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text:
← Filling In That Vast, Pizza-less Post Road Void Between Angelina's And Jordan's
Staples Students: "We The People" →
Westport Activist Wants All Connecticut Votes To Count
As a zoology major Nicole Klein learned that when sea turtles hatch, they instinctively turn to the horizon. That leads them straight to the ocean.
In the aftermath of November's election, she felt similarly impelled. But it was not until Christmas — when she had a chance to take a break from her very demanding full-time job — that she understood exactly what she had to do.
So she served notice to her employer, McKinsey. Today she devotes herself full time to grassroots political activism.
Nicole Klein
Klein loved McKinsey. The consulting firm encourages personal growth into new areas of the company, and she'd taken full advantage. After 17 years, Klein had worked her way up to global event manager.
But — like those sea turtles — Klein followed her destiny.
She'd been involved in political campaigns from 1992 to 2004. In 2008 she fell in love. "I didn't care about anything else," she laughs.
Klein got married, had a child, moved to Westport. In the run-up to this year's election — as she worked hard for Hillary Clinton — she wanted her 6-year-old son to see what involvement looked like. She brought him to her phone bank shifts.
In the weeks after the election — but before her resignation from McKinsey — Klein grew more active.
She attended Westport Democratic Town Committee meetings. She volunteered as a bus captain for the Women's March on Washington.
Klein calls that event "one of the 5 best days of my life. It was so powerful to see everyone come together peacefully. It wasn't a protest — it was a unifying moment."
Nicole Klein (left) enjoys the Women's March on Washington.
Now Klein is putting her event planning talents to work on another project. It's an informational session on changing the way Connecticut casts its electoral votes for president.
Set for this Thursday (March 2, 7 p.m.) in the Westport Country Playhouse barn, the "State of Voting: CT Debates a New Way to Elect the President" panel includes New Yorker writer Hendrik Hertzberg. It's part of a move to have our state join 11 others whose legislatures have agreed to let its electors vote for the presidential candidate who gets the most popular votes in all 50 states.
The idea is that all votes cast nationwide for president will count equally — without abolishing the Electoral College. Under the current method, voters in Connecticut — and other almost-certain blue or red states — are easily ignored.
Of nearly 400 events during the 2016 general election, 94% were held in just 12 battleground states. Only 1 was held in the Constitution State.
Organizers of National Popular Vote CT — including Westporters John Hartwell and Rozanne Gates — call the concept one of fairness. Citizens of every state should have their vote weighed equally, they say.
The project's leaders also point to surveys that show 3/4 of Connecticut's voters — including a majority of Republicans — believe the candidate who gets the most votes in the country should become president.
Thursday's event is non-partisan, Klein says. "We want people to hear the issues, and make up their own minds."
She hopes for a large turnout at the Playhouse. And when that's done, she'll turn her attention to the next activity.
"Not one day goes by that I regret resigning," Klein says. Every day she feels more excited about being part of the democratic — with a small "d" — process.
In her own way, she's making sure America stays great.
("The State of Voting: CT Debates a New Way to Elect the President" — at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 2 in the Westport Country Playhouse barn — is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Westport and National Popular Vote CT. The event is free, but seats must be reserved. Click here, email boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org, or call 203-227-4177. Video of the event will be available on Facebook Live at NationalPopularVoteCT, and afterward on www.npvct.com)
This entry was posted in Organizations, People, Politics, Westport Country Playhouse and tagged Electoral College, League of Women Voters of Westport, National Popular Vote CT, Nicole Klein. Bookmark the permalink.
44 responses to "Westport Activist Wants All Connecticut Votes To Count"
Seth Goltzer | February 28, 2017 at 6:14 am |
Your idea will do the opposite of what you say. It will negate the vote and will if the people , and steal the election from the legislate victor. The electoral college insures that the most populous States do not control the process. You would just rubber stamp their votes.
Rod Hurtuk | February 28, 2017 at 6:56 am |
The tyranny of the majority never dies,
I'm afraid. Sam is correct, of course, and will we ever tire of "feel good" politics?
Hugh McCann Jr | February 28, 2017 at 7:50 am |
This blog post is silly.
______________________________________ Hugh F McCann Jr (c) 203-545-8857 hughmccannjr@gmail.com
Mary Ruggiero | February 28, 2017 at 8:08 am |
That's like voting after the results are already in. Ridiculous – a perversion of an election process.
Bart Shuldman | February 28, 2017 at 8:20 am |
Is your idea to split the electoral votes in CT by the popular results? Get away from winner take all?
How would you handle the Senate? South Dakota gets the same amount of Senators as California or NY. Is that fair as you analyze the electoral college? The smaller states have the same amount of votes in the senate as larger states. Does that also need the be changed?
Was all this instituted to stop the larger states from controlling the country?
Morley Boyd | February 28, 2017 at 8:40 am |
This plan literally makes no sense. We don't live in a direct democracy, we live in a representative republic. There is, among other things, the little matter of something called state's rights.
Avi Kaner | February 28, 2017 at 8:53 am |
The current system gives low-population states a disproportionately stronger voice in electing the president. For example, 1 Wyoming vote equals 3.6 California votes. Additionally, states with split Republican/Democratic populations get most of the campaign focus given the "winner take all" electoral college design. The purest system would be a popular vote: one person, one vote. Unfortunately, presidential candidates would then most certainly focus their attentions on dense population centers, virtually ignoring the heartland of America. That's why there's no simple answer. It's also why the Senate was designed to givie every state an equal vote regardless of population size. The electoral college, as imperfect as it is, is a balance of sorts.
Bart Shuldman | February 28, 2017 at 2:06 pm |
Avi-I feel my vote does not count in CT as long as it is 'winner take all'. Why is that? Why is the electoral votes in CT not divided by the percentage votes for each candidate. Then my vote counts.
Avi Kaner | February 28, 2017 at 2:15 pm |
You're right Bart. As a Republican your vote doesn't currently count in Connecticut for the presidential ticket. Similarly a Democrat's vote in Texas wouldn't count. That's why candidates focus on the swing states. If electors voted by % vote within their states, that would be equivalent to a popular vote.
Avi. I am not sure if electoral votes would be split by the popular vote it would basically equate to a 'popular' vote. How many people stay home and do not vote in states like CT where their vote does not matter? Would a Presidntial election get more than 50% of the population to vote? Also, the electoral
College could soften the popular vote as places
Like CA would not give 100% of their large electoral college to one candidate.
It would be a great math exercise.
Michael Calise | February 28, 2017 at 8:54 am |
When will the sore losers go away?
Dan Woog | February 28, 2017 at 8:59 am |
The counter-argument is that the losers did not lose the popular vote, by a wide margin.
Michael Petrino | February 28, 2017 at 12:51 pm |
Irrelevant. Everyone knew the rules of the game before the game started.
Bob Stalling | February 28, 2017 at 6:12 pm |
It's like a soccer game where you have more shots on goal but still lose the game. A loss is a loss…there is no counter-argument.
Not to nit pick, but the margin was almost the same as the margin the Dems won in CA. The CA vote contains almost all of the popular margin difference. So – Pres of CA?
Dan, Take away the margin in LA and Chicago and the popular vote is reversed. Do you want the voters of any two cities running the country?
As far as I am concerned the electoral college Is a brilliant process and it is probably the one concept that has kept our country going for over two centuries.
An interesting perspective — and certainly valid. The counter-argument, Michael and Mary, is, The election was decided by 77,000 voters in 3 Midwestern states. Do you want those voters running the country?
No easy answer, to be sure. It's a complex issue.
Kind of like health care.
We are 51 separate and distinct voting entities with each bringing to our political union a vote count which is already based on population but which gives each entity a stake in the process. Sometimes you win and sometime you lose but the Republic continues for the good of all. History speaks for itself!
Interestingly, until 1961 District of Columbia residents could not vote for President of the United States!
Mary Ruggiero | February 28, 2017 at 10:25 am |
Your question about those 3 states is exactly why the electoral college is the fairest representation of the country as a whole. But if I had to choose between those three states and the other two cities, I think I'd go with the former.
Dan Woog | February 28, 2017 at 10:29 am |
And if I had to choose — based on what we've got — I'd go with the latter! So I guess our votes cancel each other out…
Sal Gilbertie | February 28, 2017 at 10:44 am |
Ha! Good points all. But, using your same example… under the present rules, all the votes in both the former and the latter places count. Under NPV, the impact of the votes in the former would be eliminated forever – not what the Founding Fathers had in mind and not fair to an entire block of voters who would be permanently marginalized just because of where they live. See my Westport/Bridgeport scenario below – everyone's vote would count no matter where they lived – but the Westport votes would never be meaningfully impactful. Westport would have no representation.
Sal Gilbertie | February 28, 2017 at 9:28 am |
Here is a practical example of what the NPV movement would do: What if only Bridgeport and Westport votes counted in local elections, with the majority of combined votes forcing both Westport's and Bridgeport's respective State Representatives to cast their votes in Hartford the way the combined majority of voters voted on a particular issue. Westport's population is about 27,000; Bridgeport's population is about 140,000. Bridgeport would win the popular vote every time. Westport would lose its unique representation at the state level and eventually, Westport would be no more. The Founding Fathers had no idea there would be a California or a good number of mega-cities when they created the Electoral College system, but they did understand the danger of simple majority rule Presidential elections – the only elections that encompass the entire nation. They knew that a Democratic Republic would survive intact far longer than a pure Democracy. NPV would render all but the largest population centers irrelevant to candidates and national leaders. It's a dangerous idea.
Jerald Lentini | February 28, 2017 at 10:56 am |
Sal, the problem there is that you're not actually doing the math. The large population centers by themselves don't have the votes to elect a President in a nation the size of ours. So while your concern makes sense in theory, it doesn't actually hold water in practice, since it can't work as a strategy (ignoring, of course, that campaigns wouldn't go where the most people are but instead where the most people can be reached for the least amount of money – that's not going to be expensive markets like NYC, LA, Houston, Miami or DC, but places where ad rates are low). Though, frankly, I'm not sure why I should be more upset about voters living in CA, TX, NY and FL getting more attention than we do, when right now it's voters in OH, PA, MI and IA who do. At least under NPV our votes aren't taken for granted, because even Republicans in Connecticut, like Democrats in Wyoming, would have some influence on the outcome.
Sal Gilbertie | February 28, 2017 at 3:47 pm |
Jerald, Thanks for your reply. I would warn you about using the data on the NPV website where they use a very technical and narrow measure of the population of our largest 50 cities. NPV claims only 15% of the population lives within the boundaries of the top 50 cities, which is technically correct, but is really quite deceptive. The math works if you look at the population of the largest Metropolitan Areas in the country (http://www.iweblists.com/us/population/MetropolitanStatisticalAreaPop.html) which clearly shows that the population of the top fifty metro areas from New York (#1) through Raleigh-Cary (#50) is over 160 million people, or almost exactly half of the current U.S. population. I believe all of us will have better representation if we adjust the Electoral College process state-by-state by lobbying individual states to award their Electors pro-rata according to the percentage of popular votes garnered by each candidate. The adjustment proposed by the NPV movement is asking the states to use their individual right to determine how to cast their Electoral Votes by usurping their individual rights to the most densely populated areas of the nation. It would be crazy to use our sovereign rights to give up our sovereign rights. I defer back to my own Westport/Bridgeport example of what will really happen under NPV as proposed. Awarding 100% of electors by winner-take-all rules will disenfranchise a huge number of voters just because of where they live, which is not healthy for the long-term success of any State or Nation.
Rozanne Gates | February 28, 2017 at 9:46 am |
To all doubters, please come to the Public Forum on Thursday night (but do RSVP at boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org) and listen to all sides of the issue. You may be surprised to find out that the Constitution (in Article 2, Section 1) gives the responsibility to each State as to how their electors will be instructed to vote. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact takes its premise from that section of the Constitution (http://www.nationalpopularvote.com). Please come to the fact-based forum on Thursday night but before you do, close your eyes. Imagine this country border to border, coast to coast. No state lines, no boundaries. Just a country filled with individuals who want to vote for their President. It's not about where you live or where you vote. You are one person with one vote whether you live in Connecticut or New Mexico or Nebraska or California. Your vote will count one time no matter where you live. That is all there is to it.
Thinking that campaigns would spend all their time and money in the densest areas shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how campaigns are run. First, there aren't nearly enough voters in those dense areas to win a national election. Second, campaigns look for votes per dollar, and campaigning in the most heavily populated areas is more expensive than in mid-size and smaller markets: it's the same reason why they don't only advertise on the most popular web sites or the most-watched television shows. Meanwhile, literally no campaigning for President is being done in Connecticut under the current system, leaving our voters unheard and our issues ignored – how is that any better?
Jack Krayson | February 28, 2017 at 12:23 pm |
Before we move to change (or adjust) the Electoral College; take a look at the process of "selecting' our presidential candidates. The primary system that we have in place is wildly inconsistent. Some states apportion their convention delegates via winner take all, others proportionally, and some have local caucuses, and what about those 'super delegates' ?Additionally, there's the argument re: when and how to schedule each state's primary or should we have one national primary day? If the primary process were straight forward, HRC would probably not have even been nominated in 2016.
somebody needs to read the Federalist Papers. Number 68 would be a good start.
Jack Whittle | February 28, 2017 at 4:45 pm |
Ah, finally a reference to the Federalist Papers – and note that #68 was authored by Hamilton. Yeah, the one most folks know about thanks to a Broadway play.
A word to the party who is [obviously] behind this "abolish the electoral college" movement (because the most recent election failed to produce the president they favor) – this is a "protecting the small, less populous states from the tyranny of the big heavily populated states" matter, and NOT a protect the Democrats from the Republicans matter – the electoral college is party and ideologically neutral. It is unwise to be so short-sighted about a valuable constitutional design.
Point being that it can just as easily work for your benefit the next time, so be careful what you wish for, and consider the protection you seek to unwind. Look no further than the Democrats' decision to use the "nuclear option" to change the Senate rules in November 2013 to effectively eliminate the use of the filibuster against all executive branch nominees and judicial nominees (other than to the Supreme Court). The Senate voted 52–48, with all Republicans and 3 Democrats voting against the measure, and at the time the Republicans, and a few Democrats, warned about how that move could easily bite the Democrats in the rear end in the future. And now the Democrats sit and watch nearly all of Trump's cabinet and other executive nominees go whooshing on through the Senate approval process . . .
Bart Shuldman | February 28, 2017 at 10:37 pm |
Jack-nicely written.
Susan Farley | February 28, 2017 at 12:57 pm |
Steven Brams of NYU has been advocating change in USA election-vote format for decades, (he was considered brainchild of Kennedy Administration at one point); if you look at his syllabus and bio you see books, papers, abstracts, letters to editors, etc. – all well peer reviewed – that represents each of your valid arguments and counter arguments. Trump would likely support some change in format (he and 1st wife made use of Brams game theory models, or at least their attorneys did and Ivana's especially 😉 But it's totally unlikely Republican Party and DNP would allow it for obv reasons, i.e., improvement to vote format always allows 3rd & 4th party candidates which they hate 😉 Susan Farley
Jean Koeppel | February 28, 2017 at 1:21 pm |
I strongly suggest to anyone who opposes the National Popular Vote, to make sure you get your facts straight and watch this video:
Michael Petrino | February 28, 2017 at 1:56 pm |
Here is a fact; we are not a Democracy, we are a republic.
Jonathan Perloe | February 28, 2017 at 4:48 pm |
The statement, "We are a not a democracy, we're a republic" misunderstands what is meant by republic. Definition here: http://www.conservapedia.com/Constitutional_Republic Key point: "A Constitutional Republic is a state where the officials are elected as representatives of the people, and must govern according to existing constitutional law that limits the government's power over citizens."
We are not a democracy in the sense that all 300MM don't show up in DC to vote, we have representatives. The NPV Compact doesn't change that.
Sal Gilbertie | March 1, 2017 at 8:47 am |
For those wanting both sides of the story before Thursday's discussions, here is the exact opposite view in a similar length video:
Debbie Katz | February 28, 2017 at 2:34 pm |
Agreeing with Jack Krayson's comment on a national primary day. It has always bothered me that by the time Connecticut's and other states' primaries come around, the candidates have essentially already been decided by other states, many months before. And I still can't believe there isn't a national system to vote in primaries — still blown away by the concept of a caucus.
Really, why CAN'T there by one agreed-upon day when we all vote to nominate our two (or more) presidential candidates by a central format, and then the winners can get on to the business of educating the country on their views, ideas and policy, instead of spending most of the time bashing the other same-party candidates in an endless primary cycle?
In this day and age, with endless useless debates that quickly devolve into spectacle; social media; and competing news outlets, it's impossible to talk about real issues and learn anything substantive. But if candidates were decided early, then they be forced to do and say something of substance over a longer period of time.
I'm sure there are a million reasons why this won't work (individual states being in charge of their voting procedures, other things I'm not aware of) and I'm sure commenters will quickly let me know, but thought I'd put it out there.
Unfortunately I can't attend the public forum on 3/2; I'm sure it will be really interesting and informative. But a big congratulations to Nicole Klein for taking on voting and election issues.
MaryAnn Meyer | February 28, 2017 at 5:45 pm |
Our right to vote is somewhat diminished by poor voter turnout. In 2016, voter turnout in CT was around 65% with highest turnout in Maine and Colorado around 72%.
Perhaps we could learn from our friends in Australia which requires mandatory voter registration and every voter to show up at their polling place to have their name checked off. Failure to show up results in a small fine.
Once at the polling place, the voter has the option to vote or not.
Turnout averages 94%
Tyler Smith | February 28, 2017 at 7:45 pm |
Dan, who is 's e' bogging down the posts?
Dan Woog | February 28, 2017 at 9:29 pm |
All of his (or her) comments have been removed. Sorry I was out tonight, and didn't see these earlier. A reminder: All commenters must use full, real names.
Andrew Colabella | March 1, 2017 at 12:13 am |
The electoral college has worked well since it was created and utilized. No one cried to take it away in 2008 or 2012. All of the sudden it needs to be dismantled.
The majority of popular votes are found in Los Angeles, Miami and New England area (popular vote) where the states have higher electoral votes and pretty much outweigh middle states that are swing states and can go in any direction.
Obviously, people are crying out for this move after Trump was elected. Whether you like him or not, hate the system, etc. he's your president, give him a chance. He hasn't taken anyone's rights away or further segregate Americans. We do that to ourselves with listening to the media that doesn't challenge us, but instead tell us what they want to tell us, which distorts facts and the truth.
Rozanne Gates | March 1, 2017 at 11:47 am |
Dear Andrew Colabella – you are woefully undereducated and misinformed. You really need to watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wC42HgLA4k. And by the way, The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact initiative began in 2001. The majority of popular votes are not found in the places you mentioned. You really need to view the film I have her with attached.
Jack Whittle | March 1, 2017 at 4:07 pm |
Alllllllmost made it to 42 posts before the "you don't know what you are talking about" stuff started – that's pretty damn good, especially in these emotionally-charged times. Always room for improvement though
Avi Kaner | March 1, 2017 at 4:59 pm |
I finally watched the video. It actually is compelling! But… remember what it takes to amend the Constitution: an amendment must be proposed by a 2/3 majority in both houses of Congress and ratified by 3/4 of the States. Therefore… it will not happen since the lower population states would never agree to it. Literally 700 proposals to reform or eliminate the Electoral College have failed. IMHO, the only way to change is to go state by state, and lobby each state to change its laws. Only two states currently divide their votes by % won by each candidate. As difficult as the idea is to implement, the more states move to proportional delegate designation, the closer we get to a popular vote.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Romano Ricci has perfume in his DNA. His great-grandmother was the legendary couturier Nina Ricci and his grandfather Robert was creator of the equally iconic L'Air du Temps.
Although he'd grown up surrounded by fashion and fragrance, Romano Ricci set out to learn the art of fragrance creation from scratch. 'I'm self-taught,' he says. 'I never went to ISIPCA (Paris's 'perfume school'), or any similar schools. Instead, I gained my competence through practice. I worked in perfumery for seven years before launching my own adventure. I was with France Fragrance for three years and also worked with other perfume makers such as Pierre Bourdon, Francis Kurkdjian, Isabelle Maillebiau and Philippe Romano – who all taught me a lot.'
He launched Julette Has A Gun in December 2006: a brand devoted to women, offering a new type of elegance within niche perfumery: 'The innocent Juliet of Shakespeare is transposed to the 21st Century with a gun… Metaphor for the perfume, weapon of seduction, or simple accessory of bluff. "Gun" essentially symbolises the liberation of women towards men… And sometimes with an aftertaste of revenge.'
Adds Romano, 'For me, perfume is intimately connected with seduction, perhaps in the same way as fashion, make-up and hairstyling. It's a way to define oneself externally. I felt, however, that there existed a more modern and more amusing way to approach these issues. That's why you will also find humour in my work, even though the work is rigorously done.' The debut fragrances included Miss Charming (an airy swirl of Moroccan rose, strawberry and lichi), and the darker, more mysterious Lady Vengeance, pulsing with rose, vanilla and patchouli.
Since then, Juliette Has a Gun has won the hearts of perfume-lovers around the world. In 2011 Romano also won the French Fragrance Foundation's 'Special Prize of the Board', awarded to an individual who has shown special ingenuity, creativity and dedication within the perfume industry.
One of the most innovative fragrances in the range is Not a Perfume, based very much on two notes usually used in the base – Ambroxan and white musk – which are instead given the 'lead role'. Purse sprays, equally innovatively, are in the form of silver 'bullets', perfect for slipping into the chicest handbag – and refillable with any of his fragrances. (Refills are something we'd like to see more of, in this industry.)
2015 saw the unveiling of Not Another Oud – which is, actually, an oudh. (Always tongue-in-cheek, this perfumer.) As blogger Candy Perfume Boy revealed: 'I have found myself reaching for it on a regular basis, mainly because it is neither quiet nor loud and works nicely on those warm days when one wants something with a bit more oomph than a refreshing Cologne or floral. It also has that wonderful ability to disappear and reappear periodically throughout the day and has on many occasions made me stop and say "what smells so good?" So is Another Oud just another oudh? Well yes… but it could even encourage the biggest of oudh-cynics to potentially crack a smile.'
2016 saw the launch of MMMM… – which you can see right. Explains Romano Ricci: 'I was thinking about this indescribable onomatopoeia when I created the fragrance. Behind that sound, that murmur, pronounced almost internally, lies a world of hidden pleasures that goes beyond words… A gourmand accord of vanilla and neroli. An olfactive sweetness that regales the senses and provokes immediate pleasure.'
In Paris, you'll find the collection showcased in NOSE (nose.fr), an innovative perfumery in Paris's 2nd arrondissement which Romano co-founded. Elsewhere, track down Juliette Has a Gun in all the most intriguing perfumeries (including London's Les Senteurs).
And next time you're passing, can we suggest you follow your own nose and find out why this rebellious perfumer has the scent world so excited?
julettehasagun.com


