Seeking Almighty God's forgiveness and pardon is an Islamic act of worship deemed to be done always during one's lifetime. The Arabic term is (Isteghar) i.e. literally asking for God's pardon. This term is used in the Quranic text in various levels that we will explain below.
Seeking God's pardon and imploring Him for forgiveness of sins is certainly an act of worship commanded by God in the Quran; yet, it is an act forgotten by the Muhammadans who falsely believe that Islam, according to the so-called hadiths (sayings falsely ascribed to Prophet Muhammad), is merely confined to five pillars in their bad heretic notions (the testimony, prayers, fasting, alms, and pilgrimage). Such false notion has led the Muhammadans to drop so many Quranic orders and notions of paramount importance for true believers in the Quran, chief among them are supplication and glorification of God, remembering Him in contemplations, meditations, and reflections, and seeking His forgiveness. Here, we will give an overview of this latter act of worship ordained by God in all true celestial/divine messages that we have come to call now the Abrahamic religions.
1- Chief among the Quranic epithets that describe the pious who deserve to enter Paradise in the Afterlife is their prayers at night to seek God's pardon for their sins: "The pious are amidst gardens and springs. Receiving what their Lord has given them. They were virtuous before that. They used to sleep a little at night. And at dawn, they would pray for pardon. And in their wealth, there was a share for the beggar and the deprived." (51:15-19).
2- In pre-Islamic divine/celestial messages to people, we find the main command is to seek God's pardon and forgiveness for one's sins. To exemplify this, we find in the Quran that Noah said to his people the following: "I said, 'Ask your Lord for forgiveness; He is Forgiving." (71:10). Another prophet, Shuaib, said to his people the following: ""And ask your Lord for forgiveness, and repent to Him. My Lord is Merciful and Loving."" (11:90). Ancient Egypt witnessed several prophets who are not mentioned in the Quran; God asserts in the Quran that there are so many prophets who are not mentioned in the Quran: see 4:164. In Chapter XII, we deduct that Joseph and people around him used to mention and remember God even in ordinary speech; see 12:31. This is shown even when the Potiphar's wife declared her repentance in public; see 12:51-52, and even when one of her relatives advised her to ask God's forgiveness; see 12:29.
3- Several prophets' peoples used to implore God for forgiveness while fighting for God's sake in fierce battles: "How many a prophet fought alongside him numerous Godly people? They did not waver for what afflicted them in the cause of God, nor did they weaken, nor did they give in. God loves those who endure. Their only words were, "Our Lord, forgive us our offences, and our excesses in our conduct, and strengthen our foothold, and help us against the disbelieving people." So God gave them the reward of this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. God loves the doers of good." (3:146-148).
4- God in the Quran orders those who believe in the erroneous concept of trinity to repent and ask for forgiveness, lest they should be subjected to painful torment in the Afterlife: "They disbelieve those who say, "God is the third of three." But there is no deity except the One God. If they do not refrain from what they say, a painful torment will befall those among them who disbelieve. Will they not repent to God and ask His forgiveness? God is Forgiving and Merciful." (5:73-74).
5- The unbelievers of the Qorayish tribe at the time of Prophet Muhammad used to ask God's forgiveness, as per their notions retained from the Abrahamic creed, though they denied the Quran. Their seeking God's forgiveness saved them from torment in this life, though they asked for it as proof that the Quran is truly divine: "And they said, "Our God, if this is the truth from You, then rain down on us stones from the sky, or visit us with a painful affliction." But God would not punish them while you are amongst them. And God would not punish them as long as they seek forgiveness." (8:32-33).
6- The Quran as the last and seal of divine message to humanity includes the call for seeking God's forgiveness: "Say, "I am only a human like you; it is inspired in me that your God is One God. So be upright towards Him, and seek forgiveness from Him." And woe to the idolaters." (41:6). "…A Scripture whose Verses were perfected, then elaborated, from One who is Wise and Informed. That you shall worship none but God. "I am a warner to you from Him, and a bearer of good news." "And ask your Lord for forgiveness, and repent to Him…" (11:1-3).
7- Believers in the Quran at the time of Prophet Muhammad were told in the Quran the following: "…So read of it what is possible for you, and observe the prayers, and give regular charity, and lend God a generous loan. Whatever good you advance for yourselves, you will find it with God, better and generously rewarded. And seek God's forgiveness, for God is Forgiving and Merciful." (73:20). In another verse, we discern that seeking God's pardon is linked as well to pilgrimage: "Then disperse from where the people disperse, and ask God for forgiveness. God is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful." (2:199). Believers are ordered in the Quran to implore for forgiveness and mercy from God: "And say, "My Lord, forgive and have mercy, for You are the Best of the merciful."" (23:118). Believers ought to ask forgiveness for themselves and their predecessors: "And those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us, and our brethren who preceded us in faith, and leave no malice in our hearts towards those who believe. Our Lord, You are Clement and Merciful."" (59:10). Seeking God's forgiveness and pardon is an essential part of repentance and atonement: "Whoever commits evil, or wrongs his soul, then implores God for forgiveness, will find God Forgiving and Merciful." (4:110).
8/1: Moses asked for God's pardon on several occasions mentioned in the Quran: when he beat and accidentally killed an Egyptian man: "He said, "My Lord, I have wronged myself, so forgive me." So He forgave him. He is the Forgiver, the Merciful." (28:16) and when he felt angry with his brother: "And when Moses returned to his people, angry and disappointed, he said, "What an awful thing you did in my absence. Did you forsake the commandments of your Lord so hastily?" And he threw down the tablets; and he took hold of his brother's head, dragging him towards himself. He said, "Son of my mother, the people have overpowered me, and were about to kill me; so do not allow the enemies to gloat over me, and do not count me among the unjust people."He said, "My Lord, forgive me and my brother, and admit us into Your mercy; for you are the Most Merciful of the merciful."" (7:150-151). Solomon was tested by God and succeeded, and then, he said: "He said, "My Lord, forgive me, and grant me a kingdom never to be attained by anyone after me. You are the Giver."" (38:35).
8/2: Prophet Muhammad was commanded in the Quran to seek God's forgiveness and glorify His name and to keep his patience: "So, be patient. The promise of God is true. And ask forgiveness for your sin, and proclaim the praise of your Lord evening and morning." (40:55). When Muhammad was deceived by some of men surrounding him, God commanded him to seek His forgiveness: "We have revealed to you the Scripture, with the truth, so that you judge between people in accordance with what God has shown you. And do not be an advocate for the traitors. And ask God for forgiveness. God is Forgiver and Merciful." (4:105-106). When wars with unbelievers ended and Muhammad saw several groups of unbelievers convert to Islam, God ordered him to glorify His name and to seek His forgiveness: "When there comes God's victory, and conquest. And you see the people entering God's religion in multitudes. Then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and seek His forgiveness. He is the Accepter of Repentance." (110:1-3).
1- All acts of worship are personal except asking God's forgiveness and pardon on behalf of others. That is to say, no one can perform prayers, fasting, and pilgrimage instead of someone else dead or alive. Yet, one can seek God's pardon and implore for God's forgiveness and mercy for the sake of others. This is an act of prayers. The reward of such act goes to the one who implores, not to the one(s) for whose sake we seek God's mercy and forgiveness. As for answering one's prayers and supplication, this is left for God to decide. The time of granting pardon and forgiveness is in the Day of Judgment, not in this life. This is none of our concern; we cannot mediate for the sake of others. What is important to us here is that our deeds, good and bad, are recorded in a register. It is a good deed to seek and implore God's pardon and mercy and forgiveness for oneself and for the sake of others who have sinned. This is recorded in one's register of good deeds at once, regardless of anything else.
2- Angels link their glorification of God to asking forgiveness for human beings: "The heavens above them almost burst apart, while the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask forgiveness for those on earth. God is indeed the Forgiver, the Merciful." (42:5). Whereas there are certain angles who ask forgiveness for the sake of true believers in the coming Day of Judgment: " Those who carry the Throne, and those around it, glorify their Lord with praise, and believe in Him, and ask for forgiveness for those who believe: "Our Lord, You have encompassed everything in mercy and knowledge; so forgive those who repent and follow Your path, and protect them from the agony of the Blaze." (40:7).
3/1: Noah said: "My Lord! Forgive me and my parents, and anyone who enters my home in faith, and all the believing men and believing women; and do not increase the wrongdoers except in perdition."" (71:28).
3/2: Muhammad was told to ask God's forgiveness for the sake of female believers who joined the faithful in the then city-state Yathreb: "O prophet! If believing women come to you, pledging allegiance to you, on condition that they will not associate anything with God, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor commit perjury as to parenthood, nor disobey you in anything righteous, accept their allegiance and ask God's forgiveness for them. God is Forgiving and Merciful." (60:12). Muhammad was told to ask God's forgiveness for the sake of those who were absent from the consultation councils in Yathreb: "The believers are those who believe in God and His Messenger, and when they are with him for a matter of common interest, they do not leave until they have asked him for permission. Those who ask your permission are those who believe in God and His Messenger. So when they ask your permission to attend to some affair of theirs, give permission to any of them you wish, and ask God's forgiveness for them. God is Forgiving and Merciful." (24:62). "It is by of grace from God that you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh, hardhearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them, and ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in the conduct of affairs. And when you make a decision, put your trust in God; God loves the trusting." (3:159). Asking God's forgiveness comes next to the testimony of Islam, There is no God but Allah, in the following verse, when Muhammad was ordered to ask forgiveness for his sake and the sake of male and female believers: "Know that there is no god but God, and ask forgiveness for your sin, and for the believing men and believing women. God knows your movements, and your resting-place." (47:19).
4- God tells us to ask forgiveness for our parents: "And lower to them the wing of humility, out of mercy, and say, "My Lord, have mercy on them, as they raised me when I was a child."" (17:24).
