Description "'When Worlds Collide' shows the disparity between the reality of maps and minds. The world was on the brink of many discovers but still held captive by religious view of heavens and earth that held explorers and scientists hostage to their pre-meditated views. As explorers went out to discover new worlds, cartographers revised and remapped what the world view resembled. Inventions of telescopes and sky-gazing instruments magnified other new astral worlds and yet adhered to the prophesies of astrologers and heavenly soothsayers. Beliefs were revised and science and religion became warriors in sustaining the old and revealing the new. This portable altar may have been used by ancient voyagers and sky gazers to remind them that the world was continually expanding revising current world views"--Artist's statement.
"A mixed-media artist, Maryann J. Riker uses handmade paper, book board, book cloth, beading, paint, embroidery and transparencies to convey a visual narrative through the book format. Her work incorporates vintage photography, advertising text and graphic iconography to create visual narratives that take us on a journey encompassing the passage of time and memory. Through her usage of symbols and pictures, the artist allows the viewer to mentally write their own narrative with their reaction to her usage of symbols and pictures. The viewer creates another story in reaction to the work. Her work has garnered a number of awards and is included in many private collections as well as special collections including Special Collections at Lafayette College, Easton, PA, Newark Public Library, and Rutgers University. Riker holds an undergraduate degree from Moravian College, a Master's degree from Montclair State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Vermont College"--Artist's résumé.
Subject Riker, Maryann J. ; Artists' books--United States--Specimens. ; Astrology in art. ; Planets--Exploration. ; Maps in art. ; Explorers in art. ; Cosmography in art. ; Science in art. ; Art--Philosophy. ; Reality in art.
Dimensions 14 x 8.9 x 7.6 cm.


How many times have you heard this? Or this?
Two of the most oft repeated, and driven home, ideas in modern times are be true to yourself and do what you love. But just because they're oft repeated and driven home doesn't mean they are actually true. The problem with both statements is they have just enough truth to sound really plausible—and yet they are both simplistic enough to be dangerous when taken raw.
Let's try to put some reality into the do what you love statement.
Sometimes you're just not very good at what you love to do. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an artist. And then a musician. Apparently there are no real jobs for artists or musicians with my somewhat mediocre skills in these two areas. I just have to face it—I'm never going to be a professional basketball player, either. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much you love something, you just don't have the skills to master it.
Sometimes there's just no market for what you love to do. I know it's cruel to say in the modern world, where everyone deserves fortune and fame, but there really are things you can love to do for which there is no market. Don't despair, though, there's still some use for those things you love to do—they're called hobbies. There's nothing wrong with them, honestly.
Sometimes you're just in the wrong place or at the wrong time. If you have a passion for making buggy wheels, you're in the wrong place or the wrong time. Trust me.
Do what you're interested in, and think there's good support for in the market.
Do something that makes you feel like you've accomplished something at the end of the day. Some people really enjoy making other people happy. Other people really enjoy building something interesting. One note, though—if what you really enjoy is being noticed, give that dream up right now. The sooner you can do things because of their intrinsic worth, rather than for the attention you might get, the happier you'll be.
Learn to like whatever it is you do. There are always interesting things about any job you can find, whether it's the people, the weather, the work itself, or something. Find at least one such thing and try to develop it into a passion that will carry you through the things you truly don't like. For the rest, learn to be content even in doing what you don't necessarily enjoy.
Learn to learn and to grow regardless of where your job is taking you. This last one is important as a person, rather than just in a commercial sense. If you can't learn to learn, other than "just to get the job done," then it doesn't matter what you choose to do—you're never going to love it, and you're never going to get rich from it.
The advice here might not be as catchy, upbeat, or happy, as the pretty pictures above, but it's much more realistic—and you might actually find you really do love what you do, and work isn't truly work all the time if you start from a realistic view of it.


GIRO is founded by Jean-Yves Blais and Jean-Marc Rousseau. Its HASTUS software for public transport scheduling stems from their research at the Université de Montréal. First HASTUS clients include Montréal's STM and Québec City's RTC.
The GIRO/ACCES product is launched to manage demand-responsive (paratransit) services for people with disabilities. The TTC in Toronto adopts the software, followed in 1984 by the STM.
GIRO wins its first postal-sector contract from Canada Post for PostCards – a software solution to optimize mail delivery that is a precursor to GeoRoute.
GIRO offers its HASTUS software solutions in a Windows® environment, transitioning to a more configurable, generic approach.
The company introduces daily operations modules in HASTUS.
Deutsche Post becomes the first postal client to use GeoRoute to optimize daily parcel delivery.
"GIRO receives an excellence award from the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) for the new Windows-based GIRO/ACCES implementation at the STM.
Paul Hamelin is named GIRO's President.
GIRO begins a major expansion into the rail sector with HASTUS-Rail. Installations of the software are purchased by Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Metro Trains Melbourne, and the Belgian national railway, NMBS/SNCB.
GIRO receives an Innovation Award from CUTA for its HASTUS-BidWeb technology which allows operators to make their work and vacation selections via the Web.
GIRO introduces its first tablet application, YardAssistant, to manage vehicle location and assignment in depots, soon followed by CheckerAssistant to assist with ride or point checks.
GIRO wins the Western Quebec and Ontario regional round of the Desjardins Entrepreneur Awards in the International Commerce category.
Jean Aubin is named GIRO's President.
GIRO is awarded the Grand Prize for Rail Innovation by the Québec Transport Association (AQTr).
All rights reserved © 2019, GIRO – www.giro.ca.


Certification of Sustainable Tourism Commitment All of hotels used by Distinctive Expeditions hold a Certificate of Sustainable Tourism. In order to qualify for this award, the hotel must practice conservation in three areas. The resort must be environmentally conscious by ensuring any activity minimizes damage to the environment (flora, fauna, water, soils, energy use, contamination, etc.) and ideally tries to benefit the environment in a positive way (through protection and conservation).The property must be socially and culturally aware so that any activity does not harm, and may revitalize the social structure or culture of the community where it is located. Finally the hotel must be economically responsible by continuing to contribute to the economic well-being of the local community. A sustainable business should benefit its owners, its employees, and its neighbors. Distinctive Expeditions is committed to using hotel/lodges/resorts who are recognized for their efforts in these three areas of conservation practices in Costa Rica so our country can be enjoyed by photographers, travellers and citizens for generations to come.
As you know by now RainForestPhotoTours creates 100% customized trips! Our company will ensure that every itinerary is designed to fit your personal interests and specific requests.
With this in mind, it is important to understand that the process of customizing your trip is very, very simple. We can do this in several different ways as outlined in the steps below.
1. Begin by sending an e-mail to RainForestPhotoTours using our "Contact Us" Page or to our e-mail address info@rainforestphototours.com . Include in this email some basic information: your general travel dates and the number of days you have available to "invest" in your exciting "Life Experience" in Costa Rica. You will receive a response very quickly from RainForestPhotoTours asking you more questions which will help us to start to plan your trip and to provide you with the best advice based on your interests.
2. Next click on the tab titled "Where to Go" on the Home Page. Listed under that tab are 10 suggested areas of Costa Rica with popular attractions of each area. This will get you started in deciding what areas you would like to visit and the activities you are interested in doing. When you have a list of great ideas, send it to us in a message using our "Contact Us" link or to our email address, info@rainforestphototours.com. Here is where the magic begins! The experienced staff at RainForestPhotoTours will gather all your information, offer advice about the schedule, and assemble an amazing itinerary based on your personal preferences.
3. Browsing through sample itineraries can speed up the planning process. Simply click on the tab titled "Sample Itineraries" on the Home Page and take a look at them. Any of these itineraries can be used as a "Base Itinerary" to begin developing your program. RainForestPhotoTours will add to or delete from these Sample Itineraries any activities according to your wishes.
At RainForestPhotoTours we promise that your vacation will be customized according to what YOU want! We believe this is what you deserve and will result in the best holiday of your life!!!
HSS stands for High Speed Synchronize (Multi-flash Photography) And of course Hummingbirds are one of the bucket list item for most bird photographers and a truly beautiful jewel in flight. While seeing one is extremely easy in Neo-tropical countries like Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador etc. making- great images in flight is not always easy. One needs to have specialized equipment to achieve the results.
The wings of hummingbirds beat 200 times per second. Shutter speeds that we use for fast moving subjects last between 1/250 to 1/1000 of a second. This is not fast enough to freeze the wings. 1/2000 and 1/4000 of a second are not even fast enough to get sharp pictures and to reveal the detail in individual feathers. Some cameras go up to 1/8000, but even if this were fast enough to get tack sharp pictures of hummers, the light entering the lens is so reduced that you would be forced to shoot with a large lens aperture and a high ISO—neither of which are ideal solutions to get clean shots like the images below.
The technique that most wildlife photographers use involves a multi flash setup. However, it's not straightforward at all. The typical duration of flash i.e. the length of time that the flash tube is illuminated during an exposure—is typically about 1/1000th of a second when used on manual. However, when the power output of the flash unit is reduced to 1/16th power, the flash duration becomes much shorter—about 1/16,000th of a second. This is fast enough to freeze the wings of hummingbirds.
A large print of foliage printed on a card is placed behind the flower to act as BG of the image. Since the aperture used in shooting humming birds is so small everything is usually in focus. A smooth BG ensures pleasing results.
A flower or branch is clamped to a support. The same sugar water that is used in feeders is placed into the flower so the hummingbirds hover above the flower to drink.
At 1/32th power (all the flash units are set to the same power output), the recycle time is very brief—about 1/2 second or even less. This allows the photographer to shoot more frames than on higher power.
Lock focus around the flower and switch lens to manual focus.
It takes a little bit of practice to get the flash power right and after some minor adjustments things will work out.
Jeffrey was born in San Jose, Costa Rica. He studied biosciences at the University of Costa Rica and later at the National Learning Institute, where he earned his certification as a general naturalist guide for Costa Rica. His first travels abroad to the United States and South America taught him the importance of being conscious of other cultures. This awareness is what led him to want to educate people about his own culture and into the field of ecotourism. He started working as a guide in early 1998 because he wanted to be closer to nature as well as to the Costa Rican people. These experiences, as well as his travels to Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Europe made him aware of the importance of nature, its conservation, and the world's cultural heritage.
He received his Photo Instructor certification in a multi-day training workshop. Developed and taught by National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions photographers, the workshop helped him develop additional insight and skills in Nature photography.


