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St. Elias the Prophet Greek Orthodox Church
A witness of historic Christianity in Dubuque
Proclaiming the Good News: Christ is risen!
A presence of Sacramental Healing
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St. Elias Church is the only Orthodox Christian Church in the Tri-State Area. We are in the Metropolis of Chicago of the Greek Archdiocese of America, which is an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Orthodox Church is the original Christian Church founded by Jesus Christ on Pentecost (Acts 2) and continued by his Apostles. It is the One, Holy, Catholic (universal), and Apostolic Church described in the Nicene Creed. It is the same Church described in the Bible as the Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ (1 Corinthians 12: 27; Ephesians 5: 23–25). Throughout its 2000-year history, Orthodox Christianity has remained faithful to the teachings and practices passed on from the Apostles and early Church Fathers (2 Thessalonians 2: 15). In accordance with Scripture, it has maintained its unity and oneness since the beginning (John 17:11, 21-23; Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 1:13, 12:12; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 4:3-6; Colossians 3:15).
The Orthodox Church today is an invaluable treasury of the rich liturgical tradition from the earliest centuries of Christianity. The sense of the sacred, the beauty and grandeur of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy make the presence of heaven on earth live and intensive. Orthodox Church art and music have a very functional role in liturgical life and help even the bodily senses to feel the spiritual grandeur of the Lord's mysteries.
We welcome you to worship with us. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
Services Schedule
Sundays -
Divine Liturgy, 10:30 am (2005 Asbury Rd., Dubuque)
Sunday School -
1st and 3rd Sunday of every month, following communion.
Bible Study –
1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 10:00 am (at parish house, 1075 Rockdale Rd., Dubuque)
St. Elias Church is dedicated to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in accordance with the Orthodox Christian tradition.
We seek to fulfill our mission by:
SUPPORTING the Church's ministries through stewardship of time, talent, and treasure.
HELPING one another and our community through service and charitable outreach.
AFFIRMING a new life in Christ by living Orthodox Christian morals and virtues.
PROVIDING a welcoming, caring, and loving environment for all.
EMBRACING the spiritual life of the Orthodox Church through regular prayer, worship, and frequent participation in the sacraments.
ESTABLISHING a communion of friendship and fellowship for members and their families.
http://www.stelias.ia.goa...
frdunstanlyon@mail.goarch.org
1075 Rockdale Rd.
Rev. Fr. Dustin M. Lyon, Presiding Priest (Proistamenos)
Number of Staff:
How has St. Elias been a good family member of the larger Dubuque Community?
By taking our ministry out among the people:
St. Elias participates in the Dubuque Circle's Initiative, which helps families break the cycle of poverty.
St. Elias members raised over $800 for the annual Dubuque Crop Walk, which helps ends hunger in our world.
St. Elias makes regular donations to the Dubuque Food Pantry, helping those less fortunate.
Through the St. Elias garage sale, we were able to make donations to the Dubuque Rescue Mission Thrift Stores, which will benefit the homeless.
St. Elias also works towards a greater community through inter-religious cooperation and friendship through the Children of Abraham dialogue, and the Dubuque Area Congregations United.
St. Elias also participates in the Operation Christmas Child program providing Christmas presents for children around the world.
Fund Name:
St. Elias the Prophet Greek Orthodox Church Endowment Fund
Type of Fund:
Endowed, Designated
Learn more about Fund Types
Email Wendy Sweeney
Can't find the information you're looking for? Call the Community Foundation at 563-588-2700 or contact us.
Donateto our fund
Donations to this Fund are Eligible for the
Endow Iowa 25% State Tax Credit
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Next: St. John's Lutheran Matthew 28:19 Endowment
Community Impact Fund
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Community Foundation of Jackson County Endowment
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Forums » General Help and Questions » Under Property list -- what is the last column.
Under Property list -- what is the last column.
When you click on 'Properties' and get the list of your properties, in the right column there is a number and dollar amount. What is that? Is it the potential you can make in a year at 100% occupancy?
I believe that's the total number of bookings (and booking amount) you've got for that property to date. Like a general global total. The reports show a hell of a lot more, so I'm not sure what the point of that is.


Let the new Torrent 2 Debris Blower take your cleanup to a new level of productivity. It delivers uprecedented control over air speed, air direction, noise management and fuel consumption. It has both a wireless handheld controller and the optional onboard controls, that feature our unique instant idle/resume button and air speed controls.


text:
Q: filter filenames in R according to pattern I have a list of files in a directory with the format
Firstname-Lastname-DateofBirth-ID.pdf

for example Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-5555.pdf
The ID is up to now a 4 digit number but it can be a 5 or 6 digit in the future.
i have a vector of IDs, whose corresponding pdf files I would like to move to another directory
I would like R to read the list of files in directory , identify from the filename the ID, check if the ID is in the vectors of IDs to move and if yes move the file.
I can do the latter part with an if() , %in% and system(). How can do the filtering?
tidyverse solution preferred.
Excuse me if I cannot provide a reproducible example. However, just the reading of the filenames and extraction of the ID from the filename alone would help.

A: Suppose we have the following text files in the current working directory.
$ ls *.txt

Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-11.txt
Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-88.txt
Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-4444.txt
Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-5555.txt
Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-123456.txt

And I want to move files with ID 111, 222, 5555, 88 and 123456 to a folder in the current wd named dest. So we can do the following,
library(fs)
library(stringr)

# grab the text files
files <- fs::dir_ls(".", glob = "*.txt")
id_to_move <- c(111, 222, 5555, 88, 123456)

# match the pattern which files we need to move.
files_to_move <- files[str_extract(files, "(?<=-)\\w+(?=.txt)") %in% id_to_move]

# move the file.
fs::file_move(files_to_move, "dest")

$ ls dest

Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-123456.txt
Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-5555.txt
Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-88.txt

A: with base R:
    filelist <- list.files(pattern = "*.csv")

    filelist
    [[1]]
    [1] "Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-11.pdf"

    [[2]]
    [1] "Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-88.pdf"

    [[3]]
    [1] "Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-4444.pdf"

    [[4]]
    [1] "Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-5555.pdf"

    [[5]]
    [1] "Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-123456.pdf"

idsToMove <- c(1111, 2222, 3333, 4444, 5555)

toMove <- filelist[sapply(filelist, FUN = \(x) strsplit(x=x, split = "-|.pdf", perl=TRUE)[[1]][4] %in% idsToMove)]

> toMove
[[1]]
[1] "Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-4444.pdf"

[[2]]
[1] "Tom-Hanks-01.01.1960-5555.pdf"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text: Q: What happened to the Witch King's Ring? After the battle when the Witch King of Angmar was defeated his helm and clothing remain.  At this point he either died or dissipated into a bodiless form.   If he was wearing one of the Nine Rings, where did it go after the battle.  If not, is there any evidence of where these were kept?


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Some of the beautiful things I saw while sightseeing with Margie.
She'll be going back home to the snow very early tomorrow morning.
I will miss her so much! It was such a special privilege to get to spend time with her.
She is the sweetest, kindest & most generous soul I've encountered.


* The Stone Elemental cannot attack either in melee or ranged combat, even in group combat. It defends normally.
* A Stone Elemental located adjacent to a portcullis can break it for 1 AP. It can do this an unlimited number of times during the game. A portcullis broken by the Stone Elemental cannot be closed again (even by the Thief).
* A Stone Elemental can pass under the Falling Rocks, without being harmed.
* A Stone Elemental which ends his movement on the falling rocks square destroys the Falling Rocks. The square is considered for the remainder of the game to be a floor square without danger, but is still not considered a normal floor square.


text:
Stellar Development Foundation Announces Exclusive Partnership with Elliptic
Elliptic Today Launches the World's First Stellar Transaction Monitoring System
SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, 2020 — The Stellar Development Foundation announced today the signing of an exclusive partnership with Elliptic, the leading provider of crypto-asset risk management solutions for crypto businesses and financial institutions. Launched today, Elliptic's world-first XLM transaction and wallet screening capabilities will bring further confidence and safety to the Stellar network.
"Elliptic sets the global standard in preventing, detecting and actively pursuing criminal activity in this emerging industry," said Denelle Dixon, CEO and Executive Director of the Stellar Development Foundation. "Combining their services with the built-in compliance functionality of the Stellar network, we are empowering crypto businesses and financial institutions with stronger tools to manage risk and operate with transparency and accountability."
Elliptic's monitoring, compliance, and analysis software now incorporates support for XLM, the native asset of Stellar. These software tools enable financial institutions, businesses, and regulators to identify a full range of illicit activities, from small scale fraud schemes to money laundering, sanctions evasion, and terrorist financing. This work will also enable the rapid addition to Elliptic's platform of other Stellar-based assets such as stablecoins - supporting the wider ecosystem.
"This partnership will help businesses fulfil their compliance needs when building on top of this powerful network" said Simone Maini, CEO of Elliptic. "As regulations mature, it will become increasingly important for crypto-asset issuers and platform developers to enable their users to stay compliant if adoption is to grow. The Stellar Development Foundation has been ahead of the curve in working with Elliptic on this."
Cryptocurrency exchanges, major financial institutions, and government agencies rely on Elliptic's AML compliance software and forensic and investigative services to analyze billions of dollars in crypto transactions every month. Elliptic's best-in-class team of data scientists, forensic investigators, and crypto-technologists focus on setting the standard in detecting and investigating cryptocurrency-enabled financial crime.
Elliptic has spent the last several months building the necessary infrastructure and integration with Stellar to support the network. Elliptic analysts will engage in ongoing dark web research, identification of money laundering patterns and the collection of high-quality data linking XLM accounts to known entities. This partnership establishes Elliptic as the preferred provider of these services to Stellar-based businesses. These services are available today, April 30, 2020.
Lauren Thorbjornsen, [email protected]
Sacha Lowenthal, [email protected]
About Elliptic
Elliptic is the global leader in crypto-asset risk management solutions for crypto businesses and financial institutions worldwide. Backed by investors including Wells Fargo Strategic Capital, SBI Group, and Santander Innoventures, Elliptic has assessed risk on transactions worth several trillion dollars, uncovering activities related to money laundering, terrorist fundraising, fraud, and other financial crimes. Elliptic is headquartered in London with offices in New York, Singapore, and Tokyo. To learn more, visit www.elliptic.co and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Stellar
Stellar is a decentralized, fast, scalable, and uniquely sustainable network for financial products and services. It is both a cross-currency transaction system and a platform for digital asset issuance, designed to connect the world's financial infrastructure. Dozens of financial institutions worldwide issue assets and settle payments on the Stellar network, which has grown to over 4 million accounts.
About the Stellar Development Foundation
The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) is a non-profit organization that supports the development and growth of Stellar, an open-source network that connects the world's financial infrastructure. Founded in 2014, the Foundation helps maintain Stellar's codebase, supports the technical and business communities building on the network, and serves as a voice to regulators and institutions. The Foundation seeks to create equitable access to the global financial system, using the Stellar network to unlock the world's economic potential through blockchain technology.

