually in the scores of shops lining this street and are sold to anyone, no licence required, no questions asked. Along with bottles of water and fizzy drinks, we do as Roberto suggests and purchase two explosive kits each containing a small plastic bag of ANFO, a stick of dynamite, and a coil of safety fuse for the princely sum of 17 Bolivianos (about 1.50 euro) each!
Miners' MarketOne of many shops selling goods to the mineworkers in Potosí
Almost opposite the mining store, next to a chola woman busily hacking the head off an alpaca's carcass, is the stall of a coca leaf seller. Prematurely aged, the harshness of life on the Altiplano is etched into the thousands of lines on her brown and wizened face. Roberto explains that the miners do not eat underground, but rely on the stimulating effects of chewing coca leaves to dull their hunger and stave off fatigue during their arduous 10 hour plus shifts. 'First explosives, now drugs!' I think as we hand over the money for a couple of bags of the pale green, strong smelling leaves, drawing an almost toothless smile from the vendor.
The Rape of 'Mother Earth'
After a short journey out of the city we stop outside a series of crude hutches above one of around 39 ore treatment plants that dot the mountainside. In these hutches, a cooperative's ore is stored and assayed before being processed so the group can receive its fair share of the price of the concentrate. The mill is truly primitive and the workers wear no protective equipment. Roberto explains that the ore is processed with various chemicals and reagents to separate the silver, casually waving his hand at an open vat of cyanide nearby: 'It used to be worse when mercury was used!' Several of our tour group look horrified and promptly cover their faces with their bandanas! The ore is reduced in ball mills then treated in froth flotation cells. Base minerals occurring with the silver ore, such as lead and zinc, were previously discarded as it was not considered commercially viable to extract them. But rising mineral prices has resulted in an increased recovery of all minerals. However, we suspect that the untreated effluent from this mill eventually discharges into a local river system…
La Virgen del CerroIn this famous painting, the Virgin Mary is portrayed as the mountain of Cerro Rico. A clever device to appease the indigenous population, for in Andean culture Cerro Rico is adjudged to be female and mountains represent Pachamama Behind the processing plant, Cerro Rico rises against the deep blue sky of the Altiplano like a giant ochre-coloured anthill. It contains more than 650 separate entrances and is literally honeycombed with hundreds of thousands of tunnels that follow increasingly impoverished mineral veins. With limited state regulation and little concern for safety, the mine workings are randomly driven and the whole mountain is now believed to be inherently unsafe; catastrophic collapses are predicted. Indeed, all mining near the peak was suspended in 2009 after the ground there began to subside. Over 500 years of mineral extraction has already decreased the mountain's height significantly. This epitomises the rape of 'Mother Earth', for in indigenous Andean culture Cerro Rico is adjudged to be female, and mountains represent Pachamama (the earth/time mother). This fact was quickly understood by the conquering Spaniards who ensured that she became synonymous with the Virgin Mary to convert the indigenous peoples to Catholicism. This association is especially evident in Potosí's most famous painting on display in the Royal Mint - the anonymous eighteenth century La Virgen del Cerro - where the Virgin Mary is portrayed as the mountain of Cerro Rico.
Cooperative mineworkers can earn three to five times the amount of money made by those in menial service jobs or agriculture, although by western standards their wages are still pitifully low. Moreover, they are not immune to exploitation, and many complain that the managers take the lion's share of the collective income leaving them with barely enough money to get by on each month. But with Potosí being the poorest state in the poorest country in South America, mining is the area's lifeblood. The costs to human health or the environment are far outweighed by the driving need to feed large families. More than half of the 240,000 residents residing in the city whose dusty houses creep towards the mountainside as if lured to Cerro Rico by an invisible magnetic force, depend directly on the mines for their livelihoods. It is not hard to see why Potosinos have good reason to thank Pachamama, making daily libations to her for the gifts she has bestowed on Cerro Rico…
Descent into the underworld
Our minibus continues ever higher up the mountainside, lurching over rutted tracks and throwing up clouds of ochre coloured dust before it eventually arrives outside the ramshackle entrance to Mina Candelaria, over 4,500 metres above sea level. Possessing four levels and running continuously for over 300 years, it is one of the oldest mines in the Cerro. Crudely built stone buildings half set in the ground with roofs of galvanized iron and plastic sheeting held down by rocks and bits of old machinery, cluster around Level One, the mine's main portal. An empty wagon rumbles by on a tramway, pushed by a short, but powerfully built miner who disappears into the tunnel entrance. We follow him in to begin our two hour tour. The portal walls are initially coated in fine dust, but as we progress deeper into the mine, blooms of bright yellow sulphur appear on everything. Several miners pass us on the way in to start their shift. Roberto knows them all; he had once worked here as a miner himself. Bent double in places, the high altitude immediately begins to take its toll and it becomes harder to breathe as the temperature inside the level rises uncomfortably.
