text:
"""Box detector
    This module  has functions to determine if a contour ressembles a box

    A box is considered something that has 2 sets of paralel  line segments,
    perpendicular to each other and each paralel segment is roughly
    the same size
"""
from collections import namedtuple
from boxDetector.lineSegment import LineSegment as Segment
import numpy as np
import cv2

LineGroup = namedtuple("LineGroup", "norm pivotPoint lines")
Checkbox = namedtuple("Checkbox", "a b c d")

def build_segments_angle_map(points, angle_precision=4, min_size=5):
    """ Given a list of points build a line segment list

    All segments are compared to [0,1] and it's angle is used as key
    The vector of the 1st segment on a angle becames the pivotPoint
    all angles are indexed by distance with the pivot

    Args:
        points (List[Tuple(int,int)]): list of points on contour
        angle_precision (int): decimal point precision,defaults to 4
        min_size (int) : minimun segment size to consider
    """

    def add_segment(segment,angle_map):
        angle = segment.get_angle()
        angle = round(angle, angle_precision)
        if angle in angle_map:
            angle_map[angle].lines.append(segment)
        else:
            norm = segment.unit_vector
            pivotPoint = segment.vector
            angle_map[angle] = LineGroup(
                norm, pivotPoint, [segment])

    angle_segment_map = dict()
    ref_point = points[0]
    to_add = False
    segment = None
    # Indexing all line segments by angle in relation to a randle vector
    for i in range(1, len(points)):
        next_point = points[i]
        segment = Segment(
            ref_point, next_point, angle_precision=angle_precision)
        if segment.length < min_size:
            to_add = True
            continue
        to_add = False
        ref_point = next_point
        add_segment(segment,angle_segment_map)
    if to_add:
        add_segment(segment,angle_segment_map)
    return angle_segment_map

def getRadAngle(degreeAngle):
    radAngle = (degreeAngle*np.pi)/180
    return round(radAngle, 4)

def flatten_angles(angle_map, rad_angle_epsilon=8):
    """Concat similar angles together
    Args:
        angle_map (dict): list of something indexed by angles
        rad_angle_epsilon (float): how much of the difference to squash in rad
    """
    ret = {}
    last_angle = None

    for angle in sorted(angle_map):
        if last_angle is None:
            last_angle = angle
        if angle - last_angle > rad_angle_epsilon:
            last_angle = angle
        if last_angle in ret:
            current_lines = angle_map[angle].lines
            norm = ret[last_angle].norm
            for segment in current_lines:
                projected = segment.get_projected_segment(norm)
                ret[last_angle].lines.append(projected)
        else:
            ret[last_angle] = angle_map[angle]
    return ret

def flatten_line_segment(segments,norm, gap_epsilon=10):
    """Join multiple distance segments that are on the same gap_epsilon
    Args:
        segments (List): List of all segments
        gap_epsilon: what is the gap_epsilon to merge
    """
    def get_distance(point,norm):
        return abs(np.cross(norm,point))

    dist_dict = {}
    last_distance = None
    distance_segment_map = {}
    segments.sort()
    base = segments[0]
    for i in range(1, len(segments)):
        segment = segments[i]
        gap = [base.b[0]-segment.a[0], base.b[1]-segment.a[1]]
        dist = (gap[0]**2+gap[1]**2)**0.5
        if dist < gap_epsilon:
            base.add_segment(segment)
        else:
            distance = get_distance(base.a,norm)
            dist_dict[distance] = base
            base = segment
    distance = get_distance(base.a,norm)
    dist_dict[distance] = base
    return dist_dict

def is_boxy(points, angle_epsilon=8, parallel_epsilon=0.5, min_size=5, gap_epsilon=10):
    """Wheter a point set resemble a box
    Args:
        angle_epsilon: angle diff that can be merged
        parallel_epsilon: how much can parallel lines differ
        min_size: min size that a segment must have
        gap_epsilon: min gap before merging segments
    """
    angle_epsilon = getRadAngle(angle_epsilon)

    angle_map = build_segments_angle_map(points, min_size=min_size)
    flatted = flatten_angles(angle_map, rad_angle_epsilon=angle_epsilon)
    ninety_degree = np.pi/2
    angles_to_check = []

    for angle in flatted:
        flated_lines = flatten_line_segment(
            flatted[angle].lines,flatted[angle].norm, gap_epsilon=gap_epsilon)
        has_parallel = False
        length_to_compare = None
        for distance in flated_lines:
            if flated_lines[distance].length < min_size:
                continue
            if not length_to_compare:
                length_to_compare = flated_lines[distance].length
            else:
                size_diff = 0.0
                if length_to_compare > flated_lines[distance].length:
                    size_diff = flated_lines[distance].length/length_to_compare
                else:
                    size_diff = length_to_compare/flated_lines[distance].length
                    length_to_compare = flated_lines[distance].length
                if (1-size_diff) < parallel_epsilon:
                    has_parallel = True
                    break

        if has_parallel:
            angles_to_check.append(angle)
    for angle in angles_to_check:
        start = 1
        for i, next_angle in enumerate(angles_to_check, start):
            if (ninety_degree-angle_epsilon) <= abs(angle-next_angle) <= (ninety_degree+angle_epsilon):
                return True
        start += 1
    return False

def formatBox(box):
    ret =[]
    for item in box:
        ret.append((item[0].item(),item[1].item()))
    return ret

def get_filled_contours(img_path,min_rect_size = 30):
    filled_coordinates = []
    img = cv2.imread(img_path)
    #Make it gray
    imgray = cv2.cvtColor(img,cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY)
    #reducing noise
    ret,thresh = cv2.threshold(imgray,127,255,0)
    _,contours, hierarchy = cv2.findContours(thresh,cv2.RETR_TREE,cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE)
    #hierarchy fix and skipping outer container
    hierarchy = hierarchy[0][1:]
    #the first one is always the outer container skipping it
    contours = contours[1:]
    for i,cnt in enumerate(contours):
            #[0] = next contour at the same hierarchical level
            #[1] = previous contour at the same hierarchical level
            #[2] = denotes its first child contour
            #[3] = denotes index of its parent contour
            child_index = hierarchy[i][2]
            isClosedShape = child_index != -1
            if isClosedShape:
                # -1 because we skipped the outer contour
                firtstChildHierarchy = hierarchy[child_index-1]
                isFilled = firtstChildHierarchy[0]!=-1
                if isFilled:
                    #Finds the minimun area rectangle for the contour
                    rect = cv2.minAreaRect(cnt)
                    box = cv2.boxPoints(rect)
                    width = box[3][0] - box[0][0]
                    if width< min_rect_size:
                        continue
                    contour_list=list(map(lambda x: x[0], cnt))
                    if not is_boxy(contour_list):
                        continue
                    filled_coordinates.append(formatBox(box))
    return filled_coordinates

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Green Sri Lanka - "One Person – One Plant" National Programme – 2022
According to the Government Policy Statement Vistas of Prosperity, Rs. 2000 million has been allocated in the 2022 Budget Proposals to take specific measures to increase forest cover of Sri Lanka to 30% by 2025.
Under the guidance of Hon. R.M.C.B. Mr. Ratnayake, Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, the Green Sri Lanka National Program has been launched under the theme 'One Person – One Plant' to achieve the objectives of maintaining environmental balance and increasing forest cover. This Ministry has issued Circular No. 01/2022 and necessary guidance to implement the relevant projects. Support from all relevant parties has been sought in making the Green Sri Lanka National Program, one of Sri Lanka's foremost state programs, a success in the coming decade.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A sign on a farm trailer reading "Food grows where water flows," hangs over dry, cracked mud at the edge of a farm near Buttonwillow, California in 2009.
As each month of 2016 continues to shatter world records with their warming temperatures, a top climate scientist from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said the Earth is actually experiencing a warming at an "unprecedented pace" in the last 1,000 years.
The Guardian reported that this trend will make it "very unlikely" to meet the 1.5-degree-Celsius limit set and agreed by different countries in the Paris climate accord in December last year.
An analysis of ice cores and sediments suggests that the global warming that we currently experience is beyond anything that we had in the past millennium.
"There's no period that has the trend seen in the 20th century in terms of the inclination [of temperatures]," Gavin Schmidt, director of the NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Studies, told The Guardian.
With each warming month, Schmidt said there is a 99 percent chance that 2016 will be the warmest year on record, beating last year's temperature--which itself broke the benchmark set in 2014.
"There's no pause or hiatus in temperature increase," he said. "This is a chronic problem for society in the next 100 years."
Temperature reconstructions done by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed warming temperatures that rose by between 4 to 7 degrees Celsius over a period of 5 millennia or 5,000 years.
The rising temperatures, however, recorded in the past century is nearly 10 times faster.
NASA's website lists evidence showing the severity and seriousness of this rapid climate change. The warming that we currently experience severely impacts our planet and our existence, as seen from the fast-rising sea levels, shrinking ice sheets and glaciers, extreme weather conditions and ocean acidification.
There have been records of species being wiped out due to the drastic effects of climate change. One such example is the bramble cay, an Australian rodent that lived in a small outcrop in the Great Barrier Reef. It is documented as the first mammal whose extinction can be blamed on human-induced climate change.


