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02/05/2014 11:27 am ET Updated Feb 06, 2014
Mia Farrow On Daughter's Sex Abuse Claims Against Woody Allen: 'It's Not About Me, It's About Her Truth'
Mia Farrow is speaking out after her ex partner Woody Allen's lawyer claimed that allegations of childhood sexual abuse made by their adopted daughter Dylan Farrow, was simply an idea that was "implanted in her by her mother."
On Tuesday (Feb. 4), Mia took to Twitter to deny allegations of brainwashing or that she had used Dylan as a "pawn" in a fight between herself and Allen:
I love my daughter. I will always protect her. A lot of ugliness is going to be aimed at me. But this is not about me, it's about her truth.
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) February 4, 2014
Mia also tweeted a link to Maureen Orth's 1992 Vanity Fair article that detailed the allegations of abuse when they were first made, as well as a link to Orth's follow-up article written this past year. "Just read this for the first time since 1992. #longread," she tweeted.
Mia's son Ronan Farrow also expressed support for Dylan after she penned her open letter in the New York Times, tweeting: "I love and support my sister and I think her words speak for themselves."
Allen was never charged with a crime and continues to deny any wrongdoing, but with the issue back in the headlines, many of Allen's past interviews and comments are resurfacing, and they aren't doing him any favors.
In particular, a 1976 profile of Allen in People magazine has resurfaced, in which the director admits:
"I try to have sex only with women I like a lot," Woody explains solemnly. "Otherwise I find it fairly mechanical." (He has little interest in family life: "It's no accomplishment to have or raise kids. Any fool can do it.")
He goes on: "I'm open-minded about sex. I'm not above reproach; if anything, I'm below reproach. I mean, if I was caught in a love nest with 15 12-year-old girls tomorrow, people would think, yeah, I always knew that about him." Allen pauses. "Nothing I could come up with would surprise anyone," he ventures helplessly. "I admit to it all."
Celebrities With Family Problems
Celebrities Mia Farrow Woody Allen Dylan Farrow Sexual Abuse
Jennifer Aniston, Nancy Dow
Jennifer Aniston and her mother, Nancy Dow, had been estranged for more than a decade after Dow gave an interview about their relationship in 1996. According to the Daily Mail, the actress called her mother afterward, and told her that she'd never forgive her for betraying her trust. Dow's 1999 book, "From Mother And Daughter To Friends: A Memoir," about their rocky relationship, didn't make things any better. Aniston and her mother began speaking again following her split from Pitt in 2005. "Yeah, it's been really nice," she told "Good Morning America" of the reconciliation after nine years of estrangement. "It's been really nice. It's crazy what, you know, your life kind of being turned upside down will lead you to. ... For us it's ... it was the time, and it was going to happen when it was supposed to happen. So this is good. It's baby steps."


You are here: Home / I hate payday loans. Do You?!
I hate payday loans. Do You?!
I'm not sitting on the fence on this matter. Granted it's better in some U.S. states compared to the UK, but ultimately they are led by morally corrupt and emotionally insensitive corporations who are focused on nothing more than increasing their profits.
A million people in the UK have at one stage turned to payday loan companies to pay their mortgage or rent. It's a sad indictment of the current financial situation, but payday loans are not the answer. The answer is solving the fundamental money problem. Payday loans delay the inevitable for many people; that their finances are out of sync and need addressed.
Wonga published net profits of £185 million for the last year in September. The payday loan companies often say, "for every £100 borrowed we get £25, now that doesn't sound like a lot, does it?". Well, let's break that "£25" into £185 million. It's not the exuberant fees that are the major problem, it's the demographics of the people that use payday loans.
It's a trap which people can't afford to avoid.
You lose social and economic control when you are in debt. The type of people who are in debt are young adults, under 35 without children. This is unlike the U.S. when the payday loan lenders are usually older with families. In the U.S. adults without bank accounts have been targeted as ideal payday loan borrowers, whereas in the UK, people with low incomes (under £25,000 per annum) are ideal borrowers.
Payday loans are a trap, especially in the UK. People are caught in a continual cycle of paying minimum payments which will ultimately enhance the total amount of debt. In the end, a simple £500 loan has been known to increase to £15,000 in a relatively short period of time.
In the United States they have a better proposition. Each state can determine the rules, with most setting a protective stance to cover the maximum amount that can be lent, a maximum number of roll over periods and a maximum loan term. For instance, in Nebraska the maximum length of time the loan can exist is 34 days. The U.K. must adopt a similar relationship with payday loans.
People contacting debt charities owe on average £1,200 to 4 different payday creditors with 40% saying they were using the money to pay for basic living costs.
The techniques they use are bullying tactics.
Please let me explain. Payday loans are a vile financial cancer which exploit people who are between a rock and a hard place and have no other alternatives but to get stuck on the hamster wheel of debt.
I'm not one to sit on the fence. I don't accept the argument from payday loan companies that the fees are proportionate to the risk they face in lending to generally sub-prime clients. They make millions in profit every year. The fear people feel because of payday loan companies is horrendous. There have even been reports of people killing themselves because of the debt they owe to a payday lender.
Politically and socially something must be done. Politically nothing will be done because we are in a financial crisis and the Government can't answer the one question which would be asked, "Well what are people meant to do to survive financially?".


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Grasstops Engagement & Grassroots Advocacy
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We work with your campaign to analyze the self-interests of critical decision makers and to determine the types of contact that will be most effective. Then we can develop systematic programs to mobilize letters, calls, and personal meetings with decision makers.
Powerful field programs are an incredibly effective way to mobilize constituencies to fight for issues.
Democracy Partners has coordinated issue-based field programs for dozens of corporations, associations, and progressive issue based organizations including the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, SEIU, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, USAction, Americans United for Change, the Iraq Campaign, and People for the American Way.
Recently, the team has engaged on maintaining access to affordable healthcare and maintaining economic security for working Americans.
In 2010, the team at Democracy Partners helped generate over 600,000 calls to Congress to pass the Affordable Care Act.
In 2003, the Democracy Partners team coordinated the major nationwide battle against the Bush Tax Cuts and Economic Policy for Fair Taxes for All – the coalition spearheaded by organized labor, and many major progressive and civil rights organizations.
Democracy Partners includes leading experts in:
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Powerful Messaging

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Correctly passing string based parameters with PetaPoco Whilst working with PetaPoco in our development environment, we wrote a Fetch command a little like this:
DB.Fetch<object>("SELECT Col1, Col2 FROM Tablename WHERE Col1 = @0, parameter)

The resultant command looks a lot like this:
SELECT Col1, Col2 FROM Tablename WHERE Col1 = parameter

In most database versions, this is fine, however when the target database was moved to an environment running SQL Server 2014, it becomes apparent that this isn't good enough any more - SQL Server 2014 enforces the requirement to wrap varchar/string based parameters in single quotes, whereas previous versions were able to make a type determination at the point the query is executed and this was never an issue.
I can't reproduce the issue, as I don't have a SQL Server 2014 environment to hand, but it's apparent that SQL is trying to parse what it thinks is an integer to a string and comes out with what looks like a Hex value. Not a particularly helpful indication of what's happening, I grant you
The logical conclusion would be to adapt our Fetch to look something like this:
DB.Fetch<object>("SELECT Col1, Col2 FRMO Tablename WHERE Col1 = '@0', parameter)

Annoyingly, our last command looks like this:
SELECT Col1, Col2 FROM Tablename WHERE Col1 = '@0'

I've tried a number of different ways of writing my fetch command, including using a SqlParameter object as the first argument in the parameter array, defining the type as varchar, but I cannot get the query to work as I'd expect. The closest I have come is to use either string.Format, or an interpolated string, but this poses an obvious security risk and I'd rather avoid it.
I found this question which seems to suggest that the 'correct' thing to do is to remove the single quotes, however as I say, this is a breaking behaviour in MSSQL 2014+...
Is this not a supported feature of PetaPoco, or am I missing something?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Tennessee State University (X) PDF (eBook) (X) Science Fiction (X) Eloquent Books (X) Fiction (X)
* Science Fiction
7 Scorpions : Rebellion
Mike Saxton
Eloquent Books
Subjects: Fiction, Drama and Literature, Future
Collections: Literature, Most Popular Books in China, Authors Community, Science Fiction
...2 www.StrategicBookGroup.com ISBN: 978-1-60911-286-8 Printed in the United States of America Book Design: Rolando F. Santos This book is dedicated to... ...had its fair share of street violence in its past. The former home of the state capital was any- thing but paradise. Then the Flash Storm came. The t... ...me from New Hamp- shire, but no one knew. He could have adopted the former state's quote because it was especially applicable to the times at hand. ... ...hield at what was once the bustling campus of Southern Connecticut State University. The campus was intact, but there were modifcations that had be... ...ath and destruction were shredded to tiny pieces. The panic at the former university was geting worse. Not a single bus had departed yet. John was h... ...he various structures that used to compose the Southern Connecticut State University campus. A scene that caught her atention was a group that was m... ...d take a shot o' the drink o' the night. Tonight, its good ol' fashioned Tennessee whiskey," the hunting man clarifed. Vincent realized that he had ...


