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Happy New Year, World
December 31, 2022 / Rich Wilkins / Leave a comment
The passage of a year, or even ten years, is an insignificant event on a planet that is millions (sorry Sunday School teachers of my past ☹) of years old. Sure, it's fun to have parties and mark the passing of another year, but we make more of it than it is. You won't be a different person tomorrow, most likely, and the world around you is unlikely to be much different either. Don't put off the changes you want to make over the passage of an artificial construct. It's just another calendar date changing.
Some years are different than others though, and sometimes it's worth noting the way the entire past year changed you. This past year, I lived. I experienced new things and places I never had before, and I found new likes. For the first time in my life I went west of Lincoln, NE. I spent a couple months in Las Vegas, Easter in LA, went to California for the first time, crossed the Rockies, went to Hoover Dam, and saw Death Valley. In the west I found how much I actually enjoy nature (I know, odd living in Vegas) and our national parks. The mountains, the deserts, even the Pacific Ocean, it's all just different out West. That first time I flew over the Rockies was basically a religious experience for me. I definitely caught the bug. 🏜
It wasn't just the West though that I found this year. I went to Memphis and experienced Beale Street, the home of the blues. I had barbecue in Kansas City. I saw the arch in St. Louis. For the first time in 18 years (and second time in my life), I went to Boston. I saw a lot of new places this year, and my appreciation for America grew a lot.
One place I have to say surprised with how cool it was? Tennessee. I had the least expectations for the "Volunteer state" of all the places I visited, and it was awesome. All the music history in that state, they not only are the capitol of country and the blues, they really helped create rock there. They've preserved it in both Nashville and Memphis, but Memphis really caught my mind. That's one great River town.
2022 was also a very retro year for me though. For the first time in 14 years, and third and fourth time in my life, I was at a Phillies World Series game. It was like Californication in 1999 again when I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the Meadowlands. Seeing Aerosmith was commonplace in my teen years, until it wasn't, then this year I'm sitting in Fenway watching their 50th anniversary show. All that was old was new again. I still like what I like.
One thing about experiencing things from your past later on in life is that you appreciate them more. You take it in more. And it makes you value those past experiences more. I appreciate more of what I've seen, because of what I saw now.
I don't want to pretend everything about 2022 was great though, that nothing was wrong. Some people came, some people and things left. I grappled with aging, as I'll exit my 30's early next year. I left my college's alumni board, as I finished my last term. There were times I felt old, and I don't mean that physically. I mean in my mind. Like maybe the best days we're behind me. Maybe there's no new heights to reach. Maybe the last 20 years or so of adulthood weren't worth it. I've had depression in the past, and it flared up at times again. Like I said, there were struggles. It really was a great year overall, but it had its moments too.
I've spent my entire adult life in politics, I think politics is very important. Voting and being an informed citizen is important. Serving in any capacity is important. As important as it is, my relationship to politics is changing. I'm coming to believe our politics may be fundamentally broken. I'm actually pleasantly happy with President Biden on the policy and governance side, I think he's got a lot of good things done. I will vote for him again. Unfortunately his election has not ended the polarization the way I had hoped, in part because no one really wants to end it. I struggled until lunch on Election Day to fill my vote-by-mail ballot in, basically because I was disgusted by the vote I had to cast for one particular office. I thought our candidate was entirely inappropriate to serve, but their candidate was such a particularly terrible person that I had to vote against them. I find myself siding against the people advocating for maximum free speech, which feels dirty to me, but they want to amplify hate speech, conspiracy theories, and junk science, without consequence. Our politics is now infested with grifters seeking riches, idiots that want to be powerful, self-important people, people armed with only ignorant opinions they just arrived at, and angry people that know very little about governance, but walk in the door with a set of demands, because they are going to change the world. The political industry in which I have spent my life, is pulling us towards an algorithmic existence where we think 50% of the population are evil and stupid, but our 50% can do no wrong. A few of us are experienced and involved enough to know better, but many won't admit how broken it all is. We're two years removed from an attempted coup in America, but I'm not sure we're better off.
We have one group of activists obsessed with guns, calling their opponents pedos, conspiracy nonsense, and the two trans athletes they can name that were good at their sports, while worshipping a fat, stupid, corrupt ignoramus as their God. On the opposite side, you have a mish-mash of cancel culture, sensitivity police, do-nothing Socialists, and each and every pet cause you can think of. Then you have everyone else, who hate all of this, but select a side because they know it's important. It is important. Who governs matters a lot to billions of lives. Right now, only one political party is fit to govern, but let's not pretend that party is in a great place.
Politics was good to me again though. I ran some projects doing registration, turnout, and petitions for ballot initiatives, mostly in new places. I also wrote mail for the first time, which is different than anything I've ever done before. It was good to get different experiences, and I look forward to doing more with that in the new year, with my own new LLC's in place. I guess, may we prosper?
In 2023, much of the work out there will be local elections, maybe the most directly consequential kind of elections. I like working on these races because they are the furthest removed from the nonsense the national folks put you through. You just try to get good people elected. It's more pure. I feel better about it. Frankly it's not a big racket.
It was tough saying goodbye to my 15 year old dog, Sweetpea this past September. She had a long, good life, and a fighting spirit to the very bitter end. I've had three dogs, and I'm now down to one. I'm reminded that while there with us only part of their life, we're there with them for their whole life. If you do it right, they're part of the family.
It was a good year to be a Philadelphia sports fan. The Phillies won the pennant and the Eagles have the best record in football. Sure, there were playoff losses for the Eagles and Sixers this year, but it was a good one overall. Beggars can't be choosers. This coming year should be better.
The year in sports on the whole was pretty fun to watch. Let's be honest, the Super Bowl was rigged, but the halftime show was fire, so that's cool. Aaron Judge made history with 62 homers, the American League record. Thank God Golden State spared us from ESPN's Boston love fest. And thank you UNC for sparing us from weeks of Duke tributes. Georgia beat 'Bama for the 2021 title in 2022, and I'll give you quick glimpse of the future- they're going to do it again. They should just put all SEC teams in the playoffs.
One of the cool things about what I do is the people I meet and the places I go. I'm blessed by it. I have a job that constantly makes me think and consider points of view that aren't mine. I wouldn't trade it for the world. To the many people I spent time with, or met randomly this year, thank you. My world is a little bigger, and I'm a little better, because of you. To my closest friends, the ones I drive all over creation to see, and those in Easton, thank you for being a part of my life. I couldn't do it without you.
I'm not really looking forward to 2023. I actually enjoyed most of 2022. I'm happy. I feel fit and ready to go. I'm hoping for good things. By the same token, there are storm clouds on the horizon though, and I'm preparing for some things in life that won't be easy. I'm just hoping I'm ready to face them when it's time.
We are coming to the end of the global social media age. I don't think it will die, but it's going to change. What started as a great way to connect and bring people together has now become a world of megalomaniacs spouting off nonsense, and a place for people who have bad ideas to connect. We are a world at war, living in disinformation, being radicalized, and becoming more polarized. I hope for our leaders to show wisdom in leading us through dangerous times.
Back in 2016, after the election, I told some friends in a DC bar that I thought we were entering the most chaotic, dangerous 20 years possibly in modern history. I absolutely believe that. The good news is, we're one year closer to getting through it.
God bless you all. Here's some more pictures from this year. See you on the other side of the night.
My UFC272- Fight Night in Vegas
How a Complete Fake Person Got Elected to Congress
Who the f**k is George Santos? To be fair, I do this every time a new Congress comes to town. I don't have the bandwidth to know or care who all 435 members of the U.S. Congress are, especially the ones I don't care for much. Santos was going to be an irrelevant nobody that helped elect the worst Speaker in U.S. history this coming January, but now he's getting lots of recognition, for all the wrong reasons.
Basically, George Santos life looks to be fraudulent. His business life, education, and past behavior is all in question, because you can't substantiate that he did any of it. I will spare you the details, the guy is a weirdo and appears to be a fraud. When he surprisingly won his race in November, that wasn't a good thing. Now we're finding out the details and wondering what Long Island was drinking before they voted. You get your mea culpa in 2024.
The real question is how did this happen? The media wanted to dunk on the Democrats for ineptitude, Democrats wanted to dunk on the media for not investigating him. Welcome to the weird world of opposition research, one of the only areas of campaigning I never did before, so I asked some actual experts. A Congressional manager from a DCCC targeted race this cycle, an opposition research professional, and a former DCCC staffer made it make sense for me.
First off, you can criticize Robert Zimmerman for losing this race, but literally all three of them agreed that his campaign isn't really at fault for this. Targeted DCCC and NRCC campaigns generally get their research book on the opponent from the campaign committee, usually. For instance, the bombshells that destroyed the Republican opponents of Rep. Craig and Rep. Kaptur were likely done by DCCC staff. The way it sets up is that the committee has a national director leading the department and a series of regional "desks" overseeing several states underneath them. Under them they will either hire junior level staffers or an outside firm to go do the research on both the opposition candidates and their own nominees, in the most competitive districts. They can't do every candidate in every district, so they have a basic template they send staffers out with to start with in each district, based on what issues polling suggests are on voters minds, and the obvious things like looking to see if your opponent killed someone, or something else nuts. So, for instance in 2022, DCCC researchers likely were starting out by looking for documented evidence of extremism on abortion or guns, ties to January 6th, and ties to bad foreign governments, like say, Russia. In this case, they found some very real hits from this bunch, and some of the stuff now alleged in the New York Times piece. Santos managed to avoid most of the scrutiny, and won this district by a massive margin, considering how blue it was. With that said, I think you could fairly question what the DCCC sent their staff looking for (Long Island voters were clearly fine with this guy hanging out with domestic terrorists on Jan. 6th), but not the process as a whole- they found a lot of what they looked for, they couldn't imagine all of this nonsense, or go looking for everything.
So then the obvious question is, if they had a good chunk of this stuff, and we're fairly certain Democratic press staff was pitching it to reporters, why did the article come out a week before Christmas? How did Santos essentially make up his life, and get away with it? I give the media a little more charitable read than Democratic activists here- it's not their job to print whatever smut the parties tell them to. Maybe the reporter didn't find the pitch credible. Maybe Democrats couldn't quite substantiate everything. To be fair, egregious hatchet jobs are unfair. If Democrats had all of this, and reporters wouldn't print it, they always had the option of putting it out through paid comms (TV, digital, mail). They didn't.
