A reader asked us about a notice he received from Adobe regarding an upcoming increase in CC subscription pricing in some countries. Per the company's email, the Creative Cloud membership costs in certain areas will be changing due to currency fluctuations. This only affects a relatively small number of countries, but what exactly does this mean, and why is it happening?
… Currency exchange rates have fluctuated significantly over the last few years. Like many US-based global companies, Adobe is making pricing adjustments to offset fluctuations in foreign exchange rate. We monitor these and make adjustments only when necessary.
As a US company, all customer payments come back to dollars (USD) for Adobe. The overall pricing for Creative Cloud has been pretty stable since its initial launch five years ago, and has never been adjusted for inflation. So they don't seem to be doing this to be unfriendly, but rather on an exceptional basis to compensate for large currency swings that have happened in some countries since that time.
For example, when Creative Cloud pricing was first set in 2012, the British Pound-to-Dollar exchange rate was around 1.60. Now it is near 1.20. So while Adobe hasn't changed the pricing for customers in USD, because of the large swing in the Pound, the company is now receiving 25% less in USD (after currency conversion and VAT is taken out) from customers in the UK.
And in countries like Argentina, Chile, and Russia, the exchange rate movements have been greater, meaning Adobe would need to make a larger adjustment. When you convert the current prices in these places back to USD, the effective subscription rates have fallen to a much lower level than what is paid by customers elsewhere.
But what if an exchange rate goes in the opposite direction – what happens if the USD gets weaker? Then Adobe can (and does) make changes going the other way… In fact, the company has lowered local subscription pricing as well – they are dropping CC costs in Brazil this year, and also lowered prices in Switzerland and Liechtenstein a year ago.
Adobe also occasionally needs to adjust what is charged when the applicable sales/VAT/GST tax rates change in particular countries… In these cases, the additional funds are going to state or local governments, rather than the company itself. Adobe collects the tax on behalf of governments, which are included in the listed price.
For example, this happened recently in Australia and in New Zealand. Previously, customers did not have to pay taxes on most international online purchases. But since last fall, all subscriptions for new or renewing customers are required to include the local (10-15%) GST added onto what Adobe receives.
Any changes in sales taxes do not affect the base price of your Adobe subscription or membership. And if you have an exemption for the tax, then just log in to your Adobe account and add your Registration number.
Finally, note that any comparison between subscription rates in different countries always needs to back out the respective sales tax rates in each of the regions, to be on an apples-to-apples basis… For instance, in Europe/UK, Creative Cloud membership costs are always quoted with the (large ~20%) VAT included – whereas in the USA, prices are always quoted before state sales tax is added.
The final possibility to explain increases in Adobe CC subscription rates is when your initial (one-off) promotional pricing draws to a close. At that point, all renewals become at the current regular rates, now that your discounted first-year pricing is ending.
In this case, the Creative Cloud renewal price quoted in the email you received includes any changes that would be made if you are coming to the end of a promotional pricing period, and shifting to standard pricing.
This can include, for example, students and teachers who receive a larger-than-normal education discount for the first year of Creative Cloud, then the normal education discount thereafter.
When Does Any Price Change Go into Effect?
On a per-month cost basis, the Annual rates are significantly less than the Monthly rates anyway.
If you're already an Annual member, then any change in the core subscription rate wouldn't happen until your once-per-year renewal date.
No one ever likes to see a price increase, it's true… Hopefully this article helps explain a bit more why it happens. Fortunately, these are relatively rare events where Adobe (like many international providers) is trying to selectively adjust to market forces beyond its control, to lose less in the currency translations. Economists say there are always trade-offs to stronger vs. weaker currencies, and while having a weaker currency can make imports more expensive, one major upside is that it can also stimulate exports and create jobs in a country where the exchange rate has fallen.
Which countries are affected by subscription price changes? Do you have a full list?
Hi Gina, thanks for your question. It appears that UK, Sweden, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Thailand and Brazil have forthcoming membership price adjustments (either an increase or decrease). Existing customers will receive information about their subscription pricing directly from Adobe.
Note that the US and Euro pricing remains the same (or lower) than it was when Creative Cloud originally rolled out in 2012. While the value of the Euro has fallen, it has not dropped as much as the Pound… and obviously for customers purchasing in USD, there is never a currency conversion required for the company.
I just realized today, the price raised up in Indonesia, Photoshop CC from $100-$110 now becomes $300, Illustrator CC from $200 becomes $300, I didn't understand if they're raising the price by a percentage, why now do Illustrator and Photoshop have same price.
And the amazing thing is the reseller sells it for $1000, single app annual payment.
I really miss the CS version, one time purchase for $700, and I don't need to think about the payment anymore or extend subscription.
I don't need the cloud storage, I don't care about the free website, I don't care about their free fonts. I have a giant storage subscription to share the projects with my clients on Google Drive (10TB), I prefer my own wordpress site, I have my own premium fonts (I purchase dozens of fonts every month).
Adobe, my favorite software, now has become very annoying. After the price rises up, it should be an option to purchase the software only, not with their "premium" stuff.
Now I'm confused, if I raise my design price to my clients and say "Sorry it's because Adobe hiked their price", my clients maybe don't care about that and would find another designer.
Please Adobe, don't do this! Price raise 25% is fine, but 100% is crazy.
I agree, you explained it better than Adobe did! However they've used the currency fluctuation excuse the last two years and given that the New Zealand dollar has been pretty stable against the US this is not an adequate explanation! The GST component makes more sense, so why don't they say that to their New Zealand customers? Over the last 3 years my annual subscription has gone up by $310.00 NZD. I'm sorry but that does not get covered by the currency debate. Thanks for nothing Adobe!


text:
Q: Is there a benefit to performing JWT operations as async? I'm using the highly popular jsonwebtoken package for node. Signing and verifying are typically performed synchronously, but async options are also provided.
I thought that the operations involved are neither data-bound nor computationally expensive, so there is no risk of burdening the main/user thread. I don't see a perf benefit.
So why would such operations be performed asynchronously - what is the benefit?

A: Looking over the package source code the only reason for the async callback (when verifying a token) seems to be when the secret/public key is provided in an async manner:
if(typeof secretOrPublicKey === 'function') {
  if(!callback) {
    return done(new JsonWebTokenError('verify must be called asynchronous if secret or public key is provided as a callback'));
  }

  getSecret = secretOrPublicKey;
}

https://github.com/auth0/node-jsonwebtoken/blob/da8f55c3c7b4dd0bfc07a2df228500fdd050242a/verify.js#L73

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
\section{Introduction}

Mergers of spinning BHs can produce recoil velocities (''kicks'') of the final merged BHs resulting from anisotropic gravitational radiation up to several thousands km/s \citep{loeb07,shields08,komossa08}. Gravitational wave (GW) recoil implies that the supermassive black hole (SMBH) spend a significant fraction of time off nucleus, at scales beyond that of the molecular obscurity torus. For example, according to \citet{batcheldor10}, isophotal analysis of M87, using data from the Advanced Camera for Surveys, reveals a projected displacement of $6.8 \pm 0.8$ pc ($\sim 0''.1$) between the nuclear point source (presented to be location of the SMBH) and the photo-center of the galaxy itself.

A recoiling SMBH in an active galactic nuclei (AGN) retains the inner part of its accretion disc. \citet{bonning07} and \citet{komossa08} have shown that the accretion disc will remain bound to the recoiling BH, inside the radius

\begin{equation}
 R_k = \frac{G M_{BH}}{V_k^2} = 0.43 \left(\frac{M_{BH}}{10^8 M_{\odot}}\right) \left(\frac{V_k}{10^3 \frac{km}{s}}\right)^{-2} pc,
 \label{eq00}
\end{equation}

\noindent where $V_k$ is the recoiling velocity and $M_{BH}$ is the mass of a black hole.