Vivid is a digital design company based in Inverness that provides affordable, great looking & functional websites.
What can Vivid do for you?
Design & create effective brands.
Build interactive, accessible web pages optimised for search engines.
Beautiful music from four friends Janet, Kath, Jenny and Robbie.
Thank you for all your help, you have been fabulous.


Author: Alicia Lord / Source: Parent Co.
Every child and adult alike is familiar with Shel Silverstein's popular book "The Giving Tree." A favorite of my mother's, I remember having it read to me time and time again during my childhood. It tells of a great love, though a dangerous kind of love. The tree, a selfless character who wants only to make the boy happy, repeatedly gives away pieces of herself.
Though it starts innocently enough, with fallen leaves and apples, the boy's demands become greater. The tree, without hesitation, meets his demands. She gives him everything she has, every piece of herself, until she is just a stump. Through all of this, the tree's goal of making the boy happy never seems to be met – he is always wanting more. It is not until the end that the tree finally find happiness, through the simple joy of connection and time spent with the boy. Strikingly, it seems that the boy never acknowledges how much he has taken from the tree and we are left to wonder if he ever actually finds happiness.
There is no doubt that this book is beautiful in its sadness. It also offers a warning that I think many parents would be wise to heed. In the world of parenting today, there is a message that you should provide everything for your child – you should meet their every need, as well as their every desire. You should protect them and take care of them above all else.
I get it: Love for one's child is unlike anything else in life. I am fully on board with that. Love your child fully! Shout it from the rooftops. Let them know every day that they are special and beautiful and will be loved by you no matter what. But be careful about how much you give.
As a child counselor and parenting coach, I see the impacts of what I am calling "The Giving Tree Syndrome." I see parents who are exhausted, who have hit their limit, and who have nothing left to give. There is a catch-22 with this kind of behavior. While you are giving and giving and trying to be the best parent for your child – no, the best parent ever! – you are sacrificing your own needs. Then, there comes a time when your resources as so depleted that you can no longer meet anyone's needs. And, as it disappointingly turns out, you cannot make your child happy, which may be the hardest parenting lesson to date.
You start to feel like the worst parent ever. You get frustrated easily, your child acts out, and it all starts to feel impossible. You want nothing more than to fix it, or to make all of the distress go away. This is a cycle that is happening over and over again in families across the country because we have some crazy idea that to be a parent we must give up our hobbies, our me-time, our beds, and our energy in order to produce a well-adjusted child.
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A tax deal for the digital age – are we ready for this?
On November 15, 2021 November 15, 2021 By officialblogunioIn Essays
Marina Barata (Master's in Law)
1. The deal
On October 8, 2021, the world woke up with the news that the OECD/G20 has agreed a two-pillar solution to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, marking the first rewriting of international tax rules in a generation.
We might as well talk about a Generational Achievement.
The framework updates key elements of the century-old international tax system, which is no longer fit for purpose in a globalised and digitalised 21st century economy. The two-pillar package – the outcome of negotiations coordinated by the OECD for much of the last decade – aims to ensure that large Multinational Enterprises[1] (MNEs) pay tax where they operate and earn profits, while adding much-needed certainty and stability to the international tax system. The proposal established a 15% global minimum tax, starting in 2023, and was designed to discourage tax-motivated profit shifting and base erosion by digital corporations that operate worldwide.
Pillar 1 aims to adapt the international rules on the taxation of corporate profits to reflect the changing nature of business models, including the ability of companies to do business without a physical presence. It will give market jurisdictions a right to tax part of the profits of certain non-resident businesses by providing for a reallocation of a portion of these global profits among the jurisdictions where the group has customers or users, using an agreed formula.
Pillar 2 will set a floor to excessive tax competition by ensuring that multinational businesses are subject to a certain minimum level of tax on all of their profits each year. The globalisation of economies and intensification of the use of intangible assets in global value chains have enabled certain multinational companies to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions. Pillar 2 will enable jurisdictions to top up the amount of tax paid by large multinationals to a minimum effective level, while leaving individual countries free to decide on the features of their own tax systems. Such a minimum effective taxation of businesses profit will limit tax avoidance opportunities.
Both pillars of the global agreement are in line with the European Commission's vision for a business taxation framework for the 21st century. Their objectives are complementary and a solution on both is needed as part of the global discussions.
Of the 140 countries engaged in the negotiations, 136 signed on to the new outline. Holdouts were Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Ireland, Estonia, and Hungary all recently gave their approval after initially staying out of the agreement in July. Ireland, the low-tax European headquarters for blue chip companies including Apple, Google and Facebook, declined to sign up to the initial deal in July, objecting to a proposed rate of "at least" 15%.
An updated text dropped the "at least" clearing the way for Ireland to accept this agreement. Also, Ireland can maintain the 12.5% rate for firms with annual turnover below 750 million euros and keep tax incentives for research and development.
2. Implementation – are we talking years?
Once agreed and translated into a multilateral convention, the application of Pillar 1 will be mandatory for participating countries. A global corporate minimum tax, including the OECD plan, would not be self-implementing. Each country would have to incorporate the rate and rules into its own tax system. The OECD agreement envisions implementation of the new rules in 2023. Because the plan requires many countries to amend their tax laws, this timing may be overly optimistic.
In order to ensure its consistent implementation in all EU Member States, including those that are not members of the OECD and do not participate in the Inclusive Framework, the European Commission will propose a Directive for the implementation of Pillar 1 in the EU.
But the thing is, the European Commission wants to go beyond the OECD agreement, stating that the lack of a common corporate tax system in the Single Market acts as a drag on competitiveness, and proposes a new framework for income taxation for businesses in Europe (Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation or BEFIT). BEFIT will ensure that businesses in the Single Market can operate without any undue tax barriers. At the same time, it will ensure that the existence of mismatches between corporate tax systems in the EU does not undermine the ability of Member States to raise revenue to fund national spending priorities.[2]
Having this in mind, there is no time like the present to revisit the idea of tax harmonisation.
First and foremost, harmonisation does not necessarily mean legislative unification or adjustment, as this concerns the total elimination of disparities, with Regulations being the vehicle par excellence, and where States significantly give up their fiscal sovereignty.
Tax harmonisation represents a rational compromise between the need to eliminate tax disparities between Member States and to protect their legislative or judicial autonomy, where the proportion of the national and the supranational component varies according to the desired level of harmonisation.
When we talk about the need for tax harmonisation within the European Union, the intention is merely to prevent States from distorting competition by defining the structural elements of tax systems, such as tax incidence and rates, thus interfering in and disrupting the construction of the Single Market in an adverse way.
A minimum standard of taxing powers should be transferred to the European Union, consisting of rules fixing the limits of tax incidence and rates, and general and common principles for all Member States. A standard beyond which the States remain free to compete fiscally among themselves, competition which to a certain extent can be considered beneficial, but does not lead to significant distortions of competition, undermining the construction of the Single Market.
Tax harmonisation should be a means and not an end in itself, a means of achieving the truly European integration we are so yearning for and working towards.
Changes in international tax law that have (slowly) been made, as they are being developed and consolidated, will tend to lead to a markedly supranational law. Or at least that is what we hope for. And this is where the European Union will be ready to take a bow as a supranational entity with harmonisation privileges.
We cannot speak of the need for tax harmonisation within the European Union without reflecting on why it has progressed poorly and half-heartedly. In other words, the impediments of the European Union's legislative bodies in what concerns taxation remains mainly due the unanimity rule on tax matters. It is understandable that the States, who have given up the monetary and exchange policy, withdraw into the fiscal sovereignty left open to them, hanging on to the unanimity rule when adopting tax measures, giving them a real right of veto on this matter. Not to mention that they are very cautious in accepting new areas of tax harmonisation or in further developing existing ones.
However, understanding the reasons for this status quo does not mean accepting its damaging consequences, as this implies that tax harmonisation is left basically in the hands of the market due to tax competition, which will lead to a lowering of corporate tax rates without eliminating the differences that are maintained or even increased in each of the increasingly complex national tax systems.
The economic competition among countries should be influenced more by the comparative quality and strength of their infrastructure and the skill of their workforce, rather than its lower tax jurisdictions.
This international agreement is expected to become the basis for creating a real European Union tax law that promotes the elimination of barriers between Member States, while encouraging fair and healthy competition, thus stimulating the consolidation of a true Single Market.
[1] A multinational corporation or multinational enterprise has facilities and other assets in at least one country other than its home country. A multinational company generally has offices and/or factories in different countries and a centralized head office where they coordinate global management. Some authorities consider any company with a foreign branch to be a multinational corporation; others limit the definition to only those companies that derive at least a quarter of their revenues outside of their home country. There are four categories of multinationals: i) A decentralized corporation with a strong presence in its home country; ii) A global, centralized corporation that acquires cost advantage where cheap resources are available; iii) A global company that builds on the parent corporation's research and development (R&D); v) A transnational enterprise that uses all three categories.
[2] https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/system/files/2021-05/communication_on_business_taxation_for_the_21st_century.pdf , page 12
Picture credits: stevepb.
digitalisation of the economyOECDtaxation of large Multinational Enterprises
Work-life balance measures in the EU and the impact of Covid-19 on its progress
Directive 2020/1828: a new era for "European class actions"?


