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Latest News in Israel – 13th November
Evidence Netanyahu took bribes growing
There is increasing evidence to support bribery charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in corruption Case 1000, according to media reports.
On Thursday, the Lahav 433 National Crime Unit questioned Netanyahu for over four hours at his official residence in Jerusalem. During the questioning, Lahav 433 confronted Netanyahu with the testimony of Hollywood movie mogul Arnon Milchan, Channel 10 News reported on Friday night.
In Case 1000, the "gifts affair," it is suspected that Netanyahu improperly accepted expensive gifts from different businessmen.
Milchan has confirmed that he regularly sent cigars and other gifts to the prime minister and his wife, Sara.
Police are investigating several situations where Netanyahu may allegedly have used his power for the benefit of Milchan.
The first is an initiative nine years ago to establish a free trade zone near the Jordanian border. It is suspected that Milchan asked Netanyahu to promote the project. The request was said to have been made following consultation with Indian billionaire Ratan Tata, whom Israeli police recently questioned. The initiative never came to fruition.
Police questioned Netanyahu about his part in the initiative, Channel 10 News reported.
Netanyahu reportedly answered: "It could have been very profitable for the country, and would have created many jobs for both Palestinians and Israelis. I did not know that Milchan was involved in this [project]."
However, Milchan allegedly told the police that he worked with Netanyahu to advance this initiative.
Police also asked the prime minister why he had helped Milchan to secure an American visa, and if doing so, had anything to do with the gifts received.
Netanyahu is said to have answered: "There is no connection between the two.
My relationship with Milchan goes way back. He is a long-time friend of mine.
I tried helping him because of his contribution to the State of Israel, just like I helped many others."
Both the police's and the state prosecution's suspicion of bribery is getting stronger, Channel 10 News reported.
Netanyahu has acknowledged accepting gifts from Milchan, but maintained they were presents exchanged between friends and did not constitute bribery or a breach of trust. The prime minister has denied any wrongdoing.
"It is allowed – according to the law – to receive gifts from friends… Arnon Milchan and I have been friends for over 20 years. We are good friends, our wives are good friends," he said at the Knesset in January.
Netanyahu is expected to be questioned at least twice more by police.
Channel 2 News reported on Saturday that police sources said that Netanyahu was unable to refute the allegations presented during his questioning.
A senior police source had said that great progress had been made in the investigation and that if there were no major developments, they would begin the final phases of the investigation next month.
Police officials would not confirm the report.
"We are not conducting our investigations or any other procedure within the media, only in the interrogation rooms," a police spokesman said. (Jerusalem Post)
Intelligence minister: Israel planning UN action against Iran
Following the surprising resignation of Lebanon's prime minister, Israel is planning a diplomatic offensive to step up pressure on Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah at the United Nations, a senior Israeli government minister said Thursday.
Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz says he believes conditions are ripe to take a stand against Iranian actions in the region, including its support for the Lebanese Shiite militant group.
In particular, he said that Israel wants the world, after years of inaction, to tightly enforce a 2006 cease-fire agreement that called on Hezbollah to disarm and stay away from Israel's border.
"The resignation of Lebanon's Prime Minister [Saad] Hariri exposes Hezbollah's real face," Katz said. "Iran is taking over Lebanon. Hezbollah is taking over Lebanon."
Israel has long considered Iran to be its greatest foe, citing the Islamic republic's hostile rhetoric, suspect nuclear program, development of long-range missiles and support for anti-Israeli militant groups.
It has been closely watching Iran's involvement in the war in neighboring Syria and is deeply concerned that Iran, along with Hezbollah, will maintain a permanent presence in post-war Syria. It fears that Iran could use Syrian territory to stage attacks on Israel or create a land corridor from Iran to Lebanon that could allow it to transfer weapons more easily to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah and Israel battled Israel to a stalemate in a month long war in 2006 that ended in a U.N.-brokered cease-fire.
The agreement, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, called for the disarmament of militant groups in Lebanon and an end to arms transfers to them. The only armed forces allowed in southern Lebanon were the Lebanese national army and U.N. peacekeepers.
The cease-fire, however, has been poorly enforced, and Israel believes Hezbollah has amassed an arsenal of some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel, much of it stockpiled near the border.
"We don't need a new resolution. We just need to implement an existing one," said Katz, who will head to the United States later this month to press Israel's case.
"I think Hariri's resignation allows Israel to lead a process with the United Nations, with the Security Council, United States, France and other countries and demand to implement Resolution 1701," he said. "That first of all is a process we plan to lead."
Announcing his resignation last Saturday in a pre-recorded speech from Saudi Arabia, Hariri accused Iran of meddling in Arab affairs and Hezbollah of holding Lebanon hostage. Hezbollah has members in the Lebanese unity government that Hariri formed last year.
Hariri's surprise resignation has thrown Lebanon into turmoil, with many accusing Saudi Arabia of carrying out a power play aimed at wrecking the unity deal with Hezbollah. On Thursday, Hariri's party in Lebanon demanded he return from Saudi Arabia, implying he was being held against his will.
Katz spoke before Thursday's accusations against Saudi Arabia but discounted the possibility that the kingdom was behind his resignation, saying, "I don't think they forced him to resign. The threat against him in Lebanon is concrete."
Israel has long sought better enforcement of the U.N. cease-fire. But Katz said changing circumstances make the time ripe for diplomatic action. He cited the strong support for Israel by the new U.S. administration, the international jockeying for influence as the Syrian war moves toward an end and what he called Israel's "shared interests" with Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab countries who also feel threatened by Iran.
In a sign of progress for Israel, the Security Council renewed the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon in September with new orders for more patrols and detailed reports on run-ins with Hezbollah.
Israel has largely stayed on the sidelines throughout the six-year Syrian war. But officials have acknowledged carrying out dozens of airstrikes inside Syria against suspected weapons shipments bound for Hezbollah. Israel has been lobbying both the U.S. and Russia, Syria's strongest ally, for safeguards that Iran and its allies will remain far from its borders in post-war Syria and that sophisticated weapons will not be able to reach Hezbollah.
Katz said Israel prefers diplomatic arrangements but is ready to use military action if necessary.
"Israel has made clear what its red lines are and we will stand by those red lines," he said. (Israel Hayom)
Patriot missile intercepts drone on Israel's border with Syria
A Patriot missile intercepted a drone Saturday that approached the Golan Heights on Israel's border with Syria, according to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit
The intercepted Unmanned aerial aircraft, which is believed to have been gathering intelligence for the Syrian regime, fell over the demilitarized zone in the northern Golan Heights around 11am.
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman stated that the State of Israel views any violation of its sovereignty with "great severity" and reiterated Israel would respond to any provocation with force.
"We view the Syrian regime as responsible for all firing and violations of our sovereignty and call on it to restrain all elements operating from its territory," he said.
"We will not allow the establishment of the Shiite axis in Syria as a forward-operating base," Liberman said.
The interception comes amid heightened tensions on Israel's northern border.
Israel has in the past used the Patriot system against suspicious aerial vehicles, most recently in September when Israel intercepted an Iranian-built Hezbollah-manned drone that was close to the "Bravo line" that marks the Syrian demilitarized zone.
While the drone did not at any point cross into Israeli territory, "the IDF will not allow any infiltration or attempt to infiltrate by any Iranian elements, be it Hezbollah or Shia militia groups, to the Golan Heights. We will respond to every action very clearly and we will act to prevent any future attempt," IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis stated at the time.
In April, another drone, which had flown into Israel from Syria hours after Israel allegedly struck a Hezbollah arms depot near Damascus International Airport, was intercepted by the system.
The system was also used in July 2016, when two Patriot missiles were fired at a suspicious drone that crossed into Israeli airspace from Syria. Both missed their targets and the unmanned aircraft returned to Syria. In August 2014, a Patriot missile successfully shot down a drone that entered Israeli airspace from the Quneitra region in Syria, close to the Israeli border.
In a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post, Commander of the Aerial Defense Division Brig.-Gen. Tzvika Haimovitch stated UAVs are a big challenge due to their size, speed and low flying altitude. Nevertheless, Israel's aerial defense systems "are flexible enough" to counter any threat, including UAVs.
In mid-August, Israel carried out a test of its Patriot system focusing on the threats posed by UAVs and firing multiple interceptor missiles toward aerial targets over central Israel.
With the Iron Dome, the Arrow and David's Sling, Israel's aerial defense system provides a comprehensive protective umbrella able to counter the growing missile threats from short-range rockets to longer-range ballistic missiles fired at ranges between 40 to 300 km. (Jerusalem Post)
Hamas slams PA resumption of security coordination with Israel
A Hamas spokesman on Thursday expressed disapproval of a Palestinian Authority official's announcement that the PA has resumed full security coordination with Israel.
On Wednesday, Police chief Hazem Atallah told foreign journalists that all branches of the PA security forces fully restored security cooperation with Israel two weeks ago.
In July, PA President Mahmoud Abbas announced that security coordination was halted in response to Israel's placement of metal detectors near the entrances to the Temple Mount.
However, in practice, only certain elements of security coordination were suspended. It is unclear exactly which elements were halted.
"Hamas is surprised by the PA in the West Bank's resumption of security coordination and cooperation with the Zionist enemy, which is the equivalent of the greatest danger to the Palestinian people, its unity and its legitimate rights including the right to resist the occupation," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement.
Both Israel and the PA carry out almost daily arrests of Hamas operatives in West Bank, which Hamas officials contend is a result of security coordination.
Barhoum added that security coordination "distorts the reputation of the Palestinian people, and its struggles and history."
Security coordination is highly unpopular in the Palestinian territories.
Seventy three percent of Palestinians supported Abbas's decision to suspend security coordination with Israel in July, a September poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found.
Nonetheless, PA security officials have defended the policy, asserting that it serves Palestinian interests.
Atallah said of security coordination on Wednesday: "Mostly, this is for our people, the safety of our people and for the rights of our people." (Jerusalem Post)
Israel wants a big cut from the Jewish National Fund
American Jews dropped nickels and dimes into the Jewish National Fund's blue charity boxes to help Zionists build the Jewish state.
More than a century later, the JNF, known in Hebrew as Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, is rich. It owns 13 percent of all the land in the country and brings in some $3 billion a year, most of it from land sales.
Israel now wants a big cut of that revenue to help fund state-run national infrastructure projects, and the government is pushing legislation that would force JNF to pay up. But JNF is holding out, saying it is doing a fine job developing the country on its own.
The government feels entitled to JNF's money, which according to its mission is held in trust for the Jewish people. While JNF is not state run, the government appoints many of its officials and a public agency, the Israel Land Authority, manages and sells its land. In the past, the government has often drawn on JNF funds to meet its needs, and is currently seeking to fund its two-year budget.
"The JNF sells lands every year and receives billions of shekels in return," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday at an emergency government meeting on the issue. "It is very important that this money be channelled to the needs of the State of Israel."
In response, the JNF argues that it has earned the right to independence. Founded in 1901, it bought land and founded settlements on which Israel was established in 1948. Famed for planting hundreds of millions of trees in Israel, the not-for-profit group also focuses on land reclamation and development of communities outside central Israel.
"Mr. Prime Minister, KKL-JNF invests billions every year in strengthening the periphery, education and the environment," JNF head Dany Atar tweeted Tuesday, using an acronym that includes its Hebrew name. "It's a shame that you, Bibi, are fulfilling Zahalka's dream of dismantling the JNF."
Jamal Zahalka, a Knesset member from the Arab Joint List party, is among those who criticize JNF for selling land exclusively to Jews.
Some would like to see JNF reformed for other reasons.
In January, a scathing state comptroller report characterized JNF as wasteful, opaque and possibly compromised by conflicts of interest. According to the report, over the 15 months leading up to November 2015, the JNF spent just a third of its revenue on public projects to develop land compared to 43 percent to "expand its own financial assets." The comptroller recommended expanded government oversight of the organization.
In response, JNF issued a list of planned reforms in May that Atar said would "deal courageously with the failures and the criticism and use this low point to create a significant turnaround in the life of the organization."
Under pressure from the government, Atar agreed last month to hand over 2 billion shekels, or $570 million, in two installments — one this year and one the next. But the JNF board of directors rejected the deal and instead offered to make just the first payment.
That led government ministers to advance legislation Tuesday that would require JNF to transfer 80 percent of its revenue to the Finance Ministry every year or lose its tax-exempt status. Coalition chairman David Bitan reportedly told ministers that the government must collect the money or it could collapse, forcing new elections.
Nonetheless, several coalition members opposed taking a hard line against the venerable Zionist institution, and later Tuesday, the Knesset Finance Committee lowered the legislation's demand to 65 percent of JNF's annual revenue.
For the time being, JNF has declared a freeze on the marketing and development of housing projects on the land it owns. On Thursday, the leaders of the World Zionist Organization, which is affiliated with JNF, will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.
As it happens, the American branch of the JNF will also host its annual conference this weekend in South Florida. However, the event will probably do little to address the situation in Israel. JNF-USA has stopped sending money from blue boxes, or pretty much anywhere else, to its Israeli counterpart, and largely funds its own distinct projects. (JTA/the Times of Israel)
British Jews Fear Long term Fallout From Row Over UK Government Minister's Undisclosed Meetings With Israeli Leaders
British Jewish leaders fear that the public row over a UK government minister's undisclosed meetings with Israeli leaders while on a family vacation in Israel will have negative implications for their community that will last for several years.
Priti Patel, the minister concerned, announced on Wednesday she was resigning from her post as international development secretary in the government of Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May. Patel held meetings with 12 senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan, without disclosing these to the foreign office in London — a major violation of protocol. Some of the meetings were facilitated by Lord Stuart Polak, the head of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) lobby group, who has been accused along with Patel of giving contradictory accounts of the timing and frequency of these meetings.
Patel's resignation has not ended the speculation about which of her seniors in the British government knew about her meetings, and exactly when they acquired this knowledge. According to The Jewish Chronicle, May's office was alerted to Patel's meeting with Netanyahu through a conversation that Michael Oren, a deputy minister in Netanyahu's office, held with one of Patel's ministerial colleagues on the same day.
The Jewish Chronicle also claimed that Patel was instructed by May's office not to disclose her meeting with a senior Israeli official in New York in September, "as it would embarrass the Foreign and Commonwealth Office." The paper's editor, Stephen Pollard, said such revelations "mean that there are some serious questions for Number 10 to answer about who knew what, when — including the PM."
A signature piece of US anti-terrorism legislation is scheduled to be "marked up" by the House Foreign Affairs Committee next…
Yet Jewish leaders are concerned that the affair will gravely damage British-Israel relations and encourage the further spread of antisemitic conspiracy theories. One official was quoted as saying, "This will set us back 20 years."
"This will feed into the conspiracy theories," a Jewish MP said. "It needn't damage UK-Israel relations, but it will make many people more wary." (the Algemeiner)
(Many in Israel are asking if she would suffered the same fate if she met unofficially and did not disclose any meetings with say German or Dutch politicians RW)
Meet the Ambassador: Australia's new envoy loves to roam Jerusalem
When he presented his credentials to President Reuven Rivlin on August 8, Australian Ambassador Chris Cannan brought with him his 11-year-old twin sons Alex and Nicholas, who were vacationing in Israel.
The boys live in Brussels with Cannan's ex-wife who is also a diplomat and deputy head of mission at the Australian Embassy in Belgium. They receive a well-rounded education in that they are absorbing European culture in Belgium, and when they visit their father they imbibe a multi-cultural Middle Eastern experience.
They absolutely loved it when they were here for the summer, says Cannan in an interview with The Jerusalem Post while recovering from the hectic pace of the very recent visit to Israel by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
It's not often that a new ambassador tumbles into an event of such magnitude as an historic visit by his Prime minister with a large entourage and a highly detailed and complex itinerary.
Of course Cannan knew before taking up his post that Turnbull would be coming to Israel at the end of October to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba and to join in the inauguration of Beersheba's ANZAC Museum.
He just wasn't fully aware of the extent to which he would be personally involved in the arrangements leading up to the visit, as much of the preliminary work had been done by his close friend and colleague, former Australian ambassador Dave Sharma, who returned to Israel for the occasion.
Sitting over coffee in a Jerusalem hotel, the affable Cannan, who quickly gets on first name terms with people, and who has an impressive and varied Foreign Service background, tells the Post that for a first time ambassador, Israel is an ideal posting. "This is a geo-politically important part of the world."
He also mentions the large Australian military presence in the Middle East, the constant flow of Australian start-up entrepreneurs who come to Australia's launching pad in Tel Aviv as well as the many Australian parliamentarians who come to Israel to learn more about the region.
During Turnbull's visit, there was the signing of a defense industry Memorandum of Understanding and there was an agreement to hold annual defense strategic talks, which Cannan says is "something long overdue because of common interests in stability and security as well as a shared agenda on terrorism."
The MoU and the annual talks provide a real opportunity for building up defense and security relations, he says, adding that this includes a cybersecurity dialogue with the participation of leading figures from business, government and academia.
Curiously, he is the fourth consecutive Australian ambassador since 2006 for whom Israel is a first time ambassadorial posting. The others were James Larsen, Andrea Faulkner and Sharma.
The Middle East was not previously in Cannan's portfolio.
In fact the first time he set foot in Israel was when he got off the plane as ambassador designate.
But he's quickly learning the ropes, and was almost instantly impressed with Israel's energy, informality and general goodwill toward Australia.
"That makes my job a lot easier," he says.
President Rivlin with Australian Ambassador Chris Cannan and the envoy's twin sons after accepting his credentials on August 8
Cannan says that Turnbull's visit and the anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba in which Australian and New Zealand soldiers played such a pivotal role proved to be "a great opportunity" for talking about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Australia earlier this year, Turnbull's then upcoming visit to Israel and Australia's contribution to the eventual establishment of the State of Israel, which was "a great way to start a conversation."
Checking and double checking on arrangements for the centennial event also enabled him to meet with key figures in the country at a very early stage in his ambassadorship.
A senior career officer with Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT ), Cannan, before taking up his present posting, was responsible for Australia's aid investments in health, education and climate change funds, and also for the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Some of his other roles have included: chief of protocol, and head of Staffing Branch (responsible for the recruitment, training, deployment and welfare of Australia's foreign service officers). As head of the Environment Branch, Cannan was DFAT 's lead negotiator at the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development.
He has also worked on bilateral issues relating to South East Asia and Europe; international security and arms control, public affairs; and financial management.
As a very junior diplomat he began his overseas career in Vienna. Although he loves Israel's informality, he admits that he did enjoy the occasional black tie and white tie ballroom affairs in Vienna.
"I'm not much of a dancer, but every Viennese knows how to waltz."
He has also served in Manila, and was senior civilian monitor with the Australian Defense Force and led the Bougainville Peace Monitoring Group. From 2010 to 2011 he was head of donor relations at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Geneva.
Originally from Australia's internationally renowned wine state of South Australia, Cannan moved to Canberra, Australia's federal capital, more than 20 years ago, but continues to support the Adelaide Crows, a team in the Australian Football League.
A keen swimmer, he is well disposed to Israel's beaches, especially the beach in Herzliya Pituah which is within walking distance of the ambassador's residence.
Among his many duties is the promotion of Australian wines.
Like that of his predecessors, his job description includes advancing and protecting Australia's interests, developing business contacts and security relations, engagement with the local community at all levels and supporting Australian citizens in need of assistance.
He is amazed, he confesses, at the number of Australians living in Israel. His interviewer, who also comes from down under, tells him that many Israelis are also surprised when informed that there are more than 12,000 Australians living in Israel, because Australian immigrants tend to be self-reliant and are not constantly running to immigrant absorption agencies to ask for help. They merge easily into the communities in which they live.
Cannan says that the Australians that he's met in Israel for the most part retain ties with Australia; and the Jewish community of Australia has a very strong relationship with Israel, with members coming frequently for business and family reasons, in addition to which there are numerous Zionist organizations in Australia such as the Jewish National Fund, which financed the ANZAC Museum, WIZO, the United Israel Appeal and many more, all of which help to strengthen the ties between the two countries.
Later this month Cannan will again have the opportunity to talk about Australia's role in paving the way for Israel's statehood and independence, when Israel, on November 29, celebrates the 70th anniversary of the United Nations Resolution on the Partition of Palestine.
Dr. Herbert Evatt, who was a brilliant Australian politician with strong Zionist sympathies, was president of the United Nations General Assembly and chairman of its Ad Hoc Committee on Palestine. As such, he resisted British efforts to get the Australians to either abstain or vote against the Partition of Palestine. Instead, Australia cast the first "yes" vote. Cannan is not sure whether there is sufficient awareness of this in Israel, and it is one of the issues he intends to address.
While current relations between the two countries are at a peak, Cannan is determined to make them even better.
One of the most helpful elements toward this goal, he says, is the Israeli frankness which he happily reciprocates, saying that in a conversation with Israelis, "you know where you stand."
When his sons were in Israel, he took them on tours all over the country, but mostly to Jerusalem which he frequents often, not only for meetings with officials, but also because he loves to roam around the Old City "where there is so much history." His boys loved it too.
