BENGALURU: The IT capital of India missed its chance to be part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 100 smart cities project because of the population yardstick. Now, the city can get decorated by at least three smart cities around it if Karnataka has its way.
TOI has learnt that the Siddaramaiah government has proposed to the Centre names of 11 cities for the smart cities project. Devanahalli, Ramanagaram and Tumakuru have been picked up in the satellite towns category.
Kalaburagi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mysuru, Belagavi and Mangaluru figure in the class of cities in the population range of 1-4 million people. The names of Udupi, Hospet and Vijayapura have been proposed under the category of heritage towns.
The Union government's guidelines issued in September said cities with a population of 1-4 million would be most appropriate to be developed as smart cities. Urban development minister Vinay Kumar Sorake told TOI they could not pick Bengaluru as its population has crossed 96 lakh as per the 2011 census.


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Home Analysis US Military Options in Iran
US Military Options in Iran
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The United States has openly accused Iran of being behind the drone and cruise missile attacks on Saudi Arabia's largest oil refinery. Now the question is what the United States will do in response.
The U.S. is in a difficult position. The attacks did not directly affect the U.S., save for the spike in oil prices, which actually helps the American oil industry. There is a temptation to let the attacks slip into history. But the United States has formed an anti-Iran alliance in which Saudi Arabia is a key (though weak) player. Saudi Arabia is under internal pressure from members of the royal family who oppose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and low oil prices have undermined the kingdom's political cohesion. Doing nothing would call the U.S.-sponsored coalition into question. Saudi Arabia is an important player in the Sunni Arab world – and that world is the main threat to Iranian expansion. Failing to respond to an Iranian attack on a vital Saudi facility could help Iran increase its power throughout the region. During Donald Trump's presidency, the United States' inclination has been to avoid initiating direct military action in favor of applying economic pressure instead. He has maneuvered to minimize and halt active military engagement. Military action against Iran, therefore, would both endanger the alliance structure and cut against U.S. strategy.
An alternative option would be to introduce new sanctions, but there are two problems with this move. First, sanctions do not have the psychological impact military action does. The psychological impact would be on both Iran and the Sunni world, and the logic of the situation requires it. Second, the U.S. has already imposed painful sanctions on Iran's economy. Any further sanctions would have limited effect and insufficient heft.
There is one military option that would have a severe economic shock but would also limit U.S. exposure: imposing a blockade on Iranian ports, with a selective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This strategy has three weaknesses. First, a large naval force of multiple carrier battle groups would have to be deployed for a potentially unlimited time. Second, the fleet could come under attack from Iranian missiles, and while we would assume that U.S. naval vessels have effective anti-missile capabilities, any mistake could cost the U.S. a major vessel. To counter this, anti-missile air attacks as well as defensive measures would be needed, creating a second potentially costly dimension to this operation. Finally, such a blockade is by definition without a terminal point. If Iran does not fold under the pressure, the blockade could continue indefinitely, since ending it without a successful outcome would be seen as a defeat.
Another possible response would be to launch strikes against Iranian targets. The most appropriate target would be the factories producing drones and cruise missiles, along with storage facilities and so on. Here, the problem is getting accurate intelligence. The U.S. has undoubtedly been cataloging such things, but acting on poor information could result in an Iranian strike on U.S. forces or another sensitive site under informal American protection. This would only compound the problem of the Iranian attacks on the Saudi refinery.
The difficult question the U.S. faces is whether it should take an action so painful that it will block any further actions from Iran. If a blockade doesn't shatter Iran's economy, then escalation to eliminate its offensive air capability is needed. As for an air campaign, history has shown that they tend to take much longer than expected and sometimes fail altogether, providing the adversary an opportunity to take offensive action on its own. A U.S. attempt to eliminate Iran's strike capability can be costly, and hidden Iranian missiles can attack regional targets. As with a blockade, an air campaign can go on indefinitely. Small-scale retaliatory strikes open the door to Iranian countermoves and could escalate into an extended operation.
As for sending in ground troops, not only does that not quickly solve the problem of Iranian air power, but it also returns the U.S. to a posture it has been in since 2001: occupation warfare. The U.S. military fully deployed can defeat the Iranian military and take terrain, but to hold it against a hostile militia would create interminable conflict with casualties that cannot be sustained. Iran is a big and rugged country, with a population of 82 million people, more than twice as large as Iraq or Afghanistan. And the idea that U.S. troops would be greeted as liberators is mere fantasy.
Apart from an air attack on Iran designed not to achieve a significant goal but rather to give the Saudis confidence in the U.S., the options for a direct attack are not promising. But there is another way to think about this problem. The United States has been concerned about Iran's expanding political influence. But this creates potential targets that are of high value to Iran – and hitting these targets would be less daunting than an attack on Iran itself. Iran has its own or proxy forces in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. It has invested a great deal of time, resources and risk in creating these forces that are now holding territory in these countries.
Consider Lebanon, a place where Iran has been highly active since the 1980s through its proxy Hezbollah. If Hezbollah could be crippled, the political structure of Lebanon would shift out of Iran's control, and Iran's anchor on the Mediterranean would be gone. Such an operation could not be left to the Israelis partly because their force is much smaller than what the U.S. could bring to bear, and also because collaboration between U.S. and Israeli forces would put the U.S.' Sunni allies in a difficult position. Such a response would directly hurt Iran's interests but could be carried out at lower risk and at higher cost than other options.
Indeed, the very threat of an attack on Hezbollah might cause the Iranians to change their strategy. Of course, an attack there might also unleash a torrent of missile strikes from Iran, and that is the downside of this and all the other strategies. But the advantage is that where other strategies would likely fail to achieve their goals, an attack on Hezbollah might well succeed. It would be something Iran would not want to see and would be carried out by secure U.S. forces. Alternatively, the U.S. could attack Iranian forces in Syria, but that would have a lower impact.
This is a theoretical exercise; answering Iran's attacks with an air campaign on a proxy power is unlikely. The Saudis would have trouble portraying it as U.S. commitment to Saudi security. Attacks in Syria, Iraq and Yemen would all suffer from a lack of clarity and from the fact that Iran itself would not be hit. There is the possibility that the Saudi air force could retaliate, but its ability to sustain losses and conduct an extended air campaign is doubtful. The Saudis could fire missiles at Iran, but that would begin an open-ended exchange, and the U.S. strategy has to be to hurt Iran in a mission with closure.
The Iranians know the dilemma they have posed the United States. They have bet that the risks are too high for the United States to respond. But the problem in Iran's thinking is it can't be sure the degree to which the U.S. sees Iranian expansion as a threat to U.S. long-term interests in the region. So the Iranians are asking the U.S.: Are you feeling lucky?
There would appear to be no good military options. Doing nothing could well destroy the anti-Iran bloc the U.S. has worked hard to create. The likely but not certain answer to this problem will be a symbolic retaliation. The problem with retaliations, however, is that they get out of hand.
https://geopoliticalfutures.com/author/gfriedman/
George Friedman is an internationally recognized geopolitical forecaster and strategist on international affairs and the founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures.
Dr. Friedman is also a New York Times bestselling author. His most recent book, THE STORM BEFORE THE CALM: America's Discord, the Coming Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond, published February 25, 2020 describes how "the United States periodically reaches a point of crisis in which it appears to be at war with itself, yet after an extended period it reinvents itself, in a form both faithful to its founding and radically different from what it had been." The decade 2020-2030 is such a period which will bring dramatic upheaval and reshaping of American government, foreign policy, economics, and culture.
His most popular book, The Next 100 Years, is kept alive by the prescience of its predictions. Other best-selling books include Flashpoints: The Emerging Crisis in Europe, The Next Decade, America's Secret War, The Future of War and The Intelligence Edge. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Dr. Friedman has briefed numerous military and government organizations in the United States and overseas and appears regularly as an expert on international affairs, foreign policy and intelligence in major media. For almost 20 years before resigning in May 2015, Dr. Friedman was CEO and then chairman of Stratfor, a company he founded in 1996. Friedman received his bachelor's degree from the City College of the City University of New York and holds a doctorate in government from Cornell University.
The Instability of Britain
George Friedman - February 5, 2019