The tiny town with a giant worm!
Even though it's still uncertain, the name Farino possibly comes from Farinole, a town in Haute-Corse (Corsica). It's certain, however, that the first pioneers to settle here were mainly Corse. In particular, they introduced coffee farming, and Jean Mariotti, a Caledonian writer of Corse origin, was born here in 1901.
With 48km², Farino is the smallest town in New Caledonia. It has also been the least inhabited, but the 2014 census let it gain a few notches with its 612 surveyed inhabitants.
Another quirk of the town, which it shares again with its neighbor, Farino completely enclaved and has no access to the sea.
Yet although Farino has no islands, it still has no shortage of ideas to develop rural ecotourism including the famous Festival of the Bancoule Worm.
As part of this development, she could, of course, rely on the growing fame of the Parc des Grandes Fougères. It stretches over three towns (Farino, Moindou and Sarraméa), covering a surface area of more than 4,500 hectares and sheltering exceptional endemic vegetation. Out of the 500 plant species of the park (including the namesake tree ferns and several species of palm), 70% are endemic to the territory!
As a study location for researchers from all over the world, the park is also a haven of peace where thousands of visitors come to recharge. Of course, it's possible to take foot-hikes (with 40km of marked trails) but also footbiking, for instance. Also within the park, you can find the unique Coeur de Farino, a waterhole whose unusual shape attracts the curious in droves!
The curious will try, the queasy will pass, but no one will have no opinion about the Bancoule worm! Organized on the second Sunday of September, the festival of the Bancoule worm is an occasion to try out very local gastronomy! The worms are actually larvae that feed exclusively on the soft, damp wood of the bancoule tree. They can reach 8 cm in length and 2 cm in diameter. Besides the head, it's entirely edible (raw or grilled). During the festival in Farino, a contest is held for whoever can eat the most within a given time. Yum!
What to do in Farino?
Farino market, which takes place on the second Sunday of the month, has also become a popular meeting place for those who love local products such as the coffee Grand Cru Bourbon Pointu!


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newsdesk dot org (https://newsdesk.org/2004/12/06/nymhm_headlines_1/)
NYMHM: Headlines & Undercurrents
By Newsdesk.org Staff | December 6, 2004
A brief survey of recent news stories from major U.S. and global media outlets. Updated each Monday and Friday.
E-mail your article suggestions, or sign in to post comments.
Summary & Quick Links
–Media Critique: Nigeria oil protest coverage
–Environment: Coral bleaching, climate change
–Endangered Grouse Controversy
–Nation: Heartland porn, Constitutional education
–America's Soldiers: Stop-loss lawsuit, Pat Tillman "spin"
–War & Terrorism: Musharraf doubts war, bioterror lab fears
The headline is intriguing, and the story is rich with detail as to the oil production capacity of the oil platforms run by Royal Dutch/Shell and ChevronTexaco.
We learn about the number of barrels produced per day by the platforms (90,000), Nigeria's status as an African oil producer (the leader), the number of barrels of oil it exports daily (2.5 million), and its status as a global exporter (the seventh largest) and as source for the United States ("the fifth biggest").
But why, exactly, did the "hundreds of protesting villagers from Kula community" take over the platform in the first place?
The third paragraph above the article's conclusion mentions their demands for "jobs and other benefits" … but no other detail is provided.
We are left only with speculation as to what motivated local men, women and children to take over high-security industrial facilities in a nation rife with civil conflict.
A greater share of oil revenues for schools, hospitals and roads? Human rights? What about the regional environment? The petroleum business certainly has its share of pollution issues.
The scope of what can be considered newsworthy is peculiarly limited.
"Protesters besiege oil platforms in Nigeria, shut down 90,000 barrels daily production"
Associated Press, December 6, 2004
The temperature surge of 1998 caused widespread "bleaching" of coral reefs around the world. These unique ecosystems are built over the years by the accumulated skeletons of tiny polyps, and host a huge variety of oceanic life. Some reefs have proved resilient, and are even recovering.
But with the global climate only expected to increase, and mounting pressures from developing nations, 70 percent of the world's reefs are now considered threatened.
Most coral reefs under threat, some resilient
Reuters, December 6, 2004
Talks look for new climate effort
It seems unlikely that an endangered species listing for the greater sage grouse will stand in the way of oil and gas development in the vast American plains. Billions of dollars in revenue are at stake, and the fossil fuel industry and local political and business leaders have lobbied hard against the listing.
The greater sage grouse population is now eight percent of what it once was. Its habitat "dwarfs" that of the spotted owl, the endangered predator that nearly shut down old-growth logging in the Pacific Northwest.
Although federal biologists recommended against the listing, the nature of the decision was "political," one conservationist said.
On Sunday, the New York Times ran an article stating that a senior federal official, Julie MacDonald, extensively edited the report on the grouse, often criticizing scientists' findings on grouse biology as "opinion."
Interior official and federal biologists clash on danger to bird
New York Times, December 5, 2004
Biologists: Don't list sage grouse
Casper Star-Tribune, December 4, 2004
Grouse unlikely to find shelter on endangered list
USA Today, December 3, 2004
-=Keyword searches (grouse endangered):
Google News, Yahoo News
With the renewed focus on American morality and "values voters" comes a fascinating article from the Los Angeles Times on the big boom in rural pornography "superstores."
According to one store owner in Iowa: "There's no competition within 40 miles of me. We're doing great."
We're not in G-rated Kansas anymore
Los Angeles Times, December 6, 2004
-=Keyword searches (pornography america):
Also from the LA Times comes an item about Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va), getting a provision inserted into the new Congressional spending bill that would mandate September 17 to be an annual day for learning about the foundation of our democracy — the U.S. Constitution.
Education officials said the measure was intrusive. According to the article, Byrd feels ignorance of the Constitution is rampant, and "lamented in a recent speech that even some of his colleagues in Congress don't know fully what it says. 'An informed public is our best defense against tyranny,' he said."
Mission to mandate teaching of Constitution inserted into bill
-=Keyword searches (constitution education):
Soldiers angry over being barred from leaving Iraq after their enlistments ran out have filed a lawsuit against the Army with support from the left-leaning Center for Constitutional Rights.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post has its own spin on the revelation that NFL star Pat Tillman was killed by "friendly fire." The newspaper says that the Army emphasized Tillman's heroism, but otherwise provided a "distorted and incomplete narrative" about Tillman's death, excluding the fact of the friendly fire, and failing to mention "botched" communications and a "misguided" order to divide the platoon.
Eight soldiers plan to sue over Army's stop-loss policy
Army spun tale around ill-fated mission
Washington Post, December 5, 2004
-=Keyword searches (army stop-loss): Google News, Yahoo News
-=Keyword searches (tillman friendly fire): Google News, Yahoo News
WAR & TERRORISM: Musharraf doubts, bioterror lab fears
While visiting the U.K., Pakistan's president told the BBC that the world is "less safe" as a result of the War on Terror, because it is not addressing "core problems." These include political disputes, poverty and illiteracy.
In America, a related critique is directed at the spread of anti-bioterrorism "hot labs" around the country, so named because they contain dangerous microbes, such as the Ebola virus.
The hot labs are intended to provide better response and defense against terrorist biological agents, but critics say they only increase the risk of accidental release disease into the environment.
Musharraf attacks war on terror
BBC, December 6, 2004
Anti-bioterror labs raise risk to U.S., critics say
Chicago Tribune, December 5, 2004
-=Keyword searches (war on terror): Google News, Yahoo News
-=Keyword searches (bioterror lab): Google News, Yahoo News
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Is The Boeing Company (BA) About to Lose Its C-17 Military Transport Contract?
Published on June 24, 2013 at 8:46 am by The Motley Fool in News
Great news! Wars in the Middle East are winding down. Unfortunately, they're shifting to other parts of Asia. Still, wars mean a need for military equipment, and for defense contractors that means profits — usually, that's accompanied by a boost to stock value. However, for The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)'s C-17 U.S. military transport contract, the shift from the Middle East to other parts of Asia is not proving lucrative. Here's what you need to know.
Source: Matthew Hannen, via Wikimedia Commons.
The money is running dry
Defense spending is being slashed left and right, which means the Pentagon is making hard decisions when it comes to military needs. Currently, there are a number of programs that the Pentagon is unwilling to sacrifice, such as Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)'s F-35 fighter, Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc (NYSE:HII)' CVN-78 aircraft carrier, and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)'s RQ-4 Global Hawk drones — good news for these guys. Then, there are other programs that the Pentagon has deemed less critical. That includes The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)'s C-17 contract.
Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst with the Teal Group, said about the C-17, "The growth drivers are there, but the economic resources are not." The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)'s U.S. military C-17 contract is slated to end in 2014, and while the need for military transports is still there — in fact. it's growing — the money needed for the transports, is not. Consequently, a renewal for the C-17 contract doesn't look promising.
Oversees spending to the rescue?
With U.S. defense spending cuts looking to take a bite out of C-17 profits, oversees spending has become more important. Last week, The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) delivered the first in an order of 10 C-17s, to India — a contract worth a reported $1.78 billion. Additionally, Boeing's vice president of business development for mobility, surveillance, and engagement, Tommy Dunehew, stated that "five to six" new countries have shown interest in purchasing the C-17.
The India deal, and expressed interest from other countries, is great for The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA). However, Boeing rival EADS' Airbus seems to be making progress with its troubled military transport plane, the A400. That could result in more competition for overseas sales.
So far, the A400 is four years behind schedule, and billions over budget because of a number of issues, but according to Airbus' Flight-test engineer, Eric Isorce, those issues have been solved. The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) maintains that it doesn't see the A400 as a competitor, but considering that Airbus already has 170 orders to countries across Europe and plans to "aggressively" market the A400 to the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, as soon as the A400 comes online, Boeing may want to take notice.
Boeing Co (BA)Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII)Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT)Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC)NYSE:BANYSE:HIINYSE:LMTNYSE:NOCOTCBB:EADSY
The Boeing Company (BA): Aircraft Makers Doing Big Business in Paris Time Warner Cable Inc (TWC), The Boeing Company (BA), Oneok Partners LP (OKS... Is The Boeing Company (BA) Really In Rally Mode? The Boeing Company (BA), Mastercard Inc (MA), 3D Systems Corporation (DDD):... NCR Corporation (NCR), The Boeing Company (BA): A Selection of US Industrial... The Boeing Company (BA), Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT): Which Airline Stock...
Published on June 24, 2013 at 8:46 am by Inan Dogan, PhD