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Call Samsian Ltd today on 01732 885882 or use our contact form to find out more.


text:
Cholesterol levels linked to brain deposits that cause Alzheimer's
Published	 Tuesday 31 December 2014	 Published	Tue 31 Dec 2014
High good and low bad cholesterol are not just good for the heart but also the brain, suggests new research published in JAMA Neurology.
Study leader Bruce Reed, a professor of neurology at the University of California (UC) Davis, and associate director of its Alzheimer's Disease Center, says:
"Our study shows that both higher levels of HDL - good - and lower levels of LDL - bad - cholesterol in the bloodstream are associated with lower levels of amyloid plaque deposits in the brain."
He explains that while we already have long-standing evidence of raised cholesterol linked to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's, their study is the first to link it to amyloid plaques in the brains of living people.
Prof. Reed says:
"Unhealthy patterns of cholesterol could be directly causing the higher levels of amyloid known to contribute to Alzheimer's, in the same way that such patterns promote heart disease."
The latest research found that high 'good' and low 'bad' cholesterol levels were associated with a lower risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.
The study participants were 74 men and women aged 70 and over who were attending the Alzheimer's Disease Center, stroke clinics, and community senior facilities.
The group included three people with mild dementia, 38 with mild cognitive impairment, and 33 who were cognitively normal.
All the participants had fasting blood tests and underwent brain PET scans where amyloid plaques were highlighted using a radioactive tracer that binds to them.
When they analyzed the results of the blood tests and brain scans, the researchers found that higher levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL) were linked to more amyloid plaques in the brain.
The findings were independent of age or presence of the E4 variant of the ApoE gene, which has been linked to some forms of Alzheimer's.
Control cholesterol to keep brain healthy later in life
In the US, a level of 60 milligrams (mg) of HDL cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood or higher is considered protective against heart disease, and for LDL cholesterol, a level of 100 mg/dL is considered optimal, with 70 mg/dL or lower recommended for people at very high risk of heart disease.
Study co-author Charles DeCarli, also a professor of neurology at UC Davis and director of its Alzheimer's Disease Center, says their findings are a "wake-up call" in that not only can people improve their chances of keeping their brains healthy later in life by controlling their blood pressure, but also by controlling their cholesterol:
"If you have an LDL above 100 or an HDL that is less than 40, even if you're taking a statin drug, you want to make sure that you are getting those numbers into alignment. You have to get the HDL up and the LDL down."
Guidelines issued recently from expert bodies in the US have suggested LDL targets should be abandoned where heart health is concerned.
But Prof. Reed believes their findings point to an exception to the old adage that says what is good for the heart is good for the brain:
"This study provides a reason to certainly continue cholesterol treatment in people who are developing memory loss regardless of concerns regarding their cardiovascular health."
"It also suggests a method of lowering amyloid levels in people who are middle aged, when such build-up is just starting. If modifying cholesterol levels in the brain early in life turns out to reduce amyloid deposits late in life, we could potentially make a significant difference in reducing the prevalence of Alzheimer's, a goal of an enormous amount of research and drug development effort."
According to the American Heart Association, factors that can be controlled through changes in lifestyle, such as diet, weight, physical activity and exposure to tobacco smoke, all affect people's cholesterol levels.
In 2010, researchers in Austria found that a chronic high cholesterol diet produces brain damage in rats that is similar to that of Alzheimer's disease.
What is serum cholesterol? Serum cholesterol is a measurement of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is considered good, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is considered bad, and triglycerides. A person's serum cholesterol level can help to determine whether they should change their diet or lifestyle. Learn more here. Read now
What should my cholesterol level be at my age? There are three types of cholesterol: HDL or good cholesterol, LDL or bad cholesterol, and total cholesterol. Read this article to find out the recommended levels of each type of cholesterol for people of different ages. It also discusses how to keep these levels balanced and when to see a doctor for treatment. Read now
Apples Significantly Lower LDL Cholesterol Levels In Older Women Older women who consume apples everyday were found to have an average of 23% reduced LDL cholesterol levels within six months and a 4% increase in HDL cholesterol, researchers from The Florida... Read now
What is the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol? The body needs cholesterol, but too much bad cholesterol can be harmful and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. In this article, learn about the difference between HDL and LDL — "good" and "bad" — cholesterol, as well as how they are measured. What steps can you take to lower LDL and increase HDL? Read now
What is cholesterol ratio and why is it important? There are two types of cholesterol. One is harmful, and builds up in the arteries, but the other can actually benefit the body. In this MNT Knowledge Center article, learn about the difference between 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol. How do they affect the body? How can you manage high cholesterol? Read now
Cholesterol Neurology / Neuroscience
Associations Between Serum Cholesterol Levels and Cerebral Amyloidosis; Bruce Reed, Sylvia Villeneuve, Wendy Mack, Charles DeCarli, Helena C. Chui, William Jagust; JAMA Neurology, 30 December 2013; DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2013.5390; Abstract.
Additional sources: UC Davis Health System news release 30 December 2013; American Heart Association webpage on Cholesterol, accessed 31 December 2013.
Visit our Alzheimer's / Dementia category page for the latest news on this subject, or sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest updates on Alzheimer's / Dementia.
Paddock, Catharine. "Cholesterol levels linked to brain deposits that cause Alzheimer's." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 31 Dec. 2013. Web.
Paddock, C. (2013, December 31). "Cholesterol levels linked to brain deposits that cause Alzheimer's." Medical News Today. Retrieved from