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
WILLIAM P. FARLEY
Girolamo Savonarola, The Prophet of Florence
by Bill Farley | Nov 19, 2020 | biography | 0 comments
IN 1992 JUDY AND I VISITED FLORENCE, ITALY. In the central square, unchanged for centuries, we found a small brass plaque embedded in the pavement. It was dedicated to Girolamo Savonarola, one of the cities past heroes. Knowing quite a bit about this man, I was deeply moved.
GIROLAMO SAVONAROLA was born in 1452 and died in 1498. He was to the Reformation what John the Baptist was to Jesus. When he died, Martin Luther was fifteen years old. Nineteen years after Savonarola's death Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the Wittenberg church door. Savonarola's ministry preceded Luther. It was a clarion call to repentance, preparing the church for the great doctrinal reformation to come.
Tragically, neither Catholic nor Protestant claims this man. Because he fearlessly and vigorously rebuked the Pope, calling for moral reform at its highest levels, the Roman Church disowns him. Like most Protestants, he loved and preached the Bible, but since he was pre-reformation, he did not clearly see justification by faith alone, so Protestant historians don't know what to do with him either.
But, the important point is that God claimed him, and in the end, that is all that matters. He was a prophet. He was theologically orthodox. God anointed him with great spiritual power. He was one of History's epochal spiritual leaders.
Although his name is not well known today, Savonarola was a household name in sixteenth-century Europe. His meditation on Psalm 51, written while being tortured at the end of his life, was a best-seller. It outsold Thomas a' Kempis' The Imitation of Christ, which at that time was a best seller in Europe, and it was still in print as late as 1958. His writings influenced Martin Luther. He also affected many other great men. For example, Michelangelo, one of his admirers, could still hear the sound of Savonarola's voice in his old age. It has been said that he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel from his recollections of the Friar's sermons.
Who was this man and why is he important to us today?
Birth and Training
Savonarola was born in Ferrara Italy in 1452. His pious grandfather raised him in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. In a day when it was ignored and despised, he taught him to read and love the Bible. Ultimately, his passion for the scripture was to be the secret of his great spiritual power.
Girolamo longed to preach God's Word. Because they were dedicated to preaching, he entered the Dominican order (O.P.). From 1475-82 the order placed him in Bologna. Then five years (1482-87) in Florence. During these years he preached much, but he was an oratorical failure. His teaching was so abysmal that, in the middle of his sermons, people would actually get up and walk out. When finished only a handful would be left.
To end the young man's misery and embarrassment, his superiors transferred him back to Bologna from 1487-90. In Bologna, he did academic work. Eventually, the Dominicans transferred him back to the monastery of San Marco (Saint Marks) in Florence (1490). Here he would spend the remainder of his days.
The Renaissance was the great intellectual movement of the fifteenth century. It was a return to the original sources. Its slogan was "ad fontes," which means to the sources (fountains). The Renaissance did much good. It produced Erasmus' Greek New Testament which was instrumental in launching the Reformation.
In 1490 Florence was the cultural center of the Renaissance. The city was a source of great learning and art, but it was also a cesspool of sexual immorality, political corruption, and godlessness. The wealth and power of the ruling Medici family attracted artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo DaVinci, and Botticelli. In this great city, they learned and practiced their crafts.
Transformed Preaching
In 1490 Savonarola was 38 and on his second tour of Florence. Frustrated by his failure to succeed at preaching, Savonarola died to his preaching ambitions. His failures caused him to transfer all confidence from himself to God. It was a God-engineered emptying. Savonarola didn't know it, but God was now ready to use him with power.
About this time, he began a series of lectures, in the monastery garden, on the book of Revelation. Neither he nor his superiors expected much. But, in God's sovereign purpose, his time had come. A new Power attended his preaching. God was present in the preaching, and the effect was electric. Crowds began to flock to his lectures. Within a few weeks, there was no seating except on the garden walls. Such was the demand for his preaching that his superiors finally moved him to The Duomo, the huge cathedral, still standing in downtown Florence. Fifteenth-century churches did not have pews. People stood, and the Duomo was large enough to hold ten thousand people standing.
Soon the Duomo was full. So the authorities built scaffolding to accommodate the crowds. His message was not one to which men are naturally drawn. Like John the Baptist, (His favorite Bible hero) his message was about repentance and self-denial. The Bible was always his subject. He fearlessly proclaimed the need for contrition, warning men of God's coming judgment. He urged the citizens of Florence to confirm their repentance with deeds consistent with repentance. Nothing but the presence of the Living God can explain the results. One biographer writes:
"The Cathedral could no longer take in the multitudes streaming in from far and near…Wooden galleries had to be erected inside the cathedral in the form of an amphitheater to accommodate the crowds. Even this enlargement proved insufficient…It was a bewildering sight to see that mass of people coming with jubilee and rejoicing to the sermon as to a wedding feast."[i]
The experience of Bettucio was common. He was a profligate non-Christian. Friends drug him into the Cathedral against his will. Here is how an eyewitness described his encounter with Girolamo:
"As soon as Savonarola mounted the pulpit everything changed in Bettucio…He could not tear his eyes away from the preacher. His mind was captivated, his conscience was touched by the Friar's words, and, he says: 'At last I knew myself to be as one dead rather than living.'" [ii]
Bettucio surrendered his life to Christ and never looked back.
Sometimes, the people were so overwhelmed by the reality of their sins that Girolamo had to wait for their weeping to subside before he could continue. At least ten times the Monk responsible to transcribe Girolamo's sermons was so overcome by God's power and presence that he broke down in weeping and could not continue transcription.
Jacob Burckhardt, a nineteenth century historian, was the first person to coin the term "renaissance" to describe this movement. About Savonarola he writes,
"The instrument by which Savonarola transformed and ruled the city of Florence was his eloquence. Of this, the meager reports that are left to us, taken down on the spot, give us evidently a very imperfect notion. It was not that he possessed any striking outward advantages, for voice, accent, and rhetorical skill, constituted precisely his weakest side…The eloquence of Savonarola was that of a commanding personality…He himself held his own eloquence to be the result of Divine illumination." [iii]
What was the effect of the monk's preaching? The city was transformed. Florence was skeptical. Florence was licentious. Florence was proud. But it became a city of belief, a city of repentance, and a city of humility. They began to feed the poor. The populace returned to church attendance enthusiastically. They purged the government of corruption, and sang hymns in the streets. It is one of the remarkable events of church history.
Through the preaching of Savonarola God showed that the negative aspects of the Renaissance were impotent before the Holy Spirit's power.
His Persecution
Alexander VI was pope. It was the low point of the papacy. Alexander was a member of the notorious Borgia family. Known for his immorality, Alexander had numerous mistresses and illegitimate children. He was opulent. He was sensual. He was greedy. He did not in any way represent Christ.
The Pavement Plaque That Marks the Sight of his Death
Savonarola was a prophet. In his teens, he foresaw that he would die a violent death in Christ's service. As Savonarola's moral and spiritual influence grew, not only in Florence, but throughout Italy and Europe, a confrontation with the Borgia papacy, and its corruption, became inevitable. With great courage, Savonarola publicly challenged Alexander to repent of his immorality. He even called him "the representative of Satan, rather than Christ."
At last the little friar had gone too far. Alexander leveraged the immense power of the papacy, put the courageous monk through a mock trial, tortured him for 30 days, and hung him before a huge throng in the main square of Florence. Savonarola suffered all this with great courage and dignity. The religious establishment had successfully extinguished a "burning and shining light" in the heart of both Florence and Italy.
Lessons from Savonarola
In retrospect, why is Savonarola's life important?
First, he was a "forerunner of the Reformation." This expression usually brings to mind men like Peter Waldo, Wycliffe (1329-1484), and Hus (1373-1415). But like John the Baptist, Savonarola came in "the Spirit and power of Elijah" (Lu 1:17). His ministry called Europe to repentance. It prepared the church for the coming Reformation.
Second, what transpired in Florence was one of the first Revivals in modern history. For about five years the Holy Spirit deeply moved and transformed Florence, a corrupt, and sensual city. Since the book of Acts, it was one of the first recorded spiritual awakenings in European history. It was the first of many similar outpourings to follow in the post-Reformation world, especially the eighteenth century Great Awakening.
The Scaffold of His Death and Burning
Third, God demonstrated His power through Savonarola. Florence was the center and capital of European moral corruption. Despite this, here is how one person, at the height of the little Friar's ministry, described the transformation of the city:
"No blasphemies were heard in the smithies, the bakeries, and the warehouses. Sometimes the market place spontaneously turned into an open-air religious songfest. …The priests were kept so busy…that Savonarola…asked the faithful for a two weeks suspension from all these duties…the monks were physically exhausted."[iv]
When you feel tempted by hopelessness remember: God is omnipotent. When God decides to pour out his Holy Spirit, no city or nation can resist. Let us continue to wait upon God in repentance and faith. Our situation is never hopeless. We serve a big God: He is omnipotent. What he did in fifteenth-century Florence He can do in New York City or Los Angeles today. Savonarola was a "jar of clay" indwelt by the Treasure of God's power. He modeled both the "weakness and fear" so prominent in Paul's ministry. He also modeled a "demonstration of the Spirit's power" that Paul talked about (1Corinthians 2:1-5).
Fourth, to the chagrin of many art historians, his preaching deeply influenced men like Michelangelo and Botticelli. As we have seen, Michelangelo is reputed to have painted the scenes of judgment in the Sistine Chapel from his memory of the monk's sermons. Even Savonarola's enemies reluctantly confess his influence.
Botticelli was so deeply affected that he quit painting for several years. When he resumed, his paintings had a spiritual caste previously lacking.
"An important effect on the young artist's (Michelangelo's) mind must have been exerted by Savonarola, whose preaching influenced Botticelli so deeply. In his old age Michelangelo still read the works of the martyred preacher and still recalled the sound of his voice."[v]
Fifth, Savonarola's story reminds us to check our ideas of normalcy at the door. What is spiritual normalcy? Do we project our spiritual experience upon the Bible, reducing its pages to the level of our experience? Or, do we project the life and vitality of the Bible upon our experience recognizing and confessing our poverty? Those who take the first approach become complacent and proud. Those who take the second approach never quit praying and yearning for a greater outpouring of God's power in the church.
Sixth, to the degree that we experience God's power we will also experience resistance. Many of the men throughout history that experienced this kind of power paid for it with their lives. Others paid for it with great emotional and physical suffering. That was certainly the case for Savonarola.
Last, when God wants to change a city or nation he raises up a man not a program, an organization, or a committee. This has always been his method. That is why Jesus exhorted us: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Mt 9:37-38). Let us pray with diligence and, like Isaiah, wait upon God with earnest prayer.
"Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you" (Is 64:1-3).
Find a good book on Savonarola. There are many in print. You won't be disappointed. I recommend A Crown of Fire by Pierre Van Paassen.
History is "His Story!"
[i] A Crown Of Fire, Pierre Van Paassen, Scribner, 1960 pg 173, Italics mine.
[ii] Ibid, pg 185
[iii] The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, Jacob Burckhardt, Vol II
[iv] Ibid, pg 191
[v] History of Italian Renaissance Art, By Frederick Hartt, Prentice Hall, pg 467
A Review of Books on the Reformation
John Bunyan: How a Man with a Third Grade Education Wrote a Book that Sold 250 million
George Whitefield, 18th Century Celebrity
John Wesley, "No Half Christian"
Daniel Rowland
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Are You Grateful For Your Children?
Seven Ways the Devil Tempts Believers
Christmas Book Gift Ideas
Johnathan Edwards and Three Reasons for the Cross-Centered Life
My First Christmas Memory
Christian Sanctification
Profiles in Weakness
Sexual Purity
Spiritual Maturity
2019 All Rights Reserved, William P. Farley