Santos is a national disgrace, and he should leave Congress before it starts, but he won't. A lowlife who fabricated the majority of his story to get here isn't going to feel shame now. The moral of this story is there ain't such things as halfway crooks. If you're going to be terrible and still run for office, I guess you do better by going to a level so far bad that no one even believes the story. It worked for Santos.
Some Fremont Street Memories…
My Ten Places in America You Have to See
A Republican political operative recently posed the question on Twitter, "If a foreign friend told you they were visiting America, what five cities would you tell them they need to visit?" I struggled with this question, mightily. I've been thinking about it ever since. What I've come up with is this list of ten places I would tell you that you have to see. Here's my list, made up entirely based on my experiences and imagination.
1. New York City- If you only get one bite at the apple, there's only one choice- the cultural and financial capital of the Western World. There is no more famous skyline. Food? It's got it all. Sports? Nine top level professional teams. Elite education institutions? Plenty. Fashion? All you could ask for. Culture, theater, classical music? Yep. Pop, rock, and hip hop? Only the best. Old school ethnic neighborhoods? Check. Historic national and international sites? Plenty. There's a reason we used to bring our new Americans into Ellis Island, we wanted them to know they made the right choice. Nothing compares to the bright lights of the "Big Apple." Nothing.
2. Los Angeles- I've been there exactly one day in my life, and it made quite the impact on me. Yes, I get the criticisms about it being "fake" or that the downtown is uninspiring, but that gets blown away by the cultural star power the city has, and quite frankly the beautiful aesthetic of the place. My day in Santa Monica, Easter in the Pacific, was like something out of a movie. I get that a lot of Americans have opinions about Hollywood, but every foreign visitor should see the cinema capital of the West. You should see the beaches. See the incredible diversity of the region (America's promise/identity). Again, they have everything you could possibly be looking for.
3. Chicago- I thought about breaking up the three biggest cities in America, but frankly I'm underrating Chicago. Consider it the Midwest's condensed version of New York. Skyline? Yes. Great food? Yes. Beach front on Lake Michigan? Yep. Sports, universities, and a great musical tradition? Got 'em. Sure, the New York region has better pizza (😉), but their pizza is good too. Like New York, some of the old ethnic neighborhoods remain, giving them some identity as a city. I still really want to get to Wrigley Field.
4. Colorado- Here's where my criteria starts to change. I've been to Denver once, spending a night there driving back across the country. I crossed the Rockies at night, in a snowstorm, when I several times thought I was going to die. Even at night, the mountains are amazing. Why I put Colorado on this list though is it's like two three totally different places, all showing off some of America's natural beauty. West of the Rockies, it's the west you imagine, rugged and kind of wild. To the East of Denver, you're in the Great Plains for hours. Then there's the mountains themselves. I can't describe them justly, so I won't. You just have to go see them.
5. Las Vegas- I spent two months exploring Sin City earlier this year. No one's advice prepared me for it. Vegas is amazing, but honestly it's a place you need to view from a rooftop, mountain, or plane to appreciate. The Strip is all the glitz and glamour you've heard about, especially on a big "fight night" in Vegas. I'd spend my Saturday nights at Aria, Paris, MGM, New York, New York, and many other casinos on The Strip. The thing is, there was always something to do. I did a UFC fight, Hoover Dam, a Golden Knights game, Death Valley, LA, an Aviators (AAA baseball), and a NASCAR race, to name a few things, within a day trip. I met some of the wildest, most amazing people there. I ate prime rib at a small casino for under $11. Don't get me wrong, I saw some terrible shit too, but the overall experience blew me away. And if city life ain't your thing? There are mountains, lakes, canyons, and deserts like you've never seen before.
6. Philadelphia- Take everything I wrote about New York and Chicago, and tone it down a point or two. Throw in some Wawas. Welcome to America's biggest small town, where people will greet you with "Go Birds" 🦅 if you seem like you are from there. It's an old school union town and the cheesesteaks are as good as you've heard. Go see a playoff game, Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, Union, or hopefully someday the Flyers, but bring earplugs. We're bringing the noise. America began here, and we have the historical sites to back it up. You can definitely see characters as diverse as Tony Soprano (but real here) and Jay Z hanging out in Philly. Listen to our talk radio for a good laugh. Study at elite universities. Classical music, art, rock concerts? All here. The "Red Army" hockey team came here just to get beat up. Watch Joel Embiid play as the true MVP or Bryce Harper mash baseballs. Just make sure you respond "Go Birds."
7. The DMV, aka- Our Nation's Capitol- If I didn't tell a foreigner to visit Washington, would I be misleading them? If they have time for seven stops, they need to see what it's about. What's a trip to America without the White House, Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, or just the entire National Mall in general. Catch a Nats game, take a cruise on the Potomac, eat at Ben's Chili Bowl, or get a drink in Georgetown. The city was more alive pre-Covid, but there's lots to see. Take the next day though and head up to Baltimore. Camden Yards is a must for baseball fans. Inner Harbor both has lots to do, and it's maintained it's industrial feel. You'll find lots of good food and history to explore. Close out your trip in Northern Virginia, where DC keeps moving further and further out. Hopefully they'll bring back the Clarendon Grill and it's shows, some day.
8. Atlanta- If there is such thing as a "regional Capitol" in America, Atlanta is it. They hosted the 1996 Olympics. Dr. Martin Luther King's church lives on today. It's the great Jimmy Carter's "home" city. It was the site of so many moments in the Civil Rights movement. Hank Aaron made baseball history there. Coca-Cola and Waffle House are outsized presences there. The SEC football championship is here. The ACC has a presence there in Georgia Tech. Morehouse, Georgia State, and Emory are there. Atlanta is the king of "the New South," the place to be. It's definitely worth the visit.
9. Boston- Ok, nobody likes "Massholes," but hear me out, it's a cool place. It's cold, but that's why they like their "Dunks." They're rabid sports fans, hence why I hate them. Besides Harvard, they have more institutions of higher learning than just about anyone. Their Little Italy neighborhood has tremendous food. There's lots of history to explore. They gave us Bill Burr and Aerosmith. Boston Harbor is a cool site to see. Honestly, their accents are kinda cool. They did give us JFK. And Sam Adams. Ok, I like them.
10. Memphis- Everybody who argues about this one has never been there. Memphis is an authentic Mississippi River town. It's got the blues music, but more importantly the history- B.B. King, Johnny Cash, and Elvis. Go see Beale Street, you won't regret it. Good music and great food is everywhere. It's one of the most fun places I've been. It's wildly underrated.
Honorable mention- Let's start with Pittsburgh and Cleveland, both of which I love. Milwaukee gets overlooked because of the proximity to Chicago. I've never been to New Orleans, but I imagine it to be a bigger, wilder Memphis. Austin and Dallas are on my list, but I've never done Texas. Omaha is a lot more fun than you hear. Minneapolis looks fun, but I don't know yet. I should go see Detroit. Ditto for Nashville. Now that I worked Washington elections, it's time to see Seattle. San Francisco Bay is a must see for me now. I want to see Yellowstone. Lake Tahoe is a need. My grandfather told me San Diego was the most beautiful place he ever saw.
Ok, go see America.
My 2022 Music List
There are 40 songs, since I began my 40th year. There is no rule about what year they came from. They are just 40 songs I listened to a lot in 2022. Some connect to specific places and events, some don't. Here it is.
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/2022-ad/pl.u-e98lMMqfdGArPq
What Sinema May Have Got Right
December 13, 2022 December 13, 2022 / Rich Wilkins / Leave a comment
As I said before, Kyrsten Sinema's switch from Democrat to Independent was a cynical move to protect herself, but that doesn't mean there was no genius to learn from it. She can't be primaries without a party and a Democratic candidate may hopelessly divide the electorate and insure even a weak Republican victory. It was a skilled power play that probably wins. If a half decent Republican enters, Democrats will have no choice but to acquiesce to the gun at their head. She's a rotten SOB, but a damn smart one.
On a larger level, Sinema took advantage of a political reality that neither party can fully admit- nobody likes either of them. This is true nationally, but very much so in Arizona. The largest "party" in Arizona is independent, and that is growing through registration. Voters nationally tend to see both parties negatively, and that is true in Arizona too. Democrats tend to see recent wins for statewide offices there as a sign the state is moving there way, but it's probably better to see it as the less partisan/ideological voters being less repulsed by semi-normal people than loving Democrats.
The two parties can't speak truth to the folks giving consistent small dollar donations and volunteer hours, as the parties would cease to function, but "activists" in both parties (more so the GOP, to be clear, but both) are further and further detached from where most voters are politically (hence, Joe Biden is President), but activists make everything work inside the parties. Rather than confront their soldiers and pull them closer to the population, both parties would rather gamble on "the algorithm"- the bet that no matter how unhappy "normy" voters are with politics and government, they will typically come out and vote for the side that more closely fits to them, because functioning adults understand it's important. As a result, you have a new Republican Congress that should be logically moving towards the middle, but instead is promising nonsense investigations into Hunter Biden, the border, and liberal parents pushing their kids to "go trans" (don't even get me started on this bullshit) and a Democratic administration that basically messages everything towards the base groups that most loyally support them.
As I said, Sinema is sly like a fox. She is gambling that in one of the few states left that has swing voters, she can pick up a few political points by essentially shitting on how unsatisfying our political system is. I don't think it's certain, because people have had years to watch her evolution and absurd behavior, but this is her best chance to be right. When she wrote that most voters struggle to identify with our political parties, I think she's right. I think that less politically active, "offline" voters who read her op-ed or watch her spend the next year campaigning on these messages, will probably be far less offended by this move than the rest of us. Will they get over her diva behavior and crappy inaction on things they voted for her to do? In a just world, no. I don't think we live in that world though. Sinema may have just outfoxed all of Washington by coming outside "the house" and telling the town people that everything they think is going on inside is true. If so, you can curse her all you would like, but don't ever doubt her political calculus again.
Elon Musk and Our Failing Elites
There's something rich about a guy born to countless wealth positioning himself as the voice of the common man, against the ruling elites. A guy who was born to money from emerald mining, money made profiting off of the apartheid system, standing up as the voice of the people. The guy who spent $44 billion to buy a social media company, basically because he didn't believe *his* beliefs were being amplified on there, telling us that he is the champion of free speech. A guy who paid a $20 million fine to the SEC telling us that government regulators are criminals and need to go to jail. To be blunt, Elon Musk is a horse's ass. He is a narcissist that craves our adoring praise, while also believing he is the center of the universe. His belief in your free speech ends right around the time you mock him. For being the richest guy in the world, he sure craves your love a lot more than most of us do.
