Honestly, what would we do on this blog without those hilarious guys in Iran. In their latest standup routine, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast issued a statement to the British government to show greater restraint in dealing with protesters in London and other cities. That's right, the government that has killed, beaten, and raped protesters is publicly calling out England on its efforts to stop the rioting and looting in London.
Mehmanparast called for an international investigation by human rights groups (which are largely banned from investigation in his own country) and suggested a "dialogue" with the protesters to avoid violence.
We have previously seen the disconnect of Iran from reality in such statements. That includes officials investigating the influence of genies and hidden messages in Olympic symbols.
That seems to fit nicely.
Perhaps, Iraq is engaging in tongue-in-cheek rhetoric.
Alina, if you could point to something good or useful about the Iranian government, perhaps we might be enlightened. Until then, they have managed to convince the world they are backward, ignorant, vindictive, duplicitous, and oppressive. To mention just a few of their better qualities.
The United States is hypocritical as well. Our country also makes statements of peace, but we go off and destroy other countries, kill civilians, and displace innocents. All nations will behave in a hypocritical fashion. Why is Iran getting all the slack? They are trying to do something good here, why must we always have negative things to say about the Iranian government? Food for thought.
Great clip OS! GW did keep us laughing.
Raff, we do have our home grown version. Who could forget these legendary moments in oratory.
You are right about the Disney freak from North Korea!
Raff, I dunno. He has a lot of competition in the batshit crazee department. There are a lot of throwbacks scattered around. North Korea's "Dear Leader" comes to mind immediately. Then do not forget our very own Bush the Lesser.
"Iammadinthehead" is one of the craziest world leaders in my lifetime. He reminds me of the Iraqi general in charge of publicity who kept telling the newspeople that the Iraqi military was squashing the Allies even while video was being played that showed just the opposite.
I would have posted a comment earlier, but when I read this both my snark meter and irony meter went into overload and shorted out.
If anyone ever wanted an example of the pot calling the kettle black, this is it. The current Iranian government proves, every time Ahmadlottaletters or one of his ministers makes a pronouncement, that reverse evolution is not only possible but exists today.
One of the most horrible governments in the world attempting to lecture Britain on showing restraint.
It must be insanity because no one in the Iranian government has demonstrated as highly refined a sense of irony it would take to make this statement otherwise.
Sometime the insides of the pot is darker than the outside….


Rose gold metallic stag dressing table and matching bedside tables intended for designs. Solid oak chalk paint treated king size bed with mattress regarding matching bedside tables plan. Oak hill queen bed with matching bedside tables within designs. Iron bed with matching bedside tables curtain pole and ceiling within ideas. Mirror silver trim bedroom furniture bedside table console mirrored intended for matching tables designs.
Matching bedside tables gumtree. Bedside tables with matching tallboy. Matching bedside table lamps. Matching bedside tables or not. Matching bedside tables and dressing table. Matching wardrobes and bedside tables. Matching bedside tables yes or no. Ana white farmhouse king size bed with matching bedside table tables decor.


text:
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, left, with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, March 24, 2015. Ghani has pledged to enter talks with the Taliban to end to the war in his country. Jacquelyn Martin / AP
Jacquelyn Martin / AP
Taliban 5 talks part of troubled Afghan peace push
Analysis: Status of Taliban members under surveillance in Qatar is one piece of a complex diplomatic puzzle
June 1, 2015 7:50PM ET Updated 10:56PM ET
by Tom Kutsch @tomkutsch
Negotiations are continuing between U.S. and Qatari officials over the travel status of five Taliban members who were released to the Gulf state last year as part of a prisoner swap for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. Al Jazeera learned Monday that weekend reports suggesting the men's stay in Qatar had been extended were erroneous, and that their situation remains under negotiation. But the fate of the so-called Taliban 5 will be decided against a backdrop of intermittent efforts mediated by Doha to conduct peace talks among the main parties to the conflict in Afghanistan.
The five Taliban members were released to Qatar last June from the U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, and have since been under strict surveillance. The exchange for Bergdahl, who had been held by Taliban forces for five years, has proved controversial for Barack Obama's administration — Bergdahl was charged in March with desertion for leaving his U.S. military post in June 2009. The prisoner swap was not directly linked to any broader peace efforts in Afghanistan. But U.S. officials expressed hope at the time that it might help achieve a new opening for talks.
Mindful of the Taliban's continued strength more than 12 years after U.S. forces first invaded Afghanistan with the goal of destroying the movement that had hosted Al-Qaeda, the U.S. has over the years cautiously explored back-channel diplomacy with the movement and encouraged its Afghan allies to do the same.
Taliban officials have also expressed a willingness to enter into peace talks, although they had long set U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the release of Taliban prisoners as preconditions for negotiating a political solution to the conflict.
In February, media reports suggested U.S. and Taliban officials had planned direct talks in Doha to discuss peace efforts, though officials from both sides subsequently denied this.
Qatar has also hosted several rounds of talks between Taliban representatives and the Afghan government.
In 2013, the Taliban's political wing opened an office in Doha, in a move some hoped would launch a diplomatic opening between the group and the Afghan government. But the office closed within weeks, after former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai voiced displeasure at the Taliban casting itself as Afghanistan's government-in-exile.
Diplomatic prospects improved with last year's election of Ashraf Ghani as Karzai's successor. Ghani has pledged to enter talks with the Taliban to end to the war in his country.
As a part of that effort, Ghani has attempted to patch up relations with neighboring Pakistan, viewed by Western and Afghan officials as a key backer of the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan appears to have stepped up its encouragement of peace efforts in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the December massacre of 132 students in Peshawar, an attack conducted by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which is allied to but distinct from the Afghan Taliban.
In the intervening period, Ghani and Pakistan President Nawaz Sharif have sought to thaw relations between their countries.
Afghan government and Taliban officials met last month in Doha for two days of "reconciliation" talks that were organized by the Pugwash Conferences, an international group that often facilitates discreet talks between conflicting parties. There are plans for a follow-up Pugwash round of talks in the near future.
Also, in mid-May, an Afghan government official met with former Taliban officials in the western Chinese city of Urumqi. China has sought to increase its footprint in Afghanistan to help diplomatic efforts, and uses its influence with Pakistan to that end.
But successful peace negotiations with the Taliban by the U.S. and its allies continue to face many obstacles.
In April, the Taliban launched its annual spring offensive in Afghanistan and its fighters have kept up a steady stream of attacks. And despite the end of the NATO mission in Afghanistan last year and a U.S. declaration that its combat role there was over, nearly 10,000 American soldiers have remained in country at Ghani's request. Their continued presence remains a primary reason cited by the Taliban for declining talks.
Ghani's office, in a recent letter obtained by various media outlets, reproached Pakistan for not doing enough to push the Taliban to the negotiating table and reciprocate his diplomatic opening.
"Regardless of his firm commitment to peace, Ghani has no choice but to become a war president to ensure the survival of his country and the safety of Afghan women and children," the letter said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
"Since he made all these efforts, the Taliban based in Pakistan have launched their biggest spring offensive ever," Barnett Rubin, an Afghan expert who previously advised the Obama administration on Afghanistan, said on Saturday, "and I have not seen any evidence that anyone in Pakistan is trying to stop them."
Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Qatar
Diplomacy, Taliban, War
Taliban launches spring offensive in Afghanistan with attack on US base
No injuries reported as armed group launches spring offensive with what it says was over 100 attacks
US-Taliban prisoner swap inspires tentative hopes for Afghan peace
Taliban welcomed release of Gitmo detainees and US troop withdrawal, two conditions for broaching peace
Pakistan officials say Afghan Taliban has signaled peace talk readiness
But the United States and Taliban later denied talk of bilateral negotiations in Qatar as baseless

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How can I download a video using VideoLib when it's Async? Alright, here is my dilemma:
I wanted to learn how to use NuGet, so I tested it out using a system called VideoLibrary(https://www.nuget.org/packages/VideoLibrary/). I successfully got it installed to my computer, and was finally got it working inside of code. I was able to successfully download a video, which is the purpose of the extension, however it was in the wrong format. So, having read through the questions and answers section, I got this code:
        var youTube = YouTube.Default;
        var allVideos = await youTube.GetAllVideosAsync(URL);
        var mp4Videos = allVideos.Where(_ => _.Format == VideoFormat.Mp4);

Now, from what my understanding is, that first downloads all the videos, and then sets the variable to only the MP4 video.
However, after that is done, I don't know how to save it to a byte array. Typically, to save a video using VideoLib, you have to assign it to a byte array and then save the byte array to a file. So I used this code previously with a video that wasn't async:
byte[] bytes = video.GetBytes();
var stream = video.Stream();
File.WriteAllBytes(@"C:\" + fullName, bytes);

Now, this method doesn't work with my videos now because they're async. THe developer mentioned later that you could assign the video to a byte array by using:
byte[] bytes = allVideos.GetBytesAsync();

However, that doesn't work for some reason.
I'm assuming I'm using it wrong and that's why, but I don't know.
The code is underlined in red, and it gives:
'IEnumerable<YouTubeVideo>' does not contain a definition to 'GetBytesAsync'
and no extension method 'GetBytesAsync accepting a first argument of type
'IEnumerable<YouTubeVideo>'coulb be found

Any help would be appreciated.

