text:
Did You Think We Would Just Forget?
We haven't, and we won't.
Jeremy Corbyn, IRA, PIRA, General Election, Labour party
May 27, 2017 / Mental Crumble
We have heard the 'Manchester Spirit,' quoted a great deal this week. I must admit, I'd never heard of it before. I last visited Manchester a couple of years ago. While there I wrote an irreverent and tongue-in-cheek blog post but decided not to publish it because it was somewhat disparaging about a place that I do have a degree of affection for. Here is an extract of what I wrote,.
"I spent a couple of days in Manchester, (pronounced "Manchest-Orr"), this week. Wednesday was apparently the hottest day of the year; it rained all day in Manchester. It is in fact many years since I last visited and the place if anything has become more glum than ever it previously was despite its attempts to sell itself as being "cool.".
Manchester abounds with people who look either like Liam Gallagher or as if they have just walked out of a young offenders institution, (I think many have). The rest give the appearance first thing in the morning of having done half a row of optics in three pubs the night before and there is barely a flicker of enthusiasm anywhere except in the electric trams hurtling back and fore. An early near miss with the Eccles tram on Market Street in fact alerted me to this new urban threat..
I quickly picked up on the idiosyncrasies of the locals who mostly say "eye-yoh" instead of hello and "c-yoh lateoh" instead of goodbye. An additional linguistic hindrance is the inability of the populous to pronounce the word car correctly, instead sounding like a deranged and demented parrot being put through a wringer. Most of the girls appear with the same hairstyles, the same clothes and many are rumoured to all have the same husband. Husband by the way is loosely defined as someone who is "avin-yoh" and who need not actually be married "2-yoh" to qualify for this role. Most Mancunians tend to like spending their annual holiday in places like "ayanap-oh" drinking lots of "larg-oh." .
While there I bought a birthday present in Selfridges only to find on return home that the security tag was still in place. I suppose the shop assistants must not be in the habit of having to remove many. I wasn't an early fan of the City Mayor idea but Boris has turned me. Manchester badly needs a personality to pull it together and help it rediscover it's soul which is deeper and richer than the sum of a bunch of night clubs and the BBC, dragged kicking and screaming to Salford by the last government.".
How terrible then that a night of indescribable pain and suffering brought to bear on the most innocent of innocents by a barbaric murderer should be the catalyst for the deep and iridescent soul of the City to find itself and shine through. As was the case after the Arndale Centre bombing by the Provisionals, Manchester is more united and in a better place as a community but at a cost which is obviously not worth paying. The many acts of individual and collective kindness in the immediate aftermath, and since the tragedy, are a fine example of people pulling together in the worst of times. From taxi drivers to local residents and passers-by, hoteliers and business owners who threw their doors open to the distressed and disorientated, to the homeless man who rushed in to give first aid to casualties. All are Samaritans and an example to the rest of us. (I would not though, recommend removing nails, glass and shrapnel from the wounded as the well meaning homeless fellow did; just leave it there for skilled surgeons to deal with)..
This was the incident when our luck ran out. A 'big one,' has been expected for a long time, ever since 7/7 in fact. That it happened in Manchester, a city with the resources and skill-sets to deal with a major incident is better than it happening in, for example, a medium sized city or market town. The grievous casualty list could have been worse had the perpetrator entered the arena itself. Instead, he detonated the device, or it accidentally detonated, in the waiting area, just before the security entry point. This is similar to the Brussels Airport bombing where the terrorists detonated the device in the soft area before security. This has implications for security planners and for the rest of us. At a minimum, we can expect further disruption, queues and waiting when entering any crowded events for the foreseeable future.
The challenge for the Security Services seems overwhelming. Some have been quick to criticise them this week but when we learn that five terror plots have been disrupted in just the last two months and that there are 500+ active investigations drawn from a pool of 3,000 suspects with a further 23,000+ 'subjects of interest,' the scale of the task at hand becomes clearer. When one considers it takes in excess of 20 operators to do covert surveillance properly on just one target the size of the challenge is self evident. Remember too that for some of our Security Service personnel their lives are at constant risk. They live and operate in the dark shadows to keep the rest of us safe. Most of their stories will never be told. Perhaps some stories will see the light in forty or fifty years time, (as was the case with Bletchley Park), but most secrets will stay secret. They do what they do out of a sense of duty and responsibility to do the right thing. Collectively, we ought to be just a little more appreciative and thankful for their service, sacrifice and courage.
Investigations will be following many strands but a priority will be to determine if the bomber manufactured the device himself or if there is a bomb maker on the loose. Making a bomb is not difficult. The ingredients for TATP for example, which was used in the 7/7, Brussels and Paris attacks, (and is rumoured to have been used in Manchester), are easily found in most household kitchens and ladies make-up bags. An electrical circuit, initiator and battery complete the package. The biggest hurdle for the would be terrorist is in making the decision to commit to the act. A separate specialist bomb maker however, is a game changer because it suggests that bomb making may evolve in sophistication. The good thing about DIY bombers blowing themselves up is that the evolution stops there. While acts of terror perpetrated by 'lone wolf,' individuals are difficult to predict, terrorist cells give the security services a slightly better opportunity to penetrate them. However, the numbers of jihadists out there are a concern given, if they ever got together in numbers, our problems would grow exponentially. In Belfast in the early seventies I wouldn't have thought there were not many more than 50 or 60 PIRA 'volunteers,' with perhaps 300 'runners,' behind them. At the height of the Troubles, they tied up 16,000 soldiers in Belfast alone.
So, where does this leave us?.
The incident was followed by a well worn and choreographed sequence of announcements, pronouncements and platitudes designed to arrest any sense of public panic and foreboding and to encourage us to be nice to one another whilst remaining alert for anything untoward or unusual happening around us. Given the aim of the terrorist is to murder and maim, to instil fear and to create divisions in society by their monstrous acts, the public script is fine in as far as it goes. I fear though, that as a society, we are some way from the moment of 'collective recognition,' when we become more demanding and questioning of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. .
If seventy-five of our young and unprotected citizens being shredded by high velocity 'shipyard confetti,' isn't a wake up call then it is worrying to think what kind of escalation will bring about a meaningful change in our efforts to confront home grown terrorists. Were it not so distressing for the families I sometimes think some of the images of the aftermath of a bombing should be published to bring some people to their senses. President Trump was eviscerated by social media when he introduced a travel ban to the US from some countries yet we allow the free movement of 'persons of interest,' between the Middle East and the UK. The Manchester bomber, Salman Abedi, returned to the UK from Libya via Turkey just four days before the attack. TPIM's, (Prevention and Investigation Measures), should be strengthened and Control Orders, which were pushed back by the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in 2011 should be reinstated. Personally, I would drag Nick Clegg by the collar around all the mortuaries in Manchester and make him apologise to the families of the victims.
The 'Prevent,' strategy also does not deserve all the criticism which has been thrown at it. It requires more resource and probably, some more imaginative and creative thinking but it is a start. The war against Jihadists will be with us for 100 years. We are in the early days of this conflict, at least domestically. As a society we by and large rub along together reasonably well given the enormity of change which has been forced upon the natural population in the last two generations. Certainly, we have problems but less so than some of our European neighbours who are seemingly culturally less well equipped to deal with the challenge. We are after all, despite what some may believe, something of a bastard nation in terms of our historical DNA.
Op Temperer, which saw soldiers deployed to release police officers for other duties was a not unreasonable thing to do for public reassurance and PR but nonetheless, leaves informed individuals with a slight sense of unease. There is no possible way that an armed 19 year old soldier will react with anything like the degree of professionalism, in the public domain, that one would expect from a trained police firearms officer, (many of whom are anyway, ex Army and are trained to a very specific and high degree of training for those very difficult environments and situations). That doesn't mean that soldiers cannot do the task. It means they have to be trained for it rather than for general warfare. In a previous post in 2015 I criticised the low numbers of available trained armed police officers. We need more. Here is what I suggested,
"The basis of national confidence in our response rests on 22 SAS. Even with a sub unit based in London though, they can't be everywhere. Even if they could be within 45 mins of every town in England, 45 mins is too long in these situations. I think the Home Secretary and Chief Constables have no choice but to radically upgrade fire arms training and arming of police officers across the UK. To send an ordinary unarmed beat officer into one of these situations will have only one outcome. In mitigation, it is very difficult to acquire and move around automatic weapons in the UK. The police are very skilled at interdicting plots before they get to maturity and especially when working with GCHQ, 5 and 6 it is not easy for terrorists to plan and execute operations. It isn't impossible though. Cuts in the numbers of police officers should be suspended immediately. Military support should not be considered by the COBRA committee after a bad thing happens but the committee should start planning on that basis now.