I don't hate Elon Musk as much as many of you reading do though. Not by a long shot. The guy created PayPal, how can we say he isn't an innovator? His work on Tesla is an attempt to fill a vitally needed space in the market, one that both solves our need for cars and combats climate change. SpaceX stepped into the void governments left when space travel was not cool anymore. Sure, he was born on third base and thinks he hit a home run, but his business adventures have actually been consequential well beyond their profit margins. His political positions on the whole are at times offensive and usually laughable, but he is hardly the only person on the planet to challenge the Democratic Party's "wokeness" problem. Sure, he's self-absorbed and amplifies some of the worst voices, but Elon Musk is like most people on the planet- complicated. He's got "value added" for humanity. He's also a petulant child that thinks far too much of himself.
So let's take Musk the person out of it for a second. What is drawing some people to the causes he claims to be fighting for? How are people buying into the guy with the biggest megaphone in the world crowing about free speech? How are people taking lectures on "wokeism" from a dude who got his money from the apartheid system? Why is anyone listening to the guy who got a $20 million fine from the SEC tell us about who is a criminal? Are we really taking opinions on public health from the guy tweeting out pictures of guns and Diet Coke cans on his night stand? Really? The answer is yes, and I think maybe we should step back and ask why. He's not conning us with his looks (for sure), or his charisma, or really anything about him. Hell, he's getting booed at a Dave Chappelle show (not exactly a "woke" setting). So, what's going on here?
People are deeply unhappy with the world they live in. To those of us who grew up in the American Middle Class and aged into adulthood, this seems rather obvious, but it is a very foreign concept to many of those in settings of power. Sure, we live in the greatest time in history to be alive- it just doesn't feel like it. Work-life balance? It's fucked. Mental health? It's fucked. Feelings of safety and security? Yeah right, in what manner? The 21st Century so far is a period of terrorism, long-running wars, pandemics, major financial crimes that bring about massive financial failure, climate change driven natural disasters, school shootings, attempted coups, race riots, and basically a series of major global events that feel like the apocalypse. People work more, they take on massive amounts of debt, they feel less connected to other humans, spiral from anxiety driven personal collapse to anxiety driven personal collapse, are getting addicted more substances than they knew existed, and feel like the world around them is in a constant state of "change"- and not change they asked for. If you're about 40 years old, your entire adult life has been defined by lurching from one existential societal crisis to the next, save for a couple of years in Obama's second term. One political party tells us we need to hate Russia, the other China, and while both are reprehensible on many levels, we all kind of thought the Cold War had ended in our childhood. Life just doesn't feel good, even if it is. It's hard to be happy and optimistic under these conditions.
Unhappy people will seek solutions to their problems that numb the pain. It's why some people "find religion" in dark times. It's why other people find drugs and alcohol. It's why some people find politics. This is not to say that God, weed, and political activism are bad things- I support them all. It's more to point out that when the world around them is scary and dangerous, and people feel like they've lost control, people will find something to make sense of that world and seize back control for themselves. It will often times take on far more dangerous forms than what I mentioned above- white supremacy and ethnonationalism, hard drugs, fascism, violence, personality cults both big and small, religious fundamentalism, and political extremism are all just sitting there, waiting to answer what is wrong with the world, give you back control, and tell you who is to blame for your problems. They will prey on your prior preferences and biases, alienating you from other people, even those close in your life. Conmen will seize on these causes and elevate themselves as "the solution." People will fall for it too, because they're unhappy. Their needs aren't being met. They feel like they've lost control.
Of course there's something slightly wrong with a person who is comprehending the world by believing JFK Jr. is coming back or obsessing over whatever politician they want prosecuted. The reason this can be exploited though is the void in leadership, both in America and globally. Government isn't solving our pressing needs, and so people look for others to fill the void. Again, life feels like it's getting worse, and it doesn't feel like we can do anything within the system, so why not turn to these causes. Some of this is augmented by social media, and some by 24 hour cable news, but the impact is the same. The sky is falling and "the elites" are doing nothing for you. This is dangerous rhetoric, and it has been used by groups as far apart as the Nazis and Communists, who will define "the elites" in whatever way fits them best, then call on you to lash out against them. Obviously demagogues are preying on our failings as people, but as I said above, a lot of us are failing in a world that isn't meeting our needs. Basic societal functions from public education to policing, from our public health to our financial system, are not meeting our needs every day. "Mainstream" politics, run by the "elites" aren't getting the job done, and so they look less and less like a good option. What we have has left us deep in debt, stressed by life functions, and increasingly lonely and isolated in relation to others. In fact, to watch the news regularly will make you think many, if not most of your fellow people, are no good. Decisive, bold action is needed, immediately, to stop the "bad" people. Meanwhile the government can't even do the basic things we (think) we elect them to do.
Actual American elites aren't Kanye's "Jews running Hollywood," Musk's "woke mob," or Trump's "educated people," they're anyone in government, business, or culture that wields power, which is to say they come from every group. You don't get to be a United States Senator or Congressman and claim someone else are "the elite." You don't get to be a billionaire and claim someone else is "the elite." If you took a class at Harvard from Elizabeth Warren or were a classmate of a Bush at Yale, it's hard for you to call other people elites. If you're a high paid professional athlete who just signed a massive contract to play for a team next season, you're not nearly the kind of elite the owner of your team is, but your "commoner" card is revoked. You're a rapper with a fashion label producing clothes in your name? Yeah, you don't get to rail against elites either. Certainly the richest man on the planet, who bought one of the largest social media networks as a play toy shouldn't get to do this either. Despite these things being obvious, there are still people cheering Elon, or Trump, or any number of politicians, or Kanye, or Kyrie, or anyone else from these elite levels, when they launch these attacks on "the elites." Americans seem to get that every Supreme Court Justice coming from the Ivy League, or nearly every recent American President coming from said schools is problematic and that they don't represent us, yet we've let two Penn Grads (Musk and Trump) dominate the public discourse in the past decade by railing against a class of people they absolutely are a member of. It's strange. It's actually fairly dangerous that we fall for this. Again though, we're falling for it because we're angry. We're falling for it because, well, we think "the elite" are failing us. We're ripe for the demagoguery.
As we're constantly told, Hitler was elected. Nearly every January 6th rioter, 9/11 hijacker, Hamas suicide bomber, IRA bomber, or ISIS soldier voluntarily took part in their extremist movement. Fundamentalist cult members across religions generally join voluntarily, once they are "awakened." That's not something unique to any culture, religion, or race. Generally though, they're people who lost hope and found a new way of understanding the world- for the worse. Humans find their way to the next person or thing that gives them back control and tells them who or what the problem is. If that leads them to extremism, so be it. The world is broken anyway, because the bad guys they want to remove ignore "the people." These things generally start the same.
The relationship between policy makers and decision makers in our society and the people who they govern is generally broken. They live inside bubbles, they live in areas where most of the people around them are of the same class or ideological persuasion as they are. Skilled, but dangerous politicians who live in some of America's wealthiest neighborhoods will warn you of "Beltway elites," "Massachusetts liberals," "San Francisco values," and "Wall Street fat cats," while they themselves share many of the same traits. We bite hook, line, and sinker too. We have a society that doesn't have time to learn the system, they're too busy struggling to survive, and so the pleas that "we're doing the best we can" are not nearly as satisfying as chants of "lock her up," and competency within the system is viewed less favorably than bluster, bravado, and arrogance from blowhards who aren't interested in better policy either, just pursuing power and leading their "sheeple" followers to burn the "other" at the stake. Our "policy wonk" class just don't get the real world failings of their values and decisions, but dangerous demagogues do. In truth though, they're rather similar in their relationship to the general public though. One side of the coin are detached and unable to see how hated they are, the other side are greedy bastards that will pursue power to dangerous ends. One is obviously better than the other, but they probably won't lead us to a better ending. Our people are too broken to "just trust us," and that lack of faith in our institutions and society is grounded in their real world experiences that the "smart ones" just can't see. And so we get the worst of all worlds.
Nonsense and More Mavericky Nonsense
December 9, 2022 December 9, 2022 / Rich Wilkins / Leave a comment
If you still put Joe Manchin in the same sentence as Kyrsten Sinema, stop. There is plenty to debate about him, and certainly votes to dislike from him, but he knows what he is and behaves like it- a conservative Democrat representing a ruby red state. He is authentically not in line with most of the Democratic Party, especially the online activist type. His "bad behavior" is simply more authentic and honorable than Sinema's though, and it makes more political sense.
Arizona is not a "blue" state at this point, and it has a history of electing "maverick" Senators. It is a swing state though, and it just elected nearly all Democrats at the statewide level. Mark Kelly, the state's junior Senator, is certainly a moderate in brand too, but his voting record and political affiliations make sense. Sinema on the other hand is all over the map, sometimes killing Democratic priorities from the left, other times from the right. She stakes out positions that make little sense on legislation, often times making passage hard or impossible. Sometimes she even contradicts her own votes from the past with nonsensical switches literally just for the sake of doing it.
My real problem with Sinema though is she has no political soul, no authenticity, and no values or identity. The former Green Party member lefty, who sold herself as a leftist progressive woman while ascending to state legislative leadership, then Congress, and now to the Senate, has gone out of her way to now rebrand herself as the Senate moderate. Out of principle? Yeah right, she still insisted on some of her former priorities, like fighting climate change. She doesn't contradict herself to serve some bigger principle, like freedom of speech or individual liberty, but mostly just for attention and political positioning for her re-elections. Sinema must have determined in recent days that the likely primary challenge in 2024 from Congressman Ruben Gallego was highly likely to beat her, either because of a bad poll or former allies telling her they are out, and so today we got the nonsensical announcement from her that while she is still caucusing with the Democrats, she now identifies as an independent. It is a highly cynical move to avoid losing a primary, one that she believes boxes in Democratic opponents- if she runs as an independent, she will likely siphon off enough votes from the Democratic nominee to insure neither she or they can possibly win. She set up a suicide pact, and is essentially willing to hand the Senate to Republicans that literally hate who she actually is, all to try and desperately hang on to power.
I usually am fiercely defensive of moderates. I have my fair share of grievances with where far-left progressives want to take the party. It is imperative though that Democrats, moderates, and frankly any people with any values or decency in them reject this cynical act. Kyrsten Sinema has had her time, had her chance, and had her attention. It's time to end the temper tantrum in 2024.
TFG, Georgia.
December 6, 2022 / Rich Wilkins / Leave a comment
Warnock wins! pic.twitter.com/FvuwijoxIj
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) December 7, 2022