Cloud computing offers many benefits for the Small, Micro and Medium Enterprise (SMME), including the ability to access the latest technology to optimise business efficiency, improved scalability and flexibility. On top of these is the advantage of moving this technology from a capital expense to an operational expense with a monthly bill for services instead of a large investment for technology infrastructure and software. However, connectivity is critical to leveraging cloud services. Without stable, fast and reliable connectivity, cloud solutions and all of their benefits remain inaccessible to the SMME. Organisations wishing to move to this model need to address the foundations first, to ensure that cloud solutions deliver on the expected benefits and function optimally.
Cloud computing effectively eliminates the need for businesses to have infrastructure and servers on site. Using this model, SMMEs can instead access infrastructure owned by a hosting provider, leveraging economies of scale and reducing the footprint of equipment on site. This in turn lowers power consumption and reduces the amount of physical space that organisations require for technology such as servers. This is particularly effective for distributed small businesses, as instead of requiring a server at each site this can all be pushed into a central cloud.
Hosted services tend to be more secure than on premise solutions, particularly for small businesses, as they can leverage the latest enterprise grade security technologies and methods. Hosted providers also utilise more stringent enterprise level physical security, as well as adhere to best practices with regard to redundancy and dual power supplies. This is particularly beneficial to the SMME, which works on tight budgets and often cannot afford to maintain this enterprise grade level of solution in house. The infrastructure required to deliver these services can be very expensive, which puts it out of reach for the majority of SMMEs. However, using the cloud services model makes IT and technology solutions more affordable for cost-conscious businesses, improving cash flow and ensuring more predictable expenses along with improved services.
The benefits of cloud computing for the SMME are clear, and connectivity remains the only barrier to entry with regard to accessing these services. While availability and affordability of bandwidth has improved dramatically in recent years, balancing speed, availability and cost remains an issue. Organisations need to fully understand their needs and the available technologies to ensure that bandwidth and connectivity support their cloud objectives.
When it comes to connectivity there are many options available for SMMEs, each with their own pros and cons. ADSL is the most popular option for businesses, as it is cheap relative to other options and provides acceptable speeds and availability. However, ADSL has is challenges such as stability, cable theft and outages to mention a few, forcing organisations to explore other options, and when lines go down they can take time to repair and get services back up and running. 3G and more recently 4G or LTE connectivity is another popular option as it is prevalent in most of the country. However it is more expensive than ADSL, and for enterprise use does not provide the levels of stability often required. Other available options include satellite, WiFi and Metro Ethernet, which have a high price point relative to other technologies, as well as the relatively new microwave links which offer high speed stable bandwidth but which are not available in many locations outside of city centres.
In order to achieve the maximum ratio of uptime, reliability, stability and speed, organisations should look at obtaining an ADSL router which provides automatic failover to a second ADSL line, a 3G line or a microwave link. These routers are available with two or more WAN ports which are able to aggregate several lines of different technologies and provide auto failover between the lines for an improved user experience. This enables businesses to also incorporate multiple ADSL lines into a single connection with failover to another technology, to ensure that connectivity is always up and running and will not impact a business access to services.
These solutions can be tailored and scaled to meet the needs and budgets of the SMME, making them highly affordable. However in order to make maximum use of connectivity it is vital to firstly understand exactly what the needs of the business are from the outset. This will be determined by the type and number of cloud services that need to be accessed, as well as the number of users who need to access them. This will then ensure that the right mix of connectivity options can be put into place at the right price, with failover capability for maximum uptime.
Partnering with a specialist consultancy service can help organisation to ensure that they assess their needs accurately and can take advantage of solutions that meet their needs and budget. A consultant can also help to ensure that the cost of implementing cloud solutions and the connectivity required does not outweigh the benefits of these solutions. Understanding the business case for cloud computing is a critical aspect of success, and a consultant partner will be able to assist organisations to do this effectively.
Cloud computing typically delivers a more cost effective path to accessing technology, with a scalable, pay per use, flexible delivery model that suits many budgets. It also delivers the ability to test out new features and functionality without extensive capital outlay. However connectivity is critical to accessing these services, as without a stable Internet connection the user experience will be poor and access to information will be compromised. Connectivity is the foundation of cloud computing, and must be adequately addressed before any move into the cloud is even considered.
At Green Apple IT, our goal is to build systems for your organization that will analyse your customers and opportunities, and help your company be more efficient by examining your current business, how IT integrates into your processes to maximise your effectiveness out in this competitive market.


Find a culture trip that explores Mikumi National Park. There are 11 cultural tours to choose from, that range in length from 22 days up to 58 days. The most popular month for these tours is November, which has the most tour departures.


text:
/**
 * @file
 * Contains the definition of the reTriangle class
 */
#ifndef RE_TRIANGLE_H
#define RE_TRIANGLE_H

#include "react/Collision/Shapes/reShape.h"

/**
 * @ingroup shapes
 * Represents a planar triangle with arbitrary vertices
 */

class reTriangle : public reShape {
public:
  /** Default constructor does nothing */
  reTriangle();
  reTriangle(const reTriangle& other);
  reTriangle(const re::vec3& a, const re::vec3& b, const re::vec3& c);
  /** Destructor does nothing */
  ~reTriangle();

  reTriangle& withVertex(reUInt i, const re::vec3& vert);

  // shape representation
  reShape::Type type() const override;
  reUInt numVerts() const override;
  const re::vec3 vert(reUInt i) const override;
  const re::vec3 center() const override;

  // physical metrics
  reFloat volume() const override;
  const re::mat3 computeInertia() const;

  const re::vec3 faceNorm() const;

  // utility methods
  const re::vec3 randomPoint() const override;

  // collision queries
  bool containsPoint(const re::vec3& point) const override;

private:
  re::vec3 _verts[3];
};

inline reTriangle::reTriangle() : _verts() {
  // do nothing
}

/**
 * Copy constructor
 *
 * @param other The other reTriangle to copy
 */

inline reTriangle::reTriangle(const reTriangle& other) : _verts() {
  for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
    _verts[i] = other._verts[i];
  }
}

/**
 * Creates a reTriangle with the vertices specified
 *
 * @param a The first vertex
 * @param b The second vertex
 * @param c The third vertex
 */

inline reTriangle::reTriangle(const re::vec3& a, const re::vec3& b, const re::vec3& c) {
  _verts[0] = a;
  _verts[1] = b;
  _verts[2] = c;
}

inline reTriangle::~reTriangle() {
  // do nothing
}

inline reUInt reTriangle::numVerts() const {
  return 3;
}

inline const re::vec3 reTriangle::vert(reUInt i) const {
  return _verts[i];
}

inline const re::vec3 reTriangle::center() const {
  return (_verts[0] + _verts[1] + _verts[2]) / 3.0;
}