What does that mean? I would nominate two infantry battalions or Marine Commandos for Home Defence, one operational the other resting and training on 4 week rotations and rotate the battalions with others every 12 months. The operational battalion would be dispersed in platoon sized sub units across the UK, each with a serving or retired SAS or SBS instructor with a section on short notice to move 24 hrs a day. Their aim would be simple; in the event of a terrorist attack their task is to rapidly deploy and kill the terrorist. I would rebuild the old Northern Ireland 'Tin City,' to suit current scenarios, ie shopping malls, theatres, spaces for large groups and train both police and soldiers relentlessly. This is not a game, when this new enemy get in their stride the casualty list climbs by scores every minute. They do not negotiate. Speed and aggression are paramount. Our current intelligence and Special Forces based response is not commensurate with the threat. Many would recoil at the inclusion of military assets as part of normal support to the police but these are not normal times and this is no ordinary enemy. The safety and well-being of ordinary citizens is much more important that what column writers in the Guardian think. Anyone thinking that such a plan is excessive may wish to consider how we would deal with a four man fire group letting rip at the Metro Centre in Gateshead two weeks before Christmas. Thought so. I'd mostly be calling in the Commanding Officers for their briefings right now."
Street poets and liberals who think a declaration of love and some hugs are going to keep our children safe are misguided, delusional or are just barking mad. The bad people are amongst us and are intent on bringing us harm. We need to ramp up the resources we devote to anti terrorism and do so with the same unfettered determination which the US did with their creation of Homeland Security after 9/11. Any talk or debate with an air of 'we will not let them change our way of life,' is simply detached from reality. Here's a newsflash, life changed forever on Monday evening in Manchester. The quicker we get with the programme the fewer victims we will be burying. Moreover, and despite the efforts of the good people who stood up when they were needed on Monday, Manchester and it's new Mayor need to admit that the Manchester area is a key hub in the UK for Jihadist sympathisers and activists. It has a problem and it needs to first admit it, then deal with it.
AMERICAN PUBLIC INFORMATION FILM ON RUN, HIDE, FIGHT. THERE ARE MANY SUCH VIDEO'S AVAILABLE, MOSTLY FROM THE US. HERE IS ANOTHER, THIS TIME FROM LA WHERE I GUESS THEY HAVE HAD PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD.
Finally, for individuals going about their normal daily routine, I do think this old post , from which the clip above comes, about situational awareness and personal security is worth revisiting for those who have a care.
May 27, 2017 / Mental Crumble/ Comment
Terrorisim, Manchester
Manchester, Manchester Arena, Manchester Bombing, Nick Clegg, Homeland security, ISIS, SAS, Police, Op Temperer, Prevent, Jihadist, TATP, PIRA, Security Service, 7/7, 9/11, Manchester Spirit
Election Data Point
So, 'This Brexit thing has given me a direct motivation to get more involved in the politics.' That'll help then.........
The Bank Holiday weekend has delivered a welcome respite for most from the General Election campaign which actually, is delivering all that was expected with few surprises. The Conservatives are pitching the 'strong and stable,' script with tedious monotony and downplaying their strong lead lest the volatile electorate begin to sniff some trace of a sense of entitlement from them. Labour continue to veer off in so many directions it is difficult to keep up, especially so for the blundering idiot charged with leading them over the cliff which he will achieve with almost no effort at all, (although I'm convinced he won't make it to the end of the campaign and suspect he'll have a breakdown long before the end of May). The LibDems have got themselves in a right old tizzy with their leader, Tim Farron, (he's the one that looks like a Spitting Image puppet thats been left in direct sunlight for too long), seemingly unsure of where he stands on the gay sex thing and he now tells us he's 'a bit of a Eurosceptic.' Right on Timmy boy. All those supporters who knit their own clothes and cut their own hair will have been pulling it out in clumps over the weekend. The SNP meanwhile are still being mean about the English and deflecting criticism about education in Scotland like true Dodgeball champions while UKIP appear to have spontaneously combusted without many people having noticed. Across the main parties there is an unseemly rush to the exits with shouts of 'Carpe Diem,' from a raft of special political advisors and party apparatchiks, anxious to grab a safe seat from retiring members of Parliament and the political press can't believe their luck that Westminster just keeps on giving with their workload brimming over with yet another election.
There is change though. Some of it subtle enough to be missed, or ignored by the mainstream. The first concerns Corbyn, which I will deal with in this post. There has been a gentle hidden hand on the tiller attempting to alter the narrative where Corbyn's relationship with Sinn Fein and the Provisional IRA is concerned. The historical canvas is being recoloured to suggest that during all the years that Corbyn was involved with, and supported PIRA, he did so in pursuit and attainment of peace. This is facile nonsense. Corbyn voted against the peace process and with it the Anglo Irish agreement. This is the man who hosted Sinn Fein in the Houses of Parliament just weeks after the Brighton bombing. The same man who was a mouthpiece for the Republican pressure group in the UK, Troops Out. Corbyn regularly attended and spoke at commemorations for terrorists in the eighties and was general secretary of the left wing publication Labour Briefing,' which supported PIRA atrocities and backed the Brighton bombing which lets remind ourselves, killed five and maimed 31. While Corbyn was honouring dead PIRA terrorists, PIRA 'prisoners of war,' and the active 'soldiers of the IRA,' families across the United Kingdom were grieving for those men women and children murdered by the terrorist and those left with broken bodies and minds, civilian and military alike. Corbyn and his acolytes are being allowed to rewrite history and it stinks. This man wanted the IRA to win and to win at any cost. If he had been sincere in pursuing a peaceful outcome he would have supported not criticised John Hume and the SDLP. He did not though. Instead he supported the bad guys and moreover, supported a continuance of extreme violence.
DUP MP Nigel Dodds attacks Jeremy Corbyn, and Shadow Chancellor (John McDonnell) who in the past has called for IRA terrorists to be 'honoured' Notice the silence and glum expressions from the Labour benches after the question is asked.
The difficult truth for Corbyn is that the Provisionals lost. They were forced to negotiate when they realised they their organisation was riddled from top to bottom by British security intelligence and the cost of continuing was unsustainable. Even when the peace process was gaining traction Corbyn and John McDonnell could not bring themselves to support it. Corbyn in fact was a very long way from helping any successful outcome and over the years made a contribution to prolonging the conflict.
The Manchester bombing in 1996; 3,500 lbs of Semtex and ammonium nitrate in an area where 80,000 people worked or were shopping.
Certainly, as far as I am concerned the concept of anyone voting for a man who supported people who would have liked nothing better than to give me or any one of my friends a headshot or blow us to bits all over the nearest three villages is total anathema. To my mind, anyone who does is spitting on the grave of all those who suffered at the hands of the terrorist and is disrespecting their memory. So too, are those who choose not to report the truth.
Politics, Terrorisim
Jeremy Corbyn, PIRA, IRA, John McDonnell, Labour Party, Tony Blair
Jihadists; What About The UK?
I've never been to a pop concert. I won't be going to one anytime soon. The son of a friend was at the Bataclan concert in Paris on Friday night and thankfully, made it out with his friend. 80 others didn't and many more are left with life threatening and life changing injuries. Those young people saw things that evening that most soldiers don't see in a career. Just as their lives have changed, so has life for us all. The attack which security services in Europe expected but dreaded manifested itself in a brutal slaughter of the innocent on a medieval scale. It is an unfortunate irony that many of those kids who were perhaps living life to the full, brimming with optimism and idealism would have been the very constituency who supported mass migration from Syria, Africa and the Middle East this year. I described it at the time as possibly the biggest Trojan Horse in history. The full ramifications of unfettered migration over many months from war zones is yet to be felt. The media has been very sensitive to cross referencing migration and terrorism, especially the BBC who were at the forefront in creating political pressure to open the doors, but the fact remains that mainland Europe does not know what internal security risks it has created as a result of its liberal approach to the problem.
The threat from Sunni jihadists is not new, especially in France. Returning foreign fighters, domestic supporters of ISIS and other individuals sympathetic to the jihadist cause who pre date problems in Syria create a complex and multi stranded threat. At the moment, it is not known if the perpetrators on Friday were returnees working to Syrian based planning and funding or grassroots operators sponsored by domestic organisations or a combination of both. The dominant threat currently comes from ISIS and that pre dates Fridays incident with 10 out of 17 previous attacks since September 2014 being perpetrated by ISIS fighters or sympathisers. A French returnee has also reportedly told the authorities that Syria was a "terrorist factory" where individuals were being trained to attack Europe in the near future, and it has also been reported that returnees would attack not in their countries of origin, but elsewhere to lessen the risk of detection upon return (Le Monde, October 20). According to The Jamestown Foundation there is roughly a 3:1 ratio of domestic sympathiser events versus returnee attacks and while the security services stop or disrupt more than half of those initiated we know from old experience that the terrorist only needs to get through once. Certainly, the events of Friday in Paris wholly justify the British Governments approach to the Syrian refugee crisis in focusing on the camps and only letting individuals in directly from those camps who have been fully vetted.