That is one dry cigar she's got – guess humidors with humidifiers would be out of the question – you know the best Cuban cigars come from the West end of the island! – Soils best there – sadly since the embargo they've been growing tobacco even in the poor soils on the Central and East parts of the Island and selling them as equal to those grown on the Western end. And I've notice they're not aging them as thoroughly as they did pre-embargo. Guess most don't know the difference in quality b/c they rarely have a "Real Cuban" – - – What's impressing me though is your photo! You've got something Fabe Going! – The colour and compo – that smoke is super! – her hair covering ties it all up with a bow!! – Bewdy Carol!! ~;0) VivaChas!
What a delight to read your comments Chas – always! I bought some cigars to take home for friends – freshly rolled – from Vinales in the West end. I sampled one myself, though I don't smoke, but then cigars aren't inhaled. To my surprise it was really pleasant!
What a great capture Carol, Cuba is on my bucket list of places to go. Fave.
This is such a wonderful image! It is so captivating and fun!


October 18 WARRIOR CONNECTION was one more segment in an ongoing discussion of medical research, toxic exposures, and medical care.
Warrior Connection covered medical research programs needing vets.
At least 1 in 4 of the 700,000 U.S. Veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War Illness (GWI). Despite considerable research, effective treatments remain elusive. GWI refers to a complex of symptoms that typically include widespread chronic pain, persistent headache, memory and concentration problems, gastrointestinal difficulties, sleep disturbances and unexplained fatigue. These symptoms are similar to that of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), another multi-symptom condition. Whereas, effective treatments for GWI have yet to be found, the FDA has approved duloxetine and pregabalin for the treatment of FMS. The lack of progress in finding effective treatments for GWI, and the similarities between GWI and FMS, provides a rationale for determining if these medications can provide relief to Veterans who suffer from GWI. This randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy of Duloxetine and Pregabalin for treating Gulf War Veterans who suffer from GWI.
At least 1 in 4 of the 700,000 U.S. Veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War Illness (GWI). Despite considerable research, effective treatments remain elusive. GWI refers to a complex of symptoms that typically include widespread chronic pain, persistent headache, memory and concentration problems, gastrointestinal difficulties, sleep disturbances and unexplained fatigue. This symptom profile is similar to that of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a multi-symptom condition similar to GWI. Whereas, effective treatments for GWI have yet to be found, progress has been made in identifying medications to treat FMS. For example, the FDA has approved a number of medications including Duloxetine and Pregabalin for the treatment of FMS. Compared to placebo (PBO) Duloxetine (a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) and Pregabalin (an alpha-2-alpha-subunit calcium-channel ligand) significantly improved pain responses and fatigue. The capacity of Duloxetine to increase central levels of serotonin and norepinephrine as well as the more complex alterations of neurotransmitters and CNS mediators of pain attributed to pregabalin are thought to be responsible for the medication's effects on pain, mood and sleep. Clinical practice and one open-label trial support the use of these medications in combination to achieve optimal symptom improvement amongst GWI sufferers; however, such combinations have not been formally tested in randomized controlled trials. The lack of progress in finding effective treatments for GWI, and the similarities between GWI and FMS, provides a rationale for determining if these FDA approved medications can provide significant symptomatic relief to Veterans who suffer from GWI. Central Texas is home to one of the highest number of Gulf War Veterans in the nation, thus our research team is ideally situated to conduct the proposed study. In a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, 180 Veterans who meet defining criteria for GWI and whose symptom profile includes chronic widespread pain and sleep disturbances will be treated with one of the following medications; 1) AM Duloxetine+ PM placebo (PBO); 2) PM Pregabalin + AM PBO or 3) AM PBO + PM PBO. All active treatments will titrate from a lower dose in 2-week increments to the full therapeutic doses (FDA-approved for FMS). The outcome of the PBO double-dummy period will be compared statistically with 18 weeks of active therapy (weeks 5-22).
Ok Georgetown study will be recruiting soon in DC.....this is the study to get FMRI-DT done like his previous study where we had 31 gulf war vets that showed abnormality in white brain matter. If you definitely want to do this they have started taking your names, contact phone number and email address. You can call them to get on the list ...call 202-687-8231. They will call you when they start precscreening by phone. You can also email them at GWIRESEARCH@GEORGETOWN.EDU give them your name, that gulf war deployed and contact info re your phone number and email address.
The consortium first study that involves Boston, Dr Klimas Florida, and Australian university and in a year Texas will start....contact Joanna Cirillo at 617-638-5834. Or GWIC@bu.edu. It takes like from 9am to 2 pm.....you get blood drawn(which goes to Dr Klimas in fld) your sputum ie spit is sent to Australia and you get an hour of scans they do like 10 scans. They also do basic physical re checking BP, P, weight, fibromyalgia, etc...and neuro cognitive testing. We need a total of 300 thru this study, Boston hopes to get 175. So we need those that served in first gulf war in theater!
Warrior Connection had a discussion on adverse health effects of illegal street drugs and alcohol on our body and mind. Specifically on the growing use of mary jane / dope to try and treat ptsd and other neuromuscular afflictions. . These all only complicate life and do nothing to improve quality of life but only numb the senses and have long term health effects. The key is not in drugs or booze but taking control of your life as in attached brochure in concert with wholelistic medical approaches.
PLEASE REMEMBER IF YOU COME UP HOT ON PISS / DRUG TEST YOUR VA AND CIVILIAN PHYSICIAN IS OBLIGATED TO STOP YOUR PRESCRIBED PRESCRIPTIONS AS HE/ SHE SHOULD BECAUSE OF DEADLY INTERACTIONS.


In other election news, the chairman of the Union of Right-Wing Parties, Rabbi Rafi Peretz, met with the heads of the haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, to discuss the possibility of cooperating together in coalition negotiations.
Rabbi Peretz, in coordination with MK Betzalel Smotrich, suggested to the heads of the parties – Yaakov Litzman, Moshe Gafni and Aryeh Deri – to insist on coalition negotiations on matters that are important to both the haredi and national-religious public.
The right-wing coalition believes that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will have to comply with the demands presented by UTJ, Shas and the Union of Right-Wing Parties, such as canceling the Western Wall agreement and preventing public work on Shabbat.
Litzman, Gafni and Deri are examining Rabbi Peretz's proposal. It should be noted that the coalition negotiations for forming the government will begin next week after President Reuven Rivlin meets with representatives of the factions and is expected to task Netanyahu with forming the government.
The Central Elections Committee chairman, Judge Hanan Meltzer, promised on Thursday evening that the results of the elections for the 21st Knesset will be published by Thursday night at midnight.


A genre, originally evolved from poetry (text-sound or phonetic poetry) involving works that are to be heard in the first instance, not read. Artists involved in this genre have come from the worlds of poetry, fine arts, performance (live) art and music. A number of electroacoustic works in which the voice is the only or key sound source belong to this category.


text:
Q: joins in mysql5 I've seen people writing the following query
SELECT column_name(s)
FROM table_name1
LEFT JOIN table_name2
ON table_name1.column_name=table_name2.column_name

written like this
SELECT column_name(s)
FROM table_name1
LEFT JOIN table_name2
ON table_name2.column_name =table_name1.column_name

does it actually make any difference?