I've long imagined writing this post, but because of my deep emotional connection, always put it off until the time was right. My father helped restored the property, my step-mother was its last owner and resident and I had the honor of spending the last few months of her life with her — a woman of noble character, great taste and an often brutally honest, combative spirit.
Patrinka Kelch loved the mill with all of her heart and soul and regarded her role as steward as her life's mission. When she passed away two summers ago, I'd go to the property and just weep. My father had left Patrinka, as he had my own mother, so his lingering presence within the millwork made me tingle with unrequited love and a whole lot of questions. Patrinka had been my style icon since I was ten and, although our relationship was rocky for most of our lives, she is likely the reason I work here at Design*Sponge. For better or worse, she introduced me to the all-white aesthetic way back when. She shared with me the joy of literally hundreds of paperwhites each February. We'd lie on sheepskins and smell them for hours. It was the 1970's and I'm pretty sure she thought I was meditating with her. I wasn't. I was singing songs from Grease in my head.
During the last few months of her life, I saw her every single day. She had no family and I wanted her to have a loving exit. I'd bring flowers, olive oil and pictures of her cats , Muffy and Sushi, to the nursing home where she thought she'd die. I was set to bring her home to the mill where I'd be her sole hospice caretaker the day she passed away. (I couldn't enlist any other help without money neither she or I had.) She passed away peacefully that morning and I know it had to do with a major lesson in pragmatism she had taught me a few weeks before. (Read more on that lesson in the slideshow.) My decision to care for her alone was not a practical one, but one I was determined to do.
This is her beloved home and I'm so proud to share it with you.
In short, the mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a three-story home has a 40-foot water wheel, considered the largest, freestanding water mill wheel anywhere. It recently sold to a private businessman. I adopted Muffy and Sushi. You can see a video of the water wheel in motion here.
About Shepherd's Mill & Shepherdstown: This gristmill in Shepherdstown, West Virginia is located on our local small stream called the Town Run. The picturesque stream still spills violently down a rocky incline and disappears in the woods below the mill. It flows into the nearby Potomac River. The mill was built some time prior to 1739 by Thomas Shepherd, the founder of our town. Originally, it was a two-story structure and the original mill wheel was most likely a wood overshot wheel. The current 40-foot-diameter Fitz Water Wheel Company steel overshot wheel was built in 1894. A third story addition was built in the late 19th century.
"The remains of the of the first Shepherd Grist Mill, first built prior to 1739, and operated for two centuries, mark the industry of the State's earliest incorporated settlement, originally known as Mecklenburg, the first settlers arriving probably as early as 1719. The mill stands near the Pack Horse Ford crossing of the Potomac. The Indian trail to Pack Horse Ford became the Philadelphia Wagon Road into the Valley of Virginia, and on this road, named High Street, the grist mill was erected. Thomas Shepherd Sr. not only built a mill; he laid out building lots for homes on a part of his first grant of land. Many wheat farmers settled in the vicinity. Shepherd bequeathed the mill to his son, Thomas Jr., in 1776. After the Revolution the village name was changed to Shepherdstown, honoring the builder of the mill. Shepherd started a trend of mills, which became focal points for roads leading out to seaboard markets for flour. A map published in 1810 lists 31 grist or merchant mills in Jefferson County serving a coastal area from Alexandria to Philadelphia. Thus it is no exaggeration to say that Thomas Shepherd with his grist mill inaugurated a "bread basket" for the growing nation. There seems to be little doubt of the continuous operation of a mill on this spot. It is presumed that the stone building still standing is more than two centuries old. The large, 40-foot iron wheel was once located 60 yards farther down stream, but the date of its installation is beyond the memory of local inhabitants who can remember the mill as it was at the beginning of the century.
The upper level of the mill served as a space for many of Patrinka's treasures, including furniture inherited from the Glackens' collection & paintings by Ira Glackens and local artists.
Patrinka's massive library was filled with books on nearly every subject – from late 19th century local historical society publications to spiritual tomes. The chaise was a lovely spot to read & nap.
The west wall of the upper level housed wooden objects and Portuguese & early American crockery. Even the wall frames housed treasures from Patrinka's collection.
I've always loved this full-page newspaper ad Patrinka took out in the 1970's during her mayoral run. As an activist & environmentalist, Patrinka did not mince words when it came to her opponent's (also a woman!) opinions on local preservation & environmental issues.
Everything in Patrinka's home was arranged on angles appropriate for optimum natural light & according to Feng Shui principles. She had running water fountains and gas fire stoves on each level of the mill to ensure those elements were present in the energy of the space. Note the angular placement of the blue settee — Patrinka would invite local artists & models to come into the mill during certain times to make art when the light lit the settee in a particularly beautiful way.
Another view of the library & the upper level.
There really wasn't a subject that Patrinka didn't know something about – usually a lot actually. In the last few weeks of her life, she taught me a much needed lesson in pragmatism when I tried to move her by myself at the hospice facility. She rattled on & on about insurance, training & in true Patrinka fashion — liability. While my first impulse was to act from the heart, she taught me to think things through & ask for help.
This candelabra lit many salon gatherings & dinner parties. They weren't fancy, just filled with good food, good conversation & an environment that inspired late night discussions of art, culture & preservation.
Patrinka often hosted visiting artists & invited them to take up residence on the upper level of the mill. The side view from this bed overlooks the cascading town run.
On the ground level, in what I believe used to house the mill office & transaction area, my father outfitted a small two room apartment that overlooks the town run & waterfall that flows into the Potomac river. Patrinka's bedroom was in the rear & had a fantastic wooded view complete with the running water she loved so much.
The stone window sill in the apartment's kitchen was the perfect place to display her pottery from local artisans & others she picked up in her travels.
This is the ground floor level main hall outside the small apartment. It was filled with 360 degrees of massive paintings by William Glackens son Ira, along with low slung velvet chairs & an oversized farm table that seated 16. It is also where the top of mill grinding equipment stands in the far corner.
A year before Patrinka passed away, she called her to tell me she was mothering a baby deer whose mother had abandoned it. She had watched the fawn from her bedroom window & said it stood in the same spot for days waiting for its mother to return. When she didn't return, Patrinka left one of the mill doors open so it could see shelter if it needed to. The fawn came into the mill & simply laid down. Patrinka fed it from a baby bottle, nursed it back to health & swore me to secrecy because she was frightened that neighbors would call animal control. She would let "Roo" roam the property at night to avoid any neighbor issues.
This photo shows the water wheel before the mill we're touring was built. A small building shown on the right may be where grain was processed at the time. The wheel was moved 60 yards upstream to its current location 1904.
The mill was in ill-repair in the 1950's as shown here. Former Shepherdstown mayor, Sy Starry, who I actually remember from my youth, purchased it & the adjacent house sometime in the late 1960's or early 1970's. He nominated the mill for acceptance in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1971. It was granted.
While minimum repairs on the mill made throughout the decades, it wasn't fully restored to its former glory until Ira & Nancy Glackens purchased the property in 1973. They reported spent $500,000 on the restoration. This photo shows the mill circa 1974 prior to the renovation.
This view of the restored mill under the stewardship of Patrinka Kelch. Patrinka was the sole caretaker of Ira & Nancy Glackens. She inherited the property from them in 1990.
This is an external structural blueprint of the mill from the Library of Congress.
Another external structural blueprint of the mill from the Library of Congress that details the water wheel -- an early example of "green" power.
A stunning view of the mill, water wheel & landscape that surrounds the property.
This is a shot of the mill stone seen in Slide 11 on the ground floor of the mill. The property was not restored yet & was in severe disrepair.
The below ground level housed all the gears and mechanics that ground the grain. The photo shows the lower level prior to the renovation.
The restoration included making the lower mechanics & the water wheel function once again. Patrinka would open the mill to the public on special occasions & "turn on the wheel", which was as simple as removing a man-made dam piece to allow the water to flow into the wheel's path.
The exterior gears of the water wheel & the stone facade before the restoration.
Such a beautiful story and location.
Amazing and beautiful! Thanks for such a complex and lovely interesting history.
This is an incredible property and a bittersweet story. I can't imagine how difficult this must have been to publish, but thank you for the tour. I'm such a sucker for history and old buildings are such a treasure. I hope the new owner loves it as much as Patrinka did!
This is such a gem of a home, and a loving and beautiful tribute to your step-mother! I can certainly understand why you had waited so long to write this and am so glad you've decided to share it now. Your posts about your home-town are always some of my favorites on Design*Sponge.
Ah! Thanks so much Lena. Small town life is rife with stories to say the least!
Thank you for sharing this fascinating story. What an amazing artifact and art collection.
Such a fascinating space, a veritable archive, and so many interesting stories here. This is a lovely tribute to Patrinka and her influence.
Such a beautiful story and home. Thank you for sharing both with us.
What you did for Patrinka in her last months and days was lovely. Thanks for the wonderful history and photos. I enjoyed getting to know her the last few years she was alive.
Very inspiring article. Thank you for sharing.
This sounds like the makings of a book about Patrinka's life. Thank you for sharing her and the mill history.
Apologies for taking 24 hours to reply! I knew this question would come (and the answer would be tough to write!) so it took some processing time.
So, sadly, all of the contents were auctioned off at our local fairgrounds last summer. It was a complicated will and estate to settle, to say the least, and the local Sheriff was the executor. I couldn't bear to go to the auction.
My former neighbors and good friends' property abuts the mill property & looks over the same town run/waterfall that Patrinka's home did. They went to the auction and purchased two of her favorite velvet chairs & the chairs now sit in their home overlooking the same view they did when they were at the mill. I love this outcome!
While she was still alive, Patrinka would send me back & forth from the nursing home to bring her old quilts from the mill so she could show me how to store them (tissue paper on every inch! & no sun!). She then proceeded to tell me we were doing this because she was gifting me the quilts. I treasure them.
My historic home next to this Grist Mill is for sale. It is.on the historic registry, circa 1759. It has a full view of the Mill and orchard. See Circa website for details.
A beautiful home and a very moving story. I hope the new custodian continues to cherish this precious piece of history. I always enjoy Caitlin Kelch's stories.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful, moving story. I believe it to be my favorite of all the Design Sponge stories I have read.
adored that when you were there.
Oh my goodness..what a great story about a great woman! You were so lucky to have her in your corner, and you in hers! What a lovely and heartbreaking space to have to give up. I am so sorry about that. But I am thrilled that she gifted you all those quilts (I'm a quilter), and I hope you keep them and even use them occasionally.
This house is a dream. How lucky you were to spend time in and with the person who made it so special.