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


WHEN 12-year-old Amelia Hambleton decided to lose her locks for charity she inspired a form tutor at her school to copy her.
Amelia's 12 inch blonde plait will be used by The Little Princess Trust to make a wig for a child with cancer, and Year 8 form tutor Vicki Smithson, an English teacher at Haslingden High School, has now had her red hair cut into two 9 inch plaits and donated the hair to the same charity.
Mrs Smithson also used the haircut to support Macmillan Nurses and so far has raised £450.
She said: "My sister-in-law has been raising money in memory of her mother and I wanted to so something help.
"My mother-in-law was a Macmillan Nurse and after she retired last April she was diagnosed with stomach cancer and she had three weeks with her family before she died.
"It hit us all quite hard but without the Macmillan Nurses we would not have been able to have her with us. They were amazing and supported the whole family.
"My sister-in-law is running a marathon and is 40 per cent of the way towards her goal of £6,200 for Macmillan – £100 for every year of her mother's life.
"I managed to raise £450 for Macmillan thanks to the support of staff, students and friends.
She said her new shorter haircut had received lots of compliments.
Last week around £80 of the money raised by Amelia, which had been held at the hair salon Ward and Co in Haslingden, was stolen in a burglary however, a kind pensioner called in and handed over a cheque for £50.


Ex-Yahoos Bassel Ojjeh and Krishna Uppala today launched nPario, a data mining company that promises to increase 'insights into customer behaviour.'Bassel Ojjeh was a SVP Strategic Data Solutions at Yahoo, and left the company in October. He is CEO of nPario. Krishna was Senior Director/Architect at Yahoo and he's CTO at nPario.


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'Tyrant' Season 1 Recap Will Get You Ready For Another Trip To Abbudin
By Jefferson Grubbs
Described by various news outlets — and some of the actors themselves — as " The Godfather in the Middle East," Season 1 of FX's Tyrant attempted the tricky feat of balancing soapy family drama with the complicated politics of its war-torn country. (Abuddin may be fictional, but the region in which it's located is very, very real.) The show's freshman outing, created by Gideon Raff (Homeland) and developed by Howard Gordon (24) and Craig Wright (Lost), was undeniably at its most successful when focused more on the former aspect than the latter, and now it's coming back (somewhat surprisingly) for a second season. Whether you're a returning viewer seeking to brush the cobwebs off your memory, or a new one who wants to dive straight in to Season 2, check out this Season 1 recap before tuning into the Tyrant premiere on June 16.
The first 10 episodes of Tyrant followed the moral decay of Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed, the younger son of a dictator who returned to his home country of Abbudin with his wife and children after a prolonged, self-imposed exile in America. The pediatrician found himself quickly embroiled in his family's feuds and squabbles and — when his father suddenly died — he felt compelled to stay and help his old brother, Jamal, rule. But, disagreements between the brothers eventually led to Barry deciding he needed to depose Jamal to rule in his stead. He arranged a coup with the United States government and, even though he claimed to be doing it for the greater good, his wife — and audiences at home — could see how power-hungry Bassam had really become.
So where did the season finale, "Gone Fishing" leave off?
Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed (Adam Rayner)
At the top of the hour, Bassam received some devastating news that all but ended his nascent coup before it even began: The United States was withdrawing its support. Bassam had already done such a good job paving the way for the coup by alienating Jamal from his most trusted lieutenants, the U.S. no longer actually needed the coup itself to take place! But, Bassam was too busy breaking bad to pay heed to any warnings, and decided to go ahead without the U.S. government's support.
Thus far, the entire season seemed to be leading towards Bassam becoming the show's titular "tyrant," against his own better instincts. It came as something of a surprise, then, when Barry's coup turned out to be a total disaster. (Although, in retrospect, it really shouldn't have been a shock.) While Bassam took Jamal out fishing, his co-conspirators were supposed to be eliminating the last vestiges of Jamal's inner circle. But, when they returned to dry land, Bassam discovered the tables had been turned: Jamal had already gotten the truth from one of his brother's allies, and he stopped the coup before it even began.
Barry ended the season in a prison cell, with Jamal debating what to do with his disloyal brother. Despite the fact that their mother, Amira, begs Jamal to spare her son's life and simply exile him, Jamal's wife, Leila, convinces him he must show no mercy and execute Bassam.
Jamal Al-Fayeed (Ashraf Barhom)
Barry's unstable brother was by far the most interesting character in Tyrant's first season. Although the writers used a tired shortcut to establish him as a villain — copious violence against women, both physical and sexual — Barhom's performance gave Jamal far more compelling layers... layers which were finally given room to breathe in the season's latter half. His scene on the boat with Bassam was particularly masterful, as Jamal practically begged his brother to admit his desire for the presidency (without ever explicitly saying so, of course). Unfortunately, Barry proved to be too proud, preferring to take it by force than simply be honest with his brother.
As Bassam was being led away to jail following his failed coup, Jamal tearfully told him that he would have gladly given the presidency to him... if he had only asked for it. It's true that Jamal never wanted such immense responsibility. From an early age, Bassam was the natural-born leader, as we learned in effective flashbacks. And when power was thrust upon him so suddenly following the death of his father, he found himself utterly unprepared. But, now, Barry's betrayal has likely turned Jamal into the full-blown tyrant he always feared. In one of the episode's final scenes, we witnessed Jamal executing several of conspirators — including the man who revealed the entire plan to him in the first place.
Leila Al-Fayeed (Moran Atias)
Jamal's beautiful wife has a history with Bassam (of course): When they were younger, Bassam and Leila were madly in love... although he coldly left her behind along with everyone else when he fled Abbudin for America. A resentful Leila married Jamal instead, despite harboring no love for the dictator-to-be. Refreshingly, Barry's return to his home country didn't send Leila immediately swooning into his arms. Instead, the First Lady of Abbudin showed how much he'd hurt her by hurting him back: After Jamal's mother pled for Bassam's life, Leila — along with Jamal's tyrannical uncle Tariq — is the one who convinced her husband to execute the traitor instead.
Molly Al-Fayeed (Jennifer Finnigan)
Barry's American wife and children were frequently the least compelling presence in any given episode, taking up valuable screen time from the dysfunctional Al-Fayeed family with their sheltered naïveté and general fish-out-of-water uselessness. Molly quickly joined the ranks of "most hated TV wives" alongside such frequently-maligned targets as Breaking Bad's Skyler White, Mad Men's Betty Draper, and The Walking Dead's Lori Grimes. Her constant concerns over her husband's decisions went unheeded; Bassam neglected his wife as much as the writers did.
Daughter Emma was barely even a character — her sole contribution in the entire season was an ill-advised spa day with her aunt (Molly's sister, another unnecessary addition) during the middle of a coup which resulted in Barry's entire family missing the plane and thus getting stranded in Abbudin following his dismal failure. Son Sammy perhaps fared the best out of Barry's family: As a young gay man in a Middle Eastern country, his sexuality caused some interesting tension, even if his flirtation with security officer Abdul hasn't really led anywhere yet.
John Tucker (Justin Kirk)
Kirk has some experience with dysfunctional families, given his eight seasons on Showtime's Weeds... but nothing prepared him for the plotting and backstabbing of the Al-Fayeed clan. As the U.S. ambassador to Abbudin, his character interacted frequently with Bassam, and was a key figure in planning the coup against Jamal. When the plug was eventually pulled by Tucker's boss Lea Exley (24's Leslie Hope), Barry managed to blackmail the diplomat into re-offering his government's support by threatening to expose America's machinations to the New York Times.
After Bassam landed in prison, Tucker was the one who had to break the news to his frantic wife. Will he be able to help Barry avoid execution? Will Tucker's (and America's) role in the attempted coup be exposed? Will Jamal abdicate his un-wanted presidency? Will Sammy and Abdul be found out? Will Emma go on another shopping spree?? Hopefully all these questions and more will be answered in the Season 2 premiere, "Mark Of Cain."
Images: Matthias Clamer (2), Frank Ockenfels (4)/FX