Mina CandelariaSituated at over 4,500 metres above sea level this mine possesses four levels and has worked continuously for over 300 years, making it is one of the oldest mines in the Cerro
About 400 metres in and close to an ore chute encrusted with sulphur, we stop. Roberto announces that we are going to clamber on our hands and knees over a pile of loose rock to access a short, low drive beyond. Two women in our group shriek uncontrollably and announce that they are too afraid to continue. They turn tail and head back down the tunnel to the surface. Inside the hot, airless drive, gasping for breath and seeking somewhere to sit, I stagger about like a drunkard. I am suddenly aware of a figure close to me. As I turn my head, my cap lamp illuminates a hideously grotesque horned and moustached clay figure sporting an enormous erect phallus. It is seated amid a heap of empty tin cans, plastic bottles and crumbling cigarettes, garlanded in luridly coloured paper streamers and covered in rotting coca leaves.
El Tío, Mina CandelariaThe grotesque statue of El Tío surrounded by miners' libations
'Meet El Tío, the Lord of the Underworld!', announces Roberto. Just as local people make daily libations to Pachamama, the miners make offerings each Friday to El Tío (literally 'The Uncle'), who is associated with pre-Hispanic huacas (revered objects) as well as the Christian Devil. He is a central figure in the ritual life of Bolivian mining communities. As there is no state enforced health and safety regimen in the mines of Cerro Rico, and cost cutting by the cooperatives sees little attempt to shore up tunnels or replace failing timberwork, the miners place their faith in Tío, presenting him with gifts of alcohol, coca leaves, cigarettes and llama blood in return for his goodwill and guarantee of health, safety and good fortune in the mines. Judging by the state of the level we have just traversed, I half wish I had brought along something to placate Tío myself!
Mina Candelaria, PotosíA sulphur-encrusted ore chute in the old workings of the mine
Returning to the tunnel on Level One, we then began the hellish descent down through ancient workings via Level Two to Level Three. Used nowadays only as an access route for the levels above and below, the air in Level Two is foul and thick with dust. The way on involves crawling on all fours in places through tunnels barely large enough to permit an adult to pass. My anal nerve almost fails as we wriggle under rotting stulls holding up large quantities of deads. Squeezing through partially collapsed raises and shimmying down dodgy stull-work within a winze which bottoms out dangerously close to an open stope will remain indelibly etched on my memory. Standing next to an old windlass above this winze, Roberto explains that before an electrical winch was installed a few years ago to raise the ore from Level Three to Level One, the miners had to carry over 40 kg of ore up through these tight rocky passageways in bags slung over their backs.
By now my face is beaded with perspiration and my heart thumps incessantly against my ribcage as I fight for every breath in the impossibly hot, dry and foul air. The acrid sulphurous taste of the dust catches in the back of my throat and makes me cough till I gag. 'I've been in safer abandoned mines in Cornwall', I say to Martin as we clamber down another horrible raise, only to arrive on a narrow rocky shelf where I light-headedly gaze into a deep stope that promptly swallows the light from my cap lamp. One slip here…
It is with considerable relief that we finally emerge into a tunnel in which it is possible to stand upright. 'This is Level Three, the "Gringo Level"', Roberto says with a laugh. A low hiss from ventilation pipes bringing clean air down from the surface fills the tunnel. It is now far easier to breathe. This is the main haulage way where ore from Level Four is raised and trammed along in wagons to be sorted before being hauled to the surface. We follow the tram tracks for some distance before ascending a short ladderway into a rock strewn drive. A hammering sound greets us and in the gloom a miner appears at the forehead.
Miner in Mina CandelariaSingle jacking in a scene straight out of the nineteenth century
Alone in this airless drive, one cheek bulging with a wad of coca leaves and drenched in perspiration, he is single jacking a bore hole with a drill steel in preparation for an explosive charge. It is like a scene straight out of the nineteenth century. I confess to being moved as I shake this man's hand and give him our gifts of explosives and coca leaves. We then return to the main haulage way where several men pass us straining to push heavily laden wagons of ore which constantly jump the tracks. Some don't look old enough to shave. They are conveying the ore to their colleagues who are shovelling it into rubber kibbles to be hauled up a shaft by the electric winch. Most are working, red eyed, amid clouds of choking dust without masks. It unsettles me to think that these young men, who stop work to greet us and humbly accept our gifts of coca leaves, fizzy drinks and water, are unlikely to reach middle age.
We are not taken to Level Four, currently the main work area, where the horrors of the working conditions may be left to the imagination. The climb back up through the old men's workings of Level Two is even more arduous, stifling and airless than the descent, and I am mightily relieved to see the bright pin point of light of the entrance portal appear in the reeking sulphurous darkness.
Tour group, Mina CandelariaEveryone was glad to see the light of day after emerging from the hellish mine workings!