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More Young Japanese Tend Not to Watch TV: Jiji Poll
Society Culture Nov 25, 2019
Tokyo, Nov. 25 (Jiji Press)--In a recent Jiji Press survey, about 10 pct of Japanese people in their teens and 20s said they do not watch television, showing youngsters' diminishing interest in watching TV amid rising popularity of various online video platforms.
The largest share of respondents, or 25.7 pct, said they watch TV for 180 minutes or more daily on average on weekdays, but the proportion was down from 30.9 pct in the previous survey conducted in 2008. Those who watch TV for the same length of time on weekends accounted for 34.2 pct, down from 42.5 pct.
Meanwhile, the proportion of respondents aged 18-29 who do not watch TV at all came to 12.0 pct for weekdays and 11.1 pct for weekends, both up from 2.4 pct in the previous survey.
The results apparently showed that the popularity of television shows have faded mainly among younger generations over the past decade. Only 3.7 pct of the overall respondents said they do not think people are watching less TV.
Asked to give reasons for not watching TV, with multiple answers allowed, 60.5 pct said they find video-sharing and streaming sites more attractive, while 57.4 pct said it is more fun to play with smartphones and game consoles.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This entry was posted in Restaurant Biscuits and tagged Biscuit, biscuits, breakfast, east Nashville, Nashville, Nashville Tennessee, Sausage, Sausage gravy. Bookmark the permalink.
Any idea if the biscuits have lard in them? I'm thinking "no" because that's just not really easily done on this scale, but I'm curious. I've seen this place many times and have never stopped. And I LOVE biscuits!
I don't know, but that is a good question. I'll try to find out the next time I go there. Thanks for reading!


People require revisions to their surgeries, additional time off from work and additional rehabilitation. If you or a loved one has suffered from a defective or recalled hip replacement implant, contact our law firm as soon as possible. At The Johnston Law Firm, in Portland, we provide free initial consultations, and we can help you avoid common personal injury case mistakes.
The DePuy ASR Hip Replacement System has a high failure rate. Used in hip replacement surgeries since 2003, defective design and manufacturing has led to tissue damage and pseudo tumors in patients who have received the implants. A voluntary recall of the hip replacement system was issued by the company because the release of high levels of metal ions associated with the defective implant was linked to the serious injuries.
Zimmer suspended sales of the Zimmer Durom Cup in July 2008 following reports that the defective cup failed to bond to many patients' who were then required to go back into the hospital for painful surgery revision. The Zimmer Durom Cup recall can still be the basis for claims today.
In 2007, Biomet recalled the Tibial Bearing ARCOM UHMWPE, sterile. Improper laser matching for size led to the hip replacement recall. In 2008, Biomet recalled another hip replacement implant called the Modular Microplasty Cup Inserter. This instrument was used for its hip prosthesis acetabular cup component, but the weld at the lock location could break under stress. These defective products were manufactured in January 1998, so if your hip replacement surgery took place after this time, your implant may have been included in the recall.
The Wright Profemur Total Hip System had a failure rate of 11.2 percent at an age of three years, according to data published in a 2009 annual report of the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry.
According to the report, more than one of every nine people who received a Wright Profemur Total Hip System suffered debilitating problems within three years following surgery. Used in hip replacement surgeries since 2005, Wright is still distributing these defective hip replacements.
If you suspect that your hip replacement implant is included in any of these recalls, you should speak with your orthopedic surgeon to obtain more information about your surgery, and then speak with our law firm about your legal options.
Do not sign any documents for any of these companies, even if your doctor asks you to.
The Johnston Law Firm will evaluate your case for free, and you will work with the same Portland defective hip recall lawyer throughout your case. Call us at 503-546-3167, toll free at 888-342-7252, or fill out our free confidential case evaluation form on the bottom. Attorney consultations incur no obligation on your part, and all initial consultations are free of charge.