"You could see them appreciate the history and the importance of religious and political tolerance in Jerusalem.
It's a terrific place for children to learn about the world." His boys loved Israel so much he says, "they can't wait to come back."
He takes all important visitors from Australia to the Old City, and most find it "mind boggling" to see the contrasts between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem which are only an hour's drive from each other.
Still, Cannan is very careful not to give the wrong impression when asked about the possibility of an Australian Embassy move to Israel's capital. Although many countries did have embassies in Jerusalem before 1967, Australia was never one of them. Cannan notes that Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has ruled out moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and declines to say more on the subject.
Cannan has not yet had the opportunity to study Hebrew, though he has picked up a few essential words.
However, he's on the verge of taking Hebrew lessons.
In his extremely limited spare time, he has enjoyed the Israeli lifestyle, the food with its many refreshing innovations, and even the way people dress.
He hasn't yet had a chance to absorb Israeli culture in terms of music, theater and dance, but intends to make up for that.
As for his job: "It's incredibly busy, but never boring." (Jerusalem Post)
For first time in 100 years, Luftwaffe in Israel's skies in huge air drill
Way down, down in the Negev Desert — or, more accurately, in the skies above it — the countries of Falcon Land and Nowhere Land are waging a vicious aerial war, with dozens of fighter jets dogfighting and bombing each other's infrastructure.
So far there have been no casualties in these air battles — and that's just how the two sides would like to see it.
The Falcon Land-Nowhere Land war is the centerpiece of the Israeli Air Force's biennial Blue Flag exercise, in which seven foreign countries are participating and many more are scheduled to visit.
The fictional Falcon Land, the so-called "blue team," is made up of the seven foreign countries — India, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Greece and the United States — and Israeli Air Force squadrons. Their opponent, Nowhere Land, is led by the IAF's Red Squadron, a unit of F-16 fighter jets that are used in exercises to mimic enemy aircraft. The Red Squadron is joined in Nowhere Land by a surface-to-air missile battery and drone units.
The 11-day exercise, which kicked off on Sunday, will include over 1,000 people, five different types of fighter jets, dozens of aircraft and hundreds of sorties in what will be the IAF's largest aerial exercise to date and the largest in the world in 2017, according to the Israeli military.
It is Israel's third time hosting Blue Flag, which began in 2013 and has grown larger each time.
Israeli Air Force officials said the objective of the exercise was three-fold: strengthen diplomatic relations between the countries, expose the participating militaries to new tactics and techniques, and improve military cooperation by forcing the air forces to work together.
Located an hour's drive north of Eilat and two-and-a-half hours south of Beersheba, the Ovda air base is about as remote as you can get in geographically tiny Israel. With few buildings in the barren landscape, pilots had the opportunity to fly low and fast over the "high-tech aerial playground" where the exercise is being conducted, said Col. Itamar, the base's commander who for security reasons can only be identified by his first name.
The dogfighting and surface-to-air attacks are all simulated, but some of the bombing is real, though the targets are empty patches of desert, rather than actual military installations, Col. Itamar told journalists who were flown down to the exercise from Tel Aviv by the IDF.
Luftwaffe, Indian commandos and Patriots
In addition to being Israel's largest aerial exercise, this drill is also marked by a number of firsts.
The Indian, German and French delegations are all here for the first time, while Poland, Greece, Italy and the United States have all participated in previous exercises.
India sent a C-130J Hercules transport plane and a contingent of special forces soldiers. They will both take part in Blue Flag — one mission will require the "blue team" to drop commandoes behind enemy lines and retrieve them — and they will travel to central Israel in order to conduct training exercises with their IDF counterparts.
Meanwhile, the Germans sent six Eurofighters; the French sent five Mirage 2000AD fighter jets; the Italians sent five Tornado jets of two different variations; and the US, Poland and Greece sent seven, six and five F-16 fighter jets, respectively.
While Israel and Germany have trained together before, this was the first time in nearly 100 years, since World War I, that Luftwaffe fighter planes flew over Israel, then-Ottoman Palestine.
Col. Itamar recognized that the notion of German fighter planes bearing the Iron Cross flying over the Jewish state symbol evoked mixed feelings among Israelis because of the Holocaust and the German military's role in it.
"Seeing the Luftwaffe airplanes entering our hangars — it's something I'll always remember," Col. Itamar said.
A German Eurofighter jet takes part in the international Blue Flag exercise at the Ovda air base in southern Israel in early November 2017.
"It's sensitive. It's emotional. The past can't be changed," he added, but noted the close military and diplomatic ties the two countries have enjoyed in recent decades.
Lt. Col. Gero von Fritschen, who led the German delegation, recognized the symbolism of their participation, referring to it as "aerial diplomacy."
"I'm honored to be here," von Fritschen said. "We've had a warm welcome. Even when we are just sitting in the lobby of our hotel in Eilat in our uniforms, people come up and talk to us."
The Indian participation is seen as a sign of strengthening ties between New Delhi and Jerusalem. In July, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel, making him the first Indian premier to do so. A month before, India, which is a central importer of Israeli military equipment, helped sponsor the renowned Israeli Defense Expo in Tel Aviv. And in May, three Indian Navy ships docked in Haifa for an official visit, marking 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two counties.
According to Col. Itamar, more air forces wanted to participate, but the IAF capped the participation at eight countries.
In order to coordinate the large exercise, the air force brought in a private contractor to handle the logistics, a fairly uncommon measure for the resource-rich Israeli Air Force.
"Sometimes you need a little extra help," Col. Itamar said.
Israel ascribed strategic importance to the exercise, which brought together countries that don't often cooperate in real-world missions or share the same enemies.
For Israel this type of cooperation, which is "without a specific target or mission, but is based on friendship," is increasingly important, as many existing international organizations and alliances that are focused on a specific goal are "falling apart," Col. Itamar said, referring to groups like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
This year's Blue Flag exercise was also the first one in which the Patriot air defense system was deployed, though there were no live fires, only simulated launches.
A Patriot missile defense battery sits in the desert in the Ovda air base in southern Israel during the international Blue Flag exercise on November 9, 2017. (Judah Ari Gross/Times of Israel)
The battery, which is normally stationed near Dimona, provided the surface-to-air cover for Nowhere Land, and according to its commander, has been "very successful in the armount of interceptions we've had."
"Everything we've been allowed to target, we've knocked down," he said, on the second full day of the exercise.
Working to counter the Patriot battery were the Falcon Land's Italian Tornado fighter jets, which are designed for electronic warfare to take out enemy air defenses.
The lieutenant colonel who led the Italian delegation (his name cannot be published) said it was a challenge to take on the Patriot system and that they would be trying different tactics to defeat it.
"Our perspective is, let's learn what we can do and then share it [with the other participants]," he said.
Keeping it non-specific
The IAF specifically designed the Blue Flag exercise to be generic, rather than geared toward a specific scenario — hence the fictitious combatants "Falcon Land" and "Nowhere Land," as opposed to "The Coalition" and "Iran," for instance.
Officials said the Red Squadron, which can mimic the capabilities of Russian Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets with their F-16s or adopt the tactics of different countries' air forces, did not simulate a specific country in this exercise, but instead used a variety of techniques in order to challenge Falcon Land.
"They imitated the tactics that will give our 'blue guys' the best exercise," said Col. Itamar.
Incidentally, Likud MK Yoav Kisch, an F-16 fighter pilot in the Red Squadron, participated in some of the exercise, flying bombing runs against Falcon Land, he told The Times of Israel on the flight back to Tel Aviv from Ovda.
The bulk of the 11-day exercise will center around this fight between Nowhere Land and Falcon Land. But for two days, November 9 and 11, the "blue team" will be divided into two and square off against itself.
In order to emphasize the international cooperation, each side will include representatives from every participating country, Col. Itamar said.
Keeping it safe
Approximately 100 sorties will be flown each day of the exercise, some during the day and some at night.
Especially for the visiting air forces, this high intensity flying comes with safety concerns. "Flying at night, in a foreign land, in a foreign language — it's dangerous," said Col. Itamar.
Last year, for instance, a fighter jet and a helicopter crashed during the US Air Force's Red Flag exercise in the Nevada desert, in which the Israeli Air Force participated.
No significant safety violations have yet been reported at the Blue Flag exercise, though there have been some minor issues, like pilots flying slightly outside their designated airspace, Col. Itamar said.
Looking ahead to the Blue Flag exercise scheduled for 2019, the Ovda base commander said that he hopes the F-35 stealth fighter jet will be able to participate, as both the US and Israel possess the state-of-the-art aircraft.
According to Col. Itamar, the fifth generation fighter jet, which is still in the stages of being integrated into the IAF, did not take part this year because it "just wasn't ready yet."
Throughout the exercise, which ends on November 16, the air forces will keep track of interceptions and successful missions in order to see which side wins. However, Col. Itamar said that information would not be publicized, as it could compromise how candidly the participating militaries speak during debriefings.
"Our aim is not to win or lose, but to learn," the Ovda base commander said.
"You can say anything in a debriefing room, and it needs to stay that way. Like the Americans say, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,'" he said (the Times of Israel)
Israeli Researchers Find That Brain Takes a Nap When Sleep-Deprived
A new collaborative study conducted by Israeli and American researchers has uncovered how sleep deprivation negatively affects brain activity.
The study — published in the Nature Medicine biomedical research journal — was led by researchers at Israel's Tel Aviv University (TAU) in cooperation with the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Researchers found that losing sleep causes neural activity in the brain's temporal lobe to slow down, triggering visual impairment and memory loss. They observed that neurons in the brain rest, essentially taking a nap, after being adversely affected by slow brainwaves.
"When we're sleep-deprived, a local intrusion of sleep-like waves disrupts normal brain activity while we're performing tasks," said Yuval Nir, of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, who directed the study.
Throughout the study, researchers logged the brain activity of 12 epilepsy patients who had previously shown little or no response to drug interventions at UCLA.
In order to record neural activity, the patients were hospitalized for a week and had electrodes implanted to identify the area of the brain where seizures originate. The patients were kept awake for a whole night in order to accelerate the investigation.
As the brain became more sleep-deprived, specific areas of the brain "caught some sleep," said Nir. "Most of the brain was up and running, but temporal lobe neurons happened to be in slumber," causing various behavioral lapses, he said. (JNS/the Algemeiner)
How Satmar Rebbe's grandson became an IDF officer
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5037640,00.html
(Ynet News)
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Malki went to eat pizza with a friend. Then she was murdered
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Zionist Federation of Australia
This is a long but incredibly important read by Sherele Moody which appeared in the Sunshine Coast Daily on Arnold Roth's quest to bring his daughter Malki's murderer to justice and have her extradited from Jordan to the United States. ZFA President Jeremy Leibler is also quoted extensively with his thoughts whether Australia has a role to play in assisting the Roth family: THE Roths are fully supported in their venture by multiple Jewish and justice organisations in America and here in Australia, but it seems the more backing they get, the further Tamimi is from their reach. Malki's family have looked to their home country for help, believing Australia's good standing with the US and exceptionally warm ties to Jordan give Canberra meaningful influence. Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler agrees, but he stresses that Australia doesn't have a "mechanism under law" to get Tamimi extradited. However, he has recently penned a letter to Scott Morrison, asking him to "speak out publicly" on the issue and to pressure Biden's administration to act. "We can and should take every opportunity to advise the Jordanian government that we have neither forgotten nor forgiven the murderer of an Australian child," Leibler says. His comments were made in the wake of the release of Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert from an Iranian prison where she was held for two years on a trumped-up espionage charge. "Australia's intervention would make a difference," he says. "It would make it easier for Jordan to comply with America's request to extradite Tamimi, citing increased international pressure. "It would also encourage the incoming Biden administration to maintain pressure from their end. "Action by the Australian government to see her murderer tried and appropriately punished for what she did would bring them, and all who hear of it, a level of peace. "And it would send a further message to regimes that encourage and protect terrorists that if our citizens are targeted, we will not rest until the perpetrators are held to account." Read the rest of the article here: www.zfa.com.au/malki-went-to-eat-pizza-with-a-friend-then-she-was-murdered/	...
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text:
Dream-Pedlary
During the first wave of the pandemic, advertisers from retailers to telecoms, food to insurance, appeared to all have received the same script for their TV commercials, which was executed in a remarkably similar fashion worldwide: plinky piano music, an "empathetic" yet rather sombre tone, vignettes of human despair and hope, and a promise of "being there for you."
Meanwhile, on social media, people created and shared their own entertainment: OK, there were plenty of mawkish poems, but much inventive and fun stuff too - horse-riding and mountain-climbing illusions created within the confines of a small apartment, toilet-paper jokes a-plenty and song parodies that most of us still have stuck in their heads. Which seems unlikely for any of those "we're here for you" ads, let alone whichever brands they were attached to.
Those few weeks really brought into focus the challenge facing the advertising industry today, which Paul Feldwick examines in his latest book, "Why does the pedlar sing?". Advertising is less liked and less effective than it was a decade or two ago.
While many of those in the industry may put the blame at the door of the client, for not being brave enough to buy their edgy, disruptive ideas, Paul Feldwick asks the question: what is good advertising, actually? Is it the bold, kick-ass, "stuff that matters" that's celebrated on LinkedIn and at awards ceremonies?
The answer to this question is drawn from Paul Feldwick's previous book, "The Anatomy of Humbug" as well as a fascinating look back to the origins of modern advertising, 20th century examples from his own experience, and recent studies/works from Binet & Field, Orlando Wood and Byron Sharp: good advertising is popular, something people like and something that makes brands famous.
The book is full of good advice on how to develop - and even create - better advertising. I work as a strategic planner, and I found the idea of getting away from the "essentialist" theory of brands a good wake-up call: instead of theorising about brand essences in a Platonic sort of way, get down to a direct appeal to the senses through a brand's "distinctive assets". And let the "creative process" - if it can be described as such - take its chaotic, iterative, not logically-predictable course.
The book raised questions with me, which is a good sign. Is fame (in a mass-media, mainstream sense) different for niche or local brands? And how does the call for more representation/reflection of people's lives in advertising tally with a return to the fun of the fair, the cartoon animals, the wild and wonderful, satire and general nonsense? Not to mention the much stricter regulations and guidelines imposed on the industry?
Like "The Anatomy of Humbug" before it, "Why does the pedlar sing" is engagingly-written, with a good dose of personal experience and opinion thrown in. I'd recommend it to anyone who works in brand communications and advertising.
And once lockdown is over and I can get back to the UK, I'm heading to the Museum of Brands.
Labels: 1970s, 1990s, business books, COVID-19, creativity, entertainment
Unique vs. Original
In the last few years, I've often been involved in those conversations about differentiation and distinctiveness when it comes to brands and advertising. In the early part of my career, differentiation was the thing: setting your brand apart from competition by focussing in on some aspect of the brand - how it's made, a secret ingredient, what it can do for you, and how it can deliver these benefits better than any other brand in the category.
But things changed, and the internet happened, and a new genus called platform brands grew up, and lots of clever bods did smart analyses, and the point of view now is that brands should be distinctive, that is, to stand out via impactful brand assets.
I've been wondering recently, in a similar fashion, about "uniqueness". It was always my belief that brands should strive for uniqueness in their totality - to be unequalled - the opposite of "generic" or "interchangeable" and to emerge out of that cliched "sea of sameness."
But does uniqueness alone really do anything for a brand? I could create a unique brand but that wouldn't necessarily make it desirable, or relevant. Uniqueness is not necessarily good. It could be quite the opposite.
Uniqueness is like a statement of fact. It doesn't involve human emotion or judgement in a positive or negative way. A landscape or a micro-climate can be described as unique.
Now think about the word "originality". A far richer word, which has associations with the word "origins" and thus, authenticity. It feels fresh, newly-created, pioneering, not imitative, absolute, novel. You know there are stories to be discovered. A past, present and future. You say "Oooooh! That's original", but you'd never say "Ooooooh! That's unique."
We talk about "original thought", "original ideas". The human is entangled in the concept of originality. It's not detached, like "uniqueness."
"Unique" should mean unusual or remarkable, but quite often it doesn't.
I am sure that a unique new brand could easily be generated by a machine these days.
But an original new brand can only be created by humans.
Labels: AI, brand model, brands, difference, original
RETROWURST: Carnival in Germany March 2003
Time to rummage around in the archives of my pre-blogging days again, and this month I have a special treat. My first ever Extrawurst, which also gives you a little bit about the origins of my blog name. This delight dates from March 2003, and is accompanied by the sound of slightly tiddly oompah music.
Seeing as this is my first Extrawurst, I'd better give you a quick explanation as to what an Extrawurst is. Yes, it literally means a 'sausage thrown in' if you'll excuse my German. A typical use of the phrase is 'The problem with Franz is that he always expects his Exrawurst' or, in better English 'Franz always expects his added extras (at no added charge)'. I'll be giving you some thoughts on life and brands from behind the Sauerkraut curtain every month which I hope will amuse and inspire.
My theme for my kick-off Extrawurst is Carnival, or Karneval, or Fasching which you just can't avoid here at the moment. I'm pretty sure that if you ask people in the UK about Carnival at this time of year, Notting Hill aside, they are far more likely to bring to mind the jazz bands of the New Orleans Mardi Gras, the sequinned costumes of the Rio dancers or the romantic masked balls of Venice than the goings-on here around the Rhine. But Carnival has been building up to a climax here since November, when the Carnival Clubs officially launch their campaigns with the high points of Rosenmontag and Fastnacht before Ashermittwoch (Ash Wednesday).
You may have noticed the mention of Clubs and Campaigns there, which is one little element of Carnival, German style. Everything is meticulously timed and organised with parades starting at 11 minutes past the hour precisely. There are also very strict rules of behaviour for the revellers- even though you may call the colleagues you've worked with for 20 years by the formal 'Sie' for the rest of the year, not calling them by the familiar 'Du' if you happen to bump into them at a Carnival party will mark you down forever as being hopelessly stuffy.
What are some of the typical elements of German Carnival? Well - the skimpy costumes of Rio are not recommended in February temperatures in Germany- far more popular is something with maximum coverage and minimum shape, to disguise the number of beers you've downed - variations on clowns are a perennial favourite and furry cow suits seem to be this year's fad. Of course, the powers-that-be in the Carnival club have their own special costumes and fools' caps in the carnival colours of red, yellow, blue and white, with the most extravagant costumes worn by the Carnival Prince and Princess (who are likely to be called something like Prince Gunther II and Princess Gundula IV). Gunther could well sport a fine Rudi Voller hairdo and moustache with his costume while Gundula is likely to be a little on the portly side with a particularly severe pair of glasses. Who needs the glamour of Rio?
Whoever thinks that German carnival is all frivolity and foolishness is very wrong. The Carnival had its origins in satire against the government and politics still plays a huge part. In the parades, there are huge paper-machée models of Herr Schroeder, Fischer and other (un) popular figures with our friends from the US being high on the agenda for satire this year. Germany must be the only country who would think of sending a Spitting Image puppet of its Chancellor as representative at the Eurovision Song Contest! It's no surprise that Carnival was very definitely verboten during the 1930s.
Carnivals isn't Carnival without food and, most importantly, drink. Traditional fare is doughnuts, called variously 'Kreppel' or 'Berliner' depending on where you come from - hence JKF's infamous statement on his visit to Berlin in the early 1960s. 'Ich bin ein Berliner'. But the main course on the Carnival menu is drink, and plenty of it. Here the Germans really come into their own. Carnival is strongest around the Rhine, which is wine country and half litre white wine 'spritzers' where the wine is probably just given a quick look at the water bottle are a typical drink to get people into the mood. Beer is also not to be avoided, especially in the carnival centre of Cologne (Koelsch) plus little bottles of Schnapps with innocent –sounding names like 'Pflaumchen' or 'Little Plum' or 'Kleine Feigling'- 'The cowardly little fig'.
So, what relevance does all this have for brands? Apart from not calling German colleagues too early in the morning on Ash Wednesday or the obvious product and promotional opportunities (buy a furry purple Milka cow outfit and get ten doughnuts free) I think that it says something important about brands. Sometimes, I feel we (brand owners, managers, stewards, whatever) get just a little bit too precious about what Brands should and shouldn't do, rather than thinking about how the brand in question might do whatever it is, and, importantly, what effect that might have on the brand's fortunes. Carnival is certainly a way of getting noticed and eliciting plenty of sympathy (and hangovers) amongst the brand's community (or potential community).So, just because the brand Germany may have values such as efficiency, organisation, duty and obedience to authority at its core (along with the more Carnival-friendly attributes such as oompah-music, jolly good beer and no worry about wearing ridiculous clothes in public) doesn't mean to say that these values can be brought to play in celebrating Carnival, as we have seen, in a way that is 100% true to the brand.
That's my first Extrawurst- I hope that you enjoyed it. I'm off to eat some doughnuts because tonight it all has to come to an end and the offer of 'Traditional Aschermittwoch herrings in our local town hall' tomorrow doesn't sound that appetising!
Well, a lot of readers will know where it went from there. The music got worse as the years went by, the costumes even more grotesque (1980s shell suits were very popular last time I looked) and, in a tip of the clown's hat to inclusivity, we had a gay Prinzenpaar locally.
Last year, I made one of my biggest mistakes ever. We spurned the local carnival parade in a self-righteous manner and went jogging, for about 10km, around it. How smug and holier-than-thou can you get? I really don't know what on earth got into us. Certainly not alcohol.
We paid for this error. Last year would have been the last carnival as we know it for some time. Carnival parades 2020 were some of the first super-spreader events, and this year it's all been online and making cute YouTube videos with Playmobil figures. Yawn.
At least I don't have to eat pickled herrings, though.
Labels: 2000s, Easter, entertainment, food and drink, German, Retrowurst