Whatever the source of funding and planning of the terrorist operation France plans to hit ISIS hard. Air operations overnight are a start but the skies over Syria are becoming congested with Allied and Russian aircraft and the French may decide to focus on Northern Iraq where they have already flown 1,285 sorties against Islamic State targets whereas up until last night they had flown only two sorties in Syria. At some point, the Allies are going to have to commit ground forces to destroy and eradicate ISIS. Given justification for previous conflicts it shouldn't be difficult to come to that conclusion. ISIS is engaged in genocide in Northern Iraq, they present a high level threat to our own populations and war from the air is not working. Having created the vacuum in which ISIS has flourished I'm not sure for how much longer governments can continue to ignore their moral and political duty.
It's also clear that Schengen is finished in an already rattling European construct. No government will survive if they fail to protect their citizens. The Bavarian prime minister Horst Seehofer knows this and is becoming more vocal in his demands for permanent border controls and faster repatriation of asylum seekers. That view in Germany is underpinned by the popular view which is hardening, helped by incidents such as the one last week when a Montenegrin citizen was arrested while allegedly driving to Paris with several weapons. While German police have not established a direct connection between this incident and Friday's attacks, they have said that a link cannot be ruled out. The fact that this man was from Montenegro and made it to Germany in his car will strengthen the demands for stricter border controls along the so-called Balkan route of migration. Politically, Merkel is now in a weakened state which will probably be terminal and we can expect a rise in support for parties coming from the extreme left and right wings, especially if governments are not seen to act.
2001 New York
2002 Bali
2004 Madrid
2004 Beslan, Russia
2006 Mumbai
2009 Maiduguri, Nigeria
2012 Kano, Nigeria
2013 Baga, Nigeria
2014 Kaduna, Nigeria
What about the UK? The list of significant terrorist actions above reminds us that we are well within their reach from either internal or external operators. Our Security Services will stop most incidents but what of those who get through? Our experience with Jihadists is mostly limited to the 7/7 bus and tube attacks in 2005. The big difference between Jihadists and the Provisionals, who we fought for 30 years, is that the Jihadists are prepared, or expect, to die. That was never the case with PIRA. Moreover, we have to ask the basic question, 'is our lightly armed police force trained and prepared to respond to a fire group attack like Paris?' I don't doubt the bravery of individual coppers but facing multiple battle hardened assassins armed with automatic weapons and suicide belts is a level beyond their normal drills, even if they are an armed response unit. Witness the television scenes of the armed French policemen outside the Bataclan concert, unsure of what to do. The basis and success of previous actions were on attacks going wrong which led to armed sieges and negotiated outcomes or by action after much preparation and reconnaissance by special forces. It just doesn't work like that anymore. To save lives action has to be swift, aggressive and lethal.
The old 'Tin City' for NI Training.
The basis of national confidence in our response rests on 22 SAS. Even with a sub unit based in London though, they can't be everywhere. Even if they could be within 45 mins of every town in England, 45 mins is too long in these situations. I think the Home Secretary and Chief Constables have no choice but to radically upgrade fire arms training and arming of police officers across the UK. To send an ordinary unarmed beat officer into one of these situations will have only one outcome. In mitigation, it is very difficult to acquire and move around automatic weapons in the UK. The police are very skilled at interdicting plots before they get to maturity and especially when working with GCHQ, 5 and 6 it is not easy for terrorists to plan and execute operations. It isn't impossible though. Cuts in the numbers of police officers should be suspended immediately. Military support should not be considered by the COBRA committee after a bad thing happens but the committee should start planning on that basis now.
What does that mean? I would nominate two infantry battalions or Marine Commandos for Home Defence, one operational the other resting and training on 4 week rotations and rotate the battalions with others every 12 months. The operational battalion would be dispersed in platoon sized sub units across the UK, each with a serving or retired SAS or SBS instructor with a section on short notice to move 24 hrs a day. Their aim would be simple; in the event of a terrorist attack their task is to rapidly deploy and kill the terrorist. I would rebuild the old Northern Ireland 'Tin City,' to suit current scenarios, ie shopping malls, theatres, spaces for large groups and train both police and soldiers relentlessly. This is not a game, when this new enemy get in their stride the casualty list climbs by scores every minute. They do not negotiate. Speed and aggression are paramount. Our current intelligence and Special Forces based response is not commensurate with the threat. Many would recoil at the inclusion of military assets as part of normal support to the police but these are not normal times and this is no ordinary enemy. The safety and well-being of ordinary citizens is much more important that what column writers in the Guardian think. Anyone thinking that such a plan is excessive may wish to consider how we would deal with a four man fire group letting rip at the Metro Centre in Gateshead two weeks before Christmas. Thought so. I'd mostly be calling in the Commanding Officers for their briefings right now.
Army, Terrorisim, ISIS
Jihadists, ISIS, Paris attacks, Home Defence, UK, Police, 22 SAS, SBS, 7/7, PIRA, Schengen Agreement, The Jamestown Foundation, BBC, Bataclan Theatre
Comrade!
September 13, 2015 / Mental Crumble
Jeremy Corbyn's first shadow cabinet meeting
It was clear immediately after the General Election that the Labour Party meltdown would result in them being out of power for ten years. Obliteration in Scotland, forthcoming electoral boundary changes, splits within the party and no coherent vision whatsoever would make sure of that. Not content with being a party without a cause, fractured and humiliated they then set about self-combustion with an political miscalculation of epic proportions in a spectacular weapons grade cock up when some party 'thinkers,' decided the so called 'debate on the future,' (which never happened), needed some left wing input. They certainly got that. Step forward the sandal wearing bloke who knits his own clothes, eats tofu and cuts his own hair. Friend to every terrorist group and crack pot dictator on the planet, their very own rebel with 500 causes, Jeremy Corbyn; the new Leader of the Opposition. To describe him as a man taking Labour back to its old roots is a dishonest slur on previous mainstream Labour leaders, many of whom like Dennis Healy, (Landing Officer at Anzio), James Callahan, (Royal Navy in the Far East), Roy Jenkins, (Royal Artillery & Bletchley Park), Merlyn Rees, (Squadron Leader RAF), had an honourable war record. Even Harold Wilson and Michael Foot volunteered but were rejected.
Portrayed as a soft and cuddly, tweed wearing standard bearer for the weak and oppressed he has resolutely failed to support his own party in Parliament on 500 occasions. Let me tell you, he is not soft and cuddly. He is a short tempered individual who takes any criticism poorly and is a leading candidate for the men in flapping white coats to come and carry him away in a white van with a blue flashing light on top. Years ago I lived in Islington and despised and despaired that the local MP was an individual who supported PIRA when they were busy blowing the arms and legs off children in our towns and cities. He supports Hamas, Hezbollah, criticised the SEALs who took out Bin Laden, is sympathetic to ISIS, AQ, the Taliban and Boko Haram and would cede the Falklands to Argentina, leave NATO and abandon Trident. How anyone will find a way of explain this calamitous hotch potch of insane ramblings to Washington goodness only knows.
Andy Burnham's campaign team tweeting magnanimity in defeat (subsequently deleted)
While his election reflects a general tide of discontent with mainstream politics, (UKIP and the SNP in the UK, Saunders and Trump in the US, Catalonian separatists, Syriaz in Greece, Le Pen in France), there is a zero possibility of him being elected. He is himself incidentally, yet another individual who hasn't done a day's work in his life outside the Labour movement and politics. My Labradors are more plausible candidates. It will though, ensure that the Labour Party in its current form is finished and the insiders, (who already are plotting his downfall), know that. His one shot at widening his appeal is in the Euro referendum. If he decides to back Brexit he may pull back voters previously lost to UKIP but they are the very voters who will recoil at his stance on the Falklands and support of terrorists given most of our dead and wounded come from white working class communities where patriotism is not the dirty word that is might be among the champagne socialist of Islington and Highgate or with the luvies at the BBC or Guardian, (and aren't they having a heart wrenching weekend!).
There aren't many winners here, except perhaps political satirists and cartoonists. Parliamentary democracy and our international reputation certainly won't gain anything with a weak and wild eyed opposition led by a barmy Looney Tunes Marxist. Monty Python couldn't have come up with a more bizarre script. The fact that Corbyn never really wanted or expected to be Leader hurtles the whole nonsense into the realms of chaotic comedy, especially and contrary to what the media portray, not that many people actually care about Labour sailing off the political cliff. The Tories meanwhile will lie in wait for Corbyn and his fellow delusional barking mad chums to embed themselves properly before ripping them apart in a merciless feeding frenzy. That way, the whole of Labour will be tainted and not just a few extremists.
There is viable concern that weak opposition leads to bad government and that is the challenge before Cameron now; to pursue the traditional Conservative ideal of one nation politics. The astonishing advancement of state Academy schools in London, much of it supported by City funding, is a good example of the way forward. It's now his game to lose. The rest of us can sit back and enjoy the show. Personally, I'm hoping that Diane Abbot gets the education brief. It will be good to hear her justification for educating her own son privately whilst criticising the rest of us for so doing.
September 13, 2015 / Mental Crumble/ Comment
Labour Leader, Andy Burnham, Labour, Labour leadership, David Cameron, Falkland Islands, Terrorists, PIRA, Hamas, Hezbollah, Diane Abbott, UKIP, BBC, Guardian, Monty Python, Life of Brian, Jeremy Corbyn