A: There is no difference.
table_name1.column_name=table_name2.column_name

and
table_name2.column_name=table_name1.column_name

have the same meaning.
The 'left' part of the join is referring the the tables and not to the comparison -- I guess that was your implicit question?

A: Not under normal circumstances, no.  It's imaginable that there could be some sufficiently complex query, much more complex than your examples, where the join optimizer would be so overwhelmed that this could matter, but if that's even possible you'd have to work pretty hard.
You can write both of those as USING (column_name), by the way. :)
I'd also recommend, for purposes of DIY analysis of issues like this, that you familiarize yourself with EXPLAIN.

A: It's likely to be a matter of personal taste; I happen to write joins like your second example but couldn't say I'm 100% consistent in doing it.
Also, back in the Bad Old Days when the query optimizers weren't as smart as they are now, you could find that re-ordering the operands in a join expression or WHERE clause could make a big difference; i.e., the optimizer would use an index if the operands were ordered one way but not when they were reversed.
I think I'm having an Oracle 7 flasback. Gotta lie down...


Another round of games to predict this weekend.
Remember not only do you have to guess win/draw but also the margin of victory.
If you have not already joined, then its never too late as only the round of games has been played, and there is a lot of games yet to be played. See earlier news items on how to register.
Otherwise, make your own predicitons and see how you get on against our experts.
Remember bonus points for correctly predicting a draw, but have you the sliotars for go for one!


text:
Lil Nas X Ties Billboard Record Set by Mariah, 'Despacito'
"Old Town Road" logs its 16th week at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart this week, matching the success that Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" achieved in 1995-1996
By Mesfin Fekadu	• Published at 10:19 am on July 23, 2019
Lil Nas X has taken his horse to the old town road and ridden it to the top of the Billboard charts for 16 weeks, tying a record set by Mariah Carey and Luis Fonsi.
"Old Town Road" logs its 16th week at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart this week, matching the success that Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" achieved in 1995-1996. Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber's "Despacito" accomplished the feat in 2017.
No song has spent more than 16 weeks at No. 1 on the all-genre Hot 100 chart in the 61-year history of the Billboard charts.
The country-rap "Old Town Road" was originally a solo song, but 20-year-old Lil Nas X added Billy Ray Cyrus to the track and it topped the charts, achieving most of its success through audio streaming.
Lil Nas X is looking forward to setting a new Billboard record next week. He posted a video Monday on social media of the "SpongeBob SquarePants" character Squidward Tentacles saying, "Please stream 'Old Town Road.'"
"Me on the internet this whole week tryna break the billboard record," he wrote in the caption.
"Old Town Road" initially was in a bit of controversy in March when Billboard removed it from its country charts, deeming it not country enough (it peaked at No. 19 on the country charts). But the drama didn't hurt the song; it only propelled it.
"This song has been a uniter not a divider," Cyrus said in a statement Monday. "I'm giving God the glory now for allowing me the gift to be part of such a special song. It's a unique moment in time where people from all over the world and all walks of life find they have more in common than they do different. It's a moment we've all shared and I'm grateful for it."
"Old Town Road" appears on Lil Nas X's debut EP "7," which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's 200 albums chart earlier this month. The EP also features the Top 40 hits "Panini" and "Rodeo" with Cardi B.
"Old Town Road" is also spending its 16th week on top of both the R&B/Hip-Hop and rap songs charts. The song has several versions, including remixes featuring Diplo, Young Thug and Mason Ramsey; Billboard counts the original song and its remix versions as one when calculating chart position, thus helping "Old Town Road" stay on top.
A number of songs have debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart, unable to push "Old Town Road" out of its top position, including two tunes from Taylor Swift ("You Need to Calm Down," ''ME!"); Ed Sheeran and Bieber's "I Don't Care"; and two songs from Shawn Mendes ("If I Can't Have You," ''Senorita" with Camila Cabello).
Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" stopped "Despacito" from reaching a 17th week at No. 1 when the pop smash jumped from No. 77 to No. 1 in 2017. Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" ended Carey and Boyz II Men's epic run in 1996.


text:
using namespace v8;

Persistent<String>   EmiConnection::channelQualifierSymbol;
Persistent<String>   EmiConnection::prioritySymbol;
Persistent<Function> EmiConnection::constructor;

EmiConnection::EmiConnection(EmiSocket& es, const ECP& params) :
_es(es), _conn(EmiConnDelegate(*this), es.getSock().config, params) {};

EmiConnection::~EmiConnection() {
    _jsHandle.Dispose();
}

void EmiConnection::Init(Handle<Object> target) {
    // Load symbols
#define X(sym) sym##Symbol = Persistent<String>::New(String::NewSymbol(#sym));
    X(channelQualifier);
    X(priority);
#undef X

    // Prepare constructor template
    Local<FunctionTemplate> tpl = FunctionTemplate::New(New);
    tpl->SetClassName(String::NewSymbol("EmiConnection"));
    tpl->InstanceTemplate()->SetInternalFieldCount(1);

  // Prototype
#define X(sym, name)                                        \
  tpl->PrototypeTemplate()->Set(String::NewSymbol(name),    \
      FunctionTemplate::New(sym)->GetFunction());
    X(Close,                      "close");
    X(ForceClose,                 "forceClose");
    X(CloseOrForceClose,          "closeOrForceClose");
    X(Send,                       "send");
    X(HasIssuedConnectionWarning, "hasIssuedConnectionWarning");
    X(GetSocket,                  "getSocket");
    X(GetAddressType,             "getAddressType");
    X(GetLocalPort,               "getLocalPort");
    X(GetLocalAddress,            "getLocalAddress");
    X(GetRemotePort,              "getRemotePort");
    X(GetRemoteAddress,           "getRemoteAddress");
    X(GetInboundPort,             "getInboundPort");
    X(IsOpen,                     "isOpen");
    X(IsOpening,                  "isOpening");
    X(GetP2PState,                "getP2PState");
#undef X

    constructor = Persistent<Function>::New(tpl->GetFunction());
}

Handle<Object> EmiConnection::NewInstance(EmiSocket& es,
                                          const ECP& params) {
    HandleScope scope;

    const unsigned argc = 1;
    Handle<Value> argv[argc] = {
        EmiConnectionParams::NewInstance(es, params)
    };
    Local<Object> instance = constructor->NewInstance(argc, argv);

    return scope.Close(instance);
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::New(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_NUM_ARGS(1, args);

    EmiConnectionParams *ecp =
    (EmiConnectionParams *)args[0]->ToObject()->GetPointerFromInternalField(0);

    EmiConnection *ec = new EmiConnection(ecp->es,
                                          ecp->params);

    delete ecp;

    ec->Wrap(args.This());

    // This prevents V8's GC to reclaim the EmiConnection before it's closed
    // The corresponding Unref is in EmiConnDelegate::invalidate
    ec->Ref();

    return args.This();
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::Close(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    EmiError err;
    if (!ec->_conn.close(EmiNodeUtil::now(), err)) {
        return err.raise("Failed to close connection");
    }

    return scope.Close(Undefined());
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::ForceClose(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    ec->_conn.forceClose();

    return scope.Close(Undefined());
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::CloseOrForceClose(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    EmiError err;
    if (!ec->_conn.close(EmiNodeUtil::now(), err)) {
        ec->_conn.forceClose();
    }

    return scope.Close(Undefined());
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::Send(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    /// Basic argument checks

    size_t numArgs = args.Length();
    if (!(1 == numArgs || 2 == numArgs)) {
        THROW_TYPE_ERROR("Wrong number of arguments");
    }

    if (!args[0]->IsObject() || (2 == numArgs && !args[1]->IsObject())) {
        THROW_TYPE_ERROR("Wrong arguments");
    }

    /// Extract arguments

    EmiChannelQualifier channelQualifier = EMI_CHANNEL_QUALIFIER_DEFAULT;
    EmiPriority priority = EMI_PRIORITY_DEFAULT;

    if (2 == numArgs) {
        Local<Object> opts(args[1]->ToObject());
        Local<Value>   cqv(opts->Get(channelQualifierSymbol));
        Local<Value>    pv(opts->Get(prioritySymbol));

        if (!cqv.IsEmpty() && !cqv->IsUndefined()) {
            if (!cqv->IsNumber()) {
                THROW_TYPE_ERROR("Wrong channel quality argument");
            }

            channelQualifier = (EmiChannelQualifier) cqv->Uint32Value();
        }

        if (!pv.IsEmpty() && !pv->IsUndefined()) {
            if (!pv->IsNumber()) {
                THROW_TYPE_ERROR("Wrong priority argument");
            }

            priority = (EmiPriority) pv->Uint32Value();
        }
    }

    // Do the actual send

    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    EmiError err;
    if (!ec->_conn.send(EmiNodeUtil::now(),
                        Persistent<Object>::New(args[0]->ToObject()),
                        channelQualifier,
                        priority,
                        err)) {
        return err.raise("Failed to send message");
    }

    return scope.Close(Undefined());
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::HasIssuedConnectionWarning(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    return scope.Close(Boolean::New(ec->_conn.issuedConnectionWarning()));
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::GetSocket(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    return scope.Close(ec->_es.getJsHandle());
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::GetAddressType(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    const char *type;