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We are happy to announce that the improved Smappee NILM 2.0 was released today. This means two things: (1) some appliances in your house will automatically be labelled by Smappee itself, and (2) even some of the smaller appliances will now also be detected.
NILM stands for 'Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring': a system that monitors the changes in voltage and current, recognises these changes as patterns and assigns these patterns to appliances. This is what allows Smappee to detect and recognise appliances in your home. The technique was invented back in the 1980s, but it was so complex that it took a couple of decades before it really got to market. And even today, it remains limited to a handful of applications in the consumer market.
For us, NILM is a groundbreaking and revolutionary technology because it allows us to give you real-time energy data down to appliance level and at an affordable price. Studies have shown that it is precisely what is needed to change your energy behaviour. In order for a consumer to initiate savings, the data provided by an energy monitor has to be real-time, down to appliance level and be actionable. For example, you will only understand that your fridge is an energy guzzler if you see in real time how much the fridge is costing you and only then will you replace it with a more efficient one.
Thanks to NILM, you need just one central device to monitor your household and all the different appliances. I mean, be honest: would you really buy and install 50 different energy meters in your home? We're talking time and investment here.
Smappee has been working passionately on its NILM since day one (over three years ago now), aiming at an ever-improving appliance recognition. We are now making a big step forward, gifting your Smappee home energy monitor with an updated NILM 2.0 technique to detect appliances more accurately.
First of all, Smappee can now autolabel some of the most important appliances in your house. For example, not only will Smappee rapidly detect your fridge, it will also autolabel it as 'Fridge' instead of 'Appliance 1'. And that's just the beginning; the list of appliances that can be autolabelled will continue growing in the future!
Secondly, NILM 2.0 reduces the confusion between small appliances. An improved algorithm cleans the noise generated by the many small appliances in your home, and as such, your Smappee monitor will extract cleaner patterns from the signals it hears. In real terms: an induction stove will be more easily differentiated from coffee machines or kettles.
Because it is a rather new technology, it still struggles with some rookie issues. For example, at the moment, it's impossible to detect each and every appliance. The way NILM works can be compared to recognizing the different instruments being played at a concert: loud, prominent instruments are the first ones to be recognized. Even our NILM 2.0 still struggles to detect very small appliances (using less than 20 Watts), appliances with similar patterns (such as devices with heating elements, like a toaster, stove, kettle etc.) and appliances with an irregular consumption pattern (such as a computer or television). Nevertheless, NILM is extraordinary because it can already do so much. Our ultimate goal is to accurately detect all relevant appliances in your home. So this is a big step forward but still only the beginning.
Note. Current Smappee owners can choose to keep working with NILM 1.0 or to start over with NILM 2.0. If your Smappee monitor has been running for a while and most of your appliances have already been labelled, there is no need to restart with NILM 2.0. If you choose to restart with NILM 2.0, the total values will be saved, but you will lose the historical data of your individual appliances.