text:
May 3 wrap: Gay rights protest closes morning session
By Joey Butler*Thursday, May 3, 2012 | TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS)
What the May 3 mid-morning session of General Conference 2012 lacked in productivity, it made up for in drama.
After attempts to change language regarding The United Methodist Church's stance on homosexuality failed, dozens of protestors, led by Common Witness Coalition, a gay-rights group, gathered on the plenary floor after the break, singing "What Does the Lord Require of You?"
Indiana Area Bishop Michael Coyner, who was presiding, asked the protestors to stop. When they didn't, he recessed the session for lunch, telling the group, "I think you're actually hurting your point."
Coyner also said the afternoon session would be closed to all but delegates. It was later decided the session would remain open to visitors.
The protestors stayed on the plenary floor during the lunch break, and continued to sing for several hours until the afternoon session began. At the same time, representatives of the Council of Bishops spoke with leaders of the demonstration to negotiate a solution to the impasse.
Germany Area Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, new president of the Council of Bishops, opened the session with a statement crafted by the bishops. She acknowledged the pain General Conference's decisions and church polity have caused to the homosexual community and urged everyone to stay committed to holy conferencing. She quoted Philippians 2:1-5: "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus."
The Rev. Frank Wulf, a California-Pacific Annual (regional) Conference delegate, was invited to pray. He asked God to "help us to find our voice, a voice that promotes healing and hope. Help us not to seek our own personal agendas, but to seek your will."
Following the prayer, the demonstrators left the floor peacefully.
"We talk about embodying the love of God, but in difficult situations, we need the Holy Spirit to tutor us," said Kansas Area Bishop Scott Jones, who presided over the afternoon session.
Can't agree to disagree
After more than an hour of passionate debate and clear disagreement, two items stating Christians have different opinions about homosexuality were not approved by the 2012 General Conference, leaving the current language in The Book of Discipline intact.
Paragraph 161.F of the Discipline states: "The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching."
The Rev. Adam Hamilton of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan., and the Rev. Mike Slaughter of Ginghamsburg Church, Tipp City, Ohio, proposed a substitution for part of the paragraph that sought to clarify that United Methodists disagree on whether homosexual practice is contrary to God's will and urged unity over division and respect for coexistence. Their substitution would have replaced the last paragraph of a petition submitted by the Global Convocation of Young People after its 2010 conference.
Jen Ihlo, a Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference delegate, worked on the Church and Society Legislative Committee's subcommittee on human sexuality. She said there was lengthy debate about where the church is on homosexuality.
"This petition represents that compromise; it states our positions are vastly different. I am a lesbian and a child of God. I strongly urge the body to adopt this compromise so gay youth will recognize the church loves them and the pain will stop."
The Rev. Maxie Dunnam of the Kentucky Annual Conference spoke against the substitution saying, "I see no reason to state that we disagree. If we're going to state what we disagree about, we might as well put that as a headline on our Book of Discipline."
The vote on the Hamilton-Slaughter substitution defeated it 441-507, and the main motion failed 368-572.
Since no more business was conducted in the morning after the protest began, the remaining legislation on human sexuality was sent back to the calendar committee to determine if and when to revisit.
Pension plan modified
United Methodist clergy in the United States will continue to participate in a retirement program that includes a monthly pension payment.
By a vote of 819 to 78, delegates approved the restated Clergy Retirement Security Program. The plan combines a defined benefit component with a defined contribution component, like the clergy's current retirement program, but with a reduced benefit for clergy and, consequently, a lower contribution for U.S. annual conferences.
A defined benefit plan provides a monthly pension payment for life, with the employer assuming the investment risk. A defined contribution plan-like the 401(k) plans most corporate employees now have-provides an account balance to use during retirement, with the clergyperson assuming the risk that the money will run out in his or her lifetime.
Delegates endorsed an amendment made by the Financial Administration Legislative Committee to allow annual conferences to determine whether clergy who serve half-time or three-quarters appointments can participate in the program.
The body voted down a clergy retirement program that would have relied on defined-contribution only.
Proposed constitutional amendment fails
The assembly failed to approve a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would allow General Conference to name a committee to reallocate funds between sessions of the quadrennial gathering.
A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds vote of the General Conference followed by ratification of two-thirds of the voting members of annual conferences.
The Rev. Andy Langford, a delegate from Western North Carolina and a member of the Connectional Table, argued for the amendment. He noted that since no one can change the budget between sessions of General Conference, budgets must be set as far as six years out and cannot be adjusted to meet changing needs.
Others opposed the amendment. Prior to the discussion, the Rev. Timothy McClendon, a delegate from South Carolina and also a member of the Connectional Table, said allowing a group to adjust the budget between General Conference sessions was like allowing the pastor to change budgets established by the church council.
overwhelmingly supported by a vote of 682-251 a measure to direct United Methodist boards and agencies, annual conferences, and local church groups to consider the school schedules of young people when planning meetings and events
rejected a motion to set a time for discussion of a petition directing the General Board of Church and Society and the General Board of Global Ministries/Women's Division to withdraw membership in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
voted to change the name of Lay Speaking Ministries to Lay Servant Ministries
recognized two General Conference delegates who were hospitalized May 2. Jessica Ireland, Iowa Conference, was struck by a car-driven by another General Conference delegate-while walking back from dinner. The Rev. Guy Mande Muyombo, North Katanga, Congo, spent several hours in an emergency room with symptoms from exhaustion. "This isn't a way to become famous; I don't recommend it," Ireland said.
recognized outgoing members of the Judicial Council, as well as the two newcomers who were elected during this conference. The Rev. Susan Henry Crowe and Jon Gray are ending their terms at the close of General Conference and rotating off. Also welcomed were the two new members, the Rev. Kabamba Kiboko of South Congo and Texas conferences, and Oswald Tewh from Liberia
*Butler is editor of young adult content, United Methodist Communications, Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Maggie Hillery, Tampa, Fla. (813) 574-4837 through May 4; after May 4: (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
2 bishops offer plan for denomination's future
To deal with schism-threatening conflict over homosexuality, Bishops Bard and Jones favor making The United Methodist Church an umbrella for self-governing church groups.
US elections see shift in GC2020 delegates
U.S. annual conferences elected more delegates opposed to the Traditional Plan, but traditionalists say they still have the majority.
Exiting congregations face hefty price tag
U.S. conferences are calculating how much a church must pay if it leaves under legislation approved by General Conference 2019. The big cost will be pensions.


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Parents who raise their children to be religious may hope that their offspring will grow up to be more empathic and concerned with moral issues. But does religion actually facilitate sensitivity to others and prosocial behavior? A new study led by Jean Decety of the University of Chicago, based on research supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, has put this assumption to the test.
How much religious freedom can governments allow? How much religious freedom do human individuals need? Is there an understanding of religious freedom that can be generalized across different places and traditions?


text:
Q: UML definition - Generalization, aggregation and abstract classes I'm a bit confused regarding Generalization, Aggregation and abstract classes in UML.
By Generalization, I can understand that it's a "is a"-relationship. A student is a Person - and a teacher is a Person. So Person would be the superclass, whereas student and teacher are both subclasses.
By Aggregation, this is what I understand: It's a "softer" relation compared to composition. An example could be: You can have a hand with no fingers (aggregation) but you can't have fingers without a hand (composition).
And then I am completely lost on abstract classes. What are the characteristics of abstract classes? I'd like an example on this if possible.
But am I on the right track here? This is how I understand these terms.

A: You understand Generalization.
Associations may be Aggregations or Compositions (or neither).  This is a good example that Tom Pender used to use.  Suppose you have a Car class.  That Car class "has" a steering wheel, seats, two axles, four wheels, and so on.  If you're creating that Car in a manufacturer context, the relationship between all of those would be Composition: the lifetime of all the car's parts (at your manufacturer) is tied to the lifetime of the car.  From the standpoint of the manufacturer, the lifetime of the car and all its parts ends when you deliver it to a dealer.
Now, let's suppose you're the owner of a junkyard.  In this case, a car still "has" all those parts, but they have a lifetime of their own: you can sell parts off of the car, and even make them part of some other car if you need to.  The relationship between the car and those parts is Aggregation, because the lifetime of the parts isn't tied to the lifetime of the car itself.
So, you can see that the same car could actually be modeled in two different ways depending on context.
As for abstract classes: an abstract class is simply a class that defines methods and/or properties while requiring that they can only be implemented in subclasses.  It's easiest to explain why with interfaces.  Interfaces are abstract classes, with the added proviso that NONE of the methods or properties can be implemented directly in the class (you might say it's a definition of how to define a subclass).  Here's where they come in useful.
Suppose I want to define an Animal class.  What do animals do?  Well, they move.  They bite.  (They do other things too, of course, but let's stick to Move and Bite.)  If I create an Animal interface, I'm saying "here's what an animal does.  If you want to be an animal, you have to also do these things.  However, I'm not going to tell you how to do them."  So, I create an iAnimal interface, with two methods, Move and Bite.  As an interface, I don't provide any sort of implementation, just empty procedures.
Now, suppose I have two animals, a Flea and a TRex.  Clearly, Fleas and TRexes don't have anything in common in the way that they move or the way that they bite, but they both do both.  I'll have Flea and TRex inherit or "implement" the interface, providing implementations of Move and Bite appropriate for the type of animal.
The advantage of this is that clients of my flea and trex don't have to know which one they are dealing with.  They can create an iAnimal, inject an instance of Flea or TRex as appropriate, and safely call iAnimal's Move and/or Bite methods without having to worry about whether they're supported or not.  (This is what we mean by "polymorphism").
So, interface implementation is a form of Generalization (more correctly Specialization, going the other way), as you have probably already surmised.
From here, an "abstract class" is simply any class with any method or attribute defined that has to be inherited to be implemented.  Therefore, as I have said, interfaces are abstract classes.  However, in general usage, an abstract class is taken to mean one that is not also an interface, i. e. one that has some concrete methods or attributes.  Most programming languages adhere to this definition.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">

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Uses of Class org.apache.poi.ss.formula.OperationEvaluationContext (POI API Documentation)
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Methods in org.apache.poi.ss.formula.functions with parameters of type OperationEvaluationContext