A: Okay, so, I've discovered the answer to my question:
The problem is that allVideos is multiple videos. When you use the method GetAllVideosAsync it retrieves a whole list of videos. You have to narrow it down.
When you use mp4Videos you've narrowed it down to one video, however the computer still doesn't know that because it's a variable of multiple videos.
So, simply put the code through this:
var SingleVideo = mp4Videos.FirstOrDefault();

Then, using the SingleVideo variable, you can save it to a byte array like a conventional video, but using the async method:
Byte[] Byte = await SingleVideo.GetBytesAsync();

Once the contents are saved to the byte array, you can save it any way you please.
I hope this helps anyone who needs it!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Fancasts
'The Batman' Rumors Tease Catwoman, Penguin, and Robin Making An Appearance
Robert Pattinson Has Been Cast As Our New Dark Knight In Matt Reeves' 'The Batman'
'IT: Chapter Two' Trailer Unites The Adult Loser Club For One Final Stand Against Pennywise
'Game of Thrones' Star Richard Madden Joins Marvel Studios' 'The Eternals' As Ikaris
'Spider-Man: Far From Home' Trailer Gives Fans A Spoiler Filled Look At A Post 'Endgame' MCU
5:50 PM Tony Falcone
Review: Ridley Scott's 'The Martian' Teaches Us To Never Doubt the Knowledge of a Botanist
Films about space exploration and mishaps in the farthest regions of the galaxy have become a bit of a trend in Hollywood lately. Some of the today's most acclaimed directors such as Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity), Christopher Nolan (Interstellar), and Duncan Jones (Moon) have taken a crack at the genre, so it was only a matter of time before Ridley Scott (Alien) himself gave it a shot. With The Martian, Scott takes a break from the usual science fiction extraterrestrial films he's known for, and tackles a much more grounded and realistic space adventure story. The result is a captivating film that sports a cast who bring their characters to life, along with a story that is packed in suspense and never offers a dull moment.
The film follows the crew of the Ares III; a team of astronauts who are ready to set back home after their mission to mars. But just prior to leaving, a storm hits leading the crew to believe that one of their members; botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon), was killed during the storm. It isn't until once the Ares III has departed that it is revealed Watney did in fact survive the storm, and has now been left alone to fend for himself on the deserted planet of Mars.
Every time there is a film that follows a person on their own or stranded in a place without any other humans, there's always a risk that film's narrative me be boring or not captivating enough for the audience. There's also a tremendous amount of pressure on whatever actor is playing the title role, as they have to practically carry most of the film on their own. In The Martian's case, that responsibility falls onto Matt Damon, along with screenwriter Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods). Both Damon and Goddard do a fantastic job at making Watney into an entertaining and relatable character whose eyes we are able to see the film's events through.
While it may have seemed like the film was going to be two hours of Matt Damon alone on Mars, Scott keeps the audience's attention but constantly cutting back to what is taking place back on Earth. Watney may be the most developed character in the film, but several other supporting players get their time to shine, and are portrayed fantastically by some familiar faces. Standouts include Jeff Daniels (Newsroom) as the NASA director, Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as the man in charge of the Mars mission, and Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings) as a fellow head employee for NASA. Every character introduced in the film serves a purpose, and adds something extra to the flow of the film's story. The dialogue between these characters was especially impressive, with some witty remarks reminiscent of that of Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network).
But the real stars of the show here are the crew of the Ares III themselves, who all really provide the emotional anchor of the film. While a majority of the film is seen through Watney's eyes as we experience his emotions, seeing the psychological effects of leaving a crewmember through his fellow astronauts adds an entirely new layer to the film. Michael Pena, Jessica Chastain, and Kate Mara specifically stand out, and share some great scenes alongside each other. Although it would've be nice to have had more screen time between these characters and Watney himself prior to them leaving, we're giving a good idea of their personalities and what their relationships with Watney were like through some great dialogue scenes.
The soundtrack of the film was another surprising standout, and really helped give the film its own identity. The film's score is definitely a lot more lighthearted than expected for a film about a guy left alone on Mars. This actually suits the movie well, and is a great reflection of Watney's optimism throughout the story. There is also a great amount of 70s music in the throughout, which is a running gag in film. Those who are fans of disco music will really enjoy it, while those who aren't will feel Watney's pain.
In this day and age where space adventure films are a dime a dozen, and each film is trying to reach a further region of space than the last, The Martian is a breathe of fresh air. Everything about the film from its visuals and its beautiful use of colors, the avoidance of clichés, down to the spectacular cast that was assembled all really help it stand out from its predecessors in the genre. The Martian is a return to form for Ridley Scott, as well as another brilliantly acted film led by Matt Damon himself, and is sure to be a contender for an Oscar in visual effects next year. Those who are looking for a grounded space film that isn't named Star Wars or Star Trek should look no further than this brilliant take on the future of human space travel.
I give The Martian 4 out of 5 stars:
So have you see The Martian? What did you think of it? Let us know below!
Get The Latest Movie News To Your Email
Trailer For Gareth Edward's Godzilla Reboot Drops Along With New Stills, Synopsis, And Poster; The King of the Monsters Is Back
New Trailer, Poster, And Stills For The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Show Us Peter Parker's Greatest Battle Yet
Fan-Cast: Casting A Batman Reboot, Guest Post By Axel
Spidey Trades In Blue For Black In Set Photos From 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' Revealing Another New Suit
'Stranger Things' Brings Back Two Familiar Faces And Adds Dacre Montgomery And Sadie Sink
Review: Ridley Scott's 'The Martian' Teaches Us To...
Fan-Casts
Copyright © 2010 Turbo Exp | Powered by Blogger


text:
By INL Media Relations
Gimme five! INL boosts Corporate Equality Index score by 5 points to 95%, once again the highest scoring organization in Idaho
INL News Release
NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
Julie Ulrich, 208-520-1139, julie.ulrich@inl.gov
Sarah Neumann, 208-526-0490, sarah.neumann@inl.gov
Idaho Falls, Idaho – Idaho National Laboratory received a score of 95% on the 2020 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation's premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. This is five points higher than the 2019 score and makes INL once again the highest scoring business in Idaho. INL's score reflects a commitment to LGBTQ workplace equality through tangible policies, benefits and practices.
"The impact of the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index over its 18-year history is profound. In this time, the corporate community has worked with us to adopt LGBTQ-inclusive policies, practices and benefits," said HRC President Alphonso David. "These companies know that protecting their LGBTQ employees and customers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do — it is also the best business decision."
Key policies that earned INL a top score include:
Support an inclusive culture for everyone.
Offer equitable benefits for LGBTQ employees and their families including transgender-inclusive health-care coverage.
Aligned philanthropic grant process with our business strategy that charitable organizations receiving INL grants must be inclusive of all people.
Provided vendors the option to self-identify as an LGBTQ-owned business.
Updated relocation policy to encompass immediate family, which includes domestic partners.
"I'm proud that the Corporate Equality Index has once again recognized INL as a top inclusive employer. We're dedicated to ensuring workplace equality for everyone and being a vocal advocate for equality inside and outside the laboratory by aligning our community giving and outreach to our business values," said Juan Alvarez, INL deputy laboratory director for Management and Operations and chief operating officer.
The 2020 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including nondiscrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health-care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
INL is one of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOE's strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation's leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance.
See more INL news at www.inl.gov. Follow @INL on Twitter or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IdahoNationalLaboratory.
—INL-20-003—
Four from INL selected as Women Worth Watching awardees
Four from Idaho National Laboratory have been selected as Women Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity, a national publication dedicated to promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion in the corporate, government, nonprofit, STEM and higher education sectors.
Idaho National Laboratory named as 2019 NOD Leading Disability Employer
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) has named Idaho National Laboratory a 2019 NOD Leading Disability Employer. Now in its fourth year, the NOD Leading Disability Employer seal recognizes companies that demonstrate exemplary employment practices for people with disabilities.
Four from INL named Diversity MBA Top 100 Under 50 Emerging Leaders
Diversity MBA, a national leadership organization integrating diversity and inclusion with talent management, has named four INL leaders to their 2019 Top 100 Under 50 Emerging Leaders list.
Best of the Best: INL named top employer by Professional Woman's Magazine
Professional Woman's Magazine has named Idaho National Laboratory a 2019 Best of the Best Top Government & Law Enforcement Agencies.


text:
Home News Satanic Temple Opens HQ In Salem, MA, Christian Church Responds
Satanic Temple Opens HQ In Salem, MA, Christian Church Responds
A Christian church in Salem, Massachusetts says it is ready to combat Satanic Temple with a Christ-like response.
Arthur Savage, the pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church in Salem recently said this as the satanic temple opens its international headquarters in the city.
"Salem is definitely a place of spiritual warfare, and a place where it's important for Christians to gather to pray and to be in unity, and to preach Christ," said Savage.
Salem is a popular tourist city and also a controversial one due to its Puritan history of the Salem Witch Trials. In the 1690's, villagers killed over a dozen people accused of witchcraft.
Wesley says he doesn't want to take a controversial approach, but instead, he said, "We are praying and waiting on the Lord about how to respond and talking about it amongst ourselves. And we have a ministry here for people who are searching, some of them coming out of occultism of various forms. And we are involved with some ministries that come into the area to preach Christ and minister to people, especially during the [upcoming] October Haunted Happening events."
Members of the Satanic Temple, however, argue that they have been misrepresented.
"Satanism is widely misunderstood because traditional religious organizations who, against all historical insight, believe themselves to be the arbiters of morality, see satanism as their opposite, therefore embodying a philosophy of immorality," said spokesman and co-founder of the Satanic Temple, Lucien Greaves, in an email to CP.
See also: Boston: Satanists Seek City Council Slots
Previous articleChris Pratt: Why My Friends And I Erected A Huge Cross On Easter Weekend
Next articleBaby Miraculously Survived In The Womb After Mother Was Shot Dead
Pope Francis Says 'Being Homosexual Is Not A Crime' But Still A Sin
Islamic Terrorists Killed 39 Catholic Priests, Kidnapped 30 In Nigeria – 2022
Why Are You Killing Christians In Nigeria? – Trump Asked Nigerian President Buhari


