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From K Street to the Knesset – Pt 3: What Does it Mean to be Jewish?
May 23, 2018 /0 Comments/in Blog /by Jason Langsner
Over 100 events filled the GatherDC community calendar in April 2018. They ranged from a weekly Jewish yoga class at Adas Israel to listening to a Holocaust survivor at the EDCJCC. Events spanned all areas of the city, and extended to Maryland and Virginia. They included social gatherings like bar bingo, and educational outings for Jews of all identity groups.
Diverse in many ways, but one thread bound these 100+ programs together: they were Jewish.
The 2017 Greater Washington Jewish Community Demographic Study denoted that, "DC's Jewish community numbers nearly 300,000 Jewish adults and children in over 155,000 households." The study found that 22% of the community is 18-29 years old, and another 21% are 30-39.
The Greater Washington Jewish community is the third largest Jewish community in the country. 43% of those in the DMV community are young professionals. Although many of these young adults are often seen at Jewish events (or on JSwipe), our local community spans far beyond these highly involved individuals. The study highlights that in America, being Jewish or not Jewish is not a binary classification. Jewish pluralism is alive and well in the U.S., and thriving in our nation's capital.
As a part of B'nai B'rith International's 175th Anniversary, I looked to better explore this idea of Jewish pluralism in a project dubbed The Zero.Dot.Two Initiative. With approximately 14.4 million Jews alive globally, our people represent approximately 0.2% of worldwide citizenry. In the U.S., which is the second most populous nation of Jewish citizens, we are still only 2% of the population. In Israel, three out of every four citizens are Jewish. To better understand Judaism in today's diverse world, I began interviewing different local, national, and international Jewish influencers with just one question: what does it mean to be Jewish?
GatherDC's Rabbi Aaron Potek answers the question by saying, "my five paths [to a meaningful Jewish identity] are spirituality, wisdom, ethics, community, and culture. I think these are five different ways to think about Judaism. Obviously, some of these paths intersect, but I believe each one individually can be a path that someone can go down."
Other DC-area rabbis share their own messages:
Rabbi Shira Stutman of Sixth & I Historic Synagogue discussed the orienting principles of her Jewish identity, which included tikkun olam (repairing the world) and, more specifically, how "that the world as it is, is not the world as it could be… It is our responsibility, as Jews in this world, to continue to yearn to heal the world, which is broken in so many ways, but also to improve the way that we interact with the world."
Rabbi Steven I. Rein of the Agudas Achim Congregation of Alexandria, VA, who also serves as Jewish Chaplain for Arlington National Cemetery, said "one of the most important roles of Judaism is to provide the 'derech' or path and motivation by which we can aspire to be our best selves, and in doing so, make a positive difference in the world in which we live."
Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, the founding rabbi of B'nai Tzedek in Potomac, Maryland, spoke of fulfilling the mitzvot. He paraphrased Elie Wiesel in saying, "to be Jewish in the 20th century is to be offered a gift. I look at Judaism as I look at this wonderful treasure – this wonderful heritage that we have. It has to do with our values that we offer both to individuals, and the values that we contribute to the world. Secondly, being Jewish offers us a sense of identity. An identity of who we are, where we come from, and where we are going."
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who is the Executive Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), and also serves the governmental and diplomatic needs of the international Chabad-Lubavitch movement, said, "the core of being Jewish means [asking], do I have a strong relationship with my creator – with G-d? Do I nurture that relationship on a daily basis? Do I do whatever I can to make the world better…bringing the world to a place where the nations of the world will be blessed through us collectively as Jews and individually?"
Beyond these religious leaders and teachers, the interview series has included elected officials, academics, celebrities, business leaders, Jewish communal professionals, and more.
U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) answered the question by saying, "It's family, it's tradition, it's values. Almost every Friday, our family gets together for Shabbat dinner because that's our tradition. We talk about each other's lives, and what we can do to help our community – because that's Jewish values."
Mr. Cardin's counterpart in the U.S. House, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who represents a swatch of Montgomery County, MD, answered by referencing the first time on Sunday school that he heard the famous Rabbi Hillel dictum, "If I am only for myself, what am I?"
This interview series has been an exciting project for me as I continue to develop my own Jewish identity, that has been significantly evolving throughout my life.
Growing up, I used to think that I was a "bad Jew." My family didn't keep kosher, regularly observe Shabbat, belong to a synagogue, or even celebrate every Jewish holiday. Today, I don't think anyone can be labeled a "bad Jew" because I no longer look at Judaism in a binary construct. I recognize that while some may choose to observe Judaism through a more traditional path, others may choose a different route. These paths run parallel to one another, rather than in opposite directions.
My Jewish identity has matured exponentially while living in DC due to this wonderful, local Jewish community that has taught – and continues to teach – me so much. Today, when I think about my Jewish community, I see past the 300,000 Jews living in and around DC. I consider the wider global Jewish community that offers me lessons on how I can be a better person by representing Judaism in a way that is meaningful to me. I know that I want to raise my future family Jewishly, and am beyond excited to marry a caring, loving, smart, funny, confident, and beautiful young Jewish woman in just a few months. My fiancé makes me a better person, and a better Jewish man, every day. She is my besheret (destined/soulmate). I cannot wait to see how our two Jewish lives and families, unique in their own ways, forge themselves into a single Jewish household under the 'chuppah' – and into our collective future.
Thinking back to my meeting with Rabbi Potek at GatherDC's new Dupont Circle townhouse on April 19, I consider how the significance of that day relates to my personal Jewish identity. Although that day may have appeared like any other Thursday, to me, it was significant. This importance was not just because I enjoyed learning from the rabbi, but also because we met on Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel's Independence Day).
My own Jewish identity includes a great connection to the land and the people of Israel. I'm proud that last month the nation celebrated its 70th anniversary since its founding and I have a deep respect for the thousands of years of history of the connection of that land to the Jewish people.
This series of exploring differing perspectives on Jewish identity is a teaching tool. We all relate to our personal Jewish identity in our own way. One of my favorite things about Judaism is that we often have more questions than answers to some of life's most complex ideas. These questions and answers can be unique to each of us.
So, my blog series, "From K (or M) Street, to the Knesset", was meant to share that there is no singular answer to the question, "what does it mean to be Jewish?" Judaism is unique to me. It is unique to you. It is unique to someone on K Street, or M Street, or in the Knesset. It is unique to a Jew in DC, Maryland, or Virginia. And it is unique to someone in Jerusalem, London, Paris, Moscow, Cape Town, Montreal, Morocco, Tokyo, or wherever Jews call home.
Like the 100+ events on GatherDC's community calendar – to be Jewish is diverse. But, it includes one common thread: t be Jewish is to identify as being Jewish. Whether you identity as orthodox, conservative, reform, Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, tall, short, Jew-curious, or just Jewish – you are all my Jewish brothers and sisters.
P.S. My personal answer to "What does it mean to be a Jew" is this: Being Jewish comes down to one question, and it isn't "is your mother Jewish?" I ask myself, and I hope others ask themselves, if they identify as Jewish. If so, then: Do I/they choose to live a life that is based on Jewish ideals; Do I/they recognize that the world is imperfect, and that it is up to each of us to try to find our own individual way to repair it; Do I/they treat others with respect and as-if we would like to be treated ourselves; Do I/they know that God exists and that we as a people should try to both learn and teach Torah.
P.P.S. If you are interested in exploring your own Jewish identity, reach out to GatherDC to learn about all of the wonderful ways that they engage 20-and-30-somethings in the DC-area. Or, to hear other news important to the Jewish people, "like" the B'nai B'rith International Facebook page.
About the Author: Jason Langsner is a part of our "Gather the Bloggers" cohort of talented writers who share their thoughts and insights about DC Jewish life with you. Jason has been an active lay leader of the Washington Jewish community since moving to the city in 2004. He is a small business owner and formerly served as the head of digital strategy for the oldest Jewish human rights and humanitarian organization in the world – B'nai Brith International. When not blogging, he can often be found walking around his Eastern Market neighborhood or riding around DC area bike trails.
Tags: ask the rabbi, ben cardin, DC rabbis, gather the bloggers, Jason Langsner, jewish dc, Jewish DC community, Jewish Identity, jewish pluralism, rabbi, rabbi aaron potek, rabbi shira, Rabbi Shira Stutman, Rabbis, Rabbis of DC, what does it mean to be jewish, zionism
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Southern China is now the major centre for making chip-on-board (COB) electronics. And DIY Electronics is the only supplier that we know of that is supplying these items to the public in general & the hobbyist in particular. We have put together a range of these items. If you are interested to buy these or similar items in bulk then please email us with your requirements.
COB means that the very small die form of the IC is bonded directly onto a PCB and the copper tracks come out from it. A blob of black epoxy covers & protects it. The benefit is a saving in space. We are buying these COB's on larger than usual PCB 16mm x 29mm, so that the student can solder the external components to it with a minimum amount of difficulty. They were reviewed in Electronics Australia, April, 1995, p72.
SG1 through 14 are COB Kits which give a sound of some sort. An 'M' suffix denotes that the Kit comes with a mother-board to support the COB PCB and components. You can view a scan of the motherboards below.
Imitates real phone tones, engaged and ringing sounds, two door chimes. COB PCB: 16mm x 29mm. Mother board supplied to fit COB PCB & components into.
Melody IC in TO-92 package. Just connect 3V and speaker. Tune repeats continuously while power is connected. Total of 128 notes. Cmos LSI. For Alice tune.
SG10M 4 animal sounds. Same motherboard/COB as SG1M, just the sounds are different.
Hen, cat, cow and dog sounds. Just 4 switches and 4 components to add. Ideal for schools. Supplied with motherboard.
18mm x 15mm COB contains a standard siren driver as found in piezo horns and toys. Drive circuit will tolerate a wide range of components values. 2V to 5V operation.
"Three Christmas Carols" Same as SG7 & SG13 but three Christmas Carols play.
A surprisingly loud siren for such a simple circuit. Uses voltage controlled oscillator. 1/2 Watt, 8 ohm speaker supplied. 9V operation. Ideal to attach to an alarm system which needs an sound module.
Powerful 6V to 12V piezo alarm. Uses 556, auto-transformer and two piezo alarm elements. Circuit will deliver over 110dB at 1 meter. Uses sweep circuit so there is no need to trim the circuit to match the cavity resonant frequency. We supply a plastic box with two piezo elements (35mm diameter) already mounted in their own resonant cavity. This is part of a commercial alarm unit but it uses our (better!) drive circuit. Ideal alarm unit for Kit 53 (Codepad/Burglar Alarm).
Driver circuit for 8 ohm horn speakers. Based on the Zetex ZSD100 siren driver IC. 4V - 18V. 120dB of sound.