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Tag Archives: european arrest warrant
I have a warrant for your arrest… oh, no I don't.
Posted on December 23, 2015 by suesspiciousminds
This must be every lawyer's worst nightmare, to confidently tell a Judge that he has jurisdiction to do what you are asking for and be wrong, and worse yet to have that judgment published as precedent that others rely on and then have the Judge have to publish a retraction judgment.
Al-Baker v Al-Baker 2015
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2015/3725.html
From the much-loved by this site Mostyn J.
Here, where a husband in ancillary relief proceedings had been declared to be guilty of contempt of court and ordered that he be imprisoned for nine months as a result, but was in another European Country, counsel for the wife (NOT Mr Todd QC who was representing her in this hearing, NOT him, someone else) had asked Mostyn J to issue a European arrest warrant, so that the husband could be arrested abroad and brought back to this country for punishment.
On 27th October 2015 I gave a judgment in this case ([2015] EWHC 3229 (Fam)), where I found the husband to be guilty of contempt of court and sentenced him to nine months' imprisonment. During the case counsel then appearing for the wife applied to me to back my committal order with the issue of a European arrest warrant.
In para.10 of my judgment I said this:
"The wife is proceeding on advice that this is a sensible way of advancing her claim and it is not for me to question that. It has been asserted that this being a sentence of nine months it would be open for this court to request that a European arrest warrant be issued. That would have the effect of detaining the respondent anywhere within the European Union and having him brought to this court if the European arrest warrant procedure is available. I confess that when I first read this I was surprised that it was being asserted that the arrest warrant procedure was available as it was my belief (it is fair to say not based on much education) that the European arrest warrant was confined only to what can strictly be described as criminal offences and a civil contempt was not in that category. However, Mr. Calhaem has placed before me the Council Framework Decision of 13th June 2002 on the European arrest warrant and Surrender Procedures between Member States of which Article 2.1 states:
'A European arrest warrant may be issued for acts punishable by the law of the issuing Member State by a custodial sentence or a detention order for a maximum period of at least 12 months or, where a sentence has been passed or a detention order has been made, for sentences of at least four months.'
The use of language for "acts punishable by law" would certainly embrace a custodial penalty imposed for contempt of court and, recognising I have only heard only one side, I am satisfied in these circumstances that the sentence I have awarded is properly to be backed by a request for a European arrest warrant and I will complete the necessary annex form when the order is made."
That passage shows my initial surprise that it was suggested that the issue of the warrant was a legitimate course. As it happens, it was, in fact, a completely illegitimate course. The decision of the Supreme Court of R v O'Brien [2014] UKSC 23 confirms, first, that a European arrest warrant can only be sought by an appropriate person and that counsel for the wife would not constitute such an appropriate person and, secondly, that the scheme does not act to encompass civil contempts, even if they result in a sentence of imprisonment.
It is a matter of some surprise to me that this recent decision from the highest court had not been alighted upon by those representing the wife when they made the application that they did. This has resulted in me giving a judgment which is legally incorrect and which, for all I know, may have led other people in other cases to have applied for a European arrest warrant following a finding of contempt. So I take the opportunity today to correct my previous judgment so as to delete para.10 and to confirm that the European arrest warrant procedure is not available in contempt proceedings.
We don't really get to learn whether the European Arrest Warrant was ever acted upon, but if it had been, the Court could have been on the hook for a wrongful imprisonment claim.
The other thing of interest in this judgment was the long-time favourite issue of this blog – perjury.
In particular, whether a person who is found to have lied in their statement has committed perjury. Mostyn J thinks not. [Unless it is an affidavit or sworn statement]
In the skeleton argument produced for this hearing, at para.24, it is said this:
"It is clear from H's statement of 16th April 2015 (D45) that H has perjured himself in relation to his alleged business dealings in Dubai. He says within that statement (see paragraph 84 at D68) that he does not own property in the Emirates and, in correspondence, has never owned any. This is clearly incompatible with the evidence produced from the wife's Dubai lawyers in their affidavit at D88. H has lied".
The material to which I am directed by that passage is contained in a statement made by the husband which was verified by a statement of truth under Part 17 of the Family Procedure Rules. The statement itself was not sworn. To make a false statement, as opposed to a false affidavit, is not perjury. This was by design of those who framed the Civil Procedure Rules which have been mirrored by the Family Procedure Rules. To file a false statement is a contempt of court but it is not perjury. To file a false statement can lead to an order for civil committal for up to two years, but it cannot lead to criminal proceedings for perjury. Arguably it could lead to criminal proceedings under the Fraud Act but it cannot lead to criminal proceedings for perjury.
I think that Mostyn J is quite right here, though I was slightly surprised when I first read it. The wording of the offence from the Perjury Act 1911 is here
If any person lawfully sworn as a witness or as an interpreter in a judicial proceeding wilfully makes a statement material in that proceeding, which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true, he shall be guilty of perjury, and shall, on conviction thereof on indictment, be liable to penal servitude for a term not exceeding seven years, or to imprisonment . . . F1 for a term not exceeding two years, or to a fine or to both such penal servitude or imprisonment and fine.
A statement which is signed, even with the Statement of Truth, is not a sworn statement, for the purposes of the Perjury Act 1911.
If the author of the statement repeats the lie during oral evidence, where they ARE giving SWORN evidence, the offence would be committed.
I am now pondering whether this is captured during the standard opening question in Evidence in Chief "Can you confirm that the contents of your statement are true and accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief?"
If you say yes to this, and there is a lie in your statement, has that answer amounted to perjury, or does the offence only arise when the question about the particular matter is put to you and you lie in answer.
In any event everyone, lying to the Court is wrong, mmmm'kay?
The wife then made an allegation that the father had committed perjury in his Form E, which is of course a sworn statement and was asking that the police be notified of the offence of perjury. As Mostyn J pointed out, whether or not the father was lying in the Form E was a matter that was disputed and still to be litigated within the ancillary relief proceedings. It would not be a Mostyn J judgment if we did not learn a new word in it, and here it is "pendency" – in the state of being pending and specificaially with litigation whilst it is still ongoing and not concluded . (I'm not entirely sure myself what 'in the pendency of the litigation' adds to the alternative wording of 'whilst the litigation is ongoing' but such is life)
However, it is the wife's application, pursuant to what appears on the face of her notice of application, that at this stage, during the pendency of the case, there should now be a reference to the police of her allegation of perjury. This is, to my belief, wholly unprecedented. Mr. Todd is constrained to agree that he cannot identify any case in the ancillary relief field where there has been a reference to the police of perjury or fraud during the pendency of proceedings. Moreover, under the comparable jurisdiction which is incorporated in CPR 31.22(1), which requires the court's permission to reveal disclosed documents to any third party, Mr. Todd has been unable to identify one case where there has been a reference to the police of fraud or perjury during the pendency of the proceedings, where the very allegation that is sought to be referred to the police is in issue in those proceedings.
In my judgment, this application has been made prematurely. It seems to me that the motive is to replace the pressure of the European arrest warrant with a different kind of pressure to try and bring the husband, who is steadfastly not engaging in the proceedings (he is not negotiating, to my knowledge, or making proper disclosure), to heel in order that the case can be adjudicated fairly. But that is not a proper motive for seeking what, in my mind, is a premature reference to the police. In my judgment, it would be wholly wrong for this court to refer these matters to the police in advance of its judgment on those very matters and for these reasons the application is dismissed.
However, I want to make it clear, when dismissing the application, that I am not in so doing preventing the wife from making a comparable application once judgment on her main claim has been rendered. No question will arise of issue estoppel or other abusive of conduct on her part. If, following the giving of judgment in this case and the making of findings, the wife nonetheless thinks it is appropriate to invoke the criminal justice procedures then it will be open to her to make a fresh application in the terms of her application of 4th November 2015.
I always love that Mostyn J is not averse to using footnotes in his judgments, and there is one here which I've not encountered before [the second].
Mr. Todd applies for permission to appeal. Under FPR 30.3(7) permission to appeal may only be given where (a) a court considers the appeal would have a real prospect of success or (b) there was some other compelling reason why the appeal should be allowed. In my judgment, an appeal would not have a real prospect of success. It would have no prospect of success at all. Furthermore, I cannot identify any other compelling reason why the appeal should be heard. The fact that there has never before been a case in the annals where a reference has been made during the pendency of proceedings to my mind hardly supplies a compelling reason why an appeal should be heard. To my mind, the empirical evidence suggests quite the opposite, that this is an appeal which should not be heard. LATER STILL
Although para 1 of this judgment makes it perfectly clear on a natural reading that counsel who "then" appeared on 27 October 2015 was not the same as counsel who appeared on this occasion, and although a reading of the first judgment referred to there would have confirmed this to be the case, Mr Todd QC is highly insistent that this is spelt out in this judgment. I am doubtful that the clarification procedure extends to requests for editorialisation for counsel's personal reasons, but this additional paragraph has that effect.
Posted in case law and tagged 2015 ehwc 3725, al-baker v al-baker 2015, ehwc 2015 3725, european arrest warrant, european arrest warrant not available for civil matters, lying in a statement, mostyn j, perjury, statement. Bookmark the permalink.
The Ashya King wardship judgment
We have all been eagerly awaiting this, and it is now out.
This is the judgment given by Mr Justice Baker in the wardship proceedings, setting out the reasons why on Friday of last week a solution was reached that Ashya would be able to receive proton-beam therapy treatment in Prague. Ashya is no longer a ward of Court, and all decisions about him will be made by his parents.
It is not one of those rambling long judgment that would be incomprehensible to non lawyers – it runs about four pages and most of it is in plain English. I don't often suggest that normal human beings read a judgment, but in this case, I would. It is a very good piece of work by Baker J (not surprisingly, he writes a good judgment)
[It doesn't answer my law geek question of whether the parents received free legal representation – I hope that they did. They were certainly represented, and the firm they used does do legal aid work. And there's no debate at the end about costs, so I hope they got legal aid. One suspects that even the Legal Aid Agency had enough common sense to not want to be seen to be saying that the family should spend their treatment fund on lawyers]
The judgment focuses rather more on treatment and the future than a forensic delve into the past and what has gone wrong (understandably, because a solution had been arrived at that would please everyone, and also because if there is to be any suing going on about what happened it is likely to focus on the issue of the European arrest warrant and the arrest and detention of the parents, which is outside of the scope of the family Court)
What the Judge does say about the application for wardship itself is this :-
32 When Mr and Mrs King took Ashya from hospital on 28th August, the medical staff were understandably very concerned that the boy would suffer significant harm by being removed from the specialist care they were providing. When the local authority was informed about what had happened, and that it was believed that the parents had left the country, the social workers understandably concluded that there were reasonable grounds for believing that Ashya was at risk of suffering significant harm by being driven across Europe without medical assistance at a time when he urgently required post-operative therapy. I therefore conclude that the local authority acted entirely correctly in applying to the High Court, and further that Judge Arthur was right, on the evidence before him, to make Ashya a ward of court. My comments are confined to the matters within the family jurisdiction. I make no comment as to whether or not it was appropriate to seek a European Arrest Warrant. I merely observe that one consequence of this course was that Ashya was separated from his parents and left alone for several days in the Spanish hospital. As I observed at the hearing on 2nd September, whatever the rights and wrongs of his parents' actions, it was not in Ashya's best interests to be separated from them in such circumstances.
The steps taken by the local authority and Judge Arthur on 29th August were entirely justified on the evidence then available. As at that date, there were reasonable grounds for believing that Ashya was at risk of suffering significant harm. A week later, the picture had changed and the court was faced with a completely different decision.
I'm sure that there will be many who think otherwise, but this judgment is very helpful in setting out the facts of the case when there has been so much speculation.
I am pleased that Ashya is back with his parents and that he is receiving treatment, and whatever else we might feel about this case, I'm sure that all of us wish him and his parents all the very best for the future.
Posted in case law, experts and tagged ashya king, baker j, european arrest warrant, medical treatment, proton-beam therapy, the king case, wardship. Bookmark the permalink.


