text:
package com.modinfodesigns.property.persistence;

import com.modinfodesigns.property.IProperty;
import com.modinfodesigns.property.DataObject;
import com.modinfodesigns.property.PropertyValidationException;
import com.modinfodesigns.property.string.StringProperty;

import java.util.Iterator;

import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

/**
 * Persisted version of a DataObject. Implements Lazy Evaluation strategy for its owner.
 *
 * @author Ted Sullivan
 */
public class DataObjectPlaceholder extends DataObject implements IDataObjectPlaceholder
{
  private transient static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger( DataObjectPlaceholder.class );

  protected DataObject proxyObject;
  private SQLTemplatePersistenceManager templateMan;

  private boolean modified = false;

  public DataObjectPlaceholder( ) { }

  public DataObjectPlaceholder( String name, String id,
                                String dataObjectSchema, SQLTemplatePersistenceManager templateMan )
  {
    setName( name );
    setID( id );
    setDataObjectSchema( dataObjectSchema );
    setSQLTemplatePersistenceManager( templateMan );
  }

  @Override
  public DataObject getProxyObject( )
  {
    LOG.debug( "getProxyObject( )" );

    if (proxyObject != null) return proxyObject;

    synchronized( this )
    {
      if (proxyObject != null) return proxyObject;

      if (templateMan != null)
      {
        proxyObject = templateMan.read( getName( ),  getID( ), getDataObjectSchema( ) );
        if (proxyObject != null)
        {
          proxyObject.setProperty( new StringProperty( DataObject.OBJECT_NAME_PARAM, getName( ) ) );
          proxyObject.setProperty( new StringProperty( DataObject.OBJECT_ID_PARAM, getID( ) ) );
          setModified( false );
        }
      }
    }

    return proxyObject;
  }

  protected synchronized void setModified( boolean modified )
  {
    this.modified = modified;
    if (modified) proxyObject = null;
  }

  @Override
  public String getType()
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.getType( ) : null;
  }

  @Override
  public String getValue()
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.getValue() : null;
  }

  @Override
  public String getValue(String format)
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.getValue( format ) : null;
  }

  @Override
  public void setValue(String value, String format) throws PropertyValidationException
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    if (proxyObject != null)
    {
      proxyObject.setValue( value, format );
      setModified( true );
    }
  }

  @Override
  public String getDefaultFormat()
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.getDefaultFormat() : null;
  }

  @Override
  public IProperty copy()
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.copy() : null;
  }

  @Override
  public Object getValueObject()
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.getValueObject() : null;
  }

  @Override
  public IProperty getProperty( String name )
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.getProperty( name ) : super.getProperty( name );
  }

  @Override
  public IProperty getNestedProperty( String localName, String subPath )
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.getNestedProperty( localName, subPath ) : null;
  }

  @Override
  public Iterator<IProperty> getProperties()
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.getProperties( ) : null;
  }

  @Override
  public Iterator<String> getPropertyNames( )
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    return (proxyObject != null) ? proxyObject.getPropertyNames( ) : null;
  }

  @Override
  public void addProperty( IProperty property)
  {
    if (proxyObject != null)
    {
      proxyObject.addProperty( property );
      setModified( true );
    }
    else super.addProperty( property );
  }

  @Override
  public void setProperty( IProperty property)
  {
    LOG.debug( "setProperty: " + property );
    if (proxyObject != null)
    {
      proxyObject.setProperty( property );
      setModified( true );
    }
    else super.setProperty( property );
  }

  @Override
  public void setProperties( Iterator<IProperty> properties )
  {
    if (proxyObject != null)
    {
      proxyObject.setProperties( properties );
      setModified( true );
    }
    else super.setProperties( properties );
  }

  @Override
  public void removeProperty( String propName )
  {
    DataObject proxyObject = getProxyObject( );
    if (proxyObject != null)
    {
      proxyObject.removeProperty( propName );
      setModified( true );
    }
  }

  @Override
  public void setSQLTemplatePersistenceManager( SQLTemplatePersistenceManager templateMan )
  {
    this.templateMan = templateMan;
  }

  @Override
  public void setSchemaName( String schemaName )
  {
    setDataObjectSchema( schemaName );
  }

