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The Constitution Unit blog in 2019: a year in review
Posted on December 23, 2019 by The Constitution Unit
As was the case last year, 2019 has been a fascinating time to be writing about the UK constitution, its institutions and those involved in working within them. As the year draws to a close, blog editor Dave Busfield-Birch offers a roundup of the blog year just gone, as well as a look at the reach of the blog through the lens of its readership statistics.
2019 has been a year of constitutional flux and tension, with a new Prime Minister, a new Brexit deal and a new parliament, with a significant number of new MPs. The blog has benefited both in terms of increased general interest as a result, but also because there are niche topics being discussed in public now that would have generated little interest in other years. Few, for example, would have predicted in June 2016 that prorogation of parliament would be a hot topic and pose a constitutional dilemma that only the Supreme Court could solve.
Below are our most popular blogs from the past year, which follow a personal selection from me, at the end of my second year as blog editor.
Editor's picks by category
Brexit and the constitution: seven lessons, by Jack Simson Caird.
Written back in June, but still relevant today, the Bingham Centre's Jack Simson Caird discussed how the process of exiting the European Union has revealed that the relationship between law and politics was perhaps not as sound as it might once have appeared, and what lessons that had to teach us.
Leaving the European Union, leaving the Palace of Westminster: Brexit and the Restoration and Renewal Programme, by Alexandra Meakin.
This may well have been the post that I found most fascinating this year (in a very tight contest). Alexandra Meakin (now Dr Meakin — many congratulations) discusses the relationship between the UK's upcoming departure from the EU and the plans for MPs and peers to temporarily move out of the Palace of Westminster. Her analysis shows that there is a correlation between an MP's stance on Brexit and their position on how best to handle the restoration and renewal programme.
I also want to offer a special mention to the trilogy of articles on the role of parliamentary legal advisers and the desirability of publishing their advice, which you can read here, here and here. They make fascinating reading, despite (in the case of the first two) coming to oppposite final conclusions.
Elections, referendums and democratic engagement
Is there an app for that? Voter information in the event of a snap election, by Joe Mitchell.
Digital technology has transformed the way we access information and interact with services. Democratic services have not kept up, risking a situation where democracy is seen as out of date. Joe Mitchell argues that it's time to dream big: the UK has an opportunity to create a new digital-first office of civic education and democratic information, to restore trust and grow public understanding of our democracy. Continue reading →
Posted in Brexit, Constitutions and constitution making, Devolution, digital democracy, Elections and referendums, Europe, Government, Judiciary and human rights, Monarchy, church and state, Parliament, Parties and politicians, Public Engagement and Policy Making	| Tagged 2019 European parliament elections, Alan Renwick, Alan Whysall, Alexandra Meakin, Anne Twomey, Article 50, Article 50 extension, Beyond Brexit, boris johnson, Brexit, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Dave Busfield-Birch, David Natzler, Deborah Mabbett, Erskine May, European Parliament, House of Commons, Jack Simson Caird, Lisa James, MEPs, no deal Brexit, Northern Ireland, Prince Andrew, proroguing parliament, R&R, restoration and renewal, robert hazell, royal prerogative, Simon Usherwood, Theresa May, Vernon Bogdanor, Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland
The rules of the election campaign: problems and potential solutions
The election campaign that concluded last week was often a depressing sight for democrats, with rampant misinformation and occasional threats against institutions that try to foster better debate. In this post Alan Renwick identifies key problems and assesses four possible solutions. Given the prevailing political environment, he concludes, a concerted effort from parliamentarians, broadcasters, and others will be needed to carry the case for positive reforms forward.
Electoral law in the UK urgently requires reform. This has been the unanimous conclusion of a slew of recent reports from respected organisations – including the Electoral Commission, Association of Electoral Administrators, and the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs committees in the House of Commons. Michela Palese and I also argued the case in a report earlier this year. Many aspects need attention. Some are drily technical: our complex and often opaque election rules badly need basic consolidation, simplification, and clarification. Others get to the heart of the kind of democracy we want to live in. Campaigning has been transformed by the digital communications revolution, but the rules have utterly failed to catch up.
This post focuses on campaign conduct. It begins by briefly reviewing problems during the 2019 election before focusing on four possible solutions. Finally, it considers the prospects for serious reform.
The conduct of the campaign
The shift to online campaigning continued apace. According to Facebook's data, the three main parties' central organisations alone spent £3.5 million on advertising on the site in the 12 months preceding the election, the great bulk of it coming during the campaign period. Each party posted thousands of separate ads, often targeted at very small numbers of voters. Local parties and other campaign groups also weighed in strongly. It will take considerable time for detailed analysis of all this material to be completed.
Misinformation was rampant throughout the campaign, from all sides. Boris Johnson's core promise to 'get Brexit done' by 31 January 2020 was well known to be a gross simplification, while Conservative promises on new hospitals and extra nurses were found wanting. So were Labour's claims that 95% of people would pay no extra tax under its plans and that the average family would save over £6,000. The Liberal Democrats were criticised most for misleading bar charts and sometimes manifestly false claims about their own electoral prospects. Continue reading →
Posted in Brexit, digital democracy, Elections and referendums, Parties and politicians	| Tagged 2019 general election, Alan Renwick, Association of Electoral Administrators, BBC, boris johnson, campaigning, Channel 4, Coalition for Reform in Political Advertising, committee on standards in public life, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Democracy Club, digital campaigning, Digital Culture Media and Sport Committee, disinformation, Doing Democracy Better, Electoral Commission, electoral law, electoral system, Facebook, fact-checking, first past the post, Full Fact, general election, imprints, Independent Commission on Referendums, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Jeremy Corbyn, Jo Swinson, Labour, Labour party, Liberal Democrats, Michela Palese, microtargeting, misinformation, PACAC, political advertising, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Representation of the People Act 1983, SNP, Twitter, voting advice applications, Who Gets My Vote
Getting a new parliament up and running: what happens after the election?
We may not yet know the result of the election, but we do know that we will have a new parliament. David Natzler and David Beamish explain what will happen when the new parliament commences next week. No matter the outcome of today's vote, certain processes will need to be followed: parliament will need to be officially opened, MPs will need to be sworn in, and committees will need to be re-established — and their members and chairs must be elected.
The first days of a new parliament follow a well-trodden path, and the surest guide to what will happen is usually to look up what happened last time, in June 2017. However, much depends on the political context. And we will not know that context until the early hours of Friday 13 December at the earliest. All we know for sure is that the new parliament will meet on Tuesday 17 December, and that if the current Prime Minister returns, the State Opening – the start of the new session – will be only two days later, on Thursday 19 December. If there is a hung parliament, the State Opening could be delayed. Continue reading →
Posted in Parliament	| Tagged Bernard Jenkin, Bill Cash, Black Rod, boris johnson, Clive Betts, committee on exiting the European Union, Commons staff, David Beamish, David Natzler, David T C Davies, Dennis Skinner, Deputy Speaker, Father of the House, frontbench, government formation, House of Commons, House of Lords, House of Lords Select Committee, humble address, IPSA, Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Lords, liaison committee, life peers, Lindsay Hoyle, Lord Chancellor, Lord Speaker, Lords, Lords committees, Loyal Address, MPs, MPs staff, parliamentary debates, prime minister, Queen's Speech, royal approbation, Sarah Wollaston, second reading, Select committee chairs, select committees, Speaker, Speaker of the House of Commons, Standing orders, State Opening, withdrawal agreement bill
Enacting the manifesto? Labour's pledges and the reality of a hung parliament
Media coverage in this election has been dominated by the Conservatives and Labour, and their competing policy plans. But a key difference between the parties is that, while a Conservative majority government is clearly possible based on the polls, a Labour majority government is not. Hence a Labour-led government would need to negotiate its policy with other parties, which would soften its stance. Robert Hazell and Meg Russell reflect on the lack of coverage of these questions, and what a Labour-led government would actually look like – in terms of personalities, policies and style.
Consistent opinion poll evidence during the general election campaign suggests that there are two possible outcomes: a majority Conservative government led by Boris Johnson, or a hung parliament. In the event of the latter, Johnson might still remain Prime Minister, but he has few allies – even having alienated Northern Ireland's DUP. So a hung parliament might well result in a government led by Labour, even if the Conservatives are the largest party. But one thing is clear: nobody is really expecting a Labour majority government.
Consequently, particularly as the polls have failed to shift into majority Labour government territory during the campaign, it is strange that so little attention has been given to the question of what a Labour-led government might actually deliver in policy terms. To navigate policy through a hung parliament this would need to be accepted by other parties. In some areas – notably the commitment to a referendum on Brexit – the parties agree; but in other areas there may be less agreement. So whilst significant attention has been paid to the radicalism of Labour's manifesto, a hung parliament – which might lead to a minority Labour government, or less likely (given statements from the Liberal Democrats and SNP) a formal coalition – would inevitably result in some dilution. As noted in the Constitution Unit's 2009 report on minority government, hung parliaments '[entail] a greater degree of compromise and concession than leaders of governments at Westminster are used to'.
Thus focus on Labour's economic policy – such as its tax or nationalisation plans – might usefully have been tempered by journalists asking questions of the other parties about the extent to which they would accept such plans, or how they might be softened as a result of negotiation. In a country where hung parliaments are more frequent, debate about the likely compromises between parties would be far more upfront during the campaign. Instead, the UK's legacy of single-party majority government (notwithstanding the fact that this situation has applied for just two of the last nine years) has led to parties and journalists alike avoiding such questions. This, in turn, risks leaving the public ill-informed about the real prospects post-election. Continue reading →
Posted in Brexit, Devolution, Elections and referendums, Parliament	| Tagged 2010 general election, 2019 general election, boris johnson, Brexit, Brexit deal, Cabinet manual, citizens' assembly, Coalition, coalition government, coalition planning, confidence and supply, Conservative majority, Conservative-DUP agreement, Conservatives, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, election manifestos, Electoral reform, first past the post, Further referendum on Brexit, Gordon Brown, Greens, House of Commons, hung parliament, Jeremy Corbyn, Jo Swinson, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Making Minority Government Work, meg russell, minority government, Nick Clegg, Nicola Sturgeon, Plaid Cymru, political declaration, prime minister, proportional representation, robert hazell, Scottish Independence, Scottish National Party, second referendum, Second Scottish independence referendum, SNP, tactical voting, The Mechanics of a Further Referendum on Brexit, Theresa May, withdrawal agreement
Ten things you need to know about a hung parliament
Posted on November 27, 2019 by The Constitution Unit
We know there will be an election on 12 December, but the outcome, in terms of parliamentary seats and who will form the next government, remains uncertain. Robert Hazell and Harrison Shaylor answer some of the key questions about what happens if the election creates another hung parliament.
With an increasingly volatile electorate, and uncertain forecasts in the polls, it is possible the 2019 election will result in another hung parliament. Although bookmakers currently have a Conservative majority as comfortably the most likely election result, and the Conservatives are currently polling around 11 points ahead of Labour, a hung parliament is by no means out of the question. It would be the third hung parliament in four general elections. This explains what lessons can be learned from our previous experience of hung parliaments at Westminster and around the world. It addresses questions such as how a new government is formed, how long formation of that government will take, what kinds of government might emerge, and what the most likely outcomes are.
How common are hung parliaments in other countries?
In most democracies across the world, single party majority governments are the exception. Whereas the 'first-past-the-post' (FPTP) voting system used in the UK has had the tendency to encourage adversarial two-party politics and majority government, this is far from a default setting. Proportional representation tends almost always to produce coalitions: many countries in Europe currently have a coalition government.
Recent years have shown that, even in countries using FPTP, hung parliaments can occur quite frequently. In Canada, whose parliament uses the same electoral system as Westminster, there were 10 minority governments in the 20th century. There have already been four since 2000, including the incumbent minority government led by Justin Trudeau, formed after the Liberals lost their majority in the October 2019 federal election.
What is the experience of hung parliaments at Westminster?
Westminster has more experience of hung parliaments than is generally recognised. There were 20 governments in Westminster in the 20th century: four were coalitions, and six were minority governments. But single party majority governments dominated after the Second World War. The 2010 coalition government was the first since 1945 and the product of the first hung parliament in 36 years. Since 2010, however, two out of three general elections have produced hung parliaments (and the fact that David Cameron's Conservatives succeeded in obtaining an absolute majority in 2015 was a surprise). Continue reading →
Posted in Elections and referendums, Government, Parliament, Parties and politicians	| Tagged 2010 general election, 2015 general election, 2017 general election, alec douglas-home, Alex Salmond, Alistair Darling, boris johnson, Brexit party, by-election, Cabinet, Cabinet manual, Cabinet Secretary, Canadian parliament, caretaker convention, civil service, coalition government, confidence and supply, Conservative majority, Conservative-DUP agreement, Conservatives, David Cameron, DUP, Ed Davey, first past the post, Gordon Brown, Green Party, Harold Wilson, Harrison Shaylor, House of Commons, hung parliament, Jeremy Corbyn, Jo Swinson, Justin Trudeau, Labour party, leave alliance, Lib-Lab pact, Liberal Democrats, Liberal Party, Making Minority Government Work, minority government, Nick Clegg, Nicola Sturgeon, Nigel Farage, no deal Brexit, parliament, Patrick Gordon Walker, People's Vote, Plaid Cymru, prime minister, proportional representation, queen, Remain Alliance, robert hazell, SNP, Theresa May
Politics, courts and the UK's single market
Brexit is likely to pose numerous legal questions about how the various parts of the UK relate to each other once the UK leaves the EU. Deborah Mabbett argues that the recent Supreme Court decision on prorogation is therefore unlikely to be the last time the judiciary is called upon to decide a matter related to Brexit.
Even among those who welcomed the Supreme Court's decision on the prorogation of parliament, there has been concern that it has entered into dangerous new territory. It might have been forced there by a Prime Minister who failed to observe convention, or by a parliament that resiled from its duty to remove a government which has no majority, but forced it was, and this is a source of concern and regret. Several commentators have argued that the decision paves the way for a nasty and unpredictable election structured around a populist opposition of courts and parliament versus 'The People', and indeed those who see Dominic Cummings as an evil genius fear that this was the intention of the prorogation in the first place.
For those seeking a calmer view, the Court is clear in its self-assessment that, far from entering new territory, it is firmly placed on ground it has held all along. It has upheld the rule of law, in the specific sense of imposing limitations on arbitrary authority. This is the daily bread and butter of administrative law, of which there is a great deal more than excitable commentators seem to realise. Below the public gaze, the courts have dug in their heels over countless daily exercises of executive power, including the mistreatment of immigrants, the removal of welfare rights and the denial of access to justice. True, the arbitrary power challenged in these cases is not exercised by the contemporary king—the Prime Minister—but by the agents and minions of the state. Escalating the level of scrutiny to the actions of high political figures makes the prorogation decision a matter of constitutional rather than administrative law, but law it is.
On what grounds can it be claimed that the Supreme Court's decision is 'political'? The domains of law and politics cannot be defined by their subject matter, which clearly overlap across great swathes of social issues. We must look instead for differences in method and modes of reasoning. The characteristic method of politics is the structured antagonism of government and opposition, organised around the general political orientations of left and right. The belief that the Court had made this kind of decision seems to be behind the claim of Toby Young and Douglas Carswell, among others, that the prorogation judgment calls for action to ferret out and expose the partisan leanings of the justices. Yet left and right partisanship was obviously beside the point in the decision. Continue reading →
Posted in Brexit, Constitutions and constitution making, Devolution, Europe, Government, Judiciary and human rights	| Tagged boris johnson, Brexit, Catherine Barnard, common law, constitutional law, Continuity Bill, devolved powers, Helen Thompson, John Curtice, Judiciary and human rights, Miller and Cherry, Miller case, Northern Ireland, parliament, parliamentary sovereignty, proroguing parliament, reserved powers, Scottish government, Supreme Court, UK single market, UK Supreme Court, Welsh government
Monitor 73 — On the brink: Brexit, the election and the state of British politics
The latest issue of Monitor, the Constitution Unit's regular newsletter, was published today. Since the last issue, a new Prime Minister has been appointed, a new Speaker has been elected, a new Brexit deal has been negotiated, and a new parliament is imminent, as a general election campaign gets into gear this week. Meg Russell and Alan Renwick review the last four months of constitutional events in what is also the lead article from Monitor 73. The full edition can be found here.