1- We mean by this someone whom divine revelation does not name him/her as a resident of eternal Hell and will die as a disbeliever. Otherwise, if such a person is named, one cannot dare to ask God's forgiveness to that person. To exemplify this, the father of Abraham is mentioned in the Quran as a resident of Hell after the Day of Judgment, and so was told Abraham. "Abraham said to his father Azar, "Do you take idols for gods? I see that you and your people are in evident error."" (6:74). Another example in the Quran is one of the paternal uncles of Muhammad: "Condemned are the hands of Abee Lahab, and he is condemned. His wealth did not avail him, nor did what he acquired. He will burn in a Flaming Fire." (111:1-3). Hence, such two examples are linked to polytheism, unbelief, and aggression directed toward the believers. Unbelief is two types: in the heart in terms of false beliefs, and unbelief in demeanor in terms of physical and tangible aggression against others. The former type is God's concern; i.e. we must not be judgmental or fighting other because of their holding different faiths or beliefs. The other type is aggression toward peaceful human beings; this we should combat and defend ourselves and others if we possibly can. Both examples above combined both types of unbelief until death. Accordingly, one cannot dare to ask God's pardon for them; their fate was sealed. This rule does not apply to the rest of unbelievers and disbelievers who do not believe in the Last Day; on the contrary, believers are ordered in the Quran to exercise tolerance and pardon in general toward those who deny resurrection and the Last day…etc. "Tell those who believe to forgive those who do not hope for the Days of God. He will fully recompense people for whatever they have earned." (45:14).
2- Abraham endeavored to make his father believe truly, but his father insisted on his own misguidance. Abraham left his father, promising him that he will ask God's pardon and forgiveness for his sake: "…"I will ask forgiveness for you, though I have no power from God to do anything for you."…" (60:4). "He said, "Peace be upon you. I will ask my Lord to forgive you; He has been Kind to me.And I will withdraw from you, and from what you pray to instead of God. And I will pray to my Lord, and I hope I will not be disappointed in my prayer to my Lord."" (19:47-48). When Abraham left his father, he begot Ishmael and Isaac. Abraham later on saw his grandson, Jacob: "When he withdrew from them, and from what they worship besides God, We granted him Isaac and Jacob. And each We made a prophet." (19:49). Abraham used to pray to ask God's forgiveness for himself and for the sake of his parents: ""Praise be to God, Who has given me, in my old age, Ishmael and Isaac. My Lord is the Hearer of Prayers." "My Lord, make me one who performs the prayer, and from my offspring. Our Lord, accept my supplication." "Our Lord, forgive me, and my parents, and the believers, on the Day the Reckoning takes place."" (14:39-41). Thus, he used to pray for his father to be forgiven by God for years, hoping to find his father among the believers one day while he was still alive. "And make me of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss.And forgive my father-he was one of the misguided." (26:85-86). When Abraham was told by God that his father will certainly die in his insistence on unbelief, he stopped asking God's forgiveness for his sake: "Abraham asked forgiveness for his father only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of God, he disowned him. Abraham was kind and clement." (9:114).
3- Likewise, Muhammad used to ask God's pardon and forgiveness for the sake of his paternal uncle, despite the revelation of Chapter CXI in the Quran. His paternal uncle used to be aggressive toward believers and fought against Islam. That is why God has rebuked Muhammad in the Quran for that in the following verse: "It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are people of Hellfire. Abraham asked forgiveness for his father only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of God, he disowned him. Abraham was kind and clement. God would never lead a people astray, after He had guided them, until He makes clear to them what they should guard against. God has knowledge of all things." (9:113-115).
1- There is repentance in one's heart and mind between one and God alone. "Whoever commits evil, or wrongs his soul, then implores God for forgiveness, will find God Forgiving and Merciful." (4:110). This type of repentance is acceptable to God because it is based on correcting one's faith and one's insistence on redressing and giving remedy for one's sins and mistakes by stopping the act of sinning and performing as many good deeds as possible to achieve expiation and atonement. "And I am Forgiving towards him who repents, believes, acts righteously, and then remains guided." (20:82). "And those who do not implore besides God any other god, and do not kill the soul which God has made sacred-except in the pursuit of justice-and do not commit adultery. Whoever does that will face penalties. The punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will dwell therein in humiliation forever.Except for those who repent, and believe, and do good deeds. These-God will replace their bad deeds with good deeds. God is ever Forgiving and Merciful. Whoever repents and acts righteously-has inclined towards God with repentance." (25:68-71). Another type of repentance is one that requires being announced to others; i.e., when one seeks to attain forgiveness of those wronged by one. The brothers of Joseph exemplify this: "They said, "Father, pray for the forgiveness of our sins; we were indeed at fault." He said, "I will ask my Lord to forgive you. He is the Forgiver, the Most Merciful."" (12:97-98). Such type of repentance paves the way for sincere repentance in the heart and mind of the sinner. Announced repentance is not to be hypocritical to save oneself punishment in life. By the way, announced repentance annuls punishments in this life that the Quran orders for fornication and adultery, slander and libel, theft and robbery, and fighting against Islam. This will be detailed in an upcoming article. What concerns us here in this article is that announced repentance entails seeking forgiveness from others and declaring intentions of not committing sins anymore. This has been required in the Quran from the hypocrites: "Had they, when they wronged themselves, come to you, and prayed for God's forgiveness, and the Messenger had prayed for their forgiveness, they would have found God Relenting and Merciful." (4:64). Hypocrites at the time of Muhammad used to refuse such announced repentance. That is why God says in the Quran to Muhammad: "It is the same for them, whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them; God will not forgive them. God does not guide the sinful people." (63:6). Some of these hypocrites used to mock poor believers who gave money for defensive wars, and Muhammad used to seek and implore God's pardon and forgiveness for the hypocrites, and that is why god says to him in the Quran: "Whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them-even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, God will not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in God and His Messenger. God does not guide the immoral people." (9:80).


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Catching Up On The Week (Feb. 20 Edition)
February 20, 2015 NewsAcademy Award, Academy Awards, BADBADNOTGOOD, Blurred Lines, Copyright, Cover Art, Elvis Perkins, Father John Misty, Ghostface Killah, Glen Campbell, Joshua Tillman, Joy Division, Marvin Gaye, Oscar, Oscars, Pharrell, Red Fang, Robin Thicke, Sufjan Stevens, Unknown Pleasuressymeo Leave a comment
Some #longreads as you finalize your Oscar predictions…
Fans of Joy Division are probably well-aware that the famous illustration that graced the cover of their landmark album Unknown Pleasures was a graphic of radio waves from a pulsar taken from an old encyclopedia. However, they are probably not familiar with the origins of the graphic itself. Scientific American takes a look at the fascinating backstory behind the creation of what would eventually become one of the most famous images in music.
Earlier this week we published our review of I Love You, Honeybear, the brilliant new album from Father John Misty, and for those of you are interested now more than ever about the exploits of the man known as Joshua Tillman, check out the profiles on him by Rolling Stone and Consequence of Sound.
Consequence of Sound also takes a look at the trio BADBADNOTGOOD and how they ended up working with the likes of Ghostface Killah, and while you read it you can take a listen to their album Sour Soul, which is now available for streaming on SoundCloud. The site also catches up with Elvis Perkins and fills us in on what he's been doing in the years since 2009's Elvis Perkins in Dearland as he prepares to release I Aubade next week. Elsewhere, Pitchfork has an extensive interview with Sufjan Stevens available for your perusal this weekend.
If there's a band that knows their way around cheap beer, it's Red Fang, and Portland's favorite heavy metal band recently persevered through a challenge from Denver's Westword to rate some of the cheapest beer they could find. Be sure to use that as inspiration for this weekend.
Ratter provides a great explanation of the copyright lawsuit over "Blurred Lines" between Marvin Gaye's estate and Pharrell/Robin Thicke that is still making its way through the courts, including discussing exactly what parts of a song are copyrightable and how that can potentially affect the music industry. You can even hear the musical excerpts from each side's submissions to the court.
And finally, before watching the Oscars this weekend, be sure to read this New Yorker profile on the career and legacy of Glen Campbell, whose haunting "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" is up for Best Song. We're pulling for him to take home the statue, but we think it may be a longshot.
Over the Weekend (Nov. 24 Edition)
November 24, 2014 NewsBrains, Cold War Kids, Conan, Dave Grohl, Flake Music, Foo Fighters, Letterman, Lou Barlow, Musicians, Nick Offerman, Pearl Jam, Red Fang, Rush, Science, Sebadoh, The Decemberists, The Shins, TV on the Radio, Vitalogysymeo Leave a comment
Some videos and other fun as you prepare for the big holiday this week…
This weekend marked the twentieth anniversary of Pearl Jam's Vitalogy album, and there were retrospectives from both Billboard and Stereogum. Both do a great job of talking about how the album was a turning point for the band, and how though it's a respected effort, it's still underrated. I was inspired by these pieces to listen to the remastered version of the album that was released a couple of years ago, and it adds a whole new level to the record.
Our favorite new music video comes courtesy of hometown heroes Red Fang, which should be no surprise, considering their track record of great videos. This time for "Crows In Swine" they prove that their brilliance extends even into the realm of animation.
We previously shared the lyric video for the new song from The Decemberists, and now we can link to the official music video for "Make You Better". It features Nick Offerman guest-starring as the host of a lost television show from the 70's, with The Decemberists providing a goofy performance.
Rolling Stone has been publishing a ton of Foo Fighters-related material, and one of the coolest pieces they've done is a list of various cameos that Dave Grohl has done for various albums and performances.
Last week Sebadoh stopped by the AV Club for their Undercover series, and they performed Rush's "Limelight". Personally, I feel that the band balances between taking it seriously and having fun with it, but half of my enjoyment may have been due to the various Rush fans in the comments getting offended by Lou Barlow's ridiculous vocals.
TV on the Radio hit the Late Show with David Letterman last week to perform "Happy Idiot", and it's obvious that as the band hits the road in support of Seeds this is going to be a definite highlight of their set.
Speaking of late night performances, Cold War Kids went on Conan to play "All This Could Be Yours" and delivered a passionate performance of their latest single.
Before there was The Shins there was Flake Music, and Sub Pop is reissuing the only record of the predecessor band. NPR has it up for streaming for your pleasure. Elsewhere on their site, be sure to check out this video talking about the special way in which musicians' brains work.
Project Pabst 2014 Recap
October 2, 2014 Live Shit, RecsGZA, Live, Modest Mouse, Phosphorescent, Project Pabst, Recs, Red Fang, Shabazz Palaces, Speedy Ortiz, Tears for Fears, The Thermals, Violent Femmes, Wu-Tang Clansymeo One comment
We gave recaps for a couple of the bonus shows that came courtesy of Project Pabst, and now it's time to give some thoughts on the main event itself. Overall, it was a pretty fantastic experience, feeding off the successful aspects of MusicFestNW with an even better lineup and nicer weather (the sun was shining just the same, but with none of that unpleasant August heat). If this becomes an annual event, we'll welcome it with open arms, but it'll be hard to top this debut.