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Q: How can i paginate this raw query? I am working on a project in Laravel and using DB facade to run raw queries of sql. In my case I am using DB::select, problem is that pagination method is not working with it and showing this error
Call to a member function paginate() on array
How can I paginate this raw query? here is my code:
$que= DB::select("SELECT * FROM tbl_ourpeople INNER JOIN tbl_ourpeople_category ON
tbl_ourpeople.category = tbl_ourpeople_category.categoryId WHERE tbl_ourpeople.id>1");
return view('view',compact('que'));

A: Try this:
$query = DB::table('tbl_ourpeople')
    ->join('tbl_ourpeople_category', 'tbl_ourpeople.category', '=', 'tbl_ourpeople_category.categoryId')
    ->where('tbl_ourpeople.id', '>', 1)
    ->paginate(15);

A: For pure raw query, you may use this way.
$perPage = $request->input("per_page", 10);
$page = $request->input("page", 1);
$skip = $page * $perPage;
if($take < 1) { $take = 1; }
if($skip < 0) { $skip = 0; }

$que = DB::select(DB::raw("SELECT * FROM tbl_ourpeople INNER JOIN tbl_ourpeople_category ON
tbl_ourpeople.category = tbl_ourpeople_category.categoryId WHERE tbl_ourpeople.id>1"));

$totalCount = $que->count();
$results = $que
    ->take($perPage)
    ->skip($skip)
    ->get();

$paginator = new \Illuminate\Pagination\LengthAwarePaginator($results, $totalCount, $take, $page);

return $paginator;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This property can be rented with 'WIFI on the GO', which provide you with a portable WIFI modem so that you can connect from your PC, tablet or phone from anywhere. The house consists of lounge diner, American kitchen, bedroom with bed marriage and full bathroom with shower and share whahing machine and dryer. Full of contrasts and extremely varied is a good description of the topography in the West of Lanzarote, dominated by the amazing Timanfaya National Park. With more than 30 volcanic peaks, this exciting lunar landscape is a 'must see' for every visitor to the island! It also boasts the contrasting landscapes of the vast flat gravel plain El Rubicón in the west and the high plateau of the Los Ajaches Nature Reserve in the south, as well as the fertile winegrowing valley of La Geria and Uga. Lanzarote is a a gift of nature and without any doubt an incomparable paradise combining the magic of its history with an enviable spring climate throughout the year, beautiful beaches and breathtaking landscapes, a paradise of unique nature which friendly people proved to know how to take care of. Lanzarote is a volcanic island, largely covered by lava fields caused by volcanic eruptions in the eighteenth century. Lanzarote was the second Biosphere Reserve in the Canaries, adding a new component:for the first time was declared by UNESCO a territory as a whole, including all of its population centers. The perfect symbiosis achieved in Lanzarote between man and nature is without any doubt the main cause of this international recognition. The island you will find amazing beaches, secluded coves, trekking path, bike rentals, many surf, kite and windsurf schools, scuba-diving, boat trips. You could do some climbing up to the Volcanoes, relax in one of the amazing SPA or practice Yoga during the sunset.


text:
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+ (void)removeTriggeredConnectionStateChangedEvent:(EventRegistrationToken)tok;
@end

#endif // __WNPPeerFinder_DEFINED__

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Two members of the recently disbanded YouTube supergroup Our2ndLife have come together to launch a new YouTube channel.
The new channel will be a home for Lawley and Caylen to experiment with new types of content, as well as develop premium projects that could expand beyond YouTube and into traditional media. Current plans include collaborations with various YouTube and mainstream stars that would air on Mondays, as well as original, professionally-shot short films that would debut on Fridays.
The teen stars are currently "in talks" with Hollywood agencies to find writers and directors to develop such projects with, according to a spokesperson on behalf of the YouTube stars.
Lawley and Caylen are managed by Big Frame's Andrew Graham, who will serve as a producing partner for the new channel. They are also represented by the law offices of David Matlof and Danny Miller at Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof + Fishman. The new channel is networked with Fullscreen.
Both will continue to shoot videos for their individual channels during this time.
Our2ndLife, the group they used to be a part of, disbanded in December so that each individual member could pursue their own projects.


How often do you sit down for your writing session with lofty goals, only to watch them fade away into obscurity (or social media…) For the last two years I've found I can square away around 1k/hour. So if I manage to sneak in two hours a day, I write around 2k. This isn't a bad number at all. And honestly, I still have days I barely eek out a few hundred words, let alone thousands. It depends on where I'm at in the creative process. If I'm writing the first draft, I have freedom to "free-write," no matter how cringe worthy. Now, because I'm me, I always end up reviewing what I wrote the next day with little tweaks and edits along the way. I've heard different people say different things about this.
Last week, I faced a major time-crunch in my manuscript, when I realized I needed to write multi-chapters in a single writing day to meet my deadline. I've heard of full-time authors doing nothing but writing, much to my not-so-secret envy. But I had no idea what that would feel like until I enlisted my mom to babysit the toddler and got cranking. I wasn't sure how many chapters exactly I would need. I had come to the point in my story where I realized I just needed to write until I gave the ending its due.
I'm hosting a Pre-Order Giveaway Raffle open internationally! Click here for the link!


We found a San Francisco-themed bar near our bed and breakfast.
You unfortunately can't see it very in this picture but there was a dove in the center of this mural.
There were members of the Swiss Guard starting forward dutifully at several points.