With a general election scheduled for 12 December, the UK could be at a crucial turning point. Or, of course, not: with the polls uncertain, another hung parliament is a real possibility. The UK appeared closer to agreeing terms for leaving the EU in late October than previously, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson negotiated a revised deal and the House of Commons backed his Withdrawal Agreement Bill at second reading. But when MPs refused to accept Johnson's demand that they rush the legislation through in three days, he refused to accord them more time, and demanded – as he had twice in September – a general election. A further extension of the Article 50 period – which Johnson had previously suggested he would rather 'die in a ditch' than allow – was agreed on 28 October – just three days before the 31 October deadline. That being in place, Labour reluctantly agreed to an election, which it is fighting on a pledge to hold another Brexit referendum. The Liberal Democrats want to revoke Article 50 in the unlikely event that they secure a majority, or otherwise hold a referendum.
In recent months much in British politics has already felt close to breaking point. While Theresa May fared badly in navigating parliament as the leader of a minority government (only in the final stages seeking agreement with other parties), Johnson seems actively to have sought confrontation with parliament. This is, to say the least, an unorthodox strategy in a system where the government depends on the Commons' confidence to survive. It is the very reverse of what would normally be expected under a minority government. Such an approach lasted, at least briefly, due to MPs' fears of triggering a vote of no-confidence – which might have delivered Labour's Jeremy Corbyn to Downing Street, or indeed allowed Johnson to 'crash' the UK out of the EU on a 'no deal' basis. There were even suggestions that he would refuse to resign, and 'dare' the Queen to sack him (see page 15), if parliament sought to put an alternative prime minister in his place.
In his short time in office, Johnson has faced very limited parliamentary scrutiny, including just three sessions of Prime Minister's Questions. He made and cancelled no fewer than three arrangements to appear before the Commons Liaison Committee, much to the frustration of its chair. Most controversially, of course, he sought to prorogue parliament for five weeks – an action ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court (see page 14). Despite the ruling, scrutiny was curtailed by the summer recess, the time lost due to this 'prorogation that wasn't', plus a further short prorogation to facilitate a Queen's Speech (described as a 'sham' by the Unit's Robert Hazell, given Johnson's evident desire for an election). The attempted prorogation, and loose talk about refusing to resign, have left many people alarmed that a constitution heavily dependent on convention has suddenly appeared fragile, when faced with players who show little regard for unwritten rules. Continue reading →
Posted in Brexit, Devolution, Elections and referendums, Europe, Government, International, Judiciary and human rights, Monarchy, church and state, Parliament, Parties and politicians, Public Engagement and Policy Making	| Tagged 2019 general election, Alan Renwick, Article 50, Association of Electoral Administrators, Benn Act, boris johnson, Brexit, Conservative Party, digital campaigning, digital democracy, dominic cummings, Dominic Grieve, Electoral Commission, electoral law, Electoral reform, Facebook, Further referendum on Brexit, general election, Jeremy Corbyn, Jo Swinson, Labour party, liaison committee, Liberal Democrats, meg russell, Monarchy, church and state, Monitor, MPs, Nicola Sturgeon, Northern Ireland, PACAC, parliament, PMQs, proroguing parliament, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, queen, referendums, robert hazell, Rory Stewart, Sam Gyimah, Scotland, Scottish Independence, Second Scottish independence referendum, social media, Speaker, Speaker of the House of Commons, Supreme Court, Twitter, UK Supreme Court, Vote Leave, withdrawal agreement, withdrawal and implementation bill., women MPs, Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland
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Indo-Afghan Nexus against Pakistan
Written by Sajjad Shaukat
The fourth round of Afghanistan and India's security dialogue was held in Kabul on November 25, 2018, at the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS), brought together former high-ranking security officials and diplomats from Afghanistan and India.
Speakers at the meeting discussed issues around security and the future relationships between Kabul and New Delhi. They spoke about insurgency and Afghanistan-India ties. The former national security advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta said: "Pakistan is using insurgency as a tool against Afghanistan and India". The other speaker B. K. Sharma, head of Center for Strategic Studies of India said: "Afghans treat India as a key strategic partner in its transformational decade".
In the recent months, Afghanistan has witnessed scenes of civil war era. In this regard, on September 9, this year, hundreds of armed men drove in a convoy of dozens of vehicles fired thousand of bullets throughout Kabul, the capital of the country. The day was connected to 17 death anniversary of the former war lord Ahmed Shah Massoud-the anti-Soviet, anti-Taliban and the northern leaders, who was killed by Al Qaeda in 2001. Massoud is revered by his fellow Tajiks as the hero and leader of the Northern Alliance fighting the Taliban, but he is regarded by other Afghan groups as a war criminal involved in mass murder of opponents. At least 7 people were killed when a motorcycle born suicide bomber targeted the convoy whereas more than 20 people had been injured as result of aerial firing by the demonstrators. The Islamic State group (Also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh) claimed responsibility for the attack.
The deadliest single episode was the destruction by Taliban militant of an army base in Baghlan Province, with at least 22 and as many as 40 security force members killed. On September 10, 2018, a suicide bomber detonated explosives amid a crowd of protesters outside a police station near the Pakistan border in the district of Nangarhar province, killing about 68 people.
In the beginning of September this year, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis made an unexpected trip to Afghanistan as the US tries to make headway in the country after 17 years of war. Mattis touched down in the country amid a bloody month in the prolonged conflict.
According to a statement from the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, Resolute Support, "One US service member was killed and another was wounded on September 3 in an apparent insider attack…one carried out by a member of the Afghan security forces…in eastern Afghanistan…Ghani [Ashraf Ghani, [President of Afghanistan] said that preventing these green-on-blue attacks was a top national priority."
Days later, 20 people, including two journalists were killed in Kabul in twin bomb attacks on a wrestling club, and ISIS claimed responsibility for that attack.
Meanwhile, during the election-campaign and the day of the parliamentary elections which held on October 20, 2018, violence intensified in Afghanistan. More than four million Afghans ignored Taliban and ISIS threats and cast their ballots in the elections.
Foreign media and that of Afghanistan reported, "Afghanistan's first parliamentary election since 2010 has been hit by violence and chaos, with several attacks killing at least 36 people…A suicide attack at a polling station outside Kabul killed at least 15 people, with several others dying in scores of bombings, rocket attacks and incidents of violence across the country. Over 170 people have reportedly been killed or wounded as voters went to around 21,000 polling stations. Technical issues and terror attacks forced the closure of some of the stations, while voting hours were extended in some areas. At least 18 people were killed and 67 injured in blasts close to polling stations in several areas of Kabul…The provinces of Ghazni and Kandahar…the scent of violent attacks…postponed polling for a week."
More than a month after the polls Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) has yet to announce complete election results. Out of 33 Afghan provinces, the IEC has announced results for only 13—Election authorities are yet to announce results for bigger provinces, including Kabul. It is undermining the credibility of the IEC.
A recent UN report disclosed that the number of Afghan civilians killed in the first six months of this year has reached a record high.
Earlier in September 2018, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo named veteran diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad as a newly-named State Department special envoy to Afghanistan. Khalilzad, Pompeo said, would be "full time focused on developing the opportunities to get the Afghans and the Taliban to come to reconciliation." He has starting his efforts to convince the Taliban to have direct talks with the US.
However, Afghan high officials revived the old blame game against Pakistan by accusing the security agencies of Pakistan regarding the recent terror attacks in Afghanistan, including the Ghazni attack.
Indian media also availed the opportunity and manipulated the Taliban-ISIS terror assaults against Pakistan. In this respect, Indian business newspaper, The Economic Times allegedly wrote on August 23, 2018: "India-funded projects and programmes in Afghanistan face increased risk as Afghan officials have alleged that the recent attack launched by the Taliban in Ghazni involved presence of Pakistan Army and Pakistan's intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in aid of the terrorist group."
In fact, prior to Pompeo's visit to Islamabad, both India and Afghanistan wanted to spoil positive development between Pakistan and the United States.
Nevertheless, regarding Ghazni terror attack, the spokesman of the Foreign Office (FO) of Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Faisal said: "We have not received any evidence to back up these spurious accusations and reject these baseless allegations made by Afghan officials and others."
Afterwards, at least 50 people were killed in a suicide attack on a religious gathering in Kabul on November 20, 2018. However, the Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid stated: "we strongly condemn attacks on civilians and sessions of ulema". This attack came as those Taliban who are fighting a war of liberation against the occupied NATO forces intensified pressure on Afghan security forces, even as the international community ramps up efforts to convince the group to engage in peace talks. US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad expressed hopes in Kabul that a peace deal to end the war could be struck before the Afghan presidential election, scheduled for April 2019. Peace talks can only lead to peace in war-torn Afghanistan, the country has been suffering since last 17 years on one pretext or the other and resultantly whole region is suffering.
It is notable that on November 2, 2018, Maulana Samiul Haq, known as the "father of the Taliban," was stabbed to death by the unidentified terrorists at his home in Pakistan's city of Rawalpindi. His son Maulana Hamidul Haq told the media that his father was receiving threats from the Afghan government.
In October 2018, a high-profile delegation from Afghanistan sought help of Maulana Haq to put an end to the old deadly conflict in Afghanistan. In the recent past, Haq who was in close contact with the Afghan Taliban, urged that US should announce timeline for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has called on China to play a larger role in negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban to end the Afghan war. He had stated that Beijing's stake in regional peace were larger than that of America.
As the US President Donald Trump tentatively renewed direct talks with the Taliban in a bid to end America's longest war, martyrdom of Maulana Samiul Haq show double game of America with Pakistan.
Particularly, Indian secret agency RAW and Afghanistan's intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) which do not want peace in Afghanistan were behind the assassination of Samiulal Haq.
As regards the case of cross-border terrorism in South Asia, when any terror attack occurs in Afghanistan, America, India and puppet rulers of Afghanistan shift the blame game towards Pakistan. The US has also accused Iran and Russia of assisting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Especially, the main purpose of Washington is not only to pacify their people and justify the unending war in Afghanistan, but also to fulfill the collective secret strategic designs of the US, Israel and India against Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran.
It is of particular attention that in his first interview to the NBC News on October 31, 2018, indicating NATO defeat in Afghanistan, the US General Austin Miller-NATO's new, head of Resolute Support in Afghanistan admitted by saying: "This is not going to be won militarily…This is going to a political solution…My assessment is…if you realize you can't win militarily at some point…So you do not necessarily wait us out, but I think now is the time to start working through the political piece of this conflict."
Nonetheless, once again, on October 24, 2018, Islamabad has dismissed the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's declaring "baseless and unfounded" allegations regarding Kandhar attack which killed top provincial leadership including Police Chief General Raziq. Pakistan has asked Afghanistan to share the evidence or intelligence, if any about Pakistan's involvement, but Afghan government failed.
Security situation in Afghanistan is well beyond the control of Afghan security forces and the National Unity Government of that country. For all its failure, New Delhi and Kabul has been blaming Pakistan in accordance with their collective agenda.
As a matter of fact, since the occupation of Afghanistan by the US-led NATO forces, the country has become center of CIA, RAW and Mossad which are in connivance to obtain the covert designs of the their countries and some Western countries against Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran. Under the cover of fighting terrorism, these foreign agencies which are also in collaboration with the NDS, support the militants of ISIS and Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including their linked outfits which have been conducting terror-assaults in Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of the secret strategy of the US-led countries. Besides, these terrorist groups are weakening Tibetan regions of China and Iranian Sistan-Baluchistan through subversive activities.
Especially, India and Afghan government which want to prolong the stay of NATO forces in Afghanistan are playing double game against America. New Delhi knows that after the withdrawal of the NATO forces, Taliban will eliminate the secret network of India and the NDS in that lawless country. Hence, these intelligence agencies are particularly using the terrorists of TTP and ISIS in wakening Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Regarding Indian activities in Afghanistan the then NATO commander, Gen. McChrystal had pointed out: "Indian political and economic influence is increasing in Afghanistan…is likely to exacerbate regional tensions."
Similarly, while taking note of Indian role in Afghanistan, US Republican Senator John McCain had reminded the Obama administration that encouraging India to take a more active role in Afghanistan, while simultaneously criticising Pakistan could be a recipe for disaster.
It is also of particular attention that armed forces of Pakistan have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists by the successful military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad which have also been extended to other parts of the country, including Balochistan province. And Pakistan's primarily intelligence agency, ISI has broken the network of these terrorist groups by capturing several militants, while thwarting a number of terror attempts. But, in the recent past and during the election-campaign of 2019, blasts in Balochistan and other regions of the country showed that the US-led India, Afghanistan and Israel have again started acts of sabotage especially to weaken Pakistan and to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is part of China's One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative or BRI. Washington and New Delhi has already opposed this project.
Notably, Russia hosted a meeting in Moscow on November 9, this year to end the war in Afghanistan. Delegates from a body appointed by the Western-backed government in Kabul and a group representing the Taliban as well as officials from a dozen nations, including China, Iran and Pakistan participated in the talks. Indian-Afghan governments' participation in the Moscow conference was on non-official-low level, as they did not want Russian peaceful approach in connection with Afghanistan.
It is noteworthy that foiled terror attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi on November 23, this year was part of the same scheme. In another terror-related incident, on the same day, at least 35 people were killed and 50 wounded in a blast in Kalaya area of lower Orakzai district in Hangu (Pakistan).
It is mentionable that a separatist group of the Balochistan province, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility of the failed terror attempt on the Chinese consulate in Karachi through a tweet.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's media and reliable sources revealed that in a major development pertaining to attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi, Pakistan's Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) on November 24, 2018 learned that attack was funded by India's notorious RAW and Afghanistan's NDS. Earlier, LEAs arrested three alleged facilitators in connection with assault on Chinese Consulate in Karachi.
Sources privy to LEAs disclosed that local facilitators had assisted the BLA's terrorists in carrying out the appalling attack. The attack was "planned by banned BLA commander Aslam alias Achhu who is currently under treatment at Max Hospital in New Delhi, after being injured in an operation by Pakistani security forces near Sibi…Achhu had several times travelled to India from Afghanistan on fake passport. His sister was arrested while crossing border last year."
Undoubtedly, it shows the connections of the Indian RAW with NDS in relation to the foiled attempt at the Chinese consulate of Karachi.
India's main objective is to undermine Pakistan's legitimate economic and security interests in Afghanistan. India is attempting to poison Afghan people against Pakistan by carrying out negative propaganda and actions to destroy Pakistan's age old socio-economic and trade related links with Afghanistan and to impede Pakistan's trade with Central Asia. India blames Pakistan for terrorist events occurring in Afghanistan to build a case that the freedom struggle in Jammu and Kashmir is also being backed by Pakistan. New Delhi's objective in doing so is to denude the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the political and moral support of Pakistan. India is also using Afghan soil to destabilize Balochistan to slow down the growth of the CPEC and pulling Afghanistan away from joining the CPEC.
We can conclude that Indo-Afghan nexus is not only destabilizing Pakistan and Afghanistan, but is also jeopardizing the regional stability and peace for which Russia and China, including Pakistan are making collective efforts.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
President Biden Extends Student Loan Payment Freeze
Jubilee USA Network
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bombast
Ed Rampell
It's the smashed GOP, stupid! Can't win with Trump, can't win without him
Robert S. Becker
QAnon Pop Quiz: America's Greatest President
Thomas Magstadt
"The Great Evasion"
Lawrence S. Wittner
In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of; in a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of. (Confucius)
schuftan@gmai.com
Trump's White The Doctrine of White Supremacy Was The Match That Trump Used to LIght American Reichstag Fire
Steven Jonas

