text:
Q&A: Degan Ali on the systemic racism impacting humanitarian responses
By Lisa Cornish // 20 June 2019
Trade & Policy
Degan Ali, executive director of Adeso. Photo by: Fredrik Naumann / Felix Features / CC BY-NC-ND
CANBERRA — At the 2019 Asia Pacific Humanitarian Leadership Conference in Melbourne, Adeso Executive Director Degan Ali delivered a keynote address that sparked the attention of humanitarian organizations as she explained the localization agenda was being prevented by "racism that operates in the humanitarian system."
The comments came from decades of experience — and frustration — as her organization faced challenges in receiving funding and support for innovative approaches to aid in Africa that would put local knowledge and community needs at the center or programming development.
"We have to be honest about who the humanitarian system is — and it is dominated by the U.N. and iNGOs who are predominantly Westerners and mostly white people."
— Degan Ali, executive director, Adeso
Following the conference, Ali discussed these frustrations with Devex — and why discussions on systemic racism receive pushback.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you discuss the issues of racism you highlighted in your speech and the response you get when engaging the humanitarian sector on this topic?
When I talk about racism, I am talking about the systemic structure of power, money, and decision-making that goes into the design of the humanitarian and even aid architecture systems.
Rethinking inclusion in Australian aid projects
How can suppliers to Australia's aid projects practice inclusion in a sustainable manner? Experts highlight gaps in policy and the way forward.
Localization is a result of the pushback on these systems — communities and local actors are saying enough is enough, and pushing back on the current system. But there are so many elements where the system is seeped in colonial and racist structures.
The thing is it is hard to have an honest conversation. Most people in the humanitarian world are good people who have good intentions — they see themselves as people who are saviors or have even sacrificed their lives to work in conflict countries and the comforts of their lives in the North to live in a tent. In the humanitarian and aid architecture — particularly those coming from Europe, Australia and New Zealand, this conversation becomes defensive and antagonistic.
People say "I'm a good person." But that doesn't mean they're not racist. They still come into a country and situation with baggage. The KKK and Neo-Nazis are not the only racists, but that is where the conversation goes making it difficult to move forward — there is defensiveness and denial.
What do you see as the causes of this systemic racism?
We have to be honest about who the humanitarian system is — and it is dominated by the U.N. and iNGOs who are predominantly Westerners and mostly white people. The majority of the decision-making in these institutions lies in the hands of white people. Southern representation — whether it is from national governments or whether it is from southern society — is limited.
But despite this, it feels that almost every single issue — including the Sustainable Development Goals — are trying to be met in southern countries. And while the implementation of the U.N. system is in the South, the decision-making and especially the power remains among Westerners. The closest they get to the ground is in big city offices such as Nairobi where decisions made — not at the community level and certainly not at the level where they are directly engaging with the people affected.
They try to say they are community driven, but they're not. There is no real community-driven design.
"I haven't seen quality aid in Somalia in over 20 years."
With this decision-making happening away from the communities, how have you seen this impact lives and livelihoods?
I have seen over the past 20 years in working in Somalia where we had a famine in 2011 and almost reached a famine in 2017, that pumping money into a situation does not necessarily equal quality.
We knew the droughts were coming, that they would become more and more frequent. We knew all of these things, but the decision was made to pump $100 million into NGOs over a five year period to build resilience after the 2011 drought.
Did that stop the 2017 drought? No, because they were not doing anything valuable for the people. They have no understanding of the context, are still designing programs and interventions at the Nairobi level, and still, are not releasing resources and power in terms of these designs to the people and the government.
So money is not necessarily the solution to every problem — it is quality. And I haven't seen quality aid in Somalia in over 20 years. There are only very, very, very few cases I would consider quality aid.
How have these systems impacted you and Adeso's ability to deliver support?
Aid community caught off guard by Somalia drought
After years of drought, experts were expecting an average rainy season in Somalia — but that's not what happened, and the aid community is now struggling to attract attention to the crisis.
We were the first organization to pioneer cash in Somalia — we introduced this in 2002 despite facing a lot of skepticism and criticism that it would be wasted or be spent on weapons and start wars. But we understood the local economy and understood why it was better in the drought setting.
International responders couldn't make that leap and understand why cash was better. It was the Somalis who understood how household systems worked and why food aid was not suitable.
Only Oxfam supported us and we had the program independently assessed and verified because of the criticism. Now it is the standard and almost a one trick pony for NGOs. But with Somalia, at what point do you transition to safety nets?
If people who experienced drought in 2011 has $30 or $40 predictable, long-term, three to five year guarantee of transfer, they would not have made the decision to walk to Mogadishu or other camps and risk the lives of their children. They would have made different decisions if they had a predictable transfer. But the system is not predictable and does not want to be predictable — it does not enable the flexibility to transition humanitarian budgets to more longer-term commitments. They are siloed and don't know how to innovate and come up with new financing models for aid.
"What gives me hope is what is happening in Asia."
We have been talking about safety nets since 2007 in Somalia as Adeso, but we are only a local NGO and don't get the resources needed to implement what is needed. But now in 2019 international NGOs are talking about it, and they're getting funded millions to pilot programs — without an understanding of the context like we have.
When we are overlooked in favor of internationals, and I don't know what to call it if it's not a racist system.
Are you seeing these issues of systemic racism becoming worse, or are there avenues for progress?
What gives me hope is what is happening in Asia, more than anything else.
Asia is far ahead of the rest of the world in terms of trying to take back power, with the Indonesian government leading the way in deciding that no international NGO will come in with responses the way they used to. And I suspect that will happen with Nepal if there is another crisis there — I don't think it will be the free-for-all that it used to be.
Localization is important here with the Australian Red Cross is really doing great work to support localization — it should be something that replicates across all the regions.
The worry is that, after 2020, localization and the Grand Bargain may die. So we need to demonstrate quick wins and changes to the ecosystem to build the infrastructure for the future that will support local leadership in humanitarian issues.
In civil society, we need to focus on working with national governments and regional authorities to help become more sophisticated in their analysis and understand how they can push back. We need to work with them as allies and support them. It is important for their future and ours.
Lisa Cornishlisa_cornish
Lisa Cornish is a Devex Reporter based in Canberra, where she focuses on the Australian aid community. Lisa formerly worked with News Corp Australia as a data journalist for the national network and was published throughout Australia in major metropolitan and regional newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph in Melbourne, Herald Sun in Melbourne, Courier-Mail in Brisbane, and online through news.com.au. Lisa additionally consults with Australian government providing data analytics, reporting and visualization services. Lisa was awarded the 2014 Journalist of the Year by the New South Wales Institute of Surveyors.
Strategy Analyst
Kenya | Rwanda
Strategy and Operations Analyst
Legal Drafting Expert (Child Rights)
The environmental impact of balancing the food system is still unknown
Q&A: What it takes to shift the power for women humanitarians
Humanitarians challenged in response to flooding across East Africa
Q&A: Impact investing must break from 'exploitation and extraction' strategy