I have handled hundreds of litigation matters to jury verdict, judicial decision, settlement or other resolution during my career. Some examples are noted below. Each case is different and the outcome of any case depends upon a variety of factors such as the available insurance coverage.
A pedestrian suffered multiple serious injuries when she was hit in a crosswalk by an inattentive driver operating a commercial vehicle. This confidential settlement was one of the largest recoveries in Michigan this past year for a motor vehicle accident.
A motorist was injured in a construction zone crash involving a semi-truck. He suffered a mild traumatic brain injury and serious orthopedic injuries, which resulted in a $2,500,000.00 case evaluation award. The case was eventually settled for a confidential amount and was one of the largest settlements in Michigan that year.
A 27-year-old passenger was ejected from a van traveling on an icy highway in Wisconsin. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and a badly fractured pelvis. Over $1,000,000.00 was obtained for the passenger's economic and non-economic losses.
A 35-year-old driver was injured in a rural Michigan county by a company executive running a red light. He suffered a mild traumatic brain injury and numerous fractures. After several facilitation hearings the case settled for $1,000,000.00.
Over $1,000,000.00 for a driver injured by a semi-truck on the Ohio Turnpike.
A jury verdict against a large national retailer in excess of $1,000,000.00.
A $2,000,000.00 result in a products liability case against a foreign manufacturer; a $1,000,000.00 result in a construction site accident and a $1,000.000.00 wrongful death settlement in a fire case.