/**
 * Replaces a vertex in the reTriangle, this method can be chained
 *
 * @param i The index of the vertex to be replaced
 * @param vert The new vertex
 * @return A reference to the reTriangle
 */

inline reTriangle& reTriangle::withVertex(reUInt i, const re::vec3& vert) {
  _verts[i] = vert;
  return *this;
}

/**
 * Returns the type identifier associated with this reShape
 *
 * @return Always reShape::TRIANGLE
 */

inline reShape::Type reTriangle::type() const {
  return reShape::TRIANGLE;
}

/**
 * Returns the volume of the reTriangle, which is always 0
 *
 * @return 0
 */

inline reFloat reTriangle::volume() const {
  return 0.0;
}

inline const re::mat3 reTriangle::computeInertia() const {
//  RE_NOT_IMPLEMENTED
  return re::mat3(1.0f);
}

inline const re::vec3 reTriangle::faceNorm() const {
  return re::normalize(re::cross(_verts[0] - _verts[1], _verts[2] - _verts[1]));
}

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Welcome to the VPR Archive (https://archive.vpr.org/commentary-series/hard-lessons/)
Hard lessons
By Brian Porto | November 19, 2005
More on Commentary Series
Subscribe to Commentary Series
(HOST) Commentator Brian Porto has run across a story that he's sure will be of interest to young people hoping to attend college on athletic scholarships – and their parents.
(PORTO) Amanda Brown of Richardson, Texas learned a hard lesson last spring about the business of college sports. It hap-
pened in March, when the women's basketball coach at Oklahoma State University, from whom Amanda had accepted a basketball scholarship in November 2004, resigned after her third consecutive losing season. Oklahoma State hired a highly successful junior-
college coach from Texas to replace her.
For unknown reasons, the new coach did not want Amanda on his team, even though she had signed a National Letter of Intent bind-
ing her to play for the Cowgirls. He acknowledged that under NCAA rules, he had to honor her athletic scholarship for one year. But, according to Amanda's father, the new coach said, quote, "She's not going to play for us." "I won't let her practice, dress, [or] travel. But I'll pay her because I have to. She'll never play for me as long as I'm the coach at Oklahoma State." End quote.
These statements are puzzling because Amanda Brown is a talent-
ed basketball player. A 5-foot-6 guard, she earned all-district honors as a junior in 2003-04 and, as a senior, was named district player of the year in Class 5-A, which includes the largest schools in Texas. She chose Oklahoma State over the University of Califor-
nia at Berkeley, Iowa State, and the University of Southern Califor-
nia, each of which had offered her a basketball scholarship. Understandably, Amanda's father was dumbfounded by Oklahoma State's sudden disinterest in his daughter. "How can they do that?" he asked. "She did nothing wrong."
For its part, Oklahoma State did plenty wrong. Athletic-department personnel pressured Amanda to sign a form releasing her and the University from the scholarship agreement and they even sent the release form to her by overnight mail without telling the Brown family that it was coming. Eager to play college basketball somewhere, Amanda signed the release, thereby enabling other colleges to recruit her.
Wisely, she chose to attend Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. Bucknell plays in The Patriot League, far from the glare of the media lights, but in an environment where Amanda's dream of attending medical school four years hence is unlikely to be compromised by basketball.
College is often a time when dreams change, and if Amanda has realized that practicing medicine for forty years hence is more important than playing college basketball for four years, then she's already learned a lesson as valuable as anything she'll learn at Bucknell. Similarly, if she now knows that adults often act mean and petty when money and recognition are at stake, then she will be pre-
pared for life after college whichever career path she chooses. What a shame, though, that she had to learn these lessons the hard way!
This is Brian Porto of Windsor.
Brian Porto is an attorney and a free lance writer. He spoke from our studio in Norwich.
Spencer Rendahl: Yoga Woes
Suzanne Spencer Rendahl says that for nearly a year, nothing has inspired fear in her classes like the name "William J. Broad."
Lange: Going to Church
And now we turn to our Sunday Essay. According to polls, Vermont is the least religious state in the Union. Willem Lange thinks he knows why.


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Swedish Saab J 21 Fighter
February 1971 American Aircraft Modeler
Don Berliner, who published many articles and even books on scale model and full-sized aircraft, provided this article on the SAAB J 21 fighter in a 1971 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine. Most people nowadays associate the company name SAAB with high quality automobiles, although Saab the car company went defunct in 2012. From the World War II era through to today, they produce(d) aircraft. Here is an excerpt from their current "About Us" webpage; "When Saab was founded in 1937, our primary aim was to provide military aircraft for Sweden. Today, we serve the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions from military defence to civil security. With operations on every continent, Saab continuously develops, adapts and improves new technology to meet customers' changing needs." The SAAB J 21 went through multiple design iterations as both a pusher-prop and a jet fighter aircraft. Mr. Berliner gives a brief description of the aircraft's history.
Swedish Saab
Don Berliner
This unique fighter of the World War II period was manufactured in quantity and operational in both piston- and jet-engined versions. Saw service over eight years.
Just as some of the earliest control line models were actually converted free flights, so some of the very early jets were little more than converted prop-driven aircraft. And while they flew and provided considerable knowledge quickly and, no doubt, inexpensively, they were hardly what anyone would call successful.
Increased visibility, streamlining, and concentrated firepower were offered in this pusher design. Tricycle gear was early for 1943.
The J 21R jet version flew March 1947 - 64 were ordered.
Saab J 21 Specifications
Because of pusher prop, pilot escape was a problem. The J 21 was fitted with one of the first production ejection seats. Top speed 400 mph.
Saab J 21 Versions and Variants
The best example of this kind of quickie conversion, and the only one both produced in quantity and used by operational squadrons, was the product of a firm now known better for cars than airplanes: SAAB, of Linkoping, Sweden. The airplane which made a bit of history was the SAAB J 21, not merely the first fighter to be produced by this now famous company, but also the only combat aircraft having a pusher propeller which was of any consequence and was built during World War II.
While the SAAB J 21 is hardly one of the important warplanes of the 1940's, having been built in relatively small quantity and never having seen action, it marked the beginning of a long line of highly impressive fighterplanes which SAAB developed and which have enabled a country as small as Sweden to achieve a major reputation for aviation technology.
SAAB began operations in April, 1937, by building foreign airplanes under license: the Junkers Ju. 86K bomber from Germany, and the Douglas (Northrop) 8A attack bomber and North American NA-16 (AT-6 prototype) trainer from the U.S. By 1938, the first original design SAAB machine was being developed, and the first flight of the prototype SAAB 17 single-engine dive bomber was made early in 1940. Several hundred of them were produced, and the Swedish Air Force used them until 1947. The next in line was the SAAB 18, an all-metal twin-engine bomber which bowed in 1944 as one of the fastest aircraft of its type in the world.
Though it had a higher number, the interesting little J 21 fighter made its first flight almost a year before the SAAB 18, in the summer of 1943. It went into production late in 1945 and the first one was delivered to an operational unit in the beginning of December of that year.
Because no native Swedish aircraft engine was in existence at that time, the J 21 had to be powered by a license-built foreign engine. It was first planned to use the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp, an 800 hp radial which was being built by Svenska Flygmotor as the STW C-3, but a need for considerably greater power forced a switch to the German Daimler Benz DB 605B an air-cooled V-12 rated at 1475 hp for take-off, and similar to that used in the Messerschmitt Bf-109G. The Swedes did considerable modification work on the engine, eventually developing it into a type suitable for use in later models of the SAAB 18B as well as the J 21.
The basic twin-boom pusher layout was selected because of its advantages in increased visibility, streamlining, and concentrated firepower. One of the most obvious disadvantages was the risk to the pilot in the event he was forced to bailout, for he would go directly into the path of the propeller. After considering such techniques as jettisoning the propeller or even the entire engine, SAAB fitted the J 21 with one of the earliest production ejection seats, development of which had begun back in 1939. Another example of SAAB's far-sightedness was its use of tricycle landing gear, still relatively rare when development work was begun on the J 21 in 1941. Preliminary tests on the gear were made using a modified NA-16, with the same plane then being used for pilot familiarization.
Armament on the J 21A was a standard grouping of a single 20 mm cannon and two 13.2 mm (.52 cal.) machine guns in the nose, and a single 13.2 mm machine gun in the leading edge of either wing, just outboard of the tail boom. The attack and bombing versions of the later J 21A's could carry a single 550 lb., 1100 lb. or 1300 lb. bomb slung under the fuselage pod, plus four 110-lb. bombs under the wings. Either eight light rockets or two heavier ones could be mounted below the wings.
As the end of the Second World War approached, it became evident to the engineers at SAAB that the 400 mph top speed of their J 21 simply was not enough to challenge the first-line fighters of any of the major powers, although none had seen fit to attack her, and the Swedish Air Force must have been part of the reason. Looking for an improved fighter, they first considered installing a 2000 hp Rolls Royce Griffon engine like that in late-model Spitfires, and even a Griffon version with contrarotating props, the combination used by the British in the experimental Seafang 32 which was capable of 475 mph at 21,000 feet. However, the estimated maximum speeds of these two planned versions were only 416 mph for the J 21B and 435 mph for the SAAB 27. But jets were coming.
The unusual design layout of the J 21 appeared to be easily adaptable to jet power, and so the piston engine was removed and a Swedish-built, British-designed deHavilland Goblin turbojet of some 3300 lbs. thrust was installed. The resulting J 21R series was actually more new than old, with major changes being necessary to the fuselage and tail, even though the overall dimensions were almost unchanged.
Initial design work began in 1946 and the first flight of the prototype J 21R was made on March 10, 1947. The airplane worked, but obviously not as well as had been hoped. The original production order for 120 was reduced to just 64, while the Swedish Air Force bought deHavilland Vampires, a British jet very similar in appearance and considerably superior in performance. The J 21R carried the same fixed guns as its prop-driven predecessor, along with eight more 13.2 mm machine guns in an odd-looking streamlined pod under the fuselage, and 10 rockets mounted under the wing center section.
The operational life of the J 21A was almost eight years, from the first delivery in December, 1945, until the last one was replaced by more modern aircraft in 1953. The J 21R was in service for almost as long, from August, 1949, until it, too, was superseded by better and faster jets in 1956. Not a single example of the turbojet twin-boom machine is known to exist, but three of the earlier prop-driven SAABs are still around. All are J 21A-3's, one of which is in the Stockholm Museum of Technology, another in the Swedish Air Force Museum at Malmslatt, and a third which was on display during the 1970 Scandinavian Aviation Exposition and European EAA Fly-In at Angelhom.
Don Berliner Articles:
Bellanca 28-70 Irish Swoop - August 1972 American Aircraft Modeler
Swedish Saab J 21 Fighter - February 1971 American Aircraft Modeler
Douglas A-20 Boston / Havoc Bomber - November 1970 American Aircraft Modeler
McDonnell F-4 Phantom - May 1970 American Aircraft Modeler
Folkerts SK-3 Speed King - February 1973 American Aircraft Modeler
Great Lakes Trainer - September 1970 American Aircraft Modeler
Falck's Special Rivets - February 1972 American Aircraft Modeler
The P-38 - Best of the Twins - April 1971 American Aircraft Modeler
Owl Racer - April 1971 American Aircraft Modeler
Martin Baker M.B.5 - May 1971 American Aircraft Modeler
Lockheed Air Express - December 1970 American Aircraft Modeler