text:
Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)
March 15, 2018 By germanculture
The aerial view of the Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Cologne, Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day, and is currently the tallest twin-spired church at 157 m (515 ft) tall.
The site of Cologne Cathedral has been occupied by Christian churches since about the 4th century. An older cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1248, and immediately thereafter work began on the present cathedral, which was designed in the Gothic style in emulation of French church architecture. The choir was consecrated in 1322, but construction continued until 1560 (or only until 1520, according to some authorities).
Unfinished cathedral, 1856 with 15th-century crane on south tower
The project then stalled for centuries, with a large wooden crane left standing some 184 feet (56 m) above the ground, at the top of the south tower. During the 1790s, troops of the French Revolution occupied Cologne and used the cathedral as a stable and a hay barn. Restoration work began in the 1820s, spurred on by Sulpiz Boisserée, a German proponent of the Gothic Revival movement. In 1842 a new cornerstone was laid by King Frederick William IV of Prussia, and work to complete the cathedral resumed in earnest. The architects Ernst Friedrich Zwirner and Richard Voigtel carried out the enterprise, guided by architectural drawings made in about 1300. Construction finally ended in 1880.
Shrine of the Three Kings
The art treasures of Cologne Cathedral are many and varied. Near the high altar is the massive gold Shrine of the Three Kings, containing what are said to be relics of the Magi who attended the infant Jesus. The shrine, a masterpiece of medieval goldwork, was begun by the noted goldsmith Nicholas of Verdun in 1182, completed in about 1220, and originally installed in the predecessor cathedral. The altarpiece in the Lady Chapel (on the south wall of the choir) is a triptych entitled The Adoration of the Magi (c. 1445), which was made by Stefan Lochner, one of the outstanding painters of the Cologne school. The cathedral's oldest stained-glass windows were crafted in the 13th century.
Stained-glass windows in the Cologne Cathedral
More modern in style is an immense stained-glass window by the Cologne-based artist Gerhard Richter, completed in 2007 as a permanent replacement for 19th-century glass that was destroyed in World War II. Richter's window consists of more than 11,000 square panes in 72 solid colors, arrayed seemingly at random within the many-mullioned window.
Some facts about the Cologne Cathedral:
The construction of the Cologne Cathedral commenced in 1248 and was finished in 1880, 632 years later.
Originally the cathedral was built to house the Three Wise Men's shrine.
The height of the northern tower of the Cologne Cathedral is 157,38 meters, while the height of the southern tower is 6 cm below that.
The external length of the cathedral is 144,58 meters and the width is 86.25 meters.
The Cologne Cathedral was the tallest building in the world between 1880 and 1884. It was preceded by the Rouen Cathedral and succeeded by the Washington Monument and the Eiffel Tower.
Cologne Cathedral was indeed hit by 14 bombs during World War II, but the building did not fall. It is believed that the Cathedral was not completely destroyed by bombs because it served as an easily recognizable landmark for pilots.
The majestic cathedral looks especially good at night.
Cologne Cathedral and Hohenzollern Bridge
Kölner Dom – Cologne Cathedral
The High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier – the Cradle of
The Thousand-year Rose of Hildesheim
Lübeck – The City of Marzipan and Sea Ports
Burg Satzvey – Moated Castle
Hohenzollern Castle – A Fairy-Tale Hilltop Castle