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Ensuring your hairband matches the rest of your outfit.
An update on triallists coming and going and potential signings following the four pre-season rriendlies played by the Daggers so far.
Garry Hill has released triallist Greg Oates, formerly an Arsenal reserve, following the firiendly games earlier in the week. Oates, a full back, played in the 1-0 win over East Thurrock United on Monday night.
Garry, who was at the other match at Erith & Belvedere on Monday told Oates that the player wasn't better than he already had in the squad and he wouldn't get a contract at Victoria Road.
It is reported that Oates signed for Conference rivals Margate this morning.
Meanwhile another triallist, Ghanan striker Emmanuel Sarpong, who scored the only goal at East Thurrock, will be watched again by the Daggers management at one of the two games on Saturday. The Daggers again split their squad to play at Boreham Wood and Great Wakering Rovers on Saturday afternoon.
Sarpong has played for Racing Genk in Belgian Div 1 (14 games 4 goals), RC Gent in Belgian Div 3A, Westerlo, Tongeren, Hekelgem (9 games 2 goals) and UR Namur, who are an amateur team in the Belgian fourth division. He has scored over 100 goals in Belgian football. Manny has also trialled with Halifax Town late last year but didn't sign due to Halifax's money troubles, and also at Shrewsbury Town.
Former QPR player Paul Bruce impressed observers in the West Country and is understood to be talking to Garry Hill about a contract for next season. Paul plays on the left hand side of the field either at left back or left sided midfield and seems the perfect replacement for Jason Broom and Matt Jones, both released at the end of last season.


Amid another very busy week, I had my last intern meeting, this time with Assistant and Acting Managing Editors to discuss all things Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviews, and first impressions. At least in magazine publishing, managing editors are the ones who do all of the hiring, so I took what they had to say pretty seriously. They edited each of our resumes ahead of the meeting, and then gave us some very helpful advice and tips, which I will summarize below.


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Niger Delta militants step up pipeline attacks
May 30, 2016 CounterVortex
Presumed militants of the Niger Delta Avengers struck four pipelines in three days, halting production at key facilities. On May 25, militants blew up a pipeline at Chevron's Escravos facility in Delya state, shutting down all the company's onshore activities in the Niger Delta. The following day, militants hit a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline at the Batan oil-field in Warri, Delta state. The day after that, pipelines operated by Shell and Agip in neighboring Bayelsa state were blown up. The NDA had days earlier warned Chevron that no repairs should be carried out on facilities previously targeted by the group, until their demands are fully met. NDA claimed on its official website May 11 that it suspected Chevron was preparing to carry out repair works at the Okan Valve platform, which was blown up by the group at the start of the month. Among its demands, NDA wants to "free the people of the Niger Delta from environmental pollution, slavery and oppression," according to a statement on the group's site. A May 31 deadline had been set for oil companies to quit the Niger Delta. (This Day, May 29; AP, Punch, Nigeria, May 28; Channels Television, Nigeria, Chemical Engineer, May 27; RigZone, May 26; Sahara Reports, May 25)
Africa, Niger Delta, Nigeria, petro-resistance
Argentina: prison terms for Operation Condor
Chiapas: striking teachers occupy radio stations


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Hinckley Road Explosion
How school will come together to remember missing Leicester explosion victims
'We have prayed together and are coping as best we can'
Fiona Dryden
A day of solidarity is planned by staff and students at the school attended by missing Leicester explosion victims Shane and Sean Ragoobeer.
Shane, 18, left English Martyrs School in Beaumont Leys two years ago at the end of year 11, while Sean, 17, was in the school's sixth form.
It is believed members of their family will attend the event at the school tomorrow.
The pair's home was destroyed in the explosion in Hinckley Road on Sunday evening
They are missing alongside their mum, Mary, Shane's girlfriend, Leah Reek, 18, and Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, who was working in the supermarket below the two storey home.
It's believed Scott Ragoobeer, 15, younger brother to Shane and Sean, was pulled from the rubble and is currently in hospital.
Marius Carney, principal of English Martyrs spoke affectionately about the teenage boys.
A shrine to Sean and Shane Ragoobeer at the English Martyrs School in Leicester. Staff and pupils have been lighting candles for them in the chapel at the school (Image: 2018 Mike Sewell)
Describing the events which unfolded on Sunday as a terrible tragedy, he said staff and students had been left devastated and bewildered.
He said: "Everyone has come together as a community.
"We have prayed together and are coping as best we can.
"Shane is remembered with great affection.
"He was great fun and had a brilliant friendship group and always had a smile on his face.
"Sean was a real leader and asset to the sixth form.
"Just a few weeks ago he was leading fundraising for Cafod and just a couple of week's ago was in the school show, Joseph."
Mr Carney said pupils had been told the news as it unfolded in their particular year groups and had prayed for them.
He added: "The chapel is available to all those students to come and pray and reflect and we also have the council's school psychology service support and pastoral staff along with our chaplain.
Sean (left) and Shane Ragoobeer
"Tomorrow will be a big day of solidarity with the family and all those affected in this dreadful tragedy."
Leicestershire Police are continuing to question three men on suspicion of manslaughter following the explosion.
Those arrested on Wednesday are all men in their 30s.
One man is from East Anglia, the second from the North West of the country, and the third from the East Midlands.
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Beaumont Leys


The South Sudan Water Project has been installing, maintaining and repairing boreholes that provide clean water for more than 20,000 people in Doro. Easier access, cleaner water.
Video by Neil Sandoz. Words by Tim Coleman.
The South Sudan Water Project has personally installed eleven boreholes since 2006 and repaired over 40 boreholes, all which serve more than 20,000 people with clean water in Doro, South Sudan.
In providing clean water sites that are easier to reach for the people, there is a bridge built between SIM and the community.
As locals gather to observe the team in action with the boreholes, as leaders see the impact of the project in their communities, there is great opportunity to share the gospel.
The team has been fully trained to carry out the work without supervision and are daily discipled with God's word. It's a beautiful picture to see the team and the community growing in physical and spiritual health.
There is a continued need for the water project. It is the only one of its kind in the area that maintains and repairs boreholes. Furthermore, as Doro has expanded with refugees moving to the area, new borehole sites are needed.
Would you consider supporting the work of the water project? If so, follow the links below. For donations, please quote the project number SS 98021. Thank you.


PARIS, France — The working team from the state of Alabama, which includes Governor Robert Bentley, Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield, and Commerce Assistant Director of Business Development Bob Smith, arrived at the Paris Air Show around 7 a.m. Paris time this morning for meetings with companies looking to expand or locate new operations in Alabama.
The group had 11 aerospace industry meetings planned, including visits with companies that already operate in Alabama such as Airbus, Lockheed Martin and Safran, as well as prospective companies. The day began with a briefing meeting for the team at the Made in Alabama booth.
The team then headed to a sit down breakfast with GKN Aerospace, which has operations in the Montgomery area. At the table with the Alabama team were Kevin Cummings, President and CEO of GKN Aerospace North America, Nigel Stein, Chief Executive of GKN PLC and Daniele Cagnatel, GKN Vice President Aerospace.
Photo by: Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, right, talks with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant at Aerospace Alliance reception.


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Liberals fought the good fight
Jack Bloom |
Jack Bloom says it's the core liberal principles of PFP that triumphed in constitution, not the Marxism-Leninism the ANC once was wedded to
I was a student when I volunteered to help the Progressive Federal Party in the 1981 general election. The Bezuidenhout parliamentary seat in east Johannesburg was a difficult one for the PFP. In 1977, the National Party came within 50 votes of winning it.
It had working and middle class suburbs, and victory depended on getting out the vote from good support areas. Canvassing was door-to-door, which was possible before high walls and security systems became the norm.
I went out every night during the week, knocking on doors and speaking to voters. Dogs were sometimes a problem, and I was bitten twice. The reception could be hostile, but at least you knew where they stood.
It was better than being strung along by a voter who all along didn't intend to vote for us. Or people who lied about their support with a smile. The issue of allowing black people into "white" areas was often a tough sell. The PFP believed that the Group Areas Act should go, along with all other discriminatory legislation.
I had to reply to questions like: "Do you want a black person living next door?" It was easier to campaign on issues like the cost of living and wasteful government spending. But racial prejudice often meant an automatic vote for the National Party.
The PFP won Bezuidenhout in 1981 quite narrowly, aided by a comment by a Nat Minister that pensioners could live on R20 a month. But in the 1987 General Election, the PFP lost several seats, including that of Douglas Gibson in Bezuidenhout.
The Nats had posters in bold red saying: "Over my dead body will I vote ANC, so why vote PFP?" A photograph of Helen Suzman with Winnie Mandela was splashed in the pro-Nat press. The caption was Winnie's statement: "With our matchboxes and our necklaces we will liberate our country."
It was an effective smear campaign that I always recall when the ANC tries to portray the DA as heir to the apartheid government. As one wag said, the racists accused liberals of being communists, now the communists say liberals are racists.
In 1989 the PFP became part of the Democratic Party in order to widen white support for the abolition of apartheid. It scored a shock upset by winning a local by-election in the mostly Afrikaner Linden suburb in Johannesburg.
This seat was in Pik Botha's constituency, and showed NP reformers that the white electorate was ready for change. The fall of the Berlin Wall that same year was enormously important in President FW de Klerk's bold move to engage with the ANC.
It's ironic as the ANC supported the repressive East European communist governments that toppled as their people pushed for freedom. But ANC documents still regurgitate Marxist jargon as if the communist experiment had not failed spectacularly.
It was the PFP's core liberal principles that actually triumphed in South Africa's negotiated constitution. There were many role-players in South Africa's transition to a non-racial society. No one party should monopolize the credit, which is a sound basis for creating a better future.
Jack Bloom MPL is DA Leader in the Gauteng Legislature.
This article first appeared in The Citizen.
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Govt's selective use of the user pays principle
Politics is not for sissies