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Twelve people are being monitored for Ebola symptoms in Illinois, the state's Department of Public Health confirmed Monday. The cases are considered low-risk, Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck said at a public hearing, though two of the men are in voluntary quarantine after arriving at O'Hare International Airport Saturday from Liberia where they built quarantine centers for a Franciscan Works mission. Hasbrouck said all 12 have to monitor and report their symptoms but are allowed to leave their homes and go into non-crowded areas. They cannot take public transportation. The information was provided Monday to legislators during the first hearing where experts from Illinois health departments, hospitals, health centers and other public health entities gathered to give a state Ebola update. "We learned from what other states have done and not done so well," Rep. Greg Harris said. Dr. Julie Morita of the Chicago Department of Public Health said the city has a system in place for monitoring cases. For the 12 being monitored, that means educating them on what symptoms to look out for and how to report them. Also, local health departments are aware of anyone arriving from three affected countries, Morita said, and will be monitored twice a day via phone, text and email. What's happening in West Africa has prompted a closer look at state facilities that most people wouldn't think about, including the only lab in Illinois that does Ebola testing. Tom Hughes of the Illinois Public Health Association toured the facility, which he said processes about two million specimens every year, and said the decades-old building has problems that aren't acceptable. He pointed to eyewash stations that are no longer working and the inability to maintain temperatures, jeopardizing specimens and lab results. In January, Springfield legislators may have to vote on whether or not to build a new lab at a cost of over $100 million.