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


After a long, long, long journey ferried by three different airplanes I arrived in Goa, India. It was midnight Goan-time and an hour's taxi ride would get me to my final lodging destination. The warm, late-night taxi ride along the windy roads of Goa roused my wearied senses from an airplane cocoon. The smell of gasoline wafted through the tiny truck as I braced my tired body over every oncoming speed bump. My ears were greeted with the recurring 'beep' 'beep' as the driver passed bicycles, buses, cars and scooters, and they 'beep' 'beeped' in our wake. And my bleary eyes were greeted with the bright Goan architecture which runs in blues and yellows, pinks and reds, right up to the narrow roads and bedecked in twinkling, decorative lights. All the while dogs and late-night revelers shared the road either on foot or at local bars spilling out into the streets. I certainly wasn't in New York anymore. I felt grateful for the adventure to begin.
I joined Bridget, of The Designers' Co-op, who had arrived three days earlier to begin floral work on her client's wedding. This first set of pictures are from hotel stay number one. Our two big adjoining rooms were perfect to spread out and get some of the preliminary prep work completed.
The Indian cream as it dissolved in my coffee one morning. Love how things translate…Enter and Exit… Bridget's beautiful garlands for the groom and bride. Above photos Beth Horta for Sweet Sabelle (except me by the pool, by Bridget). Bridget took this of us working away in her room.
30 May	This entry was published on May 30, 2013 at 6:57 am. It's filed under Welcome to Goa India and tagged The Designers' Co-op.	Bookmark the permalink.	Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.
Thank you, definitely more, you know me and my camera 😉 !!
Love this…u should be writing novels! will there be more?
Thank you, Jenn! Definitely more!


text:
Q: numprint and similar packages ignore ADF Fonts I'm using the Venturis font for my documents. Because all of tabular number alignment packages I tried interfere with fonts, numbers in these columns look quite out of place.
Is there a way around this?
Here's an example that illustrates this issue.
\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[np]{numprint}

\usepackage[lf]{venturis} %% lf option gives lining figures as default;
              %% remove option to get oldstyle figures as default

\begin{document}

 \begin{tabular}{n{7}{2}|r}
  {Some Data} & Some Data \\
  \hline
    100000   &  \np{100000} \\
      230    &  \np{230} \\
      111    &  \np{111} \\
      300.03 &  \np{300.03} \\

\end{tabular}
\end{document}

A: The n-type column uses math mode: you want a text font so need an N-type column (manual, page 10)
\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[np]{numprint}

\usepackage[lf]{venturis} %% lf option gives lining figures as default;
              %% remove option to get oldstyle figures as default

\begin{document}

 \begin{tabular}{N{7}{2}|r}
  {Some Data} & Some Data \\
  \hline
    100000   &  \np{100000} \\
      230    &  \np{230} \\
      111    &  \np{111} \\
      300.03 &  \np{300.03} \\