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Bowie County Sheriff's Looking For Full-Time Jailers
The Bowie County Sheriff's Office is looking for qualified jailers, these are full-time opportunities.
'Michelina's Spaghetti with Meat Sauce' Recalled
Bellisio Foods out of Jackson, Ohio is recalling almost 4000 pounds of spaghetti with meat sauce product due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The product contains soy, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.
Congratulations to James Ray - America's Trooper of the Year
Arkansas is standing tall and proud of native son Trooper James Ray, named by the American Association of State Troopers as Trooper of the Year - 2021.
Texarkana Area COVID-19 Numbers for May 4, 2021 (6 month charts)
Bowie County In Bowie County, Texas DSHS reports 4 new cases and a total of 4,719 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases with 0 probable cases, 212 deaths. Fully Vaccinated age 16 - 64: 21% Fully Vaccinated age 65 and older: 45%
Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak Is This Tuesday Night
I know we're now five months into the new year but don't you think it's about time we talked about some shooting stars?
Arkansas Gyms and Fitness Centers May Resume Operations May 4
Gyms and fitness centers may resume operations on May 4, 2020, under certain guidelines established to protect the health and safety of employees and patrons, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced at his daily press briefing yesterday. Under these guidelines, gyms and fitness centers must implement precautions such as use of face masks except when exercising, daily temperature checks for employees and
SAU To Graduate Almost 500 In May 4 Spring Commencement
Southern Arkansas University's Spring Commencement ceremonies are scheduled for Friday, May 4, 2018. A total of 497 candidates for graduation will be recognized in four ceremonies at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.

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Rebbetzin Sarah Leah Kushelevsky devoted her life to the learning of her husband and his students in Yeshivas Heichal HaTorah. With her passing on Rosh Chodesh Nissan we lost a woman who embodied Eishes Chayil.
His mission was her mission. Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky, a towering talmid chacham, held many prestigious positions spreading Torah across Europe and Eretz Yisrael — each one requiring yet another move to a new place. And his loyal rebbetzin, Sarah Leah (Toki) Kushelevsky, gladly trekked to each new locale along with him. If he was where he was needed, that was her place too, and she was happy to be there. The self-sacrifice of the Rebbetzin for her husband and his Torah was such that when her husband's yeshivah Heichal HaTorah needed funds to complete its building, she sold the apartment they owned in Har Nof to finance it and moved into a rental apartment. For the Rebbetzin, a home for the yeshivah came before her own home. It's no surprise, then, that the yeshivah became her home and its students, her children. Strong Roots Middos and yiras Shamayim were as much part of the Rebbetzin's essence as her astute intelligence — all trademarks of her distinguished lineage. As her sister-in-law and cousin Rebbetzin Sarah Gurwicz puts it, "She inherited these from her parents and grandparents — they were part of her upbringing." When Rav Elyah Lopian's eldest daughter, Chana Liba, came of age, he left London and went back to his Lithuanian birthplace to find her a chassan. In the Mir, Rav Elyah found what he was seeking — young Leib Kushelevsky (who subsequently changed his name to Gurwicz, his mother's maiden name, to enable him to leave Lithuania without legal problems). The famed mashgiach of Mir, Rav Yerucham Levovitz, suggested that Leib ask the Chofetz Chaim whether he should pursue a shidduch from England — a place at that time devoid of Torah — even if he had the intention of returning to live in Mir. The Chofetz Chaim's cryptic reply was, "Baruch Podeh u'Matzil [Blessed is the One Who redeems and saves]." Young Leib askedRavYeruchamLevovitz for an explanation, and he told the young man that theChofetzChaim had intended him to leave. The prophetic reply became clear whenRavLeib was saved from the inferno that soon engulfed Lithuanian Jewry.


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https://www.chron.com/opinion/letters/article/Monday-letters-School-choice-policies-confirm-12761007.php
Monday letters: School choice policies, confirm NASA administrator
Updated 3:50 pm CDT, Monday, March 19, 2018
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks last month during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), at National Harbor, Md. DeVos is getting less than a ringing endorsement from the White House after uncomfortable television interviews raised questions about her commitment to help underperforming schools and support for President Donald Trumps school safety proposal. less
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks last month during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), at National Harbor, Md. DeVos is getting less than a ringing endorsement from the White House after ... more
Photo: Jacquelyn Martin, STF / Associated Press
Regarding "Miseducation secretary" editorial (Page A14, Thursday), just as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to educating children, there is also no single education reform measure that will solve all of the problems facing Houston's educational challenges. But would it help or hurt if Texas adopted policies that empower parents to choose the educational environment that best suits their children's learning needs? The editorialexpresses significant doubt about offering families school choice, but the preponderance of existing evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that school choice works to improve education.
Eighteen studies have examined academic outcomes for school choice participants, and the majority find statistically significant positive effects. In neighboring Arizona, where school choice abounds, academic gains on national test scores show that robust choice helps improve student achievement. School choice programs also positively impact high school graduation rates, college enrollment, civic engagement, and parent and student satisfaction rates.
Moreover, there is abundant evidence that school choice programs encourage traditional public schools to improve. Out of 34 studies on the effects of school choice programs on traditional public schools, 32 found a positive effect while only one found a negative effect.
School choice policies can make a real, tangible difference. Texas should not turn a blind eye to the evidence. Rather, it should pursue policies that put parents in charge of their children's educations.
Rachelle Engen,
Arlington, Va.
NASA leadership
Regarding "Failure to launch" (Page A16, Friday), it was with some consternation that I read this editorial. Jim Bridenstine, the nominee for NASA administrator, has been subjected to the vilest campaign of politically motivated demonization since the dark days of Joe McCarthy. The objection that he is a politician does not pass the laugh test. James Webb and Sean O'Keefe came from the political world and are considered some of the finest leaders NASA ever had. To be sure, he has expressed some reservations about climate change, but he pledged during the hearings that he would not interfere in any way in the study of the phenomenon by NASA scientists.
Bridenstine has been endorsed by scientists, commercial space players and even Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin. He is a former naval aviator, a graduate of Rice University here in Houston, and holds an MBA from Cornell. His degree would serve him well in the brave new world of commercial partnerships with NASA in space exploration. As an elected official with a keen interest in space policy, Bridenstine has some unique experience that will further good relations between the space agency and Congress.
To deny Bridenstine confirmation would constitute the worst travesty ever inflicted on a man who is eager to serve his country and take America back to the moon and beyond. The politicians who are standing in his way should stop forthwith and vote to confirm.
Mark R. Whittington, Houston
Woman, 62, shot and killed in possible road rage incident in Katy area
Here are the participating restaurants in Houston Restaurant Weeks 2019 (so far)