}


text:
Tag: Male water crisis
MWSC Managing Director dismissed
Malé Water and Sewerage Company's (MWSC) board has dismissed Managing Director Ahmed Umar from his post, reports local media.
Speaking to Haveeru, Chairman of the Privatisation Board Mohamed Nizaar said that the board decided to terminate Umar and said an individual to replace Umar has been suggested to the government.
Haveeru reported that Umar was appointed to the post of the Public Company by President Abdulla Yameen on a Jumhooree Party slot in the coalition government.
MWSC and its management were severely criticised for lack of response after the capital's 130,000 residents were left without running water for nine days following a fire at the MWSC desalination plant in December.
After a government request for assistance, India, China, and Bangladesh airlifted bottled water, while both India and China sent in ships equipped with desalination plants to produce water for the capital.
Normal operations resumed at the Malé water plant on December 13.
Posted on January 11, 2015 January 12, 2015 Author Ismail Humaam HamidCategories News in BriefTags Ahmed Umar, fire, jp, maldives news, Male water crisis, managing director, MWSC, Water Crisis1 Comment on MWSC Managing Director dismissed
Funds for water crisis relief continue to pour in
The Government of Malaysia has pledged US$200,000 to the 'Malé Water Crisis Management Fund', while Japan is also reported to have given MVR13.9 million (US$903,000) to the Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC).
The Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the Malaysian contribution via Twitter.
The government hopes to raise US$20 million to protect against future incidents, though the opposition and civil society groups have raised questions over the transparency of the fund.
Government of #Malaysia pledges $200,000 to #MaleWaterCrisis Management Fund
— MFA-Maldives (@MDVForeign) December 17, 2014
China has already donated US$500,000 to the fund, while an anonymous Saudi donor immediately pledged US$1 million during the crisis, which left 130,000 residents of Malé without running water for seven days this month.
From within the Maldives, Universal Chairman Mohamed Umar Manik, Champa Brothers, Trans Maldivian Airways, and the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation have all donated US$100,000, while telecoms company Ooredoo has donated US$200,000.
Haveeru has reported that Japan has gifted the MVR13.9 million to fully repair the damage caused by the December 4 fire, though it is not yet clear whether the money has been given to the government's fund or directly to the state-owned MWSC.
"Japan hopes that because of its donation, the residents of Malé City will have continuous access to clean drinking water," Haveeru quoted a Japanese statement as saying.
Additionally, US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal has this week said the US intends to work with the Maldives on "long-term water production and distribution assessments" and to develop rain-water catchment and desalinisation projects to ensure clean drinking water.
Relief efforts included the arrival of fresh water supplies in multiple Indian military aircraft as well as passenger aircraft from China and Sri Lanka. Additionally, India sent two naval vessels, with China and Bangladesh also sending ships.
Both the UN in Maldives and the Human Rights Commission of Maldives praised domestic relief efforts during the crisis, which were led by the Maldives National Defence Force, alongside volunteers from the Maldives Red Crescent, who distributed free water throughout the capital.
Singapore provided technical assistance in repairing the damaged panels in the MWSC's desalination plant.
Malaysia was among the countries thanked by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon earlier this week.
"The people and the Government of Maldives are heartened by the strong show of solidarity and humbled by the generosity of our friends," wrote Dunya.
Government seeks US$20 million in donations to repair Malé's desalination plant
Both Transparency Maldives and MDP call for greater transparency in water crisis fund
Water distribution to stop as Malé water crisis nears end
Posted on December 18, 2014 December 19, 2014 Author Daniel BosleyCategories Society & CultureTags malaysia, maldives, maldives news, Male water crisis1 Comment on Funds for water crisis relief continue to pour in
Dunya thanks foreign partners for help during water crisis
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon has written to the foreign ministers of India, China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia to express gratitude for assistance given during the recent water crisis.
"With your kind support and the resilience of the Maldivian people, the crisis has been resolved and normal water supply has resumed."
Singapore provided technical assistance in repairing the damaged panels in the Malé Water and Sewerage Company's desalination plant after a December 4 fire left 130,000 people in the capital without running water for 7 days.
Posted on December 16, 2014 December 16, 2014 Author Minivan NewsCategories News in BriefTags Dunya Maumoon, maldives, maldives news, Male water crisis3 Comments on Dunya thanks foreign partners for help during water crisis
Custom built MWSC panels to arrive in the Maldives
A Sri Lankan Air Force flight is currently on its way to the Maldives from Singapore with custom built panels to replace the damaged panel boards connecting electricity generators and desalination plants at the Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC).
The capital Malé was plunged into crisis on Thursday (December 4) as a fire at MWSC gutted the desalination plant, leaving 130,000 people without running water, leading to the dwindling of bottled drinking water supplies.
Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim said the two boards will arrive in Malé tonight. Of the nine panel boards, five were functional on Monday and MWSC had started releasing water to households in two three-hour periods in the morning and at night.
However, residents living above the second floor of buildings have said they only receive water for a very short period of time. The MWSC has asked individuals to report issues with water leakages and booster pumps to send an SMS to 1050 with the client's name and water meter number.
Previously, the government rejected an offer by the Indian government to provide technical assistance in fixing the panels, saying it is seeking assistance from countries that are more technologically advanced.
The government has today announced it has received US$ 5.5 (MVR 84 million) for the 'Malé water crisis management fund.'
The crisis management fund – which has seen donations from several local corporations and foreigners – was set up by the government with an aim of collecting US$ 20 million (MVR 308 million) to repair the damages at the desalination plant and to fund relief efforts.
Notable local businesses such as Champa Group and Universal enterprises donated US$ 100,000 to the fund, while an unnamed Saudi Arabian donor provided US$ 1 million.
Telecomms company Ooredoo donated US$ 75,000 to the fund. Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) and State Trading Organization (STO) have also donated funds.
Anti-corruption NGO Transparency Maldives called on the government to display more transparency in order to avoid "economic and political repercussions stemming from the water crisis".
In a press statement, the NGO urged the government to provide a breakdown of the estimated US$ 20 million needed to overcome the crisis and how the government intends to spend it.
"Furthermore, the decision to seek donations from the public raises questions given that MWSC ins a private profit-making corporation with 80 percent government shares," said Transparency Maldives.
An Indian flight is also due to arrive today with 50 tons of water while the INS Deepak supplied 400 tons of water straight to MWSC tanks on top of the 1250 supplied two days ago.
Indian High Commission said today that the water relief operations resumed on the request of the Maldivian government.
Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) also criticized the fund stating that the government should only demand US$ 20 million after they have decided how it is going to be spent.
"Where is the money going to go to? Why have we not seen a breakdown on how the money is going to be spent? Will this be a new ring in the chain of corruption by the government?" questioned party Vice Chairperson Ali Niyaz.
Former President and opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed has also called for an inquiry into the fire, suggesting that the Danish government previously recommended keeping 21 days of water reserves in the capital.
Transparency Maldives noted that the crisis had demonstrated "the interminable relationship between good governance and citizens' right to essential human needs," and called for greater regulation of state-owned enterprises.
With 130,000 citizens of the capital left without water, the government has said it could take up to two weeks to fully repair the damage. President Abdulla Yameen has said that there could have been no back up plan for a "disaster of this magnitude".
Posted on December 10, 2014 December 10, 2014 Author Ismail Humaam HamidCategories Politics, Society & CultureTags india, maldives news, Male water crisis, MWSC, Nasheed, nazim, task force, yameen4 Comments on Custom built MWSC panels to arrive in the Maldives
UN Maldives commends government's response in water crisis, opposition condemns
The United Nations in the Maldives has commended relief efforts during the Malé water crisis, though the opposition has attacked the governments preparedness and subsequent handling of events.
In a press release today, the UN in Maldives commended the "outstanding response" of the government, noting that measures were also being taken to address the needs of vulnerable and special needs population.
"The situation does not warrant any humanitarian assistance at the moment. UN is working with the Government to monitor closely that there will be no deterioration of the situation," the statement continued.
The President's Office announced today that the closure of government offices would continue for the rest of the week, while offers of foreign assistance have continued to pour in.
Meanwhile, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) condemned government efforts – in particular the decision to continue billing residents for water usage.
"Water should be provided free of charge until the water crisis is resolved," said Rozaina while speaking at an MDP press conference.
Minister of Defense Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim said this morning that the Malé Water and Sewerage Company's (MWSC) board of governors have decided to implement a 30 percent discount on water transactions for the month of December.
Addressing the public for the first time during the crisis yesterday, President Abdulla Yameen noted that getting water supplies to the upper floors of buildings had been problematic.
MWSC's decision contradicts a company statement released two days ago (December 6) saying customers would not be charged until the current crisis is over in order to provide relief for the ground floor level residents who have been donating water.
MWSC charges a progressive rate on the water usage, which rises as the usage increases over a MVR30 fixed monthly charge. The rate can go as high as MVR95 per cubic meter when usage increases over 500 liters.
Nazim also revealed governments plans to set up a 'Malé water crisis management fund' to collect donations in order to recover the MVR300 million (US$20 million) spent on the management of the crisis.
Rozaina criticised the estimated figure of US$20 million by saying that the MDP demanded a technical viewpoint on the damages and an explanation of why US$20 million is required for the repairs. The party has asked whether MWSC's facilities were insured.
An unnamed Saudi Arabian has already donated US$ 1 million to the fund while local business group Champa Brothers pledged to provide US$100,000.
The MDP has also slammed the government's failure to give a set date for the resumption of normal services, with members of the president's task force telling local media yesterday that the issue could not be solved within a "politically desirable" timeframe.
Continuing its extensive relief efforts, Indian navy fleet tanker INS Deepak arrived yesterday bringing with it 1,250 tons of water. The water was then pumped to tanks in Malé through 400 meters of pipe.
The ship – which also has RO capabilities – is now at anchorage near Malé where it be producing 100 tons of water per day which will then be transported to the capital via barges.
Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, MR Rajeev Shahare – speaking aboard INS Deepak yesterday – said that the Indian government had offered technical assistance with the repairs which was refused by the government saying that they are consulting a Japanese firm.
So far, 10 Indian military airplanes have landed at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) bringing with them more than 200 tons of water.
State Bank of India (SBI) also joined relief efforts today, distributing 7.5 tons of water.
A Chinese vessel which arrived last night capable of producing 90 tons of water per day delivered 600 tons of water today to the capital. Two Chinese military flights landed last night with 40 tons of water in between them.
A Bangladeshi military vessel with 5 desalination plants and one hundred tonnes of water is also due to arrive on Thursday (December 11).
Meanwhile, President's Office Spokesperson Ahmed Muaz announced today hat the government has decided to close all its offices in Malé for the rest of the week after considering the difficulties people could face as a result of the current water problems in Malé.
Muaz noted said that the President's Office will be open from 10 am to 1pm,while the Maldives Monetary Authority has also announced that it and other banks will be between 11am to 2pm to provide banking services for the public.
No fall back for disaster of this magnitude: President Yameen
President Yameen to return to Maldives as water crisis enters third day
Nasheed calls for inquiry into MWSC fire
Posted on December 8, 2014 December 8, 2014 Author Ismail Humaam HamidCategories Society & CultureTags china, indian, maldives news, Male water crisis, MDP, MWSC, Relief Efforts, rozaina, UN8 Comments on UN Maldives commends government's response in water crisis, opposition condemns
Dealing with the dry spell – Malé's water crisis continues
Five days since the fire at Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) – the capital city's sole provider of running water – disrupted water supplies, residents and local businesses struggle to make do with the limited resources available.
As politicians begin finger-pointing, the inhabitants of the capital continue to cope with the crisis in any way they can.
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the Maldives Red Crescent have been distributing bottled water received as aid from neighbouring countries to citizens since December 5.
The drinking water distributed by the MNDF in this manner is being transported to the capital city voluntarily from nearby islands by local businessman Adam Manik of Galolhu Sentuge, owner of Tug Service Marine Pvt Ltd.
Adam Manik has also taken the initiative to set up nearly a dozen large water tanks near the Water Jetty, where drinking water is dispensed free of charge.
"I purchase the water, transport it to Male' on my boats and distribute it for free to all and any citizens. I see this as a national effort and will continue to provide this service as long as the current water difficulties continue," Adam Manik told Minivan News today.
Adam stated that his employees have been working relentlessly for the past 4 days on all his boats.
Three of his boats are being utilised for water transportation – 'Adam 60', which has the capacity to carry 200 metric tonnes of water, 'Ifba' carrying 60 metric tonnes and 'Namoona', carrying 20 metric tonnes.
Meanwhile, Happy Market is currently producing 'Life' bottled water at maximum capacity, catering to the public, businesses, and resorts.
Happy Market Purchases and Procurement Manager Akram stated that, while the company is unable to provide unlimited supplies, they are working to sell water at an equitable rate.
The public can at the moment purchase one case of four 5 litre bottles at any of the Happy Market outlets in the city for MVR56 (US$3)
Akram stated that other producers of bottled water are slowly resuming retail, which would stabilise the situation while taking some pressure off the sole seller of bottled water.
Leaving water troubles behind
While the queues at free distribution centres grow shorter, there are reports that many residents of Malé have chosen to travel to other islands, especially nearby Villingili and Hulhumalé – both of which have unaffected supply.
Guest house owners confirm that all accomodation at these islands are now fully booked, while some guesthouses have started a new strategy of only renting rooms to Malé residents on an hourly basis.
Traditionally, December is the time of the year when customary circumcision parties are held in the Maldives – which typically include a week long celebration after young boys undergo the procedure.
Fathimath Waheeda stated that on December 4, she had to move her son from the hospital to Villingili as, due to the water shortage, she could not cater to the multitude of guests who would visit her son's party.
"I rented a room in Villingili and we are having the party here. Less people turn up, but at least there are no concerns of hygiene or catering here," she said.
Limited water, Limited services
Local businesses are also facing hardship due to the water troubles, with some opting to temporarily close down business until water services resume.
Others continue to persevere, with many gathering water from distribution centres, or collecting water at the limited dispensing hours.
Fahari Cafe' – run at the North Harbour of Malé – said it is attempting to run business as usual, assigning one employee the task of going to queue at water distribution centres, while another stays alert to collect water during dispensing hours.
Abdulla Saeed, owner of a food outlet called "Home Delivery" stated that they are following the same process.
"What else can we do? This is the work we do to feed ourselves. We cannot give it up regardless of how difficult it may be," he said.
Marble Hotel owner Athif Saleem said that guests are aware of the crisis and that therefore very few complaints are received.
"We are providing well water to the guestrooms and notifying them of the water supply dispension hours. We are also using rainwater in the cafe for washing purposes and services are available. However, we are getting fewer local customers in the cafe' during this crisis," he explained.
Hair salons are also facing difficulties in providing normal services. Many claimed to be open only to offer a limited number of services – those which require a minimal amount of water usage.
Cyza Salon also spoke of decreased number of customers during the crisis.
"Like most others, we also bring water from the distribution centres. We aren't getting too many customers these four days but if someone does come, we will try to provide services as best as we can".
According to Special Task Force member Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer, it will take upto 10 days or more for regular water supply services to resume.
Posted on December 8, 2014 December 8, 2014 Author Mariyath MohamedCategories Features & Comment, PoliticsTags maldives, maldives news, Male water crisis, minivan, minivan news, MWSC, water
President Abdulla Yameen will cut short his personal trip to Malaysia and return to the Maldives as the Malé water crisis continues into its third day.
Speaking to the press, President's Office spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz said Yameen is expected to return tonight (December 6), cutting short his visit to Malaysia, where his son is said to be receiving medical treatment.
In Malé, Minister of Defence Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim has said that damage to the capital's desalination plant is extensive, and could take between three days and a week to fully repair.
Water services to the capital Malé have been shut off after a crippling fire damaged crucial components of the island's sole desalination facility – the Malé Water and Sewerages Company (MWSC) – leaving over 130,000 people without water for bathing, cleaning, and cooking.
"We hope to achieve 100 percent in about a week. God willing, we will be able to get a good result in about three days," said Nazim, speaking on behalf of a presidential task force.
While 60 percent of the repairs have been completed, he continued, the fire had caused considerable damage to the water treatment plants, requiring extensive repairs.
"The damage to the water treatment plants' panel board was a lot more than we had expected. Since the spare parts are not available in the Maldives, we must wait until we can acquire it," said Nazim.
Fresh supplies of water continue to arrive from abroad – most notably from India – with distribution being carried out by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) with the assistance of local NGOs alongside numerous private businesses.
The government has set up water distribution centers at schools and other public spaces, with each person allowed two 1.5 litre bottles, leading to the formation of large queues stretching around the capital. Local IT enthusiasts have developed a mobile app to enable residents to locate nearby distribution centres.
In addition, water is being pumped every six hours by MWSC for one hour periods although low water pressure means that many of the capital's residents living in high rise apartments have received no supplies.
The MNDF has started distributing water through mobile tanks set up on military vehicles at various locations of the city, temporarily easing the queues at the water distribution centers.
President Yameen has declared today that all government offices will be closed on Sunday and Monday (December 7 and 8 ) as a result of the crisis, while calling on the public to remain calm and cooperative.
Meanwhile, the government of India continues to send supplies, having delivered over 150 tonnes of water via military aircraft in the past 24 hours. A second Indian vessel, with reverse osmosis facilities capable of delivering 200 tonnes of water daily, is expected to arrive today with 800 tonnes of water.
The Chinese government has sent 12 tonnes of water aboard a Mega Maldives flight from Beijing, with the foreign ministry also reporting Chinese naval vessels being en route to the capital.
Yesterday, Sri Lanka started sending water to the Maldives via Sri Lankan Airlines flights, while the UN in Maldives has said it will distribute 180 tonnes of rainwater stored under its premises on Buruzu Magu.
Local efforts
The Maldives Red Crescent (MRC) and teams of volunteers from telecoms provider Ooredoo have been been assisting security services, with Head of Planning Shabeen Ali telling Minivan News that people waiting for water have been "very calm and disciplined".
Detailing efforts, MRC spokesperson Safa Musthafa explained that the MRC has mobilised more than 450 volunteers, requesting more people to join the distribution teams by reporting to Majeedhihyaa school which is operating as the organisation's headquarters.
Safa also revealed that 5 tonnes of bottled water would be shipped tomorrow under the disaster and emergency relief fund set up by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has commended the state's quick response to the water crisis, though it noted concern over reports of discrimination against migrant workers.
Human rights and pro-democracy NGO Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) also voiced concern over reported discrimination, though volunteers at distribution centres have said the government has reversed the initial requirement of an official ID to collect water.
Rumours of discrimination against migrant workers have circulated on social media with some members of the public telling Minivan News of a fight breaking out at Galolhu stadium last night after locals demanded priority over migrant workers in the queue.
MDN also raised concerns over the absence of a backup plan, urging authorities "to take lessons from this incident and come up with a backup plan for Malé and other islands".
Former President Nasheed has called for an immediate inquiry into the causes of the crisis, questioning the government's preparedness levels as well as President Yameen's absence from the country.
Malé City Council – originally mandated with the provision of water services under the 2010 Decentralisation Act – has also raised the issue of responsibility for the crisis. A council statement noted that its offer of assistance had been rejected by the government's task force.
International coverage
The BBC reports 'Maldives in Water Crisis', while a number of outlets, including the Daily Mail and Al Jazeera, have chosen to focus on the small number of isolated incidents involving violence.
Government minister Mohamed Shareef was quoted by Reuters as saying that a state of emergency has been declared – soon picked up by the AFP – though this has subsequently been denied by the foreign ministry.
The Diplomat noted that the crisis represented an opportunity for India to demonstrate its capacity as "first responder" in time of crisis, as well as suggesting that a prolonged period without water might lead to "grave economic consequences and a broader political crisis".
In Indian media, the New Indian Express ran the headline 'IAF Airlifts Water Bottles to Quench Maldives' Thirst', while the Hindu has led with 'How India staved off Maldives' water crisis'.
Indian aircraft arrives to ease Malé water crisis
Malé water supply cut after fire at MWSC
Posted on December 6, 2014 December 7, 2014 Author Ismail Humaam HamidCategories Society & CultureTags distribution, HRCM, maldives news, Male water crisis, MNDF, mrc, MWSC, president yameen, shortage, water11 Comments on President Yameen to return to Maldives as water crisis enters third day