The mascot for Project Pabst and Scotland's national animal.
I've lived for over 15 years in Oregon and have spent time in Portland on countless occasions, but this festival marked the first time I had poked around the South Waterfront. It's an area that the city has thrown a bunch of money at for redevelopment, but for some reason a few towers of condos haven't spurred people to come down and spend money in that area. And if you look closely at the gravel pit from the photo above, you can see why. That said, parking was convenient enough (for ten dollars) and public transport ran smoothly, so clearly this spot should be able to handle an influx of hipsters as necessary.
Violent Femmes up on the stage.
Since I had to make the hour drive up each day, I skipped a couple of unfamiliar acts, but made sure to at least catch an old favorite, the Violent Femmes. Though I came in half-way through and probably missed alternative radio staples like "Blister in the Sun" and "Add it Up", I did get to enjoy "Gone Daddy Gone", "Country Death Song", and "Black Girls". The group showed why they would be a blast at festivals, engaging with the crowd with great jokes and keeping things fun and loose. They may be basically a nostalgia act at this point, but no one should be complaining.
While the sun was pleasant for the audience, Red Fang would best be enjoyed in a grey thunderstorm.
It's always a blast to see these hometown heavy metal heroes, but Red Fang really brought it at this festival. I've seen the band headline numerous shows around town, and for the first time the band had a proper mix, at an outdoor festival of all places. Both guitars and vocals came in clearly and at the right volume, and it made it easier to enjoy crowd favorites like "Wires", "Prehistoric Dog", and "Blood Like Cream". It was the perfect soundtrack for driving around and committing some misdemeanors (and maybe a felony or two), but luckily no one actually took up that challenge.
Phosphorescent with some breezy jams
I enjoyed Phosphorescent's 2013 album Muchacho quite a bit, so I was eager to see Matthew Houck and his friends perform live. He kicked things off with the best track off that album, "The Quotidian Beasts", and it did not disappoint–the song builds off Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" chord progression to provide ample space for gorgeous and thrilling solos. The mood was pretty chill for the most part, which was perfect for the afternoon, but the band was able to keep the momentum going even through some of the ballad-filled lulls.
I assure you, those ants are Tears for Fears
We took a break during Rocket from the Crypt's set, partly because I can never forgive the band for not being Rocket from the Tombs, and sampled some of the foodcarts and the free "PBRcade". Being originally from Louisiana, if someone is offering a Muffuletta sandwich you're goddamn right I'm going to order one, and even if it wasn't great, it's better than most options.
Tears for Fears were an unconventional headliner that made a lot of people scratch their heads (as they explained, they were a last-minute replacement for Kate Bush (yes, this was a joke)), but the crowd definitely seem to appreciate it. The instrumentation was pretty spare, allowing a lot of space in the music, and probably could have benefited from some additional backup vocals. They stunned the audience with an aching cover of Radiohead's "Creep" (even if it failed to include the best part of the song as some would argue), then proceeded to capture the hearts of the hipsters in attendance with an Arcade Fire song. I checked out at this point to get across town for Built to Spill, but as I exited they launched into "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", so I hung out a bit right outside to hear one of the best songs of the 80's live.
Speedy Ortiz keepin' the dream of the 90's alive
I was glad to catch the end of Speedy Ortiz's set, since Major Arcana was one of my favorites from last year. They draw from some of the best parts of Pavement and the early grunge era to write crunchy, meandering (in a good way) alt-rock, and while they could improve on their stage presence a bit, it was good to hear some noise.
The Thermals up on the main stage, and deservedly so.
The Thermals are the true hometown heroes, and they proved it with their blistering 45-minute set that tore up the main stage. Granted, it was still early in the day and the crowd was a little sparse given their considerable effort, but the band played with a furious intensity that only let up when Hutch had to confront a bee on his microphone. It's always a treasure when the band throws in some tracks from Fuckin' A in with the classics from The Body, The Blood, The Machine.
Shabazz Palaces rockin' the laptops and drums.
Shabazz Palaces were a change-up from the rock-heavy lineup, and while it was nice to have some hip-hop, the duo's set was a bit monotonous. Sure, it was groovy for a bit, but there wasn't much shape to their set, and it was hard for the newcomer to really latch on to the music.
GZA taught Portland the finer points of astrophysics
GZA thrilled the crowd with not only a performance of Liquid Swords but also by tossing in some Wu-Tang classics, with plenty in the crowd ready on-hand to provide some of the missing parts. Liquid Swords can be a difficult album to get into, but with the help of an excellent backing funk band GZA was really able to get the songs to pop and come alive.
Modest Mouse putting an exclamation point on a great weekend.
We had seen Modest Mouse a few months earlier as they started touring once again, and while that was a fine show, it was nothing compared to how tight the group was for this performance. Holy shit, this may have been their best show yet, featuring such highlights as "Night on the Sun", "Broke", and "Doin' the Cockroach". The group at this point has evolved so much over the years, transitioning from a power trio into what seems to be an 8-or-so piece in its current incarnation, with dual percussionists (as has been the norm since Good News) and multi-instrumentalists handling horns and strings. With its revolving-door-like lineup, it can often appear to be some sort of musician welfare program, and I say that with the best of intentions.
On Sunday night, after a brief delay at the start (it was fitting that Modest Mouse was the only band unable to start on time the whole day), the band effortlessly ran through their extensive catalog with nary a hiccup, beginning with "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes", which in a nice bit of symmetry was the final song of the encore from the time we saw them back in May. The band easily moved throughout their extensive catalog, capturing both the big hits and the rare gems alike. As mentioned above, the rare early single "Night on the Sun" was especially memorable, with Isaac putting his gruff delivery to good use and firing off some especially wicked solos. Though Isaac was battling a cold, the audience wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for his announcement, but it did lead to one of his many funny anecdotes during the show; at one point he claimed to be bad at the "in-between song banter", but anyone who's been to a Modest Mouse show knows that's far from the case.
The encore ended with an especially stirring rendition of "The World At Large", augmented by a coda which made excellent use of the full band with horns and strings helping deliver extra power to that gorgeous instrumental ending. The finale of "The Good Times Are Killing Me" provided the perfect conclusion to a festival put on by a beer company, with audience engaging in a gregarious sing-along with the band as the lights flipped back on.
For the most part, the crowds at the festival were excellent, though I want to make special mention of the audience at this last performance. I've been to hundreds of shows over the years, and I'd never encountered a larger group of pure assholes than the ones that were ostensibly there to be "entertained" by Modest Mouse. If you're heading out to grab beer while the band is performing a rarity like "Night on the Sun", then maybe you should just ditch the show entirely and go get wasted out in Old Town; believe me, the pisswater available at the show was not worth the trouble. It was infuriating to see people just try to force themselves through groups of people when there were clearer paths available that were also easy to spot. At one point, a bro tried to barrel through, pushing into me but armed with an excuse that "hey man, let me through, I'm carrying wine, so I gotta be careful." If you're concerned about the safety of your wine, then maybe you shouldn't be attempting to bulldoze multiple people as they're dancing along to "Doin' the Cockroach". It was just an unrelenting stream of assholes constantly behaving in this manner, and it nearly ruined an otherwise perfect ending. Considering that the rest of the festival went off without a hitch, perhaps in the future they should consider cutting off alcohol sales before the last act, similar to how they'll cut sales late in a baseball or football game. Other than that, it was a total success.
Catching Up On The Week (Sept. 26 Edition)
September 26, 2014 NewsAdam Granduciel, Green Day, Jeff Tweedy, Karen O, Pixies, Red Fang, the Pixies, The War on Drugs, Thom Yorke, Tweedysymeo Leave a comment
A few #longreads for your weekend as hipsterdom reaches its apex with a Pabst-sponsored music festival in Portland, Oregon…
One of the bands appearing at the Project Pabst festival this weekend is hometown heavy metal act Red Fang. They may be local, but they also have a worldwide reach, as evidenced by a recent interview that an Indian metal publication conducted with guitarist Bryan Giles.
Portland's most identifiable landmark is a sign with its name.
Pitchfork has an extensive interview with Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs, discussing the creation of his group's brilliant new album Lost in the Dream and all the personal struggles he endured. Be sure to check out also this performance that the band did for The Current, featuring a cover of Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue" (which is a perfect fit for the band).
Jeff Tweedy talks with The Quietus on the making of Sukierae with his son Spencer, discussing musical experimentation and lyrical processes among other topics. And because I missed it when it first was published, I'm linking to another recent interview from The Quietus, this time with Karen O.
Joey Santiago talks about the legacy of the Pixies with Diffuser, and it's always worth hearing from the legendary guitarist.
And because it's not enough that people discuss the twentieth anniversary of Dookie, Consequence of Sound has a roundtable examining the impact of American Idiot ten years later. I'm just glad someone stood up for Warning, which I feel is an underrated Green Day album.
And finally, some new music: after a week of dropping various hints, Thom Yorke announced the release of his second solo album, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, which is now available for purchase on BitTorrent. It'll definitely be making my weekend playlist.
Over the Weekend (Aug. 11 Edition)
August 11, 2014 NewsDavid Bowie, Electric Würms, Flaming Lips, Foo Fighters, Red Fang, The Flaming Lips, The New Pornographers, The Thermalssymeo Leave a comment
Videos, rare tracks, and lists to help get your week started…
We here at Rust Is Just Right love Red Fang, aka Portland's Greatest Metal Band, and especially enjoy their goofy music videos. Their latest for "The Meadows", which is found on a free new EP, is pretty simple: the band dresses up in some of their best suits and spends the budget for their video on a big feast, often shooting in slow motion. The video ends at what is probably my favorite pizzeria in Portland, so at least it has that going for it.
Speaking of favorite Portland bands, The Thermals posted a video this morning from their KEXP performance a few years back, playing a B-Side I hadn't heard before called "I Can't Let Go". Judging from the time of the video and the style, it sounds like it's from the Personal Life era.
The Flaming Lips side-project Electric Würms (where Steven Drozd takes over frontman duties and Wayne Coyne moves to the background) released two new songs today from their upcoming EP, Musik Die Shwer zu Twerk. You can find "The Bat" over on Bilboard, while NPR has "I Could Only See Clouds". If you want a quick summation of their sound, it's along the lines of their recent album The Terror, but even trippier.