If you keep a life-list of North American bird species, one of the more exotic additions to your list can be found an hour from here on the outskirts of Phoenix. The Riparian Preserve at the Water Ranch in Gilbert, Arizona, is a 110-acre water treatment facility that draws shorebirds and other species like a magnet. This is where a Siberian Baikal Teal showed up one December, and where you can also find a bird native to southwest Africa, the Rosy-faced Lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis). A favorite of bird pet owners, enough Rosy-faced Lovebirds have escaped their cages and have been released intentionally to establish reproductive colonies in several Arizona locations. Although most exotic birds are unable to survive in North America, the mild Arizona climate suits the lovebirds just fine, and their population continues to expand. The American Ornithological Union, the organization responsible for recognizing North American species officially, determined a year ago that the Rosy-faced Lovebird, also known as the Peach-faced Lovebird, had established a viable population in Arizona that wasn't likely to be reversed. Consequently, a life-lister in southeastern Arizona has an opportunity to score a bird found in few other places.
To get to the Riparian Preserve, commonly known as the Gilbert Water Ranch, take Highway 77, Oracle Road, from Tucson north to Oracle Junction, and Highway 79 from the junction to and through Florence to Apache Junction, then west on Highway 60 to North Higley Road in Gilbert. The Water Ranch is at 2757 East Guadalupe Road, on the south side of the road between North Higley Road and South Greenfield Road. Free parking and admission, picnic tables and restrooms are featured, and multiple trails wind around the water impoundments. Rosy-faced Lovebirds aren't guaranteed, naturally, but often can be found near the water, both foraging in trees as well as on the ground, sometimes in small flocks of as many as a dozen birds. Check the photographs accompanying this article to see what you are looking for, although you're not likely to mistake this bird for anything else in the park. While you're there, also look for visiting shorebirds like Black-necked Stilts, Great Blue Herons and American Avocets. Warblers are commonly found here, as well.
Rosy-faced Lovebirds are a member of the parrot family, just seven inches in length, the same size as our White-crowned Sparrow. The lovebird's coloration is striking, with green plumage, a rosy-peach face and a bright blue rump. In captivity, the bird is affectionate, playful, intelligent and easy to care for. They make popular pets, are widely available and inexpensive, which no doubt has contributed to the large number that have made it back into the wild. They sleep side-by-side, with their faces turned toward their mate, giving rise to the name 'lovebird'. Could there be a better bird for February and Valentine's Day?
This entry was posted in Birding Arizona and tagged birding life lists, Gilbert Water Ranch Arizona, Peach-faced Lovebird, Riparian Reserve at the water ranch gilbert arizona, Rosy-faced Lovebird. Bookmark the permalink.


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Q: Do blanks have souls? Is there an authoritative source stating whether or not blanks in Warhammer 40,000 have souls? (as opposed to pariahs which definitely do not?)
I seem to recall around 3e that there was no real distinction between blanks and pariahs but that seems to have changed in the intervening years, however what precisely differentiates a blank and a pariah is unclear.

A: Yes, blanks have souls.
The terms blank, pariah and untouchable are currently interchangeable. It's related to the 'Pariah gene', which is what gives them their ability.

Some of these individuals had degrees of immunity to psychic powers
and the energies of the warp; some - known as Untouchables or Blanks -
had fields so powerful that their presence disrupted the powers of or
wounded psychic beings
- Atlas Infernal, by Rob Sanders, page 284

and from just further up that page:

Clone embryos, gene sequenced from blacksoul null-stock

In the collection of short stories "Tales of Heresy", in the story "The Voice" by James Swallow, three sisters of silence encounter a vision from the warp and near the end of the story it is revealed that they do:

'I have done terrible things to get to this place,' said the voice.
'Pacts and accords that have scarred my soul'.
'We are Untouchable' Leilani husked. 'They say we have no souls'.
'We have,' came the reply. 'Else I would have had nothing to burn, no
coin to pay my way here.'
- Tales of Heresy, The Voice, page 267

The pariah gene merely blocks out the connection to the warp, giving the appearance of a lack of soul, but it doesn't actually stop them from having one.
The grey Knights codex states about Culexus assassins:

Culexus Assassins are primarily chosen because they have or appear to
have, no presence in the warp - they are, to all intents and purposes,
soulless.
- Codex: Grey Knights, page 53

The 40k rules book expands on the information about these assassins:

Culexus Assassins, by far the rarest, are chosen from those few
individuals who possess [sic] the Pariah gene, making them
null-entities in the Warp.
- Warhammer 40k rulebook, 6th edition, page 181

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Join award-winning author Craig Higginson for the launch of his new novel The Book of Gifts at Love Books (10 Mar)
Pan Macmillan and Love Books invite you to the launch of The Book of Gifts by Craig Higginson.
From the award-winning author of The Dream House and The White Room comes Higginson's most riveting and groundbreaking novel to date. The Book of Gifts takes us on a dangerous and unforgettable journey between the lush beaches of uMhlanga Rocks, the stark midwinter wastes of Johannesburg and the rich and strange coral reefs of Mauritius.
Written in Higginson's compelling and indelible prose, this masterfully plotted novel explores the fault-lines between loyalty and betrayal, blindness and perception, entrapment and flight. It dives into the deepest reaches of human consciousness in order to catch the brightest fish.
'An intriguing and complex family story. Craig Higginson is an artful writer; I was hooked from the first sentence.' – Nozizwe Cynthia Jele, author of The Ones With Purpose
Craig will be in conversation with writer and editor Kate Sidley at the book's launch.
Read an excerpt from The Book of Gifts here!
Venue: Love Books, Bamboo Centre, 53 Rustenburg Road, Melville, Joburg
RSVP: kate@lovebooks.co.za or 011 726 7408
What is the cost of giving a gift? What is the cost of receiving one?
Julian Flint is eleven years old. He likes to remain invisible, hiding inside the architecture of adults provided by his mother, his uncle and his aunt.
But when his mother Emma, a celebrated sculptor, takes them on a family holiday to a luxury hotel by the sea, he meets the radiantly beautiful and irreverent Clare. She sees something inside him he never knew existed. Everything he thought he knew begins to shift—setting off a chain of events that will determine each of their fates.
Tags Book events Book launches Craig Higginson New books New releases Pan Macmillan SA Picador Africa The Book of Gifts


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Atman to build data centre near Warsaw
ICT service provider Atman sp. z o.o. has purchased an investment site of nearly 6 hectares in Duchnice, in the municipality of Ożarów Mazowiecki. The transaction process for the Warsaw-based company, including engineering support and the preparation of administrative and legal formalities, was provided by JLL Poland.
Atman is a leader in the Polish data centre market, providing data security and applications using its own fibre-optic network, servers and cloud computing. The company enjoys a domestic market share of an estimated 15%.
"Atman's completion of the purchase of land for the construction of another data centre is a consequence of the company's long-term investment strategy. In a broader perspective, it is also a contribution to the development of the domestic data centre market, attractive to customers of different scales and competitive with mature Western markets. This strategy serves to fulfil our mission: to provide continuous access to data. We are able to carry it out effectively by commissioning further colocation facilities and providing uncompromising quality services from them", explains Sławomir Koszołko, CEO of Atman sp. z o.o.
The purchased land is located in the municipality of Ozarów Mazowiecki (Duchnice), in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. The well-developed infrastructure, including national roads and a railway station, ensures that the location is within easy reach for existing and prospective employees.
"Working on the project for Atman required our experts to delve deep into the specifics of the data centre industry. In the course of preparing the site, we faced a number of challenges from amending the local development plan, through support in negotiations with the owners of the plots to be sold, to meeting the technical requirements for the planned investment, including obtaining conditions for utilities. The list of necessary tasks for such a complex project was long and required a meticulous and efficient plan of action. We are delighted that, thanks to our work, Atman has acquired a new location and will be able to continue developing its business objectives", says Joanna Choromańska, Senior Director in the Industrial Department, JLL.
Tags: Atman data centre JLL Poland warehouse Warsaw


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Black Movie Soundtrack
BLACK MUSIC MONTH – AFRO FUTURISM AND MUSIC
The concept of Afro Futurism is imagining a future through a black cultural lens. Like a lot of science fiction, it often ends up a metaphor for life today. Here's a list of highlights of musical afro futurists.
Sun Ra – Space Is The Place
Sun Ra took big band jazz and dipped it in acid, making truly outer space music. He said he was from Saturn, and made a movie about his adventures on Earth. It's pretty brilliant.
Parliament – The Landing Of The Holy Mothership
George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, the Brides of Funkenstein…all different manifestations of the ever growing, ever evolving band known as P.Funk. They made a series of concept albums throughout the 70s that functioned as party records, comedy albums, sci fi operas and black nationalist manifestos that influenced me more than any other artist in any medium.
Michael & Janet Jackson – Scream
Michael Jackson loved science fiction and fantasy, and you see that throughout his videos, like CAN YOU FEEL IT, THRILLER, REMEMBER THE TIME and this one with his sister Janet. He also wanted to buy Marvel Comics so he could play the Black Panther in a movie.
OutKast – B.O.B.
OutKast called themselves Atliens, and used spaceship imagery and more in this brilliant video.
Janelle Monae – Many Moons
Janelle took the funky robot metaphor of the Brides of Funkenstein and Parlet and took it way to the next level. Most of her videos like TIGHTROPE, ELECTRIC LADY, DANCE APOCAYIPTIC and others reflect similar themes.
Kamasi Washington – The Space Traveller's Lullaby
In a full circle to Sun Ra, Kamasi Washington takes jazz to outer space in this epic song.