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with GRIN2A variants
Vlaskamp, D. R. M., Callenbach, P. M. C., Rump, P., Vos, Y. J., Dijkhuizen, T., Van Ravenswaaij-Arts, C. M. A. & Brouwer, O. F., May-2015, p. S4. 1 p.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › Academic
http://hdl.handle.net/11370/97d0c4c5-b618-41a8-8b02-1f70b938b0e0
Genotype–phenotype correlations in patients with GRIN2A variants
Final publisher's version, 90 KB, PDF document
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1090-3798(15)30012-X
D.R.M. Vlaskamp
P.M.C. Callenbach
P. Rump
Y.J. Vos
T. Dijkhuizen
C.M.A. Van Ravenswaaij-Arts
O.F. Brouwer
Objective: The GRIN2A gene has been associated with both benign childhood epilepsies and severe epileptic encephalopathies. This study evaluates the genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with GRIN2A variants. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed, identifying all patients reported before May 2014 with GRIN2A variants. Patients were classified in two groups based on their GRIN2A genotype. Group I genotypes had an expected detrimental effect on protein expression: nonsense, frameshift, splice site, or initiation codon sequence variants, translocations with breakpoints within GRIN2A, or deletions comprising GRIN2A. Group II genotypes were expected to result in an altered protein structure or function: missense or in-frame sequence variants. Results: Of 136 patients, 74 were included in group I and 62 in group II. Epilepsy was diagnosed in 86% of patients in both groups, with focal seizures being most common (82%). Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) was significantly more often diagnosed in group II than in group I (51% versus 27%, p=0.03). Continuous spikes and waves during slow-wave sleep (CSWS) and Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) occurred more often in group I than in group II (50% versus 37%), although not statistically significant (p=0.29). Mild to severe developmental problems related to speech and language (80%), cognition (66%), and motor skills (48%), and behavioural problems (61%) were present in both groups. Speech and language problems were significantly more often reported in group I than in group II (90% versus 69%, p=0.02), also in patients with no LKS/CSWS (94% versus 50%, p=0.01). Conclusion: GRIN2A variants are associated with a spectrum of epilepsies, mainly accompanied by language developmental problems. This epilepsy-aphasia syndrome spectrum ranges from relatively mild BECTS to more severe LKS/CSWS. This study shows that GRIN2A genotypes with an expected milder effect on protein function are associated with a relatively more benign phenotype including BECTS without language problems.
Published - May-2015
patient, human, European, neurology, society, genotype phenotype correlation, epilepsy, genotype, language, spike, speech and language, codon, benign childhood epilepsy, protein expression, Landau Kleffner syndrome, slow wave sleep, focal epilepsy, phenotype, cognition, motor performance, protein structure, aphasia, protein function, brain disease, gene