text:
Q: Why does Phabricator still warn me:PHP Extension 'APC' Not Installed I've installed APC 3.1.13 via PECL on CentOS 7. Everything seems OK.
php -i | grep apc output:
Additional .ini files parsed => /etc/php.d/apcu.ini,
apc
apcu
MMAP File Mask => /tmp/apc.XXXXXX
apc.coredump_unmap => Off => Off
apc.enable_cli => Off => Off
apc.enabled => On => On
apc.entries_hint => 4096 => 4096
apc.gc_ttl => 3600 => 3600
apc.mmap_file_mask => /tmp/apc.XXXXXX => /tmp/apc.XXXXXX
apc.preload_path => no value => no value
apc.rfc1867 => Off => Off
apc.rfc1867_freq => 0 => 0
apc.rfc1867_name => APC_UPLOAD_PROGRESS => APC_UPLOAD_PROGRESS
apc.rfc1867_prefix => upload_ => upload_
apc.rfc1867_ttl => 3600 => 3600
apc.serializer => php => php
apc.shm_segments => 1 => 1
apc.shm_size => 32M => 32M
apc.slam_defense => On => On
apc.smart => 0 => 0
apc.ttl => 0 => 0
apc.use_request_time => On => On
apc.writable => /tmp => /tmp

but Phabricator's issue lists still warn me: PHP Extension 'APC' Not Installed. Is it a false message? What can I do about it?

A: Make sure you have enabled it in your Apache config
On my box its:
/etc/php5/apache2/conf.d/20-apcu.ini
Running php -i is simply the command line interface, Apache loads it's own extensions.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Make tender, delicious gnocchi using instant mashed potatoes to slash prep time. Blend egg, salt, pepper, flour and mashed potatoes into a dough, cut into bite -size pieces and cook in boiling water. Serve with the sauce of your choice.


text:
Downtown San Antonio
Serving the Bexar County community through its programs and services that help students succeed in acquiring the knowledge and skills needed in today's world. Today, five colleges fulfill this promise with a vast array of courses and 2-year degrees.
Serving more than 6,000 students from the ten Metrocom Communities and northeast San Antonio. Named "Best Institutional Facility" by Live Oak Economic Development.
Creating opportunities for success by offering quality academic, technical and life-long learning experiences to its diverse communities in a collaborative, student-centered, data-informed and shared leadership environment.
Named "Rising Star" by the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America's community colleges.
St. Philip's College
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text:
Q: como calcular a media de apenas uma parte de uma coluna Rstudio Separei apenas uma parte de uma coluna, não consigo trabalhar com esses dados,apenas consigo visualizar de forma separada. Alguem pode me ajudar?!