Cerro Rico is no model of operational safety and its mineworkers toil in shocking conditions that lag way behind the rest of the world. And this mountain is still eating men. On average, life expectancy among the miners is less than forty years and several men die each week from silicosis or through mining related accidents. Countless women in Potosí are widows or widows in waiting, and most face an uncertain future of bringing up large families on their own.
However, it might be somewhat disingenuous to see these men and their families purely as victims. They value their independence, are proud of their work in the mines, and receive better pay for their efforts than they could earn if employed in menial jobs outside the mining sector. I do, however, question the wisdom of allowing hundreds of tourists each day to enter workings that are unregulated, inherently unsafe and, quite frankly, a death trap. Given that the current high price of minerals has stimulated mining activity and the fact that the whole of Cerro Rico has been rendered so fragile and unstable because it is literally riddled with mine workings, 'the mountain that eats men' could soon find itself feasting on unsuspecting tourists.
Keywords: Bolivia, Cerro Rico, South America, World Heritage Site, mine tour


text:
The Weekly Tiger
TorchWittenberg Student Journalism Since 1875
AllBreaking NewsCOVID-19
Wittenberg plans COVID-19 testing program for spring
Trent Sprague - November 24, 2020 0
During the Spring Semester, Wittenberg plans to test 3% of the student body for COVID-19 each week. The testing will be done as part...
Spring 2021: How Will it Look?
Atticus Dewey - November 23, 2020 0
As students pack their bags and begin to head home from Wittenberg University's fall semester, the question of what the spring semester will look...
Joe Biden Elected 46th President of The United States
Trent Sprague - November 9, 2020 0
On Saturday, Nov. 7, The Associated Press projected Joe Biden to be the 46th President of the United States and winner of the 2020...
Wittenberg's Response Plan if Clark County Moves to Level Four? "Stay the Course."
On Oct. 22, Clark County was placed on watch to move to Level Four of the Ohio Department of Health's Public Health Advisory System...
AllProfiles
4PAWs Pup of the Semester: Zazpi
Amber Gauss - November 17, 2020 0
This is Zazpi! He's a 4PAWs puppy from the Seven litter. He loves to eat hands, as most puppies do, and he likes his...
What Does the COVID-19 Response Team Do?
Faith Scully - November 16, 2020 0
While many universities decided to remain virtual for the fall semester, Wittenberg has been able to hold the fall semester in person, a difficult...
Students Observe Presidential Election at Watch Party
Maryann Dunmire - November 10, 2020 0
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, The Office of Student Involvement in collaboration with Student Senate and The Office of Scheduling and Special Events hosted a...
Fall Festival Emerges In Response to Cancelled W-Day
Atticus Dewey - October 26, 2020 0
On Thursday, Oct. 22, students emerged from their dorms and classes to be met with blaring music, pop-up activities and special events galore littering...
AllReviewsMusicTV & MoviesBooks
"The Blind Assassin" is a Captivating Read
Faith Scully - November 6, 2020 0
When I saw "The Blind Assassin" by Margaret Atwood on my Contemporary Fiction syllabus, I was floored. For the first time in the history...
"What We Do in the Shadows" is The Perfect Quarantine Mockumentary
Anthony Petruzzi - November 4, 2020 0
The enticingly macabre Halloween season has quickly encroached upon my already poor sense of time, and it's made me think a lot about this...
"Hamilton's" Daveed Diggs Crafts Chilling Halloween Album
Braeden Bowen - October 30, 2020 0
Most well-known for his performance as Thomas Jefferson in the 2015 Broadway hit "Hamilton," Daveed Diggs has been producing cutting edge and industrial hip-hop...
We Are Not Alone: An Adventure Seeking Those on the Other Side
Katie Kinser - October 29, 2020 4
Are we alone, or are we home to the deadly unknown? There are Wittenberg students who walk around campus without even thinking about whether an...
AllThe Weekly TigerMental SpacePolitics
The Weekly Tiger: Holiday Sendoff
Meghan Nadzam - November 26, 2020 0
We're nearing the end of the semester, Tigers, and I'm so ready for it. This whole semester has been a roller coaster that only has...
Mental Space: The Importance of Good Food
We all eat. It's a fact and a necessity of life. But have you ever considered the importance of good, healthy food and its...
The Weekly Tiger: Five Free Vibes
I was recently reminded that I am never alone in my strafes, no matter how thick of a torment I wrap myself up into....
Mental Space: The Wintery Gloom of Seasonal Affective Disorder
It's getting to be that time of year again; the sun sets earlier in the day and rises later. If it's making you feel...
AllBasketballFootballField Hockey
Lack of Athletic Commitment or a Smaller Student Body?
DaVonte Cassidy - November 11, 2020 0
Recent athletic recruitment for Wittenberg may be "lacking" in certain areas due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It seems the numbers of winter...