text:
See the Tolpuddle Martyrs Mural
A 1984 mural just off Copenhagen Street, beside Edward Square, commemorates the 1834 meeting on Copenhagen Fields, when around 100,000 Londoners assembled to seek the pardon of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, a group of 19th century agricultural labourers more than 100 miles away in Dorset who were convicted and transported to Australia for becoming members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers.
Following the meeting, called by the Central Committee of the Metropolitan Trade Unions, a group marched to Westminster to present a petition protesting against the deportation of the Martyrs, totalling 800,000 signatures. The martyrs were subsequently pardoned and four of the six returned to England. The modern mural was painted by Dave Bangs to commemorate the great march.
For more, see http://kingscrossenvironment.com/2008/09/24/tolpuddle-marty/
Plant trees in Slade Gardens
Join the Alara Wassail
Celebrate Chinese culture at the Horniman
See the Landscape Photographer of the Year exhibit...
Listen to music at the Georgian Embassy
Admire the East Window at St Martin-in-the-Fields
Welcome the Year of the Goat
Attend a free concert at the Union Chapel
Join Thames21's Big Count
Attend a free rush hour concert at St John's Water...
See Grayson Perry's Who are You?
Watch the Leadenhall Market Pancake Race
Find Robert Milligan
Walk and cycle to Eltham Farmers Market
Celebrate anti-Valentines at Drink Shop Do
Go late at the Museum of London
Attend the London Bike Show
Attend a lunchtime concert in Guy's Chapel
Go to a free lecture at the LSE
Find the GWR War Memorial at Paddington
Attend Brixton Farmers'Market
Listen for the Accession Day salute
Go late at the National Portrait Gallery
Debate censorship at the Tea House Theatre
Admire St Olave's,Hart Street
Visit your local Mosque


text:
Resonance Flute Consort
Julie Long
Shannon Christianson Rivera
Norda Mullen
Rik Noyce
David Shostac
Michelle Matsumune
Frank Macchia
A Flute Tootin' Yule
Lights, Camera, FLUTES!
Karen Smith, founder and director of the Resonance Flute Consort, is a well-known and widely respected music librarian and archivist in the film music industry. After earning degrees in both Flute Performance and Music Education from the University of Alabama, she moved to Los Angeles and was hired by Hayen Music where she honed her …
An active freelance flutist in the Los Angeles area, Julie Long has played with nearly every major local ensemble at every major local venue. Hailed "a terrific flutist" by Julius Baker and called "the real deal" by Jim Walker, Julie is most comfortable playing a variety of classical generas: from early music to contemporary, from …
Shannon Christianson Rivera began her formal training on piano, followed soon after by flute, voice, cello, trombone and baritone. Ultimately discovering her love for the flute, Shannon received a Bachelor of Music Performance (Flute), summa cum laude, from Arizona State University and a Master of Music Performance (Flute) from the University of Southern California Thornton …
Norda Mullen was born in Savannah, Tennessee, and raised in Starkville, Mississippi, to an artistically rich parentage. She attended Interlochen National Music Camp and studied with Alexander Murray, former principle flautist for the London Symphony. She then went on to Northwestern University, where she studied with Walfrid Kujala, former piccolo player for the Chicago Symphony, and received …
Increasingly in demand as a recitalist and collaborative chamber musician, Altus Flutes Performing Artist, Dr. Rik Noyce, is known for his rich, expressive tone, and his passionate musicality. An advocate of contemporary composition, he has commissioned and premiered several new works. He has held principal positions with numerous orchestras and wind ensembles, and has performed …
David Shostac, well-known for his performances throughout North America, is also principal flutist and frequent soloist with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. David has been principal flutist of the St. Louis, Milwaukee, and New Orleans Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Mostly Mozart, Ojai, Carmel Bach Festival and Aspen Chamber Orchestras. In addition to his …
Hailed as "possessing rich, mellow flute playing, lovely lyrical style, and excellent breath control" by ClassicsToday.com, Michelle Matsumune is a fourth generation Californian and a lover of chamber music.
She concertizes regularly with the woodwind trio Ceora Winds, which released their debut CD Postcards in 2014. Additionally, she performs as singer and flautist for the choral group The Wagner Ensemble …
Currently residing in Los Angeles, Frank was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. In 1976 Frank attended Berklee College of Music, studying woodwinds with Joseph Viola, Joe Allard, Steve Grossman and composition/arranging with Herb Pomeroy, Phil Wilson, and Greg Hopkins. He received a National Endowment Grant for the Arts in 1980 to compose a …
Copyright © 2020 · Resonance Flute Consort


During the Trojan War, Greek soldiers hid inside a large wooden horse which was presented to Troy as an offering to the goddess Athena. The soldiers eventually emerged from the horse, opened the gates and allowed Greek soldiers stationed outside to be able to enter and lay siege to the city.
However, critics argue CETA, like other so-called trade agreements contain provisions that undermine national governments to the benefit of trans-national banks and corporations.
Paul Hellyer is one such critic.
In particular, he sees the ability of sovereign governments to finance critical infrastructure, environmental and other initiatives being jeopardized by CETA. Hellyer believes the time has come for a new social contract, but CETA once ratified would impede forever Canada's ability to undertake these vital nation-building projects.
Paul Hellyer presented on this topic in front of an audience of about a hundred people at the University of Winnipeg as part of a speaking tour coinciding with talks between Canada and the European Union to finalize and sign the CETA.
Video courtesy of Canadian Bank Reformers, and was originally recorded by community videographer Paul S Graham. Find the original raw recording here.
CETA was signed in Brussels about ten days after this talk took place. It is now on course for provisional application by September 21, 2017.
Paul Theodore Hellyer is an engineer, and political commentator. He is the longest serving member of Canada's Privy Council having served in Canada's House of Commons as far back as 1949 under Prime minister Louis St. Laurent. Hellyer has served as Minister of National Defence, and as acting Prime Minister. He founded the Canadian Action party in 1997 to provide Canadians with an economic nationalist option in the face of Free Trade and other legislation threatening the sovereignty of Canada. He has written multiple books addressing the theme of money, and threats to Canadian democracy. These include Funny Money: A Common Sense Alternative to Mainline Economics (1994), Goodbye Canada (2001) , Light at the End of the Tunnel: A Survival Plan for the Human Species (2010), and The Money Mafia: A World in Crisis (2014).
The Global Research News Hour airs every Friday at 1pm CT on CKUW 95.9FM in Winnipeg. The programme is also podcast at globalresearch.ca . The show can be heard on the Progressive Radio Network at prn.fm. Listen in everyThursday at 6pm ET.


text:
Haute-Savoie: two dead in two paragliding accidents
Two men aged 23 and 27 died Friday September 3 in two paragliding accidents.
Posted the 04/09/2021 22:59
Reading time : 1 min.
Two men aged 23 and 27 were killed on Friday September 3 in two paragliding accidents in Haute-Savoie, reports France Bleu Pays de Savoie.
A trainer at the Saint-Gervais ski club who left for a flight near the Aiguille du Midi on Thursday, September 2, was found in critical condition after an accident. The paraglider's vital prognosis was engaged when he arrived at the hospital. The 27-year-old died the next day from his injuries.
On Facebook, the Saint-Gervais ski club, which announced the death, testifies to its "deep sadness" by paying tribute to his trainer, "with a jovial and fiery temperament", while reserving his thoughts for the relatives of the victim.
This Friday, a second paraglider lost his life in the town of Saint-Sigismond. The 23-year-old fell more than 30 meters with his device.
Arrived on the spot, the firefighters immediately noticed his death.
To share :
Previous More than 141,000 people marched against the health pass, according to the Ministry of the Interior, a figure down again
Next Disgusting Food Museum exhibition in Bordeaux: come and discover the most tasty foods in the world
VIDEO. "As if we were animals": "The village of Bamboula", a dive into the unworthy last French "human zoo"
A Swiss referendum for responsible multinationals
Two thousand years of Latin poetry
Covid-19: "The epidemic situation continues to improve sharply throughout the country", rejoices Olivier Véran
Isère: three individuals sentenced to 12 to 24 months in prison for ambushing police officers
Covid-19: what to do to avoid a rebound?
Pesticides: first study on the exposure of residents near the vines
When Raj Kundra opened the secret in front of wife Shilpa Shetty
Rohit Shetty-Akshay Kumar confirm, 'Sooryavanshi' to release on Diwali
CAP reform: farmers are mobilizing in and around Île-de-France
Shahrukh Khan is ready to return to shooting after Aryan case, but has kept this special condition


All pictures were taken at Bridgewood, courtesy of T, who has my grateful thanks for a most memorable experience.
ONE - The lodge at Bridgewood.
TWO - Ready for the hunt to begin.
FIVE - She suddenly realizes, she's been spotted!
SIX - ... and she's off and running.
SEVEN - If she'd stayed in the forest, she'd never have been caught.
EIGHT - ...but, on the track, a Jeep is quicker.
ELEVEN - ... and closer yet!
SIXTEEN - and, she's out.
TWENTY-ONE - ... and hobbled hooves cannot kick.
TWENTY-FOUR - The Holding Pen at Bridgewood.
TWENTY-SIX - natural, but quite futile.
TWENTY-SEVEN - and the reality of her capture begins to sink in.


The New York Times recently reported on a woman in Maine named Tonya who abused OxyContin and other prescription drugs during her first trimester of pregnancy. She then attempted to detox on her own, causing her unborn baby to experience seizures. Next she turned to methadone, which she used daily for the remaining months of her pregnancy. Shortly after birth, Tonya's baby began to experience opiate withdrawal. Doctors had no choice but to begin a course of methadone treatment for the newborn.


text:
Sort By Alphabetically, A-Z Alphabetically, Z-A
All Food & Beverage
Rachel Roy Collaboration
info@thefproject.co
How Can You Help Support Founders Today? →
Lindsey McCoy & Alison Webster Founders, Plaine Products
Progress, not perfection.
Founded by two sisters, Lindsey and Alison Delaplaine, Plaine Products began with a dream to have less plastic waste in the world. After looking around our bathrooms and realizing how much plastic we owned, we started thinking about how to change that, and how to make it easy for others to do the same. Plaine Products is the culmination of our life experiences. Our late father was a small business entrepreneur throughout his life, a part of his family's tradition, and our mother shared her love of the ocean and travel with us and our children. Coming from a nonprofit background Lindsey has made a career out of finding solutions. Alison has small business experience, a design degree and the natural ability to ensure quality control.
Get single-use plastic out of the bathroom with vegan personal care products.
Down to Help?
Drop your email below and we'll keep you updated on the latest and greatest special offers, giveaways and company launches from badass women in business.
We're raising the profile and economic success of female founders.
© 2021, The F Project
Become An Honorary Ambassador
Share your email and we'll keep you posted on news, events and exclusives.