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EOMonth.evaluate(ValueEval[] args,
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Along with many others, I recently had the opportunity to enjoy the stage production of "Tamara L" at the Polish American Cultural Center. Joseph Hart, the newest member of our editorial team at FORUM, recently reviewed the play. Because of Eugene Bak's efforts to bring the Polish theatrical troupe and their play, "Tamara L" to Cleveland, I take the opportunity to convey to our readers some of the interesting history of the twenties, and to tell about one of the fascinating figures at the center of that era.When we think about the twenties, "the roaring twenties" as they are called, we think of wild, golden years of excess and incredible energy. Al Capone, the Charleston, Marlena Dietrich, jazz, the prohibition all come to mind. One of the most outstanding features of the era was a daring new style in art called Art Deco. It mixed functionality with a geometric stylization of forms. Designers working with jewelry, pottery, glass, clothing, furnishings and interiors outdid one another to create fantastic works. They were remarkable and unique for their use of sleek geometric design– straight lines combined with slender forms and bright colors that simply sparkled with boldness and originality. Painting in the Art Deco style was very clearly influenced by cubism and futurism and one of the most important artists of the Art Deco style of painting was a Pole, Tamara Lempicka.
Maria Gorska, for that was her real name, was born in Warsaw in 1898, to the wealthy household of well-known Polish lawyer and leader of a French trading company, Boris Gorski. She was a headstrong child, dominating everyone around her, always in charge of her play companions. This assertive character stayed with her throughout life and played no small role in her life's journey. After her parents divorced, a wealthy godmother that lavished attention, beautiful clothes and gifts on her raised Tamara. She saw to Tamara's every need and desire, sending her to Switzerland for schooling and on vacations. On one of her visits to her Aunt Stephania's home in St. Petersburg, the remodeling of her wealthy uncle's home by the famous French firm, Maison Jansen, fascinated Tamara. This was a breakthrough moment for her because she realized then what she wanted to do with her life.
Shortly after the outbreak of World War I, Maria fell madly in love with a handsome young lawyer from Warsaw, Tadeusz Lempicki. He became her obsession and reason for living. With her strong temperament and will, she was able to arrange so that they were married two years later in St. Petersburg. Her wealthy uncle set them up with everything the young couple could possibly need to start their life together in the stylish, expensive city. Young Lempicki, who had not more than a few pennies in his pockets, was very glad indeed that he had married his young, (she was just 16) and beautiful bride. A year later, when Lempicki was picked up and arrested by the Bolsheviks, Tamara bravely and unrelentingly battled the revolutionary forces. With all of her abilities to influence, using her feminine charm and cleverness as well as plenty of money to convince the communist bureaucrats, she was able to free her husband.
The artistic style of the 1920's was labeled "Cubism" and later in the 1930's, "Neoclassicism". Lempicka's works were actually more closely related to the works of Ingres because of their sensuality and eroticism, with the subjects depicted belonging to an era of wealth and privilege.
Thus she gained the reputation as the most important portrait artist of the Art Deco movement. She was able to portray her subjects with a strong, almost sinister energy emanating from them while inspiring a sense of life and sensuality, all captured in the moment, frozen in an icy, mysterious aura. Critics discussing her work referred to the spirit of Ingres and his eroticism. But Ingres had belonged to a more innocent era in art. Tamara however, was not troubling herself with questions of innocence and morality. Several of her male subjects were her lovers. The portrait of Tadeusz Lempicki, whom she divorced after several years of marriage, was never completed. D'Annuzio whose favor she actively sought, never became a model.
Sensing impending doom as the storm clouds of WWII gathered, Tamara left Europe with her second husband, Baron Raul Kuffneren, for the United States. She took up residence in Hollywood in the former home of well-known movie director King Vidor ("War and Peace" with Audrey Hepburn and Henry Fonda) in famous Beverly Hills. In 1943 she moved with her husband to New York City where they purchased an apartment, and furnished it with antiques from the Hungarian estate of the baron. Tamara installed a studio and with a great passion pursued her painting there. It became quite fashionable to own a Lempicki. She had fans that paid her in advance for an entire year's work. One of her most avid collectors was Dr. Boucard, a scientist who had made his fortune in discovering a medication. And there were other wealthy patrons like Rufus Bush. Upon first arriving in the U.S. she experienced the market crash on Wall Street. At the time, she was painting a portrait of the Spanish king, Alphonse. In America, Tamara adjusted the subject matter of her paintings. She was able to save her husband and herself from financial ruin with paintings like "Girls of Bretogne,","Young Dutch Girls" or "Mother Superior". (We were able to see the atmosphere in which that painting was created as it was recaptured in the play "Tamara L" at the Center.) "Mother Superior" is in the collection of the Musee des Beaux Arts in Nance.
Tamara returned to Paris after WWII and reopened her once famous studio near the Rue Mechain. She was designing interiors at the time and many of her friends and acquaintances quickly lined up to have her design and decorate their homes and apartments in her very unique style.
After the death of the baron, Tamara moved to Houston to be near her daughter Kizette Lempicka. The fifties and sixties were not kind. Times had changed and Tamara felt forgotten and abandoned, unappreciated as an artist. In 1966 the Musee des Arts Decoratifs organized the exhibit "Les Annes 25" (The 25 years) which renewed worldwide interest in Art Deco, and in her work. Soon afterwards the Luxembourg Gallery opened a retrospective exhibit of Tamara Lempicka's paintings. The exhibit was a tremendous success and signaled the beginning of her triumphant return.
Cuernavaca, Mexico was to be her final home where she retired in 1978. In her later years, she struggled to accept the debilities of age and mourned her lost beauty. Tamara Lempicka died March 18, 1980 with her daughter Kizette by her side. According to her wishes, she was cremated and her remains were sprinkled from an airplane over the crater of Mt. Popocatepeti, a volcano that never rests.
Tamara Lempicka in painting the portrait of "Mother Superior" asks questions about the artist's calling; the purpose that art plays in society; why we create art and why we strive for spiritual excellence through it. These universal questions about human reasoning and values seem to be as valid today, in our times of strife, war and terrorism as they have ever been. It is our hope that we can continue to progress in the future not solely for the purpose of technological advancement, nor for better and bigger arms and weapons or for economic purposes, but on a basis true to our deepest spiritual values.
Posted on Friday, April 1st, 2005 under Art, Cleveland, Community category. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


text:
package org.asciidoc.intellij.actions.asciidoc;

/**
 * @author Erik Pragt
 */
public class MakeBold extends SimpleFormatAsciiDocAction {

  @Override
  public String updateSelection(String selection, boolean isWord) {
    return updateSelectionIntern(selection, "*", isWord);
  }

  @Override
  public String getName() {
    return "MakeBold";
  }
}


ABSTRACT: The renewable energy industry has recently gathered momentum due to green awareness, the need to diversify energy sources and the rise in oil and gas prices. In many ways, the Polish biomass industry has greater potential than others new EU members (post-2004). Poland's size, as well as its large population – the sixth largest in Europe – has attracted the attention of investors. Furthermore, the country's agricultural characteristics, high dependence on foreign sources of energy, as well as its abundant use of polluting energy sources such as coal, make Poland the perfect place to invest in the biomass industry. This research analyses the potential of the Polish biomass industry via the case of Bobolice, a town in Northern Poland. The study claims that companies wishing to evaluate potential projects will raise the project's chances of success if they operate in areas where the population is larger than 4500 inhabitants, in areas where heating is consumed annually for about 7 months and where there is a variety of facilities, other than homes, which require heating.


saratogagiantpumpkinfest.com -Qq English Version Apk Tencent QQ (Chinese: 腾讯QQ), also known as QQ, is an instant messaging software service developed by the Chinese tech giant Tencent. QQ also offers services that provide online social games, music, shopping, microblogging, movies, and group and voice chat software.Pubg mobile apk version 0.12.0. PUBG Mobile 0.12.0 apk, update on 2019-04-17 Officially licensed PUBG MOBILE, the original battle royale style game is coming! Unreal Engine 4 brings smooth, next-generation graphics to your mobile device, and produces a graphical and audio experience that perfectly recreates the PC version.Prediksi, jadwal & live skor bola terbaru. keluaran anekatoto Apa yang membuat sebagian orang berhasil dengan liar dalam bisnis sementara yang lain…Wang leehom. Wang Leehom (born May 17, 1976), sometimes credited as Leehom Wang, is a Chinese-American singer-songwriter, actor, producer, and film director.


text:
are you using your dealer plate correctly ???
§ 201.00. Use of Special Plates Issued to a Dealer
13 CA ADC § 201.00
BARCLAYS OFFICIAL CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS
Barclays Official California Code of Regulations Currentness
Title 13. Motor Vehicles
Division 1. Department of Motor Vehicles
Chapter 1. Department of Motor Vehicles
Article 3.3. Special Plates (Refs & Annos)
13 CCR § 201.00
§ 201.00. Use of Special Plates Issued to a Dealer, Manufacturer, Remanufacturer, or Distributor.
(a) Special plates referenced in this section may only be used on vehicles that a dealer, manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor owns or lawfully possesses.
(b) The following individuals may operate a vehicle with special plates for any purpose:
(1) An individual who is the sole owner, a general partner, a manager of a limited liability company, or a corporate officer or director of a dealer, manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor, provided that individual is actively engaged in the management and control of the business operations of the dealer, manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor;
(2) A general manager, or business manager, or sales manager who is actively engaged in the management and control of the business operations of the dealer, manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor when no other individual meets the criteria in (1) above;
(3) An individual employed by a manufacturer or distributor and licensed as a representative.
(c) Any licensed driver may operate a vehicle with special plates for any purpose if an individual identified in section (b) is also in the vehicle.
(1) An unaccompanied licensed driver, who regularly resides in the immediate household of an individual identified in section (b), may operate a vehicle with special plates solely to pick up or drop off that individual.
(d) A licensed driver who is an employee of a dealer, manufacturer, remanufacturer or distributor may drive a vehicle with special plates when that employee is acting within the course and scope of his or her employment.
(e) Any licensed driver may operate a vehicle with dealer, manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor special plates for special event purposes if the operator carries a letter of authorization from the licensee identifying the vehicle, duration, and location of operation, and person(s) authorized to operate the vehicle.
(f) Any licensed driver, who is a prospective buyer or lessee, may test drive a vehicle with special plates for up to seven days.
(1) A salesperson is not required to be present.
(2) If a salesperson is not present, the operator must carry a letter of authorization from the licensee identifying the vehicle, duration, and person(s) authorized to operate the vehicle.
(g) Employees of a commercial vehicle dealer, manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor who must operate a commercial vehicle in the course of their employment, may take a commercial drive test in a commercial vehicle displaying dealer, manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor special plates.
(h) A trailer, displaying special plates, may be towed by a vehicle with Vehicle Code authority to operate on the highways.
(i) Any use of special plates issued to a dealer, manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor except as specified is prohibited.
Note: Authority cited: Section 1651, Vehicle Code.
Reference: Sections 11714, 11715 and 11716, Vehicle Code.
HISTORY1. Amendment of article heading and new section filed 6-8-2000; operative 7-8-2000 (Register 2000, No. 23).
For prior history of article 3.3, see Register 93, No. 30 and Register 96, No. 35.
This database is current through 4/5/19
Register 2019, No. 1413 CCR § 201.00, 13 CA ADC § 201.00