2018 Dodge Ram has 8 trims that start from Tradesman trim for $31,095 for 2WD to top end Laramie trim at $43,495 for 4WD. All trims levels come with all-wheel drive option for an extra $3,700. Ram comes with 3 engine options.
The engine used in the RAM is a 3.6 Liter Pentastar V6 which makes a healthy 305 horsepower and 269-pound feet of torque. Finally, there is one more engine which is option on every trim. It's a 3.0 Liter V6 diesel that makes 240 horses but a whopping 420-pound foot of torque.
The 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad cab comes in a total of 8 Variants which are available both in 2WD and 4WD configurations. Prices start at $31,095 for the base Tradesman 2WD trim and goes over $44,000 for the top of the line, 4WD Laramie Trim.
The Sport Trim according to us will be a good choice as it offers plenty value with features like Projector Headlamps, Bucket Seats and more.
In the engine department, Dodge Ram has 3 choices, a 3.6L V6 Pentastar engine with 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque and a 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel which generates 240 horses and impressive 420-pound feet of torque.
In comparison, Ram 1500 comes 1st in every aspect be it the price point, the 8-speed automatic transmission and the impressive 305 horsepower. The Silverado only has an edge in the torque department with 305-pound feet of torque as against 269-pound feet in the Ram 1500. Ford F-150 is second best in terms of power at 290 horses.
The Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab is a big Truck in sheer size. It does 0-60MPH in 7.6 seconds and a quarter mile time of 15.6 seconds. The timings are pretty decent for a truck with such big dimensions and weight.
The Ford outshines the competition with its 0-60 timings while the Chevy follows the Ford next. The Ram has to settle in the 3rd spot because of all the heft, it's carrying on its shoulders.
2018 Ram 1500 has 4 wheel coil spring suspension and 5 link coil spring rear suspension which makes the setup more advanced than its rivals.
The RAM 1500 has been praised all throughout these years for its exceptional ride quality. The 2018 version continues to build on the same and be the Benchmark for others to follow.
Don't be fooled by the ride quality of the ram as it is very similar to what a Car has to offer. The body movement is minimal and overall control won't be an issue in daily driving.
2018 Dodge Ram 1500 has 13.2 ventilated discs in the front and 13.8 inches ventilated discs in the back. With a kerb weight of 4945, it isn't a light vehicle which is aptly drops it's stopping distance to 123ft from 60-0MPH.
With a rated towing capability of 10,620 pounds for the 2WD variant, it shows the immense pulling power the vehicle holds. The Towing Capacity of the Ram ranks among the best in the class and will be good for most consumers, hoping to pull small or light loads.
The Ford beats the Ram in terms of Towing Capacity but in no way is it less. The Towing Capacity of the Ram is higher than the Silverado and will tow most objects pretty well.
There is no denying the fact that the Dodge Ram is a big truck. This spectrum does not do justice to it but it still fares decent in fuel figures. We don't have the official exact date but our findings suggest that it does 17 MPG in city, 25 MPG highway and 20MPG in combined driving cycle. The other engines would do better but they have 26 gallon fuel tank.
When you first look inside you're greeted by a very rich looking cabin. It can be with a variety of different interior color combinations.
Door trim comprises of luxury materials. You have stitched leather from the power window console that extends across to the upper half of the door.
In the middle part you have wood and aluminum insert and leather. Only the front 2 windows are one touch up and down. The mats on the limited are all weather and carpeted floor mats with aluminum scuff plate.
The upper dash is covered in stitched soft touch plastic and while lower portions are hard to touch everything fits together really well and feel solid.
The Dodge Ram 1500 offers good interior comfort. The truck can take 6 passengers with no worry. The front and rear head, shoulder and legroom is good courtesy of a wide body, tall stance and long wheelbase.
The RAM also allows you to fold up the seat which gives access to covered storage area. The Silverado has the best space in the front passenger compartment of the car. The RAM however has a better rear space.
The RAM 1500 has a good infotainment System with all the modern touches, one would expect from a modern Truck. The graphics of the Infotainment System has been refreshed with a more modern look.
There are 7 tabs on the Touch screen and features like Radio that controls FM/AM bands, Media which has Bluetooth controls for smartphones and other sources of media such as CD, USB and AUX, Apps tab which displays all the vehicle functions including Apple Car Play and android auto.
Satellite navigation is very responsive and pinch to zoom is supported and finally you have Phone tab which displays synced contacts, reads messages and scroll through other phone features.
2018 Ram 1500 has a bed length of 67.5 inches and a width of 66.4 inches. It is sufficient enough to carry most of your daily cargo from one place to another. Also Ram has dedicated cargo box on the insides of the bed which help in storing tools and other items, so that they don't clank while you're driving on the road.
With a bed length of 71.2 inches Silverado gives it the first place but it falls short in the width department. Ford F-150 has the smallest bed which has a length of 65.8 inches and a width of 52.8 inches.
The 2018 Dodge Ram has decent payload capacity and is mostly in par with what the segment has to offer. The potent Pentastar Engine ensures there is no drop in performance when pulling such heavy loads without much troubles.
In comparison, The 2018 GMC Sierra 2500HD has 1,920 pounds of payload capacity, an increase 0f 110 pounds over the 2018 Dodge Ram. Chevy Silverado has a payload capacity 1,980 pounds which earns it a second place and Ford places at 1,680 pounds.
The RAM has an excellent suspension setup, an 8-speed automatic transmission and a ride quality that makes you feel that you're gliding over the road. Also, Ram has been getting regular updates since 2009 whereas Silverado has mostly remained the same since launch. Hence we think that the Ram makes a better choice than the Silverado here.
Ford F-150 has been the best-selling pick-up truck in America for a very long time. In terms of that, Ford F150 is better than Dodge Ram 1500. With regular updates and features like 10 speed automatic transmission, intuitive Sync 3 infotainment, extensive list of safety options (Phew! there are a lot), the Ford has been the Truck to beat. The Dodge however has the Best Ride Quality in the segment and if you want a Comfortable Truck, the Dodge is the one to go for.
The Dodge Ram has come of age and it shows in the interior and the Features list. It still is the most luxurious truck you can buy. The ride quality is supple and the handling matches the same perfectly. It also is the cheapest in this comparison. The payload might be on the lower side but the cargo box feature is a neat idea. Towing is on the lower side which shifts the buyer's concentration to other suitable options. But a great Fuel Economy and amazing ride quality makes it a good buy.