NCAC Cancels Conference Play for 2020-21 Winter Season due to COVID-19
Trent Sprague - October 27, 2020 0
On Oct. 16, the North Coast Athletic Conference dashed the championship hopes of several Wittenberg Athletic teams when the conference announced the cancelation of...
Field Hockey New Head Coach Spotlight: Bronwen Gainsford
In the middle of a year where athletics have been effectively postponed, Wittenberg field hockey will be led by a new head coach, Bronwen...
Wittenberg Hires New Assistant Tennis Coach
Evan Cheese - September 30, 2020 0
Game, set... whoa, new coach? This shocking news might have come across some tennis players' minds at Wittenberg University when they hired a new...
Wittenberg Volleyball: Still Balling Hard
Katie Mauch - October 2, 2013 0
The faces of the Wittenberg women's volleyball team have changed over the years, but the tradition has remained the same, at least under Coach...
Tiger Town Pound Down
Jack Ruble - September 29, 2013 0
For those who enjoy watching great offense, Saturday at Edwards-Maurer Field was the place to be. The Tigers put up a team record 716...
Reed Florence Among the Best Witt QB's of All-Time
Dan Sabol - September 29, 2013 0
When the Wittenberg football team takes the field on Saturdays, the players are led by local product Reed Florence. Florence is a senior quarterback...
Reds and Indians Both in World Series Hunt
Mike Waring - September 29, 2013 0
The last time the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds were in the playoffs at the same time, it was 1995. While we were rolling...
Football Dominates DePauw
The Wittenberg football team bounced back from a tough opening loss at Butler to blowout DePauw University 45-0. The Tigers entered the game (0-1)...
Volleyball Starts Conference Play Strong
Jake Haubner '16 The women's volleyball team came into the weekend on a two game win streak and were looking to crack the .500 mark...
Field Hockey Splits Conference Games to Start Season
As the Wittenberg women's field hockey team starts out the 2013 season, they do so with two wins and two losses in conference play....
"So, what's in a name?" When a friend from Wittenberg, who was fairly new to the Buckeye mania of the Midwest, asked me the...
Wittenberg Soccer: On the Quest to the Top
Jamaal Everett - September 22, 2013 0
People who have participated in team-orientated sports understand what teamwork really means. In a nutshell, teamwork is a group of people working together to...
Women's Soccer Splits Par of Tough Matches
The Wittenberg Tigers split a pair of close matches this past week, defeating Case Western and fell to Capital 1-0. A little more than a...
Center Ice With Andy Kennedy and Shane Hartlaub
Maggi Quigley - September 18, 2013 2
Hockey boils down to a few key ingredients: blood, sweat, determination, stamina, skill, and sharp skates. Two of Wittenberg's upperclassmen ice hockey players have...
New Football Coaches
The Wittenberg Tiger football team has been churning out winning seasons for sometime now. These wins can be attributed to the hard work and...
Field Hockey Upends Rival Wooster
Katie Mauch - September 18, 2013 0
By: Dan Sabol The Wittenberg field hockey team has had an extremely exciting season so far this year, and the NCAC opener didn't disappoint. The...
Football Team Looks to Bounce Back Against Depauw
By: Anthony Garcia The Wittenberg Tigers football team will look to get rid of what senior quarterback Reed Florence called, "a sour taste," on the...
Men's Soccer Up Against Tough Teams
By: Jake Haubner '16 *When were the games? The Tigers took on Wilmington on Sept. 7 to cap off the Wilmington Kiwanis Classic. Wilmington defended their...
Volleyball Defeats Eighth Ranked Otterbein
By: Dan Sabol The beginning of the 2013 season has been rough for the Wittenberg volleyball team. The team entered this past weekend's Wittenberg Fall...
Women's Soccer going for a Second Straight Title
By: Jack Ruble After losing five starters from the 2012 regular season NCAC champion team, Wittenberg women's soccer team started this season with something to...
Miley Being Miley
Lauren Swanson - September 18, 2013 0
Controversial? Yes. Self-Indulgent? Yes. Publicity genius? Without a shadow of a doubt. Miley Cyrus is the hot topic on everyone's lips and her music,...
The Wittenberg Torch. 2021.
About The Torch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


(3 %) SQLNinja v0.2.5 released!
Sqlninja is a tool targeted to exploit SQL Injection vulnerabilities on a web application that uses Microsoft SQL Server as its back-end. Its main goal is to provide a remote access on the vulnerable DB server, even in a very hostile environment. It should be used by penetration testers to help and automate the process of taking over a DB Server when a SQL Injection vulnerability has been discovered.


As a security researcher, what you can and can't get away with in terms of research (AKA hacking) and vulnerability disclosure is getting harder to keep track of. Laws seem to be getting stricter, especially around online services and critical infrastructure. Internet freedom fighters like the EFF have seemingly modified their stance with regard to the sale of exploits – or have they?