text:
Archives, Artists, Community, Featured, Happenings
Performing Revolutionary: Art, Action, Activism by Nicole Garneau
written by Christina Nafziger
Artist and activist Nicole Garneau's new book Performing Revolutionary: Art, Action, Activism takes you on an intimate journey through her project UPRISING, a series of performances that took place once a month for five years. Defining her UPRISINGs as "public demonstration of revolutionary practices," these performances, protests, celebrations envelop around efforts of connection, community, and care in a way that is reflected in the writings in this book (Garneau, 2). The artist lovingly holds your hand while she walks you through how this project began, and then onwards into each of the 60 performances taking place in eight states and other international locations, beginning in 2008. Each of the sixty performances explored within this book is two-fold: one part being 'IN ACTION' which describes the performance and event; the other being 'Revolutionary Practice,' which offers a prompt, an exercise the reader can do themselves, putting the action into practice. Garneau describes this book as, "The result of many years of exploration into how performance can be used to create public demonstrations of the possibilities for a more loving, just, and humane present and future" (Garneau, 2).
With an opening sentence of "It begins in Chicago," the city becomes the backdrop and stage for UPRISINGs beginnings. Growing up in a suburb of Chicago and having attending UIC and Columbia College, the artist explains,
"Chicago was my creative and activist home for more than 20 years. Chicago offers endless variation as a performance site and as a long-time Chicagoan I felt entitled to explore the city and its spaces in this way. Making performances in the streets or at Chicago events was a way of expanding my social and activist communities, of participating actively in the city."
Garneau, who has been involved in theater ultimately her whole life, has been involved in various Chicago organizations such as Women's Action Coalition, Queer White Allies Against Racism, AREA: Chicago Arts, and Sissy Butch Brothers' Gurlesque Burlesque, just to name a few. In the introduction of Performing Revolutionary, Garneau discusses her involvement in Insight Arts in Chicago, whose dedication to cultural work and social change heavily influenced her practice.
Image shows the cover of the book "Performing Revolutionary: Art, Action, Activism" by Nicole Garneau. The cover shows several people wearing white waving white flags while running down a hill. in Grant Park. Photo by Christina Nafziger.
This book is as static as the UPRISING project itself, which is to say that it is absolutely not. Like the project it holds, illustrates, and explores in its contents, this book is a living series of events. It is an action that is happening still. And yes, each UPRISING performance embodied the activeness of this term. Although these performances did 'happen' in the past tense, UPRISING in the form of a book cannot help but spur something new once read. It is at once a documentation and a nudge, a push for the reader. It is a compelling; a manifesto in the sense that it declares the intention of each UPRISING action. In a way, each performance is a declaring in itself. What was happening in this project continues as a constant hum; this hum, these happenings, are transformed with the words of this book into a compulsion – a buzzing that is being drawn out with each telling of an UPRISING, each instructional 'how-to' accompanying each action. Although, Nicole Garneau says she prefers the, perhaps more accurate, term "cultural work" for her practice, a number of words have been thrown into this ambitious project, such as 'ritual' or 'intervention' (Garneau, 5). What has become my personal favorite term for these UPRISINGs is 'ceremonies' due to not only the intimate solidarity and air of communion present in the work, but also the thickness of love and openness that could not be ignored at her book talk on April 20th at Women and Children First Bookstore in Andersonville, Chicago.
Image show a section of the collaborative alter that was present at the book talk on April 20th at Women and Children First Bookstore. This includes several photos of various performance by Nicole Garneau as part of her project UPRISING, as well as names of revolutionary women and trans-people written on cardboard. The name in the photo reads: "Revolutionary Women: Rosa Parks." Photo by Uncle Bear Klein, courtesy of Nicole Garneau.
As I walked into the space of the talk, it was filled with an energy and excitement that could only be described as both a homecoming celebration and an anticipation of something historical. As a way of 'activating' the space, not-so-optional introductions were done around the room, pleasantly compelling audience participation. Along with our own names, each person was invited by the artist to speak a name of a revolutionary woman. Names like Katherine Graham, Sojourner Truth, Laverne Cox, and Maggie Nelson were uttered out loud, entering the space, and blown towards the front of the room where a collaborative altar stood to honor revolutionary women and trans-people. The reason I felt this sense of homecoming – this palpable joy of return – was because of how many people in the audience were personally involved in many of Garneau's past performances as well as UPRISING. Many had been a part of her work, and more specifically, many had participated in UPRISING #10, which took place ten years prior at the same bookstore, where participants created the original alter which we honored that night. I was surprised to find that this familiarity did not cause me to feel excluded, but thanks to an eager openness from others did I find myself becoming a part of this event in its past, present, and future forms. I asked Garneau about her connections to the members of the audience:
"I knew a lot of people in that room. There were a lot of folks there that were involved in feminist activism and other kinds of radical art projects over a couple of decades in Chicago. There were also a lot of people I didn't know—but I met them that night, because I think that in a space like that, it is important for us to meet each other. I want to hear people say their names, and name revolutionary women and trans people, and activate an altar. I like for the first activity to be something interactive because everyone in the room 'checks in' to the space in a more active way. Practicing being more revolutionary people includes being radically present with each other."
Image is of the book "Performing Revolutionary" standing on a table next to the collaborative altar dedicated to revolutionary women and trans-people. Photo by Uncle Bear Klein, courtesy of Nicole Garneau.
Garneau's attitude and intentions within the talk not only activated the audience, but also activated her book, transferring her UPRISINGs from 'have happened' to 'happening.' Reading passages outloud initiated the words into the realm of oral history, passing them to us, giving us these moments in which compassion and social justice were being declared. One of the UPRISINGs Garneau discussed at the talk that will live especially in my mind is UPRISING #46, which took place in Grant Park, during an Occupy Chicago march in 2011. Marching in this demonstration, Garneau held up giant paper signs with lyrics for songs like "I Will Survive" written on each, inviting others in communal song. In the event's description, Garneau states, "As police moved in on the Occupy encampment and loaded 130 people into wagons, we did not even need lyrics. I started singing 'This Little Light of Mine,' and the crowd around me joined right in" (Garneau, 138). The simple, shared joy of singing together seemed to hold such power in that moment. Singing out loud and coming together—speaking out loud and listening together—ignites a kind of supported hope that can often be difficult to feel without the presence of others, particularly during the times we find ourselves in. This is what is held in each UPRISING performance: a notion that something can be done, things can be changed. This importance of this invaluable, as it is an all-too-often fleeting feeling.
Image shows Nicole Garneau with a member of the audience. They stand next to a wall of children's books as well as the revolutionary women altar. She is wearing a white jacket with the word "UPRISING." Photo by Uncle Bear Klein, courtesy of Nicole Garneau.
Garneau states, "To create positive change, we must discover fresh perspectives on moving from critique to possibility, maintaining hope in light of the numbing negativity of contemporary political discourse" (Garneau, 14). This possibility, this maintaining of hope, is a practice within itself, enacted in each performance in UPRISING, but also activated and practiced within the reading of the words in Performing Revolutionary: Art, Action, Activism.
Featured Image: Image shows artist and activist Nicole Garneau at her book talk standing in front of a wall of children's books. She is dressed in all white with a shirt that reads "UPRISING." An audience member is also standing, talking to the speaker. Photo by Uncle Bear Klein, courtesy of Nicole Garneau.
Christina Nafziger is a freelance writer with a background working in curation, arts administration, and community outreach. Originally from Indianapolis, she recently earned an M.A. in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths University of London. Her area of research focuses on gender studies, performativity, virtual identity, and cyborg culture.
Filed under: Archives, Artists, Community, Featured, Happenings
Tagged with: action, activism, art books, artist talk, artists/activists, Avondale, book talk, books, Chicago Activism, Chicago art history, Chicago history, Chicago performance, Chicago performance art, community, community engagement, community-based art, featured, Insight Arts, Nicole Garneau, Occupy Chicago, performance, performance art, performance artists, queer community, social justice, theater, UPRISING, women, Women and Children First Bookstore, women artists
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text:
Fulton County Names Deputy Chief Operating Officers	 | Print |
Fulton County Manager Dick Anderson and Chief Operating Officer Anna Roach have announced the appointment of two Deputy Chief Operating Officers who will provide leadership in key service delivery areas.
Pamela Roshell will serve as Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Health & Human Services and Ellis Kirby will serve as Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Infrastructure.
"Our new organizational structure allows the Deputy COOs to provide thought leadership in their area of expertise to maximize service delivery and impact," said County Manager Dick Anderson. "Both Ellis & Pamela have shown their commitment to customer service and innovation, and we look forward to their work in this new role."
Both Deputy COOs will report to Chief Operating Officer Anna Roach, who added, "We have seen Mr. Kirby demonstrate a commitment to excellence in a strategic approach to our facility updates, and I know he will continue to drive innovation in this area. In addition, Dr. Roshell has led positive transformation in our service delivery for older adults, allowing us to establish creative and meaningful partnerships to serve this important population."
Both Kirby and Roshell were promoted from within Fulton County, where they currently serve as department directors. The new Deputy COO positions were created in an organizational structure announced by the County Manager in August.
Pamela Roshell, Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Health & Human Services
Prior to her appointment to the position of Deputy COO for Health & Human Services, Roshell served as Director of Senior Services, where she manages a $20 million budget and drives policy implementation and strategy across a portfolio of intervention, prevention and supportive services for vulnerable populations. Roshell previously served as Regional Director for the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and brings more than 20 years of experience in public administration, health policy and gerontology in the public and nonprofit sectors.
"I am excited and honored to have been selected to serve in this new role," said Roshell. "I look forward to working with health and human services leaders across the enterprise and externally to move Fulton County's health and human services strategy forward to deliver even greater impact for the residents and communities we serve."
Dr. Roshell is a graduate of Columbia College, and received a master of social work degree with a specialty in administration from the University of South Carolina. She has built on that specialty with the completion of a PhD in social policy, planning and administration from Clark Atlanta University. In her new role, Dr. Roshell will lead the cluster consisting of Arts, Behavioral Health, Community Development, Library, Ryan White, Senior Services, and provide strategic alignment with the Board of Health.
Ellis Kirby, Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Infrastructure
As Deputy COO for Infrastructure, Kirby will be responsible for managing Public Works, Real Estate & Asset Management, and Information Technology, and provide strategic alignment with Registration & Elections. He has served most recently as the Director of the Department of Real Estate & Asset Management, with responsibility for managing over 5 million square feet of buildings, 200 plus buildings and an operational budget of over $30 million dollars along with a capital plan of over $200 million dollars. He previously served as Regional Vice President for Sodexo's Campus Division and brings more than 20 years of experience in infrastructure and facilities.
"It is an honor to be selected in this critical role as we continue to improve county infrastructure in serving both the citizens and employees of Fulton County," said Kirby. "Our teams will continue the journey of driving a higher level of customer service, community impact and operational efficiency every day."
Kirby is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia in 1991. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of West Georgia and a Masters of Building Construction from the Georgia Institute of Technology.