text:
How Swim Coaches Can Build Exceptional Team Culture
While the United States is always expected to perform well in swimming at the Olympics, there were some indications that things might not go so hot for them in Rio in 2016.
The US Olympic Trials, held a few weeks before the Games, had been decidedly underwhelming.
Part of this was the pressure—every session at Trials was a sold out madhouse (compared to Rio where there were plenty of empty seats), and partly environmental with crowded and over-chlorinated pools.
But the time between Trials and the Games saw the team come together in a big way.
In Rio the team clanged cowbells every time one of their swimmers went to the ready room before a race. There was the viral follow-up to 2012's Call Me Maybe, this time a riff on the popular carpool karaoke. And there were the 45-minute "ice breaker" sessions spearheaded by Stanford coach Greg Meehan that almost always descended into a barrel of laughs.
The team-first attitude was visible from first-time team captain Michael Phelps, who would talk with swimmers after races. Elizabeth Beisel, a three time Olympian, said at the first team meeting, "I swim day one, and after that I'm going to give you guys everything I have."
Quotes from other swimmers on the team exemplified the team dynamic that helped US swimmers perform at their best that week:
Stanford sprinter Simone Manuel, who would win four medals, including gold in the 100m freestyle: "We're a family, and it's a great support system."
Josh Prenot, Cal breaststroker who won silver in the 200m breaststroke: "It's a huge thing. I've never seen this on the national team before."
The performance of the team in Rio surpassed expectations, with the swimmers collecting a staggering 33 medals (23 more than second place Australia), with breakout performances across the board.
"It's going to go down as one of the greatest Olympic performances ever, and we weren't forecast for that," said men's head coach Bob Bowman.
The Not-so-Hidden Impact of Team Culture
How swimmers behave, train, compete and feel are all impacted by the culture.
We've all experienced the rush and confidence of being on a team that is geared towards supportive relationships, psychologically safe, and promotes excellence and fun. There's a strong sense of togetherness and purpose.
And of course there is the flip side: the team where it's a group of individuals. Bad body language is rife through the team, swimmers don't correct and help each other when someone stumbles or screws up and there is a lack of purpose. It's easy to see how teams like this are not motivating and not very fun.
The Power of Together
Just how effective is the feeling of togetherness when it comes to improving performance?
Here's a study to exemplify just how powerful it is.
Researchers at Stanford performed a simple experiment to see if just thinking you were a part of a team would influence things like intrinsic motivation and resilience.
Participants were asked to complete a challenging puzzle and were split in two groups.
The "together" group was told they'd work the puzzle on their own for a few minutes, and then would get help from someone else working on the puzzle. The "solo" group were instructed to complete the puzzle on their own.
The "together" group worked harder, worked longer, and even had greater enjoyment of the task. A couple weeks later they were even more likely to work on a related task compared to the solo group.
As the study authors noted, the feeling of togetherness had "turned work into play."
Swimmers can identify with this–they spend large bouts of training in silence, with nothing but the black line to keep them company. It can feel lonely, especially during those nerve-wracked few moments when they are standing alone behind the block.
This tells us something we likely already know: Together we are stronger.
Instead of leaving culture to decide itself, or risking the chance that it would develop on its own (whether good or bad), here are things that coaches can do in order to supercharge culture and performance.
Over-communicate on expectations.
The beginning of the year is generally when swimmers are sat down and told what the expectations of them are for the year. No matter how rousing the speech your words will fade through the long slog of the season.
If it's valuable to your culture, there's little risk in over-communicating these expectations.
Apathy grows in the gaps where the athlete doesn't know what is expected or when the message fades.
Each day swimmers should be reminded what is expected of them. It's easy to think that they should "know" or that they should remember on their own, but over-communicating on the important stuff is critical. If it matters, it's worth over-communicating on.
Set the standards early.
The beginning of the season or training cycle is a perfect time to lay down the expectations of athletes and the group. Inconsistency in messaging and standards,
In a post I wrote recently that provided suggestions for swimmers and what they can do to help foster a high-performance team culture I talked about the importance of welcoming newbies to the team and sharing the nature of what the team expects.
Having the standards set early lessens confusion later. Don't wait until later to decide on team values.
Two-way feedback.
Yes, I know—we're the coach, they are the swimmer. But vulnerability plays a massive role in culture. It's not a position of weakness. It allows swimmers to drop the need to look tough and other various ego-centric issues and allow everyone to get to work.
Opening the door to allow swimmers to provide feedback also opens the door to them figuring out (ideally on their own) some of the things that they are doing that can help you coach them better.
Make it clear with your swimmers that this is a group and team effort and that feedback is encouraged.
"One thing I like to do with my high school team every year as a way to reflect and feel good is write a letter to someone in their life who has had a positive influence on them. Could be a coach, teacher, friend, family member, celebrity, etc. I always do this during taper as a way to get them to use their extra energy to put some deep thought and passion into it. Had a first year swimmer last year write one to Katie Ledecky, I mailed it to her, and Katie wrote her a note back! Such a great exercise. Really encapsulates the team culture and spirit as a way to randomly give thanks."
Brendan Heller — Head Swim Coach, Sacred Heart (Greenwich) and Riverside Yacht Club.
The environment tells swimmers what is possible.
When swimmers walk out onto the pool deck what kind of cues and signals does the environment give them?
When championship banners line the rafters, trophies line the display case, and reminders of the expectations ("Train like a champion today") held of athletes are visible, the environment says, Excellence is possible here. Excellence is expected here.
While these cues seem small, they help to create expectations by way of the environment. The banners, trophies and motivational slogans aren't just to honor past accomplishments, but they also signal present expectations: This is what we've done. This is what we are capable of. This is who we are.
New team? On the up with your squad? You don't need to a ten time state champ to promote expectations in the environment. Throw up signs/posters that signal the team values and expectations: Excellence is what we do here. Excellence every day, in every way. Swim like a champion today. And so on. Put these signals on your t-shirts, your swim equipment, your assistant coach's forehead, etc.
"Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and the rest will take care of itself."
Eddie Reese, Head Coach, University of Texas.
Be consistent with expectation.
Consistency, consistency, consistency. Shifting expectations creates a wavering sense of belief.
What are we for? What is our goal here?
If goals are constantly shifting, being adjusted, or being forgotten completely it creates a sense of un-seriousness that is hard to bounce back from.
If you set a standard of the group hitting 95% attendance at the beginning of the year, and then stop taking attendance a month in, you're signalling that maybe this goal isn't so important.
If you have different expectations for different athletes it creates an environment where athletes aren't sure what is expected of them.
Standards become meaningless if they are applied in a different way to various athletes.
Evaluate with the group.
After action reports (AAR) are commonly used in successful organizations, whether big corporations or elite military units. They seek to gain awareness and feedback on performance. They ask simple questions that can kick-start difficult conversations that produce positive direction and momentum:
What are we doing well? Where can we improve? What's the plan to get better together?
This isn't about pointing fingers—an ideal team or group situation is where an athlete can point the finger at themselves and say, "Yup, that was my bad. I didn't show up on that swim."
It can take time and a barrage of questions to get there, but those awkward questions typically end up in better performances down the road.
Team evaluations are a part of helping athletes gain awareness and the power in knowing what can be changed and what to do moving forward.
Create an environment that encourages failure in the pursuit of improvement.
You know the Perfectionist swimmer?
The one who is terrified of going all-out during the main set because they worry about not matching up to what's expected?
It stinks being that swimmer–who worries about letting down their teammates, their coach, and themselves by not excelling when it matters most. In the years I have been running my newsletter, periodically asking swimmers what they struggle with the most mentally in the water, these particular pain points come up at a staggering frequency. Sure, the Perfectionist swimmer worries about failing in general, but it's the disappointing their peers and coaches that keeps popping up.
Awesome team culture (and faster, less anxiety-induced swimming) happens when swimmers can fail safely in front of their peers and coaches. When Google did research on which of their teams and groups performed best, the top factor was far and away psychological safety. Successful teams were comfortable taking risks and being vulnerable.
This means that teammates don't ridicule one another for doing extra, there's a proactive and less adversarial approach to conflict, and there are open lines of communication.
Build a climate that tolerates and encourages failure in the pursuit of excellence. This comes via your standards, team values, and the day-to-day communication.
"Only one rule at swim meets for Nitro swimmers: No one sits alone."
Mike Koleber — Head Coach, Nitro Swimming
Listening 2.0.
Crossing our arms, brows furrowed and "listening" while interjecting isn't really listening.
Instead, focus on leading the swimmer to elaborate before answering will help clarify misunderstandings and open both of you up to answers that might otherwise remain buried.
How many times have you tried relating a problem to someone only to have them interject and say something along the lines of, "Well, I had the same problem and did this…"
Suggestions only become meaningful once you have attained a "scaffold of thoughtfulness."
Correct on the fly.
Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary Manchester United football coach, notes that criticism is best levied as quickly as possible, and not off in the distance after the performance has faded.
"I would do it right after the game. I wouldn't wait until Monday. I'd do it, and it was finished. I was on to the next match," said Ferguson.
Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps' long time coach, was similar in his approach of correcting athletes—whether it was technique or effort—mid-session rather than later or down the road.
"I've learned that the best way to get somebody to improve or to reinforce good behavior or to extinguish bad behavior is in the trenches," says Bowman in his book The Golden Rules.
The sooner swimmers know what to fix, the sooner they can get to fixing them.
And of course… Purpose.
Thought I forgot about this one, didn't ya? Nope.
A shared goal or purpose unites the team. It gives them something to rally around and focus on over the course of the season.
What's our goal here? What are we capable of? What do we stand for as a group?
Create team and group goals that are unique to the team, meaningful, and measurable. Vague team goals invite vague effort. Be specific about what your purpose is and chase it relentlessly day after day in the water and on the pool deck.
Josh Prenot, the Cal breaststroker mentioned earlier, notes that the culture he experiences at Cal Berkeley, one of the dominant NCAA programs year in and year out, is one of the reasons for their success.
"Although we have a team with a lot of diversity – guys with many different backgrounds and accomplishments – we have one collective goal. We have an obligation to each other to bring home a national title."
Josh Prenot — 2016 Olympic silver medalist, NCAA Champion
Having epic team culture is the closest you can get to putting high-performance swimming on auto-pilot.
A great culture raises everyone's potential and effort (coach included), makes for an enjoyable training environment, and makes your club a desirable place for parents to send their swimmers.
When there is a strong sense of togetherness, respect and safety success in the water is almost inevitable.
10 Things Swimmers Can Do for Exceptional Team Culture. A swim team's culture can boost your chances of success in the water just as easily as it can hold you back. Here's how you, the elite-minded swimmer, can do your part to create exceptional team culture.
If You Wanna Go Faster, Train with Faster Swimmers. The people you train with have a strong effect on what kind of effort you are going to give at practice today. Here's some interesting research on why you should choose to swim with the faster swimmers on your team.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Athletico-PR – Sao Paulo Prediction & Picks (21.08.2019) by 007soccerpicks.com
Athletico-PR – Sao Paulo Prediction & Picks (21.08.2019)
Athletico-PR – Sao Paulo SOCCER PICKS
Atlético PR and São Paulo measure forces in Estadio Joaquim Américo Guimarães, in a match for the 13th round of Serie A. In this stadium, the history of direct confrontations is favorable to the home team, which records 4 wins and 1 loss in The last 5 matches. However, the last time these two teams played a match at this stadium was on 09-06-2018, in a Serie A match that ended São Paulo's victory by (0-1). The only goal of the match was scored by Nenê (62 '). In this match, the home factor may be decisive, since Atlético PR presents considerable differences in its results at home and as a visitor.
Atlético PR :
The home team is currently in 7th position, with 19 points won, after 6 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses. In the penultimate match, he won out against CSA by (0-4). In the last match, he won out against Cruzeiro by (0-2). This is a stronger team with the support of their fans, since in the last 30 matches they register 2 wins, 3 draws and 10 losses as a visitor, with 16 goals scored and 25 suffered; against 10 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses in his stadium, with 21 goals scored and 8 suffered. In the last match he played, for the Copa Libertadores, he lost with Boca Juniors out by (2‑0). In his last 5 home games for the championship, Atlético PR won 4 and lost 1, so he won 12 points in 15 possible. His attack has scored regularly, as he scored goals in 8 of the last 10 games for this competition. In 12 games in this tournament, he suffered the first goal 4 times and never got the comeback.
Athletico-PR is looking for a place within the qualifying zone for the Copa Libertadores de América, so playing at home is essential not to lose points. To have the support of its fans, Athletico-PR must have the initiative of the party, putting a lot of pressure on its rival. In the last round, Athletico-PR won a home victory against Atlético-MG by 1×0. The coach should not have great absences for this match.
The visiting team is currently in 5th position, with 21 points won, after 5 wins, 6 draws and 1 loss. In the penultimate match, he won at home against Chapecoense by (4‑0). In the last match, he won out against Fluminense by (1-2). This is a team little affected by the home factor, that is, it presents similar results at home and away, since in the last 30 matches it records 5 wins, 4 draws and 6 losses as a visitor, with 12 goals scored and 13 suffered; against 4 wins, 9 draws and 2 losses in his stadium, with 15 goals scored and 8 suffered. For the championship, São Paulo conquered 11 points in 18 possible, after 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in the last 6 games played as a visitor. His attack has scored regularly, as he scored goals in 7 of the last 10 games for this competition.
São Paulo dreams of winning the title of the competition, so despite acting away from home it is important that he manages to score all three points. This should be a complicated game, but the visitors are confident in getting a good football on the field. In the last game played in the competition, São Paulo won a home victory over Ceará by 1×0. The coach must go full force for this match.
Athletico-PR win1.652-18.50BTS / YES1.85
007soccerpicks.com also recommends the following: Athletico-PR - Sao Paulo tips