    // We use getRemoteAddress, because it is valid even before we
    // have received the first packet from the other host, unlike
    // getLocalAddress.
    const struct sockaddr_storage& addr(ec->_conn.getRemoteAddress());
    if (AF_INET == addr.ss_family) {
        type = "udp4";
    }
    else if (AF_INET6 == addr.ss_family) {
        type = "udp6";
    }
    else {
        ASSERT(0 && "unexpected address family");
    }

    return scope.Close(String::New(type));
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::GetLocalPort(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    return scope.Close(Number::New(EmiNetUtil::addrPortH(ec->_conn.getLocalAddress())));
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::GetLocalAddress(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    char buf[256];
    EmiNodeUtil::ipName(buf, sizeof(buf), ec->_conn.getLocalAddress());
    return scope.Close(String::New(buf));
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::GetRemotePort(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    return scope.Close(Number::New(EmiNetUtil::addrPortH(ec->_conn.getRemoteAddress())));
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::GetRemoteAddress(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    char buf[256];
    EmiNodeUtil::ipName(buf, sizeof(buf), ec->_conn.getRemoteAddress());
    return scope.Close(String::New(buf));
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::GetInboundPort(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    return scope.Close(Number::New(ec->_conn.getInboundPort()));
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::IsOpen(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    return scope.Close(Boolean::New(ec->_conn.isOpen()));
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::IsOpening(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    return scope.Close(Boolean::New(ec->_conn.isOpening()));
}

Handle<Value> EmiConnection::GetP2PState(const Arguments& args) {
    HandleScope scope;

    ENSURE_ZERO_ARGS(args);
    UNWRAP(EmiConnection, ec, args);

    return scope.Close(Integer::New(ec->_conn.getP2PState()));
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Sarah McLachlan and the Happy Lesbian Montrealers
kung_fu_lola August 17, 2004, 6:35pm #1
Sarah McLachlan played the first Canadian date of her Afterglow tour in Montreal last night. Kung fu Wifey and I had so-so seats. We weren't in the nosebleeds, but we weren't in the pit, either. We thoroughly enjoyed the opening act, Butterfly Boucher, who is from Australia, and is awesome. We had a clear view of her bouncing around and jumping with her guitar, but not much more than that.
There was an intermission after her act, while Butterfly went out into the corridor behind us and signed copies of her CD. Amber and I snuggled down together in anticipation of a great show, which we expected to mostly watch on the screens.
But it was not to be.
A young guy with big hands, frosted tips and a black Hurley hoodie approached our seats and politely introduced himself as someone who worked for Sarah. Sure enough, there was a green and orange pass hanging around his neck. He asked us if we were big Sarah fans. Uh, only since junior high! He asked us the titles of her new album and single. Good thing Amber answered correctly, because I was stunned by the whole thing and also high on cold medicine.
Hurley escorted us to the front row, centre, explaining that these seats are always reserved for "Really big fans" and that we looked the part. When we were all settled in, he withdrew and we didn't see him again, but I wish we had, because I would have wanted to thank him.
Amber and I almost exploded waiting for the show to start. When Sarah came out, we were staring right at her. She smiled at us when I put my head on Amber's shoulder, and she made eye contact with me while I was shaking my booty during "World On Fire". Ash smiled at us a few times when he came out from behind his drum kit to sing backup.
I flirted with the adorable second guitarist because he wasn't getting as much attention as the lead guitarist. I blew him kisses and winked at him. It paid off in the end because when I wanted to dance and Amber was too shy and was resisting my efforts to pull her up, he saw and motioned for her to get up! That convinced her.
I never wanted to leave. I wanted Sarah to play every single one of her songs. Amber and I are framing our "Invitation Only" tickets, so that we never forget that sometimes, when you're resigned to what you have, something better just might come along.
ShibbOleth August 17, 2004, 6:41pm #2
Wow, what an incredibly cool thing for her to do!
FriarTed August 17, 2004, 7:50pm #3
I love Sarah's music, but you never said anything about what the HLM played!
OHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Congrats! That's a story for the Grandkids!
the_Lady August 17, 2004, 8:03pm #4
What an awesome thing! Glad you enjoyed it
MaxTheVool August 17, 2004, 8:11pm #5
[Ross from Friends]
Every day is Lesbian Lover Day!
[/Ross from Friends]
Wow! It's like a Cinderella story, only, you know, with lesbians. Cool!
MaxTheVool:
That is so true. For us, anyway.
BytopianDream August 17, 2004, 9:53pm #8
I'm so damn jealous. I've never been able to see her live.
You suck!
I'm glad you had a good time.
But you still suck!
(Personal Favorite Sarah Story)
She was on some show talking about her marriage and said, "I can't going around shagging random guys at shows."
And I screamed at the TV, "YEAH YOU CAN!! We don't mind!"
Well, I got to see Tori on the 8th row.
And, Garbage on the 6th. So there!
interface2x August 17, 2004, 10:44pm #9
Very cool … do you know what songs she played?
I have to admit I was very letdown by the most recent album … I've tried, but I can't get into it. All seems kinda bland. Maybe it's because "Surfacing" was fantastic, so I had the bar set too high.
Um, okay, well this will mostly be from memory, but I remember most vividly:
Building a Mystery
I Will Remember You
Encores:
Second Encore:
Dirty Little Secret
Muad_Dib August 18, 2004, 6:21am #11
I can only wonder what it is about you that looked like "big fans".
Jealous Sarah fanboy hoping for something to emulate… That, ya know, doesn't involve him becoming a lesbian.
kung_fu_lola August 18, 2004, 6:18pm #12
It was probably the sparkly scarf I was wearing as a babushka. My advice: Wear something hemp and a Sarah t-shirt. Grow a little stubble. Maybe some dredlocks. Look "sensitive".
Ethilrist August 18, 2004, 8:05pm #13
kung fu lola:
umm, where? anyplace in particular? :dubious:
Gatopescado August 18, 2004, 9:19pm #14
I'm pretty sure lesbians have more fun than I do most of the time.
msmith537 August 18, 2004, 9:22pm #15
BytopianDream:
Ahh…reminds me of an argument my brother and I had back when we were home from college (picture two typical baseball cap J Crew wearing frat guys):
Brother (looking through my CDs) - "Sarah McLachlan!?..you're such a homo"
Me - "whatever…your freakin Tori Amos CD is gayer than Sarah McLachlan."
Brother - "bullshit dude…that shit's way gayer than Tori Amos."
Me - "yeah right…so are you borrowing it or what?"
Brother - "sure…whatever"
Hey just because every other word I utter is "fuck" or "biatches" doesn't mean I can't appreciate a variety of music.
dangermom August 18, 2004, 11:32pm #16
Hey, we went and saw her a few weeks back, at the start of the tour. Absolutely freaking awesome show, it was.
My youngest BIL called up the next morning to gloat about being in the front row (fan club tickets), but I can still make him mad with my story of seeing her in '92 in a bar, lame fake ID and all, in San Francisco and meeting her afterwards.
silenus August 19, 2004, 1:47am #17
Sarah does put on a mighty fine show. The wife and I caught her in Vegas about a month ago. It was fun watching the "Young Punk Dragged to the Concert By His Girlfriend" sitting next to us really get into the music after about 4 songs.
The set list sounds right.