Presenter: Hello and welcome to another edition of 'Talk Back'. Today we are talking about unusual requests and we are joined by Mark Tomas, a concierge from a well-known hotel in the city.
Concierge: Hello everyone. It's a pleasure to be here with you.
Presenter: So Mark, can you tell us which hotel you work in?
Concierge: I am afraid not. I will be telling you some true stories about some of our guests but as I still work there discretion is important.
Presenter: I understand completely. Well, I am sure our listeners would love to hear a little about the unusual requests you have had.
Concierge: In my time as a concierge we have had a lot of demanding guests staying with us and some of their requests were very strange. Once we had a couple who were planning their wedding reception at the hotel and they wanted a Spanish singer who they heard while they were on holiday in Spain the previous year. It took some time but we tracked down this man and arranged for him to play at the reception.
Presenter: You mean he flew over just for this reception?
Concierge: Exactly, it cost a lot but it was worth it. The couple were so happy.
Presenter: It sounds like you really did go the extra mile!
Concierge: Well, we always try our best to satisfy our guests.
Presenter: Have you ever let down a guest?
Concierge:Of course, sometimes a guest will ask for something which just isn't possible. For example, several years ago we had a guest who arrived late at night after the kitchen had closed and demanded a vegan meal. When he made his booking he didn't say anything about arriving late, so reception thought he was a no-show and cancelled his order. The only thing I could do was offer him one of our standard vegetarian options.
Presenter: Do you get many fussy eaters?
Concierge: Oh yes, especially recently. It seems that half of our guests are on one diet or another. It drives our chef crazy because he has to modify his dishes to suit the guest. Another problem, can come from guests who wake up in the night with a craving for a particular dish which isn't on the room service menu.
Presenter: And what about outside of the restaurant. Are the guests as demanding when it comes to their rooms?
Concierge: Oh yes. We actually had a funny situation last week. A lady checked in and after looking at her room she came down and asked me to go up to her room with her. When we got there she explained that the room wrong. I asked why and she told me that according to Feng Shui, the furniture was in the wrong places and the flow of energy wasn't good.
Presenter: How did you sort it out?
Concierge: I got two of the waiters and together we rearranged the entire room to her liking. It wasn't easy but after 2 hours we had exceeded her expectations.
Presenter: I hope you got a good tip. Are all of the requests so difficult to fulfill?
Concierge: No, most of the time they are something small like a guest asking me to pop out and buy them a brand of cigarettes which we don't stock in the hotel. Or that a particular item is included in the welcome basket. We also have guests whose only request is asking us to bend the rules and let them smoke on their balcony.
Presenter: Those sound easier enough. What was the hardest thing a guest has asked you to do?
Concierge: That's easy. Well I am allergic to cats and we have a regular guest who always brings her 3 cats with her when she stays. Once, she asked me to take care of them while she went shopping. I spent two hours with the cats and then 3 days sneezing. It was horrible.
Presenter: Wow, that really is dedication to your job.
Which of the requests described is the most unusual for you?
Do guests expect too much from hotel staff? Why/why not?
What is the most unusual request you have ever had to deal with?


text:
Howard Adelman
Politics, philosophy, film, and other things…
Tag Archives: Ari Berman
Varieties of Disruptive Diplomacy – Part IV Responses to Trump
I have considered both critical and defensive analytical reactions to Trump's initiative in previous blogs. The gist of the latter was that the initiative was a realistic but disruptive move to shake up the peace process. Trump's disposition, motivated by domestic reasons, had been shaped into a well-crafted and plausible move, with the possible scenario that it could free up the sclerotic process and remove the clots preventing any movement. Now I want to consider other explanatory accounts.
Did the initiative express a preference for disruption and thereby risk all as American diplomacy in the Middle East and the rest of the world – Iraq, Syria, Somalia and North Korea – may appear to indicate?
In the end, was the pronouncement an expression of irrationality, the mad impulsive move of a narcissistic and unthinking leader, or was it based simply on stupidity? A third irrational foundation might be sentiment, namely the 18th century belief that all beliefs, if they can be ascribed any moral value, serve to enhance a harmonious cosmic order even as they appear to be disruptive. Or the resort to disruptive diplomacy, perhaps an oxymoron, may be an amalgam of all three. Certainly, both the rational comprehensive constructivist as well as realist approaches to international relations have been questionable since George W. Bush instigated an absolutely dumb war in Iraq and Barack Obama began the American retreat from global involvement leaving vacuums in its wake.
However, constructivist realism, combining moral goals with realist policies, has been under stress everywhere in the world. Have the UN and UNESCO, as well as peace operations, such as UNIFIL, verified John Mearsheimer's 1995 thesis on the "False Promise of International Institutions," the bankruptcy of liberal institutionalism intended to deter destructiveness and protect victims? Has the inability of peacekeeping to deal with such complex conflicts as the Rwandan-Congo security impasse put a nail in the coffin of traditional methods? Has the rise of the internet and the prominent role of social movements totally altered the international landscape and introduced populism to international relations as well as domestic national politics? Has Robert D. Kaplan's prognostications in his 1994 thesis on "The Coming Anarchy" reinforced a conviction that the continuing destruction of our environment, tribalism, the emergence of new diseases, the official endorsement of white crime and the theft by the rich of a grossly disproportionate share of surpluses produced by innovation, simply worked together to destroy the social and institutional fabric of the planet, creating room for disruptive efforts in the international arena? Have international power politics married to our contemporary political culture not only failed to prevent the emergence of North Korea as a nuclear power, but enhanced that outcome in defiance of conventional wisdom?
Before exploring disruptive diplomacy based on various types of irrationality, I want to reiterate the positive case for rational disruptive diplomacy in the context of a reduced respect for law and traditional rational diplomacy. According to that thesis, President Donald Trump's declaration last week that the United States will officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is good news. Partially, this is because it recognizes the long-evident facts on the ground: Jerusalem, the ancient capital of the people of Israel for thousands of years, has finally been declared capital of the modern state of Israel, though this has been the actual case for seventy years. It is undeniable that some configuration of the city will remain so forever regardless of future negotiations concerning the city's eastern side. There's no serious question of that, except in the minds of fanatics who truly believe the population of a (putatively) nuclear-armed state will one day be driven into the sea.
Yet the world's political and diplomatic elites have indulged in the delusion that Palestinian leaders mean to be equal partners in pursuit of a better, more peaceful life, and that a deal was always tantalizingly close at hand. Surely no one genuinely believes that any longer. But that fiction was, at least for mandarins and diplomats, for political scientists and philosophers, too polite and convenient to abandon. The illusion that there is some progressing peace process in the Middle East has itself ironically become the latest impediment to peace. Smashing that illusion carries risks. But, as the last five decades of violence between Palestinians and Israel make clear, so does indulging that belief.
According to this thesis, the American decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is an inspired move; the Canadian government's decision to respond judiciously is also considered to be very commendable. Nothing useful in the Middle East peace process has occurred since Rabin's assassination, but the correlation of forces in the region and the ambitions of the Arab powers have evolved. For decades, Israel's most fanatical enemies were Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia. The first two countries disintegrated. Not so secretly, Saudi Arabia is now an Israeli ally with Egypt against Iran.
Yet columnists, such as Doug Sanders in The Globe and Mail, echoed Tom Friedman and insisted that Trump threw away Israel's last hope for peace when the US recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In contrast, Conrad Black in an 8 December op-ed in The National Post argued that the goal of reducing violence would be brought about by means of four other r's of realistic rational international diplomacy:
Responding Proportionately and in a Timely Fashion (sequencing)
Restoring the Use of Quiet Diplomacy
Before I review that thesis, I want to examine three versions offering a non-rational basis for disruption as the new foundation for international diplomacy – madness, stupidity and sentiment.
The madness thesis seems to be the most prevalent one. It is certainly widespread. Elizabeth Drew made this point in an article entitled, "The Madness of King Donald" for the Project Syndicate (4 December 2017) where she opined that Trump's increasingly bizarre behaviour in various spheres as well as the Israeli-Palestinian case had been evident, such as at the ceremony honouring the Native American heroes of World War II where he once again used the racist term "Pocahontas" to describe a Democratic Congresswoman, his re-tweets of a British neo-fascist's anti-Muslim rant, his revival of the calumny re Barack Obama's birthplace, and his sudden denial that the tape record of his grabbing women by their genitals was fake even though he had admitted making the remark and apologized for it. All those provided a portrait of Donald Trump as a president detached from reality and a great danger when it came to North Korea and the Middle East.
There is also the stupidity thesis. This was articulated by Leil Leibowitz in Tablet ("Trump's Embassy Statement"). "Instead of his [Trump's] statement the other day, he could've simply refused to sign the waiver that delays the embassy's mandated move to Jerusalem, in accordance with the 1995 law. He didn't do that. Nor did he gut Obama's disastrous Iran deal, another one of his campaign's promises. Instead, he left untouched a Middle East in which Teheran continues its march towards regional hegemony, gleefully threatening to wipe Israel off the map, failing to prevent Iran from establishing bases inside Syria and completing its takeover of Lebanon while shamefully continuing to fund the Lebanese army, which Iran and its proxies now control. He has also failed to take any significant action to protect the Kurds or to provide Israel with anything more substantial than loud proclamations." In sum, Trump was all rhetorical excess with little policy depth.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reacted to Trump's move on Israel and echoed the assessment of stupidity, but for very different reasons. "Their announcement of Quds [Jerusalem] as the capital of Occupied Palestine [Israel] proves the incompetence and failure [of the U.S.]. In regard to Palestine, they are helpless and unable to achieve their goals. Victory is for the Islamic nation. Palestine will be free, and the Palestinian people will be victorious." Hannah Ashrawi echoed this sentiment, though with far less aggressive threats. "This decision will be interpreted by Palestinians, Arabs and the rest of the world as a major provocation. It will cause irreparable harm to Mr. Trump's own plans to make peace in the Middle East, and to any future administration's efforts as well. It will also undermine the United States' own national security." Why? Because the recognition was not just symbolic but sent a signal that the U.S. would no longer set up roadblocks over Israel's efforts to cement its control over the whole city. Trump had legitimized Israeli actions and its policy of creeping annexation.
Then there is the sentimental thesis that has its modern roots in the Scottish leaders of the Enlightenment, David Hume, Adam Smith (the author of The Wealth of Nations), Francis Hutcheson and Lord Shaftesbury (Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury). The sentimental thesis is based on a teleological belief that all events serve to enhance a harmonious cosmic order even as they appear to be disruptive. That is because, in the end, all human behaviour, if it is moral at all, is rooted in a universal moral sensibility. Human behaviour is not governed by self-interest, with the possible exception of the pursuit of material goods. Correct moral judgments are always based on sentiment.
Less concerned with either the motivation, the rationale or the geopolitical significance, Rabbi Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University, is an example of someone who praised the Trump initiative and greeted the pronouncement as a song to Jewish hearts. He articulated what the historic recognition meant for Jews for whom Jerusalem had been at the centre of their prayers for two thousand years. He also believed that the message sent to the rest of the world was a message of peace, for Jerusalem was the city of peace, of shalom, even though it had been ravaged by wars over the centuries. The recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was a manifestation of divine design as well as of virtue.
While the madness and the stupidity theses accounts of disruption predict disaster and chaos, the rational and sentimental justifications envision an emerging harmony.
Tony Berman in the Toronto Star argued that the "unilateral decision by the Trump administration to favour Israel, defy the world and recognize the fiercely divided city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel" sabotaged any lingering hope of peace and that the conflict can be resolved through negotiating a two-state solution setting a dangerous new stage for the conflict. Like the PA, Berman predicted that the result would be a one-state solution with Israel put at risk in the process. Whatever the possibility of that outcome, it was not based on the destruction of a peace process which has been in a state of rigor mortis for years.
Hezbollah's Nasrallah called on the world to support a new Palestinian intifada, and stories of violence in response to the announcement seemed to initially verify the prognostication that this would be the result: riots in the West Bank and Gaza, a Molotov cocktail thrown at a synagogue in Goteborg, the demonstration in front of the American embassy in Lebanon breaking out into violence, an Israeli citizen killed in a stabbing attack, a 9-year-old girl slightly injured by a Palestinian rock thrower, two Palestinians killed as police attempt to control protesters. However, journalists had also been interviewed who had been called to witness staged events with "more journalists than protesters."
Even in the protests at Rachel's tomb, only 450 protesters appeared. Whether these were the exception, the general consensus was that the three days of rage were relatively mild and would not be a portent of a Third Intifada. The best clue was the speed with which the story had been relegated to the inside pages of newspapers. The violence and protests seemed far less than predicted, though, as could be expected, Turkey's foreign ministry accused Israel of responding excessively at the Damascus Gate but has not, as yet, broken off relations with Israel as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had promised.
While civil war has raged in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, while the relations between Hezbollah and the Sunnis in Lebanon remain tense, while Hamas throws a few rockets at Israel and Israel responds with bombs, Joshua Sharf asked why, after recognizing a three thousand-year-old truth, was Trump going to set the region aflame?
Tomorrow in Part V My own summary and assessment.
With the help of Alex Zisman
Leave a comment Posted in Diplomacy, Israel, Politics, U.S. Tagged Ari Berman, Conrad Black, constructivism, Doug Sanders, Elizabeth Drew, Erdogan, Leil Leibowitz, Palestine, realism
Hamas. War strategy
reviews movies
Social and Political Musings