text:
theallisonwonderland@groups.io
#ParkPickPool
Park Pick Pool Update
locked Park Pick Pool Update
Here is an update on the current standings of the Park Pick Pool. This is what the scores would be based on your most recent guesses and if the medallion was found today. Let me know if you think I missed anything.
5 Acorn Battle Creek Beaver Lake Central Park Cherokee Como Crosby Hidden Falls Highland Island Lake Mounds Newell Phalen Shamrock Swede Hollow Tamarack
Mike Flipp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 150
SpamChristi 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0
AlfaBob 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 55 0 50 0 20 0 0 0
Alan (sadow) 0 100 0 0 0 0 25 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Matt Bennett 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 100 0
Christina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 150 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cluemaster 0 0 85 0 0 65 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Terry Valentine 0 0 0 0 0 40 0 0 10 0 100 0 0 0 0 0
Alex 0 95 0 0 0 0 0 25 0 0 30 0 0 0 0 0
Jeff Rodriguez 0 75 0 20 0 0 25 0 0 0 25 0 5 0 0 0
MN Red 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 150 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Andi Howell 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 90 0 0 30 0 30 0 0 0
Rockhound 0 0 0 150 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rebecca Gibson 0 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 100 0 0 0 0 0
twonuh 30 30 0 0 0 30 0 0 30 30 0 0 0 0 0 0
Joan Del Rio 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 75 0 45 0 15 0 0 0
Jennifer 0 40 0 0 20 40 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0
Kelly 0 0 0 0 0 150 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rose 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 30 78 0 0 30 0 0 0 0
Me 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 45 0 55 0 0 0
kalars69 <Kalars69@...>
Hey David, Although I kinda grasp this Common Core math stuff, how do I have 150 points with 6 clues and 10 choices? Home sick today, too.
It assumes the medallion was found yesterday on Clue 5. So your guesses from Clue 1 get multiplied by 5 (for 5 clues), so 50 points. Your clue 2 guesses are multiplied by 4, so 40 points. And then 30, 20, and 10 for your guesses on the day the medallion was (theoretically) found. That's a total of 150. Now on clue 6, all the previous guesses bump up another 10 in value (10x6) + (10x5) + (10x4) + (10x3) + (10x2) and you have 10 more for today, so now you have 210 points total. Tomorrow it will be 280, and then 360, and then 450 if the hunt keeps going.
David B. Allison
On Friday, January 24, 2020, 11:52:53 AM CST, kalars69 via Groups.Io <kalars69@...> wrote:
Alex Valen
10 for Vento Nature Sanctuary for me for clue 6.
On Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 10:47 AM Allison Wonderland via Groups.Io <AllisonWondrland=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
Jeff Rodriguez
Clue 6. 10 bruce vento
On Fri, Jan 24, 2020 at 9:22 PM, Alex Valen
<alexandervalen@...> wrote:
I'll switch and put all 10 of mine on BVNS today as well.
On Fri, Jan 24, 2020 at 9:22 PM Alex Valen <alexandervalen@...> wrote:
Mike Flipp
oh Can I come and play too?
10 BVNS
On Friday, January 24, 2020, 09:28:49 PM CST, Matt Bennett <matt.bennett09@...> wrote:
Joanne Hill
How do U vote?
You just have to post to the message board what your guess is. You get 10 votes per day which can be divided between parks however you wish (or all go on one park). If you don't make a new guess each day, your previous guess just carries over. Earlier votes are worth more than later votes and a tie goes to whoever made the earliest pick of that park.
Here are the current standings reflecting the latest picks if the medallion were found right now:
7 Acorn Battle Creek Beaver Lake Bruce Vento Central Park Cherokee Como Crosby Fish Creek Harriet Hidden Falls Highland Island Lake Mounds Newell Phalen Shadow Falls Shamrock Swede Hollow Tamarack Trout Brook
Mike Flipp 0 0 0 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 250 0
SpamChristi 0 70 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 210 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
AlfaBob 0 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 110 0 105 0 30 0 0 0 0 0
Alan (sadow) 0 210 0 0 0 0 0 35 0 0 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Matt Bennett 0 35 0 45 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 35 150 0 0
Christina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 270 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0
Cluemaster 0 0 125 0 0 0 130 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 10
Terry Valentine 0 0 0 0 0 0 56 0 0 0 0 14 0 210 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Alex 0 155 0 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 35 0 0 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jeff Rodriguez 0 110 0 30 30 0 0 35 0 0 0 0 0 45 0 30 0 0 0 0 0
MN Red 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 280 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Andi Howell 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 130 0 0 75 0 75 0 0 0 0 0
Rockhound 0 0 0 0 280 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rebecca Gibson 0 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 210 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
twonuh 56 56 0 0 0 0 56 0 0 0 0 56 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Joan Del Rio 0 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 125 0 90 0 25 0 0 0 0 0
Jennifer 0 59 0 0 0 30 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 75 0 60 0 0 0 0 0
Kelly 0 0 0 0 0 0 220 0 0 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rose 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 0 42 120 0 0 70 0 30 0 0 0 0
Me 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 75 0 135 0 0 0 0 0
kellyjoco@...
Do we post here in reply or make a new post ??
On Sat, Jan 25, 2020 at 02:10 PM, <kellyjoco@...> wrote:
Either way. I go back and look at every message since the last clue came out to see if there were any new guesses.
Jennifer Matthews
Can we get the deed is done video here
On Jan 25, 2020, at 11:56 AM, Joanne Hill via Groups.Io <jxsumrall@...> wrote:
How do U vote?
I looked for it and I think they removed it.
On Sat, Jan 25, 2020 at 2:38 PM, Jennifer Matthews
<scrolty@...> wrote:
Way early back at clue one, I posted 2 stills from that video on one of the posts, look for my earliest 3-4 posts, you will see the pics from the video
On Saturday, January 25, 2020, 04:02:55 PM EST, Allison Wonderland via Groups.Io <allisonwondrland@...> wrote:
Video pics are on POST #30 !
On Saturday, January 25, 2020, 03:15:14 PM CST, Mike Flipp via Groups.Io <flippstermn@...> wrote:
Alan Sadowsky
I haven't paid enough attention to these videos in the past. How literal (?) are they? Are we to believe that these images are from the site? Has a "post mortem" on previous videos shown this to be the case?
I am not sure, David should have that knowledge. The video was very short, first showing the Tree with ski tracks behind it maybe 15 feet, and then it showed like a weather forcast map showing some light snow and temps, then it cut to the scene showing the trees to the sky. The sound in the video had no traffic, but there was a slight hum, possible distant traffic or a high up plane going over. So I screen shot the 2 important parts of the video which is really all the video ever showed it never panned, it was just focused on the tree in one scene then cut to the weather map, then the next scene at the tree tops, end of video.
On Saturday, January 25, 2020, 04:25:39 PM EST, <sadow002@...> wrote:
Jill Ryan
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10219549260177340&id=1089825615&sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=e
Does the above link work? If you copy paste it?
On Sat, Jan 25, 2020, 3:02 PM Allison Wonderland via Groups.Io <AllisonWondrland=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
On Jan 25, 2020, at 11:56 AM, Joanne Hill via Groups.Io <jxsumrall=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
yep link works
On Saturday, January 25, 2020, 04:10:44 PM CST, Jill Ryan <jill.n.ryan82@...> wrote:
Are you sure you wish to delete this message from the message archives of theallisonwonderland@groups.io? This cannot be undone.