Getting fit should not be at the bottom of your "to-do" list.You should not think of it as something you can get around to. You can work towards your fitness goals with only some of the ideas in this article.
Pay for a long-term gym membership in advance to make sure you utilize it. This isn't an appropriate strategy for those who need the extra motivation.
Setting goals for your fitness level is a very effective motivator. This encourages you to concentrate on overcoming obstacles instead of obsessing over their difficulty. Setting goals will keep you avoid quitting since you are not done with it.
The best exercise programs will not only tone your problem areas and allow you plenty of flexibility. Search for fitness classes in your region.
You should not worry if this is the case.You can also opt for alternative fitness. Biking can be a cheap way to burn some calories and save some gas.
Do not do more than an hour. Muscle wasting also becomes a problem if you exercise for more than an hour of lifting weights. So keep these weight workouts less than sixty minutes.
Begin with smaller machines when you are in the initial stages of your workout.Small muscles tire before bigger ones, so you should start small.
Don't focus exclusively on crunches to work out your sole abdominal exercise. A university discovered that it takes a quarter million crunches to burn a single pound of fat. Find other ways to exercise your abdominal muscles so you achieve the best results.
Make a concerted effort to do exercises that you don't like and they will seem less daunting. It is thought that people tend not to do exercises at which they perform poorly. Add this exercise to your routine and work hard to overcome them.
When you are lifting weights, you will help muscle mass if you do a lot of reps with a light weight; that is in contrast to fewer reps with high weight. Muscle mass is is not all about being able to lift the most but to endure the longest without losing strength.The most successful weight lifters in the world swear by this way of lighter weight.
Make time in your day for exercise each day.
Here is a great piece of advice from tennis and sports players to build up forearm strength. Put a piece of newspaper on a table or other surface that is smooth. Crumple up the paper using only your dominant hand for a half of a minute.
Controlled breathing can actually enhance your workout routine's effectiveness. Try forcefully exhaling when your shoulders come to their peak when doing crunches and situps. The contraction of a deep exhalation actually forces your ab muscles to work even harder than they would otherwise.
If you exercise during the commercials, you can have a guilt-free television session.
Lifting weights helps you build endurance to run.Runners for some reason do not associate their sport with lifting weights, but it can! Research has proven that runners who regularly strength-train run faster and longer without feeling tired by creating a regular schedule of lifting weights.
Strengthening your abs is one of the best ways to maximize your fitness. Sit-ups or crunches can help build your abdominal muscles.
You should make adequate time every day to incorporate some fitness activity. You are doing yourself a disservice when none of your free time is spent on something fitness if you let an entire day fill up with sedentary activities. Try exercising when you are doing nothing else during the lulling periods of your day.
The following article is your ticket to a fitter, more beautiful you. You might already workout, but taking advantage of these tips can help get you better results, or make your workouts feel fresh again. There is always something new to discover about fitness, so keep searching out new ideas.
Get Off Those Unwanted Pounds By Following This Great Advice!
Tired Of Small Arms? Try These Lifts!
Harding Time Getting New Muscle? Try These Ideas!


Honorable Kevin Emas, Third District Court of Appeal, is passionate about the law and about access to justice for the indigent. A public servant and judge since 1996, he is an adjunct professor, a frequent lecturer and supporter of legal education at all levels. Recently, Judge Emas was a featured speaker at "Reach for the Stars" to encourage greater participation by lawyers to take on pro bono cases and will be serving on the upcoming panel, "Getting a Jump Start on Pro Bono" for summer associates.
"Most of us spend our waking hours trying to do well. Perhaps we can spend as much time trying to do good," says Judge Emas.


The daunting array of long-term-challenges that our federal, state and local governments face share one essential characteristic: Problems that are preventable if action is taken now will grow into destructive crises in the years ahead if they are not managed proactively. The aging of the population and rising health-care costs are precipitating a range of fiscal challenges. At the same time, the warming of the planet is posing new challenges to our infrastructure and communities, epitomized by the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy.
Some crises are unanticipated and unimagined. Public officials are taken by surprise, and we expect them to rise to the occasion. This was the Sept. 11 scenario. Unlike 9/11, however, the crises that will be brought about by fiscal challenges and climate change are known and predictable. The worst thing we can do is wait until those crises occur to deal with them.
In the federal budget arena, the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget and other forecasters have been showing for two decades that the nation's long-term fiscal path was unsustainable. If no substantive changes are made on the tax or spending sides of the budget, two decades from now the aging of the population and rising health-care costs will send the budget into deficits exceeding 20 percent of GDP. Federal debt will absorb all savings in the economy, choking off capital formation and collapsing economic growth.
State and local governments are also on an unsustainable fiscal course, with deficits projected to exceed 5 percent of the economy. Unlike the federal government, states and localities would have to take a series of increasingly difficult measures to close the rising fiscal gaps each year to bring about the balanced general-fund budgets that most of them are constitutionally required to maintain.
And the impact of global warming appears, if anything, to have been underestimated. We have known for years that major cities along seacoasts were poorly protected from the ravages of major storms. The regional cost from Sandy has been estimated at $50 billion, making it the second most destructive storm in U.S. history after Katrina.
Unlike with 9/11, we have two advantages in dealing with these twin public-policy challenges: We have definitive information about the extent of the problems, and we know how to fix them in ways that would head off the worst consequences. In the case of Social Security, for instance, we know that postponing reforms for another 10 years would double the size of the tax increases or spending cuts necessary to stabilize the program's finances. In the case of global warming, we know that wetland protections, investments in levees and changes in land use all could help prevent the ravages of rising seas from tearing up the fabric of life in densely populated urban areas.
Nonetheless, it often takes a crisis for leaders and the public to come to grips with the difficult tradeoffs that must be faced to head off these calamities. In the Netherlands, for instance, it took the collapse of dikes and the drowning deaths of nearly 2,000 people in 1953 for that country to construct a seemingly impregnable series of dams, dikes and barriers. Four decades later, it took death on a similar scale in New Orleans to bring about much needed investments in dams and levees to protect this vulnerable urban core.
Let's not underestimate the political challenges that leaders must face in convincing people to make painful choices today to head off disaster tomorrow. Preventing a future fiscal crisis will require real sacrifice today in decreased benefits and increased taxes from an aging population that has become more dependent than ever on government programs and at the same time more resistant to higher taxes. Dealing proactively with climate change may very well require not only higher taxes for new protective infrastructure but painful changes in land use. How can a political leader convince the thousands of people who enjoy living on the beaches of New Jersey and New York that they must either pay far more for flood insurance or retreat to more environmentally sustainable zones?
As real as those political challenges may be, I have no sympathy for leaders who mislead the public about the nature of the choices we face and who encourage shortsighted policies that only make the future problems worse. On the fiscal front, political leaders championing tax cuts or resisting spending reforms are only delaying the inevitable fiscal crisis--and making it worse. On the environmental front, leaders like President Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who announce that everyone will be guaranteed a return to their homes as they existed before Hurricane Sandy, also are perpetuating the problem.
It is no wonder that many presumably informed and enlightened people, believing that nothing will be done otherwise, pray for a crisis. One speaker at a recent budget conference suggested that the nation's leaders need a fiscal wakeup call in the form of an economic crisis that would jolt them into making the hard choices that are needed before the real fiscal disaster arrives. He likened this to a "therapeutic heart attack" that does little damage but gives the patient a timely incentive to change his or her ways.
But a crisis, by definition, is not an event we can tame or control. Crises that would be severe enough to get our collective attention would cause a level of havoc and destruction that we would not be prepared to accept.
Let's hope that we don't end up needing a crisis to force us to do the things that need to be done. Instead of praying for crises, we need to act in a timely way to prevent them.


The Palin Effect, is a theory proposed to explain observed discrepancies between voter opinion polls and election outcomes in some US government elections. Where some voters, for fear of being considered stupid or uneducated, or a belief that answering in the negative makes them look cool, tend to tell pollsters that they have an unfavourable opinion, yet privately they have a favourable opinion of the candidate. The Palin Effect also applies where voters will tell a pollster that the candidate in question is unqualified are that they are undecided or likely not to vote for them and yet, on Election Day, they do. It was named after 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the Former Alaska Governor who won the 2012 US presidential election despite being behind in all the polls for two years prior.
In my quest to get a hold of new and older videos for this site, I get in touch with many network producers, journalists and reporters. In most cases when I explain my request, they will go out of their way to try to help me. "I Love Governor Palin" or "She's an amazing Women" and "I truly admire her" are the most common terms I hear, usually followed by "but don't tell anyone I could lose my job" or "My friends would never forgive me if they knew that".