For a community in deep rural Limpopo, a successful and on-going partnership between the University of Johannesburg's (UJ) Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science (Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment) and Schneider Electric South Africa has ensured that the Gwakwani Village has had access to basic services through sustainable interventions. Gwakwani is a small rural village – with about 70 to 100 villagers – located in the northern part of the Limpopo province in South Africa.
This collaboration, between private industry, academia and the community, has created a legacy for many years to come. A legacy that has the advantage of Schneider Electric's global commitment to sustainable solutions and the collective academic knowledge and skill sets of the University of Johannesburg School for Electrical Engineering. "The success of community outreach projects not only depends on the technical solution provided but also on the social and cultural acceptability of the solution and of the solution provider," says Professor Johan Meyer, Head of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at UJ.
Working in collaboration with UJ is in line with Schneider Electric's sustainable development strategy, which focuses on partnering with academic institutions, NGOs, NPOs and funders to establish an electrification model for off-grid communities.
A future re-imagined for the Community of Gwakwani Village through Access to Energy and Education Community members would need to travel some distance to fetch water from the river each day, where there was also significant malaria risk. UJ students identified that a high quality water system was a core need for the village, as water supplied from a diesel-powered borehole was insufficient for daily use.
"Schneider Electric South Africa assisted with the installation of a second borehole pump, donating its 'Water of the Sun' solution, which consists of variable speed drives to power the water pump, and a 4Kw solar panel solution, provided by UJ. Now the community has access to a reliable water supply for everyday use and a newly installed drip irrigation system, which allows them to plant and grow vegetables to support themselves and sell their produce to surrounding villages," continues Dalglish.
UJ suggested containerised solutions were needed for a solar powered bakery and the village's first crèche. Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, supported the set-up of the solar powered containers, ensuring community members' access to education for their children and economic opportunities for many years to come.
The bakery, which had to be designed and installed in a very remote location, is now fully operational and delivers between 120 – 140 loaves of bread per day, which generates income for the community.
"Project Connect at Gwakwani Village has provided students with an opportunity, not only to learn, but to give back to the community. Here we have seen private business working together with engineers, students and academics in an effort to connect people to their surroundings, to the economy and just as important, to the outside world. The importance of this project cannot be measured, both as a learning tool and a means to make meaningful social change in this country," says Prof Meyer.
lights, enabling the children of the village, who walk 6km to the nearest primary school and 18km to the nearest high school to complete their homework at night. In a containerized crèche, with the first television set in the history of the village, the youngest in the community are exposed to educational channels on television and the wider world has now been brought to Gwakwani. The bakery also employs nine people, we've upskilled villagers, and their income is supplement," says Prof Meyer.
The people of Gwakwani have expressed their heartfelt gratitude for access to running water, electricity, education and skills transfers. Through the intervention of a successful collaboration between industry and academia they continue to benefit from access to sustainable energy and education.


text:
Review: In search of bird men and bird women
By MICHAEL WALTERS
Audubon to Xantus by Barbara and Richard Mearns, Academic Press, pp
624, £29.95
In 1988, Richard and Barbara Mearns published Biographies for Birdwatchers,
a series of potted biographies of those people commemorated in Western Palaearctic
bird names. This new book is a sequel, following the same format, and deals
with those commemorated in North American bird names. It was a subject sadly
neglected till the Mearnses took it up, and I cannot praise their work too
highly.
Not only have the authors packed the (alphabetically arranged) biographies
with information which had previously been available only in papers scattered
through scientific journals – some of which are very obscure – but they
have also succeeded in bringing the subjects vividly to life in most cases.
Who could resist the bizarre Adolphus Heermann, who headed out across the
American Wild West with, among other luxuries, an intricately patterned
incense burner, which created the impression that he was a rich Eastern
potentate?
Needless to say, some of the biographies required less research than
others. There is a near-surfeit of material available on John James Audubon,
for example, while others, such as George Steller and Hugh Strickland, have
been the subjects of fairly detailed biographies. But their greatest triumph
must surely be the unearthing of the life story of the previously totally
unknown and tragically short-lived Charles McKay who gave his name to McKay's
bunting.
I regret that the book is not longer. I wished, for instance, that all
those relegated to shorter pieces in the appendix could have been given
the full treatment. One could also wish that the terms of reference had
included those who had named birds as well as those who had birds named
after them. Many of these are referred to in passing, sometimes at considerable
length, but more often tantalisingly briefly. Adhering rigidly to the terms
of reference meant that Elliott Coues, whom the authors admit to being one
of the greatest of all ornithologists, had to be relegated to the appendix,
though his much less important sister Grace warranted a main entry. One
would like, too, to read of George Ord (who does not qualify for an entry
at all) and his interactions with Alexander Wilson and Audubon.
You have to admire the authors' forthright statement that Henry Palmer's
diaries were 'wantonly destroyed by the British Museum (Natural History)',
but there is no direct evidence for this as far as I know. All I can say
is that the diaries cannot be found, and that this is their presumed fate.
But this carping does not detract from the value of the book. It is a landmark
in what I hope will be a revival of interest by ornithologists in the men
and women who made possible the vast stock of knowledge taken for granted
by those who read field guides and handbooks.
In writing up the careers of such people as appear in this book, there
must be a temptation to adulate and to concentrate, as is usually done in
obituaries, on their virtues and not at all on their vices. To their credit,
the Mearnses have presented them warts and all, and comment dispassionately
on the ability, or lack thereof, of such as Robert McCormick and James Ross.
I hope that these enterprising authors will continue to research and document
the careers of the many more individuals who contributed to the history
of ornithology.
Michael Walters is a taxonomist working with birds at the Natural History
Museum at Tring.
Magazine issue 1848 , published 21 November 1992
Review: Leap, song and flight
Review: Calling asteroids names