A: Há um problema na importação, seus dados não estão em numéricos.
Criando o exemplo:
data <- data.frame(x1 = 1:10, x2 = 11:20)

Exemplo de dados não numéricos:
data$x1 <- as.factor(data$x1)
mean.default(data$x1[8:9])

Warning message:
In mean.default(data$x3) : argument is not numeric or logical: returning NA

Você pode verificar isso através do comando str():
str(data)
'data.frame':   10 obs. of  2 variables:
$ x1: Factor w/ 10 levels "1","2","3","4",..: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
$ x2: int  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Correção do armazenamento dos dados se estiver em factor:
data$x1 <- as.numeric(levels(data$x1))

mean.default(data$x3[8:9])
[1] 8.5


The drip drip of thoughts. Extracting words from a tired brain. A pencil scratching without a destination. Torn fragments of forgotten dreams. The taste of black coffee on a dark morning. Eyes drawn to a blinking flourescent light. A new idea. A new way of saying a new thing to new people. A problem. Cracked.


text:
<?php

	$vs_id_prefix 				= $this->getVar('placement_code').$this->getVar('id_prefix');
	$vn_table_num 				= $this->getVar('table_num');

	$t_subject					= $this->getVar('t_subject');

	$va_settings 				= $this->getVar('settings');
	$vs_order_type				= in_array($va_settings['order_type'][0], array('O', 'L')) ? $va_settings['order_type'][0] : 'O';

	$vb_read_only		=	(isset($va_settings['readonly']) && $va_settings['readonly']);

	$va_errors = array();

	$va_orders = $t_subject->getClientHistory($vs_order_type);

	print caEditorBundleShowHideControl($this->request, $vs_id_prefix.$vn_table_num.'OrderHistory');
?>
<div id="<?php print $vs_id_prefix.$vn_table_num.'OrderHistory'; ?>">

<?php
	if ($vs_order_type == 'L') {
		// Loan
		if (sizeof($va_orders) == 0) {
?>

<?php print _t('No loans have been made'); ?>

<?php
		} else {
?>

				<theader>
					<?php print _t('Loan #'); ?>
					<?php print _t('Loaned to'); ?>
					<?php print _t('Checkout'); ?>
					<?php print _t('Due'); ?>
					<?php print _t('Returned'); ?>
					<?php print _t('Notes'); ?>
				</theader>

<?php
			foreach($va_orders as $vn_id => $va_order) {
				$vs_checkout_date = $va_order['loan_checkout_date'];
				$vn_checkout_date = $va_order['loan_checkout_date_raw'];
				$vs_due_date = $va_order['loan_due_date'];
				$vn_due_date = $va_order['loan_due_date_raw'];
				$vs_ret_date = $va_order['loan_return_date'];
				$vn_ret_date = $va_order['loan_return_date_raw'];

				if (!$vn_ret_date) {
					if (time() > $vn_due_date) {	// is it overdue?
						$vs_row_class = 'caClientOrderHistoryRowOverdue';
					} else {
						$vs_row_class = 'caClientOrderHistoryRowOut';
					}
				} else {
					$vs_row_class = 'caClientOrderHistoryRow';
				}
?>
				<tr class='<?php print $vs_row_class; ?>'>
					<?php print caNavLink($this->request, $va_order['order_number'], '', 'client/library', 'OrderEditor', 'Edit',  array('order_id' => $va_order['order_id'])); ?>
					<?php print $va_order['billing_fname'].' '.$va_order['billing_lname']." (".$va_order['billing_email'].")"; ?>
					<?php print $vs_checkout_date; ?>
					<?php print $vs_due_date; ?>
					<?php print $vs_ret_date; ?>
					<?php print $va_order['notes']; ?>

<?php
			}
		}
	} else {
		// Sales order
		if (sizeof($va_orders) == 0) {
?>

<?php print _t('No orders have been made'); ?>

<?php
		} else {
?>

				<theader>
					<?php print _t('Order #'); ?>
					<?php print _t('Ordered by'); ?>
					<?php print _t('Date'); ?>
					<?php print _t('Price'); ?>
					<?php print _t('Status'); ?>
				</theader>

<?php

			foreach($va_orders as $vn_id => $va_order) {
				$vs_checkout_date = $va_order['loan_checkout_date'];
?>

					<?php print caNavLink($this->request, $va_order['order_number'], '', 'client/library', 'OrderEditor', 'Edit',  array('order_id' => $va_order['order_id'])); ?>
					<?php print $va_order['billing_fname'].' '.$va_order['billing_lname']." (".$va_order['billing_email'].")"; ?>
					<?php print $vs_checkout_date; ?>
					<?php print $va_order['fee']; ?>
					<?php print $va_order['order_status']; ?>

<?php
			}
			foreach($va_orders as $vn_id => $va_order) {
?>

					<?php print caNavLink($this->request, $va_order['order_number'], '', 'client/orders', 'OrderEditor', 'Edit',  array('order_id' => $va_order['order_id'])); ?>
					<?php print $va_order['billing_fname'].' '.$va_order['billing_lname']." (".$va_order['billing_email'].")"; ?>
					<?php print caGetLocalizedDate($va_order['created_on']); ?>
					<?php print $va_order['fee']; ?>
					<?php print $va_order['order_status']; ?>

<?php
			}
		}
	}
?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package com.orientechnologies.orient.core.db.record.ridbag;

import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.db.record.OIdentifiable;
import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.db.record.ORecordElement;
import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.db.record.ORecordLazyMultiValue;
import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.db.record.OTrackedMultiValue;
import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.record.impl.OSimpleMultiValueTracker;
import com.orientechnologies.orient.core.storage.ridbag.sbtree.Change;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.NavigableMap;
import java.util.UUID;

public interface ORidBagDelegate
    extends Iterable<OIdentifiable>,
        ORecordLazyMultiValue,
        OTrackedMultiValue<OIdentifiable, OIdentifiable>,
        ORecordElement {
  void addAll(Collection<OIdentifiable> values);

  void add(OIdentifiable identifiable);

  void remove(OIdentifiable identifiable);

  boolean isEmpty();

  int getSerializedSize();

  int getSerializedSize(byte[] stream, int offset);

  /**
   * Writes content of bag to stream.
   *
   * <p>OwnerUuid is needed to notify db about changes of collection pointer if some happens during
   * serialization.
   *
   * @param stream to write content
   * @param offset in stream where start to write content
   * @param ownerUuid id of delegate owner
   * @return offset where content of stream is ended
   */
  int serialize(byte[] stream, int offset, UUID ownerUuid);

  int deserialize(byte[] stream, int offset);

  void requestDelete();

  /**
   * THIS IS VERY EXPENSIVE METHOD AND CAN NOT BE CALLED IN REMOTE STORAGE.
   *
   * @param identifiable Object to check.
   * @return true if ridbag contains at leas one instance with the same rid as passed in
   *     identifiable.
   */
  boolean contains(OIdentifiable identifiable);

  public void setOwner(ORecordElement owner);

  public ORecordElement getOwner();

  public String toString();

  NavigableMap<OIdentifiable, Change> getChanges();

  void setSize(int size);

  OSimpleMultiValueTracker<OIdentifiable, OIdentifiable> getTracker();

  void setTracker(OSimpleMultiValueTracker<OIdentifiable, OIdentifiable> tracker);

  void setTransactionModified(boolean transactionModified);
}


hi every 1 i have added armatures to my gingerbread man many times and its worked perfect but i have a model my friend made and i want to add armatures so i can make some movies but i cant because every time i try to make parent it doesn't do it right.
If some 1 can point me in the right direction with a tutorial i would highly appreciate it.
AUTOSMOOTH…TEXTMESH…CENTERNEW… and so forth i dont see mesh clean up what do i do??
It's a script. And what you will be using it for is to remove all the edges that do not have faces in the model. You could also do this by hand, but the script should do it quickly and easily.


+ 312 Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.
+ 219 Fill your mind with thoughts of peace, courage, health and hope.
+ 312 Your navel is like a round drinking cup always filled with wine.
Your stomach is like a pile of wheat surrounded with lilies.
+ 186 We become aware of the void as we fill it.


Get the very best performance out of HoldTight® 102 with our new water quality test kit.
Although most potable water works well with HoldTight® 102, this kit can be used to verify water quality and identify any potential water problems that may interfere with the performance of HoldTight® 102.
Ensure the superior results you've come to expect from HoldTight® 102 with every single application. Contact HoldTight® Solutions today to get your water quality test kit.


The Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program has sapped the pool of high quality securities that can be used as collateral.
New regulations are driving demand for high-quality bonds and stocks to post as collateral on derivatives trades. Sovereign wealth funds, with vast quantities of these securities, could profit — but there are risks involved.
As the dust settled after the 2008–'09 financial crisis, policymakers began thrashing out plans to make the global banking system more resilient. The ensuing raft of new regulations has radically changed the investment landscape. Banks' new capital requirements, coupled with a clampdown on the derivatives markets, have dried up liquidity — making it more difficult for investors to find, develop, and finance deals.
Enter sovereign wealth funds. As at various stages of the financial crisis, when they rescued Western banks with multi-billion dollar investments, state-owned investors are helping to get capital flowing. They are increasingly moving into direct lending: Singapore's GIC, for example, was among a group of investors that provided €1 billion ($1.46 billion) to Spanish real estate group Inmobiliaria Colonial in May 2014 through a syndicated loan. The Alaska Permanent Fund Corp., has entered riskier sectors, such as mezzanine debt, where banks now tread warily.
State investors are providing liquidity in more unorthodox ways, too. Under new European and U.S. regulations, market participants must post better-quality collateral — such as government bonds or blue-chip stocks — to execute derivatives trades. Sovereign wealth funds, which hold large amounts of such securities, are ready and willing to provide them to the market, either through their existing securities-lending programs or via newfangled strategies such as collateral transformation, which involves exchanging risky assets for safer securities that meet the new criteria. The potential profits, although they depend on the specific trade, are huge.
"There's been enormous interest in the kind of securities sovereign wealth funds traditionally hold, such as government bonds," says Brian Leddy at Bank of New York Mellon Corp.'s Global Collateral Services department, which is working with several sovereign clients. "If funds are willing to make these securities available to the market as collateral, they have the potential to make considerable revenue."
Collateral management strategies bring new hazards — both for sovereign funds, which are taking riskier assets onto their balance sheets, and the wider financial system. One early observer was Jeremy Stein, at the time a governor on the board of the U.S. Federal Reserve. He warned in February 2013 that regulators should keep a close eye on activities like collateral transformation because they create links between institutions that could be problematic in the next financial crisis.
For now, though, state investors are focused on the big returns they could make by getting their collateral out into the market. Demand is not expected to peak until later this year, when the deadline for compliance with new laws such as the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) comes into force. But funds are already finding ways to profit.
Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the arm of the central bank that manages the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund, Norway's $860 billion Government Pension Fund Global, has ramped up its securities lending program in recent months. And last year the New Zealand Superannuation Fund launched an in-house "Active Collateral Mandate" that seeks out opportunistic sources of yield, including the provision of liquidity in sectors from which banks have withdrawn because of regulatory pressures.
Mark Fennell, general manager, portfolio completion at NZ Super, heads up the active collateral team. He says via email that the fund is monitoring the rise in demand for teflon-plated securities: "Over time as more derivatives become or are required to be centrally cleared, the demand for high-quality, liquid securities to post will increase." Although NZ Super isn't actively lending out collateral directly, Fennell says "there is a role for sovereign wealth funds in this space".
The increased appetite for collateral can be traced back to mid-2009. As policymakers in Europe and the U.S. set about constructing a regulatory scaffold around the tottering financial system, they identified a shared source of concern — the opaque and complex derivatives market. If, as Warren Buffett suggested in 2002, derivatives are "financial weapons of mass destruction," then regulators' task was to to disarm them.
Their solution, as enshrined in the two major pieces of post-crisis regulation — the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and EMIR, first passed in 2012 — was to require that investors clear over-the-counter derivatives trades through a central counterparty clearing house (CCP). The logic was simple: by guaranteeing the trade in the event of a default, the clearing house should prevent the kind of contagion that tore through the global markets in late-2008.
Under the new rules, market participants must post high-quality securities as collateral when using a clearing house. Classified as "financial end users" in regulatory parlance, sovereign wealth funds that trade derivatives for risk management reasons will be affected by the new regulation, and are moving to comply. Several funds are already taking advantage of so-called "collateral optimization" services being offered by custodian banks, which help them to more quickly and efficiently identify, segregate and mobilize securities that they can use as collateral on derivatives transactions.
"Sovereign wealth funds in particular are beginning to approach collateral as something that needs to be identified and managed across their entire portfolio," says Kelly Mathieson, global head of collateral management at JPMorgan Chase & Co. "We've seen strong interest in collateral optimization."
But while the new rules are creating compliance challenges they have also led to opportunities. State-owned investors tend to own large amounts of government bonds and blue-chip equities, so it's not difficult for them to find the high-quality collateral they need to comply with the rules. Many other market participants, however, lack the necessary assets — and sovereign funds can help provide them even as banks become more wary of lending.
Under the overhauled international regulatory framework known as Basel III, financial institutions must hold more liquid assets on their balance sheets as a buffer — and this has made them more reluctant to lend them out. The U.S. Federal Reserve's massive bond buying program, dubbed quantitative easing, has further drained the market of collateral by removing U.S. Treasuries from active trading. A similar initiative by the European Central Bank (ECB) is set to resume next month, may have the same effect with triple-A rated government bonds in Europe.
The end result: a dearth of collateral just when the markets need it most. According to a July 2014 report from the ECB, the total additional collateral market participants will need to comply with the new derivatives regulation could reach €3 trillion ($4 trillion).
Manmohan Singh, a senior economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington D.C., says a lack of what he calls "collateral velocity" is exacerbating the problem; securities are sitting on bank balance sheets until maturity. Sovereign wealth funds can help by putting a portion of their combined $5 trillion in assets into market circulation.
"There's enough collateral out there — there are about $70 trillion-worth of triple-A or double-A securities globally," says Singh. "But only a small fraction of that amount actually comes into the market. Sovereign wealth funds, and similar official sector conduits, can play a big part in satisfying that demand for collateral by circulating their liquid assets. And that's a great opportunity for them to boost their returns, too."
The potential boost in returns is a particularly attractive prospect at a time when bond yields have plunged to historic lows — Danish and Swedish sovereign bonds reached negative yields in early February 2015. Even some corporate bonds, such as those of Swiss confectionery giant Nestlé, have started trading at yields below zero since the beginning of this month.
In this environment, sovereign wealth funds can augment meager returns by lending their bonds out to the market. The simplest way for them to do this is through existing securities lending or repurchase-agreement (repo) programs. "If institutions are willing to participate in securities lending, collateral management can become a funded activity," says JPMorgan Chase's Mathieson. "This a subject we spend a lot of time discussing with our clients: asset managers, insurance companies and sovereigns. By lending out their assets, these institutions could at the very least generate enough cash to meet their obligations and cover fees."
Many funds are currently expanding their lending programs exponentially. Take Norway. As of end-December 2012 NBIM lent out bonds worth 18.4 billion kroner ($3.3 billion) in connection with repurchase agreements; by December 31, 2013, the most recent date for which NBIM provided the relevant data, that figure had more than tripled to NOK 68 billion ($11.3 billion). Stock lending has also increased to NOK 22 billion as of September 2014, up from NOK 18 billion a year earlier.
Some economists agree with former Fed governor Jeremy Stein that by lending securities as collateral, funds may be fostering new linkages and connections that actually increase the risk of market contagion — the opposite of the effect intended by the regulators when they insisted on the shift to centralized clearing for derivatives.
Singh at the IMF says derivatives regulation may create new systemic weaknesses. "Once you start putting collateral in CCPs via the large banks, which are the clearing members for CCPs, then you create more links between the banks and the non-banks," he says. "That makes the system more contagious."
Overall, though, Singh says he thinks increasing liquidity more than compensates for any increased risks. By increasing the free-flow of capital and circulating their high-quality securities, state-owned investors could bolster the resilience of the financial system.
Collateral management is a fast-developing industry. Sovereign wealth funds could generate major profits, but the overall effect on the financial system is open for debate. Such financial innovations, as always, bring with them a flammable mix of risk and opportunity.


Wray's testimony came days after President Donald Trump tweeted that the former director James Comey left the FBI's reputation "in tatters," prompting Wray to send out a morale-boosting memo to the bureau's 35,000 employees.
The committee's chairman, Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte, echoed Trump's remark that Comey had damaged the FBI's reputation.
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday in his first congressional hearing since he was confirmed to replace former FBI Director James Comey in August.
Wray's testimony came days after President Donald Trump tweeted that Comey left the FBI's reputation "in tatters," prompting Wray to send out a morale-boosting memo to the bureau's 35,000 employees.
"There is no shortage of opinions out there," Wray said in his testimony. "What I can tell you is tens of thousands of agents and analysts and staff working their tails off to keep Americans safe from the next terrorist attack, gang violence, child predators, spies from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. The FBI that I see is tens of thousands of brave men and women who are working as hard as they can to keep people that they will never know safe from harm."
Breaking with longstanding precedent, Trump did not attend Wray's swearing-in ceremony in September.
"You have a unique opportunity to repair the damage done by Comey to the FBI," Goodlatte said in an opening statement. He asserted that the bureau's decision not to recommend charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server showed that "our nation's system of justice applies differently to the rich, powerful, and well-connected than to anyone else."
He expressed dismay that he the Justice Department has not yet appointed "a second special counsel to review the voluminous unresolved inconsistencies and perceived improprieties" that arose during the Clinton email investigation.
Goodlatte also took a shot at special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russia's election interference.
"We do not know the magnitude of insider bias on Mr. Mueller's team," he said.
Trump's rocky relationship with the FBI reached a tipping point when he fired Comey in May over "the Russia thing," according to remarks he made in an interview days later with NBC's Lester Holt. Trump had asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to outline reasons why Comey was not fit to lead the bureau, which he then used as justification to fire him.
Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, the committee's ranking member, predicted that Trump's attacks on the FBI will grow louder as Mueller "closes in" on the White House. Nadler implored Wray to push back on those attacks.
If Trump targets the bureau again, Nadler said, "Your job is to stand up to the president of the United States."
"Your job requires you to have the courage in these circumstances to stand up to the president. ... There are real consequences in allowing the president to continue his attacks on the FBI," he said.
Wray started by saying that it is "the honor of a lifetime" to represent the men and women of the FBI.
"There is no finer institution than the FBI, and no finer people than the people who work there and represent its beating heart," Wray said. "I am both humbled and inspired to be back in public service working alongside them."
"There is no shortage of opinions out there," Wray said, when asked by Nadler about Trump's comments. "The FBI I see is tens of thousands of agents, analysts, and staff working their tails off to keep Americans safe."
Strzok also sent text messages that could be perceived as anti-Trump before joining Mueller's team of investigators examining Russia's election interference. Asked about that, Wray also deferred to the inspector general.


text:
Isocitronsyre er den protonerede form af isocitrat, der er et substrat i citronsyrecyklussen. Isocitrat dannes fra citrat ved hjælp af enzymet aconitase og videreføres til α-ketoglutarat af enzymet isocitrat dehydrogenase.

Citronsyrecyklus
Carboxylsyrer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: ASP Error - Microsoft JET Database Engine error '80040e07' im having trouble with a registration form connecting to a database and storing the data, below is the error im getting.