Foo Fighters uploaded a quick teaser video last week for their upcoming album, and this morning released the full details about the release of Sonic Highways. The number "8" is prominently featured in the materials (even adding up the digits of the running time of 44 minutes). The coolest bit of news is that the LP version includes nine covers, including one for each city in which the album is recording (biting an idea that I had for my own band, but considering we never toured, I'm okay with giving Dave Grohl the credit).
Rolling Stone has a fun list with the Buzzfeedian title of "20 Insanely Great David Bowie Songs Only Hardcore Fans Know"; personally, I'm quite a big fan of most of Bowie's catalog, but I know just how deep some people's obsession with the man can be, so I'm taking this to be a learning experience.
And finally, The New Pornographers stopped by The Current Studio in Minneapolis and played a handful of songs, which you can check out right here.
Over the Weekend (June 9 Edition)
June 9, 2014 NewsDeath Grips, Father John Misty, Neil Young, Red Fang, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Spoon, The Antlerssymeo Leave a comment
Let's kick off the week with some fun videos and some new music, shall we?
Probably the best thing that I saw this weekend (aside from the news that Bill Watterson made a surprise return to the comics page) was this video of Sir Mix-a-Lot performing his classic hit "Baby Got Back" with the Seattle Symphony. The last time we saw this kind of synergy between the classical music and hip-hop worlds was back at the '96 Hullabalooza Festival, when the London Symphony Orchestra performed "Insane in the Brain" with Cypress Hill.
It's definitely worth checking out the Oral History of the song as well.
That was not the only salacious thing to happen this weekend–it appears that Neil Young's Twitter account was hacked, and followers ended up receiving a bunch of porn suggestions. Apparently, all is well now, so you'll need to check in with another classic rock legend for your porn fix (as a commenter pointed out, David Crosby would probably be a great bet).
The biggest news from this morning (or late last night, if you were up) was the surprise release of the first half of the new double-LP from Death Grips, the powers that b (though they do have a penchant for this sort of thing). It's available for free from their Facebook, and after a couple of listens this afternoon, I can say it's actually a less-rambunctious release than you might expect (I do love that the automatic genre tag that appears when you load into iTunes is "Pop", though). And you'll see a lot of mention that Björk does guest vocals on each track, though her appearance shouldn't be that much of a surprise.
A couple of links to check out from NPR–first, there's Spoon performing the brand new track "Rent I Pay" live in New York; and speaking of New York, they also have the early stream of Familiars from NYC's The Antlers. In the email sent to fans about the stream, The Antlers mentioned that there will be limited edition white label copies of the LP available at some of the band's favorite independent record stores.
Pitchfork has Father John Misty performing a cover of recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Cat Stevens's "Trouble", released as part of the soundtrack to a documentary on Hal Ashby. The site also has news that Steven Drozd and Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips are releasing an album as "Electric Würms", with Steven assuming more traditional front-man duties and Wayne backing on bass.
And finally, because we're always fans of what our favorite Portland heavy metal band is up to, check out Red Fang discussing their influences in this interview with Loudwire. A few of their choices may surprise you.
Over the Weekend (Apr. 28 Edition)
April 28, 2014 NewsBeach House, David Lynch, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Moby, Pixies, Red Fang, The Walkmensymeo Leave a comment
Ho hum, another Monday, another day of new music and videos. Wait a second, that sounds great! On to the links.
Moby re-worked a song from director David Lynch (deeming it a "re-version") and released it on Record Store Day last week; today he uploaded the video on YouTube, and it's a delightfully spooky black-and-white film that fits the ethereal, hazy music perfectly.
One of our favorite metal acts, Red Fang, is about to head out on tour once again, because they don't believe in resting on their laurels. As a bonus for showing up to their show, they're giving out a free 7″ record which features a new single, "The Meadow". You can take a listen right here, courtesy of Noisey.
The first new Pixies album in over two decades will officially be released tomorrow, and the band has uploaded a track-by-track overview on YouTube. Also be sure to check out the bonus track, "Women of War", as well.
And Pitchfork has the video of a one-of-a-kind performance, with members of Beach House, Grizzly Bear, The Walkmen, and Fleet Foxes performing a tribute to Gene Clark of the Byrds with a recreation of his solo album No Other. Check out the whole show here.
April 16, 2014 Best Of, RecsDavid Bowie, Death Grips, Eels, Ghostface Killah, Janelle Monáe, Los Campesinos!, Moonface, Neko Case, No Age, Phosphorescent, Red Fang, Speedy Ortiz, The Knife, Tim Hecker, Washed Out, Waxahatcheesymeo Leave a comment
Even with our expanded Best-Of list courtesy of The Process, there were still a ton of great albums released last year that were worthy of recognition. Since we here at Rust Is Just Right are big believers in spreading all good music, we're going to put a spotlight on some other great records that you may have overlooked from the past year.
EELS – Wonderful, Glorious. It had begun to seem as if Eels were stuck in a rut, with a trio of dour albums (Hombre Lobo, End Times, Tomorrow Morning) that were difficult for even a superfan like me to listen to on an regular basis. But E switched up the formula a bit and even sounds "happy" with this album. And the live show for the tour for this album was quite great as well, a kind of variety-show getup with everyone dressed in monochrome tracksuits and sporting the same facial hair.
No Age – An Object. No Age have always been a band that's difficult to appreciate on first listen, but even fans of their abrasive sound (whether it be riotous punk rock or feedback-drenched ambient) weren't sure how to respond to An Object. In many ways it was built more like an art project than just "the next album from No Age", and surprisingly it often worked.
Phosphorescent – Muchacho. This country-tinged indie folk album is a real treat to listen to on a relaxing, sunny day, but would still be worth it if it only included the reworking of "Wicked Game" that we didn't know we needed in 2013 with "The Quotidian Beasts".
Red Fang – Whales and Leeches. I always love hearing my favorite hometown metal band, so it was surprising that they didn't manage to make it onto the official list. Such is the mysterious ways of The Process. It seems that touring with Mastodon rubbed off on them a bit, as one could definitely hear their influence on the album (my initial comparison was "Mastodon on amphetamines", and I think that it still fits). And good news, Red Fang is still making great music videos.
David Bowie – The Next Day. Can we just pause a minute and recognize how awesome it is that it's 2014 and David Bowie can just surprise the world with a damn good album 45 years into his career? The album isn't perfect, but there are some songs that would fit comfortably aside the old classics on a Greatest Hits.
Los Campesinos! – No Blues. I keep telling everyone to go to one of their shows because it'll probably be the most fun you'll have all year, and I'll continue to do so. No Blues sees the band continuing with the mature sound from Hello, Sadness but with a slightly more positive outlook.
Janelle Monáe – The Electric Lady. It's hard to keep track of the narrative about robots and revolution, but the music is fantastic. Seeing her perform with OutKast was one of the highlights of Coachella.
The Knife – Shaking the Habitual. I hadn't understood the love that some people had for this band until I heard this album. It's bizarre, but I like it.
Death Grips – Government Plates. Who knew we hadn't heard the last from Death Grips? My favorite part is that when I downloaded the album, it was automatically tagged as "Rock & Roll". If you are unfamiliar with their music, well…
Also Worthy of Praise
Speedy Ortiz – Major Arcana; Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt; Ghostface Killah – Twelve Reasons to Die; Moonface – Julia With Blue Jeans On; Tim Hecker – Virgins; Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You; Washed Out – Paracosm.
All Albums That Were Considered
Here's a list of the albums that I listened to last year, in full. Most of these were quite good and worthy of repeated listens, but they just couldn't crack the previous lists. And I'm not going to do something like say the new albums from The Strokes or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club were complete garbage, because that wouldn't be nice.
Boards of Canada – Tomorrow's Harvest; Daft Punk – Random Access Memories; Kurt Vile – Wakin On A Pretty Daze; The Strokes – Comedown Machine; Surfer Blood – Pythons; Atoms for Peace – Amok; Ducktails – The Flower Lane; Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Specter at the Feast; British Sea Power – Machineries of Joy; The Dismemberment Plan – Uncanney Valley; M.I.A. – Matangi; Palms – Palms; Phoenix – Bankrupt!; Cold War Kids – Dear Miss Lonelyhearts; Deerhunter – Monomania; Jake Bugg – Shangri-La; Jim James – Regions of Light and Sound of God; MGMT – MGMT; Mudhoney – Vanishing Point; Yo la Tengo – Fade; Beach Fossils – Clash the Truth; Fitz & The Tantrums – More Than Just a Dream; Alice in Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here; The Appleseed Cast – Illumination Ritual; Chelsea Light Moving – Chelsea Light Moving; Darkside – Psychic; The Dear Hunter – Migrant; Dr. Dog – B-Room; How to Destroy Angels – Welcome Oblivion; Kavinsky – OutRun; Major Lazer – Free the Universe; Of Montreal – Lousy With Sylvianbriar; Oneohtrix Point Never – R Plus Seven; Ra Ra Riot – Beta Love; Talib Kweli – Prisoner of Conscious; Tyler, the Creator – Wolf; Typhoon – White Lighter; Baths – Obsidian.
Catching Up On The Week (Apr. 4 Edition)
April 4, 2014 NewsDavid Letterman, Green Day, Michael Stipe, Modest Mouse, Nirvana, Red Fang, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Tokyo Police Clubsymeo Leave a comment
We've had some #longreads pile up over the week, so it's a good thing the weekend is here.
Tomorrow is unfortunately a morbid twentieth anniversary, so there were plenty of Nirvana stories that were printed this week, with more certainly to follow. Diffuser talked to a few musicians about how Nirvana personally influenced them and SPIN reprinted several memorials from legendary musicians in a slideshow. Stereogum has a top ten list that inspires moderate eye-rolls (a real fake bold move by not including "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and a real dumb move for not including "Sappy", though a high ranking for "Serve the Servants" deserves a mild tip of the hat). You can compare that list with Billboard's ranking of their ten biggest hits on the alternative charts, which includes a couple of surprises. And the list of presenters for the upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was announced, which includes Michael Stipe being chosen to introduce Nirvana.
Speaking of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rolling Stone interviewed the Hall of Fame CEO and got an inside look at some of the proceedings. One tidbit I gathered from the piece is that there will be a Nirvana performance of some sort, though how it will actually shape out has not been revealed.