text:
Special relativity without one-way velocity assumptions: Part I
John A. Winnie
Philosophy of Science 37 (1):81-99 (1970)
The Reichenbach-Grunbaum thesis of the conventionality of simultaneity is clarified and defended by developing the consequences of the Special Theory when assumptions are not made concerning the one-way speed of light. It is first shown that the conventionality of simultaneity leads immediately to the conventionality of all relative speeds. From this result, the general-length-contraction and time-dilation relations are then derived. Next, the place of time-dilation and length-contraction effects within the Special Theory is examined in the light of the conventionality thesis. The slow-transport method of synchrony is then examined in the light of these results and is shown not to provide an adequate method of uniquely determining the one-way speed of light. Finally, the general ε -Lorentz transformations for events along the x-axis are derived from three principles: the round-trip light principle, the principle of equal passage times, and the linearity principle. These principles are shown to be independent of one-way velocity assumptions, and thus may form the basis of a Special Theory of Relativity without distant simultaneity assumptions
Special Relativity in Philosophy of Physical Science
DOI 10.1086/288281
From the Publisher via CrossRef (no proxy)
journals.uchicago.edu (no proxy)
journals.uchicago.edu [2] (no proxy)
jstor.org [2] (no proxy)
Conventionality of Simultaneity.Allen Janis - 2008 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
On the Role of Special Relativity in General Relativity.Harvey R. Brown - 1997 - International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 11 (1):67 – 81.
Simultaneity, Convention, and Gauge Freedom.Robert Rynasiewicz - 2012 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 43 (2):90-94.
Einstein's Physical Chronogeometry.Mario Bacelar Valente - 2017 - Manuscrito 40 (1):241-278.
A Star in the Minkowskian Sky: Anisotropic Special Relativity.Tim Budden - 1997 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 28 (3):325-361.
View all 26 citations / Add more citations
Drawing the Line Between Kinematics and Dynamics.Michel Janssen - unknown
The Sui Generis Conventionality of Simultaneity.Laurent A. Beauregard - 1976 - Philosophy of Science 43 (4):469-490.
Relative Simultaneity in the Special Relativity.Frank Jackson & Robert Pargetter - 1977 - Philosophy of Science 44 (3):464-474.
The "Reality" of the Lorentz Contraction.Dennis Dieks - 1984 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 15 (2):330-342.
Relativistic Mechanics and Electrodynamics Without One-Way Velocity Assumptions.Carlo Giannoni - 1978 - Philosophy of Science 45 (1):17-46.
Conventionality of Simultaneity and Reality.Vesselin Petkov - unknown
Geometry and Special Relativity.Geoffrey Joseph - 1979 - Philosophy of Science 46 (3):425-438.
Reichenbach's Epsilon Definition of Simultaneity in Historical and Philosophical Perspective.Robert Rynasiewicz - unknown
Special Relativity Without One-Way Velocity Assumptions: Part II.John A. Winnie - 1970 - Philosophy of Science 37 (2):223-238.
196 ( #47,044 of 2,401,777 )