If You're Not in the Relationship You Want – What's Holding You Back?
A lot of times we will scream to the universe that we are ready for a relationship. BUT – if you've been proclaiming your readiness, and still haven't found Mr. Right, it's time to figure out what's holding you back, and how you can rid yourself of it for good! Watch this video, and let's figure it out together with me and Christina Morassi!


Trace the pieces of your peppermint onto the dull side of the freezer paper.
Press the largest "candy wrapper" pieces onto the white felt using a warm iron. Cut out on the lines and remove the freezer paper templates.
Press the small "swirl" template onto the red felt using a warm iron. Cut out on the lines and remove the freezer paper template.
Using a buttonhole stitch and your red (O775) perle cotton, stitch all around the edges of the red "swirl".
Trace the peppermint detail lines onto the white tissue paper. I find it easiest to trace the entire shape and all details so that I can line everything up nicely and pin the tissue paper in place.
Using a stem stitch and O775 red variegated perle cotton, stitch through the tissue paper and your felt pieces to add the details.
Using 117 (light grey) perle cotton and a stem stitch, stitch the "wrap" details just beyond the "swirl".
The "crinkles" in the wrapper will be stitched using 3 (white) perle cotton and a stem stitch.
Place the finished peppermint ornament on top of the remaining plain "candy wrapper". Using a buttonhole stitch and 3 (white) perle cotton, stitch around the outer edges of the white candy wrapper portion.
The center portion of the candy wrapper where the "swirl" is located will be finished with a buttonhole stitch using O775 (variegated red) perle cotton.
For a hanger, you may either use a store bought hanger, a small piece of clear fishing line, or a narrow piece of white ribbon.


This is a sign painted by one of my friends. It hangs on the wall in our den.
Who are the "unruly" dogs?
Dog number 1: Otis the pug.
Dog number 2: Fergie the Jatese.
Barking. Barking. Barking. Did I mention barking? Barking at every sound, and occasionally dumping the garbage looking for food.
Fergie is a Jatese, a Maltese/Japanese Chin cross. We were told this by the breeder, but his parentage has been questioned by many. He is a 26 pound dog with extremely long legs and back and very small head.
In honor of my two very lovable, but unruly dogs, I have assembled a dog themed vignette. I have been collecting pug figurines for quite some time, and most of them were purchased on ebay. I recently extended my collection to include other breed vintage figurines.
Remember my vintage poodle bookend in a post last week? Here it is holding up books in my desk hutch.
Dog on the left was purchased thrifting for $3.
Both of these pugs were purchased on ebay.
The spaniel figurine was one of my top ten finds of 2012. $3 at the thrift shop.
The little pug family were also an ebay purchase.
This trio were also borrowed from my Mom.
The cocker is a new purchase at the antique shop for $24. Enesco Japan. The plate is Mom's, and the pug was a purchase from ebay too.
I hope all you dog lovers enjoyed my vintage dog themed vignette.
Do your dogs lie? Mine is always telling the other one of us that she hasn't been fed and tells everyone out on the beach that we starve her and she should be given treats.
She is 14 and we are beginning to fear life without her.
My husband is favoring an Otis for our next dog.
Good Evening Carlene, Otis and Fergie are adorable, I could put them in my pocket and bring them home to England.
I love the idea of a silver sugar bowl filled with little dog biscuits....what a fun idea.
It's hard to choose between the porcelain dogs and your furry dogs....let's not decide.... I love them all.
So cute! Love the pug family and your own unruly two. The sign is too cute!
Oh so cute. Esp. love the Spaniels. I have a small collection of doggie. Love how you grouped yours.
OH this is a post after my own heart...I am a dog lover, especially pugs...even unruly ones (obviously, as I have 2 of the funny creatures)! Wonderful figurine collection!
I'm a cat lady but I do enjoy dogs also. Your vignettes and collection is pretty awesome. Lots of cuties...my fav is that Poodle!
Your dogs are cute. We received a sign for Christmas. It reads, "Be AWARE of the dog."
Have you seen the book, LIVING WITH DOGS? I found a copy at Half Price Books. It's full of wonderful vignettes of dog related items.
I'm a dog lover...have 2 spoiled rotten yorkies. Love your dog themed vignette!
You have some very cute dogs and cute dog stuff.
Hi Carlene! OH, what a lovely doggie collection you have! Oh, your little pups are just being doggies! I have a few unruly thingss I could tell about my dog.
Your dogs are just darling...even if they are unruly! Love all the figurines too and that little silver dish of pugs makes me smile!!
Dog Gone cute Carlene! I love dogs. Always had one when the kids were little. Hubby and I like to go too much so no more dogs here. The only dog I ever had in the house was a toy poodle. That was before we had kids. Don't know if I could handle one inside. Last night I went to a huge house up the street from me. She has two standard poodles. She cooks special food for them. Now that is some spoiled dogs! Borrowing from your mom, great idea. I think if my girls borrowed from me I would never see it again. lol! Just kidding.
I love dog figurines, too. My daughter has a collection of dog planters. Woof. Woof.
Such Cuties! All of them!
I think your friend had my house and pets in mind when she painted the sign!! Fits our lifestyle exactly.
Cute, cute, cute! We love dogs too, they're part of the family! Yours are precious too!