Finally, it's time for some football. With the 2016 NFL season getting started, millions of fans will be following their home teams closely, hoping to root them all the way to the big game. Unfortunately for many, that means paying for an expensive cable contract to catch all the action. After all, you've got to have NFL Sunday Ticket, RedZone, and all that right?
Well, no. See, sure there are all sorts of ways to watch every NFL game, and you could pay out the wazoo to do so. But if you're the average NFL fan who bleeds home team colors, you don't need all that. The fact is, you can cut the cord and watch your favorite team all season long. All you need is a good antenna with a good signal. Even your team's Monday Night Football game will be simulcast on a local network. Not only that, you'll receive a bunch of other games all day Sunday and many Thursday Night Football games as well.
Let's take a look at exactly how to make it happen.
Step 1: Run an antenna report.
Find out exactly what channels are available in your area and how far away the broadcast towers are by running an antenna report. TVFool.com is a great resource for antenna reports. To watch your home team play, you might as well assume you need the big four stations (FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC). If you have trouble reading your antenna report, this subreddit is pretty good about helping people out.
Step 2: Find an antenna that is rated for what you need.
Are the broadcast signals close by? Great, then any antenna will likely do. However, if you find that NBC is 40 miles away, you should go ahead and get an antenna that is rated for 50 miles. Any further and you may need to upgrade to a rooftop antenna. Mohu's antenna site has some great tools for helping you match up with the right antenna.
Step 3: Install your antenna.
Installing your antenna isn't very difficult, but there are a few tricks worth knowing. Mainly, try and get the antenna in a spot with as few obstructions as possible. A window is ideal. Secondly, remember, the higher, the better. You might even consider putting the antenna in the attic for the ideal reception.
Step 4: Scan for channels.
Once your antenna is all hooked up, it's time to scan for channels. You do this by going into your TV settings using your remote. If all goes according to plan, you'll see the four big networks pop up, and you'll know you're ready for football. If not, it's time to move the antenna around before trying to scan again.
Step 5: Check your team's TV schedule and plan accordingly.
Remember, when you're using an antenna, you won't have an onscreen guide like with cable. So you need to check your team's schedule online and plan accordingly. Of course, you could get an over-the-air DVR, which will record games and create an onscreen TV guide for you.
What If an Antenna Won't Work in My Location?
Some people live in areas where they can't get a good antenna signal, such as in apartments or condos. If that's the case, your best bet is NFL Game Pass. You can see every game on Game Pass, except there's a catch – they don't air until after the games are over. However, they do offer live radio audio.
But the likelihood is, with the right antenna, you'll be able to enjoy cheering on your home team this NFL season. Here's to all those early season Super Bowl aspirations!


text:
Home / Society / The fires expose celebrity faultlines
The fires expose celebrity faultlines
Open Forum | January 15, 2020
Australia's bushfire disaster has generated overwhelming donations as a result of celebrities using their status and recognition to call attention to the issue and encourage public involvement.
But the connection of the bushfire disaster with climate change is also increasing scrutiny of celebrities and their endorsements.
Tennis ace Roger Federer was this week forced to respond to climate activist and School Strike for Climate leader Greta Thunberg over his support for banking giant Credit Suisse, which is closely linked to the fossil fuels industry.
Federer, who will headline a fundraising exhibition in Melbourne this week in aid of bushfire relief, issued the response following targeted protests against Credit Suisse at their offices globally and the hashtag #RogerWakeUpNow trending on Twitter.
Monash Associate Professor of Marketing in the Faculty of Business and Economics Jasmina Ilicic, who last year published research on 'the influence of co-branding authenticity in cause-related marketing', says Federer is in a tricky position.
"His response was quite ambiguous, but it had to be, criticising the company may put him in breach of contract, and it could also destroy his credibility with current and potential future sponsors, and endorsements are where the bulk of his wealth comes from.
But his response, Assoc Prof Ilicic says, hits all the right 'brand rescue' notes – touching on his personal connection and concern regarding the issue 'as a father of four' and aiming to be relatable and authentic.
Read more: The look that can sell – and save – a brand
It's authenticity that really strikes a chord with audiences in these situations, which is why comedian Celeste Barber's online bushfire fundraiser topped more than $50 million in just a matter of days.
"There was no politics in it, just genuine fear for communities and the nation. By highlighting her personal connection to the issue, people were not sceptical of her motives. She's also perceived as highly likeable, credible, and authentic. That's why the fundraiser has gained so much support."
Contrast this with Kylie Jenner who posted about the death of a billion animals in the fires, while later posting a picture of her Louis Vuitton mink slippers.
"That caused a lot of backlash," said Assoc Prof Ilicic. "It's a perfect example of how out of touch she is with the issue, which made her post about animals appear insincere and caused consumers to question her motives."
Consumers will perceive celebrities as trying to cash in on the tragedy in terms of their own image and reputation if their efforts are not seen as genuine, she said.
Other celebrities including Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett used the recent Golden Globe awards to call for climate action in the wake of the fires.
Orange is the New Black actor, Australian Yael Stone also announced she was giving up her green card and would now work only in Australia due to the environmental impact of living across two continents.
But Assoc Prof Ilicic says making the climate change connection with the fires could, in some cases, be detrimental in convincing people to act.
"Climate change is still controversial and is still a political issue.
"People are donating to communities clearly in need having seen horrifying vision of towns and animals destroyed by flames, they aren't donating to climate change action, some may not even believe in climate change. Sometimes leaving out the controversial can have more impact on a broader scale."
But a growing swell of climate activism following the bushfires could put more companies like Credit Suisse, along with the celebs who endorse them, under the spotlight for their support of fossil fuels.
It's a trend we started seeing during the marriage equality debate, says Assoc Prof Ilicic.
"Many brands came out in support of marriage equality and are positioning themselves on other societal or political issues," she said.
Ultimately, she believes, Federer's existing reputation for being genuine and authentic will save him from serious damage over the Suisse issue.
"I think his existing positive reputation will buffer him somewhat from impacts of the Suisse commentary."
This article was published by Lens.
Open Forum is a policy discussion website which welcomes contributions on the social, political, economic, cultural and environmental issues of today. Write a blog, comment on an article and follow us on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook.
Vaccines: Fact vs fiction
Time for joint action on obesity, undernutrition and climate change
Educating the public on genetic testing
People with disabilities and politics
Attracting and retaining Australia's rural health workforce
NSW Out of Home Care Reform – A game changer?
Teen drinkers face more alcohol problems in later life


Iron is an important mineral that your body needs to stay healthy. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. If you don't have enough iron, you may not have enough hemoglobin. This condition is called iron deficiency anemia.
Iron in your body is carried, or bound, mainly to a protein made by your liver called transferrin. The TIBC test is based on certain proteins, including transferrin, found in the blood. Your transferrin levels are almost always measured along with iron and TIBC.


text:
info@mrifoundation.global
Shop at smile.amazon.co.uk
Economic empowerment & advocacy
Emergency housing and support
Micro Rainbow
Zaid's story
A new refugee's struggle to find accommodation and move on after waiting months for a decision on his asylum claim.
Emilia Truluck
Home > Emergency housing and support > Zaid's story
Winning refugee status
In February 2019, Zaid, a trans asylum seeker from the Middle East, was granted refugee status in the UK. For asylum seekers, being granted status often symbolises a welcome end to a period of risk and uncertainty. For Zaid, this was certainly a time of celebration, as the Home Office's decision meant he no longer had to fear being returned to his home country. It also meant he would now be entitled to work and receive public benefits. In other words, he could finally begin creating a new, normal life for himself.
28 days to start a new life in the UK
The transition from being an asylum seeker, where a person is forced to spend all their time waiting for a Home Office decision, to being a refugee, where one is entitled to resume a sense of normalcy, is not always an easy one. From the day they are granted refugee status, refugees in the UK are given only 28 days before they stop receiving Home Office accommodation and support. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work prior to receiving refugee status. To get employment, they need to have applied for and received a National Insurance number and opened a bank account while they search for a job. Most asylum seekers are not able to meet these prerequisites and find a job in such a short space of time, so they will also need to apply for Universal Credit and find new accommodation through their local Council.
The pressure to find a new home
For Zaid, like many other refugees, accomplishing all of this in 28 days proved to be an incredible challenge. Like all refugees in the UK, upon receiving his status, he was entitled to apply for housing through the local Council. However, the Council housing team, which also struggles with limited resources, was slow to take up his case. Zaid did not receive an appointment with them until two days before his accommodation support from the Home Office was to stop. After Micro Rainbow spent a few days following up with the Council, Zaid was finally assigned a case worker and was able to begin looking for houses.
Over the span of a few weeks, Zaid looked at eight houses. Some he found via the Council and others he found himself online. Many were maintained in poor condition, and others refused to accept tenants receiving public benefits. During this time, his 28-day deadline came and went.
MRI Foundation keeps him off the street
For most refugees, reaching the 28-day deadline means being forced to move out of Home Office accommodation. They must stay with friends, in shelters, or even on the streets. For Zaid, thanks to MRI Foundation funding, he was provided emergency housing after Home Office accommodation support ran out.
On 17 April, it finally seemed as though Zaid had found a suitable place to live, and he signed a 6-month tenancy agreement. However, the letting agency had deceived Zaid into thinking they had spoken with the local Council to arrange payment for the rent, when in reality he was to be charged almost twice the rent he could afford on Universal Credit.
Zaid's case worker at Micro Rainbow continuing to advocate for him with the local Council. Zaid had to ensure the Council had paid no deposit to the deceptive letting agency and he returned the keys to what he had thought would be his new home.
After this incident, Zaid continued searching for suitable housing, and he finally moved into his new accommodation on 3 May – 5 weeks after his 28-day deadline had passed. MRI Foundation funds paid for his emergency accommodation during this time. Had these funds not been available, Zaid would have been at high risk of street homelessness and abuse as a transman.
Zaid's transition from being an asylum seeker to a refugee would have been considerably tougher without MRI Foundation's Emergency housing and support scheme.
On behalf of Zaid and the dozens of other LGBTI asylum seekers Micro Rainbow supports, we want to thank the many of you who contribute to our work. With your support, we can continue helping LGBTI refugees transition smoothly into their new lives in the UK without having to experience homelessness and violence.
The name has been changed to preserve Zaid's safety. The person in the picture is not Zaid.
Create a fundraising page on JustGiving and get your family and friends to make a donation to us
Please consider making a one-off donation
Smile.amazon.co.uk
Support us when you shop online at Amazon
Micro Rainbow International Foundation
End LGBTI Poverty
Shop at smile.co.uk
Social inclusion programme
Emergency housing & support
© All rights reserved. Micro Rainbow International Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1169868)
In order to provide you with the best online experience this website uses cookies. By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies. View our cookies policy