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By Keyword By Item # | All Categories Spherical Flange Nuts (Collar Nuts)
All Categories > Nuts > Spherical Flange Nuts (Collar Nuts) > View Items
Spherical Flange Nuts (Collar Nuts)
Available in case hardened carbon steel or stainless steel
Spherical collar nuts can be used with the bottom half of Morton's spherical washers for self-alignment.
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It's A Dog's Life NY: Bleeker showing off his manners during a Battery Park City walk with the IADL Team!
Bleeker showing off his manners during a Battery Park City walk with the IADL Team!
Sam walking by the Hudson with the IADL Team!


Okay, it seems that you have already started publishing stellar content that is relevant, visually appealing, and has a story to share but is not fetching you a good number of visitors. You are even posting such content regularly on your blog, but the traffic is truly disappointing.
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Ask any visitor about the loading time of a Web page, and the answer would be 'instant'. Well, this is an obvious visitor expectation that bloggers should fulfill at any time. Even Google considers loading time while ranking a site or a blog.
As per a research, almost 50% of visitors want a Web page to load within two seconds. So, to ensure such quick loading, you should consider reducing the number of plugins or add-ons. As a smart move, you can consider using an all-in-one plugin.
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As per a study, social media sharing buttons on blog posts are likely to increase the popularity of the posts by seven times. To make a visitor trigger the button click action, consider having catchy and short titles and including hashtags.
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Just start by searching for some famous forums in your niche by using the search phrase, 'keyword + forum'. Next, create a free account on the most popular and active forum found by using your brand as a nickname.
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Monetizing a blog or Website nowadays is trendy and common, as more traffic means more profits. Hence, you should consider to buy quality traffic from sources such as Facebook, AdWords, Google, Reddit, and other such platforms. However, buying traffic from those platforms only work really well if you have a large budget like thousands of dollars a day. You may hear otherwise, but this is reality.
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As search engine bots can now easily get more links to your blog or site, they can crawl and index the same pretty faster. While it takes time to get traffic, commenting is still an effective tool.
Just ensure that you do not spam. Simply commenting as 'good post' or 'I agree' adds no value and instead causes your traffic to drop.
It is fine to dream of high DAs and Alexa rank, but for that, you need to focus on many things to make your blog receive more visitors. Try the tweaks mentioned above and share your experience with us!


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The Juniper Tree (1990)
Watch The Juniper Tree (1990) Online
Margit and her older sister, Katla, flee their homeland in Iceland after their mother is killed for practicing witchcraft. Needing a place to stay, Katla casts a spell over a young farmer named Jóhann which makes him fall in love with her, ensuring the wellbeing of herself and Margit. Jóhann's son, Jóhas, sees through Katla's plan and pleads for his father to make her go away. To help Jóhas in his struggle, Margit's mother appears to Margit in visions and provides a magic amulet of protection for the boy. Will Jóhas be able to rid his family of Katla or will she continue to control them with her witchcraft?
Director: Nietzchka Keene
Actors: Björk, Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir, Geirlaug Sunna Þormar, Guðrún Gísladóttir, Valdimar Örn Flygenring
Country: Iceland
The Room (2019)
Kate and Matt discover that a part of their house can grant wishes. In the wake of several miscarriages, what they want most is a child.
Country: Belgium, France, Luxembourg
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller
Camp X-Ray (2014)
A young woman joins the military to be part of something bigger than herself and her small-town roots. Instead, she ends up as a new guard at Guantanamo Bay, where…
Ron Hopper's Misfortune (2020)
Sara, a beautiful young girl, returns to an old abandoned mechanical workshop in the middle of nowhere to meet her unexpected confidant Ron Hopper; a mysterious being that has been…
Country: Spain, USA
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Heaven is for Real (2014)
The true story of the 4-year old son of a small-town pastor who, during emergency surgery, slips from consciousness and enters heaven. When he awakes, he recounts his experiences on…
Genre: Biography, Drama, Family
Crossing Over (2009)
Immigrants from around the world enter Los Angeles every day, with hopeful visions of a better life, but little notion of what that life may cost. Their desperate scenarios test…
A representative of an alien race that went through drastic evolution to survive its own climate change, Klaatu comes to Earth to assess whether humanity can prevent the environmental damage…
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
Made in Britain (1982)
Trevor sometimes-violent skinhead with no regard for authority, and would rather spend his time stealing cars than sitting in the detention centre to which he is sent. His social worker,…
The Preppie Connection
A student at a private school uses his connections to establish a drug trafficking network.
Country: Puerto Rico, USA
During the 1980s, uptight Ted Boynton is a salesman working in the Barcelona office of a Chicago-based company. He receives an unexpected visit from his cousin Fred, a naval officer…
The Indian Runner (1991)
Two brothers cannot overcome their opposite perceptions of life. One brother sees and feels bad in everyone and everything, subsequently he is violent, antisocial and unable to appreciate or enjoy…
At age 82, Mitch Albom's former rabbi Albert Lewis wants the famous Detroit sportswriter to give his eulogy when the time comes. Albom makes a visit to his former home…
Trailer: The Juniper Tree (1990)