text:
League Of Super Redundant Heroes
Follow the adventures of the unnecessary heroes of Shitropolis
<< First < Prev Archives Next > Last >>
563- The death of Captain Competence
on July 4, 2016 at 1:00 am
vote LoSRH here
July 4, 2016, 2:10 am	| # | Reply
It's not a matter of if, it's when.
The Silver Age Flasher
It's not a matter of when, it's a matter of how many times and how each death of a major character in a big comic book event becames more meaningless.
Same rules apply to minor characters as well. The True Death of Aunt May – I'm still waiting.
BrandX
They deaged her! So, I don't think she's going to die old age any time soon. :p Which, I actually like. I never understood why they made her so old to begin with.
wilder125
I'm still waiting for Betty White Origins
Sadly, gutters webcomic only parodied things.
http://www.the-gutters.com/comic/34-ryan-lee/
ZoidTheUndead
We used to have a saying some time ago that in US mainstream comic books there were only 3 deaths that stuck. Of those only Uncle Ben remains dead today, as Bucky and Jason Todd managed to come back. I guess it is the nature of the US comics model, and I do not mind that much if it makes sense and it does not cheapens a story. I say Jean Grey can come back 100 times and it will still make sense because that is what Phoenixes do, but the (actual) return of Barry cheapened his sacrifice and left a very sour taste.
7eggert
In several universes (e.g. Earth-982), Ben Parker is alife (and from another universe, Earth-3145).
Comic books are just soap operas. That said, no one really wants to see the super hero die and stay dead.
I know there's some comics I won't pick up with a new character in the mask. It might be okay as a temp storyline, but Peter is always Spider-Man, Bruce is always Batman…etc…etc.
Of course, this may only matter to people's favorites. :p However, I do know I loved Ultimate Spider-Man until Miles took over, then I stopped reading…and hoped one of his clones (maybe even Spider-Woman) took over.
thebritwriter
I don't know about that, remember how Jason Todd died? He died by a democratic process…and an explosion also.
It was actually later found out there as "voting fraud" regarding the Jason Todd vote, but it was too late for DC to do anything about it. One asshole called the voting number several hundred times despite how much money each call cost (50 cents per call, meaning the caller spent over $150 tipping the vote in favor of getting Todd killed).
July 6, 2016, 11:22 pm	| # | Reply
Their like soap operas but they star "little flying men" and somehow manage to be more realistic
The sad part is no one seems to notice the death of a fairly well known and major super-hero that's stuck all this time: Captain Mar-Vell. His death in the graphic novel has never been undone, his ghost has shown up a few times (such as when Thanos used the Reality Gem to briefly bring him back to life then sent him back) but he's never been brought back in truth.
BrickJAK BouncerPants
July 14, 2016, 9:49 am	| # | Reply
I was about to post about Mar-Vell. Only actual Superhero to stay dead since his first death and it wasn't a "glorious death", It was the Big C.
"The Death of Captain Marvel" was, in my opinion, the birth of the Graphic Novel.
GrammerNazi
"kinda takes *away*"…
So you guys make a "hero back from the dead" joke on the same day as Supervillainous? What are the odds…
PrincessPaladine
On the same day as what?
Meh, "capes never stay dead" is pretty much a staple of super hero humor, so it doesn't seem that odd.
And that's one of the reasons villains stay out of jail for killing a cape.
Ikiry0
I refuse to believe this is in continuity with the rest of this comic.
Someone with competence? Nonsense.
Competence questionable, but she has a nice butt.
Competence is relative.
"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."
Buckaress ???
Well, at least she has some common sense and is NOT as incompetent as the other supers.
Must be hard to be her in that town.
She could be named ironically. Or she might have named herself that as a result of the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
Random Guy
Maybe it is a case similar to that of girls named 'Chastity'?
Or Bestiality Carter*
*Well, it's like this … The Carter parents were a quiet and respectable Lancre family who got into a bit of a mix-up when it came to naming their children. First, they had four daughters, who were christened Hope, Chastity, Prudence, and Charity, because naming girls after virtues is an ancient and unremarkable tradition. Then, their first son was born, and out of some misplaced idea about how this naming business was done, he was called Anger Carter, followed later by Jealousy Carter, Bestiality Carter, and Covetousness Carter. Life being what it is, Hope turned out to be a depressive, Chastity was enjoying a life as a lady of negotiable affection in Ankh-Morpork, Prudence had thirteen children, and Charity expected to get a dollar's change out of seventy-five pence — whereas the boys had grown into amiable, well-tempered men, and Bestiality Carter was, for example, very kind to animals.
-Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies, p. 75, footnote
If Odin is in this universe, how about Zeus…
Well, the Spank seems to be pretty competent. At least we've seen him actually capturing bad guys. And Gyrognome isn't incompetent, just mean and obnoxious.
Flying helmet guy
Well there ARE competent heroes in the comic who save the day, the focus though is on the far less competent ones generally (like Mystery Men).
Competent people doing a job make for a boring story. Better to tell the tales of less than competent, emotionally scared asshats.
I wouldn't say that, plenty of entertaining stories exist about competent people it's just THIS comic focuses on the characters that are often never seen or only seen to quickly be killed off or told to stop being heroes by the more competent protagonists.
I wouldn't call the more competent people protagonists. They're just other characters. Some of them could potentially be considered antagonists, along with the villains.
A protagonist is the focus of the narrative, the force that drives the story. Just because someone is a hero, that doesn't mean that the character is a protagonist. Hell, in Macbeth, the protagonist is Macbeth, who is definitely a villain. Macduff, the ultimate antagonist, is the good guy.
Pablo Atristain
Don't forget that the Super Villains here do less damage than the so-called heroes, and an invader villain is a very capable and competent Mayor.
And hell, some of the heroes, like Asstronomus, are bigger assholes than some of the villains.
That's because like in real life the heroes run the range of possibilities and not every person in a 'help others' profession is friendly, kind, courteous, etc. some are jerks (just look how many jerk doctors we have on TV, and that's not even counting Emperor Jerk House).
Forget jerk doctors on TV. My wife has been seriously sexually harassed by three guys in her life. All three of them were surgeons. They do important work, but a huge percentage of surgeons are complete assholes.
July 27, 2016, 1:15 pm	| # | Reply
Or like in Worm, have competent heros AND villains.
Heh, not quite as subtle as the last resurrection joke. There was one a year or two ago. Two heroes sitting in a bar, talking about how horrible it was losing some teammate.
"So, what are you doing this week?"
Going bowling with that teammate.
It would be a pain in the ass to find in the archives, though, since it was a one-shot.
sjmcc13
It was on Jan 29, 2015, and called "Grieving"
That's the one. Cool. Thanks.
Thedudethatcommented
So I'm assuming her superpower is to be a bit more competent then all the other superheroes in this city? I guess that would make a difference
I'm sure there are plenty of competent super heroes. The comic just doesn't focus on them, since they're boring.
Dante_Lare
The Spank, Mary Sue, Arachnidude, Flying Fox Man, & The Banana seem pretty competent
Flying Fox Man is the only one I would really count. You could add in Alex, though. She seems fairly competent, even if she's fairly new to this. Her caper with Eva was her first.
Alex is fleshed out sufficiently to be a main character in her own right by now. Hopefully we'll see more of her. It would make sense for her to start hanging out around the LoSRH headquarters, since she's already stayed the night a couple of times onscreen. Mary Sue has been seen in the house a few times, and Alex has a bit more to contribute to the story, I think. If Laser Pony gets to have his girlfriend stay the night regularly, there's no reason Eva shouldn't get to have the same … even if Good Girl will probably continue to call it "having a slumber party."
… and I won't detail where my mind went, after briefly contemplating the three-way pillow fights. My mind generates its own fan-service.
The Spank and the Banana are just very infrequent joke sources, not people that tie into any real stories. Besides, we've never actually seen them do anything. We're mostly just assuming competence because of a lack of evidence to the contrary.
Arachno-Dude is just one of the guys in the bar who hang out with Laser Pony from time to time. Mary Sue is really just attached to Laser Pony, not someone who goes off and does stuff on her own.
Well, there's the declaration that The Banana is one of the best supers in Shitropolis, in that one newspaper article. I guess we can assume that he rarely screws up, based upon that. He's made very few appearances, though, since he's just a single joke with no depth.
Heck, by just not going… well… bananas, like the rest of the guys on property damage, he can certainly be called an above average hero.
True. How many blimps has The Banana accounted for?
It would be quite devious if competence revealed she can come back from the dead anyway, but kept that fact secret so her companion can use that hidden potential he thought he could never muster, because it was a all in preparation when he gets recruited after the credits…
Judging from that guy's symbol I'm guessing he made a "deal" with that what shall not be named, but know this "hero"
ELOO LV ZDWFKLQJ
The "Revolving Door in Comic Hell" strikes again..
With uncle Ben as the greeter.
And Nicholas Fury as the Chauffer.
Nicholas Fury died?
m2iCodeJockey
"I'm sure it was all part of her plan. She's just that competent…"
CountryMage
Am I the only one that thinks, the price she paid for her resurrection was a cup size?
Yep, thst's the "health indicator" for female heroes.
Wonder how it is for the male counterpart, one inch less per ressurection maybe.
Plasma Mongoose
Death is cheap, which is a good thing because funerals are jolly expensive.
Sadly I have to agree on that.
darkgloomie
death being cheap only means you get more funerals, so I dunno if it's a good thing.
It is is you are a funeral director.
Basically Marvel in a nutshell.
But hey, at least it's not "Akame ga Kill".
What? Everything was a dream?
Ragingagnostic
Ugh. I'm on a public computer and it won't allow me to get to the next page. Censorship strikes again. (This is why I prefer books.)
Hmm, that computer has a content filter for furries puking up hairballs?
BrokenEye, The True False Prophet
Why is his chest logo an eye of providence? Is he Illuminati Man?
In a city like Shitropolis, there must be at least two dozen Illuminati factions vying for control.
VOTE LoSRH!
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The King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf celebrates his birthday on April 30. King's Birthday is a very popular holiday in Sweden and it's celebrated nationwide.
Carl XVI Gustaf succeeded his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf on September 15, 1973 at the age of 27. His father Gustaf Adolf should have become the successor, but he was killed in an airplane crash on January 26, 1947. Carl XVI Gustaf is married to Silvia Sommerlath and they have three children (Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine) and two grandchildren (Princess Estelle and Princess Leonor).
King's reign was marked by a passage of a new law, that established absolute primogeniture on January 1, 1980. This was the first such law passed in the European history. Absolute primogeniture cancels the preferences to the heir regarding the gender or order of precedence. Today absolute primogeniture is used in almost every European monarchy, except Spain, Lichtenstein and Monaco.
The Swedes love to celebrate King's Birthday, that is usually called King's Day. Different spectacular events are organized across the country, and the King personally accepts congratulations and presents from his subjects.


RESEARCH? OVERVIEW? OPINION? Difference in performance and outcomes It really is enough to form three words "analysis of movie" and also the Web will offer a huge selection of links. But are these research analyzes and so are they analysis at all?