Despite these facts, insurance corporations will attempt to deny responsibility and deflect casual responsibility from their driver to other circumstances. The difference in weight is massive – a tractor-trailer may weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, whereas most cars weigh less than 4,000 pounds – truck drivers usually survive any accidents involving a car. Car drivers do not enjoy the same odds.
Trucking companies and their drivers are insured by large insurance firms. These insurance firms enlist the help of aggressive investigators to protect themselves from paying out large claims. Their mission is to disprove your version of the events. Their method is to rush to the scene of the tractor trailer accident and collect "evidence" proving that the collision was your fault or the fault of a third party. A case of this severity shouldn't be taken on alone, you need an experienced Overland, MO truck accident lawyer who is familiar with these tactics and can successfully counteract them.
Truck Accidents are tragic, traumatic events. Our Overland Truck Crash Attorneys fight for the restitution and recovery of Overland families because we know how difficult it is to get back to normal, everyday life after a traumatic accident. It's our job to help Overland clients and their families get through these difficult situations.
Truck Drivers in today's aggressive economic climate are driving longer hours, for lower wages, and are often speeding to meet deadlines. Your truck crash may have been caused by a violation of a FMCSA regulation. Your case may depend upon speaking with an attorney who has experience in dealing with these regulations and their violations. Big Trucking Companies should be held responsible for the actions.
If you have been injured, or a loved one has been killed as the result of truck or tractor trailer crash, our experienced Overland injury lawyers are standing by to help. Our lawyers have been recognized as Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Association and are Life-Time Members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.


Does Your Organization Have a Positive Culture or A Toxic Culture?
Does your company have a positive culture or a toxic culture? If it was not mindfully groomed to be positive, it is left to chance how the culture will develop. Even though the majority of organizations are neither fully positive or fully toxic, here are four indicators of health and four indicators of toxicity from which to judge and compare your company's culture.
Gluten is a protein, which is found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. These grains can be found in many common foods. Why would someone want to avoid them? Because they can have celiac disease. This blog explores the top four gluten myths such as gluten can be eaten in small amounts if you have celiac disease.
Dating someone in a wheelchair is very similar to dating anyone–there is the stress and discomfort of interacting with a potential love interest. Dating someone in a wheelchair also has some differences. Find out what some of these differences are.
The definition of disability changes depending upon who you ask. The dictionary, the ADA, and Social Security all have definitions that they created. Which begs the question, who has the right to determine the definition of disability?
Three things that do not necessarily lead to happiness at work concern the desire to receive more things from your employer. Happiness may not lie in the fulfillment of these desires, but in the fulfillment of positive interaction with our co-workers.
Angry about the movie Me Before You? If so, you are not alone. Many in the disability community certainly are. The movie portrays a quadriplegic character who falls in love with his caretaker, and she him. It isn't the romance that people have a problem with, it is the ending, which many believe sends the wrong message about living life to the fullest, with or with out a disability.
Has The Four Percent Retirement Rule Lost Its Usefulness?
Are you still using or anticipating using the four percent retirement rule? Maybe you ought to think twice before doing so. This rule was a great rule of thumb when it was created in the mid-90s up until about 10 years ago. Then interest rates plummeted, and with them, the efficacy of the four percent withdrawal rule.
Identity First or Person First Language: Where Do You Stand?
Should I use the term "disabled person" or a "person with a disability." Our first inclination is to use the former, which is called Person First language. However, there are many people who prefer "disabled person"; this word structure denotes Identity First language. Both sides of the debate have interesting points explained here.


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__БЕЗКН__

NGC 4241 је спирална галаксија у сазвежђу Девица која се налази на NGC листи објеката дубоког неба.

Деклинација објекта је + 6° 39' 15" а ректасцензија 12-{h}- 17-{m}- 59,9-{s}-. Привидна величина (магнитуда) објекта -{NGC}- 4241 износи 13,1 а фотографска магнитуда 13,8. -{NGC}- 4241 је још познат и под ознакама -{IC 3115, UGC 7333, MCG 1-31-40, CGCG 41-69, VV 431, VCC 267, PGC 39483}-.

Референце

Литература
Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue, Wolfgang Steinicke, 2012. Доступно у овом фајлу са објашњењем на овој страници
SIMBAD база података, Стразбуршки центар астрономских података (CDS), Стразбур

Види још
Нови општи каталог

Спољашње везе

Интерактивни каталог NGC, IC и Месјеових објеката
-{SIMBAD}- база података

Нови општи каталог сазвежђе Девица

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


RAJASTHAN: Hindustan Zinc has ranked 1st in environment category and overall 5th in the Metals and Mining sector by the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World).
The company competed with 58 Metals and Mining majors including Newmont Mining, Teck Resources, Rio Tinto, etc.
The significant improvement in ranking from the previous year was made possible by several new initiatives and disclosures including Life Cycle assessment, stakeholder perception survey, tax transparency report, approval of Science-Based Target, internal carbon pricing, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, among others.
Launched in 1999, the DJSI World represents the gold standard for corporate sustainability and is the first global index to track leading sustainability-driven companies based on RobecoSAM's analysis of financially material Environmental, Social, and Governance factors to convert an average of 600 data points per company into one overall score.
Hindustan Zinc, the world's second-biggest zinc producer, operates the world's third-largest open-pit mine, and world's largest Zinc Mine in Rampura Agucha, Rajasthan.


Fabulous shot - great timing.
I have these two images of birds in flight. The first is a seagull but I can't identify the second bird, despite looking it up. It's a type of gull but that is all I know. What do you think it is? I like the seagull one best because it has an interesting angle that's a bit different than most flying bird images.
My camera is my eyes. HELP! It burns!
Seagull is just another word for "gull". Looking at the colour of its legs I would say the first gull is a Herring Gull.
The second is indeed a Black-headed gull, but it's in Winter plumage. In Summer the head (or hood) is completely dark brown.
[QUOTE=Rose Bannister;17657789]I have these two images of birds in flight. I like the seagull one best because it has an interesting angle that's a bit different than most flying bird images.
That's because that angle can tend to get you pooped on.
I have these two images of birds in flight. I like the seagull one best because it has an interesting angle that's a bit different than most flying bird images.
LOL! I guess so surprisingly I have loads of images of seagulls and pigeons and I fed them and they were all around me and I have not yet been pooped on, EVER! Amazing right?


text:
Agency head defends proposed Australian facial recognition system amid looming political uncertainty
Aug 24, 2018 | Chris Burt
Categories Biometrics News | Facial Recognition | Government Services
The technical specifications of the facial recognition system being built by Australia's federal government do not allow for it to be used for mass surveillance, a Department of Home Affairs representative told a Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security, according to ZDNet.
Acting First Assistant Secretary at Home Affairs' Identity and Biometrics Division Andrew Rice spoke to the committee as a wave of political chaos resulted in a new Prime Minister for the country, and the resignation of Home Affair Minister Peter Dutton, who introduced the legislation under examination and has overseen the controversial system's development so far.
"The services enabled by the legislation are not intended to provide agencies with mass surveillance capabilities. Indeed, the technical design of the system could not facilitate this … as it requires users to input a single still image at a time to conduct a query," Rice said.
"It can't be connected directly to a live CCTV feed. Even if the agencies attempted to circumvent this by conducting multiple queries in close succession, the way the service operates makes it implausible that agencies could do this to support real-time identification of multiple individuals within a crowd, for example."
Human Rights Law Centre Executive Director Hugh de Kretser had expressed concerns over the privacy implications of real-time crowd surveillance to the committee earlier in the day. Access Now recently called on the Australian government to prohibit the use of facial recognition technology for mass surveillance in response to the proposed legislation which would underpin the new biometric system.
The Identity-matching Services Bill 2018 and the Australian Passports Amendment (Identity-matching Services) Bill 2018 were introduced to parliament in February. With internal disputes among the ruling Liberal party raising the prospect of a federal election in the near future, the passage of the bills may come into question.
Rice also reiterated that the facial identification service (FIS) will return a gallery of candidates for comparison by trained experts, and that biographical information is only provided when the list is further narrowed.
"We need to make sure — and this is what we're doing with the jurisdictions and with agencies that will be prescribed under the Bill — to put in place a training regime to make sure that the officers who access the service have got the right skills, encouraging agencies … to think about the face identification service as being a specialist capability that a small group of people do and do all the time," Rice stated. "That's what happens in our department at the moment. The face resolution staff are a small team, and that's all they do. It's about putting in the range of controls to deal with the fact that, because of the very nature of biometrics, there will be some probabilistic anomalies that have to be sorted out."
Rice declined to disclose the name of the vendor providing the facial recognition algorithm for the system's FIS function in May on security grounds.
Rice also told the committee earlier this month that discrepancies between the two pieces of proposed legislation and the Intergovernmental Agreement on Identity Matching Services are due to efforts to future-proof the system's legal foundation.
Biometrics research briefs: facial and voice, biometric systems, education
Australian Capital Territory says proposed facial recognition legislation exceeds agreement
Australian govt agency awards NEC facial recognition contracts
Proposed Australian facial recognition system faces criticism over mission creep, vague limitations
BART director considering facial recognition technology for safety
Australian facial recognition system could place well in NIST tests, official says
Australia | biometrics | facial recognition | privacy | surveillance
Standardized testing for biometrics
The world's largest employer uses a web-based platform for biometric identity proofing
Protecting against criminal use of stolen biometric data
Explainer: Facial Recognition
Explainer: Electronic ID (eID)
Explainer: Keystroke recognition