text:
Unite Around Clear Ideas Against the Common Enemy
Guillaume Faye 4 years ago 1 comment
The worst wars are the undeclared ones. They break out quietly, like an uneasy breeze, and are the harshest, most deadly.
Europe today faces the greatest danger in her history, a danger threatening the very existence of her civilisation. For she is at war and doesn't even know it. She may sense the danger, but refuses to see it, burying her head in the sand, like the ostrich, hoping to conjure it away.
We Europeans are rapidly and massively being occupied and colonised by peoples from the South and by Islam. We are subject to America's economic, strategic, and cultural New World Order. The two march hand in hand. We are emasculated by ideologies of decline and by those of a facile optimism, we are menaced by a regression of culture and education toward primitivism and by the faint simulation of prosperity.
Europe is the sick man of the world. It's obvious in her demographic decline, in her physiological devirilisation, and in the reigning ideology of ethnomasochism, imposed by politically correct censors and the controlled media. We are gnawed at from within and attacked from without. We are set upon by assailants, occupiers, and collaborators, who make up the majority of the political, media, and intellectual classes, whether of the Right or the Left. The people have yet to see it because their shopping carts are still full. And though everyone may secretly suspect that the war has begun, the majority denies it, because for the moment no one has the courage to fight it. For the moment . . .
The deepening crisis and the march toward the enveloping chaos are requisite to an awakening and a revolt. And we haven't seen anything yet. The tragedy is still early in its first act.
Like every war, the defenders' freedom of expression is compromised. There is no use complaining: such are the rules of the game. Throughout Europe, we possess immense resources. Nothing yet is lost and pessimism is no option.
In history it's always struggling minorities who make the difference, not the amorphous masses. And it's no longer a matter of Left or Right either, but whether you're part of the resistance.
Given the tragedy bearing down on Europeans and the futile disputes dividing identitarians, there's an evident need for a worldview powerful enough to rally the Continent — to rally our great fatherland, that family of kindred spirits, however politically fragmented, which is united on the essentials, favouring thus the defence of our civilisation and our imperilled identity, but especially favouring the principles of our regeneration.
Everywhere, one awaits a mobilisation based on a clear, federating discourse of resistance and reconquest — free of outdated ideas, sectarianism, and the paralysis of nostalgia. Never before has the urgency for such a discourse been so great. What matters most at this point is a unifying ideological platform that goes beyond sectarianism in the sincerity and lucidity of its reflections. When the house is on fire, domestic disputes are put on hold.
An ideological regrounding is necessary — a regrounding that is both a synthesising affirmation of a general doctrine and, at the same time, a rigorous definition of concepts, arguments, and propaganda.
Doctrinal confusion, phony debates, artificial oppositions, intellectual approximations and misunderstandings, sectarian skirmishes, the blunting of ideas for respectability's sake — they have gone on for far too long. What's needed is a clear line. A strongly formulated minimum around which the largest number of sensibilities and wills can coalesce.
We have entered a period when things no longer need to be said in half-measures, as we amuse ourselves with 'two-faced discourses'. What we need now is radical thought — not in the guise of extremist gestures, but in getting to the root of things. The truth is always a winner and it's the most effective ruse.
The time has come for identitarianism, in the broadest sense, to reaffirm itself as the most lucid and ambitious form of thought. The identitarian view of the world is simply more realistic and better adapted to the future than the dominant egalitarian and cosmopolitan ideology, which affects everyone from soft Rightists to the craziest neo-Trotskyites. All the facts, whether historical, geopolitical, demographic, ethnic, economic, or social, substantiate the identitarian and inegalitarian view of the world. Its vision — the sole authentically rebellious and dissident form of thought — is bound to prevail everywhere in Europe, for once the Twenty-first century succumbs to the approaching crises, the slate will be wiped clean — as ideological revisions, unexpected designations, and surprising radicalisations arrive with the force of circumstances.
Sterile disputes and sectarian divisions divide and neutralise those who ought to be in solidarity with one another. This contrasts with the enemy, who, however protean, knows how to close ranks. Our disputes and divisions are superficial — and cause us to spar with those sharing similar beliefs — those having the same intuitive identitarian vision of the world, designating the same enemy, and implicitly defending the same people and aspiring to the same goals — but who are still attached to unclear ideas, emotional conflicts, badly posed debates ('France' or 'Europe', 'sovereignism' or 'federalism', 'Catholicism' or 'paganism', etc.). Without well-defined ideas, clear and unifying concepts, serene reflections, and a sense of urgency, it will be difficult to be understood and thus difficult to establish an effective ideological line. According to an old adage, whose origin I will not reveal, we need now to lay the basis, throughout Europe, for 'a form of positive, wilful thought creative of order'.
The above text is an excerpt from Guillaume Faye's Why We Fight (Arktos, 2011). If you liked this selection, be sure to check out the whole book.
TopicsFrench New RightGuillaume FayeidentitarianismNew Right
Faustian Europe: Action as the Method
The Return of the Titans
the authorGuillaume Faye
Guillaume Faye was born in 1949 and received a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Institut d'etudes politiques de Paris. He was one of the principal organisers of the French New Right organisation GRECE (Groupement de recherche et d'etudes pour la civilisation europeenne) during the 1970s and '80s, and at the same time cultivated his career as a journalist, particularly in the news magazines Figaro and Paris-Match. In 1986 he left GRECE after he came to disagree with the direction of the group. For more than a decade, he worked as a broadcaster for the French radio station Skyrock, and on the program Telematin which aired on France 2 TV. He returned to the field of political philosophy in 1998 when a number of his new essays were collected and published in the volume Archeofuturism. Since then he has produced a series of books which have challenged and reinvigorated readers throughout the world.
All posts byGuillaume Faye
Anti-Racism Is Immoral
A Lesson In Geopolitics


text:
Meesho asks about 150 employees to leave
The move is aimed at increasing efficiency and making the social commerce platform more lean
Meesho Superstore, the grocery vertical of Meesho, witnessed a layoff of about 150 people. This is a little surprising because it was not long ago, in September 2021, that it had managed to raise funds to the tune of $570 million, which it had at the time revealed it would use to expand.
The move comes about a week after the e-commerce firm had revealed intentions of integrating the grocery arm into its main app.
According to a blog, the Company, which is backed by Softbank and Facebook among other investors, is continuing its endeavour to make "online grocery affordable for users across Tier 2+ markets". By downsizing, it hopes it will have a leaner team and a more suitable framework capable of fulfilling the growing needs of our customers.
However, hiring is still on for other segments of the Company. The primary marketplace business of the firm remains unaffected.
While some of those affected are full-time employees, others are contractual staff hired via third parties. It is reported that these employees were asked to leave following an evaluation of various roles and in a bid to eliminate redundancies.
The social commerce platform is reportedly offering severance packages to those affected and also helping them with outplacement.
Two years ago, the Company had laid off about 200 employees. So this isn't the first time such a trimming of the workforce is happening at the firm, which was founded in 2015 by Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, both IIT-Delhi alumni.
3 + three =
Meesho
Meesho Superstore
Sanjeev Barnwal
Vidit Aatrey
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Enter Flush, an exciting collaboration between key partners from the local business and creative world. Flush transforms the bathroom facilities of nine different leisure and cultural locations within Maastricht's fashionable Wyck quarter. Featuring Mosa tiles, Geberit & Sphinx sanitary ware and designs by students from the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design, this project is a celebration of the energy and creativity that defines the neighbourhood of Wyck. Experience Flush by visiting the several locations across the district and see that no space is too humble for a creative approach.


The Overwatch Contenders competition announced that they will be holding three new live competitive events around the world in 2019, as posted on Wednesday, January 16.
The announcement comes after Contenders recently moved away from LANs for regional finals - a move that was widely criticized by both players and fans.
Now, it looks like the competition is bringing them back with two "Showdown" live events and a tournament called "The Gauntlet" for 2019.
The "Pacific Showdown" will feature top teams from China, Australia, Korea, and the Pacific region facing off in a double-elimination bracket from May 24 to 26 in China.
Only the number one teams from Australia and the Pacific will be invited to the tournament, with the top two teams from both China and Korea snagging a spot.
The "Atlantic Showdown" is a week later on May 31 through June 2, and will feature the top two teams from Contenders Europe, the three best teams from North America, and the top team from South America in a double-elimination tournament.
There's no location for the Atlantic Showdown yet, but according to Contenders, it'll take place in either Europe or the Americas.
The Gauntlet will take place on October 10 through 13, and teams will be invited to compete based on their performance in either of the showdown tournaments.
The new tournaments are definitely a good thing for Contenders, whose support (or apparent lack of) from Blizzard has become a meme all it's own.


Located at 7942 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center warmly houses two yoga studios, eight healing rooms for massage and energy healing, acupuncture, infrared saunas, nutritional counseling, as well as a classroom for workshops, events, and specialty classes. Located on the second level, (accessible by both stairs and elevator), the Center provides a calm, inviting environment for yoga and healing.
Our Eden Prairie Center, which opened in 2015 at 7942 Mitchell Road, warmly houses two yoga studios, eight healing rooms for many types of massage and energy healing, acupuncture, infrared saunas, nutritional counseling, as well as a classroom for workshops, events, and specialty classes. Located on the second level, (accessible by both stairs and elevator), the Center provides a calm, inviting environment for yoga and healing.
Become a yoga teacher! It will change your life. Explore our 6-month program. Take advantage or our early bird special - sign up now and save $200!
At Green Lotus, we pride ourselves on offering personal attention, compassionate assists and meaningful adjustments. We provide an environment where you can create a practice that strengthens and sustains you - all because our teachers and you will work closely together. Our yoga team cares about you and your health-journey. Looking forward to seeing you on your mat!