the conference tests had been developed for detecting gene doping, defined by the World Anti-Doping Agency as the use of cells, genes or genetic elements to improve athletic performance.Experts believe up to 100 undetectable performance-enhancing drugs similar to the banned blood booster erythropoietin - commonly known as EPO - have been designed, according to German doping specialist Mario Thevis.
Thevis, who is based at the German Sports University in Cologne, told the Tackling Doping in Sport 2012 conference in London, presented by the worldsportslawreport, that the list of "80, 90, 100" new drugs similar to EPO was not exhaustive.
"They act like EPO but they are structurally different and that means the current EPO tests will not pick them up," he said.
"Fortunately we know about that problem and we have to develop new tests to help to find these drugs that, according to anecdotal evidence and rumours, are already used in elite sports although they are not officially launched yet.
"You cannot go to a pharmacy to buy these drugs. You might have (to have) good connections to get hold of those.
"It is quite difficult to develop tests when you don't have an idea what the molecule really looks like. If you don't know what the molecule looks like it's almost impossible to have a potential strategy."
EPO, which increases the number of red blood cells, has been used mostly by endurance athletes such as middle and long-distance runners and cyclists. A blood and urine doping test was introduced for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Anna Baoutina, a senior research scientist at the National Measurement Institute in Sydney, told the conference tests had been developed for detecting gene doping, defined by the World Anti-Doping Agency as the use of cells, genes or genetic elements to improve athletic performance.
"The major advantage of gene doping is that it's very difficult to detect compared to drug doping," she said. "The doping gene is very similar to the natural cells which are found in any body."
Baoutina said no test would be in place before this year's London Olympics.
"We are developing methods to fight it," she said. "But we have yet to see the implementation of these methods. WADA has to decide when these methods should be implemented."


text:
"use strict";
var rating_component_1 = require('./rating/rating.component');
exports.RatingComponent = rating_component_1.RatingComponent;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Check out this beautiful arrival from the guys at Farah. The Melis is a brand new style for Autumn Winter, featuring a melange effect fabric with a stunning yarn dyed stripe. Get yours now at Apacheonline Menswear.


Shuttles will be available from select partnering hotels (see below). An official shuttle schedule will be developed in early 2019, but there will be two pick-up times from each hotel that guests will have to sign up for. Tentative times of arrival to the Fest grounds are 11:00AM and 4:00PM. Sign-ups will be a first come, first serve basis. The first line of contact will be via the email you enter when you purchase your Shuttle wristband, so be looking for an email from Rock Fest. If you have any questions about the shuttle, call our office at 800.326.3378.


1Co 15:2 - by which you are saved, if you hold it fast--unless you believed in vain.
1Co 15:5 - and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
1Co 15:6 - Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 - Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 - Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
1Co 15:9 - For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1Co 15:10 - But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me.
1Co 15:11 - Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
1Co 15:12 - Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Co 15:14 - if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
1Co 15:15 - We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
1Co 15:16 - For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised.
1Co 15:17 - If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
1Co 15:18 - Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
1Co 15:19 - If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.
1Co 15:20 - But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1Co 15:21 - For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22 - For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 - But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
1Co 15:24 - Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
1Co 15:25 - For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 - The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 - "For God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "All things are put in subjection under him," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 - When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one.
1Co 15:29 - Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?
1Co 15:30 - Why am I in peril every hour?
1Co 15:31 - I protest, brethren, by my pride in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!
1Co 15:32 - What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
1Co 15:33 - Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."
1Co 15:34 - Come to your right mind, and sin no more. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
1Co 15:35 - But some one will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?"
1Co 15:36 - You foolish man! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
1Co 15:37 - And what you sow is not the body which is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
1Co 15:38 - But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
1Co 15:39 - For not all flesh is alike, but there is one kind for men, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.
1Co 15:40 - There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
1Co 15:41 - There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
1Co 15:42 - So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.
1Co 15:43 - It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
1Co 15:44 - It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45 - Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1Co 15:46 - But it is not the spiritual which is first but the physical, and then the spiritual.
1Co 15:47 - The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
1Co 15:48 - As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven.
1Co 15:49 - Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
1Co 15:50 - I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
1Co 15:52 - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 - For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 - When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
1Co 15:55 - "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?"
1Co 15:56 - The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 - But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 15:58 - Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.


If you would like to learn more about becoming a member of the Paint Horse Journal Pro Team, please contact Director of Advertising Matt Arias.
• Run no less than 12 full-page ads during a single contract year in the Paint Horse Journal.
Team members agree to serve as ambassadors for the Paint Horse Journal. They receive complimentary logo apparel, a group Pro Team ad in each issue of the Journal, special recognition in the Journal and website, and other perks from our partners.


Psyop's mission has been to PERSUADE, CHANGE and INFLUENCE through creating content that wins the hearts and minds of audiences and consumers. They blur the lines between advertising and entertainment by telling compelling stories, creating engaging characters and building unique worlds.
Collaborating with brands, agencies, broadcasters, the entertainment and gaming industries, their inventive work has received numerous honours including Emmy's, Oscar Nominations, D+AD, Art Directors Club, The One Show, AICP and Cannes Lions awards.


Anti-social behaviour is: behaviour that is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more person not in the same household as the perpetrator. It also includes fear of crime or concern for public safety, public disorder or public nuisance.
Who you report to depends on the nature of the anti-social behaviour. If in doubt, contact us.
Please use the form to report an isolated or on-going incident, or to seek help and advice. Alternatively, phone us on 01494 421 087.
When reporting an incident of anti-social behaviour it helps if you can provide as much information as possible, so we can help to resolve the situation. You can record any information relating to a person or persons whose behaviour is causing you alarm, harassment or distress on the anti-social behaviour report form.
Your details will be kept confidential and only those agencies that need to be involved will be made aware. The report may be used as evidence for enforcement or court action but this will be discussed fully with you before any decision is made or action taken.
If you are a victim of frequent anti-social behaviour you can use the Community Trigger to request a review of your case.
If it is an isolated occurrence of anti-social behaviour, then consider talking to the person involved, but not when you are angry or upset. With many minor issues, people do not realise the problems they are causing. A calm and honest discussion between the parties involved can often resolve a problem. People do make mistakes and it may never happen again. Speak to the person as you would expect to be spoken to and try not to make things worse. They might not know or might not realise what they have done.
Please call Thames Valley Police if you feel the matter is serious and needs direct attention or involves people at risk.
If you have concerns, contact Buckinghamshire County Council to seek advice.
Please see our Safeguarding pages for further guidance and advice.
Contact our Environmental Services team.
Report environmental issues such as flytipping or abandoned vehicles to our waste team.
If it is a neighbour dispute consider using Mediation Buckinghamshire. Mediators are trained volunteers from the local community who work with community problems.
To report any issues concerning your neighbours' dogs, contact our dog warden.
Victims First supports victims of crime across the Thames Valley.
The Citizens Advice Bureau provides free, confidential, fair and independent advice. They also have a contract with the Legal Service Commission to provide legal help in benefits, housing and debt.
Your local parish or town council also have a duty to tackle anti-social behaviour. You can speak to them about the anti-social behaviour you are experiencing.


text:
Mr. James Curtis Cawthon
January 2, 1954 - August 1, 2020
James Curtis Cawthon was born to the late Curtis Cawthon and Vashti Cawthon Meadows on January 2, 1954 in Jackson, TN. He passed away on August 1, 2020 in Lebanon, TN. He accepted Christ at an early age and was a dedicated member of Beech Spring Baptist Church where he served faithfully as a church Trustee. He was a 1973 graduate of Chester County High School. After high school, James enlisted in the US Air Force and served for seven years. Upon his discharge, he returned to Chester County and joined the US Army Reserves and served an additional 13 years until his retirement. In 1987, James began his career in law enforcement: Jackson Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Henderson County Sheriff Department where he spent the next 25 years serving his communities. Preceded in death by his sister, Cheryl Cawthon and brother Joe Meadows James is survived by the love of his life, Sally Ann Williams, who he married in 1974. He is also survived by his son, Chris Cawthon of Henderson, TN and his daughter Melina (Daniel) Phillips of Lebanon, TN; sisters: Betty Johnson and Ollie Ruth Brooks; brother: Rudolph Meadows; sisters-in-law: Dorothy (Walker) Mason, Rita (Jimmy) Thomas and Mary Williams He also leaves behind five grandchildren who meant the world to him- Jordan Anderson, Aiden Ols, Ethan Cawthon and Brady Cawthon and Kinsley Phillips He also leaves behind a host of nieces and nephews.
James Curtis Cawthon was born to the late Curtis Cawthon and Vashti Cawthon Meadows on January 2, 1954 in Jackson, TN. He passed away on August 1, 2020 in Lebanon, TN. He accepted Christ at an early age and was a dedicated member of Beech... View Obituary & Service Information
The family of Mr. James Curtis Cawthon created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories.
James Curtis Cawthon was born to the late Curtis Cawthon and...
Send flowers to the Cawthon family.