If I was looking at buying one, would it be better to get body only and hand pick lenses, or are the kit lenses not to bad. We don't have PEN's so we would have to get some Micro 4/3.
We (Nick and I) saw when someone brought one into the photo club for me to look at.
I bought an E-M5 as body only and also a MMF2 adapter.
It works well enough with my "old" 4/3 lenses (9-18, 14-54 mk2 and 40-150). The results are excellent but the autofocus is a tad slow.
The kit 12-50 is not a bad lens. But if I were to buy again I'd go body-only, as I hardly use that kit lens with so many good primes around.
I think it depends on which lenses you already own, and whether you already have something to cover the wide 12mm, or even use that focal length.
I bought it with the 12-50 but have just ordered a 14-140 which I suspect will be my standard lens. I will also probably get the 9-18mm too. That should cover my needs. May sell the 12-50, it is not a bad lens but with the above combination I am not saure I will need it.
Something to consider the EM-5 is Splashproof and Dustproof, the only lens in Micro 4/3 at the moment is the 12-50mm. I have both, I am very pleased with the results, the macro facility works well and if you shoot video the electronic zoom comes into it's own and if bought together you can save £150ish.
I also have the 45mm which is incredibly sharp and have the 75mm on back order as well.
Bottom line depends on your own style of photography as to what lens would suit your purpose.
As you don't have PENS, and presumably don't have any Panasonic MFT cameras then you don't have any lenses (I think this is what you are saying). The strength of this is that you are able to choose what lenses you want; the weakness is that you may not know your preferred focal length range. These are my opinions but other people will have different priorities and ideas and you will as well, as indeed you are free to mix lenses from each of these categories.
1) The kit 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 is very cheap as part of the kit (£150 on top of the body price). It is however a good lens and shouldn't be misjudged. It has a useful range covering most situations and the 12mm wide end is exceptionally wide for a kit zoom, you are unlikely to need anything wider unless you are seriously into architecture. It is however a bit slow; at 25mm (equivalent to "standard" 50mm) you are approaching F4.7. The lens has a good macro mode. The lens is also physically long.
I coupled this with the Oly 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 as I like shooting wildlife and the longer the better. Handholding at 300mm with the E-M5 IBIS is not a problem. Apart from the small gap at 50-75mm I have covered 12-300mm in just 2 lenses, making for an exceptional small and light kit.
2) For 2 zooms with much more light gathering, the new panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 and 35-100mm F2.8 (the latter not yet in the shops) promise great quality. However you will need deep pockets to afford them. With only 35mm as the max focal length of the smaller lens you will be swapping lenses much more often.
3) For a one zoom kit the try the Oly 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 or the Panasonic 14-140mm F4.5-5.8. Oh, the larger Panasonic lenses come with in-lens image stabilisation so bear this in mind. The 9-18 + 14-140 dual lens kit mentioned above seems a good combination if you prefer wide to long.
4) Some people just go for the primes. 12mm F2.0, 17mm F2.8 pancake, 45mm F1.8, 60mm F2.8 macro (not yet available) and 75mm F1.8. From Panasonic you can get the 14mm F2.5 pancake, 20mm F1.7 pancake, and 25mm F1.4 but there are some reported issues with image quality at high ISO when used on Olympus cameras. With either the Olympus or Panasonic pancake lenses you do have a bright lens and a small package (camera and lens should fit into a large coat pocket).
As I do not have a fast lens I am thinking of the Panasonic 20mm F1.7, wide enough I hope that I will not want anything wider in a fast lens (I do have the 12mm end of my kit zoom). Although the 25mm is faster I am more likely to need something wider. I have no intention of buying both as my budget won't allow and I don't want to end up with a bag full of different lenses and be forever swapping (YMMV as they say). I am however postponing the decision to see what is announced at Photokina in September, hoping Olympus will come up with a fast 20mm or Panasonic may revamp theirs.
5) The Pansonic 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 collapsible power zoom is very small when collapsed. Usefull if you want a small one zoom lens kit. Both Panasonic and Olympus offer other 14-42 zooms (kit lenses with some cameras) of normal dimesnsions.
6) There is a range of ultra wide and fisheye lenses. I don't shoot that wide so will offer no comment.
8) For extremely high quality zooms and primes use the Olympus Four Thirds HG or SHG lenses with the Four Thirds to Micro Four Thirds adapter. Exceptional quality at a reasonable price (for what you get) but they do focus slowly on MFT bodies. My prime objective was fast autofocus otherwise I may have been tempted.
Make sure you read the reviews of any lenses before you buy. Hope this helps.
I got the 12-50 lens in the (E-M5) kit as it was less than $200, being the only M4/3's lens that I would have (to start with) as it is lovely & fast to focus & quite a versatile lens, plus the MMF-3 adapter was free as a bonus up till the end of June which made the deal even better. I hope to get the M75-300 Olympus or M100-300 Panasonic lens in the future as the 70-300 4/3's lens is slow to focus by comparison.
I will echo most of the comments above. I bought the kit (body and 12-50) and find it a useful walkabout lens, pretty good quality apart from some colour fringing at the wide end wide open, which is easy to correct in Adobe raw/Lightroom.
Pros for me - weathersealed, which is important in our rainy season (summer) and our cold rainy seasons (spring, autumn and winter). Good value if bought with the body - over here the lens on its own is around GBP300+ (329 today at Wex) while the kit is only GBP150 more than the bare body. Pretty versatile - 12mm is pretty wide, 50mm is nice for portraits, and the builtin macro facility is nice. Plus pretty good optical amd mechanical quality.
Cons - slow max aperture, specially at the long end (f/6.3). Sticks out a long way from the body - the combo is not easily pocketable. No hood or pouch supplied (at least Oly still give us front and rear caps, I wonder how long that will last!).
If you haven't got any micro 4/3 lenses, and Aussie kit pricing is similar to ours, and you want a useful general-purpose lens I would say go for the lens+body combo.
One thing worth bearing in mind. A body with the kit lens is probably easier to sell on than body alone. Especially if, as John says, the new price premium is small.
As a recent convert to Olympus and the OM-D I bought it with the kit lens for three reasons.
1. When bought with the camera body it is inexpensive - more costly if bought later.
2. It is weather sealed like the body (actually described as "splash proof). Most if not all other MFT lenses lack weather sealing.
3. It is quite a decent lens and versatile, offering both powered and manual zoom and a surprisingly effective macro setting. It is also quiet and suitable for video if that is a feature that you would use. Useful range of focal length 12-50mm = 24-100mm in 35mm terms.
Its drawbacks are that it is maybe a little bigger than you would expect, the aperture range of f3.5-6.3 means that you need good light to shoot at the long end. There is some distortion but no more than is found in most kit lenses and it can be corrected either in camera (jpg) or in software (raw).
I bought my E-M5 with the 12-50 lens as in the UK the combo were not that more expensive than the body only option. In practice I find it very useful for holiday snaps - where its slow aperture isn't too much of a drawback, and the zoom range lets you just carry the body with the one lens.
Yes that makes sense. I have just ordered a Pana 12-35 f2.8. It should arrive tomorrow. I am sure it will be a big improvement - should be at about 6x the cost!
The Aussie kit pricing for the E-M5 & 12-50 lens is at $1499 & so is the twin lens kit of 14-42 + 40-150, however, prices are much better through various outlets (although some are not doing any better than RR) between $1200 to $1400. Some of the reputable online & shopfront stores buy their stock through a discounting wholesaler which purchase directly from Olympus Australia & the retailers can pass on the goods at a very competitive price (with full Oly Australian warranty). That's how I got mine (from a Sydney online & shopfront store). Digital Camera Warehouse (http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/category157_1.htm) aren't too bad with their pricing either (they buy direct from Oly Aus.). I hope you end up with something that suits you & are happy with.
As usual I'm still faffing about, will I won't I.
When I jump (there I've said it) I will almost certainly go for the Panny 12-35mm, the 45mm f1.8 (is it available in black finish?) but uncertain about a longer lens, maybe the Panny whatever to 300mm.
I'm unsure about the 12-50mm, one of my considerations is it's macro capabilities.
Macro to me is 1:1 .
Decisions decisions. This Damien McGillicuddy guy seems to be very pleased with his.
, the 45mm f1.8 (is it available in black finish?) but uncertain about a longer lens, maybe the Panny whatever to 300mm.
At the moment I don't think the 45mm is available in black, though it's been rumoured. But it looks great in silver!
Long lenses at the moment are m4/3's Achilles tendon. There's nothing particularly fast around. Unless you count the Tokina 300mm mirror. The Panny 100-300 is supposed to be pretty good, though.
True macro, again, you're struggling but there you can use legacy glass, as you'd probably want manual focus anyway.
I believe the Panasonic 45mm f2.8 macro lens gives 1:1, (and also the forthcoming Olympus 60mm macro lens?). Although we are still waiting to see the image quality delivered by the Olympus 60mm, its longer focal length looks useful even if we will to pay extra for essentials like a lens hood and lens pouch!
I often wonder why Oly are so mean about lens hoods.
Ok on their upmarket lenses they include them But don't Panansonic include them with all their lenses?
Agree. Other brands e.g. Pentax omit lens hoods on their cheapest DAL versions with plastic mounts but you usually get a lens hood with normal lenses. Olympus seem rather penny pinching when they fail to supply hoods with quite expensive lenses. Hoods bought separately tend to be ridiculously expensive but fortunately the Chinese clones are fairly cheap.
However by the time their X Pro 1 was introduced, they learned from the angry customer reaction and all the X1P lenses come complete with hoods *yes, So let's keep up the heat!!
I recently ordered the 75mm f/1.8 and decided that if I ordered the dedicated hood at the same time then the rip-off price wouldn't hurt so much. Lens arrived, hood is "on back-order". So I cancelled the hood order and got a generic screw-in for a tenner instead which appears to do a perfectly reasonable job.
And are you finding the lens as good as you expected?
On the assumption that this is to me re the 75mm - I've only had a couple of chances to try it out in battlefield conditions and the light was very poor for the first and uninspiring for the second. Focal length and aperture is a good combo for what I wanted it for - musicians in smallish venues - and it handled nicely. Quality looks excellent at a first glance. I'll get some samples up as soon as I have time to think about them.