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Opinion: When is Failure Actually Success?
When is Failure Actually Success?
By Matthew Givens
Posted Feb 1, 2009
There is a controversy swirling around this country, and it centers on our new President and his goals for the future. Specifically, it focuses on people who have expressed a desire for President Barack Obama to fail. Talk radio superstar Rush Limbaugh made headlines with his desire for a Presidential failure, and has been criticized – even vilified – for it.
But what exactly does it mean, to wish for failure? Regardless of the visceral reaction that wishes for failure evoke, they are not necessarily a bad thing. To judge whether wishing for failure is good or bad, we must look at the intended goal of the effort.
Always look at the surrounding situation. If a police officer is aiming his firearm in order to shoot a criminal about to commit murder, then wishing for failure is a bad thing. The last thing we want the officer to do is miss. But if it's the criminal aiming his weapon, intending to fire at a policeman, then wishing for failure is a good thing. In fact, in that situation, wishing for the criminal to fail is actually wishing for success on behalf of the police officer and, indeed, society.
Or take an example from my home state of Alabama. Some years ago, a brand new Republican Governor decided to kick off his administration by asking the voters to approve a massive $1.2 billion package of tax increases, an amount equal to approximately 7% of the existing budget at that time. Predictions of doom abounded, describing hordes of released prisoners threatening our children, schools closed to lack of funds, and massive layoffs in state government. By today's standards, we all should have wished the Governor success and joined hands for a rousing chorus of Kumbaya… but we didn't. Recognizing the folly of such a large tax increase – the largest in Alabama's history – the people fought it and won. As expected, none of the dire predictions came true, and the state balanced the budget intelligently with budget cuts. By working for our Governor to fail, we helped our state to succeed.
In judging whether to support or oppose our President, we have to examine his goals. Not his goals as stated in campaign speeches, but as expressed in the legislation he supports. His biggest push so far is for massive amounts of spending in a futile attempt at "economic stimulus". The $850 billion stimulus bill contains little, if anything, that will favorably impact the economy. If the goal is simply to get money to people to spend, that $850 billion would be worth more than $2,000 for each and every man woman and child in this country. If checks were issued to everybody equally, at least the money would be in possession of private individuals to spend as they see fit. Instead, the President supports a bill full of pork spending that will dramatically increase our debt, as well as the size and scope of government.
In this case, the goal seems to be spending money for the sake of government growth. Perhaps President Obama hopes to garner political benefits from being seen to "do something" to help the economy. It's also possible that he is simply taking this opportunity to indulge the Democratic love of big government. In either case, I think I can honestly say that I wish the President to fail in this endeavor, for in his failure lies economic success for this country.
To turn this country around, we do not need profligate and irresponsible government spending. We do not need bailouts (read: welfare) handed out to everybody who cries loudly enough and who, in most cases, caused their own problems. We do not need government dictating to private businesses how to run those businesses. What we do need is a return to sanity, in the form of reduced taxes and regulations on individuals and businesses, greatly reduced amounts of spending, and the intelligence and wisdom to not only get rid of the budget deficit, but also to begin retiring a national debt that now totals more than $35,000 for every person currently alive.
Mr. President, I do not want you to succeed in your goal of bankrupting our government and seizing control of the private sector. Your success will cripple us for generations. But your failure may just enable us to turn our economy around before it is too late. And that would be an amazing success.
If you would like to submit a written opinion on this or any other subject, please click here.


CLERMONT – A man who said he needed to "do some stuff in his yard" was arrested at 2 a.m. Monday and charged with grand theft for allegedly taking a $70,000 Caterpillar tractor from a construction site.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Henry J. Niles, 49, after receiving a report of construction equipment being driven down John's Lake Road without lights on.
The site is across from Grace Community Church in the 14000 block. Deputies were able to follow tracks from the construction site to Niles' home.
Niles said he used a Caterpillar master key to operate the backhoe.
The owner of the construction company that owned the tractor pressed charges.


Popular Kiwi Stone, a color enhanced but dye fast natural stone. Popular Kiwi Stone which is also called Kiwi Quartz, a harder, better polishing stone than the original serpentine material. This is a color enhanced but dye fast natural stone.
The variations of the natural material cause the color treatment to be absorbed more in different parts of the stone producing the shades of the base color. Natural black spots add to the attraction of the stone. This ruby color is a dark red similar to star ruby. Be the first to have these! The variations of the material cause the color treatment to be absorbed more in different parts of the stone producing attractive shades.
Our kiwi stone beads are available in a variety of fun shapes, including teardrops, rectangles, coins, ovals, diamonds, and many more. They are fully drilled and made from high quality a grade gems from India. These unique beads are sure to inspire your next jewelry project. Most of these gemstones are available for a limited time, and once they're sold out they won't be available again.
The natural black spots add to the uniqueness. All kiwi stone beads are sold loose in small count packages to make them more affordable for you. We also supply hundreds of Indian domestic stones at lower price.


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Share this Story: Calgary BASE jumper was eager for his next leap, says likely last person to see him alive
Calgary BASE jumper was eager for his next leap, says likely last person to see him alive
Salmaan Farooqui
Aug 09, 2016 • August 9, 2016 • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Ha Ling peak (foreground), Mt. Lawrence Grassi (middle), Little Sister (far left), from Mt. Rundle south summit. Photo by Photo by Craig Copeland
A Calgary woman says a BASE jumper found dead near Canmore was excited about his next jump in the hours before his death.
Cindy Sleeman says she picked up the jumper Saturday morning, whom she identified as Cameron Minni of Calgary, while he was hitchhiking after completing an initial successful jump in the Canmore area.
Calgary BASE jumper was eager for his next leap, says likely last person to see him alive Back to video
Minni was reported missing Saturday evening, after failing to return home from a planned BASE jump from Miners Peak on Mount Lawrence Grassi. His body was found Monday in Miners Gully.
Canmore RCMP have not said whether Minni actually jumped, but Sleeman says she believes he did since his body was in the gully directly below Miners Peak.
"I was basically the last person to see him . . . He had just done a BASE jump off the east end of Rundle Mountain (Saturday morning), and I picked him up just below the cliff where he had jumped off," said Sleeman, who was planning on hiking in the area that day.
While Sleeman only briefly met Minni, she said he was a great person who offered to let her borrow his bear spray for her hike that afternoon. After a short drive, Sleeman dropped Minni off at his car and they parted ways.
"He was very vibrant. I only met him for 15 to 20 minutes, and definitely I would have hung out, crossed paths or met up with him again, for sure," said Sleeman.
"That was really it, it was a nice to meet you, have a great day, a hug and that was it, that was the last time I saw him . . . it's too bad."
According to Sleeman, Minni, 36, was an experienced jumper who had BASE-jumped around the world, including from the top of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Despite his death, Sleeman says she understood Minni's passion.
"Fatalities can happen anywhere at anytime . . . It's better than having a casualty on the Deerfoot. I'd rather be on a mountain."
Opinion: Now is not the time to demoralize health-care workers and their leaders


Model 254 1/2R is a 1.7 ounce Little Trapper that is designed with Hollow Ground 440 Stainless Steel blades that is rust resistant and easy to sharpen. The handle is made from our popular Rosewood material with Nickel Silver Bolsters and stainless-steel liners. Model 254 1/2R is a traditional slip-joint Little Trapper that features nail nicks to open the blades. Model 254 1/2R is proudly made in the USA.


the port is still at 465 etc. When I press test I get the email failure message. Any ideas as to why?
Check gmail settings to make sure nothing is being blocked and that apps are allowed thru there system.
Thanks for responding. Cameras are DCS-942L firmware version 1.27. I am in Canada.
The router at home is a Netgear R7000, but this is also happening at my work camera which is set up with different router.
I went to GMAIL settings, I don't see any apps been blocked. Anything I can reset? I have even tried switching to my hotmail account and adjusting the stmp settings in my dlink interface and still get errors.
I've asked for some more help and review on this. Please be patient.
Instead of SSL-TLS:Port 465, you can try STARTTLS:Port 587. Gmail supports that as well and you can give that a shot.
If you use gmail, you will want to check your gmail settings. This FAQ may help.
Well well it was that. "Allow less secure apps: ON: in Google settings was turned off. The moment I turned it on everything works.
Weird because I never touched anything. I wonder if it was a recent Google update that turned it off.
Thanks guys much appreciate all the help.
Keep an eye on that if you notice this again. Google may re-enable it even though you disabled it.