text:
Chinese Drama - Marriage
Double Love
Zhang Xueying, Bi Wenjun
Due to the mistaken operation in the game, Lu Wanwan bumped off the game master "Mo Bai Zhi Jian". Then they started an interesting game journey. In reality, Lu Wanwan has been concerned about Han Jingmo's works, but she was splashed in public. In a fit of anger, they turned against each other, starting battles of wits in daily life....
Mr. Bad
Urban, Romance, Fantasy
Chen Zheyuan, Shen Yue
When Nan Xing, a young girl who loves writing, made a wish, she accidentally summoned the villainous character Xiao Wudi from her book. The clever and cunning Xiao Wudi just came into this world, he threatened and blackmailed Nan Xing to live next door to her house, and they started a funny neighborhood life. As Xiao Wudi was brought...
Demon Emperor's Little Matchmaker
Lin Shijie, Wang Nuoyi
The heir to the Demon Emperor, Li Wuyou, suffers from his half-human, half-demon heritage and has become aloof and indifferent, unwilling to accept any girl. The immortal matchmaker, who has promised to arrange his marriage, is desperate and has no choice but to send Qiao Chuchu, the little matchmaker trainee to help him, which will...
Binary Love
Romance, School, Comedy
Sabrina Zhuang, Ren Youlun
The binary "1+1=10" just confirms the decade-long relationship between Zhou Linlin and Fang Yuke. In this binary love with Fang Yuke, Zhou Linlin becomes a permanent variable for Fang Yuke, the computer master, because of her spooky and cheerful personality. Zhou Linlin is a young girl who tends to go overboard on one or some subjects....
The Romance of Hua Rong 2
Yuan Hao, Zhao Zhaoyi
Hua Rong and Qin Shangcheng finally become a happy couple after all the hardships. Just as they are getting married, an imperial decree orders Hua Rong to marry the son of a neighboring country. To protect the whole world, Hua Rong decides to temporarily "conceal" her marriage with Qin Shangcheng and "marry" to the Southern Wilderness...
Historical, Romance, Wuxia
Yang Yang, Zhao Lusi
Feng Lanxi, who has a paragon of beauty and a very deep mind, it seems that everyone is in his calculations, is called "black fox" by Bai Fengxi. With the name of "benevolent king", Feng Lanxi is very popular among the people. Determined to win the world, Feng Lanxi marries Feng Xiyun (Bai Fengxi). Feng Lanxi has cultivated the...
The Lady in Butcher's House
Zhang Hanyun, Thomas Tong
Xu Qingjia's parents passed away when he was young. He studied hard and got second place in the imperial examination and got married to Hu Jiao, the daughter of the Hu family. Although Hu Jiao comes from a butcher's family and didn't have a very good education, she is cheerful, positive, and unpretentious, and keeps everything...
The Oath of Love
Yang Zi, Xiao Zhan
Lin Zhixiao, a young girl about to graduate from the music department, does not want to plan her life according to her father's arrangement and wants to stick to her dream of music, but her father is hospitalized with cancer. At this moment, she meets Gu Wei, who is at a low point in his career and wants to give up his career as a surgeon....
About Is Love 2
Yan Xi, Xu Xiaonuo
Wei Qing, the president of the Yunma Group, and Zhou Shi, an art graduate, broke up because of a crisis of trust between them. Two years later, Zhou Shi returned to Wei Qing's world but was very different from the past. In order to regain Zhou Shi, Wei Qing thought of all the ways. They went from the initial contradiction to the final...
Two Conjectures About Marriage
Yang Zishan, Peng Guanying
Shen Mingbao, an office lady, met and married Yang Zheng, an IT man in a flash. But the new couple is so busy that they can only meet twice a week. Shen Mingbao's childhood friend Xue Kexin is a beautiful girl from a wealthy family. She just got married to Chen Tonggang, an actor eight years younger than herself. In order to support...
Memory of Encaustic Tile
Yukee Chen, Lin Yi, Yan Zidong
Shao Xue, Zheng Sunian, Zhang Qi, and several other children of heritage restoration craftsmen grew up together in the hutongs of Beijing, experiencing the SARS epidemic, the death of their elders, the demolition of the old city and others, and formed a deep friendship. Shao Xue was influenced by Zheng Sunian's mother and chose to...
Life, Family, Romance
Gao Yuanyuan, Zhang Luyi, David Wang
Chen Shan, a female lawyer in the securities department of a famous law firm, was nearly 40 years old when she encountered a bottleneck in her rise. As a result, she devotes herself to her work and has no time for the emotional needs of her husband and daughter. Her husband, Sun Lei, works in a state-owned enterprise, and in order to...
Meeting You Loving You
Aaron Deng, Zhang Xiye
Su Zhinian, a handsome and wealthy man with special powers and a cold temperament, is a domineering president. Song Qingqing, a leading actress originally, has a good career but suffers a Waterloo. Song Qingqing regroups for the family business, the road is full of trials and tribulations. She has no choice but to compromise with fate...
Ju Jingyi, Joseph Zeng
Jiang Baoning, the princess of Jia Nan, relies on her intelligence to balance all the forces step by step. She falls in love with Li Qian, a guard of the imperial army, and they overcome the obstacles of identity differences and finally reap happiness.
Historical, Romance
Zhang Zhixi, Thomas Tong
It is rumored that the elder daughter of Prince Yun, Yun Qianyue, is a "playgirl", arrogant and domineering, who can't read a word. In fact, the reason why Yun Qianyue makes the rumor spread to the public, she doesn't wanna marry into the royal family and disguise for decades. As early as ten years ago, Yun Qianyue has been in...
Bi Wenjun, Wu Xuanyi, Zhai Xiaowen
The 25-year-old librarian Zeng Li meets the deputy chief dentist Ai Jingchu due to orthodontic treatment, they experience snowy nights together, hide-and-seek in welfare house, pirate ship New Year's Eve, etc. From misunderstanding to acquaintance, they slowly walked into the other's heart. When they are ready to confess to each...
Lin Yanjun, Wan Peng
Sang Wuyan, a graduating senior, dreams of becoming a broadcaster, working as an anchor assistant at a radio station, and likes a mysterious songwriter with the pseudonym "Yi Jin". Sang Wuyan falls in love at first sight with Su Nianqin, whom she meets by chance, only to find out later that she is an aloof and visually impaired person....
Yang Yang, Dilraba Dilmurat
After ten years, Qiao Jingjing's unexpected to reunite with her former high school classmate Yu Tu in a game, who had rejected her in high school. They have not seen each other for ten years since the first parting of the high school entrance exam. However, in fact, he can see her everywhere, in various news media, various large and...
Shawn Dou, Li Qin, Zhang Yunlong
Du Xiaosu, a journalist, meets Shao Zhenrong, a doctor, and they fall in love, but are strongly opposed by Shao's mother. When Shao Zhenrong was depressed, he died in a mudslide on his way to the mountains with a medical team for free medical treatment. Du Xiaosu worked hard to free herself from the pain, and she ended up in the hospital...
Qing Luo
Liu Xueyi, Wang Ziwei, Hu Wei
A medical genius, Yu Qingluo gave birth to her son, Nan Nan, alone. Seven years later, she develops her unique medical skills and becomes a well-known doctor with unorthodox skills. In the process of finding her son Nan Nan's father, she befriends the royal son of Feng Cang Kingdom, Ye Xiudu. Because of his resemblance to his enemy...
Miss The Dragon
Dylan Wang, Zhu Xudan
Liu Ying is a maid beside Xiahou Xue, inadvertently encountered a snake and was scared, Liu Ying rushed to catch the snake. She didn't know that this snake is a dragon cultivated for thousands of years, named Yuchi Longyan. In order to return the favor, Yuchi Longyan took Liu Ying away. Xiahou Xue, who was concerned about Liu Ying,...
The Imperial Coroner
Historical, Romance, Suspense
Su Xiaotong, Wang Ziqi
In the late Tang Dynasty, Chu Chu, a young girl from a family of coroner in the southwest mountains, comes to Chang'an alone to realize her dream of becoming a coroner and takes the coroner examination. Xiao Jinyu recruits Chu Chu as a partner to uncover the mystery of the case. The mystery of Chu Chu's background breaks the balance...
Hold On, My Lady
Peng Yaqi, Gao Zitian
Bai Yunfeng (Peng Yaqi), a domineering female bandit from Baisha Village, leads Chen Dawan (Ren Yu) and others in a vain attempt to hijack the birth presents given by the General to the Minister. However, she fails and they are all caught by the General to the General's residence. When she is about to be killed, she is accidentally...
The Long Ballad
Historical, Youth, Romance
Dilraba Dilmurat, Leo Wu, Zhao Lusi
In the ninth year of the Tang Dynasty, there is a sudden change in the inner palace, and Li Changge (Dilraba Dilmurat ), the daughter of the former prince, escapes and goes to Youzhou for help. On the way, Changge meets Ashina Sun (Leo Wu), a secret agent of a grassland tribe who uses the name Qin Zhun, and they become close to each...
Romance, Fantasy, Suspense
Jing Tian, Vin Zhang, Daisy Li
The young designer, Qin Fang, accidentally touches a mechanism on his way to find his roots and meets Rattan, who has been sleeping for decades. In the process of forcing Qin Fang to help her to find the truth about her life, Rattan gradually feels the selfless love and help from Qin Fang and discovers the novelty and beauty of the world....
The Sword and The Brocade
Wallace Chung, Tan Songyun
During the Ming Dynasty, Luo XI Niang, a concubine's daughter, is very opinionated despite her humble status. She believes that a woman's vision should not be confined to the inner house and hopes to fight for the freedom she desires through her skillful embroidery. After her accidental marriage to General Xu Lingyi, the Marquis...
Go Go Squid 2 Dt.Appledog's Time
Urban, Romance, Sport
Hu Yitian, Li Yitong
Wu Bai (Hu Yitian) becomes the youngest and strongest competitor in the national robotics competition thanks to his tireless efforts and talent. He forms a team and finally competes in the Chinese finals with his robotics initiator, Ai Qing (Li Yitong). Since then, they have represented China in the Asian Championships together, achieving...
My Little Happiness
Xing Fei, Daddi Tang
Cong Rong was arranged by her mother to study economics abroad, and settling abroad was the ultimate request of her mother. However, Cong Rong, who was determined to become a lawyer, studied on her own and quietly sneaked back to China to get her certificate, and returned to China to get a job without her mother's permission. The first...
Wang Anyu, Xiang Hanzhi
Xia Linxi is a bright and talented student who is the best in the school, and Jiang Zhenghan is a computer master who learned programming on his own and makes a living from it. The first time they meet, Xia Linxi is ordered to catch Jiang Zhenghan, a truant student. With a little skill, she forces the unruly boy to follow her lead. However,...
Dear Mayang Street
Youth, Romance, Life
Tan Songyun, Timmy Xu, Niu Junfeng
In 1984, at the age of eighteen, Yi Dongdong followed his parents from Hunan to Guangzhou, where he fell in love at first sight with his neighbour Ma Xiaoxiao. But Ma Xiaoxiao had already fallen in love with Ou Xiaojian, with whom she had grown up together, so Yi Dongdong had to suppress his love and chose to guard in silence. But Ma...
The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion
Ju Jingyi, Zhang Zhehan, Liu Yichang
Fu Rong, a strong, intelligent, witty, and lively girl in the Dayu Kingdom, was injured in an accident and got a glimpse of a different life in a dream. She was determined to change her fate and protect her family after the events in her dreams came true one by one. Fu Rong was also determined to stay away from Lord Su, Xu Jin. Because...
Yu Menglong, Xing Fei
A young girl, Zhan Qinghong, is ordered by her father to go down the mountains to participate in a martial arts tournament with the aim of winning the position of martial arts leader. By chance, she befriends Lin Fang, the "most beautiful man in the Great Xiao", and Wen You, the son of a royal family. The three of them participate in...
Lucky's First Love
Xing Zhaolin, Bai Lu
The 24-year-old Xing Yun is a sincere, kind, and optimistic girl. As an animator, she has always dreamed of being a product architect. As the head employee of TIG, she has been working hard to support Xia Ke, her boss. When the company was selecting a product proposal for the love project company-wide. With zero dating experience, she...
Xing Zhaolin, Xiao Yan
When her master, Shi Boyin, is framed and died, Ju Mu'er's life changes drastically. She also loses her eyesight and goes into the life of Long Yue, the richest man in the capital. When she is determined to avenge for her master's death, she finds herself involved in one case after another. While investigating the case, she is forced...
In a Class of Her Own
Historical, Youth, School
Ju Jingyi, Song Weilong, Bi Wenjun
Xue Wenxi, from a poor family, makes a living as a copyist, but by chance she met Feng Chengjun, the son of the governor in Yun Kingdom. Feng Chengjun appreciated her talent and secretly set a trap to make Xue Wenxi pass the exam and enter the Yun Shang Academy, which is only for men. With the help of Feng Chengjun, Xue Wenxi was able...
Dance of the Sky Empire
Xu Kai, Wu Jiayi
Ten years ago, when the Kunwu clan fought the Human Clan, the Human Master Zi Ji seal the Kunwu Dragon Emperor Shi Xingyu, Kunwu was defeated and the Kunwu clan was reduced to slavery. In order to save her clan, Kunwu Saintess Su Youlian decides to disguise her identity and infiltrate Qingtian City to unseal the only hope of the Gods...
The Song of Glory
Li Qin, Qin Hao
During the Yuanjia period of the Liu Song Dynasty, the world was in a state of weakness, and Liu Yikang, Lord Protector, was not yet strong enough to change the situation. He secretly takes a visit and befriends Kind-hearted Li Ge. They fight together against the Lu family, a clan of scholars who are doing harm to the country and develop...
Mr. Honesty
Liang Jie, Xin Yunlai
Xu Yiren is a young vivacious girl, and Fang Zhiyou is a cool president. In their first encounter, Fang Zhiyou revealed Xu Yiren's boyfriend's lies in public, leading to their breakup. It was thought that they will not meet again, but they met again at the interview. When Xu Yiren was depressed about quitting her job and meeting...
Parallel Love
Urban, Romance, Suspense
Li Hongyi, Shi Shi
Jiao Yang is the successor of the Hongyu Group, but his identity as the "son of the group's president" is not recognized by the shareholders. He is constantly facing "workplace crises" created by the group's shareholders. In an accident, Lin Miao meets Jiao Yang, who is eight years younger than her, and receives a mysterious mission:...
Zhao Yiqin, Nicky Li
When she was young, she was mistakenly injured by him and left a scar on her face, while he evaded responsibility for his cowardice, so they grew up with their own wounds. When they met again, she was Meng Hui, a make-up artist, and he was Shen Yi, a small employee of LS, a make-up company she thought. A beauty show made them formally...
Well Dominated Love
Xuan Lu, Zhao Zhiwei
Professional elite Nie Xingchen and extremely picky boss Yan Jingzhi interpret the strongest BOSS and secretary combination in the record. In the workplace, they appreciate each other, and in the relationship, they are rivals, playing a highly intelligent workplace love.
My Dear Lady
Jiang Mengjie, Liu Te
After six years of being a full-time wife, the twenty-seven-year-old Ling Xunxun ended her marriage. Since she did not have the financial strength, she left her son Dudu to be raised by her ex-husband, and she had to live in the house of her best friend Zhou Quan. However, when she was involved in a car accident, she had to find a job...
Fake Princess
Zhao Yiqin, Eleanor Lee
Chang Le, a free and unruly female bandit, married Crown Prince Li Che as a pawn. She had been humiliated and framed by power, and felt that she was out of step with the world of rules and regulations. She became the "rightful queen" who was courted by the new ruler, during which she even once abandoned the prince who was a man with...
Cold Female Lead
Boss-Employee Relationship
Terminal illness
Joseph Zeng Dramas
Bai Lu Dramas
Charles Lin Dramas
Xu Kai Dramas
Wallace Chung Dramas
You Jingru Dramas
Zhang Zifeng Dramas