text:
Healing Joints From Within: The Promise of Regenerative Medicine
MicroOne/Shutterstock.com
by Marlaina Donato
Someday, medical science will allow us to infuse damaged or aging organs with new cells, or to manufacture made-to-order organs on a 3-D printer. These emerging techniques to revitalize worn-out body parts are on the drawing board in the field of regenerative medicine. However, for the injured college athlete or the grandmother with compromised joint function, healing and pain relief can already be found in the form of prolotherapy and other non-invasive approaches that stimulate the body to heal itself.
Injection therapies using dextrose or the patient's own platelets or stem cells are being used to naturally stimulate the body to produce collagen and rejuvenated tissue, offering hope to those with soft tissue injuries, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease and even pain syndromes like fibromyalgia. A recent review in the British Medical Bulletin of 10 high-quality studies of dextrose prolotherapy in adults with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee showed patients experienced significantly less pain and improved range of motion in both the short term and long term without adverse effects. Eighty-two percent of patients were satisfied with the treatment.
Controlled Inflammation
A type of regenerative medicine innovated by osteopathic physician Earl Gedney in the 1930s, prolotherapy induces low-grade, temporary inflammation with the intention of triggering connective tissue cells called fibroblasts in and around the injection site. "If you cut your arm or twist your ankle, various immune cells rush to the area to begin the repair process. This is a very basic comparison of what prolotherapy does with injections directed to specific anatomical points," says Ross A. Hauser, M.D., founder of Caring Medical Regenerative Medicine Clinics, in Fort Myers, Florida, and Chicago.
"Prolotherapy is used to treat osteoarthritis because it helps correct the underlying reason why it has occurred, which is joint instability. The body overgrows bone as a long-term response in an effort to stabilize an unstable joint," Hauser says.
Naturopathic physician Brent Cameron, of Aurora Natural Medicine, in Gilbert, Arizona, suggests individualized treatment plans for best results. "My recommendations are very patient-specific, which is an important piece in prolotherapy." Cameron says his patients are likely to start seeing relief in the first week. "In many instances, they experience complete relief and mobility after a series of treatments."
While Cameron attests to the efficacy of dextrose prolotherapy, he is cautious with recommending it for people with systemic inflammatory conditions. "Someone with a history of joint-related autoimmune response tends to mount stronger inflammatory responses. Other forms of regenerative medicine can be helpful for rheumatoid arthritis [RA], but not in the inflammation-mediated way, like prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections."
One option, according to the Institute of Regenerative Medicine, in Boca Raton, Florida, might be very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELS), an emerging form of regenerative stem cell therapy. These have shown promise in dealing with RA and other autoimmune diseases. Meanwhile, the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine is ramping up its research into approaches that stimulate the body to repair itself, with numerous ongoing clinical trials utilizing different injection therapies for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
The Power of Platelets
PRP injections are similar to prolotherapy, using platelets from the patient's body instead of dextrose. "As blood flows through an injury site, the inflammatory chemicals trigger the platelets to release growth factors, which causes the torn fibers of the damaged structures to heal," says Fort Worth osteopath Gerald Harris, of Texas Prolotherapy and Neural Therapy. PRP is sometimes used in conjunction with stem cell therapy, which is typically applied in cases in which something needs to be replaced, to help fill in gaps in ligaments or tendons, Harris says.
PRP injections have proven to be effective in easing chronic low back pain from damaged vertebral discs. An overview of research published in the Journal of Spine Surgery in 2018 found it to be safe, effective and feasible, with promising potential for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. Harris says that people that wish to avoid surgery or cortisone injections can benefit from PRP, which can also be applied topically to treat non-healing wounds like bedsores and diabetic ulcers.
Harris subscribes to the power of persistence. "Don't give up. With proper treatment there is a strong likelihood that you can live a happy, healthy life free from chronic pain."
Marlaina Donato is the author of several books and a composer.
In-Print, Healing Ways Feature National Content February 2020


text:
Q: Using RELATED function in DAX with USERELATIONSHIP I am trying to pull in a field from another table in my BISM model using the "RELATED" function. Since there are many tables that have relationship to the People table, only ONE relationship is active and the rest are inactive. In this case, the relationship is Inactive, and as I understand it I am to use the "USERELATIONSHIP" function to specify the relationship to use. Based on what I found here: http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/730493/powerpivot-dax-method-related-does-not-work-if-key-is-inactive
I thought I could do this:
=CALCULATE(RELATED(People[FullName]]),USERELATIONSHIP(Def[OwnerID],People[PersonID]))

But I get the error:

The column 'People[FullName]' either doesn't exist or doesn't have a relationship to any table available in the current context.

A: Here's an example using the AdventureWorksDW data set...
EVALUATE(
    CALCULATETABLE(
        ADDCOLUMNS(
            'Internet Sales'
            ,"Order Calendar Year"
                ,CALCULATE(VALUES('Date'[Calendar Year]))
            ,"Ship Calendar Year"
                ,CALCULATE(
                    VALUES('Date'[Calendar Year])
                    ,FILTER(
                         'Date'
                        ,'Date'[DateKey] = 'Internet Sales'[ShipDateKey]
                    )
                )
            ,"Due Calendar Year"
                ,CALCULATE(
                     VALUES('Date'[Calendar Year])
                    ,FILTER(
                         'Date'
                        ,'Date'[DateKey] = 'Internet Sales'[DueDateKey]
                    )
                )
        )
    )
)

This code pulls in Calendar Year from the Date table to the Internet Sales table for each of the dates in the Internet Sales table:

*

*Order Date (active relationship)

*Due Date (inactive relationships)

*Ship Date (inactive relationships)

EDIT: corrected first response (above)...Here's a good write up of why USERRELATIONSHIP won't work in this sceanrio: linky*
The LOOKUPVALUE below works as well:
=LOOKUPVALUE(
     People[FullName]
    ,People[PersonID]
    ,FollowUps[OwnerID]
)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
ACCEPTED

#### According to
The Catalogue of Life, 3rd January 2011

#### Published in
Trans. Proc. Torquay nat. Hist. Soc. 1972-3 16(3): 128 (1974)

#### Original name
Lichen microscopicus Vill.

### Remarks
null

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
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        require(["../../js/windower"], function (windower) {

            /*
             * Supports testLoopback and testLoopbackDeregistration.
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</html>