170g Pure Soy Candle in a glass jar packed full of luxurious and high quality Jasmine fragrance. Up to 35 hour burn time. Hand poured. All presented in a colourful box ideal for giving, but most importantly, easy for wrapping!


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2016 Ford Explorer: The Most Common Complaints You Should Know About
by J.L. Seto on December 2, 2019
Sometimes Ford really hits a home run, other times, Ford just strikes out. The 2016 Ford Explorer is an example of where Ford just failed to make a good car. Here are the most common complaints that owners of the 2016 Ford Explorer had about it, according to Car Complaints.
The 2016 Ford Explorer | David McNew/Getty Images
Interior problems
The interior of this Ford Explorer was the third most problematic category for the SUV, according to Car Complaints. The most common problem with the interior had to do with the seats.
In particular, the third-row seats were a common problem area that many owners had with the Explorer. What's more unfortunate, however, is the fact that Car Complaints says that the Explorer's seats were to blame for at least three injuries.
Another common complaint had to do with the Explorer's dashboard display. For some reason, the dashboard would simply go blank for some owners. This issue happened to relatively new Explorers, but it isn't an extremely serious issue.
Likewise, many more owners experienced a similar issue with their radios. For some reason, the radio on a new Explorer sometimes wouldn't turn on. But again, this wasn't an extremely serious issue.
Steering problems
The second most problematic category for the Explorer had to do with its steering. This was an extremely common complaint, and hundreds of Explorer owners reported it happening to Car Complaints. Most of these complaints had to do with the power steering feature of the Explorer, and sometimes, it simply wouldn't work.
Unfortunately, this was a severe issue. Car Complaints reported at least four crashes due to this steering issue with the Explorer. At least two people were injured by this steering problem, according to Car Complaints.
On top of that, Car Complaints says that the average cost to fix this issue was about $2,100. Notably, the average mileage of the Explorer in these cases was about 40,000 miles.
That said, despite these numerous and well-documented problems with the Explorer's steering, no recall has been issued for the 2016 Explorer over its steering problems.
Regardless, many users on Car Complaints continue to file complaints about the Explorer's steering problems, and hopefully, these issues will not lead to any more accidents or injuries.
Engine problems: the most common complaint about the 2016 Ford Explorer
This is what we like to call 'peak' performance. ⛰ ∙ #Ford #FordExplorer #SUV
A post shared by Ford Motor Company (@ford) on Oct 29, 2019 at 10:30am PDT
The most problematic category for the Explorer had to do with its engine. Car Complaints mentioned several different issues in relation to the Explorer's engine, and each one was relatively similar.
The most common engine problems with the Explorer was that the engine would simply stall or die at times. This primarily happened to relatively new Explorers that had only about 10,000 miles on them. Sometimes it would start with the wrench light turning on suddenly and then leading to the Explorer stalling.
This is obviously a severe issue, as some users on Car Complaints reported that this problem happened to them on a highway. Indeed, according to Car Complaints, at least one crash and one fire were caused by the engine problems of the Explorer, and at least seven people have been injured due to this issue.
Similar to the Explorer's steering problems, no recalls have been issued for the 2016 Explorer over these engine problems. It's also not known what Ford is planning to do to fix these problems, if Ford is planning on doing anything at all. Again, hopefully, these problems are resolved before more people are injured by them.
The 2016 model year of the Explorer is somewhat unique like that. Compared to other model years, such as the 2017 or 2015 Explorers, the 2016 Explorer is especially problematic. In fact, it has so many problems that Car Complaints gave it a "Beware of the Clunker" award.
Tags: explorer Ford


text:
Democratisation, Featured, MENA
Sudan's army is at a stalemate, and the costs are mounting
A military coup on 25 October put an abrupt end to Sudan's fragile democratic transition. Hager Ali argues that although the coup pre-empted a power transfer, the military created a much bigger problem for itself. The same socio-political conditions that kept al-Bashir in power for decades now threaten the military's capacity to govern
On 25 October, a military coup by General Abdelfattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo 'Hemeti' ousted Sudan's transitional government, the Sovereignty Council. As of 11 November, al-Burhan named a new Sovereignty Council in which Dagalo remains deputy. Civilians critical of military rule, however, are excluded.
Civilian former prime minister Abdallah Hamdok refused to back the coup, and the Sovereignty Council placed him under house arrest. Al-Burhan then reinstated Hamdok as prime minister under a new power-sharing deal. Hamdok cited economic reasons for agreeing to cooperate after all. In the wake of this 'betrayal', there followed protests and mass resignations by ministers.
Sudan had planned for democratic elections in summer 2022. In the transitional period, the Sovereignty Council would be led by the military for the first 21 months, before civilians took over in the run-up to the election. When the military-to-civilian-handoff was imminent, security reforms, commercial military activities, the judiciary and the actual transfer to civilians all became highly contentious. This led to civilian protests in favour of, and against, a military takeover. Under the guise of restoring order, the military eventually stepped in.
With Al-Burhan, Dagalo, and Hamdok back to their pre-coup positions, and a changed power-sharing deal, democratisation in Sudan now looks uncertain. To make sense of the October coup and its implications, it is important to understand what drives – or hinders – military rule.
Divide and conquer the periphery…
There have been 17 failed and successful coup attempts in almost every decade since Sudan gained independence from colonial rule. High coup frequency always indicates underlying systemic problems with regime stability. In Sudan, that means deeply entrenched cleavages that reinforce each other, and render the country prone to conflict and power struggles.
Recurring coups always indicate underlying systemic problems with regime stability
Ethnoreligious divisions in Sudan run parallel to a salient urban-rural cleavage. In Sudan's ethnically diverse society, the predominantly Arabic Muslim population is concentrated in the wealthier centre. Its non-Arabic population, in the periphery, remains economically neglected, and politically excluded.
Sudan recruits its army from predominantly Arab backgrounds. Likewise, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which fought in Darfur and were commanded by Dagalo, are recruited from Arabised indigenous peoples.
The geographic distribution of natural resources and their administration exacerbates these tensions. The most important resources in Sudan's economy today are gold, crude oil, base metals, and gum Arabic, mined in the periphery. When South Sudan seceded in 2011, Sudan lost over 70% of its oil revenues, and gold trade thus became highly significant. The Blue Nile State is particularly rich in gold, metals, fertile soil and gum Arabic. Khartoum adminsters the resources, though Blue Nile's indigenous population has little political representation. Oil-rich Abyei in South Kordofan is administered by Khartoum, yet its population identifies with South Sudan. Droughts created tension over land ownership between Arabic nomads and non-Arabic local tribes in the resource-rich Nuba-Mountains in South Kordofan.
…Unite and control the centre
El-Bashir frequently exploited and exacerbated ethnoreligious divisions by arming specific tribes for proxy conflicts over religion, identity, and local resources. That way, he could stabilise his regime in the comparatively homogenous centre, while weakening opposition in the fractured periphery. Protest mobilisation ahead of the Arab Spring mostly took place outside Khartoum. Meanwhile, el-Bashir held tight control of the capital.
Regime change cannot undo societal structures. Neither do such strucures disappear with peace treaties. The risk of destabilisation, therefore, never went away, even after el-Bashir's ousting in 2019. Militaries are not immune to economic crises, and pre-Arab Spring grievances could still fuel conflict. What changed in 2021 is that a realistic prospect for democratisation emerged. This jolted the army into action to pre-empt a civilian takeover.
To a ruling army like the Sudanese military, democratisation means loss of power and resources
Democratisation presupposes full civilian control over an army. But to a ruling army like the Sudanese military, which has a dominant role in domestic conflicts, and vast economic stakes, democratisation always means loss of power monopoly and resources. The mere prospect of political representation for other non-Arab ethnic groups threatens the military's socio-political hegemony in strategic areas outside Khartoum.
Wars and insurgencies require a constant supply of military equipment, personnel, and funding. That makes the centralised administration of natural resources essential to regime survival. Added expenditures then drive a military's incentive to pursue commercial interests and control over budgetary allocations. The pre-coup transitional arrangement put both of these explicitly at risk.
In 2017, the Rapid Support Forces also seized goldmines in Darfur. This made Dagalo, now deputy of the Sovereignty Council, into one of the richest men in Sudan. Personal investments became entangled with military interests and Sudanese trade, especially to political allies like the Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The army's gambit
The October coup manoeuvred the Sudanese Army into a strategic stalemate. Civilian control posed a predictable threat to the military's commercial interests. But under current circumstances, military control cannot guarantee the fulfilment of its interests, either. On top of damaging Hamdok's reputation, the coup cast reasonable doubt on the military's future willingness to share power. It also precipitated the loss of urgently needed foreign aid, which is devastating to all parties affected.
the coup damaged Hamdok's reputation, and cast doubt on the military's future willingness to share power
Prior to the ousting of el-Bashir, protests in the periphery posed little threat to a consolidated capital. Sudan's societal structures remained the same, but now governance in Khartoum is in flux. The same conditions that stabilised al-Bashir could now break al-Burhan's power. Against this backdrop, reappointing Hamdok is little more than virtue-signalling for crisis-management.
Democratisation after direct military rule is difficult, but not impossible. Military leaders can withdraw if there is too little support to sustain continued rule, or when their interests are safeguarded by civilian leaders. Militaries could also withdraw from direct power when the costs of military rule simply become too high. And right now in Sudan, the costs of the army's gambit just keep mounting.
This article presents the views of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the ECPR or the Editors of The Loop.
Abdelfattah al-Burhanal-BashirArab Springcoupcoup d'étatcoupscoups d'etatcoups d'étatdemocratisationdemocratizationethnic minoritiesHemetiIslamMENAmilitary coupMohamed Hamdan Dagalooverthrowpolitics and religionreligion and politicsSaudi ArabiaSudan
Hager Ali
Research Fellow and Doctoral Student, GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies, Hamburg
Hager's research focuses on civil-military relations, regime stability, and authoritarian politics across the Middle East and North Africa.
She received her MA from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, where she specialised in comparative political science, and her BA in Political Science and Sociology from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Hager is also a freelance journalist.
Follow her on Twitter @ActuallyHager
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by Hager Ali, The Loop