text:
Apple debuts bigger iPhone Max; newest Watch 4…
Apple debuts bigger iPhone Max; newest Watch 4 will monitor your heart
Kaiann Drance, Apple's senior director, iPhone Worldwide Product Marketing, speaks about the Apple iPhone XS at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new Apple products Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
By Patrick May |
PUBLISHED: September 12, 2018 at 11:55 am | UPDATED: September 12, 2018 at 12:04 pm
Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer, speaks about the Apple Watch Series 4 at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new Apple products Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Lisa Jackson, Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives speaks at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new products Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks about the Apple iPhone XS at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new Apple products Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
People file into the Steve Jobs Theater before an event to announce new Apple products Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, speaks about the camera on the Apple iPhone XS at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new Apple products Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
CEO and founder of HomeCourt David Lee, right, and former NBA player Steve Nash talk about the Apple iPhone XS at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new Apple products Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Apple on Wednesday kicked off its annual autumn extravaganza with a cavalcade of new products and services, starring three new iPhones that include models with larger screens – and higher price tags.
The Verge is reporting Apple's new XS and Max phones both will come in three capacities: 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The 512GB capacity is a new one for Apple. The 64GB XS will sell for $999, the same as the iPhone X, and the 64GB XS Max will sell for $1,099. Pre-orders start Friday, with the phones shipping out Sept. 21st. The iPhone XR starts at $749 for a 64GB model, Verge says, with 128GB and 256GB models also available.
The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the new iPhone Xs and its 5.8-inch diagonal screen, the iPhone Xs Max, which comes with a whopping 6 1/2-inch diagonal screen, and the iPhone Xr, with a 6.1-inch liquid retina display that covers the entire front of the smartphone.
"Today, we're going to take iPhone X to the next level," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told a crowd of analysts, Apple employees, bloggers and journalists gathered in the underground Steve Jobs Theater at Apple's Apple Park campus in Cupertino. "(It's) by far the most advanced iPhone we have ever created."
The event comes 11 years after the launch of the first iPhone and one year after Apple staged the show for the first time at its new spaceship-like campus in Cupertino. Emceed by Cook, who took over the duties after the 2011 death of co-founder Steve Jobs, the launch is part tech rally, part brunch bash, an hour-or-two-long smorgasbord of product updates. And it's served up by fast-talking Apple executives who over the years have honed that greatest-show-on-Earth schtick first developed by the company's famous and now-departed cheerleader.
Last year, surprises included the 10-year anniversary iPhone X, the removal of the home button, and Face ID technology that enables a user to unlock a phone using facial-recognition magic.
The new phones come at a time of red-hot competition with other phone makers trying to get their devices into the hands of smartphone-loving fans around the globe. Last month, Samsung began selling its $1,000 Galaxy Note9 with bigger-than-ever specs and tons of software goodies. Google is expected to unveil its newest Pixel smartphones next month.
Apple's big news comes, as it usually does, in September, an opportune time to unleash new products on the world as consumers are herded into the holiday shopping season. The hope, of course, is that Apple's new toys, and especially the new iPhone models, will result in a strong holiday quarter for the iconic tech giant.
In addition to the new iPhones, Apple introduced a new upgrade to its Apple Watch, with two new models of the device. Williams, Apple's COO, showed off features of the Apple Watch Series 4, including bigger displays that are more than 30 percent larger than previous models, the capability to detect when a person is falling and call emergency services, if necessary, and the ability to take an electrocardiogram of a person's heart.
Williams said the Apple Watch Series 4 will start at $399, or $499 with cellular capability. Orders for the new Apple Watch will start being take on Sept. 14, and the watch will be available Sept. 21.
Apple's new product line applies icing to a very rich cake as the company's trillion-dollar milestone put the Cupertino tech giant on historic footing. Apple's good fortune has also helped propel equities in general with a nine-year-long, record-shattering bull market now in full swing.
Apple has also faced some challenges this year, including possible threats to its bottom line from President Donald Trump's proposed $200 billion tariffs on China.
Earlier this week, Bank of America Merrill Lynch published a note on Trump's plan, suggesting that the tariffs may force Apple to raise the prices of some of its products in the United States, including the Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod and Beats headphones, in order to recoup lost revenue. The analysts said a 25 percent tariff "could be materially demand destructive" and estimates that about a third of the $26 billion it earns from those products comes from the United States."
Loup Ventures' Gene Munster, a longtime Apple analyst, said he didn't see as big of a negative impact. "If passed, we believe these tariffs could lower the profitability of Apple Watch and AirPods by 10-20%, resulting in just under a 1% negative impact on Apple's profits in FY19," Munster wrote Monday, suggesting the tariffs will "go away" in just two years.
Trump, though, has kept the pressure on the iPhone maker, seemingly trying to push Apple into making more of its products in the United States.
"Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China – but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive," Trump said in a tweet Saturday. "Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Exciting!"
Patrick May
Nominate your business to Top Workplaces 2019 program
Retail rivals crash Amazon's Prime Day party
Business briefly: Military supplier to pay $11M over whistleblower claims in Santa Ana


got this new-year gift from the hands of the Chief of the company.
A country like Egypt is almost the perfect place for a fun-filled holiday in the company of young people.
this makes the desire to visit Egypt virtually insurmountable.


text:
package mpicbg.imglib.algorithm.math;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Collections;

import mpicbg.imglib.algorithm.Benchmark;
import mpicbg.imglib.algorithm.OutputAlgorithm;
import mpicbg.imglib.container.ContainerFactory;
import mpicbg.imglib.container.array.ArrayContainerFactory;
import mpicbg.imglib.cursor.LocalizableByDimCursor;
import mpicbg.imglib.cursor.LocalizableCursor;
import mpicbg.imglib.image.Image;
import mpicbg.imglib.image.ImageFactory;
import mpicbg.imglib.type.logic.BitType;
import mpicbg.imglib.type.numeric.NumericType;
/**
 * This class implements a very simple peak-picker, with optional ellipsoidal peak suppression.
 * Peaks are found by taking the sign of the difference operator in each dimension, differentiating
 * between negative and non-negative differences, then finding transitions from non-negative to
 * negative.  This is accomplished in a random-access manner, in other words, with one
 * {@link LocalizableCursor} irrespective of how it traverses the {@link Image}, and a
 * {@link LocalizableByDimCursor} that is set to its 2^n-connected neighbors (where n is
 * dimensionality).
 *
 * The result is that this is a fairly simple, (hopefully) fast peak-picker, but it is accurate
 * only for strict peaks, that is, peaks that have no neighbors of equal value.
 *
 * This picker does no pre-processing, so it may be advisable to smooth your peak image before
 * using this.
 *
 * @author Larry Lindsey
 *
 * @param <T> the {@link ComparableType} representing information stored in the {@link Image} to
 * pick peaks from.
 */
public class PickImagePeaks <T extends NumericType<T>> implements OutputAlgorithm<BitType>, Benchmark
{
	private final Image<T> image;
	private long pTime;
	private Image<BitType> peakImage;
	private ContainerFactory peakContainerFactory;
	final private ArrayList<int[]> peakLocList;
	private final double[] suppressAxis;
	private double suppressSum;

	private class Peak implements Comparable<Peak>
	{
		private final T peakVal;
		private final int[] pos;

		public Peak(final int[] inPos, final T val)
		{
			peakVal = val;
			pos = inPos;
		}

		@Override
		public int compareTo(final Peak inPeak) {
			/*
			 * You're probably wondering why this is negated.
			 * It is because Collections.sort() sorts only in the forward direction.
			 * I want these to be sorted in the descending order, and the Collections.sort
			 * method is the only thing that should ever touch Peak.compareTo.
			 * This is faster than sorting, then reversing.
			 */
			//return -(this.peakVal.compareTo(inPeak.peakVal));
			//float hereVal = peakVal.
			//f//loat thereVal = inPeak.peakVal.getReal();
			if (peakVal.compareTo(inPeak.peakVal) == 1)
			{
				return -1;
			}
			else if (peakVal.compareTo(inPeak.peakVal) == 0)
			{
				return 0;
			}
			else
			{
				return 1;
			}
		}

		public int[] getPosition()
		{
			return pos;
		}

		public double distanceFactor(final int inPos[])
		{
			double val = 0;
			for (int i = 0; i < pos.length; i++)
			{
				val += Math.pow((((double) pos[i] - inPos[i]) / (double)suppressAxis[i]), 2.0);
			}
			val =  Math.sqrt(val);

			return val;
		}

	}

	public PickImagePeaks(final Image<T> inputImage)
	{
		image = inputImage;
		pTime = 0;
		peakContainerFactory = null;
		peakLocList = new ArrayList<int[]>();
		peakImage = null;
		suppressAxis = new double[inputImage.getDimensions().length];
		Arrays.fill(suppressAxis, 0);
		suppressSum = 0;
	}

	/**
	 * Carries out ellipsoidal peak suppression.
	 * This works by first sorting the peaks in peakList by their corresponding magnitudes,
	 * clearing peakList, then adding the peaks back in, one-by-one, only if they are not
	 * within the suppression ellipsoid of any other peaks that have already been added,
	 * as defined by suppressAxis.
	 */
	private void doSuppression()
	{
		/*
		 * I have a great suspicion that this code, as I write it, will be fairly slow.
		 * Here there be type casts (of ints, doubles, and such), among other Bad Things.
		 */
		if (peakLocList.size() > 0 && suppressSum >= 1)
		{
			final ArrayList<Peak> suppressionList = new ArrayList<Peak>();
			final LocalizableByDimCursor<T> imCursor = image.createLocalizableByDimCursor();