text:
What to know about abandonment issues
Medically reviewed by Danielle Wade, LCSW — By Zawn Villines — Updated on Jan 11, 2023
Seeking help
Abandonment issues is an informal term that describes a strong fear of losing loved ones or of them leaving a relationship. This fear can result from trauma, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
"Abandonment issues" is not a distinct diagnosis, but is a form of anxiety that can affect relationships throughout life. As such, it can refer to many things.
Fear of abandonment can come from an anxious attachment style or early childhood trauma. It is also a feature of some mental health conditions, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Keep reading to learn more about abandonment issues in both adults and children, including the signs, causes, and treatment options.
Signs and symptoms of abandonment issues
Fear of abandonment is not a distinct mental health condition. Instead, it is a type of anxiety that can manifest itself in different ways.
For example, some people who fear abandonment may feel generally insecure in relationships and need frequent reassurance from their partner. This is known as an anxious attachment style.
Attachment styles are the ways in which people form relationships. People develop an attachment style as they grow up. People with an anxious attachment style may:
worry that friends or partners will leave them
constantly look for signs that others do not really like them
need frequent reassurance that others love them
always try to please others, even at their own expense
give too much in relationships, or have a lack of boundaries
stay in unhealthy relationships due to a fear of being alone
Intense fear of abandonment can also be a feature of personality disorders, such as BPD and dependent personality disorder (DPD). These conditions have their own set of symptoms.
Signs of abandonment issues in children
In children, some degree of worry about caregivers leaving them is developmentally typical. This is known as separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety is a part of child development in infants and very young children. It typically begins between 6–12 months and peaks at around 3 years old. Signs include:
being reluctant to leave their caregiver
crying or having tantrums when a caregiver leaves the child somewhere
feeling anxious about going to day care or school
A child may continue to experience separation anxiety for much of early childhood. This is especially the case in new or unfamiliar settings, such as on the first day of school. This separation anxiety does not necessarily mean they will have abandonment issues as adults.
However, children who develop an anxious attachment style may go on to experience insecurity in other relationships, too. Sometimes, children develop an intense form of separation anxiety that doctors classify as a disorder.
What abandonment issues do to a person
How fear of abandonment affects a person can depend on the cause. However, this anxiety typically makes forming healthy and secure relationships with others more challenging. A person may:
Have anxiety: Both children and adults with fear of abandonment may feel chronically anxious, especially if they feel a relationship is about to end.
Experience relationship challenges: Anxiety about abandonment can alter a person's perceptions of their relationship, causing them to see problems where none exist. They may be sensitive to any sign of rejection or find it difficult to trust that their partner will not leave. This can result in clingy behavior, which may impact the relationship.
Communicate poorly: People with abandonment issues may develop harmful communication techniques to ease their anxiety. For example, they may engage in attention-seeking behavior to get the love they feel they might lose.
Engage in harmful behavior: People with a fear of abandonment can sometimes try to prevent their partner from leaving them through manipulative or even abusive behavior. For example, a person may try to prevent someone from socializing with others. This is a form of coercive control.
Causes of abandonment issues
The causes of a fear of abandonment are complex. For some people, a clear life event triggered the fear. For others, it may be a combination of factors. Some examples include:
Abandonment: Adults sometimes fear abandonment because they experienced it as children. This may have happened with a parent, foster parent, or another caregiver.
Neglect or abuse: Mistreatment from caregivers and behaviors that a child finds scary can be traumatic or cause anxiety, making it difficult to form healthy attachments. This may affect their future relationships. Early trauma or abuse is also a risk factor for BPD.
Family instability: A parent or caregiver who is not consistently affectionate or present may create anxiety in a child. This inconsistency could be intentional or unintentional.
Diagnosing a fear of abandonment
A fear of abandonment is a symptom rather than a diagnosis. As a result, psychologists do not diagnose it.
However, they may identify a fear of abandonment as part of a wider pattern or as one symptom that could indicate a mental health condition.
A psychologist may ask a person questions to see if their symptoms match the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Clinicians use this manual to diagnose mental health conditions.
Treatment for abandonment issues
A person does not need a mental health diagnosis to get help. If fear of abandonment significantly affects a person's life or relationships, they may benefit from professional support.
Talk therapy may help. During therapy, a person can explore their experiences of abandonment and potentially identify the cause of their anxiety.
Certain therapy models may be more helpful for certain types of abandonment fears. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy may help with separation anxiety, while dialectical behavior therapy may help with BPD.
A therapist can help individuals build self-esteem to feel more capable or lovable. They may also teach someone about establishing healthy boundaries and communicating effectively with partners.
Children with intense fears of abandonment can work with a child psychologist to address it. They may do this through play therapy, art therapy, or family therapy.
How to help someone with abandonment issues
Supporting a person with a fear of abandonment can be challenging. They may perceive efforts to talk about the problem as criticism or worry that it means their partner will leave. As a result, it is important to approach conversations on this topic with patience and empathy.
When discussing someone else's fear of abandonment, try to:
Offer plenty of reassurance.
Focus on them and how their fears are affecting their happiness.
Express concern and love.
Discuss what might help, if they are open to that discussion.
Remain calm and consistent throughout the conversation.
It may be helpful to avoid the term "abandonment issues." This term can have a negative connotation and reinforce the idea that something is wrong with the person.
To avoid triggering anxiety, do not:
blame or criticize the person for their fear
demand they change without offering support
give them ultimatums, such as threatening to leave if they do not seek help
Children with a fear of abandonment may benefit from:
consistent reassurance and attention from caregivers
compassion and kindness
a regular daily routine, as this can make life more predictable and reassuring
regular check-ins that allow them to talk about their feelings
Remember that challenging behavior is often an expression of emotional turmoil. A caregiver may want to consult a child psychologist if their child experiences severe anxiety or does not gain confidence.
Managing a fear of abandonment
Individuals with abandonment issues will need to regularly manage their emotions to ensure the well-being of themselves and their relationships.
Practice noticing anxious or self-critical thoughts when they arise.
Counter these thoughts with self-compassion.
Practice self-care by getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and reducing unnecessary stress.
Build a good support network, staying in regular contact with friends and family.
Try activities that help build confidence outside of relationships, such as creative hobbies or sports.
When to seek help
Anyone who feels that abandonment issues negatively affect their mental health or relationships can seek support from a therapist. This may involve individual therapy, couple therapy, or family therapy.
People with a history of trauma or loss may also wish to speak with a mental health professional to address these issues, even if they do not seem directly related.
If a child shows signs of significant separation anxiety, a person may want to consult a pediatrician or child psychologist.
Abandonment issues can describe a range of things. As a result, there is no consensus on the outlook for people who fear abandonment. It depends on what is causing the fear.
For example, a person with an anxious attachment style may be able to build self-esteem through therapy. This can help ensure they no longer feel as anxious about being alone.
The prognosis for a condition such as BPD depends on the person's ability to access treatment. Many people experience remission of symptoms, but this can take time and commitment.
Abandonment issues are a form of anxiety that occurs when an individual has a strong fear of losing loved ones. People with abandonment issues can have difficulties in relationships. They may exhibit symptoms such as codependency, clinginess, or manipulative behavior.
Therapy may help the person experiencing abandonment issues get to the root of their problems.
With support, both adults and children with a fear of abandonment can enjoy healthy relationships and good quality of life.
Last medically reviewed on September 8, 2022
Anxiety / Stress
Pediatrics / Children's Health
Psychology / Psychiatry
Chapman, J., et al. (2022). Borderline personality disorder.
Feriante, J., et al. (2022). Separation anxiety.
Lemos, M., et al. (2019). Potential therapeutic targets in people with emotional dependency.
http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2011-20842019000100018
Malik, F. (2022). Developmental stages of social emotional development in children.
https://www.statpearls.com/ArticleLibrary/viewarticle/29432
Palihawadana, V., et al. (2018). Reviewing the clinical significance of 'fear of abandonment' in borderline personality disorder.
Simpson, J. A., et al. (2017). Adult attachment, stress, and romantic relationships.
Zimmerman, M. (2021). Dependent personality disorder (DPD).
https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric-disorders/personality-disorders/dependent-personality-disorder-dpd
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I spent most of yesterday in the reeking swamp of Frogmorton. I did a couple of jobs there but was driven away by the smell and lack of work. After that I continued my general eastward push and found myself a spot by the river where I proceeded to spend the next several hours washing myself, my clothes, and my pie collection. I don't know that I've actually gotten the stench out, but it's at least mild enough that I'm willing to start breathing on a regular basis again.
The underwear is really odd in this game. Being set in the super-tame Tolkien universe, they couldn't very well put the guys in boxers and the ladies in thongs like they do in most fantasy games. So the underwear is actually really elaborate and colorful and not at all revealing. You'll have to play the game yourself if you want to see it, though. I'll bet I'm not the only person to strips down in fantasy games just to see how they handled the undergarments.
Once clean, I march eastward some more and find myself in the town of Budgeford, which should be named "Why the Hell Don't We Build a Bridge"-ville.
The river is a bit annoying here. It's mostly ankle or knee deep, but there are a couple of "soft spots" where it jumps to shoulder height for Hobbits. That's an insta-fail gotcha if you're delivering mail or pies. Best to hop over the water even if it looks shallow.
And the river? This river is actually named "The Water." Hobbits have such interesting names for everything else. I think Tolkien was a brilliant world builder, but that one kind of annoys me. Dude! Deepwater? Slowwater? Briskwater? No? Just "Water"? Okay, then. Be that way. But if your book ever gets turned into a movie I'm totally going to make fun of it.


MALIBU, Calif. — Perhaps this is the year Hawai'i captures that elusive NCAA men's volleyball championship.
Hawai'i's Dejan Miladinovic, right, roofed a spike from UC Santa Barbara's Jan Carlo Zegarra in last night's match.
No. 2-ranked UH took a step in the right direction last night, defeating No. 4 UC Santa Barbara, 30-27, 29-31, 31-29, 30-26 in a semifinal of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament at Firestone Fieldhouse.
UH (22-7 overall) will attempt to win its first MPSF title 4 p.m. tomorrow Hawai'i time when it faces top-ranked Pepperdine (27-4). Pepperdine beat No. 3 BYU, 30-26, 30-25, 22-30, 30-25.
Both teams likely will earn berths in the four-team NCAA Championships May 2 and 4 at Penn State's Recreation Hall. The MPSF winner gets an automatic berth; the MPSF runner-up likely will receive an at-large bid.
UH advanced to the NCAA final four in 1995 and 1996, finishing second to UCLA in 1996.
"There's people that will argue that we were in regardless of what happened tonight," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "You have to look at seeding; you've got to look at national ranking and you've got to look at overall record. But anytime things are determined by a committee, it's subject to human decision. To me, it's a no-brainer."
Senior libero Vernon Podlewski likes UH's chances.
"We're a good passing team, and we have a great serving team as well. Some guys can bring heat, but we move the ball around and switch things crosscourt. We're balanced and that's the key. We came through tonight, especially in the fourth game. We know we can go a long ways in the playoffs, but we need to win Saturday first. Then we'll see what happens, but I really think this is our year.'"
It didn't look that way at the start.
UCSB jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the first game. But after a time out, a kill by Costas Theocharidis gave UH some momentum. Dejan Miladinovic fueled the flow with three stuff blocks as the Warriors cut the deficit to 10-9.
UH took its first lead, 13-12 on a kill by Tony Ching. The teams exchanged unforced hitting errors and UH eventually pulled away as setter Kimo Tuyay served the game's final two points for a 30-27 win.
Theocharidis and Eyal Zimet each had five kills in the first game.
UCSB's Michael Kennedy and Ben Koski were a force at the net in Game 2. The tandem helped UCSB jump to a 5-3 lead and the Gauchos increased it to 15-11 behind the big swings of Andy Rivera, who had eight kills in Game 2. UH tied the game at 29 on mishit by Jan Carlo Zegarra but ultimately lost on a service ace by Nathan Wack.
UH freshman Jose Delgado, who had his career-best match (19 kills) against these Gauchos on March 12, provided a spark in the crucial third game.
His three kills put UH up 11-8 and his back-to back kills gave the Warriors a 16-12 advantage that they would never relinquish. Fittingly, Delgado's kill sealed the 31-29 win in Game 3.
"We had guys that we could put in that did their job," Wilton said. "Jose came in and gave us some nice swings on the ball and a lot of offense. He did a nice job."
In the deciding fourth game, Miladinovic held his serve as UH controlled the tempo and got three kills from Zimet, three from Delgado and five from Theocharidis.
Delgado finished with 11 kills, which was indicative of the all-around team effort. Zimet also had 11 kills, Miladinovic had seven kills and Delano Thomas added nine.
"Miladinovic's serve was great," Wilton said. "Teams normally score at a higher rate when he serves but he was hitting his jumper in some nice spots tonight. And Delano Thomas did a great job, too. I'm glad we had all these guys step up because Theocharidis didn't have his typical night."
"I think our subs did great tonight," Theocharidis said. "Delgado came in and gave an All-American effort. Miladinovic had some long serving streaks. We didn't play really well and we didn't execute the way we can. But we won and that's all that really matters."
Nobody is happier than Wilton, who in his 10th season at UH is 191-86 and the program's all-time winningest coach.
And now with the Warriors a step closer, Wilton is pleased, but he's not overlooking Pepperdine, which beat UH twice this season.
"We want to be MPSF champs," he said. "That's our goal. After we get past Saturday's game, we'll take a look at the NCAA championship tournament."