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Knights 4, Bruins 3
Knights end Bruins' 14-game home winning streak in a shootout
By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated December 5, 2022, 9:55 p.m.
The Bruins' Hampus Lindholm eyes a flying puck with the Knights' Keegan Kolesar closing in behind him Monday night at TD Garden.Jim Davis/Globe Staff
The Bruins displayed their appreciation for former coach Bruce Cassidy with a tribute video on the jumbotron, and by arriving late for Monday's game.
They showed up about halfway through, but were not strong enough to extend their NHL record home start.
The Bruins (20-3-1) saw their 14-game winning streak at TD Garden end on Monday with a 4-3 shootout loss, ex-Bruin Reilly Smith providing the winner on Vegas' fifth attempt.
The jumbotron tribute and resulting ovation from fans got Cassidy choked up. He shrugged off the fact he halted his former employer's run of success.
"Now that you brought it up … I'm used to hearing 'Dirty Water' at the end of the game," Cassidy said. "I'm glad I didn't hear it tonight. Anyway, yeah — no, the streak is really irrelevant to me. It's just nice to come in and play well."
They fell down by three goals at home for the first time in 15 home games, before clawing back to 3-2 by the second intermission. They outshot Vegas, 29-15, over the final two periods.
"We didn't start on time. That's unfortunate," coach Jim Montgomery said. "We got beat through the middle of the ice too often tonight. That usually doesn't happen to us."
Taylor Hall, who continues to be a two-way force, tied the game with a power-play goal at 3:08 of the third.
The Bruins mostly controlled the play from there, but turnovers on their most promising opportunities helped push it to overtime.
Logan Thompson, the right-catching Vegas netminder, snared Charlie McAvoy's laser on the rush in the first minute, part of a 6-1 shots advantage for the Bruins.
Jake DeBrusk drew a slashing penalty at 1:58 of extras, but the Bruins couldn't convert. He also hit the post in the shootout.
Brad Marchand put Boston on the board with a tap-in of Patrice Bergeron's centering feed at 13:46 of the second, giving both the home crowd and Black and Gold forecheck a jolt of energy.
Bergeron was at it again with time running out in the period, leaving a puck along the wall for David Pastrnak. No. 88 spun off William Karlsson's check, the Vegas forward sliding out of the play, before collecting the puck and ripping it past Thompson (40 saves).
The crowd goes wild after David Pastrnak scored late in the third Monday night to cut the Vegas lead to one.Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Afterward, Cassidy chatted with Bergeron outside the visitors' dressing room. The two didn't have a chance to connect after Cassidy was fired June 6.
"We were just sharing some thoughts on each other and our time together," Cassidy said. "Means a lot to me. I have a tremendous amount of respect for pretty much every guy in that locker room. They play hard. Some of them worked out better than others — and whatever the narrative is, every player in there, I worked hard with to get better. I have a lot of respect for every one of them."
The Bruins, who entered No. 1 in the league in both goals for (4.0 per game) and goals against (2.13), had a rough opening 30 minutes of this one.
They were down a pair of goals before Cassidy's tribute video played at the first TV timeout, a moment that drew a loud ovation that brought moisture to Cassidy's eyes.
"I appreciate it," Cassidy said afterward, his voice growing quiet. "It's that simple."
Or maybe Cassidy was just so tearfully proud of his group, which was missing stars Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo, for being the only one of the teams that started on time.
Bruce Cassidy acknowledges the applause during a video tribute that highlighted his time as head coach of the Bruins.Charles Krupa/Associated Press
The Golden Knights took the lead 1:36 in. From the Bruins' perspective, the 1-0 goal was a combination of a few things, chiefly poor defensive zone coverage on rookie winger Paul Cotter, who was alone in the slot when he snapped one under the bar. Moments before, a determined Cotter lugged the puck behind the net and powered his way though Jake DeBrusk and Brandon Carlo. Finally, wingers DeBrusk and Marchand were clearly stiff-legged after a long shift.
They were down a pair at 5:04, when Pastrnak put a breakout pass right on Jonathan Marchessault's tape. The Vegas veteran broke in alone and had two chances, slipping a rebound past Jeremy Swayman (21 saves) after the netminder made a pad stop.
The Bruins were down two goals at home on one occasion prior to Monday – on Black Friday against Carolina, which scored twice in the first period and lost, 3-2, in overtime.
From an undisciplined offensive-zone penalty by a forechecking Marchand — there was no need to leave his feet and throw his elbow on Daniil Miromanov — to a rash of passes that were off-target, the first period lacked flow for the Black and Gold.
One of the worst puck-moving attempts came from Tomas Nosek, who passed up a shot while trailing on an odd-man rush and missed an open A.J. Greer by several feet, drawing an agonized groan from the crowd. The worst pass of the period, no question, was Pastrnak's.
Some 51 ticks were off the clock in the second when Cotter struck again. The Bruins couldn't execute a breakout: Connor Clifton's D to D pass was behind Derek Forbort, and the latter couldn't put it on the tape of his forwards.
Vegas reloaded, downhill, Forbort was caught off-balance as Mark Stone bumped a pass from the boards to Cotter, who walked in and ripped a wrister glove-side on Swayman.
TD Garden didn't have much life until Marchand and then Pastrnak struck, setting up a tense third.
When Forbort drew a holding call and Bergeron drew a trip, the Bruins had 1:35 of a 5 on 3. They went with five forwards, David Krejci replacing McAvoy. At a stoppage, Hall replaced DeBrusk.
It was Hall who tied it, with 23 seconds left on the power play. He tried a stuff-in from below the goal, and collected a rebound off Thompson's pad to even the score.
Hall beats Vegas goalie Logan Thompson in the third period to tie the game at three Monday night at TD Garden.Jim Davis/Globe Staff
"We weren't at our game until about 28 minutes left in the game," Montgomery said. "It's going to happen. I'm really happy with the ability of our players to get back in the game."
Speaking of comebacks, Cassidy would like to renew acquaintances with the Bruins down the road.
"I would like to be here in the spring," he said. "Wouldn't that be nice, eh?"
Matt Porter can be reached at matthew.porter@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyports.


We all know that fish contains a large amount of omega-3s, including EPA and DHA, but we also know that it's no secret that many children don't like fish. If your child doesn't like fish, Nordic Naturals offers a great-tasting way for him or her to get a healthy amount of omega-3s through DHA.
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My 2 1/2 year old son loves these "fish eggs." We bribe him to eat all of his dinner with them! I didn't think he would like them (I tasted one) but he's hooked. Natural Healthy Concepts had the best prices too!
I got these for my grandson and he loves them. He calls them is his gummy vitamins. Good nutrition made fun.


These are from Digital Photography School, one of the best sites for learning about photography. Every time I read something from DPS I learn something, or learn to look at something in a different light. No pun intended.
2) Camera Settings – Shoot in JPG!
3) Lens settings – 2.8 Is Almost An Essential!
6) No Eyes! No Shot!
8) Wear an Official Photographer Vest!


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Old Vennel, off High Street
1868 in High Street
Thomas Annan
'Old Vennel, Off High Street', 1868 A photograph of a vennel off the High Street in Glasgow, taken by Thomas Annan (1829-1887), in 1868
A photograph entitled 'Old Vennel, off High Street', taken by Thomas Annan in 1868. The photograph shows a vennel (a passageway between two buildings), off the High Street in Glasgow. Washing hangs between the windows of the tenements and dirty children play barefoot in the passageway as a woman watches the photographer capturing the scene.
A photograph entitled 'Old Vennel, off High Street', taken by Thomas Annan in 1868.
The photograph shows a vennel (a passageway between two buildings), off the High Street in Glasgow. Washing hangs between the windows of the tenements and dirty children play barefoot in the passageway as a woman watches the photographer capturing the scene.
In 1868 the City of Glasgow Improvement Trust approached Thomas Annan to take photographs of some of the slum areas of the city prior to demolition. The resulting images are some of the earliest examples of documentary photography.
National Media Museum, Bradford
Quarter-plate `Cameo' camera used to take 'second phase' of Cottingley Fairies photographs, 1918-1920 (quarter-plate camera; folding bellows camera)
Thompson's Revolver Camera (camera)
Photograph of actress Hedy Lamarr in the 1933 film 'Ecstasy' (photograph)
Booklet of 'Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions' by Anna Atkins (booklet; cyanotype)
Professor Einstein with Commander Locker-Lampson (gelatin silver print; photograph)
Train driver, Jack Mills, with his grandchild, Stephen (gelatin silver print; photograph)


Dare to jump into your future with enthusiasm.
Dare to place no limits on what you want to accomplish.
Dare to dream big and realize it's not just a cliche.
Dare to bring excellence to everything that you do.
Dare to succeed beyond your wildest expectations.


I was really surprised with the quality of the material. It's very soft to the touch, i haven't washed it yet though . The delivery was very fast .
Goods are not reached quickly. Solid synthetic. In general, satisfied. Ordered in size, turned out to be a bit longer than necessary.
Perfect jacket to wear. Came very quickly.
Minska came a month. It securely packaged. Seller put a lower price, for which he thanks! Pullover soft-touch, soft. Surprisingly without smell. Unless the faint smell of synthetic. Seams made great. And another dealer put the gift) Happy.
Looks nothing, but think the wear is bad. 100% synthetic.


Lodge St Clair of Dysart 520 Mark Ceremonial Thursday 6th MAY 7.30 tyle visitors and candidates most welcome. G Ramsay PM secretary.
Lodge St Clair of Dysart will be working a Mark Ceremonial for Lodge Wemyss 777 on Friday the 23rd April.RWMM Bro Donald Maguire will be leading the working team the lodge will tyle at 7.30 visitors and candidates most welcome. G Ramsay PM secretary.
Next regular meeting 3rd Degree 22nd April 7.30 prompt.


Household budgets are tighter and expensive vacations may not be possible for many families this year. That does not mean that your summer will be a bust! With some creative thinking and a positive attitude, you can turn this into a summer packed with cost effective activities and loads of fun filled memories for your scrapbook.
The greatest ingredient for salvaging your summer in tight times is an attitude of hopefulness and positive thinking. It is really hard to be creative and make fun things happen when your core belief is that things won't work out well. By focusing on what you do not have or will not be able to afford, you will create that reality for yourself and your family…. and miss out on SO many opportunities right before you!
The first step to a cost effective, fun filled summer is to develop a family strategy. That strategy should have everyone's input. Parent(s) should first assess the available funds. After clarifying the budget, parent(s) should invite the input of the rest of the family, informing them of key parameters. Examples of these parameters are: budget, the amount of distance the family can travel, hotels or tents, weekend or week day, or local day trips instead of traditional vacation.
If a vacation budget does not exist, create one by having a yard sale. Kids (and parents) that hate to part with items may be motivated to part with things in hopes of having a "fun fund" for the summer. Selling things at consignment shops can be another way to add to the "fun fund". Encourage kids to have lemonade stands, mow lawns, help seniors weed, etc. to add to the fund while teaching them the value of hard work.
Once the budget and funds have been secured and the family has decided whether they are going to take local day trips or go out of town, there are numerous ways to make your money go far. Search out deals by surfing the web, magazines, coupon books and mailings for coupons. If you are going to travel away from home, take the time to find discounted hotels. Often staying during the week and not on weekends will result in lower hotel rates. Seek out hotels that offer free breakfast buffets and pack lunch meat and snacks in your cooler, then the family only needs to budget to eat out for dinner. Use coupons that allow a child to eat free with a paying adult. Order water with lemon instead of soda or beer; drinks really add to a bill's total. Go to activities that cost money at non-peek hours when fees are discounted. Enjoy free activities, like throwing a football on the beach or flying a kite. Build a campfire and roast marshmallows.
For families that are choosing to take day trips, again check out coupons. Central Pennsylvania has numerous historical sites and tourist attractions that are easily accessible. Encourage the family to research historical sites ahead of time to enhance the anticipation of what will be seen. Pick a historical site and then before visiting it, find a movie centered on that site or historical event.
There are many ways to creatively enjoy time together as a family. Just remember to have a positive attitude, define a budget and stay within it, create a shared family plan and let the creative juices flow!
For example, before going to Gettysburg, watch "Gone with the Wind" or "Cold Mountain" to make the historical events more real. Pack a picnic and enjoy Gifford Pinchot Park for the day. Visit museums or factories; many people love to see how Harley Davidson motorcycles or pretzels are made. Enjoy the many beautiful hiking trails or kayak on the Susquehanna. Purchase super soaker water guns and have a water soaking gunfight with the kids, just make certain that the parents get the best water guns!