Lawmakers worldwide are struggling to make sense of this whole "cyber tubes" thing, and the security world has been struggling to get a voice heard in the debate. So how does a security researcher who just wants to find cool vulns and make a little legit cash get by without getting into more trouble than it's worth?
Join Katie Moussouris, leader of Microsoft's security community outreach and strategy team, as she takes you on a tour of the ever-evolving rules of engagement when it comes to reporting vulnerabilities to vendors. Attendees will leave with the understanding of what vendors will have to do if they wish to claim compliance with the soon-to-be-published ISO standard on vulnerability disclosure, as well as an up-to-the-moment snapshot of current major vendors' online vulnerability security testing stances. No legal guarantees or "get out of jail free" cards are offered with this talk, just a friendly guide that may smooth your next vendor disclosure encounter, and save you and the affected vendors some headaches in the whole process.
Katie Moussouris leads the Security Community Outreach and Strategy team at Microsoft. Her team's work encompasses Security Ecosystem Strategy programs such as Microsoft's BlueHat conference and worldwide hacker conference engagement, security researcher outreach, Vulnerability Disclosure Policies, and MSVR (Microsoft Vulnerability Research, Microsoft's research and reporting of vulnerabilities in 3rd party software). Katie also serves as the vulnerability disclosure lead SME for the US National Body of the International Standards Organization (ISO), having performed all three roles in disclosure – finder, coordinator, and vendor for both open and closed source software.
Katie was one of the Artists Formerly Known as @stake, and she published one of the last security advisories they released in 2004, prior to being acquired by Symantec. Katie has performed dozens of software penetration tests, security code audits, design reviews, and secure software development lifecycle reviews for major software vendors and major companies in industries across the board, from finance to e-commerce, to healthcare. She has found critical vulnerabilities and offered remediation recommendations for major components of critical infrastructure in these industries, before they could be widely exploited.
At Symantec, Katie founded and ran the first team in Symantec's 20-year history to ever publish security vulnerability advisories in 3rd-party products. See http://www.symantec.com/research. Katie has spoken on Vulnerability Disclosure and secure development lifecycles at several security conferences, including RSA2010, SOURCEBoston, Shmoocon, Toorcon Seattle, and she was a keynote speaker at Shakacon in June 2008. Katie spoke at Black Hat USA in August of 2008 on her program, Microsoft Vulnerability Research (MSVR), and most recently again at BlackHat USA 2010 on disclosure. Katie is also working on a book on Vulnerability Disclosure.


text:
A Taste of Good Life...
With a variety of eateries inspired by the best restaurants in the world, you'll find your personal slice of heaven on Virgin Voyages.
Extra Virgen Eatery - Scarlet Lady. Photo by Virgin Voyages
Costa Rica is so Full of Life and Adventure
I was fortunate to visit this incredible Central American country a few years ago and I can't wait to go back. I spent two weeks there so I could explore both the Pacific and the Caribbean side of this magnificent country. There is a little-bit of everything to please every taste, mood and activity level of adventure. Have you been there yet or is this exotic destination on your bucket list? Get ready for an incredible getaway because you will be living "Pura Vida" when you are in Costa Rica.
Fortuna National Park - Image courtesy of the Costa Rican Board of Tourism
The Dominican Republic: More Than Just Resorts
Have you been there yet? I loved this Caribbean island, it's people and culture. It might be because its so similar to Cuba. The people are so warm and welcoming and the food is so delicious. I traveled to Puerto Plata on the north side of the island, hired a tour guide/driver who took me across the island passing through Santiago, Las Vegas, and Santo Domingo on my way to Punta Cana. That was incredible to see all different sides of the country and the big city.
Image by the Dominican Republic Board of Tourism


text:
Our Graduate Programme
Meet Our Graduates and Alumni
Graduate Engineer
Back to Graduates
Describe the skills you have gained since working for Multiplex?
I have learned a lot since starting work as a Graduate at Multiplex. Firstly, I have gained some more technical knowledge and built on the work I did at university as a Civil Engineer. I have learned more about the processes of the work on site, rather than the design, which is good. Secondly I have learned a lot about management and managing expectations and workloads. My people-management has improved, and my confidence is improving regularly. However I would like to do more design work and building on the engineering principles I learned at university.
How would you describe the people you work with at Multiplex?
The team I work with is good, lots of jokes and banter, however at the same time very professional and helpful when required.
Describe how Multiplex is supporting your long-term career goals?
I am a graduate member of the ICE, and I have been set goals and targets to hit with regards to learning how to be a good project engineer through regular meetings with the other project engineers on my site and having responsibility for certain aspects of the project.
What value do you think your role brings to your project?