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Pure spin
Rick May 29, 2011 Barack Obama, Meme Watch, Obama Worship 9 Comments
I'm not sure who Christi Parsons is other than the person who's byline accompanied the following piece I found not in the opinion section but in the news section of my local paper. I'll excerpt parts of it, you let me know whether news is being reported or an opinion is being rendered:
President Barack Obama played a game of doubles table tennis alongside British Prime Minister David Cameron in London the other day, in a display of awkward athleticism that ended when it was apparent they couldn't beat their opponents – a pair of middle-school boys.
Yet they let the unguarded moment play out on television, an unrehearsed pas-de-deux the likes of which never took place on camera during Obama's first presidential tour of Europe, a voyage marked by its careful orchestration.
"He's not the junior person anymore," said Steve Flanagan, a Europe specialist and senior vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "He has gained a lot of credibility for things he has done and for his general message about how he wants to engage with the rest of the world."
Obama's speech May 19 pressuring Israelis to return to the negotiating table with Palestinians appears to have given him more heft even in the last week, Flanagan said, as shown by the willingness of European leaders to hold off expressing support for the Palestinians' intention of asking for United Nations' recognition of a Palestinian state.
Yet when he arrived back in Washington on Saturday, Obama returned to the reality that, regardless of his popularity in Europe, his domestic audience is a fickle one. Americans expect their president to be a force on the world stage, but a strong standing there won't guarantee his re-election.
Advisers who were in the room for Obama's one-on-one talks during his six-day trip described conversations that suggest his relationships with European allies have deepened.
Obama's conversations with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stood out in particular, as candid photos from inside showed the men laughing with each other. One aide said the two men were joking about mutual acquaintances, though they wouldn't say which world leader, if any, was being discussed.
Yet neither man felt the need to paste on smiles as they emerged for statements to the media, adopting grim visages and a stiffness that made some observers wonder what had gone wrong. It was hot in the room, a close adviser said, and the two had wrestled over the missile defense system that the U.S. wants to build in Europe but which worries the Russians.
One White House official characterized the disagreement as a sign of the maturity of the relationship between the two men.
"The reason that they can talk about the issues they're talking about now is because of the amount of time they've invested in that personal relationship," said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security advisor to the president. "It was only because of the rapport they built up with each other in negotiating the (new) START treaty and working through a range of issues in 2009."
There were other signs of Obama's growing comfort.
He lingered over a Guinness beer at a pub in Ireland, and laughed off a bit of confusion when he was in the middle of a toast to the queen of England and the band began to play, sounding like an orchestra nudging a long-winded Oscar winner off the stage.
He greeted a few leaders with slaps on the back. He went into a news conference without a card to prompt him on reporters' names. In one G-8 session, he was seen chewing gum.
It's hard to tell what Obama's growing ease on the world stage means for U.S. interests. He and Medvedev may never achieve an agreement on the missile defense issue before one, or both, leaves office.
If the vision Obama tried to promote for supporting democracy in the Middle East and North Africa comes to pass, it will be years in the making and won't necessarily be traced back to the G-8 meetings in Deauville.
But the Russian and American teams now have more than 20 working groups that could eventually bear fruit, if only because the two countries continue to talk. This week, for example, Medvedev decided to help the international community in its talks with Libya, where Russia still has contacts. And Medvedev said for the first time that Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi must leave power, an added weight on the beleaguered regime.
An open line of communication with Russia also could ease security concerns in Poland, the final stop on Obama's tour this week.
After Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had his one-on-one meeting with the president, he told Obama, "You are proverbial."
With that kind of feedback, it's not surprising Obama had a bounce in his step last week.
And clearly, Ms. Parsons is doing her part in ensuring he keeps that bounce in his step and that it translates into a bounce in the polls. This piece isn't about reporting the news, it's about spinning it.
You can't help but wonder what Ms. Parsons payback from the Obama campaign might be. Clearly she deservers compensation.
Signed, Epstein's Mother
'Hey, Where Can I Get Me One Of Them There Algae Cars?'
Most Americans Are Not Interested In The Topic Of Tonight's Debate
Why Does Liberal Rag Salon.com Hate Our Soldiers? Because They Take Money From Welfare Spending