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Q: DolphinDB: why column names of a matrix are renamed I have a table tb. After executing corrMatrix(matrix(tb)) in DolphinDB, all the column names are replaced with serial numbers. I'd like to know why it happens and if there is any way to rename them with the original column names.

A: In DolphinDB, the output matrix will share the same column names as the original matrix.

But the output will be like this if no column name is contained in the original matrix.

After you convert a table to a matrix, the column names of the original table will be lost. So I suggest you add the column names to the matrix manually.
For example:
t=table(1 2 3 as id, 4 5 6 as vol, 7 8 9 as qty)
m=matrix(t).rename!(`id`vol`qty)
corrMatrix(m)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Jobs Work online from anywhere in the world
English art
English art is the body of visual arts made in England. Prehistoric art in England generally followed trends in the whole of Britain, but with early medieval Anglo-Saxon art a very distinct English style began, though initially in an Anglo-Saxon England that included much of modern Scotland. English art continued to have an individual character thereafter, though after 1707 it is covered under the art of the United Kingdom.
Although medieval English painting, mostly religious, had a strong national tradition and was at times influential on the rest of Europe, it was in decline from the 15th century. The English Reformation, which was especially destructive of art, not only brought the tradition to an abrupt stop but resulted in the destruction of almost all wall-paintings. Only illuminated manuscripts now survive in good numbers.
The art of the English Renaissance lagged behind that of other European countries, but there is already a strong interest in portraiture, which was the main form of painting for which there was a market, and the portrait miniature was more popular in England than anywhere else. Sculpture was mostly architectural and for monumental tombs. By the time of the Act of Union, the English taste for landscape painting was developing. In all these areas, reliance on imported artists was high, which remained the case until at least the 18th century.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/English_art
Latest News for: english art
Grant to update art program
Rapid City Journal 02 Feb 2023
Chadron Middle School was recently the recipient of a Title IV grant, and applicant Whitney Tewahade plans to use the money to develop the digital art program ... Hencey, Tewahade said, used last year's grant was used for purchases including camera equipment and drawing tablets, for the high school art program ... "Not just art that's made on paper.".
The county that inspired a whole way of painting: Sussex Landscape, at Pallant House, reviewed
The Spectator 02 Feb 2023
In a national vote on which county's landscape best embodies Englishness, every county would presumably vote for itself ... But while it has prompted the occasional poem, Sussex has inspired more than its share of art. In fact, Cornwall's claim to the title of most painted English ...
Bowman library opens soon; Orangeburg County preps new branch
The Times & Democrat 02 Feb 2023
Gene Zaleski. BOWMAN – History will be made in Bowman on Monday as the town celebrates the grand opening of its library. The library will be the first in the town's history ... Local News ... Gene Zaleski ... Feb ... Local News ... The number of third-graders in the county testing below state standards in English and language arts is 71.1 percent, according to the CTSC.
Inspire School of Arts and Sciences wins award
Chico Enterprise Record 01 Feb 2023
CHICO — Inspire School of Arts and Sciences has been selected as one of 19 schools in California to receive the 2023 California Exemplary Arts Education Award ... "I am thrilled to see our teachers recognized for their outstanding instruction in the arts ... She first started out at the school as an English teacher.
Clive Chang: YoungArts president combines business and music skills
Miami Today 01 Feb 2023
Clive Chang acquired his love for music at an early age, after he immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong at age 5, learning from a Russian piano instructor who did not know much English. "That's the beauty of art," he said, because there was an unspoken connect that needed no languages.
University of Minnesota Duluth Fall Dean's List
Tri-County News Cottonwood 01 Feb 2023
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences ... Lonnah Maasch, Junior, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), English B A -Vesta.
Bravo: 'The History of Arts and Culture in Kearney'
Peek will talk more about the website he helped originate during a program, "The History of Arts and Culture in Kearney," at noon on Wednesday at Kearney Public Library ... The website, KearneyCreates.com, chronicles the teaching of the arts, practicing the arts, visiting performers and current performances.
Novartis Continues To Grow With Further Core Margin Expansion And Achieves Important Innovation Milestones
(MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) English French German Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Full year Net sales grew +4% (cc 1 , -2% USD) with core operating income growing ... .
Why can't we, the people, put extreme pressure on the College Board to undo their
Democratic Underground 01 Feb 2023
... to Studio Art and World History. Trevor earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in English from Brigham Young University.
Red Bluff Daily News 01 Feb 2023
The board offers 39 AP classes on subjects including biology, chemistry, art history, English literature, music theory and computer science ... societies and their global connections before slavery, and contributions to literature and art by the African diaspora, among other topics.
Future Black History Makers: Meet Carter Thornton, a kindergartner at Cumberland Academy
Fayetteville Observer 01 Feb 2023
Carter Thornton, 5, is in kindergarten at Cumberland Academy K-5 Virtual School. He was nominated as a Future Black History Maker because "Carter is one of a kind! His academics are above grade level, and he is very humble with it," his nominator writes ... WATCH ... WATCH ... What's your favorite subject? English language arts ... What are your hobbies? Baseball ... .
Future Black History Makers: Makai Sillekens-Longworth, a fifth-grader at District 7 Elementary
Makai Sillekens-Longworth, 11, is in fifth grade at District 7 Elementary School. He was nominated as a Future Black History Maker because "he is a leader inside and outside of the classroom ... He was voted in as president by his peers ... WATCH. Fayetteville's Future Black History Makers ... WATCH ... What's your favorite subject in school? English/Language Arts ... .
A glimpse into the teenage mind
Pleasanton Express 01 Feb 2023
Hundreds of art pieces were on display at the release of PJHS's The 7th Grade Chronicles ... Ginger Hollis, last year's department head of English and Language Arts (ELA) program and current librarian at PJHS, played an integral role in the completion of the project along with ELA teachers Alyssa Bunch and Catherine Hauer.
Utah STEM Action Center Adds IXL Math to K-12 Personalized Learning Grant List
HJ News 01 Feb 2023
IXL's end-to-end teaching and learning solution supports personalized instruction in math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish.�With more than 110 billion questions asked and answered around the world, IXL is helping schools and parents successfully boost student achievement.
Excerpt: Autumn, grief, loss and other things
Stanford Daily 01 Feb 2023
Notes ... For now, enjoy her hyperfixation on "Tick, Tick … Boom!" ... "Go to sleep after you drink this," she says. "You go back to Stanford tomorrow." ... 260–262 Managing Editor for The Grind and a staff writer for Arts & Life and News. She is a junior from Stockton, California studying English with an emphasis in Creative Writing and minor in CSRE ... .


Roses Farming & Garden is located at Barawtali Union, Chakaria , Cox's Bazar. Besides this nature attraction, there are ten more nature attractions listed in Cox's Bazar. There's also nine attractions listed in this district in other categories. You will find the exact location of Roses Farming & Garden on the map above.
None of our visitors shared their reviews on Roses Farming & Garden yet.
Following is a list of other nature attractions found within few kilometers of Roses Farming & Garden. You may also view all nature attractions in Cox's Bazar, Chittagong Division.


Why go back to the 'twenties? This is the burden of both Logie Barrow and K. P. Mayer, though each approaches the question from a different starting-point. In reply, there are three points worth making.
1. It is quite true, as Logie Barrow points out, that artistic styles can be put to the service of capitalist equally with revolutionary society: the ergonomic, display or agitational styles and techniques developed in Soviet Russia can re-appear in the western world, robbed of their original revolutionary content. The history of styles is different and separate from the history of world-views or, even more important, of revolution and the struggle for socialism. But this does not diminish the interest and importance of the points where these histories meet, when the superstructure, often drifting far away from the base, is suddenly wrenched into contact with it. These are the vital moments in the modern history of art and we should not neglect them or view them merely as contingencies: unless we want to see art as entirely contingent anyway (which Logie Barrow often seems on the verge of saying).
2. Of course, Logie Barrow is right to point out that what is of interest and importance for art history or aesthetics looks rather different from the point of view of the practising artist: the artist (at least the revolutionary artist) in a capitalist society must approach with irony what the art historian can view with equanimity. The 'twenties in Russia, for the artist, are nothing more than a heroic cenotaph; they are the Paris Commune of aesthetics. But it would be quite wrong, in the name of facing facts, of 'realism' to refuse to identify with a Utopianism, which for a brief moment disfigured the bland face of Philistinism.
3. K. P. Mayer is right to point out that Lissitsky was frequently wrong and that Marshall McLuhan says much of value. But the main point is that, for McLuhan, 'description' is quite separate from 'therapy', and, indeed, he never ventures into discussing therapy at all, but on the whole slides into a tacit acceptance of the inevitable tribal future. Lissitsky, on the other hand, is involved in the dynamism of the whole ongoing process and tries to discover how it can be inflected one way rather than the other: he wants to see how modern techniques can make people think, become more conscious, rather than just unconsciously respond and react. McLuhan consistently tends to equate thought (whether qualified as linear or not) with the old Gutenberg era and empathy, participation, etc, with the new electronic age and to make this equation a necessity, inherent on the media.