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Home>Sports>FC Barcelona 2-1 Celtic: Victoria's Insistence
FC Barcelona 2-1 Celtic: Victoria's Insistence
The FC Barcelona was submitted last night match Champions League against Celtic Glasgow on his worst enemy: the walled defense. A scenario that we are accustomed to see especially in the Champions League matches at the Camp Noun. Remember the game against Chelsea last season, or not go that far, the Spartak few weeks ago.
And why not jump on the Scottish side pitch with the shell of which later would display. And in doing so the first stages of the match coincided with the best minutes of Barca, who found space behind the 1-0 Scottish and had on several occasions. But it was Mascherano get the 0-1 own goal-again-in a dead-ball situation, and Neil Lennon locked themselves shamelessly in your area.
That's when the real problems began for Barca. In previous seasons, when the team was ebullient level, the strategy did not care to take the rival eventually find a way to break their defense. It's going the same this season, as despite that are taking Tito almost every game on, they do not manifest that superiority to which we were accustomed.
Of course, the club was better than Celtic and deserved the victory, but despite the large number of occasions and the fantastic performance of the visitors goal, Fraser Forster, at no time did the Scots really overwhelmed.
However, the club never stops trying to find the net until the referee blows the final, and yesterday, once again, found that insistence award.' s No coincidence that the Blaugrana get as many goals in the final stages of the match. It the award for persistence conjugated exhausted from bailing defenses for 90 minutes.
The two goals of the Barça arrived Tuesday at the end of both the first and the second part. And both goals leave us interesting details. In the first, the club was able to pierce the rival goal when he finally made a quick combination, with one or two touches, from Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. Until then circulation was tiresome and predictable, so that the accumulation of Celtic men did not suffer nor messed.
As for the second goal, a clear sign of that insistence until the final whistle we were talking about: a ball that focuses Adriano from the right, Jordi Alba tops in the small area. That is, in the 94th minute the two side Catalans were practically in the penalty area.
Finally, let us not mention the title of Marc Bartra, who capped his performance with note. It is true that underwent no great job, but it had little to no problems solved. He also left several details of what you can bring: good ball out, and power in the air, had a couple of chances to score in the first half.
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Zoom Cooking, DIY Pizza, Riverhead Farmers Market
The East End Food Institute has announced the grand reopening of the Riverhead Farmers Market at the former Homeside Florist and Garden Center, specifically 139 Main Road in Riverhead. To celebrate local farms and producers, they'll launch on Small Business Saturday, November 27, and the market will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekly through April 30, 2022. For the first time, the market will accept SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) and will also partner with Field & Fork Network, a Buffalo-based nonprofit that has expanded the Double Up Food Bucks program across New York. If you're a producer and interested in joining the market, applications for vendors are open and are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply to become a vendor. For questions, please email outreach and education coordinator Vivian Le at [email protected].
Manna at Lobster Inn continues its educational aquaculture program Manna Mondays, featuring guest speakers and presentations, on Monday, November 22. Tim Heuisler of Small Batch American Whiskey, is the guest speaker. Spearheaded by co-owner Donna Lanzetta and sponsored by the Manna Ocean Foundation, this program hopes to educate the public about aquaculture through guest speakers including farmers, fishermen, authors, and educators. Manna Monday begins at 6 p.m. and is free of charge unless otherwise noted.
Which pie will make the cut to get in your Thanksgiving feast? Perhaps Andrea Anthony's apple cranberry crumb pie!
Andrea Anthony of The Lobster Roll fame, is baking apple cranberry crumb pies for Thanksgiving. The pies are made of spiced apples, a butter crumb topping, and fresh cranberries. Only 50 pies will be available for pickup on November 24 at the Lobster Roll's new Southampton location where the Princess Diner used to be. A 10-inch deep-dish pie costs $32 and will serve six to eight people. To order, email [email protected].
Nick & Toni's offers DIY pizza kits for two again this fall. The kits include all the ingredients one needs to make a Nick & Toni's pizza dinner at home. Kits include: a Nick & Toni's Caesar salad, fresh pizza dough, Nick & Toni's pomodoro sauce, fresh mozzarella, and detailed instructions on how to bake the perfect pizza, all for $36. The kits are available and are only offered Thursday through Sunday. Kits may be ordered online at nickandtonis.com and are available for pickup any time after 5 p.m.
The Cottage on the Hamlet Green in Hampton Bays will remain open this winter with a $40 prix fixe three-course meal from 5 to 6 p.m. There will also be dining and dancing on Friday and Saturday nights from 6 to 10 p.m. To reserve, call 631-440-2240. You may bring your own wine; there's no corkage fee. Look for modern and classical French cuisine with North African and Caribbean influences.
Get back to basics by taking Stefanie Sacks' live one-hour Zoom cooking segment on Wednesday, December 8 at 6 p.m. where she'll prepare three recipes. She has her Master of Science degree in nutrition from Teachers College, Columbia University, and is a certified nutrition specialist, certified dietitian nutritionist and a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. On December 8, the Hamptons nutritionist will demonstrate how to create creamy broccoli soup, savory lentils, whole roasted fish and a dark chocolate treat. Each one-hour class is $25. The menus are all gluten-free and dairy-optional. You will receive Zoom link and recipes upon registration. Zoom recording will be provided post-class to all registrants.
Food Quote: "People who love to eat are always the best people." ~Julia Child
Got a restaurant news item or tip? Email us at [email protected]!
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Step 3. Insert a rod into the hole nearest the edge of the smallest shape. Using the needle nose pliers, make a 90° bend about 3/ 4 " of the way down, then make a …... ParkerWorks Elizabeth Parker of ParkerWorks uses natural materials like brass, wood and concrete for her artistic creations. We recommend stopping by her table where you can admire her tripod lamp, organically shaped bedside table made of hand carved spalted maple, and her stunning mobiles made of wood, brass, and crystal. Field + Supply.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of Calder's Mobile by creating their own individual mobiles and using their skills, techniques and imagination. Assessment: Students will be assessed on their mobiles ability to hang evenly, have a range of shapes and figures and move in the wind.... Ever since my first exposure to Alexander Calder, I have had an ongoing love affair with mobiles. Their gentle movements, mysterious balance, and ability to float above all of my mundane chores makes them pretty inspirational. Plus, of course, they're a beautiful addition to any kid's room.
How To Make a Calder Mobile : PopuluxeBooks, Retro Info For Your Mod Style. Aaron Wechsler. Alexander Calder . Hanging Mobile Mobile Art Hanging Art Mobile Sculpture Sculpture Art Sculpture Projects Art Projects Mobiles Mechanical Art. Angles and Circles. Wire mobile about 20 inches high and a bit less than that in width. Dan Sisken. Mobiles by Dan Sisken. Alexander Calder Mobile Art …... Students will demonstrate an understanding of Calder's Mobile by creating their own individual mobiles and using their skills, techniques and imagination. Assessment: Students will be assessed on their mobiles ability to hang evenly, have a range of shapes and figures and move in the wind.
How To Make a Calder Mobile : PopuluxeBooks, Retro Info For Your Mod Style. Aaron Wechsler. Alexander Calder . Hanging Mobile Mobile Art Hanging Art Mobile Sculpture Sculpture Art Sculpture Projects Art Projects Mobiles Mechanical Art. Angles and Circles. Wire mobile about 20 inches high and a bit less than that in width. Dan Sisken. Mobiles by Dan Sisken. Alexander Calder Mobile Art …... ParkerWorks Elizabeth Parker of ParkerWorks uses natural materials like brass, wood and concrete for her artistic creations. We recommend stopping by her table where you can admire her tripod lamp, organically shaped bedside table made of hand carved spalted maple, and her stunning mobiles made of wood, brass, and crystal. Field + Supply.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of Calder's Mobile by creating their own individual mobiles and using their skills, techniques and imagination. Assessment: Students will be assessed on their mobiles ability to hang evenly, have a range of shapes and figures and move in the wind.
Toward the late 1950s, Calder turned his attention to commissions both at home and abroad, producing such recognizable works as .125 (1957), a mobile hung in John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, and Spirale (1958), a major commission for U.N.E.S.C.O. in Paris.
Use the mobile tool to find the arm's tipping point, and that's where you'll make the loop in the arm. Slide a wood piece on the end of the mobile tool, while you leave the base piece hanging off its hook.


7. What steps are involved in developing an activity- based costing system?
8. Explain the preparation and use of a value-added/ non–value-added activity flowchart in an ABC system.
9. What is an activity cost pool?
10. What is a cost driver?
What steps are involved in developing an activity based costing system?
Explain the preparation and use of a value-added non–value-added activity flowchart in an ABC system.
Explain the preparation and use of a value-added/non–value-added activity flowchart in an ABC system.