Sudan's army is at a stalemate, and the costs are mounting

by Hager Ali, The Loop
November 29, 2021

A military coup on 25 October put an abrupt end to Sudan's fragile democratic transition. Hager Ali argues that although the coup pre-empted a power transfer, the military created a much bigger problem for itself. The same socio-political conditions that kept al-Bashir in power for decades now threaten the military's capacity to govern

On 25 October, a military coup by General Abdelfattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo 'Hemeti' ousted Sudan's transitional government, the Sovereignty Council. As of 11 November, al-Burhan named a new Sovereignty Council in which Dagalo remains deputy. Civilians critical of military rule, however, are excluded.

Civilian former prime minister Abdallah Hamdok refused to back the coup, and the Sovereignty Council placed him under house arrest. Al-Burhan then reinstated Hamdok as prime minister under a new power-sharing deal. Hamdok cited economic reasons for agreeing to cooperate after all. In the wake of this 'betrayal', there followed protests and mass resignations by ministers.

Sudan had planned for democratic elections in summer 2022. In the transitional period, the Sovereignty Council would be led by the military for the first 21 months, before civilians took over in the run-up to the election. When the military-to-civilian-handoff was imminent, security reforms, commercial military activities, the judiciary and the actual transfer to civilians all became highly contentious. This led to civilian protests in favour of, and against, a military takeover. Under the guise of restoring order, the military eventually stepped in.

With Al-Burhan, Dagalo, and Hamdok back to their pre-coup positions, and a changed power-sharing deal, democratisation in Sudan now looks uncertain. To make sense of the October coup and its implications, it is important to understand what drives – or hinders – military rule.

Divide and conquer the periphery…

There have been 17 failed and successful coup attempts in almost every decade since Sudan gained independence from colonial rule. High coup frequency always indicates underlying systemic problems with regime stability. In Sudan, that means deeply entrenched cleavages that reinforce each other, and render the country prone to conflict and power struggles.

 Recurring coups always indicate underlying systemic problems with regime stability

Ethnoreligious divisions in Sudan run parallel to a salient urban-rural cleavage. In Sudan's ethnically diverse society, the predominantly Arabic Muslim population is concentrated in the wealthier centre. Its non-Arabic population, in the periphery, remains economically neglected, and politically excluded.

Sudan recruits its army from predominantly Arab backgrounds. Likewise, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which fought in Darfur and were commanded by Dagalo, are recruited from Arabised indigenous peoples.

The geographic distribution of natural resources and their administration exacerbates these tensions. The most important resources in Sudan's economy today are gold, crude oil, base metals, and gum Arabic, mined in the periphery. When South Sudan seceded in 2011, Sudan lost over 70% of its oil revenues, and gold trade thus became highly significant. The Blue Nile State is particularly rich in gold, metals, fertile soil and gum Arabic. Khartoum adminsters the resources, though Blue Nile's indigenous population has little political representation. Oil-rich Abyei in South Kordofan is administered by Khartoum, yet its population identifies with South Sudan. Droughts created tension over land ownership between Arabic nomads and non-Arabic local tribes in the resource-rich Nuba-Mountains in South Kordofan.

…Unite and control the centre

El-Bashir frequently exploited and exacerbated ethnoreligious divisions by arming specific tribes for proxy conflicts over religion, identity, and local resources. That way, he could stabilise his regime in the comparatively homogenous centre, while weakening opposition in the fractured periphery. Protest mobilisation ahead of the Arab Spring mostly took place outside Khartoum. Meanwhile, el-Bashir held tight control of the capital.

Regime change cannot undo societal structures. Neither do such strucures disappear with peace treaties. The risk of destabilisation, therefore, never went away, even after el-Bashir's ousting in 2019. Militaries are not immune to economic crises, and pre-Arab Spring grievances could still fuel conflict. What changed in 2021 is that a realistic prospect for democratisation emerged. This jolted the army into action to pre-empt a civilian takeover.

To a ruling army like the Sudanese military, democratisation means loss of power and resources

Democratisation presupposes full civilian control over an army. But to a ruling army like the Sudanese military, which has a dominant role in domestic conflicts, and vast economic stakes, democratisation always means loss of power monopoly and resources. The mere prospect of political representation for other non-Arab ethnic groups threatens the military's socio-political hegemony in strategic areas outside Khartoum.

Wars and insurgencies require a constant supply of military equipment, personnel, and funding. That makes the centralised administration of natural resources essential to regime survival. Added expenditures then drive a military's incentive to pursue commercial interests and control over budgetary allocations. The pre-coup transitional arrangement put both of these explicitly at risk.

In 2017, the Rapid Support Forces also seized goldmines in Darfur. This made Dagalo, now deputy of the Sovereignty Council, into one of the richest men in Sudan. Personal investments became entangled with military interests and Sudanese trade, especially to political allies like the Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The army's gambit

The October coup manoeuvred the Sudanese Army into a strategic stalemate. Civilian control posed a predictable threat to the military's commercial interests. But under current circumstances, military control cannot guarantee the fulfilment of its interests, either. On top of damaging Hamdok's reputation, the coup cast reasonable doubt on the military's future willingness to share power. It also precipitated the loss of urgently needed foreign aid, which is devastating to all parties affected.

the coup damaged Hamdok's reputation, and cast doubt on the military's future willingness to share power

Prior to the ousting of el-Bashir, protests in the periphery posed little threat to a consolidated capital. Sudan's societal structures remained the same, but now governance in Khartoum is in flux. The same conditions that stabilised al-Bashir could now break al-Burhan's power. Against this backdrop, reappointing Hamdok is little more than virtue-signalling for crisis-management.

Democratisation after direct military rule is difficult, but not impossible. Military leaders can withdraw if there is too little support to sustain continued rule, or when their interests are safeguarded by civilian leaders. Militaries could also withdraw from direct power when the costs of military rule simply become too high. And right now in Sudan, the costs of the army's gambit just keep mounting.

This article was originally published at The Loop and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
A second 'Pink Tide' rises in Latin America, but will it last?
The advance of left-wing, progressive parties in Latin America is driven by the mismanagement of the pandemic, the economic crisis, and the failure of right-wing populism in the region, observes Valesca Lima
How do populists make their decisions?
Italian populists' focus on 'the will of the people' has frequently contradicted their ideological priorities towards migration, Fred Paxton and Andrea Pettrachin find. The perception of local attitudes to immigration and issue salience are the determining factors in how populists in local government make their decisions
🦋 Selection: the key to studying democracy and innovation
Jean-Paul Gagnon takes biology as a model but overlooks that it is driven by variation as well as selection. The study of it, therefore, is sensitive to both. The study of democracy and innovation must be too, asserts Frank Hendriks


Explore our selection of latest job vacancies in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. BusinessList.com.ng has a range of employment options for you.
We are looking to build a team of innovative person's to raise the standard of designs for Home/office designs.. Qualifications should be read and write able person's.
Teaching of German according to the Common European Framework for References. Knowledge of the different language levels is an added advantage.
Essentially the job of a receptionist/personal assistant with modification to suit the unique environment of a hospital.