Microsoft JET Database Engine error '80040e07'
Data type mismatch in criteria expression.
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text:
The first word a child was "Alex": that voice assistants do with kids
Lottie Ledger & Mark Brady of the UK informed the agency Caters news that their year-old child said his first word. It sounds like "Alex", and the word he said before, "Mom" or "Dad." As you might guess, was the name of the voice assistant of the company Amazon, which is built into the Echo device.
The parents initially thought it was funny. Their son, Joe talked with the device in the house of the grandparents. Apparently, it was the most actively Alexa replied the child.
When the news spread through the world with the help of New York Post, many perceived the situation is not so harmless. Immediately reminded of videos on YouTube and Facebook, where children actively interact with Alexa, and other voice assistants. Parents began to reflect on the impact of these products in the future of their children.
Alexa for children in terms of Amazon's
Of course, Amazon in this case are satisfied. The company has even released a special version of Echo Dot devices for children. The possibilities of this device are limited. In addition, it comes in a bright and attractive colors for children. Echo Dot children can read books and even automatically filter profanity in the songs. The difference is that you can not buy with the help of the children's unit anything.
So grow later users of products and services Amazon. In the future, the children who talked of his childhood with the voice assistant will use them much more active, including for purchases that Amazon is extremely important. Siri has been around for almost 7 years, but many users of Apple devices is still not used to it. Our children will be accustomed to, if the house will be equipped with devices such as Amazon Echo.
Alexa for children with a user's point of view
If the first word of a little boy really was a voice assistant's name, it is quite disturbing. Let us not forget that the voice assistants not only give us information, but also to collect it. They collect it in order to give us the information that may be of interest to us. This is how online advertising works today. But if we want to Amazon or Google shows ads to our children, that the children will be happy to see or hear?
Another question - whether glad our children are grown up to what companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook have started to collect data on them before they really learned to speak. It is no secret that large technology companies with a certain period started to get a lot of information about us. Nevertheless, our childhood is left untouched. Today we can hardly give something like that to a new generation, and in some cases, Amazon will know about the child more than his parents know.
Amazon has become a producer of technology. What device it introduced?
How many employees are paid best tehnokompany the world in 2019?
High-quality sound in the farthest corner of the concert hall - how is this possible?
This robot is capable of anything, the main thing - to be able to teach it
Amazon taught robots do not come close to the people
Intelligence Google - Samsung TVs
Alexa learned to speak in a whisper. And it looks weird
What do we get if we do "more human" machine?
More than 30 of the largest IT-companies will sign a "digital Geneva Convention"
Smart speaker Echo will help the police
Drones Amazon will self-destruct in an accident
Amazon has patented label-parachutes
These technologies will change your life in 2017


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You are visiting the placeholder page for Lisa Walls. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Lisa Walls. We created this page automatically in hopes Lisa Walls would find it. If you are not Lisa Walls, but are an alumni of Newberry High School Newberry, SC, register on this site for free now.


Free Romantic Bicycle in Meadow Wallpaper makes a great desktop wallpaper image or screensaver photo for your desktop, iPhone, or Android cell phone or tablet. Our high resolution 4k HD quality picture will make your desktop or mobile cell phone beautiful. Keywords: mobile, free, image, photo, background, hd, nostalgia, flowers, high resolution, picnic, desktop, computer, wallpaper, bike.


text:
Home / medium import / Cutting through the Weekly Mobile Security Noise: Battling Breaches & Threats
Cutting through the Weekly Mobile Security Noise: Battling Breaches & Threats
Mar 14, 2015 Posted by: Z Team cyber security, Mobile Security, News
As the battle against cyber security and online threats continues, we've been monitoring conversations around how security trends impact organizations and policy makers across our nation. This week's events demonstrate the importance of the topic of cyber security, not just for organizations and individuals, but for government authorities as well.
Moscow-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab has become a leading authority on American cyber security threats, but sources within the company say it has hesitated at least twice before exposing hacking activities attributed to mother Russia. "Some companies think we should be stopping all hackers. Others think we should stop only the other guy's hackers – they think we can win the war," said Dan Kaminsky, chief scientist at security firm White Ops Inc. Eugene Kaspersky said his company has never been asked to step away from researching an attack. He also said his team would not be swayed by any country or officials interests. However, several Kaspersky Lab employees say otherwise. As governments spend more money on network threat protection, they will continue to make connections with cybersecurity companies.
This week the federal government announced its plan to let businesses take the lead in creating standards for cyber threat information sharing. Andy Ozment, Homeland Security assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications, tells Information Security Media Group,"It won't look exactly like the effort to develop the cybersecurity framework, but it won't be dramatically different, either," He says. "The outcome is that the private sector will again have convened and come up with a set of best practices." Last month ISAOs called an executive, signed by President Obama to identify best practices for security. However, The Department of Homeland Security is taking a different approach, DHS will hold competitions to select private-sector groups known as ISAO standards organizations to develop the guidelines for the creation and operations of ISAOs. Ozment says, "ultimately it will be up to the private sector to say, 'These are the practices that we think matter most that constitute an effective ISAO.'"
Since 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission has encouraged companies to evaluate the various risks against its operational and financial programs. However, as the latest breaches continue to evolve, companies' investors still view cyber security as a less important topic, often folding it into other legal issues. Cyber threats don't usually generate much investor attention than other risk factors. According to Fortune, "If companies are spending to improve cyber security, investors might expect to see increases in capitalized software reported in the balance sheet. Companies aren't required to disclose the nature of their capitalized software, however. Even if there are noticeable increases in capitalized software, investors can't be sure that they relate to improved data security. Any hardening costs that affect earnings might get rationalized in the quarterly earnings call, but it's certainly not a trend."
Online Trust Alliance pens letter to Congress over federal data breach notification law – SC Magazine
Earlier this week, The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) wrote a letter to Congress earlier in response to President Obama's proposed Personal Data Notification & Protection Act. The group also wrote that any law should "contain an appropriate coverage of personal information triggering notification obligations. The group stated, "As an individual's online worlds grows and expands, as our next generations spend more and more time socializing, communicating, gaming, shopping, banking, and researching online, so must the protections afforded to them." The organization lists six points why its important to complete a federal data breach notification law.
The post Cutting through the Weekly Mobile Security Noise: Battling Breaches & Threats appeared first on Zimperium Mobile Security Blog.
Millions Stolen from US and EU Banks Could've Been Prevented Dec 22, 2020


Gymnastics is a sport that requires balance, power and grace in the execution of the moves required. From the very simple to the highly complex, the moves in gymnastics require dedication to training and a heightened sense of balance from the gymnast. The beauty of a full extension, the rush of a perfect landing, the feeling of flying through the air in a perfect somersault - all these things are what keep gymnasts so passionate about their craft.
One of the things you will need to understand about gymnastics is that it is a very demanding sport. The training involved is often rigorous, and you must be able to prepare yourself for times that you will fall, bruise yourself, or hurt yourself attempting some of the moves. However, you must also learn to take this in stride. As with any sport, you must be able to put your heart and soul into the art form. You will need to get up over and over again and work at it until you achieve a level of confidence and stability in yourself.
If you are starting out, enroll in a gymnastics class at your school or your local gym. Joining a class is probably the best way to learn the basics of gymnastics, and on your very first day you will get an idea of how the instructor will be as both a teacher and mentor. You will also get to meet other aspiring gymnasts who share the same passion as you do - it will be a lot more fun if you are able to get a training partner or two, as this can help motivate you even more during the training. Be sure to always keep the lines of communication open with your instructor - always ask for pointers, as he or she will have an objective opinion about your performance.
To practice your balance, try walking back and forth on a balance beam. Once you get your bearings and have a general idea of how to balance yourself, you will have taken the first step towards becoming a competitive gymnast. You can then move on to learning how to do a cartwheel and a forward roll. These are two of the most basic moves in gymnastics, and are often the beginning moves of any gymnastic routine.
Conditioning is key in gymnastics. You will have to train your core muscles by building strength in your chest, abdominal area and hips. Also, upper body strength is very important in gymnastics. Try to build your upper body and arm strength through a series of push-ups for your chest, and pull-ups for your back and shoulders. Remember, do not train yourself too hard, as the body's muscles will need time to recuperate and build strength after a physically demanding workout.
Be sure to stretch before and after every training session. Your body will have to be trained to be very limber in order to pull off the more complicated moves.
Have discipline in training - make a training regimen that suits your pace and stick with it.
When you find that you are beginning to tire, there is nothing wrong with taking a break. Sit down, rest up a bit, and rehydrate yourself. The measure of a true athlete is how often he decided to get back into training after a series of failures.
Gymnastics is as much a mental game as it is a physical sport, so be sure that you train with an open mind and a clear head. Always be receptive to constructive criticism and keep yourself motivated towards your goals.


text:
var gulp =            require('gulp'),
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    uglify =          require('gulp-uglify'),
    autoprefixer =    require('gulp-autoprefixer'),
    cleanCSS =        require('gulp-clean-css'),
    imagemin =        require('gulp-imagemin'),
    nunjucksRender =  require('gulp-nunjucks-render'),
    concat =          require('gulp-concat'),
    htmlmin =         require('gulp-htmlmin');