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The Resonars, Paperhead, French Girls, Breakup Society, Yucca Tap Room, 7/24/12
Heather Hoch
Heather Hoch | July 25, 2012 | 9:00am
The Resonars, Paperhead, Breakup Society, and French Girls Yucca Tap Room Tuesday, July 24, 2012
See also: The Resonars, "Nonetheless Blue" Review
The Resonars have been around the block before. Originally forming in 1991, the band has a dizzying history of a one-in, one-out membership. The only two constants in the Tucson power-pop band are singer/guitarist Rick Rendon and his firm grasp on '60s psychedelia swirls.
Rendon currently fronts a quartet, and the band has traded in some of the trippy sounds of yesteryear for the slightly more current sounds of '90s power pop. I picked up more Rembrandt vibes than any hints of Moby Grape. Which was fine, because whatever decade was channeled, The Resonars know how to rock a bar on a Tuesday night.
While the music didn't launch the audience into a mind-melting trip, it transitioned from structured flamenco-esque plucking with crooning vocals into a frenzied chaos of droning guitars and wailing vocals and then back again. The veterans melded better with the blues in some moments than any other genre. They warned the audience when they'd get "poppy," and the ydelivered.
It would be almost impossible to talk about Tuesday night's show and not mention up-and-coming Nashville quartet Paperhead and locals French Girls. Paperhead is a band full of young boys who aren't too young to understand a good throwback. The kind of band that makes you write in all capital letters in your notebook, "TAKE ACID NOW."
All four boys spent most of the show staring at their instruments, flinging in and out of whirring, surprisingly non-masturbatory breakdowns. The tripped-out keyboards, surfy strings, mellow drumming and barely-there vocals are the stuff of classic bands. Paperhead has some major potential; past the enumerable nerd girl hearts they assuredly smashed in high school.
French Girls came to impress as well, though you wouldn't know it by lead singer and bassist "Che Beret"s enticingly aloof facial expressions. Not only a master of the "I don't give a fuck" look that could have been perfected in any number of customer-service scenarios, Beret also is kind of like a combination and Xena Warrior Princess and Kathleen Hanna (between Bikini Kill and Le Tigre).
French Girls have the beat, they have the rhythm, but their gold lies in Beret's playful sex kitten voice that belts out goofy phrases like, "I want to watch you aerobicize." Not to mention there's something so inherently satisfying when there are women on drums and bass, essentially forming the backbone of a band, with men on the side. Definitely a local act to keep on your radar.
Critic's Notebook Last Night: The Resonars, Paperhead and French Girls at Yucca Tap Room The Crowd: A loose assembly of Tuesday night dive regulars, showgoers and some very enthusiastic dancers. Random Notebook Dump: Openers The Breakup Society kind of sound like early scenes of the Rutles -- in a good way. Random Notebook Dump Part Deux: A friend once told me that you can see a man's sex face when he plays his instrument, and I finally see what she meant. (Also about the Breakup Society.)
Heather Hoch is a music, food, and arts writer based in Tucson. She enjoys soup, scotch, Electric Light Orchestra, and walking her dog, Frodo.


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Topic: Kent Jones
Kent Jones News
Movies // 1 year ago
Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman' to open New York Film Festival
Martin Scorsese's latest true-crime saga, "The Irishman," has been selected to screen on the opening night of the 57th New York Film Festival.
Movies // 3 years ago
Amazon to begin self-distribution with release of next Woody Allen movie
Amazon announced it will start to self-distribute its own films, beginning with the next Woody Allen project, "Wonder Wheel."
Richard Linklater's 'Last Flag Flying' to open 2017 New York Film Festival
Richard Linklater's "Last Flag Flying" has been chosen to open the 55th New York Film Festival on Sept. 28.
'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk' will get world premiere at New York Film Festival
The Film Society of Lincoln Center says Ang Lee's drama "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" will have its world premiere at its New York Film Festival this fall.
Ava DuVernay's documentary 'The 13th' to open the New York Film Festival
"The 13th," "Selma" director Ava DuVernay's documentary about racial inequality, will be the opening night selection of the 54th New York Film Festival.
'The Walk' starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt to open New York Film Festival
Robert Zemeckis' "The Walk" -- starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt -- is to have its world premiere at this fall's 53rd New York Film Festival.
'Gone Girl' to have world premiere at the New York Film Festival
David Fincher's big-screen adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel "Gone Girl" is to open the New York Film Festival, the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced.
Toms tied for lead in Mexico
Former PGA Championship winner David Toms shot a 5-under-par 66 Thursday to share the lead after one round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
Bradley and Day share Puerto Rico lead
Michael Bradley posted a 4-under-par 68 Saturday to tie Jason Day for the lead after three rounds of the Puerto Rico Open.
Johnson shares lead; Perry stays close
First-round leader Richard S. Johnson held onto a share of the top spot at the U.S. Bank Championship Friday and Kenny Perry stayed within five shots.
I'm just satisfied that I played well and putted well
Kent Jones leads at Pebble Beach Feb 07, 2008
Thomas Kenton "Kent" Jones (born June 12, 1964) is a writer and performer on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, airing live M-F at 9p.m. Eastern time. He is an Emmy-winning comedy writer who also wrote and performed at Air America Radio.
A Missouri native, Kent moved to New York in 1986 and held a variety of journalism jobs working at InStyle and People and contributing freelance humor articles to various publications. In 1996, he discovered the 'far more legitimate field of fake news' at The Daily Show on Comedy Central, where he was a writer for five years. In 2000, Kent and his fellow writers won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy, Variety or Special, as well as the Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. Kent then moved to Los Angeles and worked as a producer on shows at Oxygen and ABC.
In 2004 Kent moved back to New York to become part of the launch of Air America Radio. He wrote for Unfiltered with Lizz Winstead, Chuck D and Rachel Maddow where he delivered the "Unfiltered News." He also wrote extensively for Morning Sedition where he performed several characters including Foreign Correspondent Angus McFarquhar, Bill from Harlem and, most frequently, Planet Bush Bureau Chief Lawton Smalls. After the cancellation of Morning Sedition in December 2005, Kent continued to write and perform on The Marc Maron Show until its cancellation in July 2006. He appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show, with daily Sports and "Kent Jones Now" segments and additional co-hosting, especially during her "Ask Dr. Maddow" and "Pet Story" segments. The Lawton Smalls character made "calls" to The Sam Seder Show and was on the Nov 7th 2006 live webcam election coverage with Rachel Maddow. Jones left Air America on Friday, December 14, 2007, as a result of a "business decision" by the management.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kent Jones."


I have to confess that there are so many of these microbreweries, and so many with virtually identical tasting rooms spilling out on to the patio from the warehouse -- and all serving good beers, all run and populated by nice people, all offering a chill environment to drink in -- that I really wouldn't know how to contrast them. (As long as we're talking about microbrews, my tasting experience ranges much more from beer to beer than it does from brewery to brewery.) Anyway, I'd recommend this one, just like I'd recommend every one of the ten microbreweries in the surrounding five square miles. Here's to beer and here's to Ballard.


Marriage is a serious commitment. So is joining the military. For those in the military, balancing their service with their marriage can be difficult. For their civilian spouses, adjusting to life on base or with a deployed spouse can be difficult as well. Both people always have to work together to make a military marriage work.
Devote time to your own interests. Commitment to military service is a 24/7 job. The spouse who is not enlisted needs to spend time and energy on their own passions, too. This might mean joining a club, taking a class, or carving out time each day for a creative pursuit.
If you have young children, try to arrange childcare to provide you with time to pursue your interests without having to mind the kids.
Remember that your spouse fell in love with you for who you are. Don't let your identity be subsumed by the fact that one of you is enlisted.
Maintain separate close friendships. It might seem that you never have enough time to be alone together. However, it's still important to make time for other relationships. These relationships will support both of you when the enlisted member is deployed.
If one of you wants to go out with friends for the evening, remember that that's perfectly healthy. Try to avoid feeling jealous of those relationships.
If you worry that your spouse is spending too much time with friends, find a way to talk about it without blaming or accusing them.
Develop relationships with other military families. Other military families know what you're going through. They can relate. By developing relationships with other military spouses, you'll build a community of support for when things are hard.
If you have children, reach out to their parents' friends. This is an especially good idea if you're living on base.
You may be able to find a local support group, or an online forum for military spouses.
Agree to disagree. Know that you and your spouse won't always agree on everything. While there are certain compromises that must be made in a marriage, try to accept a certain amount of difference.
Particularly when a spouse is deployed, your daily lives are very different. It is only natural that personal differences would be amplified during this time.
Trust each other to make decisions. Remember that just because one person is overseas doesn't mean they don't know what's going on at home.
Get a job or volunteer. Unfortunately, it can be more difficult for the non-enlisted spouse to find a job. If you have young children at home, it may be extra hard to juggle working and finding childcare. However, employment is an important way to maintain a sense of independence.
If you have a hard time finding a job or committing to something regularly, volunteer. There are many community organizations that are always in need of helping hands.
Try to find a job that gets you out of the house, so that you feel a sense of independence.
Unplug while you're together. It may not be what you want to hear, but turn off the cell phone, TV, and laptop when you're alone. There are many distractions and disruptions that are part of military life. Try to keep a certain amount of time available for simply being present with each other.
Of course, it's okay to watch a movie together or listen to music while you're spending time together. Just make sure you also leave space for quiet and conversation.
Just because a person's service is a 24/7 commitment, that doesn't have to mean they're focused on it all of the time. Phones, social media, and the news can be reminders of a person's military duty, which is why it's a good idea to turn them off sometimes.
Sit down for a home-cooked meal. You may cook it together, or the civilian spouse may do the cooking before the other person comes home. However you distribute the labor, make sure that you are both present and available to sit down and eat together.
You may want to arrange childcare during dinner once in awhile so that you can have a meal without having to also take care of the children.
Remember that when a spouse is deployed, eating together won't be an option. So savor the opportunities you have for this.
Perform sweet gestures for each other. Sweet gestures come in many forms. It may mean bringing home flowers or leaving a thoughtful note before going to work. When one spouse is deployed, a sweet gesture performed by either spouse can seem extra special. It shows that you're keeping each other in mind even though you're not together.
You don't need to perform these gestures every day. However, it's nice to remember to be sweet on days other than birthdays and Valentine's Day.
Don't keep score. It's lovely when a sweet gesture is reciprocated. However, if you're only making the gesture to get something in return, you need to look at what's motivating that.
Talk as regularly as possible. If your spouse is working long hours, it can be hard to stay awake late enough to have a good conversation when they get home. If they're deployed overseas, their access to communication will be significantly limited. However, always do your best to stay in touch and check in with each other.
If it's very difficult to find the time to talk, try setting a regular schedule. For example, "We sit down to talk every Wednesday night." This can be difficult or impossible if one spouse is deployed, but you can do your best.
Talk about your feelings. Even if you're feeling hurt or angry, always use "I" statements. That means you talk about your feelings without putting blame or judgement on your partner.
Discuss the difficult aspects of homecoming. We're used to seeing photographs of ecstatic homecomings. It's also the day the military spouses long for as soon as their loved one is deployed. However, there is often an adjustment period once the deployed spouse returns home. You'll need to talk about any surprises or discomforts that arise after the deployed spouse returns home.
Most likely, the civilian spouse has taken on a lot of responsibility in the enlisted spouse's absence. They may have a hard time relinquishing control over household duties and decision-making.
If the enlisted spouse has been in a combat situation, they could well be coming home with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this case, they should see a mental health professional as soon as possible.
Accept limits on communication. For many military members, there are things that they are not allowed to tell even their spouses. We're taught that there should never be secrets in a marriage. However, in a military marriage, you must accept some secrets.
The enlisted spouse might not be able to say where they're going, or for how long, or what they're doing there. They might never be allowed to disclose this information, even years later.
Make sure important events are scheduled. If there is an important event coming up, the enlisted spouse must request the time off well in advance. Whether it's a child's birthday party or a graduation ceremony, the family is likely to be disappointed if efforts weren't made to get that time off.
Even with advance planning, remember that things may shift. You may be relocated thousands of miles away with little notice. That's something neither of you has control over.
Understand what commitment means to each other. Marriage is a lifelong commitment. It's important to remember that when things get difficult. Part of making a lifelong commitment is committing to working through things together, rather than giving up.
Remind yourself and your spouse what value you saw in getting married. Talk to each other about the ideals you embraced as parts of your vows.
Being in the military should never be an excuse for staying in an unhappy marriage. If things are continually not working, it may be time to consider separation.
Have plans for when the enlisted spouse is away. This can mean plans for how the civilian spouse will keep themselves busy, but it should also mean plans for how the household will run. For example, who will provide childcare? What are the deployed spouse's expectations for while they're away?
Your plan should include financial matters, such as how things will be paid for, as well as emotional matters, such as how often you feel you need to talk.
Be realistic. Putting too much pressure on the spouse who's staying home can create an undue burden if the expectations aren't realistic.
Many military couples marry young. This has some benefits and some difficulties that come with it. Seek the advice and wisdom of older military couples who've stood the test of time.
When both spouses are in the military life can be easier and harder. On the one hand, you can understand where each other are coming from. On the other hand, there will likely be more curve balls and restrictions thrown your way. Make the extra effort to communicate and spend quality time together whenever possible.


Every year, we attend a number of trade shows around the world to meet with our valued agents and share our latest products. Below you will find a list of the shows we are attending in the coming months along with our contact information.
Contact jenny.zhao@wildchina.com to Book an Appt.


For April we are showcasing zesty Pinot Grigio, a refreshing white wine that, when served cold, is the perfect wine for a hot summer's day. At Vintner's Cellar Pinot Grigio is the most popular white wine. This dry wine is light but pleasantly tart, with notes of lemon, lime, green apple and hints of green melon with the scent of honey and herbs.
Most people think Pinot Grigio originated in Italy, but it originated in France where it is known as Pinot Gris. Thought to be a mutation of the grape Pinot Noir, the skins of Pinot Grigio are not green like other white wines but are a bluish gray colour which gives the grape its name.
Pinot Grigio has become Italy's most popular grape and is known for being a clean and easy-drinking wine.
Food Pairings – Chicken Alfredo, grilled shrimp and cucumber salad.


Our Family movie nights are every 3 Friday of the month. October we watched the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The Last Sunday of August was a huge success. We handed out over 70 Back Packs filled with School supplies. We gave 40 free haircuts to stunents getting them ready for the new school year and were visited by over 100 people.
Look for next years event in August!


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Many things unchanged on quiet St John's
Janice Tai And Melody Zaccheus
BORN, bred and wed on St John's Island, 67-year-old Mohamed Sulih and his wife make up half the villagers left on this haven south of Singapore.
And over the years, he has seen the island transform from a kampung of 150 villagers, to a holding area for political detainees and later, a rehabilitation centre for opium addicts.
"I feel lucky to be able to see all these changes up front," said Mr Sulih, the island's former caretaker who has stayed on even though most other villagers had left for the mainland by 1975.
The other two villagers are the current caretaker and his spouse.
There was also a reclamation project started in 2000 to build a causeway to the neighbouring Lazarus Island, and then a $120 million effort to bring water, electricity, gas and phone services from Sentosa to the Southern Islands.
More change is coming for the 39ha island with the only marine station for academic research, located in the south-eastern corner of St John's, possibly slashing operations by March next year.
The National University of Singapore's Tropical Marine Science Institute's (TMSI) coastal facilities, which opened in 2002, has been beset by high operating costs - driven by the diesel needed for generators, the boats to transport employees and security.
Its impending closure has drawn several visitors, including writer Alex Yang, to the island.
"I wanted to see the work they do as it is one of a kind," he said of his trip on Wednesday.
But plenty of things on the island have not changed, and that is why it continues to reel in a small but steady stream of nature lovers.
They include tourists, picnicking migrant workers from the Philippines and Bangladesh, Indian and Myanmar expatriates, and fishing enthusiasts.
Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), which manages the island, said it averages 28,000 visitors every year.
Kusu Island, in comparison, gets 104,000 visitors annually.
Visitors have the option of chartering their own boats or taking a public ferry from Marina South Pier.
The service, run by operator Singapore Island Cruise, costs $18 for a two-way trip (for adults, and $12 for children), including a stopover at nearby Kusu Island.
On weekdays, the island can get as few as two visitors, said SDC's executive officer on the island, Mr Eddy Ali. But it wakes up during weekends, the island's busiest period.
More than 170 people, for instance, made a trip down to the island last Sunday.
The allure of the hilly island lies in its pristine swimming lagoons, pockets of mangroves and stretches of natural rocky shores ringed by coral reefs.
Shoals of dolphins are sometimes spotted off the island's jetty in June and August, while bird watchers go to observe the majestic dives of birds of prey such as Brahminy kites.
Said TMSI director Peter Ng: "Jumping in the water, chasing after crabs, is something you can do here, unlike a more manicured place, and you can see a lot of different animals that used to be there along mainland shorelines such as Changi."
It is also a popular camping ground for students and church groups, as well as cyclists or joggers willing to rough it out on the island's rugged slopes.
"The landscape is less organised and quite raw, and I really enjoyed the breeze and blue waters," said undergraduate Timothy Ng, 23, who cycled around the island for the first time on Wednesday.
Anglers Keano Chua, 34, and Raymond Chua, 27, went home with a haul of 13 squid after five hours of fishing on Wednesday.
"The catch is much better than on the mainland," said Mr Keano Chua, who goes to St John's to fish every week.
Other anglers such as Mr Ng Teck Seng even stay overnight by pitching makeshift tents along the coastline.
"You don't have to rush for the last ferry, which leaves at 2.45pm, and the groupers are more active at night," said the music researcher, 54.
History buffs are also enamoured by the island's past.
Naval architect and heritage enthusiast Jerome Lim, 49, who enjoyed exploring a now-exhumed graveyard there as a young boy, said: "There was always that air of mystery about the place, and as a schoolboy, it always felt like an adventure."
TMSI's Professor Ng hopes the place will retain its rustic vibe in years to come.
The authorities said there are no immediate plans for St John's Island, and it will remain accessible to the public for recreational use.
It is the quiet life there that keeps Mr Sulih, who retired in 2010, on the island - mending nets in the day, catching squid along the jetty at night, and surrounded by a clutch of free-roaming chickens and cats.
"It is peaceful and not busy like on the mainland," said Mr Sulih, whose three grown-up sons live on the mainland.
"It is like my own secret place."
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.