text:
Is Chicago's Increased Minimum Wage Helping Or Hurting Workers?
Odette Yousef
AP Photo/M. Spencer Green
Protesters participate in a rally on Chicago's South Side on Sept. 14, 2014 as labor organizers campaign raise the minimum wage for employees to $15 an hour.
Restaurant workers in six cities, including Chicago, have benefited from increases to their minimum wage, according to a new study. And those increases haven't led to layoffs, the study's authors conclude.
The report is among a growing body of research that seeks to answer whether local policies that increase hourly wages ultimately help or hurt low-wage workers. Critics of the increases argue that they could force employers to cut jobs, hurting the workers that the policies aim to help.
"We find that they are working just as intended," said Carl Nadler, a postdoctoral scholar at the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics at the University of California, Berkeley, which released the study this week. "So far they are raising the earnings of low-wage workers without causing significant employment losses."
The study looked at data for Chicago, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., all of which raised their hourly minimum wages to between $10 and $13 by the end of 2016. The study found that a 10 percent increase in the minimum wage resulted in an earnings increase between 1.3 percent and 2.5 percent. Sylvia Allegretto, chair of the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics, said that this meant an extra $13 to $24 a week for the average restaurant worker in Chicago in 2016.
The findings affirm evidence that restaurant labor groups have gathered over past decades through surveys. "Simply just putting money into people's pockets, especially the lowest-paid workers, helps them individually but also helps stimulate the economy," said Felipe Tendick Matesanz, affiliate director of the Restaurant Opportunities United chapter in Chicago.
But it's not clear that minimum wage increases have benefited low-wage workers in industries beyond food services.
A 2017 study by researchers at the University of Washington looked at the effects of Seattle's minimum wage increase. While those researchers agreed with earlier findings from UC Berkeley's Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics, that workers were earning more and employment was not affected significantly in the restaurant industry, they found that low-wage workers in other industries had been hurt.
"We are finding pretty significant reduction in overall hours worked and overall employment in low-wage jobs, across all sectors of the economy," said Jacob Vigdor, professor of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington. Vigdor said his team was able to use data collected by a Washington state agency to look at low-wage workers in other industries, such as health care, child care, and arts and entertainment.
"I think that studying restaurants leaves out most of the low-wage job market," Vigdor said, "And I think that it runs risks of making mistakes about assessing whether jobs are still available to people looking for entry-level positions."
Vigdor said researchers at the University of Washington tried to conduct a similar cross-sector analysis in Chicago, but were unable to gather enough data.
In 2014, Chicago officials voted to raise the city's minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $10 an hour in July of 2015. Since then, it has increased to $12 an hour and will reach $13 an hour in the summer of 2019.
Despite the increases, there remain questions about whether the city's minimum wage is sufficient enough for workers to live on. For years, advocates and low-wage workers have lobbied to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Under the 2014 ordinance, the earliest the city's minimum wage would reach that level is 2025.
Odette Yousef is a reporter on WBEZ's Race, Class and Communities desk. Follow her @oyousef.
#Minimum wage
#Minimum wage law
Chicago passes ordinance to increase minimum wage
Fact Check: Chicago Mayor Mostly Right On Jobs, Poverty
What's New In 2018? Here's A Brief Tour Of State Laws Now In Effect
Some Opt Out Of County Minimum Wage Increase