Hope you were on last week as the Free PGT tip (Mays Shiraz) duly obliged and rewarded those that took the early 5/2 and 9/4 on offer, that adds nicely to Ribble Atom (6/4) who also won for us the week before – can we make it three on the trot this evening?
What a night we have in prospect at Hove with the start of the 2015 Coral Sussex Cup over the four bend 515 meter trip, with many of the top performers in the country lining up in the competition it looks wide open. Ante Post betting is available with most online bookmakers with the each way terms currently first four in the final and 1/4 the odds. Premier Greyhound Tips the Betting Gods resident greyhound tipster will be sending selections to subscribers a little later today – get on board and receive all Premier Greyhound Tips daily direct to your email inbox, with over £2000 profit from just £10 per point since launch the service has proved very popular and continues to reward those that are already on board – join here.
Notable runners in the 2015 Sussex Cup heats include Burgess Oscar (T5, 7.46), the runner from the Pat Rosney kennel was joint favourite for the Maiden Derby at Newcastle back in February and has been very lightly raced since. Millwards Whitey (T2. 8.18) was a finalist in the RFS Puppy Derby in the autumn and the son of Ace Hi Rumble could be a huge runner especially when leading round. Face The Blade (T6, 8.18) from the Kevin Hutton kennel has recently found his trapping boots and could be the one to beat if staying this 515 meter trip, dont rule out course and distance specialist Jet Stream Smurf who runs from T6 in the 8.50, the son of Westmead Hawk shows decent all round pace and is capable of making all or winning from slightly off the pace and is sure to go well from his favoured draw this evening.
The PGT free tip for this week is Kentish Girl in the 10.26 open race over the six bend 695 meter trip. The Sittingbourne raider was a very unlucky loser when last seen over this course and distance and has recently been re-seeded as a wide runner and looks ideally drawn this evening to avoid the potential first bend trouble and hit the front by the fifth bend. In a very weak looking Maiden stayers the key to victory will be avoiding an early bump, turn handy and it's race on.
Over at Monmore the 10.03 over the six bend 630 meter trip looks wide open with the likes of Cremartin Lark (T4), Great Deal (T5) and Moss Land Sue (T6) in the race it will surely be decided by the break and run into the first bend – whichever greyhound manages leads round will prove very hard to beat. Don't rule out Oleg from T3, the son of Makeshift won well over four bends last week and has a chance if leading round.
As ever on a Friday evening we have Romford and Sunderland live on RPGTV from 7.15pm, the London Road Circuit Romford stages a decent all open race card with races over two, four, six and eight bends – there's a little bit of something for everyone!.
The first race to highlight is the Romford Friday Night 500 Maiden Final at 9.06, Bolton Steel (T2) from the Pat Janssen kennel showed plenty of pace on Romford debut last week and rates as a major runner, the son of Vans Escalade has some flying sectionals at Shelbourne Park and the early paced railer has a chance with one of his better breaks. Rearguard Bond (T1) looks well drawn in the 9.24 and the Henlow raider looks the likely leader and winner of the Marathon Final over the eight bend 750 meter trip.
A little later on look out for Swift Tiler on six bend debut in the 9.40 from T4. The Dave Mullins trained youngster has decent form over the four bend 400 meter trip and has always looks the type to do ever better once stepped up in trip, lead round and it's race on. Swift Betsey (T6) is a little inconsistent but is more than capable of taking a race like this on a going day.


At Hilton, we are always testing new initiatives and programs to see what works best for all of our guests and owners. This past November, we began testing a new cancellation policy at select hotels, given late cancellations have historically created challenges for both our guests and owners. At this time, we have collected the data we need from this test and have ended the trial to evaluate the results.
In late 2015 Hilton announced that it would be unrolling a new fee--$50 to cancel a room reservation. But, there is a simple way to become exempt from that rule.
Though the hotel chain has made it clear they're beta-testing the cancellation fee in only a small sampling of properties, members of the brand's loyalty program, Hilton HHonors, don't have to deal with the fee yet. (This, of course, could totally change, but the backlash would most likely be swift and severe.) At least it doesn't cost anything to sign up for a Hilton HHonors membership.
Nonetheless it's aggravating that they're going against the industry standard. Hotels are typically pretty lax about cancellations, usually giving travelers until the day before to bail for good.
The test is a $50 charge when a reservation is cancelled any time after booking; however, if a cancellation is made after 11:59 p.m. the night before the stay begins, then the current policy of a charge of one night's room rate and tax will still be in effect for all guests.
I guess too many people have caught on to the fact it's possible to rebook a hotel reservation and then cancel it ad infinitum. Oops.


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Notes & news: Kiribati – New Caledonia – Sargasso Sea – New Zealand – MPA poll – Great Barrier Reef – MPA advocacy toolkit – MPA advisory committee
by John Davis | May 19, 2014
Kiribati to close Phoenix Islands Protected Area to commercial fishing at end of 2014
The Kiribati government has approved a plan to close the country's 408,250-km2 Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) to commercial fishing by the start of 2015. The decision, made on 29 January 2014, marks a significant leap in protection for PIPA. At present, just 12% of the site is closed to purse seining, the predominant commercial fishing industry in the region (MPA News 15:1). PIPA covers roughly one-ninth of Kiribati's 3.5-million km2 EEZ.
"This is a milestone achievement of the Republic of Kiribati, especially due to the fact the nation has no land-based resources, and has only its seas to rely on for economic growth and for survival of its 110,000 citizens," says Betarim Rimon, PIPA information officer. Kiribati's revenue comes largely from selling fishing licenses to foreign tuna fleets. The purpose of the full closure is to help conserve the regionally and globally important tuna stocks, as PIPA waters include significant spawning grounds.
Until the decision to close PIPA to commercial fishing, a unique financing arrangement underpinned the site's protection: the "reverse fishing license". This arrangement tied the gradual phase-out of commercial fishing in PIPA to the raising of funds. The more money that was received in PIPA's endowment, the more of the site would be placed off-limits to commercial fishing.
In April 2014, Kiribati, Conservation International, and the New England Aquarium formally agreed that there will be no net loss in Kiribati revenue due to the full closure of PIPA to commercial fishing. For this to happen, the PIPA endowment must be capitalized sufficiently to pay back the Government for any loss in revenue it incurs. Currently the endowment holds US $2.5 million from the Kiribati government and an equivalent amount from Conservation International. Other private donors have reportedly agreed to add more funds to the endowment from the start of 2015.
A brief announcement by PIPA of the government's January 2014 decision is at www.phoenixislands.org/shownews.php?newsId=88.
New Caledonia officially designates 1.3 million-km2 MPA
Following its announcements in 2012 and 2013 that it intended to designate a large MPA in its EEZ, the government of the French territory of New Caledonia has made it official. In May 2014, the government designated the Coral Sea Natural Park, which encompasses the country's entire 1.3 million-km2 EEZ. It is the largest protected area in the world, marine or terrestrial.
The MPA will be zoned for multi-use, and a management plan will be developed over the next three years. Fishing is expected to be allowed to some extent, and seabed mining has also been discussed (MPA News 14:2). The government's announcement (in French) is at www.affmar.gouv.nc/portal/page/portal/affmar/librairie/fichiers/26348255.PDF.
Nations sign declaration to conserve Sargasso Sea
In March 2014, the governments of Bermuda, the Azores, Monaco, the UK, and the US signed a declaration committing to the conservation of the Sargasso Sea, a vast area of the subtropical North Atlantic. The Sargasso Sea supports a range of endemic species, and most of it lies in waters beyond national jurisdiction. The non-binding declaration seeks protection for the sea using international bodies that regulate areas beyond national jurisdiction, such as the International Maritime Organization, regional fisheries authorities, and the Convention on Migratory Species. A link to the declaration is at www.sargassoalliance.org/hamilton-declaration.
New Zealand designates three new subantarctic marine reserves
New Zealand has designated three new marine reserves surrounding the Antipodes, Bounty, and Campbell Islands in the nation's remote subantarctic waters. Together the reserves cover 4350 km2 and comprise critical breeding sites for marine mammals and seabirds. No fishing, mining, or petroleum exploration will be allowed inside the reserve boundaries. The Government stated the new reserves expand the protected portion of New Zealand's territorial sea from 7.1% to 9.5%, although conservationists noted less than 1% of New Zealand's entire national waters (including the EEZ) is fully protected. Information on each of the reserves is at www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/southland/subantarctic-islands.
Study: New Zealand public thinks 30% of marine environment is no-take
The New Zealand public believes that roughly 30% of the nation's waters are protected in no-take areas, whereas less than 1% of the waters actually are. This is one finding of a series of surveys of the New Zealand public on marine conservation issues; the survey results were published in Marine Policy journal this year (www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X14000062). The study points out that similar public knowledge gaps about MPA coverage have been identified elsewhere, including in the US and UK.
Updates on Great Barrier Reef and coal port expansion
This June, the annual meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will decide whether to add the Great Barrier Reef to its list of World Heritage in Danger, a year after expressing continued concern to the Australian and Queensland governments over the level of coastal development adjacent to the reef (MPA News 15:1).
Earlier this year, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority approved a government proposal to dump three million cubic meters of dredge spoils inside the marine park area (http://bit.ly/abbotpointdecision). The dredge spoils would be produced during the significant expansion of a coal export terminal next to the park. A preparatory document for the upcoming UNESCO meeting (http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2014/whc14-38com-7B-en.pdf) indicates concern that the government's dredge plan disregards less impacting disposal options.
Meanwhile, the Mackay Conservation Group, a Queensland-based NGO, has filed suit against the Australian government over the dumping plan, saying the plan violates a federal obligation to protect World Heritage sites (www.mackayconservationgroup.org.au/mcg_in_court).
Toolkit available for advocacy of MPAs
WWF has launched a website that aims to assist MPA practitioners, advocates, communicators and other professionals involved in MPA establishment and management. Called the MPA Advocacy Toolkit, it includes a wide array of reports, infographics, videos, and other resources to support arguments in favor of MPAs. The toolkit is for registered use only. Register at www.mpaaction.org.The toolkit will be updated regularly with new material. If you have relevant material to add or suggestions for improving the toolkit, please contact the toolkit team at info@mpaaction.org.
Seeking nominations for new members of MPA Federal Advisory Committee
The (US) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is seeking nominations to fill ten vacancies on the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee for 2014. The committee advises the Departments of Commerce and the Interior on the development and implementation of a national system of MPAs to connect and strengthen the nation's MPA programs. Nominations for representatives of ocean industries; commercial and recreational fishing; Tribal and/or Pacific Islanders; State coastal or ocean agencies; natural and social science; cultural resource management; non-consumptive uses; and conservation interests are sought by 30 May 2014.
Self-nominations are accepted. Details on the nominations are at http://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/fac/membership.


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Amed Rosario: Teenage Breakout Candidate
by Nathaniel Stoltz
Analyzing prospects in short-season leagues can often be a confusing and fruitless endeavor. All three of pro baseball's three large development hurdles–the jump to full-season ball, the jump to the upper minors, and the jump to the majors–remain in front of such players, and projecting how raw 17-21-year-olds are going to handle those difficult transitions years down the line cannot be done with much certainty. Still, there are plenty of relevant prospects in the short-season circuits, and today I'm going to discuss the first of a few that I personally viewed in the Rookie-Advanced Appalachian League in 2013: Mets shortstop prospect Amed Rosario.
Rosario had the distinction of being named the top prospect in the Appy by Baseball America, which immediately pegs him as someone to watch. So does his birth date: November 20, 1995. He was the youngest position player to open the year at the Rookie-Advanced level, which says a lot about how advanced he is for his age, even if the numbers he posted (.241/.279/.358 with a 43/11 K/BB, 3 HR, 2 SB, and a .941 fielding percentage in 58 games) veer closer to "problematic" than "exciting."
But a player's ranking on prospect lists and his raw numbers (particularly at such a low level at such a young age) do little to shed light on what sort of player he may become. For that, we have to turn to visual evidence.
Okay, three fielding plays and seven plate appearances isn't exactly the most complete visual evidence, but it's a starting point, and there's quite a bit that can be gleaned from this.
First off, Rosario has an athletic 6'2″ frame–his listing of 170 pounds is probably fairly accurate, though he may be closer to 180 at this point. Either way, he has natural athleticism and fluid actions, and he still has plenty of room to fill out and add strength to his frame. He's not a burner type, as evidenced by his 2-for-5 showing on the basepaths this year, but there are plenty of guys who stick at shortstop without plus straight-line speed–think of Andrelton Simmons, Yunel Escobar, J.J. Hardy, Zack Cozart, Pete Kozma, Troy Tulowitzki, Stephen Drew, Brandon Crawford, or Jhonny Peralta, who all stole single-digit numbers of bases this year but were above-average defensive shortstops per UZR. You can see from the video that Rosario is not without range, and he has a playable arm. Like many young teenage infielders, his biggest defensive issue is a tendency to try to do too much, attempting to make difficult throws on plays that he doesn't have a shot at the runner. The .941 fielding percentage looks bad, but it's not out of the ordinary for players at this level–it ranked ninth out of the thirteen Appy shortstops who played at least 20 games at the position, and had he fielded .942 instead of .941, he would have been tied for seventh. Given how much younger Rosario was compared to almost all the other shortstops in the circuit, being at the back of the middle of the pack in error rate isn't bad.
While it's too early to say that he'll definitively stick at shortstop–so much of that depends on how his body evolves–it's safe to say that Rosario will have some defensive value. At worst, he's probably an average defensive third baseman, which would still give him a slightly positive FanGraphs Defense number.
What about the other side of the ball, though? Obviously, projecting to be solid or better with the glove is nice, but Rosario's going to have to hit a whole lot better than .241/.279/.358 to be much of a contributor. A .295 wOBA doesn't exactly scream "impact player" regardless of position, especially for fantasy purposes.
But then you see this…
…and it's easy to discount the mediocre production.
That's Rosario taking a 91-mph first-pitch moving fastball on the outer half from Clayton Crum and driving it out of the ballpark to the opposite field. You don't see players do that much even in Low-A, let alone at the Rookie level, and it's especially intriguing to see such a display from a player so young and who isn't just a big power masher type.
Watch how long Rosario waits before he starts his swing. He has very impressive bat speed, and thus can sit back on pitches for much of their flight path and still get his bat to the ball. They say "you can't walk off the island," and Rosario's 4.9% walk rate might paint him as an adherent to this dogma, but his approach actually seems fairly patient–he offers at just nine of the 23 pitches in the video. He also struck out just 19% of the time, a testament to his advanced ability to make contact. His .118 ISO isn't too bad for a shortstop, and power could become a significant element of his game as he continues to settle into pro ball and refine and develop his swing, approach, and skillset.
What holds Rosario back right now is inconsistency in a number of areas. If power is going to be a major force in his game, he's going to have to turn on the ball more. Most of his contact in the video seems to come to center and right field. It's definitely a positive that he's not leaning out on pitches on the outer half and trying to pull them, but he'll need to learn how to rip pitches on the inner half to left field if he's going to be a consistent power threat. Here's a heat map of his contact in 2013, per Daren Willman's great MLBFarm site:
It seems that most of Rosario's contact to the left side is on the ground, whereas his line drives and fly balls come to center and right. Per his spray chart, just one of his fifteen extra-base hits went to left field, with nine to center and five to right. Just three of his 34 flyouts were caught by left fielders, as well.
A major part of the problem is Rosario's tendency to lose his posture during his swing, extending his hands too far and leaning out at the ball. Compare the homer off of Crum with his flyout to the same part of the field in the at-bat immediately preceding it:
In the home run clip, Rosario stays very stable and upright, allowing his hands to rip through the hitting zone and sting the ball. Here, his right shoulder is dipping down all the way through the swing, giving him less explosion through the ball and looping underneath it. It's obviously very tough to do anything with inside pitches from this position, and when Rosario dips his shoulder like this, he's cutting off a lot of the advantages that his quick hands give him. Thankfully, this is very fixable, and Rosario has years to fix it. If he can be more consistent in his posture and cut out the shoulder movement, his bat speed should play more consistently and make him above-average in both contact and power.
Like most young hitters, Rosario will occasionally get overaggressive and pull off the ball:
The funny thing about this swing is that this is roughly what Rosario should do against pitches middle-away on in–stay tall and let the hands rip through the hitting zone. His posture here is much better than in the .gif above. The problem, of course, is that Tim Mayza's pitch here is a fastball that starts on the outside corner and tails off of it, rendering the pull-oriented path of Rosario's swing dramatically misguided. Two pitches later, Mayza came inside with a breaking ball and Rosario reverted to his shoulder-dipping ways:
Clearly, there's a lack of consistency here. Rosario stayed tall on a pitch off the plate away, then leaned out over a pitch inside. As I stated earlier, he's not a total hacker at the plate, but his pitch recognition skills aren't all that refined yet, and so he occasionally can have head-scratching sequences like this. Here's another swinging strike on a breaking pitch, this one a slider from Bluefield righthander Brady Dragmire:
This is a well-located two-strike offering, and Rosario again fails to stay consistent with his mechanics, stepping slightly in the bucket and relying on that shoulder drop to get his bat to the outside corner. He doesn't use his lower half much here, throwing him out of whack and causing his back foot to fly up after the swing.
In sum, Rosario is a player who already shows a diverse skillset. He has bat speed to burn, and his size and strength give him the potential to provide above-average power for a middle infielder. He's also fairly polished for a 17-year-old, as evidenced by his ability to demonstrate his tools against much older competition in 2013. On the flip side, there's a lot for him to work on, but it's all just a matter of slowing the game down, refining, and gaining consistency rather than innate athletic deficiencies, and he has a lot of time to smooth out those rough edges, to say the least. He has a long way to go, but his ranking as one of the top short-season prospects is well-deserved, and I expect his raw statistics to improve in 2014 with a year of adjustments and reps under his belt. Rosario should already be a target for deep-league dynasty owners looking to jump on the best of the newest crop of international prospect, and he's still a player to track for those in shallower prospect formats, as he's a definite 2014 breakout candidate.
Playoff Performers Could See a Boost in Value
Franklin and Ackley Left a Mess at 2B
Nathaniel Stoltz is a prospect writer for FanGraphs. A resident of Bowie, MD and University of Maryland graduate student, he frequently views prospects in the Carolina and South Atlantic Leagues. He can be followed on Twitter at @stoltz_baseball.
This is really great stuff! Rosario types are the most exciting to follow, with so many different outcomes possible. As a Met fan I hope he puts it all together ASAP, but I could easily see a real divisive prospect here…


The Aboriginal Community Funeral Plan is based in Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. The Plan is part of a group of companies – ACBF Group of Companies – that has been providing funeral cover for Indigenous persons around Australia for 20 years.
The companies have over 25,000 clients across Australia and have been able to help hundreds of families with the funeral and related expenses of a loved one who had taken out funeral cover.
*Disclaimer: The Plan is run by a private company which is not connected with or sponsored by any governmental or similar body or any Aboriginal organisation.


I love this thermometer I received from Influenster. Probably one of the best things I have ever received to review.
The above pic is of us testing it out, but let me tell you it came in handy over the holidays. Turtle, Riot and then Squish all fell ill with the flu that has been running rapid. I was able to check on all three of them all through the night and did not have to worry about waking them up. Its really a lifesaver. As a mom, I can not say enough good things about this. If you don't have one already, seriously, run - don't walk - to your nearest Walgreens and get it!
I received the Braun Forehead Thermometer from Influenster for testing purposes only. All opionions are my own.


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Liam Payne parties in Las Vegas amid baby rumours and days after Cheryl's divorce is finalised
The 1D star even took to the stage to sing vocals for DJ Zedd at newly opened Intrigue nightclub
Liam partied up a storm in Vegas
It looked like Liam Payne had a lot to celebrate as he partied in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
The One Direction singer well and truly let his hair down as he hit Intrigue club where DJ Zedd was behind the decks.
An excited Liam – who has been in Los Angeles to work on music – shared a sultry black and white selfie ahead of his visit to Sin City, writing: "It's about to get lit #Vegas."
The star even took to the stage to sing vocals for Selena Gomez's rumoured former flame, with Zedd writing: "Thanks to my dawg Liam for coming out last night and saving my life on the mic while my laptop crashed."
After he wrapped his night up, Liam then gave a shout out to the DJ on social media.
"Great fun tonight impromptu sing along with my brother @zedd let's get it #vegas ."
Liam's big weekend comes days after girlfriend Cheryl and her ex Jean Bernard were granted a decree in a 14-second court hearing in London.
Cheryl had cited Jean Bernards's unreasonable behaviour as the reason for divorce, saying it caused "stress and weight loss".
He is understood to have signed a gagging order preventing him talking about their relationship.
JB now aims to relocate to London to open a restaurant and told pals: "I just want to move on with my life."
Cheryl is widely rumoured to be expecting her first child with the 1D star
The former X Factor judge married JB in July 2014 on the Caribbean island of Mustique just six months after they first met.
Meanwhile, it's widely rumoured the Girls Aloud star is expecting her first child with Liam.
She was recently spotted at a L'Oreal event in Paris sporting what appeared to be a rounded tummy, prompting One Direction fans to go into meltdown.


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Rick Perry's obfuscation
Posted on September 24, 2011 by Sailorcurt
I just left the below as a comment on another blog. Rather than write the same thing in a slightly different way over here, I'm just going to copy and paste it.
The comment was in response to this:
I do not totally agree with Governor Perry's stand on In-State tuition, but at least he never prescribed this policy at a National level; nor did he disavow his opinion – he defended it. That I can respect.
What I can't respect…and I've been meaning to blog about this since I heard him being interviewed by Hannity on the radio on the way home from work but haven't had time…is his continual use of meretricious arguments to defend this action.
"You don't have a heart" is not a defensible position.
Appeal to emotion.
He keeps insisting that if they deny in-state tuition that these poor illegal aliens will become a drain on society.
So he's saying that no one without a college education (like…say…me for example) is a contributing member of society? Or even that a large number aren't?
Strawman.
He implies that if they don't go to college and inevitably end up on the public dole, they will be a drain on society. Um…they're illegal aliens…how could they get on the public dole in the first place?
He keeps saying that they are in the state through no fault of their own, so they shouldn't be punished by their parents choices.
So a kid who's parents live in Kentucky has a choice about it?
A kid who's parent is in the military, stationed in Texas, but still an official resident of another state, isn't deserving of the same consideration? The military brat is at fault but the illegal alien kid isn't?
Double bonus points for combining a strawman with an appeal to emotion.
His insistence that this is a "state issue" and has no bearing on national politics would be true…if he weren't running for President. It's not a question of whether this law and decision were legal or not, it's a question of whether the decision was RIGHT or not. It speaks to his judgement and, therefore, absolutely IS relevant to his Presidential bid.
We're all just meanies who don't want to accept people with last names that sound a certain way.
argumentum ad hominem.
I COULD have respected him even though I disagree with the decision he made IF he had addressed this issue in one of two ways: Either explain his reasoning for the decision in logical, clear terms without resorting to such transparently disingenuous rationalizations, OR if he can't logically defend the decision, admit that it was a mistake.
He's done neither and simply tries to evade it through underhanded and deceitful debate tactics.
Nope…no respect here. He's lost my vote in the primary on that alone.
By the way…as an addendum to that comment: I'd already pretty much ruled out Perry as a result of his insistence that he sees no problem at all with legislating by fiat and undermining individual liberty as long as he can rationalize it as "erring on the side of life". This issue just pretty much underscored it for me.
And for the record, yes I realize Romney's doing the same thing vis a vis "Romneycare" and, had he not already lost my vote due to his history of supporting gun control and just being a RINO in general, he would have over that as well.
For me, the field is narrowing. I'm actually disappointed that I can't support Perry. He's reportedly great on one of my primary issues, but I'm not a single issue voter.
It's basically down to Herman Cain or Michelle Bachmann.
I have to admit that I'm leaning toward Cain. I'm still concerned about his lack of experience…and apparent lack of an articulable platform…on foreign policy, but I think he has the economic and business background we need on the domestic front and I believe he has the acumen to surround himself with people who can guide him in the areas he's lacking.
Bachmann is still a viable candidate in my mind…I haven't written her off by any means, but considering that her only job experience before running for congress was as an IRS agent…I'm skeptical that she has the background needed for a cohesive and effective economic policy.
Again, as with past posts on the subject, I'm willing to discuss it.
This entry was posted in Politics by Sailorcurt. Bookmark the permalink.
6 thoughts on "Rick Perry's obfuscation"
KurtP on September 24, 2011 at 4:17 am said:
Perry's been my Governor now for going on 12(?) years- since W went to DeeCee.
He has some tunnel vision in his policies, but over all he's done good for Texas.
Texas has a weak governor system, so he's had to do what he can through the Lege.
He was wrong on Gardasil (even though there was an opt-out provision MICHELE) and accepted his citizens slapdown.
He tried to get the Trans Texas Corridor through, but was shut down- along with his love of toll roads (for badly needed highways).
He also has kept our budget withing reason and we still have a billion dollars in 'rainy day' funds. No matter what the TEA union says.
Our kids are testing at the average level (or above in racial rankings) despite the lack of the teachers union stranglehold of tax dollars.
I know that the RINO Romney has had some hits on him, but Perry was a dem (before he saw the light), and knows how to fight them.
Sailorcurt on September 24, 2011 at 5:03 am said:
You make some good points.
None of which, however, address my misgivings.
I'm not questioning whether he's done some good things or not. Of course he has. That's not the point.
The whole "opt out" debate is minutia and a distraction. What makes the Gardasil thing an issue is Perry's insistence that he did the right thing. He now claims that he went about it the wrong way, but is that because HE believes it, or because he believes the majority of US do?
The bottom line is that he still insists that the ends justifies the means. That government mandates, whether through executive fiat, or the legislative process, are perfectly fine with him as long as the goal is to "always err on the side of life".
Using that criteria, I'm assuming he'd be perfectly fine with the government mandating that we all eat our vegetables and take flintstone vitamins with breakfast.
I'm sorry, but that flies in the face of the entire concept of freedom. The proper answer is to always err on the side of individual liberty (and, in this case, parental rights).
He's flat wrong on this one and his inability to see that is worrisome to me.
Add the disingenuous evasion of the issues on the illegal immigrant tuition thing and that's pretty much the ball game.
Either he's being dishonest with us, or he actually believes that those policies are the correct ones (in spite of the fact that he can't make a fact based, logical argument as to why). Either option is unacceptable to me.
Paladin on September 24, 2011 at 12:20 pm said:
Perry's approach to illegal immigration is one of the few areas that turn me off to him. Don't know if it will be enough to deny him my vote or not, though.
I hate that I have to look at the big picture when it comes to Primary voting, but I do. If it were just two people running for the nomination I could easily just pick the candidate that was closest to my heart/mind. I have to consider, though, who else in the field is running and what their chances are.
I DO NOT want Romney to be the GOP Nominee. – Period. (though I would vote for him in the general elec. against any lib opponent). That being said I have to consider whether my vote for Bachman or Cain might result indeed in Perry loosing the nomination but also in Romney winning. Some percentage of conservative voters will bail on Perry and cast their votes elsewhere over this issue. I don't really see most of those folks turning around and voting for Romney. They'll cast their votes instead for Bachman or Cain.
I suppose if it were a huge shift, there's a chance that one of those candidates might garner enough juice to win the nomination. However, I think its far more likely that Perry's numbers would go down a bit. Bachman/Cain numbers up a bit. And Romney reaps the benefit of Perry's split numbers.
I don't want to cut off my nose to spite my face and wake up to Romney as "my guy". Sucks that elections work that way, but it is what it is.
I often wonder why so many people allow other people to decide who they're going to vote for.
Why is it that Cain and Bachmann have no chance and if you vote for them, you're "throwing your vote away" or "helping Romney win?"
Is it because the media tells us so? Because everyone knows how trustworthy and unbiased they are right?
Because of the polls? You know…the things used to tell us that 75% of NRA members support gun bans and outlawing private transfers of personally owned goods?
Sorry, but the only opinion that matters to me is mine, and the only poll that matters is the one that's taken at the ballot box.
If you choose to allow others to dictate to you who you're allowed to vote for, that's fine. May your chains rest lightly. As for me: my voting options are limited only by my own personal beliefs and choices…not by someone else's declaration of who is a legitimate candidate or who has the best opportunity to win.
KurtP on September 25, 2011 at 8:34 pm said:
I'm still p1ssed about the last election because by the time we (in Texas and the other 50% of states) got to vote in the primaries, Thompson had quit and all we had the rest.
I will NOT vote for someone who lost to John McCain.
Now that you mention it, having lost to John McCain in the Republican Primary isn't exactly a glowing endorsement of your Republican creds, is it?