According to \citet{komossa08} a large fraction of the broad line region (BLR) remains bound to the recoiling hole, which structure of the size of torus or larger will typically be left behind. It means that the upper radius of the accretion disk (i.e. $R_{BLR}$ in this situation) of the recoiling BH can coincide with $R_k$ and this fact allows for the ejected BH and disk to undergo a luminous phase for observations.

\citet{bonning07} have claimed that one of possible manifestation of a recoiling accretion disc is in QSO emission lines shifted in velocity from the host galaxy and they have underlined that few, if any, of these systems are likely candidates for recoiling BHs. They have examined broad line QSOs with observed $H_\beta$ and [OIII] from the SDSS which have broad emission lines substantially shifted relative to the narrow lines. In a result they placed upper limits on the incidence of recoiling SMBHs in QSOs from the SDSS.

Gravitational recoil kicks would have a variety of observational consequences. The kick velocity of remnant depends on the mass ration ($M_2 / M_1 < 1$) and spin parameters ($a_1$, $a_2$) of the binary system, but not the total mass of the system. For example, according to \citet{bekenstein79,fitchett83,gonzalez07}, the recoil velocity for a merger of non-spinning BHs is $V_k \sim \eta^2$, where $\eta = M_1 M_2 / (M_1 + M_2)^2$. The power of gravitational waves (GW) is depending also on the parameter $\eta$. It allows to estimate the recoil velocity from the direct measurements of GWs. Early estimates of the recoil velocity, framed in post-Newtonian regime for non-spinning unequal mass BHs \citep{redmount89} yielded velocities in the range $100 < V_k < 500 km/s$. Simulations with varying (arbitrary) spin orientations \citep{campanelli07a} and mass ratios \citep{baker08} show that recoil velocities can be significantly larger, reaching $V_k \geq 2000 km/s$ and are predicted to be as large as $V_k \sim 4000 km/s$ for unequal mass ($M_2 / M_1 \approx 1/3$), maximally spinning BHs \citep{campanelli07b}. Variety of observational consequences of gravitational recoil kicks confirm the importance of future GW astronomy.

Here we suggest other probable test for the incidence of recoiling BHs. This test is connected with polarization of broad line emission in the retaining BLR. We use the theory of multiple scattering of polarized radiation \citep{chandrasekhar50,sobolev63} and the disc-like model of BLR \citep{mclure01,mclure04,kollatschny06,kollatschny13b,kollatschny13}.

Our estimates of the kick velocities do not depend on the direction of the recoiling velocity. Our basic idea is to consider the situation when the BLR radius coincides with the kick radius, i.e. $R_{BLR} \approx R_k$. This position forms a new opinion on the origin of BLR, which is still unclear. For example, we present the citation from well known paper \citet{kollatschny13b}: ''However, many details of this line emitting region are unknown, and there are many models that treat their geometry and structure.'' As concerns to the real problem of deriving the recoil velocity direction, one of the possible ways for solution of this problem is to derive the real displacement of the final SMBH and its direction.

The most important fact is that the BLR and recoiling radius can be determined from polarimetric observations \citep{piotrovich15}.

The commonly accepted method for determining the SMBH is based on the virial theorem, that is applied to the BLR. The virial theorem allows to obtain the following relation \citep{vestergaard06,fine08}:

\begin{equation}
 M_{BH} = f \frac{R_{BLR} V_{BLR}^2}{G},
 \label{eq01}
\end{equation}

\noindent where $f$ is a virial coefficient (factor) that depends strongly on the geometry, velocity field and orientation of BLR, $R_{BLR}$ is the radius of BLR and $V_{BLR}$ is the velocity dispersion that is measured usually as the full width of the emission line at a half of height in the radiation spectrum, i.e. $V_{BLR} = FWHM$. The BLR radius $R_{BLR}$ is determined usually by the reverberation method, i.e. with time delay between continuum and emission line variations.

There are various approaches for determining the value of $f$. Many authors used the value $f \approx 1.0$. \citet{peterson99} suggested the value $f = 3/4$. \citet{onken04} used the mean value of the virial coefficient as $f = 1.4$. \citet{mclure01} have shown that for a disc shaped BLR without a combination of a random isotropic components inclined at angle $i$ to the observer line of sight the virial coefficient can be presented as:

\begin{equation}
 f = \frac{1}{4 \sin^2{i}}.
 \label{eq02}
\end{equation}

For a geometrically thin disc shape BLR, Eq.(\ref{eq01}) and (\ref{eq02}) transform into

\begin{equation}
 \sin{i} = \frac{1}{2} \left(\frac{R_{BLR}}{R_g}\right)^{1/2} \left(\frac{FWHM}{c}\right),
 \label{eq03}
\end{equation}

\noindent where $FWHM$ is the observed full width of the emission line \citep{vestergaard06,ho08,wang09,shen14}, and $R_g = G M_{BH} / c^2$ is the gravitational radius.

The value of the inclination angle $i$ can be determined from polarimetric observations. We have the results of the detailed numerical calculations of the degree of polarization $P_l(\mu = \cos{i})$ for the radiation scattered in the optically thick plane parallel atmosphere. These calculations were made in the framework of the classical Chandrasekhar-Sobolev theory \citep{chandrasekhar50,sobolev63}.

\section{Relation between polarization degree of emission lines and recoiling velocity of SMBH

We can obtain the constraints on the kick velocity value is one suggests that the next relation takes the form: $R_k \approx R_{BLR}$, If this relation occurs then we obtain from (\ref{eq02}) and (\ref{eq03}):

\begin{equation}
 \sin{i} = 0.492 \alpha \left(\frac{FWHM}{V_k}\right),\,\, \alpha = \frac{R_{BLR}}{R_k}.
 \label{eq05}
\end{equation}

\noindent We shall consider the situation when the coefficient $\alpha \leq 1$. It means that our results of $V_k$ really present bounds on the kick velocity value. It is very important that the value of the inclination angle can be determined from polarimetric observations using the standard Chandrasekhar-Sobolev theory of multiple scattering of the radiation on free electrons and Rayleigh scattering on gas molecules and small dust particles. According to these classical works, the polarization degree of scattered radiation depends strongly on the inclination angle. For example, the scattered radiation has the maximum linear polarization $P_l = 11.7\%$ when the line of sight is perpendicular to the normal to the semi infinite atmosphere (Milne problem). \citet{chandrasekhar50} and \citet{sobolev63} presented the solution of so-called Milne problem that corresponds to multiple scattering of light in optically thick flattened atmosphere.

We used the theory of multiple scattering of polarized radiation and disc like model for the BLR and estimated the values of the virial factors and the mass values for SMBH in AGN \citep{piotrovich15}.

\begin{figure}[t]
	\includegraphics[width=\columnwidth]{fig1}
  \caption{Dependence of the polarization degree on the kick velocity.}
  \label{fig01}
\end{figure}

Now, using Eq.(\ref{eq05}) is is possible to obtain the real relation between the degree of linear polarization and the recoil velocity $V_k$, of course, in the situation when $R_k \approx R_{BLR}$. At Fig.\ref{fig01} it is presented the dependence of the polarization degree on the kick velocity according to (\ref{eq05}) fot the different values of FWHMs.

According to \citet{lousto11} the recoil velocity of BHs with individual spin $a = 1$ has the value $V_k = 4915.2$ km/s. For $FWHM = 5 \times 10^3$ km/s the polarization degree according to (\ref{eq05}) is $P_l (H_\beta) = 0.624 \%$. The value corrsponds to the extreme kick velocity. This extreme case can only be realized by essentially particular fine tuned configuration of the individual black hole spin vectors.

\section{Estimates of the kick velocity from the spectropolarimetric data of \citet{smith02} and \citet{afanasiev11}

For determining the kick velocity $V_k$ from Eq.(\ref{eq05}) we used the polarimetric data that are presented in the spectropolarimetric atlas of \citet{smith02}. They obtained the values of polarization degree and polarization angles for 36 Type 1 Seyfert galaxies. These data have been obtained in a result of different runs at the Anglo-Australian and William Hershel telescopes. From 36 objects presented in the atlas of \citet{smith02} for most of the observed objects there is a difference between the continuum and BLR emission values of the polarization degree and the position angle. We suggest that this difference can be connected to the contribution of the kick velocity to the broad line structure according to Eq.(\ref{eq05}). For estimates of FWHM values we used published data \citep{vestergaard06,ho08,wang09,feng14}. These data belong to the observed full width of the $H_\beta$ emission line, but the \citet{smith02} polarimetric data belong to $H_\alpha$ emission line. However existing relation between $H_\alpha$ and $H_\beta$ full width \citep{greene05} confirms the approximate equality between these widths:

\[
 FWHM(H_\beta) =
\]
\begin{equation}
 = (1.07 \pm 0.07) \times 10^3 \left(\frac{FWHM(H_\alpha)}{10^3 km/s}\right)^{1.03 \pm 0.03}
 \label{eq06}
\end{equation}

The results of our calculations of the SMBH kick velocities are presented at Table \ref{tab1}. Of course, these results can be considered as upper limits.

\begin{table}[t]
\footnotesize
\caption{Polarization of AGN radiation \citep{smith02,afanasiev11} and bounds on kick velocity values (Eq.(\ref{eq05})).}
\label{tab1}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{lccc}
\tableline
{\bf Objects} & $P_l$           & FWHM           & $V_k$ \\
              & [\%]            & [km/s]         & [km/s] \\
\tableline
Akn 564       & $0.52 \pm 0.02$ & 865            & 772 \\
I Zw 1        & $0.67 \pm 0.01$ & 1117.4         & 959.9 \\
Mrk 290       & $0.90 \pm 0.04$ & $4270 \pm 157$ & 3160 \\
Fairall 51    & $5.19 \pm 0.07$ & 3079           & 1550 \\
NGC 3783      & $0.52 \pm 0.02$ & 3555           & 3242 \\
NGC 4051      & $0.55 \pm 0.04$ & 1034           & 925 \\
Mrk 509       & $0.85 \pm 0.03$ & 3423           & 2587 \\
Mrk 335       & $0.52 \pm 0.02$ & 1840           & 1695 \\
Mrk 6         & $0.90 \pm 0.02$ & $4512 \pm 38$  & 3343.3 \\
Mrk 304       & $0.72 \pm 0.07$ & 4532           & 3637 \\
Mrk 705       & $0.46 \pm 0.07$ & 1790           & 1718 \\
Mrk 871       & $0.65 \pm 0.13$ & 3688           & 3096 \\
Mrk 876       & $0.81 \pm 0.04$ & 5017           & 3843 \\
Mrk 915       & $0.47 \pm 0.07$ & $4560 \pm 500$ & 3864 \\
NGC 4593      & $0.57 \pm 0.05$ & 3769           & 3323 \\
NGC 6814      & $1.71 \pm 0.07$ & 4200           & 2548 \\
PG 0007+106   & $1.02 \pm 0.38$ & 5084.6         & 3605 \\
PG 0026+129   & $0.99 \pm 0.28$ & 2250           & 1611 \\
PG 0049+171   & $1.42 \pm 0.31$ & 5234.3         & 3411 \\
PG 0157+001   & $0.71 \pm 0.28$ & 2432           & 1965 \\
PG 0804+761   & $1.00 \pm 0.38$ & 3276           & 2326 \\
PG 0844+349   & $0.69 \pm 0.10$ & $2694 \pm 58$  & $2194 \pm 47$ \\
PG 0953+414   & $0.39 \pm 0.12$ & $3071 \pm 27$  & $2824 \pm 28$ \\
PG 1022+519   & $0.83 \pm 0.30$ & 1566.4         & 1364 \\
PG 1116+215   & $0.46 \pm 0.10$ & 2896.9         & 2794.6 \\
PG 2112+059   & $1.14 \pm 0.22$ & 3176.4         & 2173.6 \\
PG 2130+099   & $0.62 \pm 0.15$ & $1781 \pm 5$   & $1513 \pm 4$ \\
PG 2214+139   & $1.40 \pm 0.16$ & 4532           & 2903.3 \\
PG 2233+134   & $0.67 \pm 0.23$ & 1709.2         & 1411 \\
\tableline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

In our estimates of recoiling velocities we suggested $\alpha \leq 1$. It is interesting to compare the real value of $R_k$ from Eq.(\ref{eq00}) with values of $R_{BLR}$ published in literature. For the value of $V_k$ which is presented in Eq.(\ref{eq00}) we use the bound value of the kick velocity from our Table \ref{tab1}. The values of $R_{BLR}$, estimated by \citet{greene10,shen10,bentz13}, correspond in the error limits to values of $R_k$ from Eq.(\ref{eq00}). For example, for Fairall~9 $R_{BLR} = 10^{16.89}$cm, $R_k = 10^{16.9}$cm, for I Zw 1 $R_{BLR} = 10^{17.4}$ cm, $R_k = 10^{17.5}$cm, for Mrk~6 $R_{BLR} = 10^{16.3}$cm, $R_k = 10^{16.4}$cm, for Mrk~279 $R_{BLR} = 10^{16.6}$cm, $R_k = 10^{16.4}$cm, for Mrk~509 $R_{BLR} = 10^{17.01}$cm, $R_k = 10^{17.06}$cm, for Mrk~335 $R_{BLR} = 10^{16.64}$cm, $R_k = 10^{16.8}$cm.

For AGNs, presented in the Table \ref{tab1}, the recoil velocities are essentially lower than the upper limit for recoil $\sim 5000 km/s$. For some other AGN, including Mrk~279, Akn~120, Fairall~9, NGC~5548 and PG~2209+184 polarimetric estimates with Eqs. (\ref{eq01}) and (\ref{eq02}) give the values above this upper limits. It appears that in the case of the geometrically thick disk-like structure of BLR the polarimetric data from \citet{smith02} and \citet{afanasiev11} provide the values extremely lower the largest recoil value.

According to \citet{collin06} and \citet{decarli11} the expression for the virial factor can be presented in the following form:

\begin{equation}
 f = 0.25 \left[\left(\frac{H}{R}\right)^2 + \sin^2 i \right],\,\, V_{BLR} = FWHM,
 \label{eq07}
\end{equation}

\noindent where $H / R$ is the aspect ratio, i.e. the ratio of the geometrical thickness of the BLR to this radius ($R = R_{BLR}$). As a result we obtain instead of (\ref{eq02}) and (\ref{eq05}) the following expressions

\begin{equation}
 \sqrt{\left(\frac{H}{R}\right)^2 +\sin^2 i} = \left(\frac{FWHM}{2 c}\right) \left(\frac{R_{BLR}}{R_g}\right)^{1/2},
 \label{eq08}
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
 \sqrt{\left(\frac{H}{R}\right)^2 + \sin^2 i} = 0.492 \alpha \left(\frac{FWHM}{V_k}\right).
 \label{eq09}
\end{equation}

The real value of the parameter $H / R$ can be obtained with (\ref{eq08}) using the values of $\sin i$ from the polarimetric observations at the base of Chandrasekhar-Sobolev theory of the generation of polarization for multiple scattering in optically thick plane-parallel atmosphere.

The values of the recoil velocities for a number of AGN, calculating with (\ref{eq07}) and (\ref{eq08}) are presented at Table \ref{tab2}.

\begin{table}[t]
\footnotesize
\caption{Polarization of AGN radiation and bounds on kick value (Eq.(\ref{eq05})) for geometrically thick accretion flow \citep{smith02,afanasiev11}.}
\label{tab2}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{lccc}
\tableline
{\bf Objects} & $P_l$           & FWHM           & $V_k$ \\
              & [\%]            & [km/s]         & [km/s] \\
\tableline
Mrk 279       & $0.48 \pm 0.04$ & $5208\pm 95$   & 2928 \\
Akn 120       & $0.40 \pm 0.02$ & $5536\pm 297$  & 2768 \\
Fairall 9     & $0.40 \pm 0.11$ & $5618\pm 107$  & 3786 \\
NGC 5548      & $0.69 \pm 0.01$ & 5822           & 3693 \\
PG 2209+184   & $0.83 \pm 0.29$ & 6487.3         & 3143 \\
\tableline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

It should be noted that for the objects presented in the Table \ref{tab1}, the polarization degree data and corresponding values of $\sin{i}$ require the real geometrically thin BLR, i.e. $H / R \ll |\sin{i}|$.

\section{Discussion and conclusions

According to the basic result of our calculations presented at the Table \ref{tab1} and Table \ref{tab2} the kick velocity is smaller than the FWHM value. This result confirms the conclusion of \citet{loeb07} that the accretion disc remains bound to the ejected BH within the region where the gas orbital velocity is larger than ejection speed.

The main problem is the fact that the remnant BH recoiling in any direction can exceed the escape velocity of galaxies. In this situation the recoil velocity must essentially exceed $\sim 2000$ km/s.

According to \citet{loeb07} only the small fraction of quasars could be associated with an escaping BH. If the accreting disk remains bound to ejected BH, one can expect the radiation of this disk would be polarized. Our estimates of the recoiling velocities correspond to the situation when $R_{BLR} \approx R_k$. But in many cases the situation is realized when $R_{BLR} < R_k$ and in these cases the values of $V_k$ will be considerably lower than obtained values. Therefore our results can be considered as bounds for the real velocity values.

Also it is important that according to \citet{peterson07} and \citet{komossa12} the region of the kick velocity ($R_k$ from Eq.(\ref{eq00})) is on the order of the size of the BLR of AGN.

Numerical relativistic simulations have produced recoil velocities $V_k \geq 10^3$ km/s, even reaching $\sim 5 \times 10^3$ km/s for certain configurations of BH spins \citep{lena14,campanelli07b,lousto11,lousto12}. Such velocities would cause large displacements of the coalesced SMBH from the center of galaxy or, in the extreme cases, eject it entirely from the host galaxy \citep{merritt04,volonteri10}. But recoils exceeding the escape velocity of the host galaxy are expected to be relatively rare. It is more important that coalesced SMBH will undergo damped oscillations that will prevent the real escape of the object from the host galaxy.

\citet{merritt09} and \citet{gualandris08} have shown that one of the key consequences of GW recoil is long lasting oscillations of the SMBH around the host galaxy core, implying that the SMBHs may spend as long as $10^6 \div 10^9$ years of the nucleus with an amplitude of parsecs or kiloparsecs. For example, N-body simulations have shown that the SMBH can oscillate within the bulge for $\sim 1$ Gyr before coming to rest \citep{gualandris08}.

Also it is important that recoiling BH trajectories strongly depend on the gas content of the host galaxy. Maximal BH displacements from the center may vary by up to an order of magnitude between gas rich and gas poor mergers.

The problem of oscillating of BH kicks in host galaxies is the extremely complex and deserves the special investigation. The base of our consideration is the suggestion that the radius of BLR coincides with the initial kick radius determined by Eq.(\ref{eq03}) \citep{komossa08}. If even the intrinsic BH velocity oscillate, the initial BLR remains bound to the recoiling hole and therefore keeps the information on the initial recoiling velocity.

It should be mentioned that last investigations showed that the probability that a remnant BH recoils in any direction at a velocity exceeding $\sim 2000 km/s$ (escape velocity of large elliptical galaxies) in only 0.03\% \citep{lousto12}.

For all AGNs presented at our Table \ref{tab1} and Table \ref{tab2} the kick velocity appears smaller than the FWHM value though reach the values of thousands km/s. Of course, these values should be considered as the limit value. It is very important that our estimates confirm that a recoiling SMBH retained the inner part of its accretion disc and in many cases $R_k \approx R_{BLR}$.

Recently \citet{robinson10} have presented the results of spectropolarimetric observations of the quasar E1821+643 ($z = 0.297$). For this object the broad Balmer lines in total flux are redshifted by $\sim 10^3$ km/s relative to the narrow lines.

At first sight the quite large values of the recoiling velocity, presented at Table \ref{tab1}, can exceed the escape velocity of the host galaxy. But, according to \citet{lousto12}, these events are expected to be relatively rare. More frequently the SMBH will undergo damped oscillations in the galaxy potential. N-body simulations \citep{gualandris08} have shown that moderately large kicks, that can be sufficient to eject the SMBH from the core, result in long lived oscillations which damp on a timescale $\sim 1$ Gyr.

Systematic searches of large SDSS AGN samples have revealed $\sim 100$ objects that exhibit velocity shifts $\geq 10^3$ km/s between the broad and narrow lines \citep{bonning07,tsalmantza11,eracleous12}. We intend to arrange the special polarimetric programm of observations of these objects at the Russian BTA-6m telescope.

\acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Basic Research Program P-7 of Praesidium of Russian Academy od Sciences, the program of the Department of Physical Sciences of Russian Academy of Sciences No.2 and the presidential program ''Leading Scientific School-7241.2016.2''.

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National Academy of Sciences elects UO's Helen Neville
The National Academy of Sciences on April 29 elected UO brain scientist Helen J. Neville as one of 21 foreign associates from 15 countries.
Neville earned the foreign associate honor because her birthplace is Canada. She holds the Robert and Beverly Lewis Endowed Chair in Neuroscience and has been at the UO since 1995.
Membership in the NAS is one of the highest honors given to a scientist or engineer in the United States. Members and foreign associates, who are nonvoting members of the academy, are chosen in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
The NAS elected 84 new members this year in addition to the 21 foreign associates.
Neville's research makes use of psychophysical, electrophysiological and magnetic resonance imaging techniques to study the development and plasticity of the human brain. Her work has regularly brought new understanding of the nature and mechanisms of human brain plasticity and has led to the design and adoption of education programs that address inequality between students of lower and higher socioeconomic status, especially children.
She has won numerous national and international awards, including the 2011 Transforming Education through Neuroscience Award given by the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society. In 2007, she was elected into American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Among her accomplishments was the release in late 2009 of an educational DVD produced in the UO's Brain Development Lab, which she directs. "Changing Brains: Effects of Experience on Human Development" has since been distributed widely to social service agencies and the general public.
Neville earned a bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia and a master's degree from Simon Fraser University (British Columbia). Her doctorate is from Cornell University.
Neville becomes the eighth active member among the academy's current roster of 2,214 full members and 444 foreign associates. Affiliations on the academy's active roster are based on the home institution of members at the time of their election. She joins Eric Selker (2012), Geraldine Richmond (2011), Brian Matthews (1986), John Schellman (1982), Michael Posner (1981), Peter von Hippel (1978) and Franklin Stahl (1976).

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If you haven't heard the terms "solar geoengineering" and "stratospheric aerosol injection", you should probably get used to them. They represent a scientifically and technologically realistic plan for controlling climate change when all other governance and economic models can't get it done. The idea has been around for a while, but deemed too expensive in the past.
Now a new research paper in the Environmental Research Letters analyzes what's needed to use aircraft to spray sulfates into the stratosphere to cool the climate. The two authors are Wake Smith from Yale, and Gernot Wagner from Harvard. And once you get past your shock at the idea, if you feel any that is, the paper presents some well-thought out parameters for the whole enterprise.
"…a hypothetical deployment program starting 15 years from now, … would be technically possible strictly from an engineering perspective." – Dr. Gernot Wagner, co-Director of Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research Program.
First of all, let's dispel a couple myths. This has nothing to do with dimming the Sun, chemtrails, or mind control. Nothing humanity can do could dim the Sun. Chemtrails are ignorant fever dreams, and mind control is just…whatever. Both Smith and Wagner are serious people, and they deserve to be paid attention to.
Wagner is a research associate and lecturer at Harvard, co-Director of Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research Program, and author of the book "Climate Shock." Smith has an MBA and a career in commercial aviation and finance behind him, and writes on the logistics and costs of solar radiation management and geo engineering. These two are well-equipped to conduct this research.
Let's imagine a world where scientists have discovered that our emissions are heating up the globe and that people are too reluctant to make changes to their emissions. Our governance methods and economic methods aren't getting the job done. You don't really have to imagine it because that's basically where we are.
In that situation, scientists are bound to try and come up with technological solutions while still hoping that politics and economics eventually get it right. And that leads us to these two ideas: solar geoengineering, and stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI).
Solar geoengineering is also called "solar radiation management" (SRM). The idea is to make the atmosphere reflect some more of the Sun's radiation back into space. SRM seeks to increase Earth's albedo, or reflectivity.
Some SRM methods propose protecting and restoring Earth's naturally reflective surfaces, like sea ice, snow, and glaciers. These would involve massive engineering projects, and would be expensive. There's also no guarantee they'll work.
The new study released by Smith and Wagner focuses on another much talked-about SRM: stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI).
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection is centered around the idea of injecting sulphates into the atmosphere, about 20 kilometers high, in the stratosphere. It's reasoned that SAI could counter most climatic changes, be relatively inexpensive, could take effect quickly, and it would be reversible in its direct climatic effects. Sounds pretty good, but there've been some drawbacks.
Early ideas in SAI proposed using artillery, existing aircraft, or balloons to inject sulphates, or their precursors, into the stratosphere. But each one of these has its own problems. The new research focuses on developing new aircraft to deliver the sulphates into the stratosphere.
Flying 20 kilometers high into the stratosphere is not an easy thing to do. It's not something that we'd need to do only a few times, so that we could just use expensive rockets and eat the cost. A successful SAI project would be a multi-year project involving a fleet of specialized aircraft stationed at multiple bases around the world.
In their study, Smith and Wagner analyze the costs and development timelines for a fleet of aircraft that could halve the increase in anthropogenic radiative forcing. The fleet would start small and grow over time, and would begin operations in 15 years. They looked at existing aircraft and concluded that none of them are practical. The 15 years allows ample time to develop the required aircraft and get it tested and licensed.
"No existing aircraft has the combination of altitude and payload capabilities required." – Wake Smith, study co-author.
Sustained flight at 20 kms altitude requires specialized aircraft. The fuselage and wings need to be different than anything we have now, and the engines would have to be specialized. To conduct their study, they consulted several aircraft manufacturers, engine manufacturers, and other companies including Airbus, Atlas Air, Boeing, Bombardier, GE Engines, Gulfstream, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Near Space Corporation, Northrup Grumman, Rolls Royce Engines, and others.
They call their proposed aircraft SAIL: Stratospheric Aerosol Injection Lofter.
The two researchers are clear about their motives. They're not making any judgement about using SAIL to battle climate change. They just wanted to flesh out the idea and see what a realistic SAI program might look like, and what the timeline and effectiveness might be.
NASA's WB-57 is another high-altitude research airplane that the study authors deemed unsuitable for SAIL. Image: NASA/Johnson Space Center.
This new SAIL aircraft would need to carry a 25 ton payload to 20 km altitude and sustain flight there. So what would this new aircraft look like?
The aircraft itself would need larger wings, double the size of current aircraft, and double the thrust too. "We developed the specifications for SAIL with direct input from several aerospace and engine companies. It's equivalent in weight to a large narrow body passenger aircraft. But to sustain level flight at 20 kms, it needs roughly double the wing area of an equivalently sized airliner, and double the thrust, with four engines instead of two," said Smith.
The engines would be modified versions of existing engines called "low-bypass." Though these engines exist, they aren't used much because they're not fuel efficient. They out-perform other engines at these extreme altitudes though.
The two researchers propose starting with 8 aircraft flying about 4000 flights per year, and increasing by 4000 each year as more aircraft are brought online. 15 years after starting operations, the fleet would number almost 1000. They would fly from an array of bases around the globe, at latitudes of 15 and 30 degrees north and south of the equator. The goal would be to inject ~0.1 Mt of S in year one, increasing at a rate of ~0.1 Mt yr linearly thereafter.
Detailed table of SAIL's flight activity. Image: Smith and Wagner, 2018.
Smith and Wagner conclude that their SAIL program would not be that expensive. Their analysis shows that the program would cost about $2.25 billion per year over the first 15 years of deployment. This includes the design, testing, and manufacture of a new aircraft type, the modification of existing engines, and operational costs. That's not much compared to the $240 billion the US economy has lost in the last decade because of climate change.
The ultimate goal of a SAIL program would be to buy us time. It would not solve our emission problem. SAIL is only a temporary mitigation method. It won't lower CO2 in the atmosphere, and it won't stop the other effects of climate change like ocean acidification. It merely reflects some sunlight back into space.
Should We Use SAIL to Battle Climate Change?
Here's where it gets tricky. Assuming that Wagner and Smith are correct, should we use SAIL to battle climate change?
There are some fears around the idea of technological climate modification. Some organizations fear that developing this kind of technology would allow a rogue regime to do it in secret. The authors dispel this fear, saying it would be impossible to hide this level of flight activity involving partner countries around the globe.
Some climate change activists are wary of SAI because they think it will create apathy towards reducing emission. They say we would become reliant on it, and would create and excuse to not lowering our GHG emissions. Over at Geoengineering Monitor you can find these concerns explained and expanded on. They're concerned that large companies involved in fossil fuel extraction would fund geoengineering projects which would allow them to continue business as usual.
The Geoengineering Monitor's "HOME Manifesto." It's a little over-dramatic, but it gets their point across. Image: Geoengineering Monitor.
In any case, using high-altitude aircraft to battle climate change is all for discussion purposes at this point. There's a body called the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Under the CBD, 193 countries signed a moratorium on geoengineering and agreed that there needs to be a global mechanism in place to govern it.
But the SAIL program is a framework that wouldn't start operations until 15 years from now. Is 15 years long enough to develop a global mechanism for a geoengineering plan to battle climate change? One would hope so.
We're backing ourselves into a corner. The longer we wait to take meaningful action on emissions, the more draconian our measures will need to be. Our fears, both founded and unfounded, will need to be overcome if we want to use SAIL to fight the effects of climate change.
We got ourselves into this situation and we'll have to get ourselves out of it.


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NIGHTWISH Bassist To Guest On New AYREON Album
Wednesday, 14th August 2013 By Dead Rhetoric
NIGHTWISH bass player Marco Hielta is confirmed as a guest on AYREON's forthcoming new album, The Theory of Everything, which is due before the end of the year. Behind-the-scenes footage from Hietala's recording sessions for the CD can be seen below.
Lucassen previously stated about the new AYREON effort: "['The Theory Of Everything' is] going to be a double album, so there is a lot to write! It's extra challenging as well, because lyrically I've left the old AYREON universe behind and have to create a new one from scratch.
"I'm really excited about the lineup and how everything is PROGressing so far. There is physics involved, but mainly it's about human relationships and the emotional costs that come with treading the fine line between genius and madness."
Nightwish – Nature's Landscape
Ayreon – Electric Castle Live and Other Tales (Music Theories Recordings)
Ayreon – Ayreon Universe – Best of Ayreon Live (Mascot)
Trees of Eternity – Hour of the Nightingale (Svart)
Ayreon – The Theater Equation (InsideOut Music)
Nightwish – February 24, 2016 – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall, Homestead, PA


Organize the day to day administrative processes of the MD.
Help the MD to plan and schedule activities.
Prepare letter internally and externally on behalf of the MD.
Carry out confidential assignment for the MD.
Carry out research, collate information and prepare reports.
Gathering marketing and customer information for management's use.
Interfering with customer and representing the organization on behalf of the MD.
Preparing and providing customers with information as directed by the MD.
Manage client relationship on behalf of the MD.
B.Sc in any related field.
Good understanding of administration and Business processes.
Strong analytical skills with intellectual disposition.
High proficiency in writing business letters.
Nuts About Cakes is to create a fun and tasty, yet superior quality snack that people can enjoy anytime. Products by Nuts About Cakes are created using the finest quality selection of ingredients. They are extremely popular as favors at weddings, pre-dinner snacks at social and corporate events, in bars and leisure outlets, and as gifts for all occasions.


Seeking somewhere familiar? Somewhere cosy and welcoming, where the staff know your name and your order before you've even had the chance to stride up to the bar? We've toured the town in search of the friendliest pubs in London, noting down the best places for a traditional and relaxed pubbing experience and gathering them together in this handy little guide.
One Over the Ait manages to combine a friendly atmosphere with some amazing food and drink to boot. Their pumps are filled with real ale and their kitchen serves up the best in homemade British food, using seasonal, locally-sourced produce.
They keep most of the tables free for walk-ins at The Cat & Mutton, so you're free to stroll on down and enjoy some pub grub and drinks in your own time. One of the very best pubs in East London, this Broadway Market boozer serves fried chicken and deep-south fare, with a glorious range of drinks on the side. There's live music throughout the week and it's the perfect spot come Sunday, when roasts and Bloody Mary's are the order of the day.
Beautifully decorated and with a bar stock full of all your favourite drinks, the Roebuck in Hampstead is a traditional pub that's perfect for those lazy weekends. Alongside the traditional, dark mahogany bar area, the venue boasts a cosy basement area, a serene private dining room and, most importantly, a stunning, elegant beer garden. Decked out with heaters, sheltered seating areas and a collection of bright garden furniture, its vibrancy and laid-back atmosphere has quickly made it into a favourite summer spot for Hampstead's locals.
Sometimes you need to venture further afield in order to find London's friendliest pubs. The Bridge Hotel feels a world away from the stressful scenes of central London despite the fact that it's only 20 minutes on the tube, with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere complemented by an excellent drinks menu featuring seasonal ales, worldly beers and classic cocktails. Linger into the night and don't worry if you miss your last train; there's 68 en-suite bedrooms to bail you out!
Looking to get familiar with the Notting Hill area and hatch a plan for pints at a friendly London pub? Well then, it's off to the Duke of Wellington for you. From casual pints and ales to a roster of favourites on the pub menu, this is the perfect Duke to be spending your time with.
Situated amongst the row of Victorian terraces on Bow's Coborn Road, this is a charming drinking hole for all occasions. Seek refuge in The Coborn if you need a break from the constant bustle of the city, with plenty of cosy spaces to set up shop and enjoy a tipple or two. Young's award-winning cask ales, craft beers, premium spirits and vintage wines are all available at the bar, and there's freshly prepared pub grub if you're here in search of food.
Bringing "a taste of country life to London's bustling suburbs", The Eagle ticks all the boxes for a traditional pub experience in Shepherd's Bush. You'll be chilling in the pub garden come the warmer months; the BBQ will be on the go and there's ample beanbags to kick back and lounge on. If there's a chill in the air retreat inside to find a cosy and snug pub environment, with sofas, open fires and plenty of ale and seasonal food.
A Grade II listed, early-19th century boozer on the banks of the Thames, The Gun is a handsome space to enjoy some dinner and drinks. Comprised of refurbed dining rooms and snug bookable areas, the friendly service adds to an already impressive package of seasonal British menus and quality wines at this riverside beauty. Get yourself on the terrace come the warmer months for sweeping views of the Thames and O2 Arena.
Not only is this charming watering hole bringing you three bars and a lush beer garden, but the Grand Junction Arms even hosts a variety of events like quiz nights, open mics and live sports through the week. Pair that with thirst-quenching drinks and a street food menu and we're onto a winner.
Quietly nestled away in the back streets of W6, The Cross Keys offers everything you could want from a traditional pub in London. Serving good, hearty comfort food washed down with only the finest real ales, there's a cosy ambience and plenty of banter to be had here. Rock up on Sunday for a roast of prime meats and home-made Yorkshire puds, or come during the week and relax with some darts, poker and board games.
With a warm and welcoming atmosphere every night of the week, this charming Leyton pub offers nothing but great food and friendly vibes from their blues-inspired menu to their live music nights.
It's pretty rare that you'll get a proper community spirit in a South London pub, so we're glad when ones like The Honor Oak come along. The gastropub prides itself on its friendliness, but that doesn't mean it skimps on its range of craft beers, cask ales and fine wines. And if you're feeling a little peckish, they'd be more than happy to serve you some seasonal British food for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Not only will you find great service at this north London pub, but you'll even find a few four-legged friends if you're lucky. Lovers of dogs, the guys at this Kentish Town gem welcome dogs and their humans for real ales, seasonal dishes and BBQs in the summer.
A Victorian gem with bags of charm, The Flask is one of the top pubs in Hampstead. Grab a pint of Young's ale at the bar or make for the conservatory, where seriously good pub grub is served up as the natural light comes flooding in. There's a neat little outside space to chill in if the weather allows, the Pimm's gets flowing in the summer and there's mulled wine for the winter, all in a friendly and familiar atmosphere that won't fail to impress.
You've not lived until you've checked out this gem of a Battersea boozer. The Four Thieves is a pub with more than 70 gins lining its shelves. There's comedy nights, pub quizzes, soothing jazz sessions on a Sunday, bottomless brunches and a snug which hosts Lady Chastity's - a super fun immersive team game. Rally up your mates and explore everything this friendly pub in London has to offer; there just might be a vintage arcade room to stumble upon while you're here.
The White Hart is a pub at the heart of the community, promising great service, the finest ales and delicious, freshly cooked food to the people of Barnes from its riverside location. Originally built in 1660 there's an unmistakable Tudor grandeur to this place, and it's a lovely pub to stop by to catch up with friends over a drink or to indulge in some tasty British cooking.
With a liquor licence dating back to the 1800s, this Amhurst Road site is a renowned site for drinking and socialising near Hackney Downs. Featuring an interior design of giant maypoles, wicker masks, brass icons and straw bears, this is a colourful space which celebrates British folk culture and offers a unique London pubbing experience.
The Lillie Langtry is a homely pub in Earls Court that full of charm and character. The venue's kitchen plates up a selection of grilled dishes - the pub is famous for it's chicken - while the bar serves all the best craft beers, local ales and fine wines available in West London. Sink into a cosy booth, relax with your favourite pint and watch the hours drift by at this friendly pub in West London.
The Crown Tavern might be a long old poke for some, but the friendly service and welcoming nature of this traditional boozer makes it all worthwhile. Featuring a lovely front terrace that fills up with contented drinkers in the summertime, the main bar has a top range of cask ales, world-class wines and refreshing long drinks while there's a beautiful function room with its own balcony upstairs.
Need a breather from the bustle of Islington? The Duchess of Kent is one of the area's best kept secrets, beckoning you inside where a friendly ambience is waiting. This cosy spot is great no matter what time of the week you're in town, with an excellent range of ales on tap, a fresh and vibrant wine list and tasty comfort food served throughout the week. Our tip? Go on Sunday for a delicious roast, a Bloody Mary or two and an afternoon spent playing board games.
The best time to visit the Joker? Friday afternoon's of course, when Islington's work weary spill out onto the streets and arrive on Penton Street, where an infectious, feel-good atmosphere awaits. The pub is named after Joseph Grimaldi - early nineteenth century local lad and creator of the modern-day clown as we know it - so it's probably only right that you sample their Grimaldi signature cocktail while you're here.


Hello everyone and welcome to the first feature in my Show Off September Series. Today I am featuring a beautiful naturalista with some amazing, creative, and gorgeous natural hair styles. Whether her hair is styled in a protective styles or in a fabulous free flowing fro, she rocks her natural hair effortlessly with beauty. So, without further delay, meet the beautiful, Cherrell!
Nappturally Chic Jere: Hello Cherrell and thank you so much for sharing your natural hair journey with us. I have definitely fallen in love with your creative hairstyles and I'm so excited to share them and your journey with my readers. So, tell us a little about yourself.
Cherrell: Thank you for the opportunity to share my hair story with you! :) My name is Cherrell and I'm from Baltimore, MD. I'm just a regular girl who loves her hair. I decided to go back to my natural hair two years ago and I've been natural for a total of 2 years and 2 months now.
NCJ: Congrats on being Natural and Chic for two years! Can you tell me about your hair before going natural. How did you feel when you first relaxed your hair and were you frustrated with your relaxed hair?
Cherrell: I had long hair as a child and throughout my adult years. My hair was pretty healthy, however it never grew past a certain point. I felt excited about getting a relaxer when I was younger, (which was maybe in middle school) because my peers and family members used them.. I don't think I ever really needed a relaxer, my mom would use the lightest one and she applied it in a certain way as to not damage the back of my hair, which was the finest area. I think that the only frustrating part about my relaxed hair is that it wouldn't grow to the length that I personally wanted, beyond shoulder length hair. It seemed to break off a lot during the times that I used relaxers on my hair.
NCJ: I can definitely relate to that.... So, did you transition long term or did you commit to a Big Chop?
Cherrell: I love to change my hair and do different styles, so about a year and a half ago I cut my hair into a short tapered hair cut for the summer. I dyed my hair blonde so I stopped using perms for that period. I thought about going natural but wasn't sure if I really wanted to. Then I figured I should at least try while my hair is already short, so I cut my hair down to about an inch on top and shaved on the side and began my natural hair journey! I basically did a big chop through series of cutting my hair shorter and shorter until it was about an inch long. I first had a bob, then cut my hair into a shorter cut, and finally cut it to about an inch long.
NCJ: I always admire you beautiful ladies who are bold and brave enough to cut off their hair... I was way too afraid to cut off all my hair at once. Speaking of fears, what was your biggest fear about going natural?
Cherrell: My biggest fear about going natural was that people wouldn't understand it or like it. My boyfriend was very supportive from day one, which helped me to overcome my fear. All in all, I had to learn to accept my hair and myself just the way I was.
NCJ: Lovely, there is something so special about having the support of a great man while we embark on this journey! Shout outs to the wonderful man out there who date, love, support, and understand a natural girl!! So, what are your favorite hairstyles and favorite hair products?
NCJ: Yes Ms. Cherrell, your protective style game is one of the baddest!!! :) I love how simple your regiment is! Do you have any advice for new naturals or those thinking about going natural.
NCJ: Great Advice!! What was the biggest lesson you learned about yourself throughout this journey?
Cherrell: The biggest lesson that I learned about myself was that I needed to be confident in all situations. Throughout my natural hair journey, I honestly learned that everyone isn't going to be accepting of your choices and decisions and that you have to do what's best for you. Now this may seem like an obvious fact, but it really hit me when I noticed other people's indifferent and negative reactions. I also learned that your hair doesn't make you, nothing is going to make you any more beautiful than what's inside of you.
NCJ: Love it!! So true! Do you have any social media forums that will allow other naturals to keep up with all of your fabulousness?
Cherrell: My Instagram user name is: Naturallycherrell and I can be found on YouTube at YouTube.com/Naturallycherrell... Thank You!
NCJ: Thank you so much for sharing with us!! It has been an absolute pleasure to learn a little more about the person behind the dope and creative hairstyles!! You are absolutely beautiful, napptrally chic, and I'm honored to "Show You OFF!"


Hi all! Welcome back! Yesterday we did the story of Israel's Exile and Hezekiah's Trust. Todays lesson is from 2 Kings 22-23. Last year's story and craft can be found HERE.
God's people had forgotten to obey Him. They disobeyed God and worshipped pretend gods called idols. They did what the wanted and didn't take care of the temple (the church.) The church was falling apart because no one cared enough about God to fix it.
The kings of God's people had mostly not been very good kings. They did not remember God's words and did not care to obey Him. But then, a young boy named Josiah became king. His father had been king and now he would be the new king. Even though he was young, God was about to use him to do GREAT things.
Josiah obeyed God and tried to always do the right thing. As he got a bit, he had his helpers fix up the church. As they were fixing and cleaning, they found some old parts of the Bible. Josiah had his helpers read it to him and when he heard what it said, he cried and cried. Do you know why? Because the people were NOT doing what the Bible said and he felt so sorry to God. We don't know what God wants us to do unless we read the Bible! When we know what His word says, then when we have decisions to make, we can know if it's something that God would want us to do or not. But we can forget God's words if we don't read our Bible…so it's important to read the Bible a lot…and reading with your mom or dad can help you understand it!
King Josiah called all the people together and told them the words of God. He and all the people made a new covenant (promise) to follow God and obey Him.
The people took down their pretend gods and did what was right.
You don't have to be a big grown up to do the right thing. Josiah was a good example to all the people in Judah for how to love God…worshipping ONLY Him, helping keep the church nice, praying to God, and obeying Him.
In 1 Timothy 4:12 it says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." Even little guys can do the right thing for God and sometimes you can even show grown ups how to love God.
For our craft today we wrote out 1 Timothy 4:12 and then drew pictures of each of the ways we can show other people how to love and obey God.
We found THIS VIDEO from KidMo.
SabbathSchool has a two part video on today's lesson found HERE and HERE.
Hello all! Yesterday we did "Samuel hears God" found HERE. Today's story is from 1 Samuel 4-7.
Samuel was a grown up now and Eli the priest was now a grandpa. He had two boys who were grown ups too. One day, the Israelites went to fight the Philistines and they decided to take the ark of the covenant with them so they could win. (They did not ask God is they could). They fought and fought…but they lost and the Philistines TOOK the ark with them!
Eli's two sons died during the fight and when Eli heard they died AND that the special box was gone, he fell over in his chair, bonked his head and he died too.
So they moved it to a different Philistine city. And all the people in THAT city got sick. They moved it AGAIN and those people got sick too! So they decided maybe they should just send it back to Israel!
They put the ark on a special truck and had two cows pull it. The cows brought the ark back to Israel. When it got to Israel, the Levites (the people in charge of the church who were allowed to touch the ark) carefully took it off the truck. Some of the Israelites didn't obey God's rules though and they peeked into the box and then they died.
Then they took the ark to a man's house. His name was Abinadab. Abinadab loved and obeyed God. His son was put in charge of watching the ark and taking care of it. And it stayed at his house a looooong time. It SHOULD have gone back to the tabernacle…but it didn't for a long long time.
The people did not take care of God's special box. They did not respect God's power or His instructions. The people in this story did not ask God if they could take the box from the tabernacle, the Philistines didn't care about moving the box away from God's people…the Israelites didn't obey God and they looked inside…everyone thought God's power was something THEY could move around. But no one is bigger, stronger, or smarter than God.
God is WONDERFUL and PERFECT and POWERFUL, He can be everywhere at all times and He is bigger than everything and He loves us and takes care of us….isn't that amazing?! That's why we worship Him! We love Him and pray to Him, we trust only Him…but the people in this story did not. They thought they could do whatever they wanted with God's things…instead of respecting God and asking HIM what they should do.
God tells us what He wants us to know in the Bible–we can read His words and know what He wants. When God tells us to do something (or to not do something) we should always obey because we know God's way is the BEST way.
For our craft today, we drew the ark of the covenant. (Instructions from Exodus 25). This is my 5 year olds' interpretation of what it looked like.
Hi all! Today we studied Judges 13-16 about Samson. We used last year's lesson found HERE.
What I tried to emphasize today is that Samson did not always obey God. But God used him anyway. Sometimes we disobey God too…but that doesn't mean God doesn't have big plans for us!
God gives you special things YOU are good at. He wants you to use those things to worship Him and to love others. Samson gave his power to Delilah instead of keeping it and using it for God. If you sing, sing songs of praise to God. If you draw, draw pictures to give to others. If you play sports, show the love of God while you play…be a good sport. Work hard in whatever you do. But don't let anything become more important than God and always see how God can use your gifts to help others.
The Bible says Samson was more useful when he died (because he also killed those mean Philistines)…but that wasn't God's plan for Samson. God WANTED Samson to do great things with his strength while he was alive! (Like that time he defeated the 1000 men all on his own!) Let's think about the things WE are good at…the things God has given US and see how we can serve God with those things NOW.
Our text says: Samson-Judges 13-16.
Hello all! Today's story is from Numbers 22-24. Last year's lesson and craft can be found HERE.
"What if i give you a lot of money? THEN will say what I want?" asked the king.
Balaam talked to God and God didn't want him to go. Eventually though, God said he could.
And you know what? Balaam was going to go and curse the Israelites and take the money. He was riding his donkey back to the king to curse the Israelites when suddenly, in the rode, his donkey stopped. Balaam was mad. "Move it!" he yelled to the donkey. "Why aren't you moving?!" He even hit the donkey.
Just then Balaam saw an angel of God. He was blocking the road. The donkey had seen the angel and stopped, but Balaam did not see the angel until just then. God did not want Balaam to go to the king and say bad things about the Israelites. God had told him that in prayer, with a donkey and with an angel!
Balaam went anyway, but when he got there, three times he spoke the words of God and he said that the Israelites would be strong and brave and that THEY would win. He also said that anyone who went against God's people would lose.
It took a LOT for God to get's Balaam's attention. He even made an animal TALK to get Balaam to listen to Him. We need take time to pray and to LISTEN to God. We can know what God wants by reading the Bible, listening to grown ups who know God and by praying and listening to God in our own hearts. Maybe you can pray right now and take some time to give God your attention.
Today's craft is made from a gift bag (or a paper lunch bag). We cut out a donkey head shape and drew on some nostrils and then glued on some googly eyes. Then we cut another strip of brown paper and fringed it. This we glued to the back of the bag.
THIS is a video from SabbathSchool about today's lesson.
Hello again! As we wrap up the book of Genesis, I decided to add this related (but not chronological) lesson. We did do the story of Ephraim and Manasseh yesterday but didn't change it from LAST YEAR'S LESSON.
Today's lesson is based on what I heard at church today and I thought it summed up Genesis so well it needed to be added here. This is from Romans 4. See also HERE.
So this month we read about God creating the heavens and the earth. We read about Adam, the first man, and Noah and Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. We read about how much God loved His creation….but the people did not always love God. A lot of people disobeyed and didn't trust God.
If YOU love AND obey God, then YOU are one of Abraham's children too. Abraham's family did get pretty big…but that also includes all the people who choose God and love and obey Him.
So when we read the Bible, we aren't just reading about THOSE people a long time ago…it's about God's story. His plan for ALL of us. God would send His son Jesus through Abraham's family…but anyone and everyone who believes in God becomes His child and becomes part of Abraham's family too. One of the stars in the sky.
We will start the next part of God's story tomorrow, in the book of Exodus. And as we read through Exodus, let's remember that WE are also God's children…like the Israelites…their story is our story.


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New details released in arrest of Canadian County shooting suspect
Posted 12:06 pm, October 14, 2019, by Kaylee Douglas
SOPER, Okla. (KFOR) - The Canadian County Sheriff's Office is releasing more details in the Friday arrest of a suspect in a violent shooting back in September.
It started near I-40 and Meridian back on Sept. 16.
According to officials with the Canadian County Sheriff's Office, a woman, now identified as Satearah Murphy, was trying to find a ride home and accepted one from a man in a silver Dodge pickup.
"She got in the vehicle and immediately noticed that there was something wrong with his demeanor. It scared her," Sgt. Scott Hendricks, with the Canadian County Sheriff's Office, said.
That man, who has now been identified by authorities as 36-year-old Aaron James Beal, allegedly started heading west on I-40 toward Murphy's home and demanded sexual favors.
When she refused, he allegedly pulled over just west of Yukon and pulled out a gun.
"At that point, he demanded that she get out of the vehicle and he fired two rounds, striking the victim with one of the rounds," Sgt. Hendricks said.
She then tried to run for it and got away, but not before Beal allegedly tried to run her over with his truck.
In early October, authorities were able to obtain surveillance video of Beal's pickup with a welding rig in the bed from businesses in the area where he picked up the victim.
A search warrant was executed on Beal's home, located in Soper, in connection to the shooting on Oct. 11.
As a result, officials say supporting evidence was found linking Beal to the shooting.
After investigators released surveillance images of a truck with a welding rig on the bed, several anonymous tips identified the vehicle as belonging to Beal.
According to the sheriff's office, on or about the day of the shooting, Beal- a welder by trade- was testing for employment with Strike Energy, located at Highway 66 and Gregory Road. The Strike Energy Yard is one mile north from the scene of the shooting.
Beal was arrested without incident and was transported to the Canadian County Jail on charges of Shooting with Intent to Kill and Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon.
"I'm extremely pleased with the exemplary work of my investigators who worked this case. Because of their hard work and the information we received as the result of news media broadcasts of the case, we were able to identify Beal and track him down to his residence and arrest him," said Canadian County Sheriff Chris West.
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Home / Editorials/Opinion / Inside the News by Mpakoo - All pieces appearing in this column are satire / Shouldn't Pastor Obinim and Nana Kwaku Bonsam go to Parliament?
Shouldn't Pastor Obinim and Nana Kwaku Bonsam go to Parliament?
April 13, 2015 Inside the News by Mpakoo - All pieces appearing in this column are satire Comments Off on Shouldn't Pastor Obinim and Nana Kwaku Bonsam go to Parliament?
A lot of excitement has greeted the news that some fine brains have jumped into the contest for parliament. Sadly, it seems we're ignoring one crucial fact, namely that what we may be in need of are more spiritualists in parliament not fine brains.
Look as far back as you may, Ghanaian politics has been decorated by politicians who are themselves well decorated with academic laurels, earned (Dr Limann, Prof Mills) or donated (Nkrumah, Rawlings).
Let's start with the first president Nkrumah. He enrolled as a doctoral student in LSE, a school well respected in Ghana until it came to light that Hon Ameenu Salifu (of Trees under Schools fame) also claims to have graduated from that school. After Nkrumah, the next democratically elected president was Oxford educated Dr Busia. After Busia, we had Dr Limann, another LSE product, but unlike Nkrumah he completed his doctoral studies. After Limann, we had Rawlings who although a fantastic air-force pilot, yet he doesn't have much academic laurels to write home about. He's the exception that proves the rule. After him came Kufuor, who has no PhD but who studied philosophy at Oxford. Following him, Atta Mills, the learned law professor. And we currently have around our collective necks a man who has postgraduate qualifications in communications, which doesn't show much when he talks.
4) Because spiritualists are under the direct supervision of God, corruption will be eliminated, because God will instantly give them a knock on their heads if they ever dared to dip their hands into the national coffers. No wonder Rawlings reposes more trust in Antoa than in the courts of law.
I can already see some of you squirming in middle-class discomfort and righteous anger. And I agree that it is a rather quirky proposal for running a state. So if the highly educated folks are not delivering and we're too embarrassed to put our faith, no pun intended, in the spiritualists, we could try the next option: i.e. enforce laws and allow the institutions of the state to work.


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