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10 Most Famous Archers in Movies
Archery is not the most well-known sport: the competitions at the Olympics (or your local range) don't draw in as big a crowd as, I don't know, football. Or soccer, or tennis, or what have you. Still, it's pretty popular!
Lots of people would love the chance to try their hand at archery, and many think of the sport as the epitome of cool. There's a certain indescribable something that really makes everyone admire that guy (or gal) hitting the bull's eye from far, far away, with nothing but their own hands, body, and an ancestral weapon. It's definitely badass.
Now, our ideas and perceptions about things such as sports don't materialize out of thin air; they have to come from somewhere. And, in our day and age, that somewhere is popular culture. TV shows, bestselling books, movies… these all make up the feelings and level of cool factor we associate with different sports.
The popular love of archery, then, is quite heavily influenced by those characters we see deftly handling a bow and arrows in the most popular stories and movies. So, have a little inspiration: here is the movie-famous archers Top 10!
#10 – Cupid
Granted, there isn't (yet) a well-known film actually starring Cupid, but he is present as a minor character in lots of movies, shows, books, comics, and other popular media. So who is this arrow-aiming kid?
Originally the Greek-derived Roman god of desire and passion, Cupid was one crafty fellow. The son of Venus, goddess of love, he would aim his arrows at unsuspecting victims and make them fall in love (often with tragic or at least mildly inconvenient endings). So, the next time you feel irrationally attracted to someone, you know who to blame!
#9 – Susan Pevensie
The Narnia books and films are well-beloved by folks of all ages. They make you dive (literally!) into a parallel world where centaurs, talking animals, and beautiful but evil witches with rad white dreads are all real.
One of the leads of the films, Susan Pevensie (played by Anna Popplewell) is a typical 50's teenage sweetheart who gets thrown into a world at war. She quickly adapts and becomes known as an awesome archer who can never miss. She fires red-plumed arrows using a traditional recurve.
#8 – Merida
Disney princesses used to be a stereotype of feminine quiet beauty and vulnerability. Not Merida, though! This wild-haired Scottish princess exudes badassery even as she beats all her suitors in an archery competition, defies traditional gender roles, and turns her mother to and back from scary-bear-shape.
#7 – Robin Hood
Few names are as ubiquitous as "Robin Hood" when it comes to people's associations with archery. This hero is portrayed in an insane number of movies, the latest being Robin Hood (ha!), starring Russell Crowe.
This famous archer is a traditional figure present in many legends. He is believed to have been a strong popular leader who used his remarkable woodcraft and archery skills to defend the common people from the abuses of the powerful. You go, Robin!
#6 – Lara Croft
Adventurousness, physical allure, and mad archery skills: Lara Croft has it all. This character was played by Angelina Jolie in a super successful film series and then became the focus of a videogame.
It's in the videogame that Lara Croft acquires a bow and arrows to better, ehem, relieve ancient tombs from their contents and face evil foes. The weapon she fires can alternate between a longbow, a recurve, or a modern compound.
#5 – Katniss Everdeen
In dystopian Capitol State, Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) must enter the super-scary, almost-deadly-for-all-participants reality show The hunger games, which is meant to keep the population terrified and distracted at the same time.
Katniss goes on to use the savagely precise archery skills she acquired while illegally hunting to support her family to destabilize the social order, lead a rebellion, and ultimately depose an unjust government. The actress actually went through extensive shooting training and has a pretty good technique, if you ask me!
#4 – Daryl Dixon
The Walking Dead depicts a very different kind of dystopian society: one where most of the people are very dead, and very, very dangerous.
In order to survive, drifter Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) uses his intuition, agility, aggression and his remarkably accurate archery technique to hunt and kill menacing zombies. The character shifts between using a Stryker Strykezone 380 and a Horton Scout HD 125 between seasons.
#3 – Hawkeye
Who hasn't been fascinated, even obsessed, by the success and heroic allure of the Avenger Squad? These guys are always busy saving the worlds from one threat or other.
Both in the comics and in the movie series, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) is one of the most beloved characters. Even without special superhero powers, Hawkeye is a match for anyone. He's an excellent archer with world-class skills and can stalk, fire, and fight like no one's business. He shoots both a compound and a recurve bow.
#2 – Ygritte
Though we admit that we know nothing about what life North of the Wall was really like, we can all agree that Game of Thrones' Ygritte (portrayed by Rose Leslie) is an exceptional markswoman and soldier.
She's the best at survival skills and can even fire three arrows into her love interest, Jon Snow, when he betrays her. She's wise, strong, great at one-liners, and we definitely miss her.
#1 – Legolas
Bow and arrows? Who said Legolas? Played by pose-striking, blond-mane-swishing Orlando Bloom, this Lord of the Rings character is what everyone thinks of when you say "archery".
The son of an Elven King, Legolas is a bit aloof but can hold his own in any fight. He's basically immortal. And we all love his interactions with his dwarven frenemy, Gimli, that devolve into an entertaining orc-killing competition. The scene in which Legolas fires arrow after arrow at the enemy while skating down some stairs on a stolen shield will forever live in archer's memories.
Who was the movie archer that first got you interested in the sport? Merida or Legolas? Who among these awesome is the most badass? We might never know! What we do know is that they, although fictional, inspire lots of us to perfect our skills every day and, because of that, we love them all.
Bonus – Matt Damon's William Garin Didn't Make the List


Here's some early screenshots of the Mushroom Forest so far. The map itself isn't completed yet, so I'll be taking suggestions for improvements.
Thanks, Axl. I suppose the real challenge for me will be making some tree-sized mushrooms, lol. So far I haven't tried anything that large, but I'll see what I can do.
Falcata, you should go for less regular and less straight shapes. More like the mushrooms by AxlTrozz. Do you notice how the stems aren't perfectly straight but bend? This looks much more natural.
Crush wrote: Falcata, you should go for less regular and less straight shapes. More like the mushrooms by AxlTrozz. Do you notice how the stems aren't perfectly straight but bend? This looks much more natural.
I'll be sure to remember that. The tiles I've made so far are still prototypes, so I'll be improving them a bit (starting with the tall, hollow ones).
EDIT: Crush, how would I configure the particle system to cause some of the mushrooms (the tall, hollow ones) to spit up a cloud of spores at random intervals?
Last edited by AxlTrozz on 17 Jan 2008, 03:26, edited 2 times in total.
I decided to make this cave because Crush rejected my "Elemental Planes" proposal. The Plane of Earth was to include a number of exotic caverns, such as the Mushroom Forest.
A green cavern? Sounds fascinating. I'll do a palette swap of the cave tileset and see how it turns out.
Looks pretty interesting. Just needs a bit more polishing, I suppose.


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New Study Highlights Threat From Far Right-Wing Groups In U.S.
Hayes Brown Jan 18, 2013, 3:00 pm
A new study from a think tank connected to the West Point Military Academy highlights the threat of violent far-right movements in the United States, leading to the conclusion that, while diverse in in their causes, they are similar in their use of violence to achieve their aims.
West Point's Combatting Terrorism Center was founded in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, and has primarily focused its research on international terrorist threats. Titled "Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America's Violent Far-Right," this new report instead looks as the risk that domestic groups pose to the U.S. Breaking down these groups into three categories — the Racist/White Supremacy Movement, the Anti-Federalist Movement, and the Christian Fundamentalist Movement — allows the study to examine the background ideologies and methods of each subset thoroughly, opposed to lumping them all together as most studies have.
Each of the groupings in the study represent competing ideological views, with none of them likely to cooperate in achieving their aims. The chances that each of these groups will use violence also varies. What they share, however, is a use of violence against their chosen targets — be it minority races or abortion clinics — to draw attention to and emphasize their given ideology. After charting out the various instances of violence carried out by each of the categories, the paper offers up several policy recommendations on responding to their actions:
From a theoretical perspective, this constitutes a further indication of the perception among some parts of the academic community that terrorism is an instrument of symbolic discourse which is shared by violent groups and their adversaries. Target selection is thus not based just on operational considerations, but is one component, among others, which allows violent groups to shape their message using violent practices — timing, weapons used and target locations, are only a small measure of the other components which contribute to the shape of the symbolic message conveyed via the attack.
In this context, policy implications are clear. If the numerous far right groups are driven by different ideological sentiments, and are thus also engaged in distinguishing tactics, then the response in terms of counterterrorism policies must be flexible and group/movement oriented.
The study is already coming under attack by Republicans for not properly defining what constitutes a member of the "far right."
A Republican congressional staffer who served in the military told The Washington Times: "If [the Defense Department] is looking for places to cut spending, this junk study is ground zero. "Shouldn't the Combating Terrorism Center be combating radical Islam around the globe instead of perpetuating the left's myth that right-wingers are terrorists?" the staffer said. "The $64,000 dollar question is when will the Combating Terrorism Center publish their study on real left-wing terrorists like the Animal Liberation Front, Earth Liberation Front, and the Weather Underground?"
This pushback is unsurprising, given the unwelcome response a 2009 report on the same topic received. Titled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," the Department of Homeland Security-commissioned report drew attention to the fact that right-wing groups have proved more of a threat than Islamic extremists during a similar period. Secretary Janet Napolitano withdrew that report under harsh criticism from conservatives at the time, but there is no sign that the CTC will pull this study any time soon.
#Terrorism, #World
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An illustrator, writer and designer, Matt is a self-taught artist with a rather splendid first class degree in graphic media. He is a strapping 6ft 1 inches and describes himself as a blend of Jean-Paul Sartre, David Hasselhoff and a ninja. A tireless worker, who has evolved to the point of no longer needing sleep, instead he enters a state of hypnosis. A creative stupor, whereby a dazzling array of art is unleashed with passion upon the unsuspecting world.
He has been featured in various publications, exhibitions and is constantly hounded by Paparazzi, loose women and enemy ninja. Matt continues to bang the drum for the power of visually dynamic illustration. He lives on coffee books and a large supply of sarcasm in London with his all-female samurai entourage.