And continuing with the Nirvana theme, the AV Club gave another album a write-up in their "Permanent Records" feature, making the case that Dookie made Green Day the spiritual successor to Nirvana and I guess that grunge gave way to pop-punk? We mentioned before that there's going to be a lot of pieces this year about Dookie because of its 20th anniversary, but the most I can say about this piece is…it's an article that exists.
A far better piece about the anniversary of a seminal album is Stereogum's reflection on the ten year anniversary of Modest Mouse's Good News For People Who Love Bad News. We'll do our own pieces in the future around the time Modest Mouse begins touring again at the beginning of May, but here's a quick comment: the album is better than what old MM fans remember.
The Canadian Edition of the Huffington Post has an interview with Tokyo Police Club about the making of their new album Forcefield. We're debating whether or not to recommend the album and then run a review of it, but their earlier work is definitely worth checking out. The band reveals what went on during the years since the release of Champ, and thank God they decided to go against someone's advice to throw in some banjo.
Finally, we haven't had the chance to show how much we love the finest heavy metal rockers from our neck of the woods, but let it be known that we are big fans of Red Fang here at RIJR. Aaron Beam, the bassist and one of the vocalists of the band, did an interview with Songfacts that goes deep into the songwriting process of the band. It's amazing how so many of their songs are Frankenstein-like creations, stitched together from bits and pieces over the years, but you wouldn't realize it just from listening because the sections fit so well. And with the news that we discussed on our Tumblr about the retirement of David Letterman, this is the perfect time to share the video of their performance on the Late Show, with Paul Shaffer loving the song so much that he joins in on the keys.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: BigQuery import "Unexpected" error I am trying to import a large test file into BigQuery and the import process fail after few hours with

Unexpected. Please try again.

This is my jobId:
job_f3d6dbaae8af4aa286ef1d50c12a6
Could you please take a look?
Thanks

A: Our import worker hit a CPU usage limit and it was killed. We're upping the limit, but it is possible that it was a corrupted gzip file. I'll update this response when the limit has been raised.
I realize that may be painful for a large file, but can you retry with an uncompressed file? If you have an uncompressed file and set allow_quoted_newlines to false, then the import will be done in parallel and should up to 100x faster.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Halloween costumes for men from Asos, Littlewoods, Argos, Asda and more
If you've got it, haunt it
Nisha Mal
Are you going to a party this Halloween?
Or maybe you're hosting your own?
Whatever you have planned for October 31, you're going to want to look the part.
We've rounded up some of the best, and most creative, fancy dress costumes available to buy now.
Fancydress.com
Fancydress.com has hundreds of costumes to choose from, with prices ranging from £5.99 to £90.
You can also buy masks, scary accessories - like a makeshift, blood-stained chainsaw - as well as wigs, and stage make up.
This Cousin Itt costume (£45.99) will certainly grab people's attention. It includes a yellow bodysuit, complete with blond hair, a hat and a pair of sunglasses.
The Cousin Itt outfit is part of the Addams Family costume range, other options include Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester and Wednesday.
Argos stocks Halloween costumes for all the family, making it an ideal one-stop shop if you're buying outfits for multiple people.
The men's range includes 22 costumes, with prices starting at £10.
This skeleton tuxedo option (£20) is simple yet effective. It comes with a hat, a top and a mask.
You can also buy a pumpkin-print suit, a Harry Potter costume and a Star Wars Stormtrooper outfit.
Much like Argos, Asda also has costumes for all the family.
Wizarding fans will love this Voldemort fancy dress costume. Transform into a powerful sorcerer with the gruesome-looking rubber mask, and thee long black robe.
You can also buy masks, like this elaborate Evil Ice Cream (£8) one. It features a scary-looking creature with a melted ice cream cone on top of its head.
Keep it simple with a slogan tee and trousers from Asos.
This skeleton-printed black T-shirt (£14) features a ribcage design on the front. Pair it with face paint and a fedora hat, for an easy look.
The e-tailer is also selling face jewels and skeleton-print gloves.
Escapade is a specialist fancy dress website, stocking outfits for all the family.
This evil jester costume (£25.99) is sure to make an impression. It comes with a red and black shirt, a headpiece, a mask and a pair of trousers.
You can also buy zombie, Grim Reaper, monster and witch and wizard costumes too.
Littlewoods has plenty on offer, including collections inspired by Star Wars and Harry Potter.
This Beetlejuice costume (£39.99) comes with black and white striped trousers, a matching jacket and a dickie bow.
Unfortunately the wig is not included, but you can shop Littlewoods' range of wigs here .
SomersetThe best places to live in Somerset ranked by most to least expensiveOne place is described as the 'Notting Hill' of the South West
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What is Adele's net worth as star set for big payout for Las Vegas residency?
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The Apprentice: 7 of the richest ever candidates on BBC show and why you don't have to win to succeed
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BBCOscar-winner Reese Witherspoon to read CBeebies Bedtime StoryThe actress will help settle the nation's children down for bed
Who is performing at the BRIT Awards 2022 as Liam Gallagher joins the line-up of acts?
Brit AwardsThe Brit Awards will be broadcast on ITV on Sunday February 8
Much-loved pub with huge restaurant put on the market in Bath
BathIt comes with a skittle alley, snooker tables and guest rooms
CoronavirusEight new Covid deaths confirmed across Somerset as cases fall - latest updatesThe number of new infections continues to fall nationwide


Considering how many times Republicans have accused Obama of politicizing things, it is unbelievable that they didn't even wait for Scalia's death to be officially announced before they started to politicize the selection of his replacement.
This was written by Iron Knee. Posted on Sunday, February 21, 2016, at 12:33 am. Filed under Humor. Tagged Supreme Court. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed.	Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.


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UAS History Documents
UAS History
AuthorKramer, Chin & Mayo (2)Jones, William Russell (1)Knapp, David R. (1)Stewart, J. Kathleen (1)SubjectHistory (5)University of Alaska Southeast (4)University of Alaska, Juneau (2)Auke Lake (1)Development (1)Fisheries (1)Juneau-Douglas Community College (1)Sitka (1)University of Alaska (1)View MoreDate Issued2000 - 2003 (2)1980 - 1989 (1)1976 - 1979 (2)
Auke Lake Campus Site Development Plan
Kramer, Chin & Mayo (Kramer, Chin & Mayo, 1976-08)
Fisheries Science Facility Master Plan
This report presents a Master Plan of the new Fisheries Science Facility, a building (or complex of buildings) which is proposed for construction at the Auke Lake campus, University of Alaska, Juneau. The plan was developed by Kramer, Chin & Mayo, Inc. as consultants to the University. Outlined are the proposed educational curriculum and projected student load for a new Division of Fisheries at the University. Based upon this program of instruction and projected number of students, the building was properly sized and space relationships were developed. Five sites for the new facility were examined and a recommended site was selected and analyzed in further detail. Schematic layouts of the site show proposed locations for buildings, driveways, parking and other service facilities. A preliminary engineering study conducted to find ways to meet the freshwater, seawater and drainage needs is described. A proposed construction schedule is outlined and the architectural character of the buildings is described. In the Plan, as presented, it is proposed that a $6.6 million structure be built which will enclose 28,000 gross square feet and require about a 3.5-acre site. Phase I costs are estimated to be $1.8 million and is scheduled for occupancy in 1977. The overall conclusion of the report is that the proposed facility has the potential, primarily because of its location, to become an educational and research complex which will be internationally recognized as unique in the field of fisheries.
Chronology of Organizational Structure Changes in a Community College
Stewart, J. Kathleen (Alaska Pacific University, 1984-04)
Personal History of the University of Alaska, Southeast
Jones, William Russell (University of Alaska Southeast, 2003)
Written by Dr. W. Russell Jones, Professor Emeritus, University of Alaska Southeast. Dr. Jones joined the University of Alaska in Juneau in 1971 as Associate Professor of Education. He went on to hold a number of administrative positions. Dr. Jones retired from the position of Vice Chancellor of the University of Alaska Southeast in 1984. This volume covers the history of higher education institutions in Southeast Alaska from 1969 through 1988, including the mergers of the University of Alaska, Juneau with Juneau-Douglas Community College, Islands Community College, and Ketchikan Community College and the formation of University of Alaska Southeast.
A Brief History of the University of Alaska in Sitka: The First Forty Years
Knapp, David R. (University of Alaska Southeast, 2002-12)


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Bruesewitz v. Wyeth
Hilary White
Bruesewitz v. Wyeth by Hilary White
1. Facts
1.1. Parties
1.1.1. Russell, Robalee and Hannah Bruesewitz
1.1.2. Wyeth, LLC
1.2. What Happened
1.2.1. Very shortly after receiving a DTP vaccine made by Wyeth, Hannah developed persistent health problems.
1.2.1.1. The parents took the case to the court of federal claims and lost. They rejected the court's judgment and the case went to the state court first and then the federal district court, where the Bruesewitzes lost again.
1.2.1.1.1. They appealed.
2. Issue
2.1. What is the legal question before the court?
2.1.1. The question before the court is whether "federal law [can] shield vaccine manufacturers from certain product liability lawsuits in state court that seek damages for serious health problems suffered by children."
2.2. What do the Bruesewitzes want?
2.2.1. Damages for pain and suffering as well as medical expenses
3. Rule of Law
3.1. What is the precedent in question?
3.1.1. The precedent in question is the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. The Court uses several principles to respond to the Bruesewitzes' argument, including:
3.1.1.1. government liability in vaccine injury programs
3.1.1.2. state regulations and statutes about conjunctive/disjunctive words and superfluousness
3.1.1.3. damages
3.1.1.4. products liability, focusing on vaccines and immunizations, design, manufacturing defects, and warnings or instructions.
4.1. How did each side present the Rule?
4.1.1. Wyeth
4.1.1.1. Wyeth says the NCVIA preempts all design-defect claims against vaccine manufactureres
4.1.2. Bruesewitz
4.1.2.1. The Bruesewitzes argue several things:
4.1.2.1.1. that the NCVIA does not preempt design-defect claims in the state court
4.1.2.1.2. that its language does not protect a manufacturer from being sued in a state court based on a faulty design of a vaccine
4.1.2.1.3. that comment k from the Restatement of Torts ("unavoidably unsafe products") requires a manufacturer to prove no alternative designs for the product exist
4.1.2.1.4. that its language is superfluous and that it obfuscates the true intent of the law
4.2. What was the court's reasoning in its analysis?
4.2.1. The court reasoned that the NCVIA does indeed prevent vaccine makers from certain product liability lawsuits. The Act was designed to provide a compensation system that would allow people to recover damages without also discouraging vaccine makers from entering the market.