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People In Crypto – Top 50 Most Influential Crypto Personalities In The World
By Search Crypto News On Jan 24, 2023
People in Crypto: from Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin to Changpeng Zhao and Barry Silbert, the crypto world is full of famous personalities. Not only investors but many celebrities, artists, industry leaders, and tech giants are also in love with digital currencies.
The terms like Blockchain and Cryptocurrency were hidden for almost a decade. But now many merchants accept crypto payment, and countries like the USA, India, and more are considering crypto as a movable safe digital asset. We have listed 50 dignitary personalities in the crypto space who actually made a difference in the world of digital currencies.
1. Elon Musk
If it is about people in crypto, Musk is a must. The CEO of Tesla is considered the alpha crypto influencer. Before he found his one true love in Dogecoin, Musk preferred Bitcoin, even for official transactions and payments.
2. Vitalik Buterin
Vitalik Buterin is the Founder of Ethereum, one of the topmost crypto assets in the world. A researcher and developer, he also co-founded Bitcoin Magazine. In addition to that, he is one of the world's youngest crypto billionaires.
3. Changpeng Zhao
Changpeng Zhao is the CEO of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume. Prior to Binance, he was Head of Development at Blockchain and Chief Technology Officer of OK Coin. He also developed trading software at Bloomberg and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
4. Michael Saylor
CEO of the software firm MicroStrategy, Michael Saylor is one of the more prominent figures in the cryptocurrency space. The firm started acquiring Bitcoin in August 2020, and since then it has been a major success. Saylor is known for his daily updates on what's happening with Bitcoin.
5. Barry Silbert
Barry Silbert is the Founder and CEO of the crucial blockchain company Digital Currency Group. He was Crain's and Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year and appeared on Fortune's 40 Under 40 list. In 2021, Silbert supported the drive towards crypto adoption as more and more institutions are joining the crypto craze.
6. Sandeep Nailwal
The founder of Polygon and an Indian entrepreneur, Sandeep Nailwal launched ScopeWeaver, India's largest marketplace for professional services. His work as blockchain-based decentralized application architecture made Sandeep Nailwal one of the most influential people in crypto.
7. Winklevoss twins
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are American rowers and Internet entrepreneurs, famous for co-founding cryptocurrency exchange Gemini in 2014. Today, the platform processes about $200 million a day in trades.
8. Juan Benet
Juan Benet is the founder of Protocol Labs. He founded Protocol Labs in 2014 and the following year he founded InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) which is a peer-to-peer data-sharing protocol. In 2017, he launched the Filecoin Project which was built on IFPS.
9. Brian Armstrong
Co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, Brian Armstrong's fortune is estimated at $7 billion in 2022. Coinbase is one of the most popular cryptocurrency trading platforms in the United States, where one can exchange fiat money for cryptocurrencies. Prior to this, he founded UniversityTutor.com and worked at Airbnb, IBM, and Deloitte.
10. Kathleen Breitman
CEO of Dynamic Ledger Solutions and co-founder at Tezos, a self-amending cryptographic ledger, and creator of the unreleased blockchain-based trading card game Emergents. Prior to this, Kathleen was Senior Strategy Associate at the large financial consortium R3 CEV and worked in strategy at Accenture.
11. Chris Larsen
Chris Larsen, the co-founder of one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, Ripple, is a business executive and angel investor best known for co-founding several Silicon Valley technology startups. According to Forbes, some years ago, Chris Larsen was the richest man in the world of cryptocurrencies, whose fortune was estimated at $7.5-8 billion.
12. Hayden Adams
Another name in the list of 50 most powerful people in crypto is Hayden Adams, founder of Uniswap, a decentralized trading protocol for ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum. Uniswap automates liquidity and removes the need for intermediaries. Prior to Uniswap, Adams was an engineer at Siemens.
13. Caitlin Long
Caitlin Long is a 22-year Wall Street veteran and an expert in bitcoin and blockchain technology. Founder and CEO at Avanti Bank & Trust and Chairman of WyoHackathon. In 2016, she received the MarketsMedia Women in Finance Award for Excellence in Blockchain.
14. Tavonia Evans
Tavonia Evans entered the blockchain world in 2016 after seeing crypto as a tool that might boost economic growth and financial independence among the black community. She is among the first black women to be recognized as the founder and lead engineer in creating a currency with such a purpose in the black community.
15. Adam Back
Adam Back is a British cryptographer and cypherpunk. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Blockstream, a blockchain, and Bitcoin technology company, and the creator of Liquid, a sidechain-based network. He invented Hashcash, which is used in the Bitcoin mining process. His immense contribution in the blockchain industry makes him one of the most influential people in crypto.
16. Anthony Pompliano
Anthony Pompliano is a Co-founder and Partner at the blockchain and digital assets firm Morgan Creek Digital Assets (formerly Full Tilt Capital), he has invested $100+ million in early-stage startups. Prior to this, he was Product Manager at Facebook and in growth at Snapchat.
17. Ben Zhou
Ben Zhou, co-founder, and CEO of Bybit, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange headquartered in Singapore. He is also a committer and supporter of BitDAO. Prior to this, Ben ran a retail forex brokerage for almost a decade.
18. Brian Brooks
Brian Brooks is the CEO of Bitfury Group, the bitcoin mining, and crypto tech unicorn. He is one of the most visionary global leaders in fintech and cryptocurrency with 35+ years of experience. Prior to this, he was the Former Chief Legal Officer at Coinbase, where he oversaw compliance, legal issues, and government regulations.
19. Tim Draper
Tim Draper has invested in Skype, Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter, and Coinbase. Draper is surely one of the most influential people in crypto when it comes to Bitcoin. According to published reports, Draper currently owns 30,000 Bitcoins now worth more than $500 million at today's prices.
20. Gabriella M. Kusz
Gabriella M. Kusz started advising professionals in the crypto industry in 2019. She started as an advisor with the Global Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Association and went on to become a board member and finally the CEO.
21. Jesse Powell
Jesse Powell is Co-founder and CEO at Kraken Exchange, a digital asset exchange platform supporting Bitcoin, Ethereum, Namecoin, Litecoin, Ripple, Dogecoin, and Stellar, as well as fiat currencies. According to Powell, "You can't make this stuff up. This timeline is beyond twisted. Certainly didn't see a banking license in the cards when we set out on this mission 9 years ago. We have come full circle, crypto."
22. Elizabeth Stark
Elizabeth Stark is Co-founder and CEO at Lightning Labs, which created the open-source, secure, and scalable Lightning Network to transfer money efficiently. She is a Fellow at the Yale Information Society Project, a Lecturer in Computer Science at Yale University, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at NYU.
23. Nayib Bukele
Nayib Bukele is the 43rd president of El Salvador. He simply believes that Bitcoin is the future of finance. Nayib is known for being the first head of the state of a sovereign nation to adopt it as a legal tender on September 7, 2021.
24. Roger Ver
The list of top 50 most prominent people in crypto is incomplete without the "Bitcoin Jesus," Roger Ver was one of the earliest promoters of Bitcoin back in 2011. He owns around 335,000 bitcoins, worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Roger was one of the early adopters of blockchain technology and an investor in crypto-related startups including Bitcoin, Ripple, Kraken, and Purse.io.
25. Lisa Loud
Lisa co-founded FLUIDEFI and is currently leading it as its CEO. Previously, she has led engineering, marketing, and international expansion at different firms, including ShapeShift, Apple, Oracle, Intuit, and PayPal.
26. Ryan Selkis
Ryan Selkis is Founder and CEO at Messari, entrepreneur, investor, and writer helping to build the bitcoin/digital currency ecosystem. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director of CoinDesk during its acquisition and also the Director of Growth in the founding team at Digital Currency Group.
27. Dawn Song
Dawn Song is a Chinese American academic and is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. She is a co-founder and CEO of blockchain-based cloud computing developer Oasis Labs.
28. Anatoly Yakovenko
Anatoly Yakovenko is an engineer and entrepreneur. He is one of the co-founders of Solana Labs. He led the development of operating systems at Qualcomm, distributed systems at Mesosphere, and compression at Dropbox
29. Charlie Lee
Litecoin founder and former Coinbase Director of Engineering, Charlie Lee is one of the most…
Whales Are Pouncing on Litecoin, Polygon and Two…
Litecoin Displays Consolidation, Expect A Reversal Soon?
Cryptocurrency Price Today: Popular Coins Like Bitcoin,…
Read More: People In Crypto – Top 50 Most Influential Crypto Personalities In The World
CryptoInfluentialpeoplePersonalitiestopworld
Web3 Builder QuickNode Bucks Bear Market Lull With $60M Fundraise
XRP Ledger Amendment Goes Live, Without Ripple's Approval
Whales Are Pouncing on Litecoin, Polygon and Two Ethereum-Based Altcoins, Says…
Cryptocurrency Price Today: Popular Coins Like Bitcoin, Dogecoin Witness Gains While
LTC/USD slides downward, reaching the $88.02 level – Cryptopolitan


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Intellectual Property Updates
Negativland Updates
Seeland News
Write Anything Here
Home >> April, 2016
NEGATIV-ARIZONA LIVE TOUR in MAY
Posted on: Friday, April 22nd, 2016
We are very pleased to announce Negativland's Arizona mini-tour! For the first time ever in our 36 years of existence, Negativland plays live in Arizona. Details will follow.
May 4 – Bisbee at the Royale Theater
May 5 – Phoenix at Film Bar
May 7 – Tucson at The Loft
5 people have something to say.
CANCER IS STUPID – Richard Lyons (19 April 1959 – 19 April 2016)
Richard Duaine Lyons, a founding member of the group Negativland, died peacefully and pain free at age 57 at eleven ("it's not even funny") PM on his birthday, April 19th, 2016, from complications due to nodular melanoma. He successfully fought off this cancer over 12 years ago, but it had recently returned, with inoperable tumors on his spine, liver and brain, and nothing succeeded in stopping it.
Earlier in the day, Richard had a lively birthday party at his skilled nursing facility, where he was receiving palliative care. Present were current and founding members of Negativland, satellite Negativland members and friends, as well as other current and former members of the group appearing simultaneously on various speaker phones and digital devices. With photos being taken of people taking photos of phones, phone speakers going right and left (with a dog barking on one of them), and some new age harp being played, the afternoon felt like an Actual Negativland Performance for the ages. David "The Weatherman" Wills led the group in singing the now-public-domain "Happy Birthday" (see below for link). Richard's mother Evelyn called in a bit later, and her voice was the last he heard before dying. An on duty nurse commented that "I hope when I go that my last day is as good as his was."
Known for his role in finding the Estus W. Pirkle LP sampled in Negativland's 1987 "Christianity Is Stupid" track (and, in turn, originating the idea of Negativland's ax murder hoax), and for taking the wrecking yard photos that inspired the 2002 Negativland project "Deathsentences of the Polished and Structurally Weak," he was also known for such darkly funny and contrarian alter egos as his has-been radio personality Dick Vaughn, righteous religious preacher Pastor Dick, ace used car salesmen Dick Goodbody, master debater Dick Bush, good Christian lady Marsha Turnblatt and crazed DJ Jack Diekobicz (pronounced Dickobitch). His "actions" on our Over the Edge radio show became the stuff of legend, crafting such memorable events as the 1982 "format change" to an all-1970s-nostalgia station (documented on our "Dick Vaughn's Moribund Music of the '70s" release) and a disastrous "live broadcast" from a Walnut Creek bowling alley on Thanksgiving, 2001 (soon to be released on CD as "Ultimate Pinsmack").
His last weeks at the skilled nursing facility were spent with many visits and calls from friends, lots of Boston Cream Pies, watching 70s car commercials and old episodes of Match Game, being interviewed for a documentary film currently being made about the group (everyone there that day gathered 'round his bed to sing his "Nesbitt's Lime Soda Song" to him), and working on new hand made covers for an upcoming re-issue of Negativland's first LP from 1980. He kept an online station tuned to an all-70s-hits-all-the-time station, and when he finally was unable to speak, he was still tapping his fingers to the music.
Richard joins Don Joyce, and former member Ian Allen, as the third Negativlander to shuffle off and over the edge since 2015 (see below). Negativland continues, as they all had wished, with upcoming live performances in May and a trio of forthcoming album projects. Richard was born April 19, 1959 in Castro Valley, CA, grew up in Concord and Martinez, CA (the birthplaces of Negativland) and is survived by his mother and sister.
https://soundcloud.com/bart-conway/negativland-friends-happy-birthday-to-richard
PHOTO: Richard holding an empty bottle of Nesbitt's Orange Soda. They were out of Lime. (photo portrait by Brian Rosenquist, taken only a few weeks before Richard's death)
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16 November 2016 - Hardly anyone at the trade fair wants to do without the many benefits of the digital world such as electronic access cards, smartphones, laptops and wireless networks. Visitors also showed great interest in the potential that the era of digitalization holds for everyday medical work. Connectivity and integration were major topics at Stand A63 in Hall 12 on the third day of the fair.
The products in the seca 360° world communicate wirelessly with each other and with any number of PCs, local area network printers, and nearly every type of PDMS. They receive, transmit, process and print digital data.
Trade fair attendees were able to experience live the benefits users have from products that communicate with each other. With the wireless ultrasound measuring station seca 287, for example, visitors could determine height and weight on their own. The device transmitted the data automatically to the medical practice's printer, which then generated the "directprint" containing measurement results, sound information and tips for the measured person. At the same time the seca 287 transmitted the data to the bioelectrical impedance analysis measuring station seca mBCA 515 to allow the visitor in the second step to determine body composition within 17 seconds. Thanks to the connectivity with minimum time and labor demands, the patient's height, weight, BMI, phase angle and single body composition parameters can be determined in just two steps. The software seca analytics 115 assists with diagnostics and seca emr flash 101 links the wireless products to Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems.
Meanwhile, visitors to the stand were connecting in other conversations too. They gathered information about the mBCAs, the baby measuring stations and scales, height measuring instruments and flat scales and compared notes on the challenges in their daily medical work and the solutions offered by seca.
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Fraudster to appear in court
Pretoria - The self-confessed fraud physiotherapist who defrauded the Department of Labour's (DoL) Compensation Fund (CF) is to appear in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court when the defence submits arguments in mitigation ahead of his sentencing.
Jurry Sehunoe, 34, who hails from Rustenburg in the North West Province, confessed in October 2011 to defrauding the Department of Labour's CF R2.1-million. He pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud and 26 counts of money laundering. The fraudster is out on bail of R3000.
The fraudster physio pleaded guilty to siphoning the department by submitting fraudulent claims for patients that he did not treat.
Sehunoe was allegedly recruited by members of a syndicate, which allegedly included former employees of Department of Labour's Compensation Fund, to submit fraudulent claims and banking details.
The syndicate is alleged to have processed fictitious claims and its members would later meet and share their loot.
A senior manager in Risk Management Unit at the Department of Labour testified last month that one of the fraudulent lump sums paid to Sehunoe was that of R206 000, that was paid to him on 9 February 2009.
In the matter, Sehunoe was originally charged with two co-defendants - Maxwell Ramaphosa and Samuel Mfeleng - who are both former employees of the Department of Labour.
The case of Ramaphosa and Mfeleng has been transferred to the Pretoria Magistrate's Court. The duo pleaded not guilty in the matter. They are also out on a bail of R3000.
Ramaphosa and Mfeleng are also entangled in two other alleged fraud cases against the department, which are currently on trial.
The Compensation Fund is a public entity under the administration of Department of Labour. The Fund provides compensation to workers for injuries and diseases sustained at work. – SAnews.gov.za


Having met with numerous new investors and/or wholesalers, I am always asked, "How do I get more properties? Where can I find more deals? What kind of marketing do you do to get leads?" The questions continue with the same idea in mind. I understand that you are eager to start and begin marketing in order to get your first deal done, but are you truly ready? In most cases I would say, NO.
Marketing is not cheap and you may be throwing away money if you do not have a good foundation in sales, or better yet problem solving. Over the years, I have made more money solving problems than "selling" a person on selling me their property. In fact, I am rarely the highest bidder. I attribute this to being able to come up with the best solution to the seller's problems. Most would assume that the property for sale is the problem but many times that is only the start. Usually a person is selling a property to get rid of a headache and/or to realize a profit in order to solve another lingering problem. Problems can be as small as not being able to repair the property to as big as being behind a year or more on mortgage payments. Let me give some examples to demonstrate what it is I am referring to.
I recently purchased a property that was obviously in major disrepair because the owner's daughter and her family were living in the home. The daughter's family was not maintaining the home and the owners wanted to sell the home before it was too far gone. I made an offer that was below what others offered but was able to win the contract. How? Well, I first met with the occupant, the daughter's husband, and discovered that he was selling the home because of his father-in-law's pressure to sell. This told me that the true decision maker was the father-in-law but I still wanted the son-in-law on my side. The son-in-law was worried about the scenario of moving out and the closing not happening. I explained the selling process in detail, including the option/inspection period. In addition, to ease his worries I made it clear to the son-in-law that he was welcome to move out of the home after closing. In fact, I told him we would give him 3 free days to move out after closing. I explained we would hold back a $2,000 security deposit for a free 3 day lease back and he would not be charged as long as he completely moved out within that time. After the 3rd day he would only be charged the cost of our loan charges per day. I immediately saw the weight lifted off his shoulders and his wall come down. Win-win situation. The father-in-law had a completely different concern. He had just started a new business and wanted everything taken care of so he could focus on his business. In addition, the wife was always traveling and wanted to make sure that was not going to be an issue. I gave him our checklist and procedures page that explained everything we would need from him in order to assure a smooth closing and assured him no matter where the wife was within the U.S. we would be able to close. We had a smooth closing until the title company informed me a bank lien that was already paid off was not released from the bank/lender. As soon as I heard the news, I contacted the owner to let him know what was happening and that this issue might delay the closing. Never delay bad news. Face it head on and do all you can to resolve the issue. At the end we closed and everyone was happy. I made sure I solved the sellers' and occupants' problems and concerns and followed through with it, which is most important.
On another acquisition, the seller was behind 18 months on her mortgage payments. I told her we could not buy it out right because there was close to zero equity in the home. I suggested we attempt a short-sale, owner finance or clean it up and list it on MLS. She had been attempting a loan modification for months and was tired of dealing with the bank so the short-sale was a hard no. The owner finance would work because the down payment from the buyer would more than cover the amount due to the bank. She liked the idea but after talking it over she decided she would rather just walk away with a small amount and not have to deal with this home ever again. We listed the home on MLS and as expected had multiple offers from owner occupant buyers. In fact, we closed the home $5,000 over list price. As I had explained, her profit was minimal but she was happy to move on with her life and avoided a foreclosure in the process. While I did not contract this home as an investor or wholesaler, I did make a commission from the deal. I later found out other investors had made the typical investor offer, which was in line with what I had to purchase the property for if I had purchased it as an investor. Because the numbers were not there they dropped it or never followed up. I also discovered that other real estate agents told her she would need to sell significantly below market value due to the condition of the home, which would have caused her to bring cash to close. In fact, I received comments from other agents that I had listed the home too high. I was confident because I knew the market very well and had done multiple deals in the area. At the end she said she knew I made more than she did as a commission but was happy to pay for my market expertise and relieving her of her headache and looming foreclosure.
At the end of the day I was able to figure out the true obstacles the owners needed to solve as part of or in addition to the selling of the property and provided a solution. Go out there and become a master problem solver and as a byproduct you will create win-win situations.