text:
LA Lakers 39 38 33 26 136
Portland 34 28 31 20 113
7:30 PM PT8:30 PM MT9:30 PM CT10:30 PM ET3:30 GMT11:30 8:30 PM MST10:30 PM EST7:30 UAE (+1)04:3022:30 ET9:30 PM CT1:30 , December 6, 2019
Moda Center at the Rose Quarter, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 19,912
Blazers' McCollum out to ride hot hand against Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are 42-14 (.750) at home against the Lakers since the start of the 1990-91 season, the best record by any team when hosting the Lakers over that span.
The Lakers are 10-0 in 10 games away from Staples Center this year (they did lose a "road" game against the Clippers at Staples). They're the third team since the NBA-ABA merger to win their first 10 games outside of their home arena, along with the 2015-16 Warriors (14) and 2016-17 Spurs (13).
The Lakers are averaging 7.36 blocks per game this season to just 3.32 for their opponents. Their blocks per game differential of +4.05 would be the best by any team since blocks became an official stat in 1973-74.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James have scored 20+ points in the same game 14 times this season, most in the NBA. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have done so 11 times, tied for second in the NBA with Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
Hassan Whiteside has pulled down at least a dozen rebounds in six straight games, the second-longest streak by any Blazers player in the last 30 years behind LaMarcus Aldridge's seven-game streak in January 2014.
Damian Lillard is working on a third straight season averaging 25.0+ points per game while shooting at least 90.0 percent from the line. He would be the first player in NBA history to average 25.0+ points per game on 90.0+ percent free-throw shooting in three consecutive seasons.
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
The Portland Trail Blazers are enjoying their best stretch of the season and the play of shooting guard CJ McCollum has been a prime reason for the success.
McCollum will look to help Portland record its fifth victory in its past six games when it hosts the scorching-hot Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
McCollum has matched a career best by scoring 20 or more points in 10 straight games. He was exceptionally on the mark when he scored 33 points on 14-of-22 shooting -- including 5 of 10 from 3-point range -- in Wednesday's 127-116 home win over the Sacramento Kings.
McCollum also had a career-high four blocked shots as well as four rebounds and four assists in a solid all-around effort.
"I work extremely hard on my craft every day," McCollum said of his 20-point streak during a postgame television interview. "Taking care of my body and getting my sleep, nutrition, massages and rest. I'm not surprised. The staff does a great job of helping me out and putting me in position to succeed and I just go do the rest."
McCollum has made at least 50 percent of his shots in eight of 10 games during the streak and nine of his last 12 overall.
That's a major change from the first 12 games when he shot exactly 50 percent once and was below the mark in the other 11. McCollum suffered through a 4-of-19 effort against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 8 while scoring a season-low eight points and also endured a 5-of-18 contest while tallying 12 versus the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 23.
But McCollum said the slow start didn't faze him even if there were plenty of critics delivering venom over his performances.
"I know who I am as a basketball player. I know what I'm capable of doing," McCollum told reporters. "My body of work proves itself, it shows who I am as a basketball player. So if I have two or three poor games, poor shooting nights, I don't get discouraged because it's an 82-game season."
The Lakers have been viewing each outing as a one-game season and the formula is working well as the club's 19-3 record is tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the best in the NBA.
Los Angeles is looking to finish off a three-game road sweep that includes impressive victories over the Nuggets (105-96) and Utah Jazz (121-96). Wednesday's win over the Jazz ended the team's eight-game skid in Utah.
The triumph included a 32-5 edge in fast-break points as the Lakers forced 20 turnovers.
"We've got a good team," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said afterward. "We have high aspirations. We're trying to keep a game-to-game, stay-in-the-moment focus throughout the year."
While Anthony Davis scored 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting and fellow star LeBron James had 20 points and 12 assists, the defense fueled the victory with 13 steals and 12 blocked shots.
Forward Kyle Kuzma had four steals and three blocks while Davis and reserve center Dwight Howard each had three rejections.
Howard, a former star, is one of the players accepting a smaller role than which they are accustomed, but he is bullish about the club's potential.
"We can accomplish anything we want if we keep our minds on the prize which is the championship," Howard said after the rout of Utah. "Every night we step on the floor we want to have fun but we have to keep in mind that we're trying to win a championship. We have to have that mentality every time we make a play. Defense, offense, on the bench. Championship mentality."
Point guard Rajon Rondo, another veteran accepting a minor role, scored 14 points and registered season bests of 12 assists and nine rebounds versus the Jazz.
Los Angeles will be looking to deal with Portland's suddenly balanced attack. Forward Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points against Sacramento for his third 20-point effort in eight games since joining the team.
Star point guard Damian Lillard recorded 24 points and 10 assists while center Hassan Whiteside contributed a career-high seven assists to go with 22 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots.
The Lakers won two of last season's final three meetings after Portland prevailed in the previous 15 series matchups.


My first try of Tartine Double Fermented Rye Porridge Bread from Chad Robertson's Tartine Book No.3, with increased leaven (30%) and walnut oil. I changed the ratio of the flours to 70% bread/AP flour and 30% high-extraction flour.
I pre-fermented cracked rye berries overnight, soaking them in the water and 1/2 tsp leaven, then cooked them in the next morning, to make rye porridge. I cooked rye porridge longer than it was supposed to, to evaporate the extra moisture as much as possible while keeping it moist enough. The rye porridge tasted good itself, just with a small amount of salt.
I cooked rye porridge longer than suggested, so the moisture in the porridge could evaporate as much as possible without drying out. I added the cooked rye porridge at the end of the final mix, 10 minutes after I finished to mix the leaven and the salt.
Mixing rye porridge thoroughly into the dough was hard, and it took a while to mix them evenly. I felt that I gave the dough a lot of kneading at this point, so I reduced the amount of stretching and folding during the bulk rise from 6 to 4 times.
Bulk rise was 4.5 hours at 77F until the dough rose to 20%. I folded 4 times in every 25 minutes during the initial hours of bulk rise, and let the dough untouched for the rest of the hours.
Final rise was 6.5 hours overnight at 38F in the fridge.
I baked the loaf with the lid for 20 minutes at 500F, then reduced the heat and baked at 450F for 10 more minutes, then 25 more minutes at 450F without the lid.
The oven spring was great, perhaps since it contained 70% while flour (the original recipe called for 50% white flour).
I waited to slice the loaf for 24 hours after baking, since some bakers recommended that online. The crust was very thin and crisp, and the crumb was moist, soft and fluffy with nice open holes, not gummy or dense at all.
It was almost impossible to find the presence of rye porridge in the crumb (or a hint of walnut oil), since all the flavors and textures were nicely melded into one soft crumb. But rye flavor from the porridge was certainly there, although it was not too overwhelming. Rye porridge consisted 1/3 of the loaf, well hidden in the white-bread-like soft airy crumb. The texture of the crumb was amazing, so soft and moist.
I had a toasted slice with a little bit of butter on it. The contrast between the thin crisp crust and the soft moist crumb was really nice, different from any other kind of breads I ever had before. It was like a soft/moist easy-to-digetst sandwich bread fully packed with complex flavors of the whole grains. Chad Robertson certainly created an ideal bread that incorporated both great advantages of the texture of white bread and the taste/flavor of whole grain bread into one amazing loaf.


Please review the meeting room policies and regulations before reserving a meeting room.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library provides meeting space to some groups depending on the purpose of the meeting.
To reserve a room at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center, visit the ImaginOn website. The Myers Park Library does not offer conference rooms.
For Profit Organizations that are contracted by government agencies will need to pay the room rental fees at the For Profit pricing. Need a sample of the type of documentation we need? See here.
Please contact Imaginon directly to schedule a room.
This branch does not have conference rooms.
48 hour cancellation notice is required in order to receive a refund. Refunds will be issued by check and mailed from the Library's Business Office. Allow at least 2 weeks for processing. No-shows are not eligible for a refund.


If you run your own small venture without much IT support, it can be easy to ignore online risks to your business. But we can all take some basic steps to protect our work online.
Government-supported organisation Get Safe Online has produced a free guide for small businesses called What You Need to Know About Cyber Security. It goes through understanding and managing the risks, and has checklists for planning, monitoring and reviewing your online security measures. Whether you're a freelancer or run your own small business, the report has plenty of useful ideas to get you started. It also includes plenty of links to other sources of help and information.


text:
Merete Riisager Andersen (born 1 March 1976) is a Danish politician who represents the Liberal Alliance. From 28 November 2016 to 27 June 2019, she was Education Minister of Denmark, replacing Ellen Trane Nørby.

Born in Aarhus, Riisager graduated from the University of Copenhagen with a master's degree in pedagogy in 2003. She has worked in the field of learning in a number of companies, including LEGO, before she was elected to the Folketing (the Danish parliament) in 2011 for the Liberal Alliance. Between 2006 and 2010, Riisager was a candidate to the Folketing for the Danish Social Liberal Party in Odense.

References

External links

1976 births
Living people
Education ministers of Denmark
Liberal Alliance (Denmark) politicians
People from Aarhus
University of Copenhagen alumni
Women government ministers of Denmark
Women members of the Folketing
Members of the Folketing 2011–2015
21st-century Danish women politicians
Members of the Folketing 2015–2019
20th-century Danish women

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Celebrate the romantic Cushion Cut shape with the 'Liesel Cushion' Moissanite engagement ring! The crossover gallery and semi-rounded band compliment the soft curves of the SUPERNOVA Moissanite centre stone creating a delicate, feminine feel. This enchanting solitaire engagement ring can be crafted in your choice of 9K White, Yellow or Rose gold and paired with a number of different wedding bands for a completely personalised look. For more designs from the 'Leisel Collection' view the 'Leisel Round' and 'Leisel Oval' rings.


As Active April comes to an end, the days are getting shorter and the mornings frostier, you may notice your motivation again start to fade... just like your summer tan. One of the best ways to stay motivated to exercise is to set yourself short-term and long-term goals so you can measure your progress and celebrate milestones. Realistic goal-setting can be a challenge in itself, but we are here to help with your Personal Success Plan, a complimentary program and support as part of all Health & Wellness memberships.
How does the Personal Success Plan work? The PSP consists of three appointments over 12 weeks with one of our qualified trainers.
Planning Session (Week 1): In the planning session, your trainer helps you define your goals and takes baseline measurements to develop a plan specific to you. Your trainer guides you through your personalised plan, demonstrating the technique and benefits of each exercise.
Program Check (Week 4): Here to keep you on track, this appointment with a personal trainer helps you consolidate your program and technique, so you feel confident and motivated.
Program Review (Week 12 and ongoing): Without change, your results can plateau, and you can lose motivation. So we re-measure, re-test, evaluate your goals, and tweak or change your program to keep you heading in the right direction.
The PSP is perfect for all members and all experience levels – whether you are new to the gym or have been training for years. By refreshing your program every 12 weeks, you are given incremental challenges that support continued results.
As a member, you'll also have access to ongoing health club appointments throughout the life of your membership. So what are you waiting for? Book your PSP at reception next time you're in the centre!