A collection of words and images from women about the power of tears.
A durational performance in which I will draw anyone who sits in front of me, with one continuous line, without looking away from them. On the street or in a gallery. Holding space, finding stillness.
A tiny folded zine, with actionable things todo when you're anxious. Pocket size for easy access.
The reclamation of my body through the act of painting the words I wish I could have / would have said, onto my skin.
An exploration of gender through found images and collage.
Holding space the way I know how in solidarity and mourning for the Orlando victims.
An exploration of the multiplicity of identity.
A playful expression of sadness, desperation and longing.
The beginning of a public project | A way to connect when we're feeling alone. To be given away, and left in public spaces.
A series of three books following a day in the life of a young boy, comic artist and mother, documenting the mundane. Celebrating the moments that pass unnoticed.
Embroidered self portraits, quilted together. An exploration of the multiplicity of identity, contradictions as truths.


text:
RespectHumanRemainsAtThe911Memorial.com
"Advocating for the ethical treatment of human remains at the 9/11 Memorial Museum"
Promises Not Kept
As many of you are aware, over 1,100 World Trade Center victims still remain missing. Many of the missing are among the unidentified human remains currently in the possession of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Especially for those families without recoveries, the anticipated repository for the unidentified remains at Ground Zero is immensely important and sacred. They have no cemetery to visit.
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) publicly committed to return the unidentified remains to Ground Zero and to provide a separate accessible space to serve as a final resting place for the unidentified remains from the World Trade center site. In addition, they committed to a setting that was "separate and distinct from other memorial structures like a museum or visitor center." Many 9/11 family members took these commitments at face value, believing that a "memorial tomb of the unknowns" or the like would be created at Ground Zero. We never thought that our loved ones would be placed in a tourist destination—the National September 11th Memorial and Museum (NS11MM), a private non-profit organization—along with artifacts and displays, and pointed out to visitors.
As the NS11MM moves towards completion, details are just beginning to emerge about specific design elements of the facility. Last spring, several 9/11 family group leaders attended a lecture by Alice Greenwald, Director of the Memorial Museum. Among other design elements that we found deeply concerning and inappropriate, we were appalled to learn that the unidentified human remains will be inside the museum itself, and will be a "programmatic element" among the other museum artifacts and displays. This was a shocking revelation to us: we knew nothing about plans to relocate the human remains to such an extremely inaccessible location. They will be placed at the bottom of the museum (70 feet below ground), behind a "memorial wall" which will be pointed out to all tourists and visitors at the Museum as containing the remains of our loved ones!
In the first few years after 9/11, many families advocated that the unidentified human remains be returned to Ground Zero, to be interred in a type of "tomb of the unknowns." At that time, the families fully believed that this tomb, and indeed the memorial itself, would be above ground where it belonged. We all believed that the human remains would be interred in a respectful and accessible location at Ground Zero. We never thought our loved ones remains would be made part of a museum!
Fundamentally, the choice about the final disposition of our loved ones' human remains at Ground Zero should be solely in the hands of the family members. It is through proper, ethical consultation with all family members that this decision must be made.
Recently, several 9/11 family group leaders met with the NS11MM to discuss the fundamental need for consultation with all 2,749 families concerning the disposition of the human remains at Ground Zero. While the NSMM11 itself is still deciding whether or not to consult with all 2,749 families, we would like to know how you feel. We ask that you complete the form below and send it back to us, including any comments that you may have.
We also ask that all 9/11 family members contact the NS11MM leaders President Joseph Daniels and Director Alice Greenwald. We must demand that they conduct a thorough and transparent consultation with all 2,749 WTC families, offering them choices and requesting their input, as decisions are made regarding the human remains of their loved ones.
We are asking all 9/11 families to contact us with their desires concerning the final disposition of the human remains. We have provided a brief email form, which we ask that you complete and send back to us. Let us know which of the three choices provided best represents your desire clicking on the appropriate bubble and hitting the send button. If none of the three choices provided represents your interest, please provide your own proposal in the text box at the bottom. You may also use the text box to send us any general comments that you may have about this issue. We ask that only 9/11 family members complete the email form. All information provided below will be kept strictly confidential.
Your loved one's name
Relationship to loved one
Your choice about the final disposition of the 9/11 humans remains (select one):
Place the human remains in an accessible independent repository at ground level, completely separate from the museum
Place the human remains in the aboveground portion of the museum (the "Snohetta pavilion"), directly accessible from outside
Place the human remains 70 feet below ground level inside the museum, as a programmatic element of the museum, only accessible during museum hours
Please provide details of your own family's proposal in the text box below, if it is different from the three choices listed above. In addition, please use the text box below to provide us with any general comments you may have about this issue, even if you have selected one of the three choices above. Specifically, we would like to know the following: has your family has ever been contacted by the LMDC regarding the specific plans for the final resting place of your loved ones unidentified remains? Has the National September 11th Memorial and Museum ever notified your family that your loved ones unidentified remains would be a "programmable element" of their admission-charging museum?


text:
CSD posts good figures for 1995
By System Administrator June 21, 1996 12:00 am January 29, 2015 10:10 pm
The Chartered Society of Designers is gradually lightening the weight of its financial worries after achieving a small operating surplus of 15 461 last year.
The CSD's 1995 accounts have just been released, and honorary treasurer Adrianne LeMan reports that "much was achieved" but the society is "still far from solvent".
The CSD's net debt to its bank stood at 819 446 at the turn of the year, almost 35 000 less than the equivalent point a year before. But since the start of 1996, the CSD has managed to pay 100 000 off its loan, mainly thanks to he sale of a flat at Bedford Square which raised 70 000.
The 1995 accounts show that the CSD's move from Bedford Square to Farringdon made little initial impact. LeMan, founder of corporate consultancy C&FD, says: "The full benefit of the move will not be apparent until the next financial year."
The new accommodation costs a third of the rent Bedford Square did. The CSD reduced its premises costs from 101 441 in 1994 to 81 745 last year. LeMan expects the CSD to save a further 20 000 this year.
She is calling on designers to support the CSD. "The society does much to support the design industry," she claims. "Those of us who are established in our careers must ensure that it is able to continue to do so for the designers of the future."
20 June 1996 Projects
Earwigging
Counting on the old school
Millennium to showcase top 200 products
Biker boy gets seriously cut up
No victor in free pitch


Wow starting already with me Blogger!
What a day! So thankful for a team that doesn't let anything stand in their way. Everyone have a great night and let's hope for a better tomorrow!
And the thunder is popping off!
Thinking of those lost to the storm and the friends and places we never had the chance to properly say goodbye to.
Not because we are disregarding direction. Not at all. Because we support so many people who have not other option but to work tomorrow.
Yes we are still working tomorrow! Business as usual.
These people understand what Hell and High Water is... They understand because, just like NOLA, they have been there and done that.
If you can offer support I know it would be greatly appreciated.
We have 35 cats/kittens/dogs/puppies leaving on transport in the next two days heading up north to find their forever homes! We are very excited about the opportunity for these dogs/cats to go on transport but it is a tremendous cost for Cara's House. We will be driving one of the transports ourselves so we will also have the additional costs of fuel, hotel, etc. This fundraiser will help cover the cost of health certificates, rabies certificate, etc. as well. Any amount would be greatly appreciated in helping us cover the cost. Thank you for your continued support; we simply could not do these transports without your help!!!!
We are still on the streets and it is getting a little questionable in the usual spots. Be careful y'all!
This weather… We need A nap!
So sad for Houston... What they may not realize yet is the worse part of this has yet to come but they will survive it.
Watching rescue organizations moving pets from Southwest Louisiana into Ascension Parish and beyond is so moving. As we know, it will take a lot of money and great effort to recover from this horrible storm in Texas/SW Louisiana. I can hardly let my mind wonder.