			T type;
			//populate the suppression list.
			for (int[] pos : peakLocList)
			{
				imCursor.setPosition(pos);
				type = imCursor.getType().clone();
				suppressionList.add(new Peak(pos, type));
			}
			//sort the list.
			Collections.sort(suppressionList);
			peakLocList.clear();
			//AHH! ~O(n^2)!
			for (Peak p : suppressionList)
			{
				boolean isOK = true;
				for (int[] pos : peakLocList)
				{
					if (p.distanceFactor(pos) < 1)
					{
						isOK = false;
						break;
					}

				}

				if (isOK)
				{
					peakLocList.add(p.getPosition());
				}

			}
		}
	}

	@Override
	public boolean checkInput() {
		return true;
	}

	@Override
	public String getErrorMessage() {
		return null;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean process() {
		final long sTime = System.currentTimeMillis();

		final LocalizableCursor<T> cursor = image.createLocalizableCursor();
		final LocalizableByDimCursor<T> localCursor = image.createLocalizableByDimCursor();
		LocalizableByDimCursor<BitType> peakImageCursor;
		//InterMediate Image Cursor
		LocalizableCursor<BitType> imImagePullCursor;
		LocalizableByDimCursor<BitType> imImagePushCursor;
		final int[] dimensions = image.getDimensions();
		final int[] pos = new int[dimensions.length];
		final int[] checkPos = new int[pos.length];
		final ImageFactory<BitType> peakFactory = new ImageFactory<BitType>(new BitType(),
				(peakContainerFactory == null ? new ArrayContainerFactory() : peakContainerFactory));
		/* Create an intermediate image.  This image will contain a sort of signum operation of the difference
		 * along a given dimension of the input image.  "Sort of" because 1 corresponds to greater than or
		 * equal to zero, while 0 corresponds to less than 0, rather than the traditions signum.
		 * I've written this method in this way in order that we don't have to care what order the
		 * cursor traverses the Image.
		*/
		Image<BitType> imImage;
		T t0, tc;

		peakImage = peakFactory.createImage(dimensions);
		imImage = peakFactory.createImage(dimensions);
		imImagePullCursor = imImage.createLocalizableCursor();
		imImagePushCursor = imImage.createLocalizableByDimCursor();
		//imImagePushCursor is kind of a misnomer.  it'll be used for pulling, too, later.

		peakImageCursor = peakImage.createLocalizableByDimCursor();

		peakLocList.clear();

		//Iterate Over Dimension
		for (int d = 0; d < pos.length; ++d)
		{
			cursor.reset();
			//first step: take the "signum of diff" down this dimension
			while(cursor.hasNext())
			{
				cursor.fwd();
				cursor.getPosition(pos);
				imImagePushCursor.setPosition(pos);
				System.arraycopy(pos, 0, checkPos, 0, pos.length);
				checkPos[d] -= 1;

				if (checkPos[d] < 0)
				{
					imImagePushCursor.getType().set(false);
				}
				else
				{
					localCursor.setPosition(checkPos);
					t0 = cursor.getType();
					tc = localCursor.getType();
					imImagePushCursor.getType().set(tc.compareTo(t0) >= 0);
				}
			}
			/* OK. Now we should have a signum-diff image corresponding to
			 * dimension d in our current image.
			*/
			//ImageJFunctions.displayAsVirtualStack(imImage).show();
			imImagePullCursor.reset();
			while(imImagePullCursor.hasNext())
			{
				imImagePullCursor.fwd();
				imImagePullCursor.getPosition(pos);
				peakImageCursor.setPosition(pos);
				System.arraycopy(pos, 0, checkPos, 0, pos.length);
				checkPos[d] += 1;

				if (checkPos[d] >= dimensions[d])
				{
					//No peaks around the boundary of the image.
					peakImageCursor.getType().set(false);
				}
				else if (d == 0 || peakImageCursor.getType().get())
				{
					/* (d == 0 || peakImageCursor.getType().get():
					 *   If d == 0, peakImage is assumed to be full of garbage.
					 *   Otherwise, we only want to change the value there if it currently true
					*/
					imImagePushCursor.setPosition(checkPos);
					peakImageCursor.getType().set(!imImagePullCursor.getType().get() && imImagePushCursor.getType().get());
				}
			}
		}
		pTime = System.currentTimeMillis() - sTime;
		return true;
	}

	@Override
	public long getProcessingTime() {
		return pTime;
	}

	@Override
	public Image<BitType> getResult() {
		return peakImage;
	}

	/**
	 * Returns an ArrayList containing the locations of peaks in the image associated with this
	 * peak picker, as calculated by running the process() method.  This ArrayList will be
	 * populated if it is not already.
	 *
	 * In the case that there is no peak suppression, the locations are placed in the list as
	 * they are returned by calling the LocalizableCursor.getPosition() method, and are not
	 * guaranteed to have anything like a natural order.
	 *
	 * In the case that there is peak suppression, an additional step is taken.  The peaks are
	 * first collected, then sorted by magnitude.  These are then selected in order, and the
	 * peaks within a distance defined by the suppressAxis array are rejected.
	 *
	 * There is no peak suppression if the sum of all values in suppressAxis is less than 1.
	 *
	 * @return an ArrayList containing peak locations
	 */
	public ArrayList<int[]> getPeakList()
	{
		if (peakLocList.isEmpty() && peakImage!=null)
		{
			final LocalizableCursor<BitType> pkCursor = peakImage.createLocalizableCursor();
			peakLocList.clear();
			while (pkCursor.hasNext())
			{
				pkCursor.fwd();
				if (pkCursor.getType().get())
				{
					peakLocList.add(pkCursor.getPosition());
				}
			}

			doSuppression();

		}

		return peakLocList;
	}

	/**
	 * Sets the peak suppression region to a spheroid of radius r.
	 * @param r the radius of the spheroid of peak suppression.
	 */
	public void setSuppression(final double r)
	{
		Arrays.fill(suppressAxis, r);
		suppressSum = suppressAxis.length * r;

	}

	/**
	 * Sets the peak suppression region to an ellipsoid with dimensional axes corresponding to the
	 * elements in r.
	 * @param r an array with as many elements as there are dimensions in the {@link Image} with
	 * which this {@link PickImagePeaks} was created, and represents the extent of the ellipsoid
	 */
	public void setSuppression(final double[] r)
	{
		System.arraycopy(r, 0, suppressAxis, 0, suppressAxis.length);
		suppressSum = 0;
		for (double a : r)
		{
			suppressSum += a;
		}
	}

}


text:
Professional Democrats Do Not Comprehend What They Are Facing
Posted on March 25, 2022 by mikethemadbiologist
There are two recent stories that actually do tie together, even though they seem distinct from each other. The first is the sliming of Supreme Court Justice nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson as a pedophile-coddler because she didn't always follow federal sentencing guidelines when determining their sentences (never mind that Republican-appointed judges have done the same). Dalia Lithwick notes (boldface mine):
Chairman Dick Durbin's inability to control some of the most shocking bullying and abuse from Cruz, Graham, Tom Cotton, and Hawley left observers speechless. At some point, you need to just start gaveling. But there was also a pervasive sense of Democratic senators' almost chilling unwillingness to go to the mat for their nominee, who was being savaged by Cotton, who called her "not credible," and Graham, who berated her with the claim that he was sparing her from being bullied like Justice Amy Coney Barrett…
Finally—and this actually matters as well—given the opportunity to do anything at all about an information war that opened with Hawley alone attempting to smear a respected federal judge as an enabler of child pornography, and that closed with 10 Republicans signing a letter demanding confidential pre-sentencing reports so they could better assess whether a respected federal judge was someone who is an enabler of child pornography, it seems that Democrats opted to do little to counter even that lie. The first rule of parenting is to impose consequences. If we learned anything at all after Jan. 6, 2021, it should have been that leaving misinformation and lies to fester will only encourage them to grow. And if we learned anything else, it should have been that if there are no consequences for the distortion and lies of craven opportunists like Hawley, seemingly sane Republicans will eventually and eagerly join their clown car. Jackson as responsible for child porn went from crackpot to acceptable in under a week. That is what happens when you choose not to engage with a pernicious lie.
What Republicans put Jackson through today was appalling. The QAnon Reddit smear was appalling, the relentless shouting that she should answer questions she had answered multiple times was appalling, the snide insinuations that maybe she wasn't bothered by violent child pornography because she's OK with it was appalling. To be subject to an all-out inquisition about not having clairvoyance about which sex offenders would reoffend by some of the very same people who invited and justified the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol beggared belief.
The other recent Republican propaganda stream has been to accuse Democrats of supporting 'grooming' of children by gay people–a vile and pernicious smear–because Democrats are opposing "don't say gay" (in schools) bills.
These might not seem related, but they're both part of an attempt to link Democrats with pedophilia and child abuse. While this is red meat for the significant Q-Anon wing of the Republican Party, it is also an attempt to completely smear Democrats in the most vile way. Yet professional Democrats do nothing. Meanwhile, when a Republican senator says the Supreme Court was wrong to legalize interracial marriage, professional Democrats are quiet.
Professional Democrats suck at their jobs.
This entry was posted in Conservatives, Democrats, Fucking Morons. Bookmark the permalink.
12 Responses to Professional Democrats Do Not Comprehend What They Are Facing
silverapplequeen says:
Not only do professional Democrats suck at their jobs but they are actively losing support from people that have been Dem for years.
Pingback: Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thoughton March 28, 2022 at 11:30 am
Pingback: Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought
Pingback: Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought - Republic Americas
Pingback: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought - Hindustan Times
Pingback: Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought - Paper Tribune
Pingback: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought - News 18
Pingback: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought - Daily News Junction
Pingback: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought | News Dome
Pingback: Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought | Insurrection
Pingback: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought – NewsDesk
Pingback: The story that won't go away, and it's worse than you thought - Ediwinaussie
We Should Offer Boosters Every Six Months, Not Yearly