* March 1 - Farmers and fishermen who did not make 2012 estimated tax payments would normally be required to file 2012 tax returns and pay taxes in full. However, the IRS had to delay the start of this year's tax filing season until it completed programming changes made necessary by the late passage of the "American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012" (signed into law on January 2, 2013). As a result, the IRS extended the March 1 filing deadline for farmers and fishermen to April 15.
* March 10 - Daylight Saving Time begins.
* March 15 - 2012 calendar-year corporation income tax returns are due.
* March 15 - Deadline for calendar-year corporations to elect S corporation status for 2013.
* April 1 - Deadline for payers who file electronically to file 2012 information returns (such as 1099s) with the IRS.
* April 1 - Deadline for employers who file electronically to send copies of 2012 W-2s to the Social Security Administration.
The new tax law signed in January extended a number of tax breaks that could lower your tax bill in 2012 and 2013. So check out the list below to see if any apply to you or your business.
* The optional deduction for state and local sales taxes in lieu of deducting state and local income taxes.
* The above-the-line deduction for up to $4,000 for qualified tuition and related expenses.
* The above-the-line deduction for up to $250 for classroom supplies purchased by teachers.
* The deduction for mortgage insurance premiums.
* Allowing taxpayers 70½ or older to make tax-free contributions of up to $100,000 from an IRA to a charity.
* The exclusion from income for cancellation of mortgage debt of up to $2 million on a principal residence.
* An increase to $500,000 in the Section 179 first-year expensing option for the purchase of new or used business equipment, with an investment limit of $2,000,000.
* 50% bonus depreciation on purchases of new business equipment.
* The research tax credit and the work opportunity tax credit.
* 15-year depreciation for leasehold improvements, restaurant property, and retail space improvements.
For assistance in identifying and applying all the deductions and credits that lower your taxes -both for 2012 and 2013 - please contact our office.
Do you owe self-employment tax?
If you earned more than $400 during 2012 from work as a sole proprietor or independent contractor, you may owe self-employment tax. That's true no matter what your age - even if you're receiving social security benefits.
The tax is assessed on your earnings from self-employment, which can include income from qualified joint ventures and partnerships, as well as fees you earn working as a director for a corporation. In this context, "earnings" generally means your income after deducting expenses incurred while operating your business. If you have multiple businesses, you combine the net income and losses.
For your 2012 return, the self-employment tax rate is 13.3% on the first $110,100 that you earned. For 2013, the taxable base rises to $113,700, and the tax rate increases to 15.3%. Income above the base amounts is still subject to Medicare tax at a 2.9% rate.
What happens when you earn social security wages or tips from an employer and also have a side business? Your wages count toward the taxable base. Depending on how much you earn as an employee, your self-employment income may be subject to part or all of the tax.
You can pay self-employment tax on a quarterly basis as part of your estimated tax payments. One half of the total self-employment tax that you pay during the year is deductible on your income tax return, and you don't have to itemize to claim the deduction.
Are you new to self-employment? Give us a call. We're happy to offer guidance and help you make smart tax decisions.
Taxpayers opting for the simplified deduction cannot depreciate a portion of the home as they can under the other method. However, business expenses not related to the home, such as advertising, supplies, and employee wages are still fully deductible.
Regardless of the type of business you're running - whether it's selling electronics, making furniture, or servicing automobiles - monitoring a few key financial indicators is often all that's needed to keep your company growing and prosperous. On the other hand, neglecting a firm's vital signs can lead to management by crisis and corrective action that's too little, too late.
A prudent business owner won't wait until the end of the year (or even the end of the quarter) to learn that revenues are declining, inventories are shrinking, or payroll expenses are spiraling out of control. Although annual financial statements provide historical perspective and a wealth of data for long-term planning, correcting current problems is a matter of timely insight and informed analysis. You want to know whether your business is losing money or growing - now, not later.
* Orders and returns. Are you selling more units over time? To find out, look at your sales figures by units. Tracking revenues alone may present a false picture. After all, revenues may be growing because prices have increased. If unit sales are declining, you might be losing market share. Are customers returning more and more of your products? Are complaints increasing? If so, it may be time to examine your quality control process or return policy.
* Breakeven point. If you need $100,000 this month to cover fixed and variable costs, are you selling enough products or providing enough services to break even? If you're dipping into reserves to cover revenue shortfalls, adjustments may be required. Expenses may need to be slashed, a new advertising campaign launched, or a new and cheaper supplier procured.
* Liquidity. Knowing the availability of cash is vital to every business. That's why reconciling the firm's bank statements shouldn't be an afterthought. Every month your accountant or bookkeeper should ensure that your general ledger agrees with the bank's records of deposits and withdrawals. If a company is "bleeding cash," the bank statements should tell the story.
* Inventory. Controlling the stuff that's weighing down your retail shelves or accumulating in your warehouse is often a key to profitability. Buying too many items may lead to excessive storage costs; buying too little may lead to burgeoning backorders and lost sales.
* Payroll. Staff size should be commensurate with revenues. Medium-sized firms, especially, can find that labor expenses grow too rapidly. A decline in orders may signal a need to reduce payroll costs.
By carefully analyzing your firm's operations, you'll be able to identify the indicators that provide the clearest view of your company's ongoing profitability.
Over time your business's key numbers may change. You need to know your business industry, identify changing conditions, and adapt. A brief but timely report that presents the numbers that really matter will help to keep your firm on the right track.
There has been a lot of uncertainty about the tax rules - what has changed for 2013 and what has remained the same. This uncertainty includes the rules covering estate and gift taxes.
The estate tax exemption was scheduled to drop in 2013 to $1,000,000, with a top tax rate of 55%. However, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 signed in January kept that change from happening and instead brought some certainty to the estate and gift tax rules for some years going forward.
The new law permanently sets the estate and gift tax exemption at $5,000,000 and sets the top tax rate at 40%. The exemption amount is adjusted annually for inflation. That inflation adjustment puts the 2012 exemption at $5,120,000 and the 2013 exemption at $5,250,000. The annual gift tax exclusion for 2013 is $14,000 per recipient.
Now that the rules have been made "permanent," you would be wise to review your estate plan to be sure the plan will still accomplish your wishes. Contact us and your attorney for any assistance you need.
Under the new tax law, it is now easier to convert your employer-sponsored retirement plan such as a 401(k), 403(b), or 457 into a Roth IRA account. This is similar to converting your traditional IRA into a Roth IRA, but with one very significant difference.
When you convert a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA, you can change your mind and undo this conversion (also known as a recharacterization) by October 15 of the following year. This may make sense when the value of the account has dropped since you did the conversion, because you do not want to pay tax on a higher value than the account currently has.
When you convert an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you do not have the option of undoing the conversion by October 15. Once you convert your employer-sponsored retirement plan into a Roth IRA, it cannot be undone.
If you decide to convert your entire 401(k) into a Roth IRA, the entire balance will be taxable in the year of the conversion.
If you want to take advantage of this new provision, please contact our office first because there are some very important tax planning consequences to consider. If done without proper tax counsel, you may be paying more taxes than you should. In light of the new tax law, there are now more variables that need to be considered in your tax planning.


Commercial lots front on busy Rt 32 and Bodman Road. All utilities available. 2 lots: 1.61acres on corner, second lot 7acres fronts Rt 32 and Dean Drive. Can be purchased separate. Many uses: storage buildings, business/office, car dealership. Motivated Seller.