Whether it's the empty chair at the dinner table at home or the fear of what might happen abroad, children are greatly affected when a parent is called to military duty. More than two million children in the United State have had a parent deployed to active military duty since the start of the Global War on Terrorism, many serving multiple consecutive tours – unprecedented in the U.S. military. These children and their families are struggling with the sadness, loss, and fear that military families too often face alone.
Research has shown that animal-assisted therapy is a powerful tool for bringing relief to children and families experiencing these symptoms. American Humane has been a leader in providing this innovative therapy for children with cancer, the elderly, and returning veterans coping with PTS.
Since 2011, American Humane has partnered with the National Military Family Association to provide warm, playful and loving therapy dogs (and even therapy llamas, mules, miniature horses and more) for their Operation Purple camps and family retreats. With a helping paw, a shoulder to cry on, or just a wagging tail, these animals help to provide comfort for these children in uncertain times. Our experience has shown that children open up to therapy animals in ways they cannot—or maybe will not—with humans about the fear and anxiety they're facing.
Each visit made by our teams of animal-assisted therapy handlers creates positive lifetime memories for these children who are bravely dealing with the absence of their heroic parents. We have already helped thousands of children and families but need more funding so we can be there for all of America's bravest families when they need us most.


The day started across Honduras with news that President Mel Zelaya was arrested in his home by armed soldiers. A referendum vote was scheduled for the same day, which was one that was opposed by the Supreme Court, the Armed Forces and the Honduran legislature. Days earlier, Zelaya had removed the head of the Armed Forces, General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, which was followed by the resignation by other top military officials because they would not support the vote.
It was soon learned that Zelaya had been taken to Costa Rica, where he continued to call himself as the legal head of state. There was also a rumor that Zelaya had resigned. However, the alleged letter turned out to be false notes Juan Carlos Rivera of Miradas de Halcón [es]. The reaction from the blogosphere and twittosphere ranged from calling the situation a coup d'état to those who saw the move as the only way to stop Zelaya's controversial move.
There have been power outages in the capital city, as reported by Honduras Daily News, which speculates that it is an "attempt to limit the passing of information." However, information is currently being passed through social networking sites like Twitter and Blipea, which were very active throughout the day.
Manuel Zelaya was arrested and subjected to brute force by a criminal element that has enslaved the Honduran people, in order to prevent the people from obtaining power for the sake of inclusion and the construction of their homeland, those responsible for such a disgraceful act are well-known and they will pay for their abuses.
It is time to search by other means, those things which we are denied through peaceful means, and those responsible for their acts of treason will be judged.
Later in the day, Congress voted to remove Zelaya as president and installed Roberto Micheletti, who had been president of the legislative body. Soon after, he announced that new elections would be held as scheduled in November. However, the installation of Micheletti as acting president has drawn the criticism from many of Honduras' closest allies, especially from Venezuela, who has threatened military action if any of its diplomats in Honduras are kidnapped or killed. In addition, President Hugo Chávez has said that the new government led by Micheletti would be defeated.
Some twitterers like Hugo Chinchilla is worried about the statements made by Chávez and take it as a sign that there may be involvement from these allies. He was told "unofficially" that the military is preparing for a possible intervention by Venezuelan and Nicaraguan troops [es].
In #honduras there was no coup d'etat, the rule of law continues, the Constitution remains in effect.
Give back Mel! We are looking like a backward (country) in front of the eyes of the world.
You should add that all the Latin American Presidents from Uribe to Calderon support President Zelaya and the Organization of American States rejected the situation and called to reinstall the elected President. Also the European Union rejected the situation. The army injured diplomats and now restricted freedoms for 48 hours.
•That the honduran people has resisted stoically for over 3 years the governo of an individual that changed its mind at every tip creating confrontation between the institutions of the state.
•That the honduran people had as president someone who considered Honduras as his particular state.
•That his continued reject of the law has been the custom and not the exception.
•That his intention its and have been to seek indefinite reelection trying to becoming a Chavez line dictator.
•That the venerable Army of the Republic of Honduras did only the will of the law by removing Manuel Zelaya Rosales from the presidency.
•That Honduras is only in a process of transition of powers as is written in the constitution of our Republic.
Please help us to change the denomination that the international news networs give to this situation naming it a "Coup of Etat" when what is really going is a peaceful transition of power as is written by law and that will avoid Honduras to become another Chavez Filial.
why does Obama and Clinton not support the Honduran peoples will to oust a president that seeks to change Honduran law that supports term limets, just as the U.S.A.
The courts and the congress of Honduras called for Zelaya's removal from office to restore democracy. Is that not what is in America's, and all peoples best intrest??? What happened to Obamas high regard to the rule of law????
This is a legal removal of a president whom is in violation of the Honduran Constitution.
ARTICULO 239.- El ciudadano que haya desempeñado la titularidad del Poder Ejecutivo no podrá ser Presidente o Designado.
El que quebrante esta disposición o proponga su reforma, así como aquellos que lo apoyen directa o indirectamente, cesarán de inmediato en el desempeño de sus respectivos cargos, y quedarán inhabilitados por diez años para el ejercicio de toda función pública.
TRANSLATION – Article 239.- The citizen that has been the head of the Execute Branch cannot be President or Vice-President (again).
Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform, as well as those that support such violation directly or indirectly, will immediately cease in their functions and will be unable to hold any public office for a period of 10 years.
20. Aprobar o improbar la conducta administrativa del Poder Ejecutivo, Poder Judicial y ….
Why is Obama now meddling in the internal affairs of a soveriegn nation and why is he siding with Hugo Chavez against the nation of Honduras?
This is the most unbalanced article about Honduras that I have ever read on Global Voices, which generally just completely ignores Honduras as unimportant to the rest of the globe!
Please do some more research and do not ignore all the other 'VOICES'! Shame on Global Voices.
I am glad to hear some voices from Hondurans people, and please add more if available.
The voice from outside world is also good, but I can read them from CNN. If you have any voice or opinion which disagree the mainstream media, you are free to add your own.
Do not let Obama, Chavez, Ortega or anyone concern you.
Many of us who know what Zelaya (Chavez´s pawn and pupìl) was attempting and we are proud of you and your courage.
Eduardo, I'm afraid you're just repeating what the international media are saying. If you read the blogs from Honduras, you'll get a much clearer picture.
GVO is supposed to be the voice of the underdog! Where is that now?
Feel free to links to blogs in this comments section that should have been included when this post was written on Sunday night.
I think "underdog" is a relative term, and perhaps many different sides think *they* are the underdog in this situation.
We'd love to have you return as a contributing author and it would certainly add much more insight.
Thanks Eduardo, I never missed being a GV contributor as much as this week. I've been terribly caught up in this situation as I have family in Honduras, and friends on both sides of this issue.
and click the link in the upper right sidebar.


text:
FILE – Vancouver police officers in Vancouver, on Tuesday, February 25, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
3 Vancouver police officers test positive for COVID after responding to large party
Union president says other officers are self-isolating due to possible exposure
Three Vancouver police officers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, connected to a large gathering they had to respond to, according to their union president.
Ralph Kaisers confirmed their diagnosis in a tweet on Friday (Aug. 7). He said that two patrol teams are also in self-isolation due to possible exposure.
Black Press Media reached out to the Vancouver Police Department for details about the party, which Kaiser described as "out of control." A spokesperson said in an email that they didn't know any details about the party.
In recent days, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix have issued pleas for people to stop attending and organizing large gatherings as daily case counts surge.
Health officials have recommended that people keep their pandemic bubbles small – to a consistent group of close friends and families.
ALSO READ: 53 new COVID-19 cases, no new deaths cap off week of high infection rates in B.C.
But since Canada Day, as B.C. entered Phase Three in its economic restart plan, a number of private parties have been linked to community clusters.
Henry told reporters in mid-July, that contact tracing showed 20 possible transmissions for every test-positive case linked to private hotel parties in Kelowna where a number of young people contracted the virus.
Shortly after, organizers of a drumming circle held at a Vancouver beach were under fire when videos and photos of the event showed dozens of people crowded and failing to physically distance.
On Thursday, Henry confirmed that at least 45 recent cases of COVID-19 were linked to private parties in Metro Vancouver.
"Even though they may have been smaller individual parties, the overlapping groups meant that there's a large number of people that were potentially exposed," she told reporters.
Dix called for British Columbians to stop attending parties and participating in events where the virus can be easily transmitted.
"Whether it's table-hopping or packed houseboats or free-for-all parties in a private residence, large groups over an extended time period are the biggest welcome mat there is for COVID-19 and it's time to stop putting out that welcome mat."
@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
Vancouver Island team takes on wacky challenges of world's largest scavenger hunt
53 new COVID-19 cases, no new deaths cap off week of high infection rates in B.C.