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KMT holds meeting to discuss abolishing Taiwan's Examination, Control Yuan
KMT holds committee meeting to debate shutting down two of Taiwan's governmental organs
By Kelvin Chen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
KMT chairman Johnny Chiang at Wednesday's meeting KMT chairman Johnny Chiang at Wednesday's meeting (CNA photo)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Kuomintang (KMT) held a Central Standing Committee meeting Wednesday afternoon (July 30) in which there was much discussion regarding whether to abolish the nation's Examination and Control Yuans.
Most party members preferred to support shutting down the two branches of government and re-establishing them as independent bodies. However, participants at the meeting said that there were also a small number of people who were opposed to this idea, CNA reported.
According to the Examination Yuan official website, it is the authority in the administration of national exams and is responsible for the examinations and management of all civil service personnel. Meanwhile, the Control Yuan is the nation's top government watchdog.
Yeh Ching-yuan (葉慶元), the chairman of the KMT Disciplinary Committee, argued that the KMT is merely following the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-backed trend to amend the constitution, and it is better to expose fraud and boost the economy.
The KMT Central Standing Committee pointed out that the party legislators' request to abolish the two government bodies may be inconsistent with the preamble of the party constitution. If the KMT is sincere about change, the committee stated, it should directly revise the party constitution.
In an interview after the meeting, Lin Wei-chou (林為洲), KMT caucus whip, said that he was happy to see an exchange of views within the party, which showed that the KMT was taking this issue seriously. Lin said he has always advocated for the abolition of the two government bodies, believing they should be independent organs instead.
After the meeting, several high-level party leaders met with Lin to discuss public opinion on the issue. In the past, calling for the abolition of the Examination and Control Yuans could easily lead the public to perceive the KMT as abandoning the nation's constitution.
The leaders stated that the party's stance should be "abolish the government bodies but not their powers." The spirit of the constitution must still be retained, they remarked.
Party members noted that the KMT has a consensus on abolishing the two agencies but as for how to properly close them down and how to transfer their powers to new government organs, more discussion is required.
In the future, think tanks will also hold forums to incorporate the opinions of professionals into the debate. Some members of the Central Standing Committee also propose setting up a constitutional amendment group, which can help build a stronger consensus within the party.
Examination Yuan
Control Yuan
Central Standing Committee
Yeh Ching-yuan
Lin Wei-chou
Pompeo highlights milestones of Taiwan-US relations in series of tweets
Taiwanese bubble tea featured on Japan's college entrance exam
Ousted mayor of Taiwan's Kaohsiung urged to run for KMT chairman
Taiwan's foreign minister receives credentials from new Haitian ambassador
Three Chinese military aircraft intrude into Taiwan's ADIZ