4.2.2. The court reasoned that design-defect claims were not a valid basis for liability. The specific language in the clause ("unavoidable" side effects) makes it impossible for a vaccine manufacturer to win a case based on design because another design could always be used. More importantly, though, the design of the product isn't considered in the NCVIA, a choice the court believes is intentional.
4.2.3. Furthermore, the court thought it was a reach to assume that the word "unavoidable" invoked the Restatement of Torts.
4.3. How did the court apply the facts in the case to the legal requirements?
4.3.1. The court used deep textual analysis to apply the facts to the case, using the specific language of each clause to support its conclusions and to respond to each argument
4.4. What facts were compelling to the court in its analysis?
4.4.1. The NCVIA was enacted to resolve these disputes and federal court can't overrule without also discouraging vaccine manufacturers from producing the vaccines that society needs
4.5. Did it use analogy or make any public policy arguments?
4.5.1. No analogies were made
4.5.2. Public policy arguments surely were made. The opinion was written with an end goal of protecting vaccine manufacturers so that our society still has vaccines and continues to produce and improve them. The court reasoned that the Federal Claims Court is the appropriate place for resolving disputes and wants to protect the manufacturers so that they are incentivized to keep making vaccines
4.6. Did the court expand, reinterpret, or narrow the law to reach its conclusion?
4.6.1. The court's interpretation of the law is limited to the text.
4.6.1.1. (typical Scalia)
5.1. Describe the decision of the court and whether and how the Rule applies
5.1.1. The Supreme Court held that the NCVIA "preempts all design-defect claims against vaccine manufacturers brought by plaintiffs seeking compensation for injury or death caused by a vaccine's side effects."
6.1. Impact
6.1.1. Two cases that cite this holding include
6.1.1.1. Sikkelee v. Precision Airmotive Corporation
6.1.1.1.1. What happened?
6.1.1.2. Holmes v. Merck
6.2. Importance
6.2.1. Who would care about this and why?
6.2.1.1. A vaccine manufacturer
6.2.1.1.1. It would limit the vaccine manufacturer's liability to the judgment of the Federal Claims Court. As Justice Scalia said, the NCVIA holds vaccine manufacturers accountable but does it in a way that encourages them to produce vaccines that society needs.
6.2.1.2. A public health professional
6.2.1.2.1. In the wake of the rising anti-vaxxer movement, a public health professional would be glad to see some protection for vaccine manufacturers and some support from the court regarding the importance of vaccines
6.3. Influence
6.3.1. What business practices have been influenced by the holding
6.3.1.1. Public health and educators
6.3.1.1.1. Any industry that relies on vaccinations are likely encouraged by this holding
6.3.1.2. Vaccine makers
6.3.1.2.1. Manufacturers produce more vaccines than ever before and children receive more vaccinations than ever before http://media.chop.edu/data/files/pdfs/vaccine-education-center-too-many-vaccines.pdf
6.3.1.3. Anti-vaxxer movement
6.3.1.3.1. The anti-vaxxer movement seemed galvanized by this decision. The Age of Autism blog uses this case to express discontentment with the NCVIA's preemption idea. What Bruesewitz v. Wyeth Means for American Families


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Community and BEE Initiatives
Microsoft AI
Home/Thought Leadership
Dynamics 365 Customer Relationship Management Implementation
Tshidi2020-01-13T07:45:11+02:00Thought Leadership|
Written by: Yvonne Dias – Mint Group CFO A targeted Customer Relationship Management strategy is the strongest and most efficient approach to maintaining and creating relationships with customers. Strategy issues in CRM, however, often hinder ROI objectives and growth with the biggest pitfalls boiled down to seven main contributors. 1. Poor Planning and Assumptions [...]
Key learning from Microsoft in 2019
Written By Rodney Weidemann key learnings from Microsoft in 2019 Mint Group has distilled the five most crucial things it has learned from Microsoft in the past year, and these form the basis of ensuring customers are ready for both the present and the future. Since its launch as a business, decades ago, [...]
The Power of PowerApps
Written by: Roger Strain, Account Executive Microsoft's Power Platform Microsoft's Power Platform is the tech giant's number one competitive offering, setting it apart from its competitors by combining the value of three cloud services that empowers citizen developers, democratises IT and fuels rapid automation and transformation across industries. Microsoft faces competitors on all cloud services offered, including machine learning and AI, office productivity solutions, CRM, ERP and data visualisation. Where a competitor [...]
Considering Investment Into a Teams Platform?
Yolandi Booyens2019-08-21T07:40:59+02:00Thought Leadership|
Written by: Ryan Britton, US Program Lead 4 Things You Should do before Investing in a Teams Platform Applications like Slack and Microsoft Teams are rapidly becoming central to expediting teamwork within organizations. Microsoft Teams is the fastest-growing application in Microsoft's history, and its ascendancy attributes to a similar rise of team-collaboration [...]
Business Leaders: Do You Rely On or Ignore Your Data?
loshanimint2020-01-07T08:00:21+02:00Thought Leadership|
Written by: Yvonne Dias, CFO Data and analytics must become part of any business's DNA to ensure transformative decisions and strategies that foster competitiveness and increased profitability. However, establishing a data-driven culture is no small feat. A data-driven culture should originate at the executive level and filter down to all employees, but adoption [...]
SharePoint Intranets Then vs. Now: A UX Perspective
Written by: Clarissa Vargas Herrera The intranet is the hub of the digital workplace, a central driver of collaboration and transformation for organizations in the digital era. As a SharePoint and UX consultant, I have lived and breathed the evolution of this collaboration platform over many years, experiencing the rapid transformation of SharePoint [...]
Smart vs the intelligent campus
Ronelle Naidoo, Head of Public Sector Deals, Mint Group The smart campus is already here, it's been here for a while. What prevents it from being intelligent is that, although the technology and data analysis capabilities are all available, there's no real integration. Everything is siloed, with different sections and departments unable to [...]
3 mistakes that make thriving CIO's tank
Written by: Tristan Dennis, Mint Sales Executive The Accenture 2015 US Innovation Survey reported that 84% of executives considered their future success to be extremely dependent on innovation, with McKinsey adding that 80% of executives view their current business models as at risk of disruption in the near future. Imagine being the person [...]
The ultimate do-this-not-that tech product launch guide
Written by: Yvonne Dias, Mint Group CFO The ultimate do-this-not-that tech product launch guide So, you've done it; following years of planning, coding, strategising, over-caffeinating and under-sleeping, you finally have a product that is ready to launch. Your first introduction to the world will solve a problem people did not even know they [...]
A new role for the technology services partner
Written by: Troy Gerber, Modern Workplace Lead The cloud has changed the way that technology service partners work with their customers, in that it is now far more of an advisory and management role than an implementation one. While many organisations are still reticent about adopting a cloud strategy, often this is owing [...]


Is IQ fixed at birth, or is it changeable? Can intelligence be increased? Can it decline? The cognitive scientists' answer to these questions have changed over the past twenty years and parents of children who have struggled with reading need to understand the implications of that change, for scientists have only recently determined that life experiences are indeed capable of increasing or decreasing one's intelligence over time.
If you are the parent of a struggling reader and you manage to help your child overcome a reading problem, whether you do so by utilizing information you find here or by other means, you might still face a challenge. Your child might have spent countless hours in resource rooms or LD classrooms in the early grades. If so, his overall education probably suffered. He might even have come to think of himself as less capable than his peers, even less intelligent. Sadly, though your child might have started his school years with above average intelligence, after several years of struggling with reading that might no longer be true.
Regardless of where you are in the process of helping your child with any reading issues he might have, there is one book that you should read as soon as possible. In fact, all teachers and parents should read it. The title is Why Don't Students Like School? and it's written by Daniel T. Willingham, a cognitive scientist. When you get it, consider going straight to Chapter 8 titled "How Can I Help Slow Learners?", an unfortunate choice of chapter title because it's really about how anyone's intelligence is malleable, that is, can be changed.
Dr. Willingham spends the first half of the chapter explaining why scientists who once thought that intelligence was largely determined by genetics now think that intelligence is largely shaped by one's environment. He goes over the evidence supporting this dramatic switch and it's both fascinating and convincing. But why is this important?
First, it's important because you need to convince yourself that intelligence can be changed. Why? Both so that you will realize that your child's intelligence really might have declined while sitting in a resource room for hours, missing out on the regular classroom curriculum, and also so that you will realize that it is possible to reverse the process and implement steps that will increase his intelligence and even move it beyond the level he might have attained had he never struggled to read in the first place. By the way, all this holds true even if the reading problem persists, though it becomes more difficult to implement.
Also, it's important because after you have convinced yourself, you then have to convince your child that he can increase his intelligence, whether that means catching up to his peers, or passing them. Dr. Willingham illustrates how subtle cues that we might not even mean to send can hold your child back and it's important to understand how and why this happens.
So there is your answer in a nutshell. Assuming you are successful in helping your child overcome his reading problems, the way to catch up is to read, read, read! It's important to read the right materials as well. But what if you don't succeed and your child continues to resist reading? Then the obvious choice is to read to him, to utilize books on tape, and to employ computer programs that convert the printed page to sound.
Do you see why I'm alerting you to this? I would guess that the majority of children with reading problems have been considered at least borderline LD at one point or another in their school careers. Most will have at least been tested to see if they qualify for special education services.
Yet the overriding message on this website is that vision issues are often responsible for reading problems. First fix the vision, then address the phonics deficiency if it exists, then read! Many of the children he dismisses with his innocuous footnote are the very ones whose intelligence levels should benefit most from additional reading, assuming their vision needs are first met.
I'm not saying that he doesn't have a point, as there is a broad range of learning disabilities, some having nothing to do with vision skills deficits. But vision therapy, followed by an effective phonics program, would be likely to significantly reduce the number of students considered learning disabled. My advice: Ignore that footnote and devour the book.