// Static Server + watching scss/html files.
gulp.task('serve', ['sass', 'nunjucks-html-watch'], function() {
    browserSync.init({
        server: './build'
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    gulp.watch('css/dev/*.scss', ['sass']);
    gulp.watch('./**/*.html', ['nunjucks-html-watch'])
});

gulp.task('sass', function() {
    return gulp.src('css/style.scss')
        .pipe(sass())
        .pipe(autoprefixer({
            browsers: ['last 2 versions'],
            cascade: false
        }))
        .pipe(cleanCSS())
        .pipe(gulp.dest('./build/css'))
        .pipe(browserSync.stream());
});

gulp.task('compressJs', function () {
    return gulp.src('js/*.js')
        .pipe(uglify())
        .pipe(gulp.dest('build/js'))
});

gulp.task('compressImage', function () {
    return gulp.src('img/**')
        .pipe(imagemin({
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            optimizationLevel: 3
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        .pipe(gulp.dest('build/img'))
});

gulp.task('nunjucks', function() {
  return gulp.src('pages/**/*.+(html|nunjucks)')
    .pipe(nunjucksRender({
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    .pipe(htmlmin(
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        removeComments: true
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    .pipe(gulp.dest('build'))
});

// Create a task that ensures the `nunjucks` task is complete before reloading browsers.
gulp.task('nunjucks-html-watch', ['nunjucks'], function () {
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});

gulp.task('vendors-scripts', function() {
  return gulp.src([
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    .pipe(concat('vendors.js'))
    .pipe(gulp.dest('build/js/'));
});

gulp.task('copy-files', function() {
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});

// Compile project.
gulp.task('build-project', ['sass', 'compressImage', 'compressJs', 'nunjucks', 'vendors-scripts', 'copy-files']);

// Compile and start project.
gulp.task('default', ['build-project', 'serve']);


Slipping and falling is one of the leading causes of injuries for seniors. These falls can not only impact physical well-being, but also mental wellness. Focusing on prevention can help decrease the risk of potential life-altering accidents.
Retired Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. M.E. Hecht has published an informative handbook called, The Slip and Fall Prevention Handbook: You Make the Difference. This handbook provides best practices in avoiding fall-related injuries. Dr. Hecht has written the following article for A Place for Mom readers with practical tips to help keep your senior loved one safe.
70% of serious injuries, requiring emergency room visits and often surgery, happen within or just out of 30 yards of your home.
The most common of these are hip or other fractures, and traumatic brain injuries.
It does not matter whether your home is a walk up one-roomer, or a McMansion, if you are 55 or over, you are part of the serious injury-vulnerable population.
If this sounds alarmist, I assure you as an Orthopedic Surgeon with over 35 years' experience of seeing and treating just such unfortunate events, it is just the plain facts.
But will these statistics become an inevitable fact of life for you or those near and dear to you? Is a traumatic slip and fall built into your home and age? The good news is no! Not if you're proactive on your own behalf, that is.
The only question that then remains is: how?
A Place for Mom has published cogent and practical advice many times on how to avoid slip and fall trouble. I would like to add some underlying principles and methods that can be used anytime and anywhere. They are founded on the principle of how you can avoid trouble in general.
What I mean by "staying in the moment" is being mindfully aware of what is going on, not only with you but also around you. If your mind wanders, or you are thinking about something other than exactly where you are and what you're doing, you're asking for trouble, especially the kind of trouble that can lead to a slip or fall.
Pay attention to the steps, and by all means use railings when available.
Look for a defect in carpeting or step risers.
If you feel the slight bit dizzy, stop, be sure you have a firm grip on the railing, and take a deep breath.
Travel on down carefully and slowly, there is no need to rush.
If you still feel uneasy, just sit down right where you are and call for help.
Stay in the moment by being aware and helping yourself.
Although the staircase is only one example, think of the principle often, let's say when you're preparing a meal, driving a car or even crossing a familiar street — stay in the moment!
Teach yourself to pause, look around at your surroundings, or if appropriate, listen.
Think before entering your own living room, especially if the lights aren't on (you may have left something not where it belongs but in the way). Or, when you're in your car, while still in park or foot is on brake, take a good look all around, and because every car has a 'blind spot' put your window down and listen to your surroundings — stop, look and listen!
This principle is especially good when entering a room, whether it's your own living room, a room into which you've never been, or any outside venue.
Look Low: At floor, street or rug level — is there anything that might give you a problem (loose rugs, high curbs, left objects)?
Look Level: At about chair level—is anything in your way?
Look Up: Toward the ceiling. Is there enough light for you to proceed safely or do you need to turn something on?
In the beginning you may think it's a bother, but believe me, over time you will become more adept, and if you do this consistently, you will avoid injury.
Even if you think the house is on fire, don't rush or run. Also, don't dash to open the front door. However long it takes you to walk calmly over, whoever or whatever is on the outside will wait if it's of any importance.
I think at this point you get the idea.
Finally, despite your carefulness, you should know what steps to follow if you've taken a fall.
Step One: Stop. Stay exactly where you've fallen. Take a few deep breaths, then use your medic-alert call device or your cell phone if you have these on your person and summon help. If not, yell and then yell again. Sooner or later someone will hear you.
Step Two: Do not try to rise immediately, until you've accomplished step three.
Step Three: Do a self-check to assess where and how you may be injured. You will sense whether you're badly hurt or even whether you've broken a bone. If help hasn't come repeat step one until it does.
In general, don't be embarrassed to let others help you. However, if there's any doubt in your mind about your injury, wait for the EMT people to arrive.
Major principle — remember no matter what — that you make the difference!
M.E. Hecht, M.D., is a published author, freelance writer and Orthopedic Surgeon. Her published books and articles have been written for Vogue Magazine, Sunrise River Press, The Wall Street Journal, American Medical News, Medical Tribune, Nations Business and others. She is also author of "A Practical Guide to Hip Surgery" and "The Slip and Fall Prevention Handbook, You Make the Difference" — both books are available online at Amazon.
Brilliant article. I like the "Three L method" to avoid injury. Thanks for posting this.
Thank you for sharing that information with us, John!
This is a very informative article! I just wanted to add my view on slip-and-falls. The best solution is prevention, before injuries occur. Shoes are the most effective and first line of defense against a slip-and-fall. Wearing a non-slip shoe will help the most, but all of the slip resistant shoes are generally made for the workplace. My company, Rhea Footwear, brought this out to casual shoes. Our main focus is on creating shoes that you can wear casually and formally, while providing the the best non-slip protection with our patented outsole. A picture below is what a good slip resistant outsole should look like.
Thanks! We will be in touch with you soon.
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When did I stop being Calvin and start being the father?
Yep — here we go again… the royal "we", in this case, picking up pen and paper (keyboard and screen, if you prefer) and giving the brain some space to process whatever clutter is there.
Maple sugaring time has arrived!
…we dashed out to tap our favorite sugar maple trees.


Food should not cause pain. Eating is a way of nourishing our minds and bodies, and creates an environment to share and connect with loved ones.
When someone fixates on their food consumption, it may be a symptom of an eating disorder. Through the treatment of such disorders, it is often found that the problem is an attempt to control stress, deal with fear, and lessen pain. Control is at the center of eating disorder thinking and behaving. For some, life becomes so unmanageable that food is the only thing they feel they can control. Many do not realize that this is just an illusion of control and really the disorder rules their lives. Eating disorders are complex to treat, and they may be complicated by the presence of other disorders.
Anxiety disorders often involve constant worrying and restlessness. Even sleep becomes an issue, with recurrent nightmares and insomnia. The causes behind anxiety disorders vary, many stemming from childhood experiences or aggravated by a genetic predisposition to such issues. However, the environment in which we live plays a large part in the existence of anxiety disorders.
Mood disorders make up a large part of the diagnosed mental illnesses in the United States. They are usually associated with depression or bipolar illness, although sometimes the term is used to describe a less severe form of depression. However, quite often anxiety and a mood disorder coexist, complicating the sufferer's illness. Co-occuring disorder treatment takes into account all aspects of anxiety and mood disorder. Both mood/anxiety disorders and eating disorders have a few things in common: they are aggravated by stressful life situations. And, to a certain degree, they are about control, or the inability to control situations and stress.
Anorexia Nervosa, where the sufferer severely restrict their food intake. Most who have anorexia nervosa are at least fifteen percent below their normal body weight.
Bulimia Nervosa sufferers typically engage in binge eating followed by some form of purging.
Binge Eating/Compulsive Overeating is marked by an excessive food intake over a short time period. This condition often leads to obesity, and is differentiated from bulimia by the lack of purging after excessive eating.
Many people seeking help for their eating disorders also have an anxiety or mood problem. Quite often, programs for eating disorders fall short of success. The reason why? The treatment is only addressing the eating disorder behaviors and not processing underlying emotional/mood disturbances.
At Casa Palmera behavioral health facility in San Diego, we offer effective dual diagnosis treatments for anxiety and eating disorders because We know that effective dual diagnosis treatment means identifying and addressing all disorders, from bipolar disorder to depression, to bulimia. Rehab centers abound throughout the country, but Casa Palmera's residential treatment center near San Diego has knowledge and experience in handling dual diagnoses. Life is not all about black and white distinctions. We recognize the grey areas that exist and the only way to address the black, white and grey issues is to take a holistic approach that focuses on the complete person.
While many treatment facilities identify one major disorder for treatment, Casa Palmera recognizes that complete healing cannot occur without comprehensive evaluation and treatment of all issues facing a client. Our holistic approach to mood disorders and eating disorder treatment means that we look at all the factors in diagnosing an individual, providing a safe and nurturing environment for healing and growth to heal the mind, body, and spirit. If you are seeking treatment in the San Diego area for bulimia or other eating disorders along with anxiety, please contact us today and begin your road to recovery.