We are a cloud based, multi-lingual integral software service (SAAS) targeting the need of corporate and academic institutions transitioning from traditionally developed courses to an online learning platform. We are unique in that we provide a TOTAL solution for the preparation, management, and delivery of quality courses.
Vydiatech College / University Application Management System is one stop solution for Application Management in your college / University. We have streamlined the process of College / University so that you can accept candidates online and forward them application forms in digital format which can be printed signed and submitted back to the administrator online.
As soon as each candidate registers into the system for a particular program of his choice, Applicant is provided a Unique Application Code which is used to login into the system and update their details as and when required to complete the application process.
Each Applicant has to upload the essential documents as required by the university into a document management system so that they can viewed and approved by the administrator to complete the process of Candidate Selection.
University can receive an offline and online payments from the candidates using the client's choice Payment Gateway System.


text:
La bolla di filtraggio è il risultato del sistema di personalizzazione dei risultati di ricerche su siti che registrano la storia del comportamento dell'utente. Questi siti sono in grado di utilizzare informazioni sull'utente (come posizione, click precedenti, ricerche passate) per scegliere selettivamente, tra tutte le risposte, quelle che vorrà vedere l'utente stesso. L'effetto è di escluderlo da informazioni che sono in contrasto con il suo punto di vista, isolandolo in tal modo nella sua bolla culturale o ideologica. Esempi importanti sono la ricerca personalizzata di Google e le notizie personalizzate di Facebook. Il termine è stato coniato dall'attivista internet Eli Pariser nel suo libro The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You, secondo cui gli utenti vengono esposti di meno a punti di vista conflittuali e sono isolati intellettualmente nella propria bolla di informazioni. L'effetto della «bolla» può avere delle implicazioni negative da un punto di vista civico, secondo Pariser, ma ci sono punti di vista differenti che suggeriscono che l'effetto sia minimo e affrontabile.

Definizione
Pariser ha definito il suo concetto di bolla di filtraggio in termini più formali come «quel personale ecosistema di informazioni che viene soddisfatto da alcuni algoritmi». Sono stati utilizzati altri termini per descrivere questo fenomeno, inclusi «cornice ideologica» o una «sfera metaforica che ti circonda durante la ricerca su internet». La cronologia delle ricerche passate viene costruita in un momento storico dove l'utente di internet indica il suo interesse negli argomenti «cliccando link, vedendo gli amici, mettendo i film nella tua scaletta, leggendo nuove storie» e così via. Un'azienda può quindi usare queste informazioni per inserire pubblicità mirate all'utente o per renderle più evidenti nella pagina dei risultati della ricerca. La preoccupazione di Pariser è in qualche modo simile a quella espressa da Tim Berners-Lee in un report del 2010 sul The Guardian sull'effetto di una catena di Hotel California (You can check in, but you can't check out) cosa che succede quando siti di rete sociale oscurano i contenuti di siti concorrenti – come strada per ottenere una maggiore condivisione tra tutti gli utenti di internet – di modo che «più li usi, più rimani chiuso» nelle informazioni interne al sito specifico. Diventa un «magazzino di contenuti chiuso» con il rischio di frammentare il Web mondiale, secondo Berners-Lee.

Nel libro sulla bolla di filtraggio, Pariser avverte che un potenziale difetto della ricerca filtrata è che «ci taglia da nuove idee, argomenti e informazioni importanti» e «crea l'impressione che i nostri stretti interessi siano tutto ciò che esiste». Ciò è potenzialmente dannoso sia per gli individui che per la società, nella sua visione. Critica Google e Facebook di offrire agli utenti «troppe caramelle, e non abbastanza verdure» Avvisa che «algoritmi invisibili che modificano il web» potrebbero «limitare la nostra esposizione a nuove informazioni e restringere la nostra mentalità». Sempre secondo Pariser, gli effetti negativi delle bolle di filtraggio includono il danno alla società nel suo complesso nel senso che questi sono in grado di «indebolire il discorso civico» e rendere le persone più vulnerabili a «manipolazioni e propaganda». Ha scritto:

Reazioni
Ci sono studi contrastanti sull'estensione dei filtri personalizzati e se questi siano benefici o dannosi. L'analista Jacob Weisberg, che scrive su "Slate", ha fatto un piccolo esperimento non scientifico per mettere alla prova la teoria di Pariser coinvolgendo cinque soggetti con diversi background culturali. Effettuando esattamente la stessa ricerca i risultati ottenuti dai cinque partecipanti erano praticamente identici, per quattro diverse ricerche, il che suggerisce che le bolle di filtraggio non avessero avuto effetto. Questo lo ha portato alla concludere che sarebbe  eccessiva  la visione secondo cui tutte le persone si nutrirebbero solo di sé stesse. Uno studio scientifico della Wharton School dell'Università della Pennsylvania, che ha analizzato i suggerimenti personalizzati, ha poi trovato che questi filtri posso creare comunione, non frammentazione, nei gusti musicali online. I consumatori apparentemente usano i loro filtri per espandere i loro gusti, non per limitarli. Il critico letterario Paul Boutin ha condotto un esperimento simile con persone con diverse storie di ricerca, e ha trovato risultati simili a quelli di Weisberg con risultati di ricerca pressoché identici. Jonathan Zittrain, professore di legge ad Harvard, ha contestato l'estensione per cui i filtri personalizzati distorcano i risultati delle ricerche di Google: «Gli effetti della personalizzazione della ricerca sono stati chiariti». Inoltre, ci sono relazioni secondo cui gli utenti posso disattivare le opzioni di personalizzazione su Google se lo desiderano cancellando la cronologia e grazie ad altri metodi. Un portavoce di Google ha suggerito che alcuni algoritmi sono stati aggiunti al motore di ricerca esplicitamente per «limitare la personalizzazione e promuovere la varietà».

Ciò nonostante ci sono relazioni secondo cui Google e altri siti sono in possesso di grandi quantità di informazioni che potrebbero utilizzare per personalizzare ulteriormente l'esperienza dell'utente su internet se scegliessero di farlo. Un rapporto ha suggerito che Google può tenere traccia della cronologia degli utenti anche se questi non hanno un account Google o non hanno effettuato l'accesso. Una relazione riguardava il fatto che Google ha raccolto 10 anni di informazioni grazie a varie risorse come Gmail, Google Maps, e altri servizi connessi al motore di ricerca, anche se un rapporto al contrario affermi che provare a personalizzare internet per ciascun utente è una sfida ancora da raggiungere per le aziende nonostante l'enorme quantità di dati dal web. L'analista della CNN Doug Gross ha suggerito che la ricerca filtrata sembra essere più utile al consumatore che al cittadino, e può aiutare il consumatore che sta cercando ad esempio una pizza a trovare consegne nelle sue vicinanze sulla base di ricerche personalizzate e filtrare le pizzerie distanti. È affermato che siti come il The Washington Post, The New York Times e altri si stiano impegnando per creare motori di ricerca personalizzati con lo scopo di confezionare i risultati della ricerca verso quegli utenti con cui si trovino d'accordo o a cui sia probabile che piacciano.

Concetti correlati
Il concetto di bolla di filtraggio è simile ad un fenomeno in cui le persone e le organizzazioni cercano un'informazione che è inizialmente percepita come importante ma che in realtà è inutile o solo parzialmente utile, ed evita informazioni percepite come irrilevanti ma che in realtà sono utili. Il problema esiste in quanto la reale importanza di un particolare fatto o concetto in questi casi è evidente solo dopo che il fatto è diventato noto. Prima di ciò, l'idea di imparare un particolare fatto può essere scartata per un errore di percezione o di irrilevanza. Secondo ciò, colui che cerca l'informazione è intrappolato in un paradosso e non riesce ad imparare quello di cui ha realmente bisogno, e potrebbe essere preso in una sorta di vicolo cieco intellettuale. Questo fenomeno è stato descritto come Il Paradosso della Rilevanza; capita in diverse situazioni nel corso dello sviluppo dell'intelletto umano ed è un concetto importante per scienza ed educazione. Il libro The IRG Solution ha previsto ed analizzato questo problema e ha anche suggerito una soluzione generale.

Note

Bibliografia
  Traduzione italiana: Il filtro. Quello che internet ci nasconde, Il Saggiatore, 2012, ISBN 978-88-428-1774-1.

Voci correlate
 DuckDuckGo
 Ixquick
 Qwant

Collegamenti esterni

Fenomeni di Internet

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A New England based independent, full-service insurance agency, the team is passionate about connecting with clients on a regular basis and community engagement.
Most of the clients you'll service are fully funded and under 100 lives.
The agency wants to maintain a high level of client retention and looks to you for guidance on sales and service strategies, building marketing relationships and work to capture larger accounts.
Group health insurance plan experience in sales, account management or business development is important to qualify for this role. A knack for working well with clients, seeking out additional ways to bring in revenue and exhibiting team leadership are ways you can contribute immediately and as your career grows.


This Luxury 5 bedrooms villa is an exquisite property built on a large plot of land with a mature spacious garden and a large private pool offering privacy and tranquility.
The ground floors offers a double bedroom and a guest toilet as well as a separate kitchen, living room and dining area all offering beautiful views of the garden and pool area.
The second floor features a large master bedroom equipped with a large double bed and an en-suite bathroom, another double bedroom and twin bedrooms as well as a family bathroom.
The villa is built on a very large plot with a private driveway, covered parking for at least two cars, mature landscaped garden and a large private pool.
Villa is fully air-conditioned and offers free high speed internet, satellite TV, private pool, BBQ, central heating and much more.