text:
Wanna feed 2 million people – or even 9 million – in less than 10 minutes?
On June 6, 2014 June 6, 2014 By Dave BuerstettaIn Christianity, Hunger, Justice
If so, all you have to do is read a little and add your name to a letter. Sometimes advocacy is just that simple.
Illinois residents (along with those of Alaska, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia) have an opportunity – I would even say a duty – to influence legislation currently being considered in the Senate Commerce Committee that, if passed as is, takes away food from 2 million hungry people. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is on that committee. Senator Durbin needs to hear that we, his constituents, want Section 318 out of the final version of The Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014. Why? From Bread for the World:
Section 318 increases shipping restrictions for U.S. food aid, and makes our food aid less efficient, increasing shipping costs by more than $75 million per year. The additional cost would be taken directly out of our nation's food aid programs—literally out of the mouths of 2 million men, women and children. Both U.S. taxpayers and hungry people would lose from this unjust provision.
Additionally, a bipartisan bill, The Food for Peace Reform Act of 2014, was introduced this week. If passed it could feed up to nine million hungry people by making U.S. food aid more efficient. The United Methodist Church's General Board of Church and Society joined several other organizations supporting this bill, asking for it to be passed quickly.
With help from our friends at Bread for the World, each of us can raise our voice with and for hungry neighbors just by adding our name to a single letter which will be delivered to our Senators and Representatives on June 10. (Full text of the letter is also below.)
Will you join me in signing this letter and thereby work to change food aid systems so they feed more people?
Check out the video below for a great song to accompany some justice advocacy. (H/T to Patti Cash for bringing this song to my attention.)
Dear Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Mark Kirk, and our respective U.S. representatives:
As religious leaders across Illinois, we answer the call to help our neighbors in need. Our faith communities are globally engaged, and we know U.S. policy plays a critical role in addressing human needs and fostering global development. Our faith compels us to support policy reforms to our nation's international food aid that would enable us to:
* feed millions more hungry people,
* deliver life-saving food more quickly,
* support vulnerable communities in becoming self-sufficient, and
* better utilize taxpayer dollars.
Reforming U.S. food aid is the right thing to do from both a moral and a fiscal standpoint. It is also in America's self-interest, as it would do more to foster peace, stability and goodwill toward our nation and would support the development of new trade partners and consumers for U.S. products.
As you debate legislation and cast votes in Congress, we ask you to keep poor and hungry people at the forefront of your heart and mind, and we ask you to support the following reforms to our international food aid:
1. Improve flexibility and efficiency, so we can more effectively respond to hunger.
2. Enhance nutritional quality, so vulnerable populations (such as very young children) receive what they need to thrive.
3. Protect food aid funding, so policy improvements lead to more lives saved.
We specifically ask you to cosponsor the "Food for Peace Reform Act of 2014," from Sens. Bob Corker and Chris Coons. This bill will make our food aid more efficient, freeing up as much as $440 million annually and thereby allowing us to reach seven to nine million more people, in a substantially shorter amount of time. At a time when our budget is strained and 842 million people in the world are hungry, we must maximize taxpayer dollars by making our food aid as efficient as possible. Supporting the "Food for Peace Reform Act" is the prudent decision—both morally and fiscally—and we ask you to cosponsor this important legislation.
We also ask you to ensure "Section 318" of H.R. 4005, the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014, is not included in the final bill. Section 318, which increases shipping restrictions for U.S. food aid, would make our food aid less efficient, increasing shipping costs by more than $75 million per year. This provision would make our food aid less efficient, increasing shipping costs by more than $75 million per year. The additional cost would be taken directly out of our nation's food aid programs—literally out of the mouths of 2 million men, women and children. Both U.S. taxpayers and hungry people would lose from this unjust provision, and it must be removed.
We look forward to staying in communication as you consider U.S. food aid, and we are praying for you as you make these and other critical decisions in the months ahead.
With hope,
advocacyBread for the WorldSen. Dick DurbinThe Alternate RoutesUMC Board of Church & Society
A true must-read
Advocacy at work
One thought on "Wanna feed 2 million people – or even 9 million – in less than 10 minutes?"
painspeaks
Reblogged this on The Daily Advocate By Painspeaks.


This article is an overview about the value of proteins in the body of humans.
Make introspections into the economic value of macromolecules in the body of living systems. This article tries questions about the value of proteins in the general and of enzymes in particular for the body in humans as a source of macromolecules that serve several functions within the body. Some of these proteins serve as catalysts for the metabolic reactions in the body but others are used for other important purposes such as building blocks for the cellular cytoskeleton. Also proteins can function for example as antibodies that serve the function of the immune cells. In addition certain proteins can serve as clotting factors for the blood. There are probably many other unknown functions of these important biological groups of compounds to the human body that need yet to be discovered and isolated.
Be familiar with the importance of these molecules in the body. We see from the previous discussion the immense importance of these molecules in the human body in particular and for all other living organisms as well. These proteins are built chemically from amino acids that are connected to each other using covalent bonds that are called peptide bonds. These peptide bonds are formed from the combination of a carbon atom of a carboxyl group of one amino acid with the amino group of a neighboring amino acid. This type of chemical bond between two amino acids is difficult to make in the usual organic chemical lab due to the nature of the organic groups that are involved. Especially notable here is the effect of pH on the performance of this type of bonds.
Know the chemical structure of proteins and their constituent amino acids. In the body these chemical bonds are performed more conveniently using enzymatic catalysis. The whole process of making one protein molecule in the cell requires many amino acid molecules as building blocks for that particular protein. Most known proteins possess as little as 100 amino acids each. This is a very large number of chemical compounds that the body needs to recruit in order to build this protein and other proteins as well with similar and more numbers of amino acids. This means that the body needs a huge number of these amino acids on a daily bases in order to supply the row materials in order to synthesize these molecules in the body. This whole process requires therefore an exceptionally high amount of energy for the production of these protein compounds.
Evaluate the economic value of making these huge chemical compounds in the body. The question then arises whether the economic value of making these compounds in the body is worthy the expenditure of this large number of calories in the body. Obviously this use by the body of macromolecules is universal for all its tissues and cells. This choice of these large compounds is of no clear energetic value for the body.
Estimate the energy that is required to make these large molecules in the body. The biological design of the body tissues that is so made to use primarily these large compounds is clearly a defective design for building a useful biological living system. These systems exploit energy so recklessly.
try to design projects that are energy saving. Energy conservation is key factors in the design of all working systems in the world including living systems as well. This fact is obviously not being considered carefully in the design of our living systems. This question of energetic worth for sustaining a living system as it is in its current form at the molecular level should be seriously questioned. This design of using macromolecules so large as building materials for living systems is ubiquitous in this world. This is true for living organism as small as bacteria to systems as large as humans. The research in biology and biochemistry should not be aimed at the understanding of the function of these living systems. It should be directed at the way they were generated and what purpose they serve that this expenditure of the large amount of energy in the form of organic compounds worth their existence.
make introspections into other forms of possible lives. Also the search for more useful forms of lives that are energetically less costly is a profitable process here.
Especially notable is the use of much simpler organic structures for this purpose. Also research should be directed to the design of living systems that do not have chemical components. Living systems are composed of chemical compounds that can be easily transformed by the effect of a foreign chemical material. For example, dopamine analogues can induce psychotic symptoms in the body. This dependence of the body normal conditions on a foreign chemical substance is clearly a serious defect in this living system. This dependence on chemical compounds is observed not only with this compound. Other chemical compounds can trigger amnesia in affected people making them lose their memory. In addition other chemical compounds can trigger in the human body cancerous transformations that are incurable and intractable.
Evaluate the vulnerability of humans to injurious objects such as chemical compounds. Obviously all these above mentioned examples should give an idea about how much the human body is vulnerable in its existence to the effect of a foreign offensive material. The current structure of the living system that is chemically based is obviously not a good choice for building a human that is disease resistant and can live longer than it is possible today. The other choice is to design robots that use electrical circuits that could be reproduced and exist by its self. This can be achieved for example through the use of biologically based neurons that do not rely on metabolic chemical reactions for their survival. These are only ideas that one can think about.
wikiHow is a "wiki," similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 2,254 times.


According to IBM's 2018 Cost of Data Breach Survey, the average total cost of a data breach, globally, is $3.86 million. Putting reputation concerns and personal data vulnerability aside, that's not a cost any business can take lightly.
Encryption. Encrypting secure messages to and from meters prevents malicious users from *sniffing your credentials. This can be done with the use of an encryption key, a random string of bits created explicitly for scrambling and unscrambling data. Long encryption keys make it harder to sniff as the code can only be easily read by the sender and the receiver.
Complex Passwords. Over the years, it's become increasingly popular for networks to require a password that is both longer in length and more complex in makeup (i.e. the inclusion of special characters and a combination of both letters and numbers). It's important to apply these same rules when creating passwords for your power meter software applications so they are not easy to guess.
Limitation of Login. Also increasingly popular, it's important to limit the number of times an individual user can enter an incorrect password in a short period of time. This also makes it harder for malicious attackers to repeatedly guess credentials.
Digital Signing of Firmware. Signing firmware guarantees that the meter is running code that is authentic. Without it, there's no way to tell if code has been tampered with, thus producing inauthentic results.
Training on Social Engineering Attacks. Employees are a crucial part of ensuring your system's security and should ideally be just as comfortable with the guidelines above. Notifying employees of security updates is just as important as installing them!
For more information on Cyber Security in the energy sector, visit our website or reach out to our expert team of engineers at sales@electroind.com.
*Sniffing is a term used to describe a cyber attacker's ability to silently capture data as it is transmitted over an unsecured network.