Our poly-fascial infrastructure of living anatomy filmed like never before. From an internal body perspective these images reveal our "systems" anatomy as well as the visco-elastic nature of what some European Osteopaths call "liquid osteopathy". These images break down the 4th wall of the visual-rational mind and show our multiple dimensions and parallel processes. Visually stunning – Wow!
Whole-body gross dissection workshops emphasizing the layers, inter-connections and planes of fascial anatomy. Dr. Hedley will expand your current comprehension of connective tissues.


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The meeting titled "Role of GEANT network in integration of science and education of Azerbaijan into Europe" was held
In a globalizing world, where information technologies are rapidly evolving, new demands are put forward to science and education. Development of information and communication technologies creates great opportunities for effective, flexible integration of science and education, exchange of experience, development of partnership and collaboration in this area.
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) also pays special attention to the integration of science and education and strengthening of international cooperation in accordance with state policy. AzScienceNet science computer network at ANAS provides high-level Internet services to scientific institutions and organizations of the Academy and ensures integration of Azerbaijani science into world science. AzScienceNet was admitted to membership in the European Association of Science and Education Network (GEANT) as national operator in 2015. The Institute of Information Technology of ANAS establishes broad cooperation with GEANT and represents the Azerbaijan in the EaPConnect project, supported by the European Union for the purpose of creating an electronic infrastructure for science and education in the Eastern Partnership countries.
The main purpose of the meeting on "Role of GEANT Network in integration of Azerbaijan science and education into Europe" held at the Institute of Information Technology of ANAS on June 22, 2018 was to present the EaPConnect project, its capabilities and contribution to science and education integration in Azerbaijan, as well as, sign a cooperation agreement between AzScienceNet and Educational System Informatization Department of the Ministry of Education.
The meeting was attended by heads of ANAS, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Communication and High Technologies, as well as leading universities and research institutes and representatives of EaPConnect project.
Academician Akif Alizadeh, president of ANAS, noted that the meeting assumes a great of importance for the science and education of Azerbaijan. The scientist said that in line with the general trends in the world, the formation of a knowledge-based economy based on high technology in Azerbaijan set as a goal. The knowledge of the economy requires, first of all, the development of a quality science and education system in the country in line with the requirements and challenges of the modern era and the establishment of an effective cooperation between these two areas. He also pointed out that these issues were reflected as one of the priorities in the "Azerbaijan 2020: Vision for the Future" Development Concept, which defines the development trends of our country in the near future.
A.Alizadeh noted that one of the main goals of the Eastern Partnership is to create a broadband Internet network and to integrate the relevant institutions of the respective countries into the European science and education network, to support the international scientific cooperation of scholars and specialists working in these countries. He underlined that his organization was actively involved in this process in line with its mission. He stressed that the organization managed by him is actively involved in this process in line with its mission.
The head of ANAS highlighted some of the views expressed in the Joint Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit, which was attended by President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan on November 24, 2017. He noted that the importance of the integration of science, education and innovation systems in the relevant countries would be reflected in the increase of productivity and competitiveness in the relevant fields, and that access to the GEANT network would reduce digital inequality in the respective countries.
President of ANAS spoke about business cooperation between AzScienceNet and Azerbaijan Educational Network. He said that 13 higher education institutions of our country joined the network of AzScienceNet within the framework of this cooperation and noted that currently work in other universities is continuing in this direction.
Academician A.Alizadeh also touched upon the cooperation agreement to be signed between Institute of Information Technology of ANAS and Educational System Informatization Department of the Ministry of Education. In terms of jointly ensuring the interests of science and education institutions in the field of ICT in international organizations, the agreement is very important for the integration of Azerbaijan's e-science and e-learning environments.
Minister of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov informed about the work done on integration of science and education in Azerbaijan.
Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ramin Guluzadeh spoke about cooperation relations with the European countries in the field of ICT and prospects in this field.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mahmud Mammadguliyev delivered a speech on "European Union and Azerbaijan: Cooperation and Prospects".
The head of the EaPConnect project, Maria Minaricova, shared her views on the GEANT and activity of EaPConnect project.
Academician-secretary of ANAS, director of the Institute of Information Technology, academician Rasim Alguliev made a report on "AzScienceNet Science Computer Network". He noted that since 2014, the Institute of Information Technology of ANAS has represented Azerbaijan in the Association of European Science and Education Network (GEANT).
The scientist said that the integration of AzScienceNet network into European science and education networks (GEANT) aims to ensure the efficient use of the European Union's EaPConnect project by the Azerbaijani science and education institutions and strengthen cooperation between the universities of the country and European science and education institutions. He said that the institute represents Azerbaijan in the Eastern Partnership Connect (EaPConnect) project, which is being implemented in 2015-2020.
The academician-secretary of ANAS informed about work to be done on strengthening the cooperation of the higher educational institutions of the country with the scientific and educational institutions of Europe, providing 100% broadband Internet access for employees of institutes and organizations of ANAS, the extensive use of AzScienceNet's services by higher educational institutions and scientific institutions of the Republic.
The director of the institute also gave detailed information about the services offered by AzScienceNet network, its development stages, infrastructure and opportunities.
At the end, AzScienceNet and Educational System Informatization Department of the Ministry of Education signed an agreement on cooperation. The agreement was signed by President of ANAS, academician Akif Alizadeh and Minister of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov.
The agreement envisages the effective use of the European Union's EaPConnect project by scientific and education institutions of Azerbaijan, strengthening the cooperation of the country's higher education institutions with European science and education institutions and granting broadband network services to the country's higher education institutions by joining the GEANT Network within the EaPConnect project.