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I Volunteered For Abortion Rights In Missouri & It Made Me Rethink My Entire Life
Imagine living in a place where legislators banned abortion after eight weeks, with no exceptions for rape, human trafficking, incest, or fatal abnormalities. Then, if someone manages to confirm a pregnancy within this period — often, it takes people up to 12 weeks to verify that they are pregnant — they might have to travel more than 200 miles to the state's lone, persecuted abortion clinic. Along the way, they can expect to see car license plates emblazoned with "Choose Life," a campaign that funnels money from these plate sales into anti-abortion organizations. They might also stumble upon one of the state's estimated 69 tax-funded crisis pregnancy centers, which masquerade as real health clinics but peddle religious sentiments and misinformation.
When they finally arrive at an abortion provider and undergo a 72-hour waiting period, it's legally mandated that they're given medically inaccurate information, including a pamphlet that states, "The life of each human being begins at conception. Abortion will terminate the life of a separate, unique, living human being."
This might sound like a scenario ripped straight from a dystopian hellscape created by Margaret Atwood, but these real-life policies play out every day in Missouri, where I live and where public defenders are warning that, beginning Aug. 28, people who need abortion services after eight weeks of pregnancy could potentially face prison time if they attempt to perform or induce their own abortion.
It's against this dehumanizing backdrop that I began volunteering at Planned Parenthood six months ago, as a wave of restrictive abortion laws swept the Midwest. Suddenly, the news alerts that bombarded my phone and my Twitter feed forced me to reexamine my values.
Throughout college, I'd taken gender studies courses that encouraged me to present my womanhood in any way I wanted, to embrace sex positivity and to demand diversity in pop culture. I saw myself as sort of a fourth-wave feminist, committed to a women-heavy reading list and to keeping my last name, but not having to fight for basic equality like the suffragettes. I chanted the c-word on stage in front of my grandma as part of a performance of The Vagina Monologues and wore T-shirts that proclaimed, "The future is female."
But none of that well-intended girl power sufficed when extremist laws encroached on my and others' bodily autonomy. With a newfound sense of fury and fear fueling me, I signed up to volunteer for the only reproductive rights organization that I knew had a century-long history of defending and advancing women's rights.
I talked to people who, like myself, supported abortion rights but had rarely taken action.
Just stepping into the back room of the clinic in Kansas City, Missouri, shifted my perspective. I heard a chorus of determined voices transform the day's headlines into calls for action. Ten phone bank volunteers were calling strangers on both sides of the Missouri-Kansas state line, urging them to contact their senators and express support for abortion rights. I realized that, in 2019, my feminism needed to be something that it had never been before: urgent, inconvenient, and even impolite. Once I began making these calls myself, I noticed that it marked the most times I'd ever uttered the word "abortion." That alone awakened me to the fact that I needed to do better.
Courtesy of Kara Lewis
While working the phone bank, I received support from some people on the other end of the line, but also heard curse words, rants, and mansplaining. One woman screamed that I was going to hell and was "personally responsible for murder." Before, remarks like these would've made me hang up the phone or scared me out of making the next call altogether. In college, I once walked across an entire soccer field to avoid protesters holding gory pictures of fetuses, convinced that engaging with them would prove pointless and even traumatic.
However, volunteering showed me that emotionally charged, divisive conversations are instrumental to creating change. I talked to a woman who had an undecided opinion on abortion, and encouraged her to contemplate the level of choice she'd want for her daughter. I talked to people who, like myself, supported abortion rights but had rarely taken action, convincing them to participate in town halls, rallies, and even visits to the state capitol.
This shift from passive to active feminism has rippled into other areas of my life, too. My increased advocacy pushed me to leave my job at a daily newspaper, because when I was asked if I could cover my right to my own body and men who made laws without knowing anything about female anatomy "objectively," I knew the answer was no. I ended a friendship when a close friend compared abortion to the Holocaust in a Facebook post. I'm now reevaluating whether to shop at retailers like Hobby Lobby, which refuses to cover certain birth control for employees, and CVS, which donated to Trump through its political action committee.
As with all revolutions — both personal ones and on a wider scale — many people have labeled my actions as dramatic. Fortunately, Planned Parenthood's long history serves as the perfect guide for how to react. Just nine days after it first opened in 1916, police raided the clinic and arrested its founders for sharing information related to birth control. They didn't back down — while in jail, Margaret Sanger provided the same reproductive education to her fellow inmates. More than a century later, Planned Parenthood now operates without critical Title X funding from the federal government, so they can continue to offer abortion.
Led by these examples, I now refuse to be shut down, even when being vocally pro-choice seems socially unacceptable. When I ask friends, partners, and family members about their views on abortion, I no longer care if it makes them blush. Despite societal conditioning, I'd rather be rude than a human incubator who cannot decide if and when to carry a child. Volunteering for my and others' reproductive rights has helped me embrace one of the most important, radical feminist tenants of all: The personal truly is political.
Source: https://www.bustle.com/p/i-volunteered-for-abortion-rights-in-missouri-it-made-me-rethink-my-entire-life-18687253


Retrospective investigation of hospitalised patients with atrial fibrillation in mainland China.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the epidemiology and status of atrial fibrillation in China. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of hospital records of patients with a primary diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, discharged between January 1999 and December 2001. RESULTS: Data were analysed from 9297 patients (mean age 65.5 years) from 41 hospitals in mainland China. During the period studied, atrial fibrillation admissions (mean 7.9%) increased as a proportion of cardiovascular admissions. The distribution of atrial fibrillation increased with age. Causes and associated conditions were advanced age (58.1%), hypertension (40.3%), coronary heart disease (34.8%), heart failure (33.1%), rheumatic valvular disease (23.9%), idiopathic atrial fibrillation (7.4%), cardiomyopathy (5.4%) and diabetes (4.1%). Permanent atrial fibrillation accounted for almost half of the patients (49.5%), and paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation the remainder (33.7% and 16.7%, respectively). Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was treated mainly by rhythm control (56.4%). In 82.8% of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, a rate-control strategy was used. The prevalence of stroke was 17.5%. In non-valvular atrial fibrillation, risk factors associated with stroke included advanced age, history of hypertension, coronary heart disease and type of atrial fibrillation. A total of 64.5% of patients received antithrombotic therapy, predominantly with antiplatelet agents. Patients managed with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs had a significantly lower stroke rate than those receiving neither treatment, but there was no significant difference between antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents. CONCLUSION: Most of the atrial fibrillation-related epidemiological factors in this population were similar to those reported in other countries. Antiplatelet and anticoagulant treatment both reduced stroke rate significantly.
14970149 - The natural history of lone atrial flutter.
15974429 - Maxillary sinus pathology in 119 patients--a histopathologic study.
Next Document: Relationships between weather and myocardial infarction: a biometeorological approach.


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Legacy Napco Truck
Legacy Classic Trucks is best-known for ultra-modern, highly custom versions of the classic 1946-1968 Dodge Power Wagon. Their latest creation is a tribute to the original Chevy 1950s-era NAPCO 4x4 pickup truck, a beautiful conversion that combines the personality of the original Napco with modern performance and handling. Starting with a donor Chevy or GMC 3100, Legacy rebuilt the truck to match the configuration of an original NAPCO 4x4, but has taken things a step further, fitting it with an LS3 engine from the Chevrolet C6 Corvette, providing the Task Force truck with up to 430 horsepower! Just as spectacular as the mechanical package are the details that have gone into the cabin, such as the Horween leather seats, custom metal dash buttons, and a period-style head unit for the modern stereo. watch the video below
buy $182.000
AUDI RS7 CONCEPT
Designed by Austrian designer Adriano Mudri graduate of the University of Applied Sciences in Graz, it combines several styling cues from the Audi Group models, from the R8-inspired rear end to the Lamborghini-trademark scissor doors. The design features a rear-mounted engine, with design elements much like the current Audi R8, including the contrast in color between the engine bonnet and the rest of the body....
VINTAGE ELECTRIC SCRAMBLER S EBIKE
Vintage Electric have introduced their most capable retro-inspired adventure e-bike, the Scrambler S. It is also their fastest model to date, capable of churning out 3,000 watts of power, with a top speed of 36 mph! The California-based manufacturer fuses the look of vintage bicycles with todays modern technology, packing a powerful lithium battery, enclosed in the company´s signature aluminum battery box. Other notable features include a battery life of 75 miles (1...
SANDWICHBIKE | FLAT PACKED WOODEN BICYCLE
We have featured some cool and innovative bicycles over the last couple of years, but nothing as original as this. The Sandwichbike designed by Dutch designer Basten Leijh, is unlike anything out there, it features two weather coated frames of layered plywood that are bonded together "sandwich" style instead of a traditional welded frame. Being made of wood makes it both durable and extremely attractive, and the fun part is, you build it yourself! it arrives at your...