Finding skilled workers for your remodeling business can be tough. According to US Market research, the demand for home improvement services is on the rise. This means that remodeling companies are getting more work, which is great for business, but it also means they need to find construction workers who are skilled enough to take on the influx of new projects.
Whether you're looking for construction workers, designers, or salespeople, it's always a challenge to find experienced employees who are knowledgeable and who will stay loyal to your company. And since there is a shortage in skilled workers, especially in the field of construction, it is becoming harder and harder to hire and retain good employees.
Read on to learn how to find construction workers and other skilled tradespeople who will help grow your remodeling business.
If you're looking to hire at the height of the remodeling season, chances are you're going to hire someone out of desperation. And hiring out of desperation is never a good idea because you'll probably end up with a worker who is just as desperate to find the first job that lands on their lap.
The key to hiring skilled workers is to start looking for candidates well before the construction season kicks in so you have more time to do research and to be more selective. In other words, the best time to hire experienced employees is when you need them the least.
Finding the perfect candidate for the job starts with preparing a clear job description. Make sure you include all the responsibilities and your expectations so you can filter out people who do not match your description.
If your job description is unclear or is missing key elements, you're just going to waste your time sifting through unqualified candidates, or worse, taking the time to interview them only to find out they are far from what you are looking for. Be clear. Be precise. And include any pertinent information that relates to the position.
Now that you've posted a clear job description during low season, it's time to refine your interview skills. You want to ask the right questions to get to know your candidates and to determine whether or not they're a right fit for the position, but you have to be careful not to steer them toward answers that you want to hear.
You want your candidates to reveal their skills and their experiences and to answer your questions as candidly as possible without being influenced by you. The interview process needs to be honest on both sides, otherwise finding a good employment match won't be possible.
Many employers ignore this part of the hiring process, but it's an important step when it comes to hiring skilled construction workers, designers, and salespeople. Even just asking for references without actually checking them is a good idea because you'll be able to determine whether your candidate is willing or reluctant to share their references.
If you end up following up with the references, you'll get a better idea about what type of worker your candidate actually is. If they pass with flying colors, it will give you that extra push you need to make your decision. And if they fail miserably, you'll be thankful not to have wasted more of your time.
One of the biggest mistakes made by employers is to not offer training to new employees. Even if you've hired someone who is skilled, you need to nurture them and train them so they can reach their full potential and excel within your company.
For example, if you've just hired a designer to help design kitchens and bathrooms, you need to train them on the kitchen and bathroom design software your company uses. If you've hired a construction worker, you need to train them on the equipment you use, on your protocols, and on your company's work ethic.
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text:
Wilkinson Neurophysiology Lab
Lab Mission Statement
Our purpose is to uncover how muscle sensory information is encoded by the muscle spindle and to create an inclusive environment to train future scientists. We aim to include all lab members in the discovery process and to carry out experiments honestly and carefully. We expect members of the lab to treat each other and the animals that make our work possible with respect. We recognize that a diversity of skills, thought, and life experiences increases our ability to solve problems and aim to broaden representation in science to include those underrepresented due to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, immigration status, and/or socioeconomic status. We work to respect individual needs, styles, and career goals and mentor accordingly. When we fail to live up to these goals, we pledge to listen, learn, and change our behavior, just like we would if an experiment failed.
The Wilkinson Lab is interested in understanding how your body senses information from the environment. We study neurons in the muscle that sense muscle length and movement–the muscle spindle afferents. These neurons innervate the muscle spindle sense organs and are the sensory component of the muscle stretch reflex. These neurons are also the main contributors to the sense of body position and movement, or proprioception. Alterations to these sensory neurons can lead to movement and balance problems. Our lab is interested in understanding how these neurons translate muscle stretch into action potentials and what causes these neurons to malfunction. We have developed a mouse muscle-nerve preparation to record sensory activity in response to stretch. This technique allows us to use the many genetic tools available in mice to identify molecular mediators of stretch sensitivity and to determine the effect of diseases on these neurons.
Interested in joining us ?
Email transcripts, a resume/CV, and a few paragraphs about your career goals and why you want to join the lab to katherine.wilkinson@sjsu.edu
Unfortunately the lab does not accept high school students.
248, Duncan Hall , San Jose State University, CA
Wilkinson Neurophysiology Lab, Create a website or blog at WordPress.com