On a picture-postcard summer day, he is hanging over a railing at the South Street Seaport, marveling at the river and the bridges, anticipating how wonderful his mornings will be when he is living downtown, biking and rollerblading and walking his dog.
But no music comes to mind, maybe because this is his moment, his place, an overture not yet written. He is possessed by a vision of this part of Manhattan, which holds the promise of change and discovery, by the possibility of a new life in Manhattan, where he has lived for 23 years, mostly on the West Side, working as a theatrical producer and director.
He is in the process of moving into a bright, open apartment in a former office building at 100 John Street, near the heart of the financial district, an area touted as the next chic residential frontier. He could be a poster boy for the self-serving hype of the real estate developers, except that there is nothing false in his excitement.
Believing that change refuels people, he has jettisoned all his old furniture and is starting over, although he won't be leaving behind all of his clothes, CD's, records, tapes and books, which are considerable. (On just one Maine drive from Portland to Ogonquit he managed to buy 200 books, including six first-edition copies of ''Valley of the Dolls'' signed by Jacqueline Susann.) His friend Debbie Ohanian, a designer in Florida who is ''my best friend in the world,'' is helping him decorate. Her goal: lean, spare, clean -- not something he is accustomed to.
''I've been a collage person my whole life,'' he says. Together they went through his apartment on West 44th Street and gave away 17 big bags of clothes, and when they were done, gave away 14 more from his house in Miami Beach.
He is moving in stages into his new one-bedroom apartment in the doorman building, which rents for $2,850 a month and has a terrace with dazzling north and west views. A new sofa and love seat in a clean neutral off-white make the living room comfortable. ''No more stupid antiquey things,'' he says.
When he arrived in New York in the fall of 1975, after growing up in Cuba and Syracuse, he lived on the Upper East Side and then in the West 50's, before buying a place 11 years ago on West 85th Street.
After that, he says, ''all my allowance went into cast albums.'' He continued to love it even in the late 60's and early 70's, he says, when it was out of style and ''you didn't get any respect unless you played a schizophrenic drag queen.'' Since parting from Mr. Mackintosh about a year ago, he has worked on his own; he directs Bernadette Peters in her shows at places like Carnegie Hall, will work on a movie this fall in Brazil with Amy Irving called ''Bossa Nova,'' and is doing a cabaret series in Miami.
On a Saturday, Mr. Jay-Alexander saw an apartment in the downtown building that houses Delmonico's restaurant, and decided immediately that he wanted it. ''I was singing 'Hello, Dolly' all the way to my friend's house,'' he says, until he discovered on Monday that the apartment had already been rented.
He looked in the East Village -- the ''Rent'' area, of course -- and Union Square, whose musical, if it had one, would probably be called ''Mall.'' He even looked at an apartment east of Union Square, near a hospital, and that's when he really hit bottom. ''I swear I smelled ether,'' he says. It didn't help, he says, when a woman came out screaming that there was a ghost in her apartment.
''I believed it,'' he says. ''The vibration was so bad.'' A place in SoHo rejected him because of JoJo, the miniature schnauzer he had found at a flea market in Florida.
''I saw this little thing look at me through the cage, giving me attitude, like, are you going to buy me, or what?'' he remembers. ''I thought, how hard can it be?'' Well, it can cost you a place in SoHo.
And then he'll be off, to start anew.


We were contacted by the programme to showcase a positive alternative to the traditional methods of roofing found in Brighton and London where we do most of our work. Because we were meeting in front of the Velo Cafe with its double pitched green roofs, the comparison was made with familiar tiled roofs but almost all impermeable roofs on residential or commercial buildings would benefit from a layer of vegetation.
Some of the multiple benefits Lee explained included the greatly extended lifespan of the waterproofing, the improved internal climate of the building and reductions in energy used for heating/cooling that the thermal mass of the substrate achieves, the opportunity green roof maintenance affords for checking on the rest of the building fabric which is not usually monitored, and of course the biodiversity benefits.
The multiple benefits of integration green roofs and solar PV (BioSolar) were discussed – unfortunately the Velo has the two separated – and the magical figure of cost. Overall the message was that everyone can do their bit, and the upfront investment is more than balanced by the life cycle savings.
Lee also got in a mention for the Green Infrastructure Audit that we worked on with The Ecology Consultancy and www.building-green.org.uk. And we were really happy that the last filmed section on the roof of Infinity Foods Cooperative shop in the North Laine was shown.
This triple green roof features beautifully restored sedum and wildflower planting in the heart of the City that we took over and rejuvenated using the lightweight meadow alternative to sedum that we have been developing with support from Regional Growth Fund and University of Brighton KTP Centre. Infinity Foods have really embraced the green roof since its been made over and we're looking forward to working together to promote the concept in the coming months.
Ever considered a mediaeval herb garden roof?


Congress passed a spending bill on thursday with a veto proof majority sending the bill the. From wtvt tvdt fox 13 the most powerful name in local news. House votes on compromise spending bill with 13b wall funding.
Where c is a specific teams total number of commits and r n is the 247sports composite rating of the nth best commit times 100.
What time does thursday night football come on fox. The concept of american football games being played on thanksgiving day dates back to 1876 shortly after the game had been invented as it was a day that. Politics world news photos video tech reviews health science and entertainment news. In 2006 the nfl implemented a primetime flexible scheduling element on sundays. Gateway to tampa bay area news weather radar sports traffic and more.
Thursday deal means fight brewing with players nfl 115 ryan clark connects the dots on what the new thursday night football deal means to the players and. Ten republican presidential candidates met for a primetime debate in cleveland on fox news thursday night. Perhaps adding fuel to the criticism against the near end of week game the stakes were pretty low for last nights thursday night football with neither the denver. Nbc sunday night football abbreviated as snf is a weekly television broadcast of national football league nfl games on nbc in the united states.
Allows teams to play their way onto the sunday night schedule.


Mt. Carroll, IL - -(Ammoland.com)- The legendary Blackwater North training facility near Mount Carroll, Illinois will reopened as The Site beginning spring, 2014.
The Site is a 129-acre shooting and training facility that was developed to be one of the finest shooting facilities in the United States. The facility currently has seven flat ranges, a 600 yard Known Distance (KD) Range, an Unknown Distance Range, a Climbing/Rappelling/Shooting Tower, two shoot houses (one fully ballistic) and many other training areas.
The new President/Director of Training is former Navy SEAL Master Chief, Jim Kauber. After serving 20 years in the SEAL Teams, Jim continued to serve in a variety of post 9-11 overseas operational and training assignments for the US Government as well as returning to the Naval Special Warfare Command, Coronado, CA to oversee all SEAL and Special Warfare Combatant – Crewman, SWCC, high-risk training safety.
While stateside, Jim was also the lead Law Enforcement Sniper and Precision Rifle Instructor at the current location when it was under a variety of management. "Whether you are a potential first time firearm user with the intent of protecting your home and family, recreational shooter or seasoned professional, it's our goal to make The Site more than a firearms training venue but rather your firearms training destination where lessons learned on Site are enduring.
Between you and I: The facility is awesome, but there are logistical problems getting out there (far away) and with staying out there - Stockton has a few hotels, but the lodge can fill up pretty quickly.


text:
Hana Kuk is a Cantopop Hong Kong female singer-songwriter. She debuted in 2016 by releasing the single, Today's Me. She gained commercial success by singing the soundtracks from TVB. In November 2017, she released her debut album, Forget Myself.

Music Awards

Cantonese Songs Chart Awards

Chinese Golden Melody Awards

Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation

Jade Solid Gold Songs Selections

Metro Showbiz Hit Awards

RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards Ceremony
The RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards Ceremony(:zh:十大中文金曲頒獎音樂會) is held annually in Hong Kong since 1978.  The awards are determined by Radio and Television Hong Kong based on the work of all Asian artists (mostly cantopop) for the previous year.

StarHub TVB Awards

TVB Star Awards Malaysia

TVB Anniversary Awards

References

Lists of awards received by Hong Kong musician


West Indies cricket fans will be able to follow the action from the WICB Regional 50 Over Tournament in Jamaica in more ways than ever before in the history of any WICB regional tournament.
• The Caribbean Media Corporation will produce 30 minute highlights package of all matches and distribute to local affiliate stations across the region and fans will be able to see the action the day after.
• Line & Length will produce radio commentary – on behalf of rights holding radio broadcasters Channel 2 out of Dubai – from one game on each of the six days of preliminary round matches in addition to the semi finals and final.
• The Regional 50 Over Tournament will have a dedicated section on WindiesCricket.com where fans can follow live text commentary and score updates of all matches via the highly acclaimed CoverItLive technology. Fans will simply have to click on a link to access live text commentary and score updates, direct from the respective venue all day long.
• There will be live video streaming on WindiesCricket.com of the final and semi-finals and one match each day during the preliminary round.
• It does not stop there though, as score and other updates will be posted on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can follow at http://twitter.com/westindies or by sending a friend request to "Windies Cricket" on Facebook.
For a full listing of all television and radio stations which will carry the video highlights package and the live radio commentary log on to WindiesCricket.com or check your local listings.
The WICB Regional 50 Over Tournament commences on Thursday, October 14th with reigning champions Trinidad & Tobago taking on Combined Campuses & Colleges and Jamaica hosting Windward Islands.
The final is slated for October 24th at Sabina Park.


text:
Professore ordinario di scienza delle costruzioni dal 2007, è stato magnifico rettore dell'Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna dal 2015 al 2021, divenendo il più giovane rettore d'Italia.