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2018: the half year report
The first half of 2018 had no shortage of political tussles and diplomatic standoffs to deliberate on. Here, we consider some of the big economic events across the globe that have kept us busy, including incidents that have come completely from leftfield.
Brexit has understandably dominated the headlines, and no doubt will continue to be the big topic of conversation for many months to come. In March, it was announced that the UK and EU had agreed terms for the Brexit transition period, which lasts from 'Brexit day' on 29 March 2019 until 31 December 2020. The EU will allow Britain to sign its own trade deals during the transition, and the UK will give full free movement rights for EU citizens who arrive during the period.
Also in March, chancellor Philip Hammond used his Spring Statement to unveil upgraded UK growth forecasts. Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) figures have revised the UK growth forecast for this year upwards from 1.4% to 1.5%. However, growth was just 0.1% for the first three months of the year, in part due to the impact on the economy of the so-called 'Beast from the East'.
Some of the tax reforms passed by Donald Trump at the end of 2017 came into play on 1 January, including a 'market friendly' cut of corporate tax rates. In the long-term, these changes are predicted to mean businesses spend more and lift wages. It is of course a gradual process, though a positive 'earnings season' for US businesses in the spring has arguably brought some degree of cheer for those looking to invest in the country.
The president has generated plenty of press coverage in other areas too, including his surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June. From a stock market perspective, it is the tech giants that continue to have a huge influence. However, the likes of Facebook and Amazon have not had it all their own way, given the former's Cambridge Analytica data scandal and Trump's attacks on the latter's pact with the US Post Office.
Argentina was in the headlines in May with its central bank rising interest rates to a whopping 40% as its currency, the peso, fell sharply. The country's economic vulnerabilities were highlighted by a reform programme under president Mauricio Macri. Later in the month, it emerged the government had been in touch with the International Monetary Fund for a credit line that would help restore confidence in the country's economy.
Elsewhere, economists have been speculating that Latin America could be an unexpected winner should trade tensions escalate between China and the US. Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico are among the region's economies that already have extensive trade agreements with China and the US, primarily trading soybeans, iron ore, crude oil and copper into China and manufacturing products into the US.
After months of uncertainty in Germany, a grand coalition was finally formed between the CDU/CSU and SPD parties and the new government took office in March. However, as one country took steps towards a stable government, another, Italy, was facing its own political stalemate. At the end of May, two populist parties, Five Star and League, formed a new ruling coalition.
In France, president Emmanuel Macron came up against opposition to his pro-business economic reforms, which meant nationwide rolling train strikes in dispute over government's planned overhaul of state-run railway SNCF.
Someone who seemingly has never had a problem with popularity in his country is Vladimir Putin, who took more than 76% of the vote in a landslide victory in March's Russian election. His fourth term as president will extend until 2024, much to the ire of many in the West who see his regime as a malicious influence on global diplomacy.
A key event of the first half of 2018 from a markets perspective was posturing towards a 'trade war' between China and the US. What exactly is a trade war? In simple terms it is when countries try to attack each other's trade with taxes and quotas. In introducing tariffs on a country's imports, which is what these two nations have been doing on certain products, the intention is to push people to buying cheaper local products instead, thus boosting your domestic economy. However, in truth there are no real winners from a trade war, and so it seems common sense that officials from both countries have been discussing compromises.
Still, the Chinese economy evidently remains in good shape, with growth in the first quarter of the year coming in at an impressive 6.8%. In Japan, however, there have been some problems brewing for prime minister Shinzo Abe, who saw his public support fall off dramatically having been caught up in a political scandal.
Correct as at time of going to print
If you're concerned about how global events could impact your investment portfolio, please get in touch.
The value of your investments and any income from them can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the original amount invested.
Second charge mortgages enable you to borrow funds secured against your home on top of, and separate to, your existing mortgage. https://t.co/ZfTYlWqWev


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Луговськи́й () — селище у складі Ханти-Мансійського району Ханти-Мансійського автономного округу Тюменської області, Росія. Адміністративний центр Луговського сільського поселення.

Населення — 1599 осіб (2010, 1608 у 2002).

Національний склад станом на 2002 рік: росіяни — 81 %.

Примітки

Джерела

Посилання
 На Вікімапії

Населені пункти Ханти-Мансійського району
Селища Ханти-Мансійського автономного округу

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Details: 5K Road Race & Walk and Fun Run for Kids!
This family-friendly, and fun event raises much-needed funding to provide school-based mentoring that pairs students with an adult mentor who can educate, inspire, and encourage youth to make positive life choices. The program produces proven benefits, including increased graduation rates, GPAs, reading levels, and positive outlooks in mentees. Our goal of raising $100,000 will help us to continue to provide quality educational services to students throughout the area.


@BifBangPow: Shout It Out Loud: KISS Destroyer Pin Mate™ Figures Are Now in Stock!
Shout It Out Loud: KISS Destroyer Pin Mate™ Figures Are Now in Stock!
Bif Bang Pow! has been buzzing with excitement and is thrilled with the success of their brand-new Pin Mate™ line of collectibles! And now, you can add to your collection with the KISS Destroyer Pin Mate figures – in stock today at entertainmentearth.com.
These one-of-a-kind, retro-styled miniature wooden figures transport you back to a simpler time while celebrating today's most-beloved characters and pop culture icons.
Measuring about 2-inches tall, each wooden figure is individually numbered within its series and features stunning 360-degree artwork (crafted from a mixture of hand-painted details and some decal elements).The first-ever KISS Destroyer Pin Mate series celebrates 4 legendary rock icons as we've never seen before and features the band members in full make up and costumes inspired from the Destroyer album era. Each figure is numbered on the bottom as well as on the packaging: The Demon is number 1; The Starchild is number 2; The Spaceman is number 3; and The Catman is number 4.


text:
Pilobolus crystallinus varietat crystallinus, és una espècie de fong que pertany a l'ordre Mucorales. És únic pel fet que adhereix les seves espores a la vegetació, per tal que se les mengin els animals que pasturen. Passa pel sistema digestiu d'aquests animals i creix sobre les seves femtes un cop excretades. Encara que aquest fong només creix fins a 2-4 cm d'alt, pot enviar els seus esporangis que contenen les seves espores 2 metres lluny. L'esporangi s'adhereix gràcies a una mucositat que té a la vegetació allunyada de les femtes permeten dispersar-se fora de la "zona de repugnància" al voltant de la femta que els herbívors eviten menjar-ne l'herba. Així el fong pot completar el seu cicle vital.

Referències

Enllaços externs
 BBC Nature

Zigomicots


Published in Japanese — Translated from English by Professor Tanase Jiro.
Original Title: Mongoru no "arawa naru takara". Urankôzan toshi marudai ni tsuitei no oboegaki.
Published in Tanase Jiro & Shimamura Ippei (eds.), Sôgen to kôseki. Mongoru, Chibetto ni okeru shigenkaihatsu to kankyômondai (Steppe and Mine. Natural Resource Development and Environmental Problems in Mongolia and Tibet), Akashi Shoten, Tokyo, 2015, pp. 39–52.
This entry was posted in Articles on March 18, 2018 by admin2039.


I can't believe it's Friday again. And not just any Friday, it's Valentine's Day! We have no special plans this year since we have our little one and not to mention there's a foot of snow on the ground. It will be nice to spend our first Valentine's Day as a family by staying in and watching a movie.
Charlotte will spend about an hour everyday just smiling and cooing. It's my favorite thing she does. I love how she's starting to get a little personality!
One of my favorite places to go to is our local Mexican restaurant. They have giant 36oz beers for just $5 and the best queso in the world! It can turn any day into a good one.
This is the view from our front door, we got a ton of snow (as did half the country)! What makes this a high five is that I got to see my HOA dollars at work. We didn't have to shovel our sidewalk! Winning!
I know you're sick of seeing this photos, but I just love how they turned out! The photographer sent me the whole CD in the mail this week so now I can look at them everyday! Obsessed.
Milo is craved for attention these days, so this is how he demands we notice him. At least he's trying to be good!
I hope everyone has stayed safe through all the crazy snow. Hopefully, your V-Day plans weren't affected by the weather and that you have a wonderful day and weekend!
Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!
Have a great first Valentine's with Charlotte!! :) I can't believe how much snow we got! What's the mexican restaurant called?!!
Beer + chips and queso = one of the best meals ever. Yum!!


We have indeed seen the last of Luis Suarez in this World Cup. FIFA handed him a suspension that covers the next nine international matches, as well as a four-month ban from "all football-related activities." According to the announcement, he won't even be allowed to enter a stadium during that time. Inconvenient not just for Uruguay, but for Liverpool as well – he's going to miss almost a quarter of the Premier League season, as well as part of the Champions League group stage. They could decide to sell him, but it remains to be seen if Barcelona or Real Madrid will still be willing to meet Liverpool's asking price. It also depends on their ability to come up with a replacement. If this saga interests you, I suggest you start reading the English newspapers, where all of it will be discussed ad nauseum for the foreseeable future.
Hey! I finally got one of these right! This always looked like one of the easier groups to predict, and it played out the way that most of us expected. France won it easily, which isn't suprising in light of their extremely favorable draw. Ecuador gave the Swiss a tough time, but couldn't quite pull it off.
So, how far can France go? There seems to be a lot of optimism in their camp, and given the way they've been scoring goals, it's not without basis (only the Netherlands (ten) and Colombia (nine) scored more than France's eight in the group stage). I'm still not quite sold on these guys, though. I feel like we need to see how they react to a bit of pressure, and no one in this group managed to apply any. The degree of difficulty is about to go up.
There was a sense that Argentina labored a bit more than they should have here (particularly against a surprisingly tough Iran side), but at the end of the day they won all three of their matches, and Messi is the tournament's joint-top scorer so far (he and Neymar each have four goals). Can't really ask for much more than that, right?
The second spot was effectively decided when Nigeria eked out a controversial 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Edin Dzeko had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside, and Bosnia were livid at what they perceived to be an uncalled foul by Nigeria in the buildup to the lone goal. This one could have gone either way; luck was with the Nigerians.
For the first time in the Round of 16, I'm going out on a limb here. France will get there first taste of pressure from a Nigeria side that will feel good about their positive performance against Argentina. Unfortunately for France, they have no Lionel Messi to bail them out. 2-1 to Nigeria.
After having to come back from behind against Ecuador and getting blown away by France, Switzerland seems to righted the ship. Unfortunately for them, it won't be enough to get them past all of the talent that Argentina will throw at them. A fairly comfortable 2-0 win for Messi and friends.


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The joys of living in SA
David Bullard |
David Bullard writes on the country's glorious abundance of political weirdness
One of the many joys of living in South Africa (apart from guessing the date when the national grid will completely collapse) is that gloriously surreal feeling you get so often when one of our politicians says something really dumb.
I've often compared living in SA to being trapped in a Gary Larson cartoon with talking cows and dogs with cowboy hats playing poker but actually it's much weirder than that.
Last week, with impeccable timing as the worst set of youth unemployment figures were released, Pres Frogboiler expressed great sorrow at the lamentably low wages (R1.1 mln) paid to back bench members of parliament, stating that they were "struggling to make ends meet".
In 'wokist' lingo this would be described as a 'problematic' statement but we normal folk just snort with derision and suggest it is a tad insensitive.
The Pres went on to point out that our worthy back-benchers (many of whom we have never heard of) have to keep two homes going; one their real home and another near parliament. This apparently is a costly exercise and necessitates the purchase of two pop up toasters, two 60 inch flat screen TV's and an identical set of suits in Malusi Gigaba's case. ___STEADY_PAYWALL___
Any of those white privileged multiple home owners will know the problem and will no doubt feel deeply for the plight of our struggling under-remunerated politicians. I had a flat in Cape Town years ago in addition to my rambling stolen land estate in Parktown North and I remember the financial burden of having to buy a separate vacuum cleaner just for the flat.
I knew a man (white and privileged obviously) with several homes who went one better. Or several better actually. When he thought it was time for a new car he bought three identical luxury German models to leave at his various homes.
When I asked him why he said that he liked to get into a car with which he was familiar so if, for example, he bought a Merc for Joburg and a Ford for Cape Town he would have all the confusion of having the indicator stalk on the wrong side of the steering column and would spend a lot of time flicking the windscreen wipers on and off. Oh the problems of the white and privileged.
I really did try and work up some empathy for the poor dears who struggle by on a mere R1.1mln a year but to no avail. I even rushed down to my local Checkers to buy some onions to peel but still the tears didn't come.
The fact is that, in a country with world record high unemployment numbers, anybody earning over a million rand a year is doing very nicely thank you. If you happen to be a member of parliament you have accommodation near parliament provided by the state plus an allowance of R250 000 for 'security upgrades'. Water and electricity is paid for by the state as are any improvements to the property.
You don't need to worry about paying for your cellphone, you have much of your travel paid for, either in an official car or you receive remuneration for using your own vehicle, medical aid is provided and swanning around the country in Business Class and using VIP lounges is encouraged.
This is all the legit stuff but once you factor in those heavy hints for free chicken and premium booze deliveries in return for 'favours' it's hard to see how you could possibly get through a net income of around R50 000 a month.
Of course, the obvious response to complaints that the R1.1 mln backbencher's salary is impossible to live on is to respectfully suggest that the sensible course would be to resign and seek better paid employment and similar perks in the private sector.
I've been out of the corporate world for some years now but, offhand, I can't think of too many companies willing to pay that sort of money to somebody who has no obvious skills to offer. Only when the government eventually runs out of money and is unable to pay members of parliament will our freeloading politicians understand that.
Last Friday Pres Frogboiler addressed a gala dinner to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the formation of the Black Management Forum. The theme was "Celebrating 45 years of Driving Ethical Leadership and Transformation in South Africa" (You can't make this stuff up can you?)
So how do think it's gone chaps? Nearly half a century in and the President in his keynote address noted that there hasn't been nearly enough transformation. In fact, things are so bad that we're going to need a whole new raft of BBBEE legislation to make sure that white run businesses don't pocket all the profits in the future. So an epic fail on that one then I'm afraid.
But it's the Driving Ethical Leadership claim that really concerns me. Driving it where pray? Into a ditch? Have you chaps not being paying attention these past ten years and even before that? Did you not notice the power going out on a daily basis? Did you not smell the rot at so many state institutions? Did you not read any business publications?
I've checked your website and noted with delight that, despite the misleading name, you are a non-racial organization and that makes it even more surprising to me that we've heard so little from you as the economy has been collapsing around us.
You obviously must have noticed because last year you urged your members not to send their resumes to state owned enterprises because black professionals were "under siege". Whether that refers to them having too heavy a workload or being caught with their fingers in the till who knows?
During his address the President said that the manufacture of COVID vaccines must be led by black people and the government had already handed over R18 billion to black industrialists in the past year. This might come as something of a shock to those citizens in parts of the country who were hoping for running water, houses and sewage free streets. As for the vaccines…. well, don't hold your breath on that one.
The President also said in his address that funding institutions must be bold in their support for black business but for that to happen certain conditions have to be met. Unless you believe in the magic money tree theory any funds lent by a financial institution don't really belong to them.
They are, broadly speaking, either deposits, shareholder funds, funds under management, people's pensions or loans from other financial institutions. That means that just chucking money around like chicken feed is unlikely to happen.
Any investor in any business, of whatever colour, is hoping to see a return on his or her investment. But that's called capitalism and it seems that we may soon be abandoning that which leaves only the government left to support black business and they, by their own admission, are a busted flush.
Described in 2019 by an alleged former lover as a "tiger in bed", not known for his sartorial elegance after his tailor got the measurements badly wrong for one of his suits leaving his trouser bottoms flapping over his shoes and his sleeves absurdly long and internationally famous for promoting our vast reserves of the fictitious mineral 'Hazenile' in front of a mining conference in Australia, poor Gwede Mantashe hasn't always been taken seriously by fellow South Africans.
That must all change now because Mr Mantashe has been awarded an MBA from MANCOSA at the age of 65. It may not be Harvard or Le Sorbonne but it's still an MBA and the honourable minister undoubtedly studied very hard to get his degree, juggling his time between government, party and school work. This may possibly explain why we don't yet have a viable alternative to our collapsing electricity grid but all is not lost.
One of the skills Mr Mantashe will have acquired according to the MANCOSA website is the ability to "evaluate and solve problems using strategic critical and creative thinking".
Rumours that Mr Mantashe is planning on buying eleven million exercise bikes from China in a final desperate attempt to generate electricity and will encourage the terminally unemployed to "pedal for power" remain unconfirmed.
Dr Sleazy Mkhize
No rest for the Woke
Zille's revenge
Financial Times perspective: The 'Bain' of SA's life


Measurements and Applications Predictions of impacts from oil spills, fires, water pollution from sewage and other sources, fertilizer runoff, and other environmental threats. Detection and tracking of waterborne hazardous materials. Monitoring and improvement of coastal health.