Paddle Australia welcomes the call from the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) for more investment into Sport and the change in direction outlined by AOC CEO Matt Carroll AM in his speech at the National Press Club on Wednesday, 24 October 2018.
Carroll called for a boost in funding for participation and high-performance sport and outlined the vision for "Olympics Unleashed" – an inspiring program that will see our sporting hero's reaching out into local communities to encourage greater participation in sport and physical activity.
The speech recognised the benefits of long-term, sustained investment in sport in delivering improvements in physical and mental health outcomes and reducing rates of obesity amongst young people, as well as ensuring the success of Australian athletes on the world stage.
"With less than two years to go to the Olympic Games in Japan and a strong pool of athletes coming through for the years beyond, we welcome the call for more investment into Sport as our Olympic and Paralympic paddlers prepare for Tokyo 2020 and beyond," Phil Jones, CEO of Paddle Australia said.
"It is great to see Jessica Fox, the greatest slalom paddler of all time, involved in various athlete and youth ambassador roles.
See full speech below, courtesy of AOC.
I am delighted to be here at the National Press Club to talk with you about the future of sport in this great sport-loving nation.
I want to acknowledge representatives from Olympic and Paralympic sports, from universities, tourism and government.
Importantly, with us we have some of Australia's most inspiring Olympians who are incredible ambassadors, not just for sport or the Olympics, but for Australia.
All are here through the power of sport.
This power is in full demonstration in Sydney this week through the inspiring stories of the athletes competing at the Invictus Games.
Today I am unveiling a new direction for the Olympics in Australia. I'll be detailing why Tokyo 2020 is so important – and why we need to invest additional funding to ensure this nation enjoys a sport's dividend.
The Australian Olympic Committee is the custodian of the Olympic movement in Australia.
We bring together 43 member sports – and with the Australian Paralympic Committee, we represent the largest, most diverse, most inclusive sport network in the country.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Today I can announce a new direction for the Olympics in Australia.
We've made changes to the way we work at the AOC, driven by some troubled times around 18 months ago. As I have always said, sport invented politics because sport is the ultimate hotbed of passion.
It was clear change needed to happen, so we undertook an independent cultural review by The Ethics Centre who made 17 recommendations. We published the Review and since then, we've implemented all 17 in full.
Going through this experience, gave us the opportunity to push the reset button, ensuring the Olympic movement in Australia is set up for the future.
Our role is to provide athletes the opportunity to excel at the Olympic Games ….and to promote the values of Olympism and benefits of participation in sport to all Australians.
Our vision – Australians inspired by the spirit of Olympic sport.
This underpins everything we do – we are here to inspire.
The Australian community is incredibly important to what we do.
We're not here just to help Australia participate in the Olympic Games. We don't just organise the gear, pay for the flights, support the athletes on the ground, then get everyone home safely.
The Olympic Charter drives our commitment to encourage more Australians to play sport, regardless of their age, or background, or what job they have. We are committed to increasing access to sport for everyone, highlighting for young people in particular the educational, health benefits and values associated with sport.
This is one of our top priorities so we are developing and investing in programmes – and we're wanting to work with government and corporate partners as well our member sports to make this happen.
Olympics Unleashed, to reach more school kids in more places right across the country than anything done before.
By working with State and Territory Governments and corporate Australia, we have an ambitious aim to reach and influence nearly 4 million Australian students across 9,400 schools.
Olympics Unleashed takes Olympians and Paralympians into classrooms so kids hear first-hand from champions about what they've learned during the twists and turns of their personal and sporting journey.
That success is almost never a straight road, that overcoming failure is learnt along the way.
This is using the spirit of the Olympics and our Olympians to inspire the kids of Australia to be their best.
The program has already started in Queensland, through the support of the Queensland Government and in particular their Sports Minister Mick de Brenni.
One of our Olympians being unleashed into Queensland schools is with us today. Four-time Olympian, Leisel Jones. Can you imagine how the faces of the kids at Bell State School – in regional Queensland – will light up when one of our most inspiring Olympic swimmers walks into their classroom?
While Olympics Unleashed may inspire future Olympians, it will also inspire future scientists, artists, nurses, tradies, parents, people – to be the best they can. That's the Olympic spirit; that's at the core of our new direction.
At the AOC, we believe all individual or team sports should have the opportunity to compete at the highest level of international competition – the Olympic Games.
So in less than two years, when the Olympic flame is lit in Tokyo, one of our biggest teams ever – of around 480 athletes – will represent Australia in 36 sports.
The Tokyo Games present a great opportunity for Australia. From our traditional sporting strengths to some of the new sports of surfing, skateboarding, sports climbing and karate, we have high hopes.
Tokyo will also see the return of softball and baseball and some innovative changes to existing sports – such as, 3×3 basketball and mixed gender relays in Swimming and Triathlon.
Under our new direction, we are listening to and working with our member sports with an even greater focus on the people who really matter, the athletes.
How we manage their requirements across the spread of venues in and outside of Tokyo, there being no central Olympic Park to combating the Tokyo heat and humidity – I've lived there, it is very hot in summer!
A number of sports have established training bases in Japan and others have planned their preparation in northern Australia to acclimatise.
The opportunity for success in Tokyo is underpinned by our reinvigorated relationship with Sport Australia, the AIS and the state institutes of sport.
We're taking a one team approach, The AOC have invited AIS Director Peter Conde and NSWIS Director Kevin Thompson onto our Performance Planning Committee.
Athletes are at the heart of the Olympic Movement, at the heart of the Games. They are the role models who inspire millions of people around the world to participate in sport and reflect the Olympic ideals.
Olympians take this responsibility very seriously and two weeks ago the IOC adopted the Athletes' Declaration, proposed by the IOC Athletes' Commission. The Declaration outlines the aspirational rights and responsibilities for all athletes within the Olympic movement.
The AOC is dedicated to the protection of the clean athletes and to support them on and off the field.
We continue to work closely with ASADA and the Federal Government in the fight against doping, match-fixing, manipulation of competition and related corruption.
And if Tokyo is an athlete's last or near last Olympics, as part of our new direction, we've initiated an Athlete Transition Programme to help Olympians with their life after competition.
Providing opportunities for internships, career mentoring and wellbeing support. We recruited Olympian Daniel Kowalski to led the Programme, and we'll be using our extensive networks of Olympic Alumni – many in this room today – to help along the way.
Tokyo 2020 will be the closest to a home games since Sydney. With just a one-hour time difference Australians will be able to get behind their Team day and night.
To help celebrate, we're planning live sites in cities and regional centres to promote sport and support our Team.
What will success in Tokyo look like for the AOC?
The medal tally alone? No.
In fact, I can tell you we will not be setting any medal targets for Tokyo 2020.
We've listened to the athletes who've told us medal targets don't help them prepare for competition.
I don't hear a footy coach calling the score before kick-off at the Grand Final!
But make no mistake, we are striving to provide the Team with the environment to achieve their very best.
If that's a medal, we'll all celebrate the achievement.
More Australians will be engaged and inspired to participate in sport and benefiting from that involvement.
More children will find their way away from a screen, off a couch, inspired by an athletes' journey to the Games.
To the AOC, that will be real success.
I can tell you what failure looks like for the AOC. Failure, is the race that was never run.
As the Tokyo Games draw closer, we're working hard to meet our sponsorship budget to support the Team.
Today I am very pleased to announce that Woolworths have re committed with the AOC and the APC. Not just supporting the Teams but also getting behind another of our initiatives, "Eat like a Champ" promoting healthy eating habits for kids. Our new direction in action!
Talk of action it will not just be in the venues. I recently met with the Australian Ambassador to Japan, Richard Court and Austrade representatives, to explore how we can help Australian businesses and government benefit from the power of sport at the Tokyo Games.
So Tokyo will be an opportunity; one of our biggest teams to compete; to look for more than medals as our athletes inspire the nation; and to help Australian government and businesses maximise opportunities.
I want to turn to the question of funding.
To ensure athletes and sports are positioned to give the summer and winter Games their best shot, the AOC provides direct financial support to athletes through a $6.6m incentive fund and a further $8m to member sports across a range of programs over the four-year period leading to the Games.
For the Olympic Teams and teams for other Games, we invest $26.8m and a further $8.8m in programme support.
We fund this through sponsorships, distributions from the Australian Olympic Foundation and the Team Appeal, to which State governments make a welcome donation and which is specifically quarantined for Team support only.
We also receive Solidarity grants and a share of sponsorship from Olympic Partners through the IOC. The IOC receives all broadcast revenue which it uses to fund its activities, distributing 90% of its revenues to sport and athletes.
At this point may I also extinguish a myth about our funding.
The AOC neither receives nor seeks any Federal government funding. We want any funding from government to go directly to the sports and their athletes. There is no cost to the Australian taxpayer to pay for the Olympic teams, nor our rent, executive travel, operations or me!
We do acknowledge that investment by Government in Olympic Sports is critical to the preparation of the athletes to compete at the Games. We are very thankful for this support that goes directly to the sports.
Let me now turn to the National Sports Plan – Sport 2030.
We warmly welcomed and supported the plan when it was released by the Federal Sports Minister in August.
It addressed our recommendations including the issue of integrity in sport.
We still support the plan!
The Plan makes a very clear case of the importance of sport in the Australian community – health, addressing our obesity crises, mental health, personal development, strengthening our communities, contributing to Australia's economy, sporting excellence and research – pride and motivation.
The Minister's announcement earlier today of additional funding for sports competing at the Games is welcome but put simply, there is not enough money to make any of this happen.
Today, I am calling on the Federal Government to address this funding issue. Without funding, the Plan will not succeed, and Australia will be the loser.
Today, we are calling on the Government to commit an extra $60m per year for Olympic and Paralympic sports participation and performance.
In the scheme of the Federal budget of some $488 billion, this is not a lot of money.
An investment by government in sport is no different to investment in any other industry –the dividends are different but no less important for the economy and the country, in fact more important.
This will help reverse the trend that has seen Sport Australia's appropriation funding reduce by 20% in real terms over the past eight years.
This comes as independent research shows the economic contribution of the sport sector (including its health impact) is the equivalent of 2–3% of GDP. This means for every dollar invested, Australians get a return of at least five dollars.
Interestingly, while Federal government investment in Sport Australia and the Olympic sports has declined, State governments across the country have invested billions of dollars in stadia. This is great for the five professional codes that use the stadia.
This has helped to support their participation growth and high-performance programs.
I am not complaining. I say well done to them.
But with three of the five codes now having combined annual revenues in excess of $1.5 billion, they're outspending the Federal government about three to one on their participation and talent pathways in comparison to the government's spend on Olympic sports.
This means those sports are dominating the market, making it harder for many Olympic sports to compete for participants, athletic talent, coaches, administrators and access to the sponsorship dollar. That's not going to give Australia a diversity of sports. It's going to do the opposite.
This year's PyeongChang Winter Olympics (the Games some media commentators claimed Australians didn't care about), gave Channel Seven a massive win…16 million Australians experienced those Games.
While direct investment in sport by the Federal government has shrunk, costs to Olympic sports continue to rise – competing in international events, initiating effective participation programs.
This is not about the sports being inefficient – they are working hard but Australia is probably the world's most competitive sports market.
So where should this increase in investment be made? Without question, directly into sports as participation and performance grants and into the AIS and Sport Australia.
Olympic sports bring a national network of experienced and committed people, largely staffed by volunteers. These sports reach all corners of the country and through their diversity, appeal to male and female, young and old and to our multicultural community.
The Intergenerational Review of Australian Sport recognised the inextricable links between grassroots participation and elite development.
No participants, no talent to rise to the top.
No elite talent, no inspiration for participants.
If Australians want international sporting success then like any industry, sport requires knowledge to stay at the front of the pack.
The importance of sports science, sports medicine and technology in contributing to winning performances is clear.
Australia once led this field when the AIS was a first in international sport. Now through deliberate funding neglect, the AIS is no longer preeminent. Is that where Australia wants to be? Second, third, way back in the field?
If we want to become a nation of sport participants, Sport Australia's ability to invest in essential services and systems to help sports recruit and retain participants, train volunteers and provide access to digital innovation is critical.
This modest increase will provide for some sports simply an additional person to drive participation, a quality coach, an education program or an overseas competition to develop an aspiring talent.
Take for example Chloe Esposito, our Modern Pentathlon gold medallist in Rio. Chloe is the perfect example of what can be achieved with some funding.
An increase would provide opportunity for more Chloes.
In reality, the dollar number is less than a promotional campaign for anti-obesity and would deliver far greater outcomes. Investing in the sporting cycle provides ongoing returns that one off campaign style initiatives can never achieve.
And if the funding trend continues for Olympic sports – results at Games will decline, and in time so will participation, leading to a very small talent pool and therefore relevance as a sport.
This once great sporting nation – so proud of its diversity, punching above its weight, will be confined to a few sports played by only a few and the rest will be faded pictures of past heroes.
The only gold medals won will be the races to the most obese nation and social mediocrity.
This is not hysteria – this is fact.
As the Intergenerational Review of Australian Sport predicted Australia will face $88 billion of extra health and social cost over the next 10 years if nothing is done about obesity.
But funding for sport now can fix this.
Australia has proudly hosted two Olympic Games, Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney 2000.
An incredible opportunity to host again is on the horizon – 2032.
This opportunity no longer comes with trepidation. The IOC has initiated a reform programme called, the New Norm.
The New Norm makes it easier and cheaper for cities and countries to host the Olympics. The IOC now works with cities every step of the way to ensure that the Games are affordable, beneficial and sustainable.
This new way is already in action in Tokyo, where the venue budget has been reduced by around $3 billion Australian dollars.
Australia has had an influential role in developing these reforms through John Coates as chair of the IOC Committee involved and chair of the Co-ordination Commission for Tokyo 2020.
The reforms are in full swing for Paris 2024 and LA 2028, reducing costs, using existing venues and legacy based on delivering social and environmental outcomes – not bricks and mortar.
Queensland is well placed to consider hosting the Games.
A feasibility study conducted by South East Queensland Councils highlighted that Queensland already has the venues , and acknowledged the need for investment in transport infrastructure, regardless of hosting the Games. Building the transport simply makes hosting the Games more feasible.
The decision on who will host the 2032 Games won't be made for another seven years so there is time. Any bid would need to be apolitical.
We all remember the Sydney Games and for some even Melbourne. The great exhilaration, the pride, the community spirit.
Who could forget Cathy Freeman lighting the flame in Sydney … one of so many magical moments for us all.
An opportunity to host again – it won't come around very often.
An opportunity for the athletes of the future – inspiring participation and dreams.
This direction embraces the Olympic Spirit. The inspiration of the power of sport unleashed in Australian schools, striving for success in Tokyo. Benefiting young and old; health and wellbeing.
Yes I have called for additional funding for the sports. Why? Because with funding, the Olympic Sports can deliver the government's plan – can deliver for the nation.
While Sport can contribute to change in the world, it cannot change the world alone.
So, the AOC stands ready to work with the Government and Sport Australia to back our sports, our Olympians and through their determination and dedication to make the difference.
In sport doing nothing is not an option.