text:
77027 (x)
Bayoud, George (9) + -
Texas. Secretary of State (7) + -
Dean, David A. (David Allen), 1948-  (6) + -
Appointment letter from William P. Clements to Secretary of State, George Bayoud, February 14, 1990
Letter from William P. Clements to George Bayoud, February 14, 1990, regarding appointments to the Texas Industrial Building Code Council: Jeffery B. Lewis
Tulane University, University of Texas at Austin, Texas Association of Builders, National Association of Homebuilders, Greater Houston Association of Builders, American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Texas Industrialized Building Code Council
Appointment Letter from William P. Clements to David Dean, March 12, 1982
Dean, David A. (David Allen), 1948-
Texas Water Development Board
Appointment Letter from William P. Clements to David Dean, April 9, 1982
San Jacinto Historical Advisory Board
Appointment letter from William P. Clements, Jr. to Secretary of State, Jack Rains, July 30, 1987
Appointment letter from William P. Clements, Jr. to Secretary of State, Jack Rains, July 30, 1987.
Rains, Jack M.
Butler, John
Appointment letter from William P. Clements, Jr. to Secretary of State, George S. Bayoud, Jr., August 29, 1989
Appointment letter from William P. Clements, Jr. to Secretary of State, George S. Bayoud, Jr., August 29, 1989.
Duncan, Scott
Appointment letter from William P. Clements to the Senate of the 70th Legislature, March 26, 1987
Texas Southern University Board of Regents
Appointment letter from Governor William P. Clements, Jr., to the Texas Senate, March 26, 1987, appointing David Gamble to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents.
Gamble, David, Texas Southern University
Appointment to office, African American universities and colleges
Appointment letter from William P. Clements to Secretary of State, George W. Strake, March 18, 1981
Letter from William P. Clements to George W. Strake, March 18, 1981, regarding appointments to the Texas War on Drugs Committee: Josephine E. Abercrombie
Strake, George W.
Texans War on Drugs Committee
Appointment Letter from William P. Clements to David Dean, January 5, 1983
Texas. State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers
Appointment letter from William P. Clements to George S. Bayoud, Jr., November 10, 1989
Texas Space Commission
Appointment letter from Governor William P. Clements, Jr., to Secretary of State George Bayoud, August 29, 1989, appointing Scott Duncan to the Statewide Health Coordinating Council.
Duncan, Scott, Texas. Statewide Health Coordinating Council
Appointment to office, Public health
Appointment letter from Governor William P. Clements, Jr., to Secretary of State George S. Bayoud, Jr., April 25, 1990
Appointment letter from Governor William P. Clements, Jr., to Secretary of State George S. Bayoud, Jr., regarding the appointment of David Dewhurst to the Product Development Advisory Board, April 25, 1990.
Dewhurst, David, 1945-, Product Development Advisory Board
Appointment letter from William P. Clements Jr. to George Strake, June 26, 1979
Appointment letter from William P. Clements Jr. to George Strake, June 26, 1979, appointing 2 individuals to the Advisory Council on Community Affairs.
Advisory Council on Community Affairs
Appointment letter from William P. Clements, Jr. to Secretary of State, George S. Bayoud, Jr., July 21, 1989
Appointment letter from William P. Clements, Jr. to Secretary of State, George S. Bayoud, Jr., July 21, 1989.
Council on Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention
Appointment letter from William P. Clements to Secretary of State, George Bayoud, April 4, 1990
Appointment letter from William P. Clements to Secretary of State, George Bayoud, April 4, 1990. Appointment of David Dewhurst to the Interstate Oil Compact Commission.
Interstate Oil Compact Commission
Appointment Letter from William P. Clements to David Dean, January 10, 1983
Texas. Veterans' Land Board
List of Governor's Task Force on Undocumented Mexican Workers members, January 6, 1982
List of Governor's Task Force on Undocumented Mexican Workers members, January 6, 1982. Task force members are Lauro Cavazos, N.P. Clark, Peter Flawn, Manuel Gonzalez, Ricardo Hinojosa, Ruben Hinojosa, Haskell Monroe, Antonio Gil Morales, Bishop Raymond Pena, Lonnie Pilgrim, Billy Reagan, Elspeth Rostow, H. Tanti Santiesteban, Walter Scott, Tim Von Dohlen, Bob Youker, and Bartell Zachry.
Texas. Governor's Task Force on Undocumented Mexican Workers, Cavazos, Lauro F., Flawn, Peter, Hinojosa, Ricardo, Rostow, Elspeth D., Von Dohlen, Tim, Youker, Robert, Zachry, Bartell, Pilgrim, Lonnie
Appointment to office, Emigration and immigration
Appointment letter from William P. Clements Jr. to David Dean, January 5, 1983
Appointment letter from William P. Clements Jr. to David Dean, January 5, 1983, appointing 3 individuals to the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System.
Stuckey, Doyle, Nash, Elizabeth T., Elder, Norman
Appointment letter from William P. Clements, Jr. to Secretary of State, George S. Bayoud, Jr., February 14, 1990
Appointment letter from William P. Clements, Jr. to Secretary of State, George S. Bayoud, Jr., February 14, 1990.
Lewis, Jeffry
Appointment letter from William P. Clements to the Senate of the 70th Legislature, February 17, 1987
Texas Turnpike Authority Board of Directors


It's an assurance of premium quality. Assuming that users are able to find a spare part of your requirement, they would face problems purchasing them, since DeWalt does not sell spare parts directly. The 1-year warranty covers the implement for defects in the manufacturing of the tool for one year from the purchase date. By 1922, and as Superintendent of Seabrook Farms, DeWalt perfected his radial arm device and permanently altered the woodworking, crafting, and developing industries. These parts are specially made to meet your needs in fixing your tools.
I am in particular fond of their cordless drills. In addition, it features a " keyless chuck. This one feature makes perfect sense and makes ease of use while carrying around the house or on the job site a dream, with one quick motion you can turn the vacuum on or off. Armed with their new dewalt tools they can get to work on the jobs that need doing and finish them to the highest standard. If you plan on doing any amount of sanding at all, then you should pick up one of these.
But, that may be only my private opinion. Smart customers know that by shopping online they can get themselves some better deals on Dewalt power tools. Guests to your web page may also peruse the positioning for far more of your latest active and upcoming merchandise, at the same time as further helpful item information. If you're looking for a high-quality flat-screen television set at an affordable price, then this one's definitely for you. The invention of cordless power tools has made construction and other tasks involving power tools much easier.
Through the years the company has gone through organizational and ownership changes, but it has always been and remains an innovator and producer of high quality tools. However, rather than simply resign themselves to paying high prices it's possible to find some extra value by shopping around. Lithium ion batteries used for power tools are only 3rd in demand behind laptop and cell phone batteries. As destiny would have it, DeWalt's mill had much more get the job done than it could handle and as the President in the organization permitted no spending budget place for additional labor prices, DeWalt basically had to get much more successful production through the present drive. The rubber hose can quickly be detached from the front nozzle and used to get into harder places with attachments that fit the common hose size.
At the time of this creating, the present-day Dewalt resources lineup is made up of more than 200 electric ability instruments and more than 800 equipment. The Makita website delivers warranty information. If within thirty days, you are not completely satisfied with your tool, Bosch will give you your money back. Leading power tool brands generally cover their tools with an one to three year warranty and some, like Craftsman, guarantee a lifetime warranty. Place the senor on the end of the black wire onto the negative terminal of the same cell.
Locate the small Phillips screws on the DeWalt battery pack cover — you can typically find 6 to 8 of these screws. Get the same type and number of replacement cells from an electrical outlet store. Just think of the things that you could cover with this great machine. Being able to completely remove the hose for cleaning makes the vacuum handy and convenient if the hose or end does get clogged with debris. This is specially genuine for reducing laminates and chipboard.
Remove from the charger, and your battery pack is ready to use. A great way to purchase Dewalt tools is to go online. Non-powered hand tools such as the Craftsman line feature lifetime warranties. As for the mechanical gear, the best one to get is something that's two position. You can either employ some people to do it for you or you can do it yourself.
The business was founded by a gentleman named Raymond E. They might cost more, but that extra durability and quality is worth it. Nearly all come with manufacturers warranties that will cover any repairs or defects in the tools for a certain amount of time, usually between one and three years. Older dewalt tools can actually use the new lithium batteries in them. It just begins and stops extremely quick.
DeWalt Equipment was established by Raymond DeWalt over 85 decades ago. There are always some bargains to be had so it pays to check the website regularly.


Retirees should favor companies that operate in stable industries and offer their shareholders a predictable stream of income. So which stocks in particular can fulfill their needs? We asked a team of Motley Fool contributors to weigh in, and they picked the following stocks.
Enbridge's dividend yield has soared to a hefty 6.9%, thanks to a steep 20% drop in its share price so far this year. For the kind of growth potential that the Canadian energy infrastructure giant appears to possess, the stock has started to look like a bargain at current prices.
Enbridge is targeting 10% compound growth in dividends through 2020, backed by higher cash flows driven by restructuring and growth initiatives. Some of these include a potential divestment of non-core assets worth $10 billion Canadian dollars and development projects valued at nearly CA$48 billion in the foreseeable future.
If there's one chink in the armor for Enbridge that has spooked investors, it's the company's heavy debt load that ran into almost CA$61 billion as of Dec. 31, 2017, the bulk of which was acquired with Spectra Energy. In the past couple of years, Enbridge also resorted to stock issues to raise capital that has diluted shareholders' wealth, but that may soon be a thing of the past as management now is focused on monetizing non-core assets to fund its growth projects.
Enbridge's cash flow from operations (CFO) hit multi-year highs last year, and although stock issues hit its CFO per share, the stock still is trading well below its five-year average price-to-CFO at 9.5 times. Given Enbridge's dividend growth history of 23 consecutive years of dividend increases, it would need a heavy blow to the company's business to break its dividend streak and disappoint income investors. That's unlikely, given that almost 96% of Enbridge's cash flows come from take-or-pay or regulated contracts.
The technical chart of this $8 billion market cap builder mirrors that of Toll Brothers.
While the stock is off 12% this year, new orders have jumped, the backlog is soaring, and sales have grown double digits annually for the last four years.
Strong fundamentals make this stock a buy in the $29.00 per share zone with a target price of $41.00 per share and stops suggested at $26.93 per share.
Walker & Dunlop claims a forward earnings multiple below 11. Like Micron, Walker & Dunlop operates in a cyclical industry — in this case, commercial real estate services and finance.
The company primarily focuses on financing owners and operators of multifamily properties across the U.S. A serious slowdown in the economy would likely hurt Walker & Dunlop in several ways, including higher rates of defaults, fewer financing transactions, and lower price tags on deals made resulting from declining property values.