Studi e carriera accademica
Si è laureato in ingegneria civile presso l'Università di Bologna, dove ha conseguito anche il titolo di dottore di ricerca in meccanica delle strutture. Dal 2007 è professore ordinario di Scienza delle costruzioni presso la Scuola di Ingegneria e Architettura dell'Alma Mater Studiorum.

È stato direttore del Dipartimento di Ingegneria delle Strutture, dei Trasporti, delle Acque, del Rilevamento, del Territorio (DISTART), dal 2007 al 2010, e del Dipartimento di Ingegneria civile, chimica, ambientale e dei Materiali (DICAM), dal 2010 al 2015.

Nel luglio 2015 è stato eletto Magnifico Rettore dell'Università di Bologna, carica che ha ricoperto dal 1º novembre 2015 fino al 31 ottobre 2021.

Da settembre 2021 è il presidente di CINECA Consorzio Interuniversitario.

Tra le sue cariche attuali, è presidente della International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development (IFAB), è Vicepresidente del Centro Nazionale di Ricerca in High-Performance Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing - ICSC, è componente del Comitato Consultivo dell'ANVUR, membro dell'Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna, membro del Board della European University Association, membro del Consiglio di Amministrazione di Roberto Bucci & C. S.p.A.

Tra i suoi precedenti incarichi, è stato presidente della Fondazione Scuola Universitaria per le Professioni tecniche - Emilia Romagna (Tech University School - SUPER), componente della Giunta CRUI, membro del Board of Rectors di UnaEuropa - University Alliance Europe, membro del Comitato di Indirizzo Fondazione IHEA - ItalianHigherEducation with Africa, membro del Consiglio di Amministrazione del Centro Ceramico, presidente della Fondazione Zeri, presidente della Fondazione Fanti Melloni, presidente della Fondazione Bologna Business School, Presidente di Fibra - Fondazione culturale Italo Brasiliana, presidente del Board dell'Istituto Confucio di Bologna, presidente dell'Osservatorio della Magna Charta, presidente di Uniadrionpresidente della Bononia University Press, membro del Technical Committee on Computational Solid and Structural Mechanics, European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences e membro del Comitato Direttivo del Gruppo Italiano di Meccanica Computazionale (GIMC).

Nel maggio del 2016 ha ricevuto lo Hart Benton Medallion come riconoscimento dei cinquant'anni di relazioni tra l'Università di Bologna e la Indiana University. Nello stesso anno è entrato a far parte dell'Albo d'oro della città di Perugia. Nel 2019 è stato nominato Grande Ufficiale dell'Ordem de Rio Branco, nel 2018 Cavaliere di Gran Croce, Ordine di Sant'Agata, Repubblica di San Marino e Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary. Nel 2021 è stato insignito della Turrita d'Argento del Comune di Bologna per il "significativo contributo profuso, nel corso del suo intero mandato, per il progresso della Città e l'affermazione anche a livello internazionale dei valori della scienza e conoscenza, identità e destino di Bologna".

Ricerca
I principali temi di ricerca trattati nel corso della sua attività scientifica sono relativi alla Scienza delle Costruzioni: modellazione numerica e l'analisi strutturale, strutture intelligenti e materiali innovativi, strutture storiche e archeologiche, monitoraggio e diagnostica strutturale.

Ha preso parte a vario titolo a numerosi progetti di ricerca europei e nazionali. Ha presieduto e partecipato ai comitati organizzatori e scientifici di diversi congressi nazionali e internazionali ed è membro di comitati editoriali di svariate riviste internazionali.

Ricopre inoltre il ruolo di revisore esperto per il MIUR, per agenzie nazionali di altri Paesi e per la Commissione europea.

Pubblicazioni

Numerose sono le pubblicazione di cui è autore: oltre 70 pubblicate su riviste internazionali e oltre 200 su atti di convegni.

Note

Collegamenti esterni

Rettori dell'Università di Bologna


If you had told me at the beginning of my presidency, the day after in fact of my winning the presidency, that eight years later the economy would be stabilized, we would cut unemployment in half from its peak, that the stock market would have recovered, that incomes last year went up for everybody, of every age group, every racial group, every demographic, if you told me we'd provide twenty million people with health insurance that didn't have it before, that we would see this explosion in clean energy and cut down our carbon emissions, that high school graduation rates were up at an all time high, I would have said alright, we did okay.
Couldn't agree more. I didn't vote for the guy, but I tend to use the test so well-expressed by President Reagan: "are you better off than you were four [or eight] years ago?" I can't speak for anyone else, but the answer for me and my family, and clearly for the country as a whole, is a resounding "yes." Our country, today, is better off—by almost any measure—than it was in January 2009.
By the way, I'd add to the list the taking out of Osama Bin Laden—something Bush had the opportunity, but not the will, apparently, to do in August 2007.
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text:
Q: Send http request to laravel API from android emulator I'm creating an android app and want to send http requests to my local website which I'm hosting using laragon.
I'm using laragon and when i run the command
composer create-project laravel/laravel myproject --prefer-dist

the project is created in "C:\laragon\www" in a folder myproject. I can access the page with "myproject.test" locally.
Now I'm unclear on where to send the http request to. I can access the localhost from my android emulator with 10.0.2.2 and when i do "10.0.2.2/myproject" I can see the folder hierarchie from my project. I have a controller called "UserController.php"
 class UserController extends Controller
 {
    public function getUsername() {
    return view('user', ['username' => 'bob');
    }
}

and a route
 Route::get('/user', 'UserController@getUsername');

Now i would like to to "10.0.2.2/myproject/user" to get the username but this doesn't work. I'm guessing there is a whole new feature or laravel i don't know about to handle http requests from the outside.
So in short:
I'm trying to create a API to which i can send http requests which retrieve data (from a DB) from my emulator.
I hope this is enough info to work with!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947 (No. 31) was a law in Ireland which revised Dáil constituencies. The new constituencies were first used for the 13th Dáil, elected at the 1948 general election on 4 February 1948.

This Act repealed the Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act 1935, which defined the constituencies since the 1937 general election. It also increased the number of seats in the Dáil by 9 from 138 to 147. It was used at the 1951, 1954 and 1957 general elections.

The 1947 revision was repealed by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1961, which created a new schedule of constituencies first used at the 1961 general election for the 17th Dáil.

Background
In 1947 the rapid rise of new party Clann na Poblachta threatened the position of the governing party Fianna Fáil. The government of Éamon de Valera introduced the Act, which increased the size of the Dáil from 138 to 147 and increased the number of three-seat constituencies from fifteen to twenty-two. The result was described by the journalist and historian Tim Pat Coogan as "a blatant attempt at gerrymander which no Six County Unionist could have bettered". The following February, at the 1948 general election, Clann na Poblachta secured ten seats instead of the nineteen they would have received proportional to their national vote. No Dáil constituency has had more than five seats since 1948. The Constitutional Convention's 2013 recommendation to increase proportionality by having larger constituencies was rejected by the Fine Gael–Labour government on the grounds that "the three, four or five seat Dáil constituency arrangement has served the State well since 1948".

Constituencies 1948–1961
Key to columns
 Constituency: The name of the constituency. Compass points follow the area name in this list, which was not always the case in the official version of the name.
 Created: The year of the election when a constituency of the same name was first defined.
 Seats: The number of TDs elected from the constituency under the Act.
 Change: Change in the number of seats since the last distribution of seats (which took effect in 1937).

Summary of changes
This list summarises the changes in representation. It does not address revisions to the boundaries of constituencies.

See also
Elections in the Republic of Ireland

References

Electoral 1947
1947 in Irish law
Acts of the Oireachtas of the 1940s


Tariff - How much does it cost to stay at Pendragon Country House Luxury Guesthouse?
We have seasonal prices with discounts in the quieter months. There are savings to be found from the 1st November until the 31st March.
We will provide additional beds for children aged 2-15 yrs in the Superior King Room and the King rooms at a cost of £25 per child per night. A child under 2 yrs can stay in any room in one of our cots for a one off fee of £20.
We do allow Dogs in our downstairs twin/double room, Pelleas. We charge a £5 per night per dog fee to bring them into the house and also ask that they are clean and well behaved, Thank you.
Dogs are allowed in the Pelleas room and the Red room lounge only, we keep the Orangery dining room and Green Room Bar a pet free environment.
Why not have the house all to yourself?
To confirm a booking we require a 30% deposit of the total accommodation cost. The full balance is paid upon departure. The deposit is non-refundable, but maybe transferred to a future booking that is made whilst cancelling an existing booking.
Cancellation of an existing reservation up to 14 days before the day of arrival will incur no additional charge. Cancellation between 14 days and 7 days before the day of arrival there will be an additional 20% charge (combined with the deposit paid this equates to 50% of the accommodation cost).
Cancellation 7 days or less before the day of arrival, or a 'No Show', will be liable for the total cost of the entire accommodation cost.