Graduates I feel bring a lot to the team. Enthusiasm, energy, and a fresh pair of eyes. I feel I do a lot of the smaller tasks, without which the larger tasks couldn't take place.
Aside from your day-to-day role, what other opportunities have you enjoyed since working for Multiplex?
I have enjoyed networking at Multiplex events, and attending CPD sessions specifically for engineers.
Why did you choose to work for Multiplex?
Working on site seemed like a better option than working in a design office. It fitted me as a person better, and was the better choice for my career goals.
What future do you see for yourself in the company?
My aim over the next few years is to be Project Engineer or Project Manager, and then carry on through the senior roles in the further distant future.
What is your current role?
What's been your proudest achievement at Multiplex so far?
Being entrusted by my colleagues to cover their work while they are on holidays makes you feel like you are doing well, and that you have built up trust with your team.
What do you think of the Multiplex Graduate Programme?
Overall, I've enjoyed my first 18 months with the company (I was an early starter) and hope to really kick on in this next year and be more involved and given greater responsibilities than the relatively small tasks I have completed thus far.
© 2017 Multiplex | Disclaimer | Privacy policy | EU Privacy Notice


Run technical SEO audit for your entire website.
Find and fix all technical issues that are slowing down your search ranking progress.
Optimize content of all of your landing pages.
WebSite Auditor will give you easy-to-follow content optimization advice for each of your landing pages.
Manage your site's robots.txt and XML sitemap files.
Easily build, modify and re-upload your robots.txt and XML sitemap files right from WebSite Auditor's dashboard.
Save and load your optimization projects.
You'll be able to access your rankings history any time you want.
Your site's health checks will run on autopilot on the predefined dates and times.
Create professional rankings reports for clients.
Exclusive access to our User Perks program. All licensed WebSite Auditor users get access to exclusive $500-worth discounts on popular Internet marketing tools and services from our friends and partners.
* WebSite Auduitor Search algo updates are continuous search engine-related software enhancements. Without Search algo updates, the software may not be able to gather the latest data from search engines; additionally, these updates let you store projects online using SEO PowerSuite Cloud.
When you buy WebSite Auditor, you get 6 months of Search algo updates for free. When that time expires, we recommend starting a fee-based Search algo updates subscription. Prices start at $4.44/mo. For more pricing info, click here.
All bug fixes and feature improvements in WebSite Auditor are provided free of charge for life.
2. You get the most feature-rich SEO software pack.


text:
Road safety teaching in Spain
DGT resources for road safety teaching in Spanish schools
The next school year, which is about to start, will be the first in which primary, secondary and high school students receive basic training in road safety thanks to its inclusion in the school curriculum through various Royal decrees. These ensure road safety is taught at primary, secondary and baccalaureate levels. This will allow not only to develop active, autonomous and healthy mobility habits among minors, but also to encourage attitudes of respect that affect the prevention of traffic accidents.
After the publication of the aforementioned Royal Decrees, which incorporate the basic, specific and mandatory skills and content in safe and sustainable mobility at all educational stages, both the autonomous communities and the schools are in charge of specifying, expanding and giving shape to these contents that will be evaluable and that will be integrated transversally in different subjects such as Knowledge of the Environment or Education in Values and, in a special way, in Physical Education.
The educational resources, through different programs and materials, will be adapted to the specific needs of each stage. At Primary level they will be focus on promoting the values of active, healthy, safe and sustainable mobility, helping, for example, the extension of safe school paths or the incorporation of the bicycle as a regular vehicle for schoolchildren. At Secondary and Baccalaureate levels they will focus more on road safety values.
In order to help implement these contents, the General Directorate of Traffic will make these resources available to all those schools that wish to do so, either through its website or through the Provincial Coordinators of Road Education present. in each Provincial Traffic Headquarters and that they will be available to support those who need it in this process.
Road Safety Spain
DGT Environmental badge
20 cent fuel discount to end 31 December for many road users
Historic vehicle regulations in Spain 2023
13.5 million journeys throught Spanish road network


In 1998, Anthem Blue Cross partnered with the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB) to form the first statewide Telehealth Program in California. This program was developed, managed, and comprehensively supported by the health plan.
For example, through a Telehealth encounter, a patient living in the Central Valley of California may receive medical treatment from a specialist located in Los Angeles or San Francisco without spending the time or money to travel to those locations for diagnosis and treatment.
The patient can continue to be cared for by their local provider.
The patient has local access to the specialists in the state.
The local provider is able to treat the patient locally with the specialist recommendations.
The patient may receive a faster appointment, diagnosis and treatment vs. waiting to schedule an in-person visit.
Live Video (synchronized): Connects patient, rural provider, and specialist via videoconferencing equipment to discuss, diagnose, and develop a treatment plan to be carried out locally.
Store and Forward (asynchronous): Uses encrypted HIPAA compliant software to send patient's history, images, and data electronically to a specialist for evaluation and treatment which will be carried out locally.