But the U.S. economy still appears to be healthy. Walker & Dunlop's business is doing better than ever before. Last year, the company reported its biggest jump in revenue, earnings, and total transaction volume since its initial public offering in 2011. Walker & Dunlop has increased its market share of the multifamily loan market from 2.8% seven years ago to 7.3% in 2017.
Walker & Dunlop's goal is to increase revenue by roughly 40% to $1 billion by 2020. That might seem overly ambitious, but I think the company can achieve its objective. Investors will also be paid as they wait for Walker & Dunlop's growth: The company recently initiated a quarterly dividend.
This company is a huge Internet of Things benefactor. Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide.
The company recently received a receipt of antitrust clearance in the United States for the proposed acquisition of Microsemi. The company now expects to complete the acquisition of the company in June of this year.
Microchip investors are paid a 1.71% dividend. Merrill Lynch has set its price target at $110. The consensus price objective was last seen at $111.56, and the stock ended last week at $85.68 a share.
I've said many times before that if I could only own one stock in my portfolio, Berkshire Hathaway would be it.
Berkshire is actually a conglomerate of more than 60 businesses, with massive operations in insurance (GEICO, General Re), railroads (BNSF), real estate (Berkshire Hathaway Home Service), consumer goods (Duracell), and more. The company also has a closely followed stock portfolio worth nearly $200 billion that includes large positions in Apple, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, American Express, and dozens of other stocks.
Berkshire's business model is simple yet effective. Its businesses and stock investments generate capital, which can then be used to acquire additional businesses and to make more investments. And who is picking those investments? Legendary investors Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, and Berkshire's two other investment managers who will eventually take their place.
While Berkshire is an excellent stock to buy anytime, now could be an especially smart time to consider Berkshire. After ending 2017 with more than $116 million in cash, and Buffett and Munger visibly frustrated over the lack of attractive ways to deploy its capital, the company's cash balance went down during the first quarter for the first time in a while. In short, it looks like Berkshire is starting to have some success with deploying its capital, so it could be a smart time to get in before Berkshire figures out how to put even more of its cash to work and boosts its profit potential by billions.
This entry was posted in Best Stocks and tagged BRK.B, ENB, MCHP, PHM, WD on June 30, 2018 by admin.
Warren Buffett has said that his "favorite holding period is forever," and I generally invest with that same philosophy in mind. I don't think I'll keep each and every stock I own forever — after all, there are plenty of valid reasons to sell stocks, and there's no way of knowing how a company or its industry will change in the future.
Nabors Industries Ltd. (NYSE:NBR) shares look ready to lift up and out of a bowl-shaped consolidation range going back to the summer of 2017. It also involved a reset of the early 2016 lows near $5.50, setting up a solid base of support with which to rise out of. The oil and gas services provider is well placed to profit from the surge of U.S. output.
The company will next report results on Aug. 1 after the close. Analysts are looking for a loss of 23 cents per share on revenues of $757.2 million.
When the company last reported on May 1, a loss of 44 cents per share misses estimates by 15 cents on a 30.4% rise in revenues.
I get dizzy thinking about being locked into a single investment — any investment — for a decade, let alone half a century! Typewriter companies, for example, sure looked like stable long-term investments in the 1970s. That's why, over the long term, there's safety in diversity: Being invested in a wide variety of industries ensures that one small disruption (for typewriter companies, the PC) doesn't sink your entire portfolio.
Luckily for investors, it doesn't get more diverse than Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, which has holdings in industries as diverse as insurance (GEICO), railroads (Burlington Northern Santa Fe), and food (Dairy Queen, See's Candies), and many, many more, across a wide variety of industries. That makes the company just about the safest opportunity I can think of for an investor who intends to check his or her portfolio only occasionally.
Perhaps the company's greatest asset is its founder, the famed "Oracle of Omaha," 87-year-old Warren Buffett himself. And while he's unlikely to continue running the company for another 50 years — although, frankly, I wouldn't put it past him — he has left his stamp on the company, whose current holdings and asset management strategy will certainly endure without him. After all, his is a strategy that's produced returns that beat the market — if only slightly — over the past one-, three-, five-, and 10-year periods. Why not 50?
This entry was posted in Biotech Stocks and tagged BRK.B, NBR, SSBI on June 28, 2018 by admin.
In this segment of the Motley Fool Money podcast, host Chris Hill asks Million Dollar Portfolio's Jason Moser, Hidden Gems Canada's David Kretzmann, and Total Income's Ron Gross about the companies they're most intrigued by this week and why.
If you typically don't invest in healthcare, you might not know that shares in the biopharma giant AbbVie fell out of favor last month, following disappointing news on its solid-tumor cancer drug, Rova-T.
AbbVie had hoped definitive midstage trial data for Rova-T could allow it to file for accelerated approval from the Food and Drug Administration, but unfortunately, the data wasn't good enoughfor that to happen. Instead, the company will need to wait until results from future trials are available before it submits Rova-T for approval, and that could mean a wait of a year or more.
The setback caused AbbVie's shares to fall by more than 20%, but it's far from a deal-breaker for the company. Importantly, the sell-off could be creating a great opportunity to add this top dividend stock to your income portfolio.
AbbVie inherited Abbott Labs' dividend track record when it was spun off in 2013, so it's considered a Dividend Aristocrat. It appears to take that badge of honor seriously, because its quarterly dividend has increased to $0.96 from $0.40 since its initial public offering.
Following the drop in its shares, its forward dividend yield has increased to almost 4%. That's a healthy dividend for any company, but what really makes AbbVie an interesting buy is that its dividend could continue climbing because of double-digit revenue growth. In Q1 2018, sales grew 21% year over year. And since generic biosimilars to its best-seller, Humira, aren't expected in the U.S. until 2023, there's plenty of opportunity for investors to own AbbVie and pocket increasingly larger dividend checks.
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is already worth nearly a half-trillion dollars. But it's not crazy to think that the stock could double over the next 10 years. A doubling over a decade requires a compound annual growth rate of just about 7.2%. That's a little more than one-third of the historical growth rate of both Berkshire's book value and its stock price.
In other words, Berkshire doesn't need to hit home runs for the stock to double from here. It just needs to keep doing what it's been doing. Under Buffett's leadership, the conglomerate has built up a collection of high-quality businesses with durable competitive advantages that should throw off increasing amounts of cash as time goes on. That cash can be invested in even more high-quality businesses, picked by Buffett or his eventual successors.
Of course, if the broader market goes nowhere over the next decade, perhaps because valuations today are historically high, Berkshire could follow suit and fall short of doubling. But Berkshire's earnings will likely rise substantially over that time, making the stock more attractive and planting the seeds of future gains.
Leju Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:LEJU) has gotten some attention over the years because it's one of China's largest online and offline real estate companies.
When real estate was hot in China, and the tech firms were rolling out like donuts off a Krispy Kreme line, LEJU was one of the speculative darlings that were getting a fair amount of attention in the U.S.
It still has a $149 million market cap, which isn't huge, but is decent for a tech start-up.
However, the real estate boom is China has cooled and the government is looking to keep things on the cool side moving forward until it can sort out the strength of the recovery. LEJU is off 65% in the past year as a result.
There are plenty of better ideas out there now to take advantage of China's long-term growth.
PDL Biopharma stock is up 18% over the last 12 months, a performance that beats the S&P 500index of large-cap stocks. Like Novavax, though, PDL was up a lot more at one point. An attempt to buy Neos Therapeutics that was later abandoned contributed primarily to the stock pullback.
It wasn't long ago that PDL Biopharma claimed one of the biggest healthcare dividend yields on the market, with the company receiving royalties from blockbuster drugs including Avastin and Herceptin. However, the company's patents expired, its royalties dwindled, and PDL was forced to eliminate its dividend and try to reinvent itself.
That reinvention effort resulted in PDL Biopharma investing in income-generating opportunities. In 2016, the company bought Noden Pharma, picking up blood pressure drug Tekturna with the deal. PDL's long-term success hinges on its ability to make more strategic deals that generate solid returns.
PDL Biopharma claims one distinction that few companies can: Its cash stockpile is roughly the same as its market cap. The company reported cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaling $405 million at the end of the first quarter. At the time of this writing, PDL's market cap is $407 million.
International Paper (NYSE: IP) wants to take things even further. The company, a leading producer of cardboard that's cashing in on online shopping trends, has a laundry list of efficiency goals aimed at helping the business and the environment. That includes increasing fiber recycling an additional 15% (the United States boasts a 64% recovery rate), improving energy efficiency of purchased power by 15% (it generates 75% of its energy from wood wastes on site), and improving water management.
The cost-saving moves should help bolster the company's already-strong $2 billion in annual free cash flow — cementing International Paper as a blue chip dividend stock.
This entry was posted in Biotech Stocks and tagged ABBV, BRK.B, IP, LEJU, PDLI on June 27, 2018 by admin.


text:
namespace Modules
{
	class CActorModuleNatives : public ICActorModuleNatives
	{
	public:
		EntityId Create(int iModelId, CVector3 vecPosition, float fHeading);
		bool Delete(EntityId actorId);
		bool IsValid(EntityId actorId);
		bool SetCoordinates(EntityId actorId, CVector3 vecPosition);
		bool SetHeading(EntityId actorId, float fHeading);
		bool WalkToCoordinates(EntityId playerId, EntityId actorId, CVector3 vecPosition, int iType);
		CVector3 GetCoordinates(EntityId actorId);

		float GetHeading(EntityId actorId);
		int GetModel(EntityId actorId);
		int GetCount();
		bool SetName(EntityId actorId, const char * szName);
		const char * GetName(EntityId actorId);
		bool ToggleNametag(EntityId actorId, bool bShow);
		bool ToggleBlip(EntityId actorId, bool bShow);
		bool SetColor(EntityId actorId, int color);
		int GetColor(EntityId actorId);
		bool ToggleFrozen(EntityId actorId, bool frozen);
		bool ToggleHelmet(EntityId actorId, bool helmet);
		bool WarpIntoVehicle(EntityId actorId, int vehicleid, int seatid);
		bool RemoveFromVehicle(EntityId actorId);
		bool DriveToCoordinates(EntityId actorId, CVector3 vecDriveTo, CVector3 vecDriveRot, bool bStop);
		void DeleteAll();
		bool ForceAnim(EntityId actorId, const char * szGroup, const char * szAnim);
	};
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub