The Choice Flank Steak Bavette is a fantastic cut of meat, full of flavour and extremely tender coming from the abdominal muscles of the cattle.
There is a misconception that this cut is tough, but because our cattle are fed on grain, the Choice Flank Steak Bavette is very tender, perfect for steaking, it's the preferred cut for fajitas. Saute or grill to enhance its robust flavour and firm, juicy texture. The Bavette also makes a delicious standby for steak sandwiches and week night dinners.


text:
Will Smith's "Intervention" With His Son is About Clickbait, Not Veganism
You've seen the misleading headlines about Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's "intervention" with their son Jaden about his unhealthy vegan diet. But here's what the headlines aren't telling us.
by Marla Rose
Red Table Talk (RTT) is a popular Facebook Watch series featuring Jada Pinkett Smith, her mother and daughter, and additional guests around a shiny, round red table. Conversation driven, each episode of the series focuses on different topics, from motherhood to interracial marriage. On last Monday's episode, Jada dramatically told viewers in a voiceover that her husband, actor Will Smith, called an "emergency Red Table" to have a mandatory meeting with his family—something he'd never done before. We see Will yell up the spiral staircase in his home: "Jaden!" "Trey!" "Wil-low!" What is it, Will? I mean, dad? Suddenly, I'm a nervous teenager myself.
Health emergency?
It turns out, the emergency RTT was really just an excuse to get the family together to talk about their health. Sitting around the eponymous table, Will talked at length about his lifelong constipation and, um, intestinal gaseousness. Like really at length. I now know more about Will Smith's digestive issues than I ever thought I would. His daughter, Willow, offered that she is no longer constipated but she shares the gassiness issues of her father (Did I really just write that sentence?). Jada said she's always tired. An informal RTT survey revealed that they all gigglingly approve of recreational marijuana and sex, so there's that. According to the headlines, though, the focus of this impromptu Smith family assembly was 21-year-old Jaden—who recently got much deserved positive attention for I Love You Restaurant, his pop-up food truck that offered free vegan meals to homeless people in Los Angeles this July. His parents weren't there to talk about his philanthropic efforts, though, or even his set at Coachella. Instead, Will and Jada wanted to rehash for the RTT cameras "a bit of an intervention" they'd had with Jaden at some point in the recent past (we're not sure when … it's fuzzy) about their concerns with his health. Jaden's a vegan now, Jada said, and not too long ago, they were concerned because he was "wasting away, drained, depleted, not getting enough nutrients," and he had dark circles under his eyes. Also: gray skin.
Restriction affliction
Moments before this aspect of the conversation, though, Will identified himself as a food grazer. In contrast, Jada said she and Jaden would rather not eat because it's "uncomfortable." Uncomfortable? Jaden said he sometimes doesn't eat because his stomach hurts. Why eating is uncomfortable is kind of vaguely attributed to a sensitive stomach, and the cause of Jaden's intestinal pain that leaves him food-avoidant is not really addressed. After the completely anti-climactic non-intervention, Jaden clarifies that he has been vegetarian, not vegan, for the past year, presumably when this concern for his well-being was reaching critical mass. Further, when he was growing more gaunt, he was only eating two meals a day, and sometimes just one. Ding, ding, ding! There is a lot to unpack here and I am no nutrition expert, but I think we have found our answer as to Jaden's failure to thrive as a non-vegan here.
Matt Ruscigno, MPH, RD, and author of Plant-Based Sports Nutrition, shared his thoughts with VegNews: "Someone Jaden's age and height who is moderately active needs an estimated 2,200 to 2,600 calories and 52 to 65 grams of protein a day, according to the Dietary Reference Intakes from the Institute of Medicine, which is easy to get on a vegan diet. Beans and vegan meats can provide high-quality protein," Ruscigno said. Whether Jaden Smith was a vegan, a vegetarian, or an omnivore, a failure to eat sufficient calories over time is going to result in poor nutrition and weight loss. There was a need to see a dietitian and perhaps a gastro-intestinal specialist, not have a Red Table non-intervention. As is often the case when someone claims to have not thrived as a vegan, scratching just below the surface, we see that there was much more to the story.
Feed yourself right
What would Ruscigno advise Jaden Smith if he were a client? "I'd advise him to eat regularly scheduled meals and to snack on calorie-dense foods like trail mix, hummus, chocolate, dried fruit, and smoothies," he said. "For younger vegans or those with a smaller stomach, care needs to be taken to not fill up on high volume, low-calorie plant foods like leafy greens and other vegetables and brown rice. These foods should be accompanied by nutrient-rich, calorie-dense foods like nuts, nut butters, seeds, and sauces made from them." Dramatics aside, Jaden's alleged veganism did not need to be exploited for a topic. He wasn't vegan, and even if he were, the simple fact is by his own admission, he likely wasn't consuming enough food, which would cause anyone to be depleted. This does not detract from his great work with I Love You Restaurant but is just a reminder to not accept clickbait at face value.
Marla Rose is co-founding partner of VeganStreet.com.
Photo credit: Red Table Talk/Facebook
Jaden Smith and His Mom Donate Vegan Body Care Products to LA's Unhoused Community
How a Plant-Based Diet Helped Spider-Man's Jacob Batalon Drop 112 Pounds
Jaden Smith Is About to Open a Vegan Restaurant to Feed Houseless People
Why America's Favorite Holiday Turns So Many People Vegan
by Jill Ettinger
7 Tricks for Surviving Thanksgiving as a Vegan
by Alex Moller and Gerry Warren
Tabitha Brown Cooks Vegan Jackfruit Pot Roast on Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
using namespace std;

// design a simple class for representing a point in 2D space
class Point {
public: // everything that follows is public
   double X;
   double Y;
};

int mains(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   // variables of type Point can now be declared.

   Point p; // Note the lack of "new" here
   p.X = 5;
   p.Y = 2.5;

   // can we output the object like in Java?
   //cout << p << endl;
   // error: no operator "<<" matches these operands
   // operand types are: std::ostream << Point

   // so we can't do that yet. but we can output individual components.
   cout << "(" << p.X << ", " << p.Y << ")" << endl;

   // similarly, we can cin individual components
   cin >> p.Y;

   return 0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Zurich Main Train Station
© Ladiras
Getting to Zurich
London to Zurich by train
Paris to Zurich by train
Basel to Zurich by train
Amsterdam to Zurich by train
Geneva to Zurich by train
Cologne to Zurich by train
Brussels to Zurich by train
Dijon to Zurich by train
Frankfurt am Main to Zurich by train
Vienna to Zurich by train
Milan to Zurich by train
Como to Zurich by train
Station / Airport guide
The Zurich Main Station is one of the busiest train stations in the world. Its central location provides access to trains traveling to Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Germany and beyond. In addition, the station is part of the Rail City network and has over 200 hundred underground shops in which travelers can pick up souvenirs, snacks and other trinkets.
Tourist Information:
Hours: 24 hours
Hours: 5:30 am to 11:15 pm
Baggage Consignment:
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:00am to 9:00pm
Lost & Found:
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 7:00am to 7:45pm
Sunday, 8:00am to 7:45pm
Currency Exchange:
Hours: 6:30am to 9:30pm
Transportation and connections
Transportation from the the Zurich Main Train Station:
Zurich Main Station offers direct connections from many cities throughout Switzerland as well as frequent service to the airport. Trains operate every 10-15 minutes with a total travel time of only 11 minutes from the city center to the airport
To the Zurich airport:
Frequent local (S Bahn) and long distance trains
Travel time: 10 minutes approximately
To other railway stations from the Zurich Train Station:
S-Bahn Trains:
Hours: 5:30 am to midnight
S, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, S11, S12, S14, S15, S16, S21, S24
SN1, SN4, SN5, SN7, SN8, SN9
Cities commonly traveled to from this station:
Trains that use this station:
City Night Line
TGV Lyria
Tickets for the OUIGO network in Spain now on sale
Low fares tickets for high-speed trains in Spain
High-speed Thalys trains from €21
**This offer is no longer available**
10 razones para viajar en tren
¿Por qué viajar en tren?
Trains to Zurich
Read our city guide


Around 8:40 a.m. on Friday two students at Carl F. Smith Middle School in Terra Bella found two balloons on the playground of the school grounds. The deflated balloons, similar to drug bindle packaging, had a white powdery substance inside and outside the packaging.
The students notified school staff, who called the Tulare County Sheriff's Office. The Department responded immediately.
When deputies arrived, they did a "presumptive test" on the white substance, and it tested positive for cocaine. An ambulance crew was called to the school and conducted field evaluations on 13 children who were potentially exposed and all of those results came back negative.
Two of those children were taken to the hospital as a precaution only. The parents of those students have been notified.
A 13-year-old male student the suspect and is being detained as the individual who brought the balloons to the school.
A K9 also alerted deputies to that boy's shorts, which ended up testing positive for drugs. The point of origin for the drugs at his home.
Students at Carl F. Smith Middle School are in grades 6-8. Almost 300 children attend the school.


Gambio has developed an intuitive all-in-one e-commerce solution. This open-source software has constantly been improved to solve our merchant's needs. As of today, it is is very flexible and available as self-hosted and a cloud version. Decisions regarding features and services as well as cost and fee structures will not be forced upon merchants anymore. Instead, they will decide amongst themselves in a decentral autonomous organization (DAO).
Tokens were thoroughly identified to create a thriving ecosystem with sustainable benefits for Merchants, Customers, Developer Community. Mostly used for payments.
Token Allocation: 35% Public sale, 27% Marketplace development, 13% Operations, 10% Marketing, 10% Team, 5% Advisors.
Availability: BANGLADESH, BOLIVIA, CHINA, ETHIOPIA, IRAN, IRAQ, KYRGYZSTAN, NORTH KOREA, SRI LANKA, TRINIDAD, TOBAGO, TUNISIA, USA, VANUATU, YEMEN are Exempted.


Tap The Thumbnail Bellow to See Related Gallery of "Creative American Olean Ceramic Floor Tile Within Decor 15"
Image Title: Creative American Olean Ceramic Floor Tile Within Decor 15. Filename: creative-american-olean-ceramic-floor-tile-within-decor-15.png. Image Dimension: 413 x 413 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: Nathen Lind. Uploaded Date: Wednesday - February 28th. 2018 03:36:30 AM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: interior.com.


Be the envy of town in our great looking 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Double Cab 4X4 Elevation Edition that's shown off in a brilliant Summit White finish! Powered by a massive 5.3 Litre EcoTec3 V8 that produces an outstanding 355hp and 383 lb-ft of torque while tethered to a durable 6 Speed Automatic transmission. This confidence-inspiring Four Wheel Drive combination can handle just about any terrain and rewards you with nearly 10.7L/100km on the highway. You will love the distinct aluminum wheels that are wrapped in grippy all-season tires HID headlamps fog lights and the chrome accents all around the truck from the grill to the rear bumper! Hop up into the spacious cabin of our Sierra 1500 and prepare to be amazed by the abundance of features that come with it. Enjoy features like a 7-inch infotainment system voice-activated technology for the radio or your phone and Apple CarPlay and Andriod Audio. Stay connected with Bluetooth and hands-free connection so you can focus on the road while you throw on cruise control kick back and jam out to your favorite songs on the available Sirius XM radio! This GMC Sierra 1500 has your safety as its top priority and it provides peace of mind with StabiliTrak featuring trailer sway control and hill start assist. You'll also drive assured with a tire pressure monitoring system daytime running lamps a multitude of airbags and an available Teen Driver configurable feature. Our Sierra 1500 is setting a new standard for pickup trucks and we're confident you'll be impressed with just one drive! Print this page and call us Now... We Know You Will Enjoy Your Test Drive Towards Ownership!


The Fire Sermon is a novel that hits the ground galloping, scooping up Cass onto the back of a horse to be thrown into a dungeon lit only by the buzzing glow of a single lightbulb. Chapter one is a masterclass for fledgling writers in how to grab your readers by the eyeballs and hurl them into your story.
Yes, the first thought that sprang to my mind is John Wyndham's The Chrysalids. Set in a similar post-nuclear apocalypse where the deformed infants are similarly scorned, and the protagonist whose 'deformity' is similarly of the mind, in this case David being a telepath. But Francesca Haig sets us old-timers' minds at rest when she cheekily names her main town where Cass is incarcerated as Wyndham. Thereafter I relaxed into the tale to see where we are taken.
The Fire Sermon relies on the new cast-iron law of nature of linked twins (when one dies, so does the other) and the story rattles along as we understand Cass was imprisoned by her twin who by now is a High Heid Yin on the Council, who is protecting his sister in the cell and thereby protecting himself.
Soon Cass is on the run with her new friend Kip as they try to find their way to a safe colony for Omegas and the story becomes a strong chase around this neatly described future of mankind knocked back to an agricultural lifestyle. We sympathise with Cass as she struggles internally to understand her world, how to restore her relationship with her brother and also right the wrongs of the persecution of the Omegas. Although a contrivance, the linking of severe pain and deaths of twins sets up an agonising balance, asking us to consider that when we harm others we also risk injuring ourselves. I rattled through the book, eager to turn the page. It's a mix of adventure and plot turns, with ample space to explore themes of oppression and reconciliation.
Wyndham fans may well each raise an eyebrow, but they can lower them again: The Fire Sermon is a thoroughly good read. It is craftfully written and reaches a satisfying conclusion, but with enough loose ends to guarantee the story continues. I look forward to the sequel to be published in the New Year.
This review was first published in Shoreline of Infinity 1.


text:
NY LEAD Letter to State Lawmakers
Author: NY Lead
This author has written 287 articles
NY Lead
Gov. Cuomo Calls on Legislators to Pass Public Financing
New York / News
In a radio interview with WCNY, Governor Cuomo implored the state Legislature to pass public financing this session. Asking legislators to live up to their promises, Cuomo said: "Pass public…
Long Island Legislators and Activists Call for Public Financing
Representatives of the Suffolk County Legislature joined grassroots activists last week to call on Albany to pass fair elections legislation this session, which would include small donor public financing. Source:…
The House's First Bill Would Clean Up Corruption
National / News
On its first day in session, the new House majority introduced a comprehensive democracy reform bill that, among other critical reforms, includes a small donor match public financing system. Lauding…
Americans Want Anti-Corruption Legislation
A new poll out this week found that 75% of 2018 voters in battleground House districts supported "ending the culture of corruption in Washington." Furthermore, "82 percent of all voters…
Claiming the Congressional Stables (Editorial)
The New York Times editorial board calls small donor match public financing is one of H.R. 1's "boldest measures" that will "give candidates an alternative way to run – and…
Albany Lawmakers Must Prioritize Public Financing and Other Reforms in 2019 (Editorial)
The Albany Times Union Editorial Board calls on the legislature to enact an "essential list" of democracy reforms, including a public financing system that elevates the voices of small donors.…
Expanding and Protecting New Yorkers' Right to Vote (Letter to the Editor)
Betsy Gotbaum, former New York City Public Advocate and current Executive Director of Citizens Union, applauded Governor Cuomo for "embracing a series of pro-democracy reforms that would greatly protect and…
H.R.1 Could Considerably Change the Landscape of Political Fundraising
In an interview with The Hill, The Intercept's Washington Bureau Chief, Ryan Grim, said that H.R.1's small donor match public financing proposal, if passed, would be an important step towards…
A New Playing Field for Democracy Reform
National / New York / News
Across the country, voters and advocates are calling for pro-democracy reforms. In New York, Governor Cuomo has included a small-donor matching system proposal in his executive budget for the last…
Don't Stop Reforming (Op-Ed)
Blair Horner, Executive Director of New York Public Interest Research Group, urged Albany to look to New York City as a model for meaningful campaign finance reform that features, at…
New York lawmakers return to Albany for 2020 legislative session with big plans and $6 billion budget hole
New York Election Law 2019 Year in Review: A Summary of Key Statutory Changes
New York's new public campaign funding system on the books
Public campaign financing in 2018 reduced influence of large donors, report shows
Good and bad outcomes from New York State election reform commission (Editorial)


text:
Q: How do I tell NEXUS to use a custom truststore In our company network, our servers are using self signed certificates. I have a NEXUS Repository Manager service running on a docker swarm and I want to setup LDAP authentication. But as my LDAP server also uses a self signed certificate, my NEXUS service fails to connect. I get the following error:
There is an error communicating with the server. Failed to connect to Ldap Server: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: No trusted certificate found

Nexus returned an error: ERROR 400: Bad Request

When I searched fo a solution, I found this article in the sonatype NEXUS documentation: https://help.sonatype.com/repomanager2/secure-socket-layer-ssl/managing-outbound-ssl-certificates#ManagingOutboundSSLCertificates-ConfiguringNexusRepositoryManagerWithaCustomTruststore
I tried to follow this article. First I customized the ${NEXUS_HOME}/bin/jws/conf/wrapper.conf file (see number 4 and 5):
# Additional JVM parameters (tune if needed, but match the sequence of numbers!)
wrapper.java.additional.1=-Djava.io.tmpdir=./tmp
wrapper.java.additional.2=-Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true
wrapper.java.additional.3=-Dcom.sun.jndi.ldap.connect.pool.protocol="plain ssl"
wrapper.java.additional.4=-Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=/usr/secrets/truststore.jks
wrapper.java.additional.5=-Djavax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword=changeit

After the modification, I started NEXUS with the provided start script (see my Dockerfile for adding modified wrapper.conf and starting application):
[...]
COPY ./wrapper.conf /opt/sonatype/nexus/bin/jws/conf/wrapper.conf

RUN chown -R -L nexus.nexus ${NEXUS_HOME}
RUN chown -R nexus.nexus ${SONATYPE_WORK}

USER nexus
WORKDIR ${NEXUS_HOME}

CMD ${NEXUS_HOME}/bin/nexus console

I start my nexus service using a compose yml file and call
docker stack deploy --compose-file /path/to/my/nexus.yml nexus

Then I check on which of my swarm nodes the container is running and attach to it with
docker exec -ti <containername> bash

I checked that my modified wrapper.conf is in the container -> OK
Then I checked the java process of NEXUS with ps -ef | grep java -> My jvm properties -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStoreand  -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword are not visible:
Output of ps -ef | grep java:
nexus       76    74  0 11:29 ?        00:01:22 java -Djava.io.tmpdir=./tmp -Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true -Dcom.sun.jndi.ldap.connect.pool.protocol=plain ssl -Xms256m -Xmx768m -Djava.library.path=bin/jsw/lib -classpath bin/jsw/lib/wrapper-3.2.3.jar:./lib/slf4j-api-1.7.25.jar:./lib/jetty-servlet-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/logback-access-1.2.3.jar:./lib/metrics-core-2.2.0.jar:./lib/jetty-webapp-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/javax.servlet-3.0.0.v201112011016.jar:./lib/metrics-jetty-2.2.0.jar:./lib/jul-to-slf4j-1.7.25.jar:./lib/jetty-jmx-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/jetty-client-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/jetty-deploy-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/jetty-io-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/jetty-util-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/nexus-bootstrap-2.14.14-01.jar:./lib/jetty-security-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/plexus-interpolation-1.16.jar:./lib/jetty-xml-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/logback-core-1.2.3.jar:./lib/jetty-http-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/jetty-continuation-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/metrics-logback-2.2.0.jar:./lib/logback-classic-1.2.3.jar:./lib/jetty-rewrite-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./lib/jetty-server-8.1.16.v20140903.jar:./conf/ -Dwrapper.key=zAxEtY8vJ5V7ACyi -Dwrapper.port=32000 -Dwrapper.jvm.port.min=31000 -Dwrapper.jvm.port.max=31999 -Dwrapper.pid=74 -Dwrapper.version=3.2.3 -Dwrapper.native_library=wrapper -Dwrapper.cpu.timeout=10 -Dwrapper.jvmid=1 org.sonatype.nexus.bootstrap.jsw.JswLauncher ./conf/jetty.xml ./conf/jetty-requestlog.xml

I can see there the 3 jvm parameters
-Djava.io.tmpdir=./tmp, -Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true and -Dcom.sun.jndi.ldap.connect.pool.protocol="plain ssl" from wrapper.conf but not my two new ones.
Can anyone please have a look at this and give me some advice?

A: For those who may have the same question sometimes:
I did not really figure out, why my custom properties from wrapper.conf are ignored, but I found a workaround:
I added the certificate from my custom truststore to the one of the default java installation using keytool

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Possible Extent of Ancient Lake in Gale Crater, Mars
This illustration depicts a concept for the possible extent of an ancient lake inside Gale Crater. The existence of a lake there billions of years ago was confirmed from examination of mudstone in the crater's Yellowknife Bay area. For this illustration, the possible extent was estimated by mapping ancient lake and stream deposits and recognizing that water flowed from the crater rim into the basin (arrows). The water would have pooled in the linear depression created between the crater rim and Mt. Sharp. The area's history likely included the coming and going of multiple lakes of different sizes as climate conditions evolved.
The base map combines image data from the Context Camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and color information from Viking Orbiter imagery. The 25-kilometer scale bar at lower right is 15.5 miles long. North is up.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and the mission's Curiosity rover for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/.
Download TIFF
Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
Context Camera (CTX)
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
A Criss-Cross Landscape with Fresh Craters
Cliffs in Ancient Ice
Dust Devil Dance
Pit Craters and Giant Volcanoes
Machine Learning Spots a Cluster of Mars Craters: Context Camera's view
HiRISE Catches an Avalanche on Mars
HiRISE Finds a Dune and Ripples
Map of Regions Around Mars' Jezero Crater
Spring Fans at Macclesfield
Mission .
7 Things to Know About the NASA Rover About to Land on Mars
Podcast .


text:
Africa (Sub-Sahara) (313)
(-) South Africa (313)
East Asia and the Pacific (10)
Europe and Eurasia (12)
Buying U.S. Products (2)
Exporting (135)
Regulations & Requirements (47)
Trade Missions (15)
Market Development (4)
Production & Sustainability (3)
Trade Policy (27)
New Technologies (10)
Attaché Report (GAIN) (299)
Commodity Intelligence Report (1)
World Production, Markets, and Trade Report (8)
Fruits and Vegetables (60)
Citrus Fruit (22)
Deciduous Fruit (22)
Grain and Feed (64)
Horticulture and Forestry (6)
Livestock and Meats (23)
Beef and Cattle (16)
Pork and Hogs (13)
African Swine Fever (2)
Oilseeds (18)
Other Oilseeds (12)
Soybeans (15)
Organic Products (1)
Poultry and Eggs (51)
Processed Food Products (20)
Seeds (Planting) (4)
Tree Nuts (10)
Wine, Beer and Spirits (29)
Cochran Fellowship Program (1)
South Africa: South Africa Imposes Provisional Anti-Dumping Duties Against Bone-in Chicken Imports from Brazil Denmark Ireland Poland and Spain
South Africa has imposed provisional anti-dumping duties against bone-in chicken meat imports from Brazil and four European Union countries. With this announcement, South Africa is now imposing anti-dumping duties against all nine countries that have regularly exported bone-in chicken portions to this market.
World Production, Markets, and Trade Report
Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade
This quarterly report includes data on U.S. and global trade, production, consumption and stocks, as well as analysis of developments affecting world trade...
Grain: World Markets and Trade
This monthly report includes data on U.S. and global trade, production, consumption and stocks, as well as analysis of developments affecting world trade in grains.
World Agricultural Production
Monthly report on crop acreage, yield and production in major countries worldwide. Sources include reporting from FAS's worldwide offices, official statistics of foreign governments....
Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade
This monthly report includes data on U.S. and global trade, production, consumption and stocks, as well as analysis of developments affecting world trade in oilseeds.
South Africa: Exporter Guide
South Africa continues to be an important market for U.S. agricultural products. The country is an attractive business destination due to its growing market and a well-developed infrastructure, catering to efficient distribution of both imported and locally produced agricultural products to major urban centers and the entire Southern Africa region.
South Africa: Proposed Amendments to the South African Constitution to Allow for the Expropriation of Land Without Compensation Fail
On December 7, 2021, South African Parliament failed to pass the proposed amendments to Section 25 of the Constitution which would have allowed for the expropriation of land without compensation.
South Africa: Citrus Annual
The production of citrus is forecast to continue its strong growth in Marketing Year (MY) 2021/22, based on the increase in area planted, new-plantings coming into full production, available irrigation water, and normal weather conditions.
Fresh Apples, Grapes, and Pears: World Markets and Trade
This biannual report, published in June and December, includes data on U.S. and global trade, production, consumption and stocks, as well as analysis of developments affecting world trade...
South Africa: Updated Guidelines for Meat Sampling, Handling, Transportation
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has published guidelines regarding procedures for sampling, transportation and handling of meat samples that are meant for microbiological monitoring. The standard procedures...
South Africa: Update HPAI Outbreak
The ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in South Africa, which began in April 2021, has led to the culling of nearly 3 million birds, primarily layers. While the greatest impact to date has been in the Western Cape, the...
South Africa: Concerns Over Steep Input Cost Increases in the South African Agricultural Sector
Worldwide agricultural inputs prices have risen steeply the past year. South Africa is at the start of the 2021/22 summer production season and farmers are confronting these increased inputs prices that will squeeze profit margins.
Next page next »


Space is at a premium in many hospitals, especially for non-clinical areas such as facility engineering departments. At one hospital the problem faced by the facility operations manager was finding the space he needed for efficient bed storage to make repairs during the high patient-census winter months. The innovative answer to his problem was efficient bed storage using Hospital Bed Stackers.
Any time more than 6 to 8 beds were in the 22' by 32' room for repairing hospital beds, it got extremely cramped. Beds couldn't be placed in the halls because of hallway code violations. And moving the broken beds around the repair room was difficult and time consuming. In fact, the area was so cramped that one person was injured while lying on the floor trying to repair a broken bed.
The facility operations manager tried numerous different ways to store the beds, and came to the conclusion that stacking them would be the best because it would free up floor space. That's when he found the Hospital Bed Stacker.
Five Hospital Bed Stackers were used with the exact features to fit the hospital's requirements. The stacking units will store 15 beds neatly (3 high and 5 across) in the same room where there was barely enough fit 6 beds. The bed stackers are located along the back wall which allows space in the room to be used for engineers to work on beds.
The new storage system has reduced turnaround time on each bed repair by 25 minutes because engineers are no longer spending time moving the beds. Productivity has increased as well from repairing 6 to 7 beds in a shift to repairing 11 to 12 beds.
Southwest Solutions Group® provides design, planning, and installation services for Hospital Bed Stackers. To find out more about how we can help your hospital improve storage efficiencies while maintaining a safe and secure environment, call us at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message.


text:
package org.springframework.web.servlet.view;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Locale;
import javax.servlet.ServletContext;

import org.springframework.beans.BeansException;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware;
import org.springframework.core.Ordered;
import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils;
import org.springframework.web.context.ServletContextAware;
import org.springframework.web.servlet.View;
import org.springframework.web.servlet.ViewResolver;

/**
 * A {@link org.springframework.web.servlet.ViewResolver} that delegates to others.
 *
 * @author Sebastien Deleuze
 * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
 * @since 4.1
 */
public class ViewResolverComposite implements ViewResolver, Ordered, InitializingBean,
		ApplicationContextAware, ServletContextAware {

	private final List<ViewResolver> viewResolvers = new ArrayList<>();

	private int order = Ordered.LOWEST_PRECEDENCE;

	/**
	 * Set the list of view viewResolvers to delegate to.
	 */
	public void setViewResolvers(List<ViewResolver> viewResolvers) {
		this.viewResolvers.clear();
		if (!CollectionUtils.isEmpty(viewResolvers)) {
			this.viewResolvers.addAll(viewResolvers);
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Return the list of view viewResolvers to delegate to.
	 */
	public List<ViewResolver> getViewResolvers() {
		return Collections.unmodifiableList(this.viewResolvers);
	}

	public void setOrder(int order) {
		this.order = order;
	}

	@Override
	public int getOrder() {
		return this.order;
	}

	@Override
	public void setApplicationContext(ApplicationContext applicationContext) throws BeansException {
		for (ViewResolver viewResolver : this.viewResolvers) {
			if (viewResolver instanceof ApplicationContextAware) {
				((ApplicationContextAware)viewResolver).setApplicationContext(applicationContext);
			}
		}
	}

	@Override
	public void setServletContext(ServletContext servletContext) {
		for (ViewResolver viewResolver : this.viewResolvers) {
			if (viewResolver instanceof ServletContextAware) {
				((ServletContextAware)viewResolver).setServletContext(servletContext);
			}
		}
	}

	@Override
	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
		for (ViewResolver viewResolver : this.viewResolvers) {
			if (viewResolver instanceof InitializingBean) {
				((InitializingBean) viewResolver).afterPropertiesSet();
			}
		}
	}

	@Override
	public View resolveViewName(String viewName, Locale locale) throws Exception {
		for (ViewResolver viewResolver : this.viewResolvers) {
			View view = viewResolver.resolveViewName(viewName, locale);
			if (view != null) {
				return view;
			}
		}
		return null;
	}

}


text:
08-02-2017Crit News
ThunderCrit 2017 bigger and better than ever before
The ThunderCrit, a fixed gear crit held in London, is back on the crit calendar for 2017. The event will take place on May 6 with plans to increase the scale of the event. Last year, the race was limited to 100 riders while 130 wanted to compete. Therefore, this year the organisation will plan the 2017 crit with a bigger competition field in mind. Furthermore, the venue of the crit has changed, the upcoming ThunderCrit will be held on the circuit around the Olympic Velodrome.
Organiser Rob Green "Our aim is to make ThunderCrit a highlight of the fixed crit calendar and help establish the UK in the world of Fixed Gear Crits. The UK is a little behind mainland Europe in terms of the development of the sport, we have a lot of racers (especially in London) but there aren't a great deal of races to go to each year at the moment without getting on a plane and travelling. We're hoping to change this and inspire others to create similar events, which can happen with the community spirit that is prevalent within the fixed gear community."
Tickets for the race will go on sale from March 1. The link will be published on our website as soon as the ticket sale is open! The race is added to the Fixedgearcrit calendar.
Text: Brian Megens
Fixed Gear ThunderCrit
Aventon Factory Team announces 2017 line-up & kit
VVB series opens registration
01-08-2018Crit NewsInterviews & BackgroundNews
SBSB Crit No.2 date & new format announced
The SBSB Crit No.2 has just been announced. This year the crit will be held on the 25th of August in Berlin. Although the course stays the same, with a new race format the crit will be quite different to last...
22-07-2018Crit NewsInterviews & BackgroundNewsNL Crit Series
Draai v/d Kaai – NL Crit Series 2 days of fixed gear crit racing with thousands of spectators
The Draai van de Kaai – NL Crit Series will be on the calendar for the second year in a row. Last year the race was invitation only but this year everyone is allowed to race. As the 'Draai van de Kaai'...


Page.REST - An HTTP API to unfurl and extract content from any web page as JSON.
This is an HTTP API you can use to unfurl and extract content from any web page as JSON. You can get the title, description, open graph, embed content or any other information available at a given public URL (check examples below).
You will need an access token to use Page.REST API. An access token costs $5 and will be valid for one year.
You might be wondering why you should use Page.REST API rather than coding it yourself.
You want to hack something quickly!
The default request grabs site's title, description, logo, favicons, canonical URL, status code, and Twitter handle.
Append &embed=1 to the request URL to get the oEmbed content for the page as part of the response (only if available).
Append &og=1 to the request URL to get the OpenGraph content for the page as part of the response (only if available).
Get any HTTP headers defined in the response. In the example, we check security headers of github.com.
Pay to get an access token (one-time fee of $5 and valid for one year).


text:
University of Waikato Theses
Normalising global neo-liberalism and workplace change through career management and development discourse: a New Zealand case study
Dyer, Suzette L.
thesis.pdf
Dyer, S. L. (2003). Normalising global neo-liberalism and workplace change through career management and development discourse: a New Zealand case study (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13854
Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13854
Critical theorists call for the denaturalisation of complex processes within society that render individuals unconscious to particular forms of power and domination. They promote resistance and transformation based on liberatory aspirations for humanity. I have explored the extent to which contemporary career discourse facilitates and entrenches the dominant and powerful interests of multinational corporations and some nations. The contemporary construction of career can be seen as historically embedded in the concomitant discourses of flexibility and global neo-liberalism.
My literature review indicated that much of the contemporary economic, organisational, and career literatures promote global neo-liberalism and organisational and labour flexibility as contributing to greater prosperity for all. Early critics and subsequent commentators have pointed to the associated outcomes of over-, under-, and unemployment and downward pressure on wages and conditions of employment. Such outcomes have exacerbated the disparities for women and indigenous peoples. These disparate outcomes are deemed contradictory to the liberation and inclusiveness principles aspired to by democratic societies. There is growing interest in the possibility of harnessing career concepts and processes to facilitate desired changes in the processes and accountabilities of employment. Governments in diverse nations have created complex institutional links between employment and welfare institutions and hired career experts to intervene in the career planning of citizens. This intervention draws upon contemporary career constructs where it is assumed that individuals can and ought to take responsibility for managing their careers, themselves, and their family. This allocation of responsibility is typically bereft of political analysis and becomes problematic for vulnerable groups and for the principle of inclusiveness in a context that celebrates efficiency gains through downward pressure on income and employment conditions and creates employment insecurity for many people.
The empirical work for this thesis was designed to investigate my analysis of the co-emergence of the discourses of global neo-liberalism and organisational and labour flexibility and the contemporary discourses of career. Career Services rapuara was chosen as an instrumental case study (Stake, 1998). This organisation is a government sponsored career agency in New Zealand charged with providing career services to facilitate increased personal responsibility for career planning in an increasingly insecure employment market. Partial ethnographic method (Alvesson and Deetz, 2000) was used to frame material collection. Records and documents were reviewed, and interviews with staff were conducted to gain an understanding of the organisation. Two career guidance sessions with unemployed adults were observed to understand career intervention techniques. These participants were then interviewed to gain understanding of their perceptions of the career session.
Both neo-liberals and critical theorists promote a commitment to human liberation. Neo-liberals suggest this liberation occurs through the unconstrained activities of the markets. My study supports the view of critical theorists that the seemingly natural processes of markets are complex nexus of power and control. The uncritical use of contemporary career theories, concepts, and practices naturalises and upholds these powerful and dominant relationships. A critical transformation of the discourses of globalisation, flexibility, and career based on genuine human liberation, empowerment and participation is called for to resist the dominant and powerful interests of society.
Humphries, Maria
Harris, Paul
All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Higher Degree Theses [1352]


text:
General News Sponsored
General ICT
UN wants $5bn aid for Afghanistan in 2022
Lassa fever kills WHO doctor, other in Benue
US reports 1.35m new Coronavirus infections in one day, highest in the world
Economy General
FG plans N3.53trn investments by 2025 to tackle 17m housing deficit
CSO applauds immigration boss on welfare, passport reform
2023: A search for Buhari's anointed candidate!
NIS's visa reforms delivering fairness, justice to immigrants - Jere Idris
General SMEs Startups & Innovations
Banjo Olaniran
MTN Group to pull out $243m stake in Jumia
Jumia's Q1 revenue down 6% to €27.4m despite growing…
Nigeria's leading e-commerce platform, Jumia, is celebrating nine years of its e-commerce journey with a sales campaign aimed at celebrating customers, sellers, and partners on its platform.
The campaign will run from June 11th until 27th, 2021.
Jumia's 9th anniversary which also doubles as the anniversary of e-commerce in Nigeria, since the e-commerce giant paved the way for online shopping, is offering a 60% discount in a sales campaign tagged "Celebrating You", aimed at celebrating new and loyal consumers.
The discount will apply to categories such as Electronics, Beauty, Fashion, Phones & Tablets, Groceries, Appliances and many more.
Partners for this campaign include over 11,000 sellers on the Jumia Nigeria platform and international brands such as Unilever, Xiaomi, Nivea, Reckitt Benkisser and Infinix.
Jumia Nigeria CEO, Massimiliano Spalazzi said: "It has simply been an amazing journey. If I went back to how we started and where we are, being the number one e-commerce company in Africa and in Nigeria, it makes us very humble.
"We believe that e-commerce has played an even more important role in people's lives and to celebrate the achievement and to better serve our consumers and sellers, that is why the slogan for our 9th anniversary is 'Celebrating You'."
For the anniversary window, customers will enjoy up to 60% off on a diverse list of brands across categories including Groceries (Unilever, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Carrefour), Sanitary & Hygiene (Reckitt Benckiser, P&G, Henkel, GSK), Beauty (l'Oreal, Maybelline, Garnier, Nivea), Phones (Samsung, Xiaomi, Nokia, Huawei), Electronics (Intel, HP, Philips, Sony), lifestyle (Playstation 4) and many more.
"The anniversary will be celebrating you as our consumer, employee, seller, logistics partner, celebrating you as our client and those in the ecosystem and our environment for which we make life better every day," Spalazzi added.
Related Topics:Jumia
NGX Limited launches enhanced brokers performance ranking report
Union Bank rewards customers with N55m in promo


Unlocking Our Toucan Gender Mysteries: Part II RESULTS!
The results from our toucans' Avian Gender Test are in! Care to make one last guess as to what you think our birds' sexes are? WITHOUT scrolling to the bottom of the post – sheesh! Seriously, what would you do without me keeping you honest? And through a computer screen no less!
Now, as you may remember, I went on the record with my official prediction in Part I of this series forecasting that Paco would be a male and both Paz and Pepe would be females. I gave my supporting evidence and was certain I had the advantage over the rest of you simply because I am The Toucan Lady, Best Pal of the Toucans, and all other titles which basically state that I am the one on the inside of the cage and you, my friend, are a few more degrees of separation from the Three-Cans (and Kevin Bacon too, for that matter). So, are you ready for the verdict?
I was completely, 100% wrong-O. Shocking, I know, what with all of my scientific backing to my conjecturing. But as it turns out, our toucans' correct genders are: Paco – female, Paz & Pepe – male. Now please – go ahead and take a moment to regain your composure. I have had a couple of days to allow this startling information to sink in and my mind is still boggled. Honestly, my first reaction was to dispute these blasphemous results and insist on a retest. But the vet has reassured me that there was no monkey business with the blood samples and they were sent to the US for accurate processing. (No offense to our island comrades, but if the processing was taking place here, we would likely still be awaiting the results and there is a good chance they could be "mis-sent to Thailand" as last year's Christmas cards which we received in May).
It is incredibly difficult for me to look Paz in the eyes and think of her (him) as a boy. Same goes with Paco – I had always gazed upon that big noggin of his (hers) with the conviction that he (she) was my big boy. It's a fortunate thing that I'm not a gambling fiend or I might be shy three toucans at this very minute. Sigh. Of. Relief.
So now comes the biggest predicament: what to do about their gender-specific names? Unfortunately, I brought this upon myself with my preemptive naming, knowing full well that their genders were a mystery. Why couldn't I have just gone with Pat, Alex, & Taylor? Instead, I took the plunge into the murky waters of guessing sexes of non-sexually dimorphic creatures. I painted the walls pink and blue and am now eating the chips. Thankfully, at least Pepe can stay the same name. But what about the others? David is of the opinion that it has only been 4 months, they don't fully know their names yet, and it's better to right our mistake now rather than spend the next 20 years correcting people, "No, Paco is a girl…" which would get a) annoying and b) offensive to our Puerto Rican friends named Paco.
So there you have it. It is written. Paco is now Paz and Paz is now Paco. From here on, when I am referring to Paz, I will be meaning the female/former Paco and when I refer to Paco, I will be speaking of the male/former Paz. If you think that sentence is confusing, you should spend the day as a fly on the wall in our house. Now, when referring to the individual toucans, we find ourselves saying, "No, the old Paco" or "Oops, I meant the new Paz". Don't even get me started on pronoun usage.
Oh, and in less important (slash WAY more important) news – the toucans' blood tests and x-rays also came back all healthy! So now we can celebrate that our birds are both physically sound and no longer sexually androgynous. Bright times ahead in Toucanland!
This entry was posted in General Info and tagged Adventures in Toucanland, avian gender test, bird, birds, Caribbean, Caribbean birds, exotic birds, exotic pets, island, Paco, Paz, Pepe, pet, pet birds, pets, sexually dimorphic, Toco, Toco Toucan, Tocos, Toucan, toucanland, toucans, tropical birds by Toucan Lady. Bookmark the permalink.
I feel I have bonded with Paz via my daily meditation in the bird cage at the . I would be willing to buy Paz for $72- or come to you if I can stay in his cage to talk about my ability to communicate with birds of all types.
So pleased you feel a special connnection with Paz the Toucan. Your low-ball offer, however, is nothing but a slap in the face. She feels you simply do not understand the magnitude of her worth and suggests you get back to your meditating and see if the answer, "the toucans are not for sale" comes to you.
Congratulations on your family. Email me if you want to talk about toucan enrichment. We try to do a LOT of enrichment since our bird is very active and feisty, as keel-billed toucans are known to be.
Oh Crissann this is so sweet!!! I love this story and yes, like David says "shuuusss, don't tell them that you have changed their names" they won't be too upset!. Enjoy them, I will be there quick to come and meet them. !!


text:
Latest Entries »
The Most Underrated Filipino Movie Classics: The 70's
Filed under: Cinema — 1 Comment
*****First of all, allow me some time to patronize and congratulate myself for the timely resurrection of this blog. I can't believe that it has been two and a half years since my last post – my fault entirely. For a time I thought that I had lost my passion for writing. I never considered myself a disciplined writer. Hence, it is only now that I'm playing catch-up!*****
(First of 4 Parts)
When any Filipino film buff is asked to do a rundown of the best Philippine movies of the second golden age and beyond (the second golden age is a term coined to refer to a rather sporadic exhibition of local films from 1974 onwards that are characterized by a strong sociopolitical message or those that exhibit innovative techniques when it comes to filmmaking), one would always recite the Cannes film noirs of Lino Brocka (Maynila, Insiang, Jaguar, among others), the cyclical films of Ishmael Bernal (Nunal sa Tubig, City After Dark, or Himala), or the intriguing allegorical works of Mike de Leon (Kisapmata, Batch '81, Kakaba Kaba Ka Ba?). Perhaps the list would also have a sprinkling of films by Peque Gallaga, Eddie Romero, and Celso Ad Castillo.
The showstopping works of these filmmakers are great indeed. Truly, these films reflect an important milieu in our history as a nation, and they have withstood the test of time. There's no question there.
However, a number of equally brilliant films have unjustly been off the radar of the average film buff. These films are not as celebrated by film critics and film lovers alike. They are often absent in the perennial "Top 10/20/50 lists of most notable films." And if these films are ever included in such a list, they often occupy the tailend notches in the ranking.
They say that the Filipinos love to champion the underdogs. And true to form, this article aims to celebrate the most underrated Filipino films from the 1970's up until the present time. Any such list is always subjective, obviously. But there is no denying that these films ought to be remembered and discussed as much as the other cinematic greats!
The films are listed in chronological order according to the movie's year of production:
1. Pagdating Sa Dulo by Ishmael Bernal (1971) – This writer cannot believe that a leading website that consolidates an exhaustive list of Filipino film classics did not have this film in its Top 100! Absurd, indeed! Bernal's debut film is one of those that tackle the art of filmmaking. This movie-within-a-movie focuses on the lives of a taxi dancer and her lover as they are catapulted to stardom – making a mess of their personal lives in the process. The film is unforgettable not only for the tour de force performance of Rita Gomez, Vic Vargas, and Eddie Garcia but also for the poetic screenplay and assured direction of Bernal, who was still a rookie on the director's chair during this time. Brocka made a similar film a few years after called Stardoom, but it ultimately pales in comparison to the Bernal's arthouse hit. Who would ever forget the final scene where the characters of Gomez and Vargas ascend the stairs of the moviehouse – their faces showing a bewildered, questioning then defeated look.
2. Sino'ng Kapiling, Sino'ng Kasiping by Eddie Romero (1977) – Romero's intimate study on the psychology of marriage and infidelity boasts of strong performances especially from Daria Ramirez and Lito Legaspi. Excellent characterization lends utmost credibility to the film's portrayal of couples who realize that their respective marriages have hit a dead end. The well-written script underscores every person's need for a sense of purpose and affirmation. Sadly, the film's excellent acting, well fleshed-out characters, and excellent screenplay were not complemented by the film's rather dismal technical elements, especially the lousy camerawork.
3. Hubad na Bayani by Robert Ylagan (1977) – This film established Robert Arevalo (Ylagan is his real surname) as an equally good actor/director. To say that this is an important film would be a huge understatement. Set during the 1920's, it depicts the miserable lives of peasant families who are terrorized by landlords, brainwashed by fanatical cults, and drawn to fight for a cause by rebel groups – depicting an emerging nation brewing with social ferment. The depiction of rural Philippines as a feudal and agricultural wasteland of oppression and injustice is truthful and carefully studied. The ensemble cast is excellent and the film's scope still rings true up to this day. Behn Cervantes made a similar film the year before which he called Sakada. However, Cervantes celebrated work appears too theatrical, slow, and preachy for the contemporary viewer. Here is where the merits of Ylagan's film lies. Though far from perfect technically, the film as a whole looks and feels more organic, in sharp contrast to Cervantes' "street-activist" aesthetics.
4. Ang Tatay Kong Nanay by Lino Brocka (1978) – This is perhaps one of Dolphy's finest films. The Philippines' comedy king will forever be credited for originating the flamboyant gay in Philippine Cinema – long before Vic Sotto, Roderick Paulate, and Vice Ganda came into the picture. This dramedy stars Nino Muhlach, Philippine Cinema's child wonder of the 70's. Dolphy, on the other hand, plays foster father to Muhlach's amusing and cutesy character. His love for his son and his desire to give his son a normal family life has led him to conceal his true sexual orientation from the inquisitive boy. When he is finally outed towards the end of the film, the concluding scenes will forever be remembered as one of the most poignant and touching finales in Philippine cinema – and in a Dolphy film at that! Dolphy's pioneering depiction of gays as flamboyant and histrionic is balanced by the film's quieter moments. Brocka here powerfully merges commercial appeal and artistic integrity. The end product is funny, grounded, affecting, and believable.
5. Ikaw At Ang Gabi by Danny Zialcita (1979) – Not until it was later found out that this film was carbon copied from the American miniseries Torn Between Two Lovers, this excellently crafted melodrama features commanding performances from Dindo Fernando and Chanda Romero. An adult tale of failed relationships and broken marriages, this film sort of foreshadows Jerrold Tarog's innovative Sana Dati. Love in this film that was made towards the end of the 70's is portrayed in a very unromatnicized manner. It is not in the sweeping saccharine declarations of affection. Rather, it is found in the little things – in acceptance, forgiveness, and the commitment to give it one more try. Sappy concepts it may seem but thankfully, the film does not dissolve in too much pathos. Technical elements are all outstanding (relative to Philippine melodramas that are often convoluted, manipulative, and overdetermined) – from the cinematography to editing to musical scoring.
Tags: bernal, brocka, filipino films, filipino movies, film criticism, films of the 1970's, hubad na bayani, ikaw at ang gabi, pagdating sa duloy, tatay kong nanay, zialcita
Filed under: Random — Leave a comment
Let me introduce you to the babies of our clan – our 2 pet shih tzus!
The lighter one is Maxx. He just turned three 2 months ago. He is playful and loving—only to his owners! Maxx can be a bit of a snob and is totally high maintenance. He doesn't eat from any other plate or food container. He wants you to feed him from your hand. He also only cuddles at night, when he is very sleepy. Nevertheless, he is completely behaved. He just sits and lounges in the house all day and goes out only on weekends. His favorite spot is Eastwood City in Libis.
The darker one is actually Maxx' son- Joaquin! Joaquin is one year and 5 months. He is a voracious and ultra-playful dog – also a true blue alpha dog! Unlike his dad, Joaquin creates a lot of clutter in the house, tends to ransack the garbage bin, and is so hard to toilet train. However, Joaquin is very loyal and loving. he loves to cuddle and kiss. He is very affectionate.
These dogs are opposites in terms of behavior and demeanor. Yet, they are father and son. And we love them both! They are the loves of our family. And they know know that we love them so well! 🙂
Tags: animals, cute, dogs, pets, puppy, shih tzu
Favorite Films From The 90's
Apparently, it is my rundown of my favorite films of the 80's that has garnered the most views in my blog. Thanks everyone for messaging and for commenting.
At some point, many are correct when they say that the 80's (especially the first half) was indeed a landmark era for Philippine Cinema, both in quantity and quality. Ironically, the repression of the Marcos regime also ignited the blooming of a national cinema that discussed the pressing issues of the times. Veiled or outrightly exposed, the notable Filipino films of the 80's truly depicted a turbulent era in Philippine history and reflected a much talked about social milieu for the movie audiences to see.
But soon enough, things started to nosedive.
The 1986 EDSA Revolution may have restored democratic rule in government but did very little in temrs of uplifting the social and economic conditions of many Filipinos. In the FIlipino film, the Aquino government accomplished ZERO when it comes to improving the quality and industrial conditions of a much-patronized artform. Hence, the golden age of the early 80's would end sometime in 1986. It can be said that the unabated crass commercialism of Philippine Cinema and its stunted artistic growth would continue way into the decade that followed.
And that is the topic of this long overdue blog post.
The cinematic output of the 90's would really pale in comparison to that of the preceding decade. For one, the 90's saw the deaths of two very important pillars in Philippine Cinema—national artist Lino Brocka, who perished in a car accident in 1991, and fellow national artist Ishmael Bernal, who succumbed to a sudden heart attack in 1996. On the other hand, other luminous directors of the past decade such as Mike de Leon, Laurice Guillen, and Celso Ad Castillo, went on inactive status and only made films sporadically.
Another thing is the continued dominance of the Hollywood film when it comes to box office performance. We often see Filipino films unashamedly copying Hollywood plots, storylines, and for crying out loud—-even characters and whole titles for that matter! Producers also stuck woth tried and tested formula films that were sure to make money at the tills.
It is in this manner that most of the notable films appearing on this list have a few things in common. One, they are undoubtedly compromised works. Some films may ride on a popular genre (melodrama, action, love story, the youth film, sex film, etc.), while others capitalized on the so-called "star system" in order to recoup their capital. Few from the films on this list actually made money, but nevertheless, these films are fortunate because they were directed by gifted filmmakers who learned how to compromise between commercial appeal and artistic integrity. Save for the last film by Mike de Leon, none of the films from the 90's that appear on this list is worthy to be called a "classic." Nevertheless, they deserve mention because they are symbols of hope that a well made film could still be made amid a monolithic system of films made to dumb down the masses.
1. Andrea, Paano Ba Ang Maging Isang Ina by Gil Portes (1990)- This brave film was a box office nightmare. Nora Aunor essays another powerful performance as a mother who leaves her son to her bestfriend to become a political rebel. It is very interesting how the home, politics, motherhood, citizen, friendship, family, and the dichotomy of classes all come to play in this engaging and intriguing social melodrama. Aunor essays another powerful and affecting performance but actress Gina Alajar is also excellent. Gil Portes' direction though is upstaged by the gravity of Ricky Lee's script which is truly reasonant and relevant for the times.
2. May Minamahal by Jose Javier Reyes (1993)- Heavily attached to the romantic comedy formula, May Minamahal is gifted with topnotch scriptwriting from writer-director Jose Javier Reyes. A rehash of the rich boy poor girl format, the film rises above mediocrity thanks to convincing characterization, taut editing, and controlled acting. This film, which earned millions at the tills, shows how disciplined Jose Javier Reyes is as a director in the sense that he ner goes overboard. Aga Muhlach, Aiko Melendez, and Ronaldo Valdez turn in memorable performances.
3. Sana Maulit Muli by Olivia Lamasan (1995)- This is probably the forerunner of the OFW films that followed years after this intelligent melodrama came out (1995). The film tells the struggles of two Filipino young professionals in California, who also happen to be lovers, played excellently by Lea Salonga and Aga Muhlach. Everything seems to work in this commercial film. Intelligent scripting, assured direction, affecting performances especially of its lead actors, above average cinematography, astute editing and scoring, and competent sound. Olivia Lamasan is a good director in the sense that she uses the romantic movie foil to communicate relevant issues to her audience. Her 2004 film Milan, is another testament to her insightful storytelling.
4. Bakit May Kahapon Pa by Joel Lamangan (1996) – Another brave film done in a Brocka-ish manner, Bakit May Kahapon Pa is another story of a political rebel, a daughter of a peasant who goes to the city to seek revenge against a greedy and corrupt military man and his entire family. The images in this film seem to come out straight from the headlines —massacres, farmers losing lands, rural violence, corruption in the military, and the seeming apathy of the urban rich to the plight of the masses. Aunor gives a rather heavy handed but convincing performance.
5. Madrasta by Olivia Lamasan (1996) – This is the film that made Sharon Cuneta an actress. It is truly amazing how Cuneta discards the acting conventions and predictable roles that had prevented her growth to a truly competent actress. This controlled melodrama is the story of a woman who had to balance her roles as stepmom, wife, and career woman. A feminist film directed by a female director, the film made a killing at the box office, with the gamble paying off for Cuneta, who made this film outside her mother studio.
6. Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa by Chito RoÑo (1998) – Another feminist and melodramatic film, the film tells the story of Lea Bustamante, a social worker and a mother of two kids from two different men. This entertaining but important film examines the role of women in Philippine society. Hence, roles are questioned, prejudices are junked, and men are placed in the periphery. This film benefits from a keenly observant script by Lualhati Bautista, the excellent acting of its actors especially Vilam Santos, Carlo Aquino, and Serena Dalrymple, and the competent direction of Chito Rono.
7. Bayaning Third World by Mike de Leon (1999) – This film is perhaps the "Film of the Decade." A deconstructionist and post modern film, the film received little patronage from the moviegoing public due to its "arty" structure and the very intellectual handling of the material. An investigation on the heroism of Jose Rizal, Bayaning Third World is the director's answer to a centennial Rizal film that was full of factual errors and shallow historical research. Shot in black and white, the film boldy violates many conventions in filmmaking – temporal and spatial limitations, characters talking directly to the audience, film genres discarded altogether, and black and white photography at the close of the twentieth century. This film is probably the best film to come out of Philippine Cinema since Lino Brocka's "Orapronobis."
Tags: 90's. nineties, aga muhlach, asian cinema, filipino movies, filipino national cinema, films from the philippines, jose javier reyes, nora aunor, olivia lamasan, pelikula, philippine cinema, philippines, pinoy films, southeast asian cinema, thirs world cinema
Yearender Chart 1: 2008 Songs That Topped the Radio Airplay Charts
Filed under: Music — Leave a comment
This post initializes my yearender posts for this year. In the next posts up until the beginning of January 2009, I will be posting my own yearend charts about music, movies, and some personal stuff as well that I want to share with you. This is my own way of looking back to the year that's about to pass. In addition to this, movie reviews and other "top" lists would also be presented for you to enjoy. Merry Christmas!
1. January 1 to February 2 – NO ONE by ALICIA KEYS
2. February 3 to March 1 – LOW by FLORIDA feat. T PAIN
3. March 2, Ap2il 12 – WITH YOU by CHRIS BROWN
4. April 13 to May 10 – LOVE IN THIS CLUB by USHER feat. YOUNG JEEZY
5. May 11 to July 19 – LOLLIPOP by LIL WAYNE feat. STATIC MAJOR
6. July 20 to August 30 – TAKE A BOW by RIHANNA
7. August 31 to September 20 – FOREVER by CHRIS BROWN
8. September 21 to September 27 – CLOSER by NEYO
9. September 28 to November 22 – WHATEVER YOU LIKE by T.I.
10. November 23 to the present – LIVE YOUR LIFE by T.I. feat. RIHANNA
Tags: 2008. charts, airplay, countdowns, Music, pop music, radio, us pop radio, yearenders
ROTONDA — MISERY OVERKILL
Filed under: Cinema — Leave a comment
Life is a never ending cycle of misery.
This rather pessimistic outlook, seems to be the unifying element of Ron Bryant's third digifilm "Rotonda." As some of you may already know, Rotonda is the Spanish term for circle. In layman's term here in the Philippines, Rotonda refers to anything on a road that is circular or oval-shaped (the borders of Quezon City and Manila as well as Manila and Pasay City both have such a structure). The digifilm revolves around the lives of thieves, street thugs, whores, drug addicts, and crooked cops and the similarly tragic events that intertwine all of their lives.
The principal character of the film is Abner, portrayed excellently by Mark Gil. Abner is a tabloid reporter who, in the first few images of the film, is seen walking aimlessly into the filthy and clogged streets of Manila. This rather aimless walking typifies Abner's existence in the whole film, and come to think of it, the rest of the characters throughout this bleak and dark movie. Abner, half consciously entering a cheap nightclub, is drawn to Racquel – a professional whore who has pinned her hopes and dreams on her younger sister, whom she later finds out to be a victim of sexual molestation and pimping by Racquel's own live in partner, the heartless and avengeful Dima, played by theater actor Mario Magallona. Dima, on the other hand, is planning to get back at his former kingpin who unsuccessfully tried to liquidate him in the past and is now a cripple, the character played by Celso Ad Castillo. Being a cripple, he is now under the care of an amateur drummer, Chito, played in the film by Jeffrey Quizon. Chito, on the other hand, while religiously performing his onligations to the now crippled godfather, is also a drug pusher and one of his regular suppliers is a rather wealthy colegiala who in turn is under the not so welcome protection of a crooked cop, played by Emilio Garcia.
If the storyline seems complicated, maybe because it really is. The director aims to show the abject hopelessness, desperation, and moral depravity of the characters in the dog-eat-world that is the city of Manila. In the end, some of them are killed, the others manage to escape, and yet others find some artificial form of redemption and thus continue to survive in the city's dark, filthy streets. Yet, they find no release from their hapless conditions, and there would surely be a day when tragedy or the liberating pangs of death would get them. The title of the film reflects this vicious cycle of desperation and hopelessness, with one character who happens to play an idiot is seen curiously wearing a filthy dress of blue, red, and white, hence alluding to the reality that the lives of these miserable characters are directly connected to the national condition.
The characters in the film are all real and realistic. Perhaps once could find an exact equivalent of each character in the film in any slum area within Metro Manila. However, while the actors perform their parts in an above average manner, the fact remains that the characterization is thin and even caricaturish for some. The character of Celso Ad Castillo is thread-thin in terms of characterization, and the part played by Emilio Garcia is forgettable, if not ridiculous. Nevertheless, Mark Gil is perfect as the desperate journalist. He fits his role to a tee that his every facial expression and acting nuances effectively communicates the deep emotional scars of this wounded man. Truly, he is one gifted, if not underrated thespian who happens to come from an illustrious family of highly respected actors. Jeffrey Quizon is in his usual competent self. This actor is admirable in the sense that he can turn a short role to a meaty and engaging performance. Personally, this author would even dare say that this Quizon is better than all the other Quizons who went before him – even his father!
But perhaps the greatest revelation in this film is Merryl Soriano. When she entered the indie scene, it is already clear that she had the makings of a fine actress. In Rotonda, she sheds her black and white image as the prostitute who has been numbed by her troubled past but has retained an all too human heart.
It could have been much better if the script has been fully realized to include a deeper characterization for all characters. Admittedly, this could slow down the pace of this tautly edited picture. Unfortunately, to some extent, the sacrificing of characterization over pacing spells a sort of missed chance for this film, turning it into a well disguised melodrama on urban poverty.
While the cinematography is competent, the film is overscored at times. Initially, the sound may be irritating as the noise of the streets and the verbal jousts of the characters combine with diegetic music emanating from the radio or the television set. But towards the middle, you get the idea that the film seems noisiness parallels the chaotic lives and emotional clogs of the characters. The production design is rather impressive. The motel room where Abner and Racquel checks into underscores the feeling of imprisonment, paranoia, and desperation that both characters are facing. The mammoth house where Chito and the ex-kingpin live also resembles the disparate treatment of the two residents to one another as their disfunctionality and neediness also becomes the source of their alienation. The film could only hint at the true relationship of both characters.
Ron Bryant's direction in this indie film is a big improvement from the heavy handed Baryoke. And though his film may carry a very dark message, he drives his point to the fore and through the heart.
All in all, Rotonda is ultimately a competent melodrama masquerading in the tough exteriors of the gangster film. And though the director of this independent film may frown at the thought of classifying his film, it can be said that the film doesn't really communicate much in the end – or at least something that we are still unaware of.
Tags: 2006, asian cinema, best films 2006, cinemalaya, digital film, film criticism, film review, independent films, indie films, mark gil, merryl soriano, philippine cinema, ron bryant, rotonda, southeast asian cinema, third world cinema, young directors
The Top American Universities
Filed under: education — Leave a comment
2008 rankings as per Times Higher Education. The top 10 clearly shows no significant change in the past couple of years. Read on…
Top American Universities:
1. Harvard University
2. Yale University
3. California Institute of Technology
4. University of Chicago
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
6. Columbia University
7. University of Pennsylvania
8. Princeton University
9. Duke University
10. Johns Hopkins University
11. Cornell University
12. Stanford University
13. University of Michigan
14. Carnegie Mellon University
15. Brown University
16. University of California at Los Angeles
17. Northwestern University
18. University of California at Berkeley
19. New York University
20. Boston University
21. Dartmouth University
22. University of Wisconsin at Madison
23. University of California at San Diego
24. University of Washington
25. Washington University at St. Louis
26. Emory University
27. University of Texas at Austin
28. University of Illinois
29. Rice University
30. Georgia Institute of Technology
31. University of Minnesota
32. University of California at Davis
33. Case Western Reserve University
34. University of Virginia
35. University of Pittsburgh
36. University of California at Santa Barbara
37. Purdue University
38. Vanderbilt University
39. University of North Carolina
40. University of Southern California
41. Pennsylvania State University
42. Georgetown University
43. University of Rochester
44. Ohio State University
45. University of Maryland
46. Stony Brook University
47. University of California at Irvine
48. Texas A&M University
49. University of Arizona
50. Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey
Tags: 2008, america, american education, american universities, college, education, education rankings 2008, united states, univerity
Top Latin American Universities of 2008
As per Times Higher Education rankings of 2008, Latin American Universities have scored poorly in the last few years. Below are the 20 Latin American universities who made the Top 600 universities of the world.
Top Latin American Universities:
1. Universidad Nacionale Autonoma de Mexico – Mexico
2. University of Sao Paolo – Brazil
3. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile – Chile
4. University of Campinas – Brazil
5. Austral University – Argentina
6. Universidad de Chile – Chile
7. Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey – Mexico
8. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
9. Universidad ORT Uruguay – Uruguay
10. University of Belgrano – Argentina
11. Universidad de Los Andes – Colombia
12. Universidade Estadual Paulista – Brazil
13. Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru – Peru
14. Pontificia Universidad Catolica do Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
15. Universidad Torcuato di Tella – Argentina
16. Adolfo Ibanez University – Chile
17. Dom Cabral Foundation – Brazil
18. Fundacao Getulio Vargas – Brazil
19. Iberoamericana University – Mexico
20. Universidad de Santiago de Chile – Chile
Tags: 2008, central america, college, education, latin america, latin american universities, rankings, south america, universidad, university
Top European Universities 2008
Filed under: education — 1 Comment
After listing down the top Asian Universities in my previous post, let me now share with you the top European universities. Obviously, one country dominates the list. Read on…
Top European Universities:
1. University of Cambridge – United Kingdom
2. University of Oxford – United Kingdom
3. Imperial College London – United Kingdom
4. University College London – United Kingdom
5. King's College London – United Kingdom
6. University of Edinburgh – United Kingdom
7. ETH Zurich – Switzerland
8. Ecole Normale Superieure Paris – France
9. University of Machester – United Kingdom
10. University of Bristol – United Kingdom
11. Ecole Polytechnique – France
12. University of Copenhagen – Denmark
13. Trinity College Dublin – Ireland
14. Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne – Switzerland
15. University of Amsterdam – Netherlands
16. Heidelberg Universitat – Germany
17. Uppsala University – Sweden
18. Leiden University – Netherlands
19. London School of Economics and Political Science – United Kingdom
20. Utrecht University – Netherlands
21. University of Geneva – Switzerland
22. University of Warwick – United Kingdom
23. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven – Belgium
24. University of Glasgow – United Kingdom
25. University of Birmingham – United Kingdom
26. University of Sheffield – United Kingdom
27. DELFT University of Technology – Netherlands
28. Technische Universitat Munchen – Germany
29. University of Aarhus – Denmark
30. University of York – United Kingdom
31. University of St. Andrews – United Kingdom
32. University of Nottingham – United Kingdom
33. Lund University – Sweden
34. University of Helsinki – Finland
35. Ludwig Maximilians Universitat Munchen – Germany
36. University of Southampton – United Kingdom
37. University of Leeds – United Kingdom
38. University of Zurich – Switzerland
39. University College Dublin – Ireland
40. Maastricht University – Netherlands
41. University of Vienna – Austria
42. Universite Catholique de Louvain – Belgium
43. Durham University – United Kingdom
44. Erasmus University Rotterdam – Netherlands
45. Eindhoven University of Technology – Netherlands
46. University of Sussex – United Kingdom
47. University of Basel – Switzerland
48. Cardiff University – United Kingdom
49. Technical University of Denmark – Denmark
50. University of Liverpool – United Kingdom
Tags: 2008, college, education, europe, ranking, top universities, universities


text:
Tag: shampoo bar
These Shampoo and Soap Bars Are Almost Too Pretty to Use
They're environmentally-friendly, too!
In further effort to making sustainability a standard for businesses comes local lifestyle and beauty brand Gaea, which offers beauty essentials that are almost too pretty to use. Launching last August, the brand has committed itself to being more than just another business venture.
These Are Lush's 10 Best-Selling Products in the Philippines
We are huge fans of their shampoo bars.
Even if you walk around malls with your eyes closed, we guarantee that you'd know exactly when a Lush store is nearby. Catching a whiff of the scents of their soaps and bath bombs is inevitable, which is immediately an attempting invitation
Here's the Correct Way to Use a Shampoo Bar
We give the step by step here!
Your foray into the world of zero waste and eco-friendly alternatives were most likely prompted by metal straws and reusable cups. The interest in an environmentally-conscious lifestyle has never been stronger than it is now, which is why you're more than familiar
This Lifestyle Store in QC Has Shampoo Bars, Metal Straws, and More
Eco-conscious shoppers, take note!
It's almost the start of a brand new year, and if you're looking to do some major lifestyle changes like living more sustainably, there are a bunch of stores that offer zero-waste alternatives to everyday essentials. The newest eco-friendly store in the
This Online Store Has Everything You Need for a Zero-Waste Lifestyle
Shop your zero-waste essentials any time, any where.
Switching to a more sustainable lifestyle just got a whole lot easier! There's already a package-free shop where you can get all your zero-waste essentials, and now, there's a new option for those who prefer to shop from home.The Alternative is an online
Review: We Used Lush Shampoo Bars for a Week and Here's What We Think
The Preview team takes four bestsellers for a spin.
The ongoing conversation about single-use plastic has done wonders for pushing eco-friendly beauty. Solid shampoos, for one, are now a popular alternative to liquid shampoos, which are usually poured into plastic bottles. These sudsy bars are normally made with natural oils and


Our recreational gymnastics classes are designed for school-age gymnasts aged 5 to 17 and run from Monday to Saturday. There are classes available for all abilities, from brand new gymnasts with no experience to more advanced gymnasts looking for a new challenge. At Kaygees, we can help your child develop their confidence and coordination in a fun and friendly environment.
During our recreational gymnastics program gymnasts are given the opportunity to use all traditional men's and women's equipment including vaulting equipment, uneven bars, parallel bars, rings, beam and our sprung floor. Gymnasts are also given the chance to use our Olympic size trampoline, double mini trampoline and tumbling track.
MAG is a program specialising in male gymnastics which includes all male apparatuses.


text:
U.S. Probes Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan Over Trapped Pedal Reports
U.S. safety regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into the possibility that accelerator pedals could be entrapped by floormats in Ford Motor Co. 2010 Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had verified three complaints of accelerator pedals being trapped by unsecured "all-weather" floormats in the current production model year of the Fusion.
The NHTSA warned owners not to place unsecured floormats on top of the standard, carpeted floormat on the driver's side. It opened an investigation on Friday that covers an estimated 249,301 Fusion and Milan sedans.
Ford spokesman Said Deep said instructions imprinted on the automaker's all-weather floormats warn owners not to place them on top of existing floormats, as does the packaging.
"We do not recommend stacking floormats in any vehicle," Deep said. "We will cooperate fully with NHTSA as we always do."
The NHTSA said it had received no complaints involving crashes, injuries or fatalities in the Ford vehicles. Any optional all-weather floormats should be installed only after removing the standard floormats, the agency said.
Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing at Edmunds.com, described in mid-April an incident of unintended acceleration in a 2010 Fusion hybrid caused when the accelerator pedal became entrapped by a stacked floormat.
Edmunds said the accelerator became stuck for three or four seconds after he passed slower traffic on his commute to work before returning to normal. A second experimental acceleration had a similar result, he said in a web posting.
He reported the incident to the NHTSA.
Similar complaints were raised about Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles that were later the subject of massive recalls starting last year.
The issue of unintended acceleration has prompted Toyota to recall more than 8 million vehicles worldwide, including 6.5 million in the United States, and pay a record $16.4 million fine to U.S. safety regulators.
Shares of Ford were down 21 cents at $11.52 in afternoon New York Stock Exchange trading.
(Reporting by Soyoung Kim, David Bailey and Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Tim Dobbyn and Lisa Von Ahn)
Categories: National News
A Class-Action Wave Is Coming for ESG Claims


text:
Is Populism Bad for the Economy?
by Richard Basas | on March 2nd, 2016 | 0 comments
(Source: Getty)
Soon after being elected, President Mauricio Macri reached a deal with international creditors to repay Argentina's outstanding debt. The agreement will allow Argentina to re-enter the international credit market and borrow funds with some reliable measure of repayment for creditors for the first time since 2001. National and sub-national governments rely on borrowing funds for social spending, infrastructure and other national projects, and while many have debt and deficits, their credit rating can make or break most policy decisions.
The popular support for the Néstor and Cristina Kirchner, a presidential couple that took the reigns of the Argentine Presidency after the failure of successive presidents during the 2001 economic crisis, faltered after years of populist policy decisions. They ranged from nationalizing Spanish oil companies to talking about re-asserting Argentinian sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. In addition, the murder of a judicial investigator who was in the process of linking the Presidency with terror acts against the Jewish community in Argentina contributed to Cristina's demise.
During the Kirchner years, the animosity in dealing with international creditors prevented an agreement on repaying old debt obligations from being established. While there are several valid reasons why Argentina and other Latin American countries perceive international commercial interests as detrimental to their domestic constituencies, the exclusion from international credit markets has stunted the country's economic growth.
Popular movements do not always arise from the lack of social spending. In many cases there is a legacy of division, often spurned by elites challenging each other's positions. Chavismo originated from a military leader focusing on redistributing the national oil wealth to his supporters while simultaneously alienating the rest of Venezuelan society. In Brazil, President Lula rose through the ranks of Brazil's organized labor movement and was able to maintain popular support and high economic growth for many years thanks to reforms undertook in the previous center-right administration—the very people his party demonized.
Currently those populist movements have reduced both Venezuela and Brazil into economic basket cases (the former is in a much more desperate situation than the latter), with Venezuela flirting with disaster after the abysmal drop in oil prices and Brazil suffering from a simultaneous economic and political crisis. Indeed, Lula's and Dilma's Workers Party is accused to have taken billions in bribes from local and international firms in exchange for inflated contracts.
In the United States, the Clinton-Trump race is increasingly resembling a dispute between two populists, with policy platforms being set aside in an attempt to portray the other as the elites' candidate. As Trump distances himself from the Republican party establishment, his supporters are mystifying the media by voting for their anti-establishment candidate who wins because he allegedly does not represent Washington's elites.
Surprisingly, the Clinton campaign may have a harder time of "under-eliting" its New York real estate billionaire opponent. Hilary Clinton is seen as a Washington D.C. insider, unable of winning the disillusioned hearts and minds of voters. Bernie Sanders seems to better understand this, but he does not have sufficient backing to win the institutional party support he needs to beat Clinton in the Democratic primary.
Another good example of populism is Justin Trudeau's election as Canada's Prime Minister. The new PM has already endangered a healthy economy with unrealistic and ill-conceived policies, leading to threatening debt projections and celebrities openly challenging his decisions. In addition, his party previously contributed to the production of the largest sub-national debt in the world in Ontario, a province that makes up half of the Canadian population.
While Latin America is slowly turning its back away from its populist policies, it looks like North America might give it a shot.
Richard Basas
Richard Basas, a Canadian Masters Level Law student educated in Spain, England, and Canada (U of London MA 2003 LL.M., 2007), has worked researching for CSIS and as a Reporter for the Latin America Advisor. He went on to study his MA in Latin American Political Economy in London with the University of London and LSE. Subsequently, Rich followed his career into Law focusing mostly on International Commerce and EU-Americas issues. He has worked for many commercial and legal organisations as well as within the Refugee Protection Community in Toronto, Canada, representing detained non-status indivduals residing in Canada. Rich will go on to study his PhD in International Law.
Areas of Focus:
Law; Economics and Commerce; Americas; Europe; Refugees; Immigration
Read all of Richard Basas Posts