Telehealth encounters are coordinated via Live Video conferencing and require the participation of three entities: the patient, the presentation site, and the remote specialist. A Live Video telehealth encounter should be treated with the same professional courtesy as a traditional office visit.
The primary care provider (PCP) will refer the patient to the appropriate, closest presentation site.
A Telehealth presentation site coordinator will schedule the telehealth encounter, which includes the presentation site, specialty center, and the patient.
Include a copy of the patient's Anthem Blue Cross ID card (front and back), so the specialty center knows where to send claims.
If the patient cancels the appointment, immediately contact the specialty center and cancel the appointment with the telehealth site coordinator. This courtesy ensures that the specialist can accommodate as many appointments as possible.
Confirm the appointment date and time with the patient.
Remind the patient to arrive early enough to prepare for the telehealth consult, answer any questions, and complete the required forms. Remember: The appointment time is the time when the specialist will see the patient – this is when the videoconference call will be placed. It is important that the patient, PCP, and equipment are ready on time.
Confirm that the specialty center has received the patient medical information, as well as any additional information needed by the specialty center.
Obtain consent from the patient.
Answer all questions that the patient may have about the telehealth process.
Gather the necessary telehealth materials (e.g., clinical data, patient information, and medical records).
Confirm that the telehealth workstation and medical instruments are working properly.
Confirm the telecommunications link by calling the specialty center a few minutes before the scheduled appointment time. When the link is confirmed, mute the audio and the video until the patient and PCP/presenter are ready.
Situate the patient in the telehealth room – being mindful of patient privacy and confidentiality.
Maintain a professional environment that respects the patient's privacy and confidentiality.
Indicate the presence of, and introduce, all persons participating in the consult at both locations.
Limit distractions by eliminating background noise as much as possible.
Prevent unknown people from entering the room during the consultation.
Introduce the patient to the specialist.
Present medical history, previous treatments, and goal(s) for the consult (e.g., second opinion, diagnosis, medication recommendation).
Save images and information shared with the specialist as part of the patient's medical record.
Mute the audio. Disconnect the session on screen.
Address any patient questions or concerns.
If the patient has another PCP outside of the presentation site, explain that the specialist's recommendations will be sent to the assigned PCP for treatment management and prescription needs. The patient should be referred to this PCP for any follow-up.
Coordinate the communication of the patient's treatment/management plan and follow-up needs to the appropriate PCP.
Maintain all images and information from the telehealth consult as part of the patient's medical record. Back up the files in accordance with clinic policies and procedures.
Store and Forward (S & F) encounters are done during a regularly scheduled patient appointment. They can be applied to those referrals that do not require extensive specialist and patient interaction. During the encounter, information and appropriate medical images are transmitted via secure email from the primary care site to the specialist for review.
Because S & F encounters do not require the specialist, the presenter, and the patient to be available simultaneously, the burden of coordinating schedules is removed.
The availability of specialists accepting S & F encounters varies by location. Click here to view a list of specialty centers that participate in the Telehealth Program.
The referring site information – name of the PCP, phone number, etc.
If the specialist has not replied within a reasonable time frame, follow up with a courtesy phone call to confirm receipt and discuss the response timeline.
After receiving the S & F consultation form via email from the specialist, forward the consultation to the appropriate PCP to implement.
Please note that Anthem Blue Cross facilitates access to telehealth services, facilities and technology through this program. The benefits available, if any, for telehealth services, and the terms, conditions and limitations on those benefits will depend on the terms of the member's particular coverage.
To inquire if you are eligible for telehealth reimbursement, please contact the Telehealth department at 1-866-855-2271.


text:
from client import Client
from xierpa3.server.twistedmatrix.twistedserver import TwistedServer

class Server(TwistedServer):
    pass

if __name__ == '__main__':
    client = Client()
    port = 2014
    Server().start(client, port)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Bronxwood Home for the Aged could soon be required to pay $6.9 million in restitution to New York State and be kicked out of Medicaid for three years over administrative violations.
Citing administrative violations, New York regulators want to bar from the Medicaid program a Bronx nursing home that funds haredi Orthodox charities.
Bronxwood Home for the Aged, which sends a substantial part of its revenue to the charities, could soon be required to pay $6.9 million in restitution to New York State and be kicked out of Medicaid for three years, the Forward reported Friday. Bronxwood receives roughly a third of its revenue through the program.
An audit found that the name of a Bronx doctor had been signed on medical evaluations submitted by the home for procedures that the doctor did not conduct.
The New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, which investigates fraud and waste in the health care program for low-income New Yorkers, notified Bronxwood on Feb. 19 that it was seeking punitive actions in response to the audit findings.
The audit of the program's 2006 and 2007 claims found that $6.9 million of the $8.5 million that Medicaid gave to the facility in those years should not have been paid. Of the 200 Medicaid claims OMIG reviewed in its audit, 174 had a misstatement or an error.