Admiral's progress through our Rescue is below.
Adam in Broxbourne asked us if we could help prepare Admiral for his family.
What a delightful playful little pup. Admiral and his brother, Soldier, came out to play today. First time to have their harnesses on and first time on the leads and despite the expected puppy playfulness and wriggling, they took to it all extremely well. After having their photos taken, they trotted happily off into the woods with our volunteers for a bit of an explore and cuddles in the Poets hut.
Admiral is a complete love.
He is sweet, very loving and loves being with people.
He is a timid little dot at times and needs reassurance and cuddles.
I am trying really, really hard to treat him like a proper dog and not a cutesy, teeny, tiny, scruffy, little thing but just every now and then I pick him up for cuddles. It's only every now and then. And it's purely for his benefit.
He is definitely getting the toilet training malarkey and is clean through the night.
He does gets pushed and bossed about by his brother Soldier but he never retaliates.
As I write this, Soldier has taken himself off to his crate a few rooms away but Admiral is sweetly sleeping on my knee.
I think that tells you a lot about their personalities!
I LOVE that they're so different!
We met Admiral and his brother Soldier yesterday, for a walk in the enclosed field with our RR Patterdale Ronnie (was Magic). Both of them were v calm and initially quite shy, loving being picked up and held tightly, as it was a bewildering meeting a new boisterous dog. After a while they were on the lead walking around without a care in the world. V well behaved and no bother at all, just taking it all in, with four humans and four dogs. They are v affectionate, v soft and cuddly. Frankly two cool guys.
Lovely Admiral has come to stay for a little while while the hunt for his forever family goes on.
He is just as we remember - gorgeous, happy, sweet natured, dog friendly, cat tolerant (will chase if they run!), house trained,.....and all that from a 5/6 month old pup who has, unfortunately, been unable to unpack his suitcase yet.
For anybody interested in this tiny little lad, PLEASE remember - he is a puppy, a puppy who has not had any consistency in his short life.
He needs TIME to settle and PATIENCE from his humans to allow this to happen.
He is very confident during the day and does not seem needy at all but now struggles at being left alone in a closed crate at night apparently so will need support to overcome this.
His first night back at ours was a success - an open crate and access to sharing a bed with a Staffie babysitter did the trick with him sleeping soundly all night.
He is SO worth investing your love in and he will repay you a million times over.


text:
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the Law
Publisher: Day Pitney White Paper
Day Pitney Author(s) Steven A. Cash David T. Doot James B. Blackburn, IV
A Legal Perspective
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is an increasingly vital part of utility infrastructure.[1] While the IIoT has received substantial attention within the context of cybersecurity and grid reliability,[2] there has been little work done on the array of legal issues associated with the IIoT, many of which have little or nothing to do with cybersecurity. The interconnected and networked nature of the IIoT presents issues related to intellectual property, liability and risk sharing, and ownership interests. What will be the likely regulatory and legislative responses to an increasingly IIoT-dependent electricity grid? How can interconnected utilities share the costs of a largely digital control system that transcends the traditional generation, transmission and distribution systems?
There has been surprisingly little attention given by the legal community to the issues and implications associated with the IIoT, either generally or within the utility industry.[3] Discussion of the IIoT in the electric industry has been the province of operational and engineering experts. But IIoT operational and engineering challenges will inevitably present novel and difficult legal issues.
Most people are now familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT), the network of physical objects, embedded sensors, connections and computers that permeates much of our everyday life. Encompassing the mundane (smart refrigerators and toasters), the vital (medical devices), the amusing (smart toilets) and the creepy (tracking and shopping monitors), the IoT has become both a buzzword and a way of life. We live among it.
The IoT continues to evolve within a largely consumer-driven digital ecosystem. As a result, IoT operating systems often have a shared heritage with the array of personal computing devices with which we are familiar. IoT devices, and the software that manages and maintains the communication networks between those devices, evolved alongside our phones, tablets and PCs. One can trace the IoT's lineage back to Gates, Jobs and Wozniak, and the IoT is part of the extended family whose patriarchs are Apple, Microsoft and IBM. Your smart fridge may have code deep inside it that traces back to a fabled Palo Alto garage.
The Industrial Internet of Things, on the other hand, while similar in name, is different in fundamental ways.[4]
First, to continue the familial taxonomic metaphor, if the IoT is made up of numerous first cousins, all related to your home computer and phone, the IIoT is made up of second and third cousins. The IIoT grew not out of the consumer electronics explosion, but alongside large-scale industrial control hardware. Much of the software behind the IIoT was custom-developed (often decades ago) as an adjunct to big, expensive pieces of industrial hardware: switches, valves, pumps and other heavy machinery. If those pieces of hardware are the bones and joints of industry, the IIoT is the quickly evolving nervous system knitting them together. But that evolution has proceeded on a separate track from the IoT, and thus has different capabilities, structure and vulnerabilities.
Second, the IoT is focused on individuals; it is consumer-oriented and its end users are people ― families, small businesses and enterprises. The IIoT (as its name suggests) is directed to serve machines and industrial systems.
How important is the IIoT? It is now a fundamental part of the nation's critical infrastructure. It runs our oil fields, our gas pipelines, our water systems, our dams and heavy industry; it underpins the electricity grid, our train systems, our highways and our ports.
Why should lawyers care?
The first reason is the most dramatic. The IIoT is now understood to represent a key piece of critical infrastructure that is significantly vulnerable to cyberattacks.[5] Its vulnerabilities are different from the vulnerabilities of the IoT (in part, because of their different software heritage), and in some cases, more significant. Furthermore, the consequences that may flow from exploitation of those vulnerabilities is greater than are those from the IoT. If the IoT is exploited, cyberactors (state-sponsored, criminal, terrorist or other) are likely able to steal money, degrade data and engage in identify theft. They may even be able to shut off a smart fridge. But a successful IIoT attack can shut off or damage aspects of the day-to-day systems of society that are essential to individual life and well-being. An attack could shut down a hydroelectric plant, destroy a steel furnace or shut down the electric grid. The results have the potential to be catastrophic.
The second reason is less dramatic but perhaps more important, at least for lawyers. The IIoT forces fundamental changes in the organization of large-scale industrial businesses, and requires rethinking (and in some cases, revising) basic legal mechanisms for conducting business. It may change the concept of "ownership" of industrial components, and presents novel issues concerning intellectual property. It forces consideration of how best to contractually allocate risks (of both "ordinary" events and the types of catastrophic cyberattacks noted above) and how to price and obtain insurance. The IIoT requires reexamination of what a business thinks of as its "assets," and is likely to present emerging issues in financing, acquisitions and mergers.
Third, and final, just as the IoT and the Internet (driven largely by personal privacy concerns) have been subject to increasing regulations on the federal and state levels, so too is the IIoT likely to come to the attention of regulators.
IIoT and the law
When the IIoT and the law collide, cybersecurity immediately leads the conversation. Cyber vulnerabilities, of course, need to be acknowledged. Cybersecurity is the leading topic of any roundtable discussion or symposium and most of the articles about IIoT in the legal press. But our objective is to go beyond this discussion, into the legal waters that have yet to be charted.
A variety of legal disciplines have yet to be considered in depth in their relation to the IIoT, such as intellectual property, insurance and indemnification, commercial contracting, and antitrust/regulatory compliance. All these practices will, however, interplay with the IIoT in the future.
Take, for example, a power-generating station fed by multiple interstate natural gas pipelines, with a valve connecting the system and controlling the flow of gas into the generating station. The valve controls the flow of gas and may be considered to be part of the gas pipeline's system, but it is operated by the power-generating company. Previously, a comparable valve would have been a simple part of the system, and after purchasing the valve, the power-generating company would have manually controlled the flow of gas through the valve. Once in operation, the legal concerns would have been relatively minimal.
But today, this valve is connected and smart. This valve receives information from the power-generating company that controls and determines the gas mixture received, produced and transmitted to various interstate pipelines. The pipeline is "talking" to the valve, which is "talking" to the power-generating company, and vice versa. Initially, the immediate legal concern for this valve is cybersecurity. If it is controlled by internal software and operated by data rather than people, it is subject to technical failure and potential attack, with catastrophic consequences. However, there exist legal implications beyond this initial scare concern.
Initial contracts must establish the operational need for both the hardware and software of the valve, and these initial decisions can affect ongoing liability and tax concerns. This is not just a traditional buy/sell agreement between two parties for the purchase of a valve. There are now additional parties involved that provide the data to make this valve operate and maintain the software that communicates with the entire system. Did the company purchase this valve from a hardware manufacturer together with its software from a data company, or are they purchased separately? Is the data actually purchased, or is it leased? Who provides the maintenance for this data, and what if the data provider goes out of business? The power-generating company is a utility company, not Microsoft, and does not have the capacity to maintain software products with its own resources.
The data itself presents additional contractual issues. How does a third party monitor and maintain the rich data provided by the valve's operation? There is intellectual property embodied in this data with associated ownership, security and liability issues. Moreover, what if this third party goes bankrupt or dissolves? How will any initial contract address this possible turn of events?
The information generated from the operation of this single valve, such as weather reports, utilization records and maintenance needs, could be used for program efficiency or industry predictions. The humans who used to keep track of this information were subject to various regulations, such as those that bar manipulative trading techniques. Can smart machines be appropriately regulated? Is there a way to properly use and profit from this information?
Furthermore, all the separate pieces of the valve need to be insured: the hardware, the software, and the local and remote interconnected pieces. The effect that this valve has may cross state lines or be part of a variety of disasters. Are all these pieces going to be insured together or separately? How do the many interconnected companies in this scenario apportion the cost of insurance? How is risk mitigated, and how is it calculated on such a wide platform?
Ultimately, there is no denying that cybersecurity concerns are at the forefront of the IIoT discussion. However, failure to focus on this legal structure in the developing IIoT as it relates to the energy industry may in fact both deny opportunities for revenue and generate more risk than ever anticipated. For the energy industry, the need for energy and general corporate lawyers has morphed into a need for attorneys well-versed in the areas of software/hardware, intellectual property, tax, and insurance, among others.
[1] See "How the Industrial Internet of Things Is Changing the Electrical Industry,"; "How Utilities Can Prepare for the Industrial Internet of Things," and "The Internet of Things Is a Game-Changer for the Energy Industry." Of course, IIoT stretches across all industry, not only utilities. For instance, Massachusetts is considering adopting IIoT capabilities to its aging public transportation infrastructure, including the famous "T." This memorandum, however, focuses primarily on IIoT in the utility space.
[2] See North American Electric Reliability Corp., Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards.
[3] As of this writing, there is no reported case in Lexis in which a court uses the phrase "Industrial Internet of Things."
[4] The IIoT is well-defined as "a subset of the broader IoT, where...connections exist mainly to produce physical goods for the marketplace as well as to maintain the physical assets of production." LNS Research, "What Is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Platform?" (last visited June 20, 2017).
[5] For example, in December 2015, Russian hackers were able to use malware-laden phishing emails to gain control of Ukraine's electric grid caused blackouts across the country. See Tobby Simon, "Critical Infrastructure and the Internet of Things" (Jan. 2017).
Connecticut Enhances Data Breach Notification Law
Federal Bar Association: The Twenty-Six Words That Created The Internet
On May 19, Partner Jonathan Handler moderated a virtual book talk for the Massachusetts Chapter of the Federal Bar Association with Professor Jeff Kosseff, author of The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet.
Exposures and Opportunities, Fall Symposium, Massachusetts Insurance and Reinsurance Bar Association
On October 15, Jonathan Zelig served as a panelist on the topic, "Ransomware: Exposures and Opportunities," at the 2020 Massachusetts Insurance and Reinsurance Bar Association's Fall Symposium.
2020 Massachusetts Insurance and Reinsurance Bar Association's Fall Symposium
Basic Tech and Cyber Competency for In-House Counsel: A Virtual Roundtable
Day Pitney and the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Northeast Chapter co-hosted a virtual roundtable, "Basic Tech and Cyber Competency for In-House Counsel," on September 23.
Decisional Advantage and Intelligence: The Intelligence Cycle Through the Lens of Russian Bounty
Day Pitney Counsel Steven Cash will serve as featured panelist for the webinar "Decisional Advantage and Intelligence."
On the Move; New York Law Journal
New York Partner Kritika Bharadwaj's promotion to partner was featured in the New York Law Journal's On the Move column.
5 Ways the Pandemic Economy Is – And Isn't – Impacting Legal Tech
Kermit Wallace was quoted in Legaltech News article, "5 Ways the Pandemic Economy Is – And Isn't – Impacting Legal Tech."
Cybersecurity Isn't Just About Outside Threats. It's About Protecting Firms From Themselves
Kermit Wallace was quoted in The American Lawyer article, "Cybersecurity Isn't Just About Outside Threats. It's About Protecting Firms From Themselves."
Law Journal Announces New Jersey Legal Awards Winners, Finalists
Kevin Duffy and Naju Lathia were honored at the New Jersey Legal Awards Ceremony on September 23, at the Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park, NJ.
David T. Doot
Admitted in CT only
James B. Blackburn, IV
Cybersecurity and Data Protection Infrastructure Manufacturing and Transportation
Energy and Utilities Energy Regulation and Compliance Insurance and Reinsurance Intellectual Property and Technology Natural Gas Nuclear Energy Water Companies


Modern fully furnished and equipped rental apartment in Cariari situated in a condominium next to the Cariari mall and close to the airport and the international free zone. This rental apartment in Cariari comes with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 2 parking places.
Through the stairs or elevator to the 3rd floor where is the entrance of the apartment. Incoming into the bright living room with sliding doors opening onto a balcony. The kitchen is open and comes with a fridge/ freezer, electric stove, and microwave. Next to the kitchen is the side kitchen with washing machine and dryer. From the living room through a small hallway that leads to the first bathroom with a shower, toilet and washbasin and two bedrooms of which one is now in use as an office and the 2nd is now in use as a storage/ tv area. Through the stairs to the upper floor where is the master bedroom with an attached bathroom featuring a shower, toilet, and washbasin.
This apartment comes with two parking places. The condominium has27/4 security with controlled access, a communal swimming pool, and bbq area.
Contact our agent for more information about this rental apartment in Cariari or for more rental apartments in Cariari, Heredia.


text:
var request = require('request');
var async = require('async');

/*
 * DOGE Plugin, queries cryptsy for current
 * doge/btc price
 */

var DOGE = function () {
  this.commands = ['doge', 'btc', 'dc', 'bc'];
  this.usage = {
    doge: 'ex : !doge . Gets market prices for DOGE',
    btc: 'ex : !btc . Gets market prices for BTC',
    dc: 'ex : !dc <amount>. Convert DOGE to USD, default 1000',
    bc: 'ex : !bc <amount>. Convert BTC to USD, default 1'
  };
};

var FETCH_PRICE = function(callback, name) {
  var retObj = { label: name };

  retObj.symbol = PROVIDERS[name].symbol ? PROVIDERS[name].symbol : 'Ֆ';

  request(PROVIDERS[name].url, function(err, res, body) {
    if (!body) {
      retObj.value = 'such no body';
    } else {
      try {
        retObj.value = PROVIDERS[name].valueFunction(JSON.parse(body));
      } catch (exception) {
        retObj.value = 'very confuse';
      }
    }
    callback(null, retObj);
  });
};

/*
 * List of exchanges, with their respective URLs and JSON reading functions
 */
var PROVIDERS = {
  Vicurex: {
    url: 'https://api.vircurex.com/api/get_last_trade.json?base=BTC&alt=DOGE',
    valueFunction: function(data) {
      return Math.floor((1 / data.value) * 100000000);
    }
  },
  CoinEx: {
    url: 'https://coinex.pw/api/v2/trade_pairs',
    valueFunction: function(data) {
      var last_price;
      data.trade_pairs.forEach(function(each) {
        if (each.id === 46) {
          last_price = each.last_price;
        }
      });
      return last_price;
    }
  },
  Cryptsy: {
    url: 'http://pubapi.cryptsy.com/api.php?method=singlemarketdata&marketid=132',
    valueFunction: function(data) {
      return Math.round(data.return.markets.DOGE.lasttradeprice * 100000000);
    }
  },
  Coinbase: {
    url: 'https://coinbase.com/api/v1/prices/sell',
    valueFunction: function(data) {
      return data.amount;
    }
  },
  'Vault of Satoshi': {
    url: 'https://api.vaultofsatoshi.com/public/ticker?order_currency=DOGE&payment_currency=USD',
    valueFunction: function(data) {
      return data.data.average_price.value;
    },
    symbol: '$'
  }
};

var eachProvider = function(providers, callback) {
  async.parallel(providers.map(function(name) {
    return function(callback) {
      FETCH_PRICE(callback, name);
    };
  }), callback);
};

/*
 * primary doge command
 */
DOGE.prototype.doge = function (bot, to, from, msg, callback) {
  var msgOut = '',
      providers = [];

  providers = [
    'Cryptsy',
    'CoinEx',
    'Vicurex',
    'Vault of Satoshi'
  ];

  eachProvider(providers, function(err, results) {
    msgOut += "DOGE: ";
    results.forEach(function (each) {
      msgOut += each.label + ": " + each.symbol + each.value + " ";
    });

    bot.say(to, msgOut);
    callback();
  });
};

DOGE.prototype.btc = function (bot, to, from, msg, callback) {
  var msgOut = '';
  eachProvider(['Coinbase'], function(err, results) {
    msgOut += "BTC: ";
    results.forEach(function (each) {
      msgOut += each.label + ": " + each.value + " ";
    });

    bot.say(to, msgOut);
    callback();
  });
};

DOGE.prototype.dc = function (bot, to, from, msg, callback)
{
  var msgOut = '',
    amount = 1000,
    raw = msg.replace(',', '');

  if ((raw !== '') && !isNaN(raw)) {
    amount = parseFloat(raw);
  }

  eachProvider(['Vault of Satoshi'], function(err, results) {
    if (isNaN(results[0].value)) {
      msgOut = 'Cannot do conversion at this moment.';
    } else {
      msgOut = 'Đ' + amount + ' is $' + (amount * results[0].value).toFixed(2);
    }
    bot.say(to, msgOut);
    callback();
  });
};

DOGE.prototype.bc = function (bot, to, from, msg, callback)
{
  var msgOut = '',
    amount = 1,
    raw = msg.replace(',', '');

  if ((raw !== '') && !isNaN(raw)) {
    amount = parseFloat(raw);
  }

  eachProvider(['Coinbase'], function(err, results) {
    if (isNaN(results[0].value)) {
      msgOut = 'Cannot do conversion at this moment.';
    } else {
      msgOut = 'BTC' + amount + ' is $' + (amount * results[0].value).toFixed(2);
    }
    bot.say(to, msgOut);
    callback();
  });
};

exports.Plugin = DOGE;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


"Afghanistan" This essay is about the history of events that has happened in Afghanistan, and about the past to present leaders.
Discuss how F. Mernissi interprets the reasons for the "descending of the veil" in Medina during the Prophet's life.
Discussion on the Secularism of Turkey in it's politics, culture and international relations.
The Palace of the Russian Tsar.