OMIG found 133 documents provided by Bronxwood that had purportedly been signed by a doctor named Owen Golden and used to bill Medicaid. Yet Golden never saw patients at Bronxwood. According to OMIG, the evaluations may have been conducted by other doctors, or may not have been conducted at all.
Bronxwood's attorney and Golden did not respond to multiple requests by the Forward for comment.
The conclusion of the Bronxwood probe was conducted in parallel to an unrelated federal investigation into fiscal abuse by Haredi Orthodox educational institutions. On Wednesday, dozens of FBI agents and detectives searched yeshivas and tech vendors in New York for records accounting for equipment allegedly bought by religious schools with millions in federal education technology dollars. They confiscated documents and hard drives from several locales.


STOP PRESS STOP PRESS – SUNDAY FREEBIES IN PARIS!
Every first Sunday of every month, you and your offspring can go to almost any museum in Paris for free! Since 2000, this initiative has helped encourage more people to absorb the culturally rich-pickings of the Paris Art World.
So take advantage, head off to that exhibition you have always wanted to see or that exhibition space you have been desperate to explore. Make sure you go early to avoid disappointment! Planning is key! Be an early riser and head out with the intention of being at the front of what will be a very long queue. Then enjoy an amazing cultural experience euro free!
Be aware that some Museums like the Grand Palais allow you to see the permanent installations but still charge for the temporary ones – so have that in the back of your mind!
There are some really good expositions on at the moment and many places that are worth a visit.
For an outstanding African-American history lesson we've heard the Colour Lines exposition at the Quai Branley Museum is very good It is a great space with a wonderful root top garden,if you haven't been! Or, if you have yet to see the view of the Champs Elysée, from the top of the Arc de Triomphe, then Sunday would be the day to do it. You'll be saving yourself €9.50 per adult! Pourquoi Pas! Alternatively, the Pantheon could be an option. The final resting place of at least 70 super famous French people like Victor Hugo, Voltaire, Emile Zola – is a magnificent building.
If none of the above suits, then perhaps the Pompidou Centre 'floats your boat'? Always a winner with our family, it's a great space for kids and always plays host to thought-provoking art installations like the Magritte one that is on at the moment. Also, it's good to know that the Pompi (affectionate term used by the French) supplies little wheelie chairs for the children in case they get tired of walking around! We love this! Ha! They're making sure nothing stands in the way of you enjoying the show!
If you haven't had the chance to see the beautiful stain glass windows Sainte Chappelle then this coming weekend could be the perfect opportunity or the Louvre? Maybe Rodin? MLP is planning to take the kids to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, it's always been on the MLP hit list but we haven't quite made it there for one reason or another, but this Sunday, it's gonna happen!
If you want to know which museums are involved in this brilliant free Sunday entry initiative, then check out our handy list of free museums.
Have fun at museums for FREE in Paris. GRATUIT! NO MONAI! ZILCH!
Previous post The challenge of tiny Paris Apartments for families.


The Graylyn Estate is located approximately 4 miles from the Smith Reynolds Airport and approximately 26 miles from the Piedmont Triad International Airport. Located in the heart of North Carolina, Winston-Salem is within easy driving distance from Greensboro, Raleigh, Charlotte, and Richmond, Virginia.
Take I-95 South to I-85 South (Petersburg) then I-85 South to I-40 West (Durham) then proceed to Greensboro and follow directions below.
Follow I-40 West towards Greensboro and follow directions below.
Leave Greensboro via I-40 West; bearing right, take Exit 206 (Sign says Business 40 and Kernersville). Once you are in Winston-Salem heading West on Business 40, take the Silas Creek Parkway North exit (sign says Wake Forest University). Proceed North approximately 5 minutes in the right hand lane to Wake Forest University/Reynolda Road. Turn right onto Reynolda Road. Proceed approximately one-half mile. The Graylyn entrance is on the right with a stone wall and wrought iron gates. Proceed past the guardhouse. If you have luggage to discharge, please use the 10-minute parking available at the front door of the Manor House. Signs direct you to parking at the rear of the Manor House.
take I-40 East at Statesville; approximately 2 miles past the Clemmons exit, bear left to take Exit 188 (sign says Business 40, Winston-Salem, and 421 South). Once you are in Winston-Salem heading East on Business 40, take the Silas Creek Parkway North exit (sign says Wake Forest University). Proceed North approximately 5 minutes in the right hand lane to Wake Forest University/Reynolda Road. Turn right onto Reynolda Road. Proceed approximately one-half mile. The Graylyn entrance is on the right with a stone wall and wrought iron gates. If you have luggage to discharge, please use the 10-minute parking available at the front door of the Manor House. Signs direct you to parking at the rear of the Manor House.