\end{tabular}
\end{document}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Terror in Paris: Gunmen Attack French Magazine Office, Kill 12
Posted on January 7, 2015 by The Elites
Masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" stormed the Paris offices of a satirical newspaper Wednesday, killing 12 people including the editor and a cartoonist before escaping. It was France's deadliest terror attack in at least two decades.
With a manhunt on, French President Francois Hollande called the attack on the Charlie Hebdo weekly, whose caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed have frequently drawn condemnation from Muslims, "a terrorist attack without a doubt." He said several other attacks have been thwarted in France "in recent weeks."
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
France raised its security alert to the highest level and reinforced protective measures at houses of worship, stores, media offices and transportation. Top government officials were holding an emergency meeting and Hollande planned a nationally televised address in the evening. Schools across the French capital closed their doors.
World leaders including President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the attack, but supporters of the militant Islamic State group celebrated the slayings as well-deserved revenge against France.
The Islamic State group has repeatedly threatened to attack France. Just minutes before the attack, Charlie Hebdo had tweeted a satirical cartoon of that extremist group's leader giving New Year's wishes. Another cartoon, released in this week's issue and entitled "Still No Attacks in France," had a caricature of an extremist fighter saying "Just wait — we have until the end of January to present our New Year's wishes."
The 12 dead included two men who went by the pen names: Charb _ the editor and a cartoonist as well _ and the cartoonist Cabu, spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre of the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed.
Two police officers were also among the dead, including one assigned as Charb's bodyguard after prior death threats against him, a police official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.
Just before noon, multiple masked men armed with automatic weapons attacked the newspaper's office in central Paris, nearby worker Benoit Bringer told the iTele network. The attackers went to the second floor and started firing indiscriminately in the newsroom, said Christophe DeLoire of Reporters Without Borders.
"This is the darkest day of the history of the French press," DeLoire said.
Video images on the website of public broadcaster France Televisions showed two gunmen in black at a crossroads who appeared to fire down one of the streets. A cry of "Allahu akbar!" _ Arabic for "God is great"_ could be heard among the gunshots.
Luc Poignant of the SBP police union said the attackers left in a waiting car and later switched to another vehicle that had been stolen.
Obama's top spokesman said U.S. officials have been in close contact with the French since the attack. "We know they are not going to be cowed by this terrible act," spokesman Josh Earnest said.
On social media, supporters of militant Islamic groups praised the move. One Twitter user who identified themselves as a Tunisian loyalist of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group called the attack well-deserved revenge against France.
Elsewhere on the Internet, the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie was trending as people expressed support for weekly and for journalistic freedom.
EXPOSED: Jonathan Plans To Raise Petrol Price After 2015 Election
PHOTO NEWS: Aregbesola, Osinbajo Lead WALK4CHANGE March In Osogbo


text:
Then and Now: Park at 56th Street, NYC
Park Avenue at 56th Street, Manhattan
Park Avenue at 56th Street, Manhattan, 1982.
Park Avenue has changed a lot over the years even though it sometimes doesn't seem like it. When I saw the photo above from 1982, it looked pretty standard, as if it could have been taken last week. However, some key features of this photo have changed and are in the process of changing, so I decided to see what the same scene looks like now. Fortunately, the street number on the building at the left is very prominent, so this was an easy location to pinpoint. This is a comparison of Park Avenue at 56th Street from 1982 to 2018.
Park Avenue at 56th Street in August 2018 (Google Street View).
Well, some things are changing on Park Avenue. The large building on the left, 425 Park Avenue, is in the midst of a major reconstruction as of mid-2019. The building seen in the 1982 photo was built in the 1950s and reflected all of the worst design aesthetics of that era: monotony, uniformity, and drabness. It was a generic office building which in 1982 housed, among other large professional businesses, the Finley, Kumble law firm. It had its litigation department on the second floor and real estate and other departments on the 7th floor and some other high floors. It was a favored law firm of Donald Trump and was the firm that won/lost him the USFL case in the 1980s (the USFL "won" $1, but that meant the NFL had to pay it $10 million in the USFL's legal fees). The law firm was one of the first massive, multi-state law firms which later became standard, but Finley, Kumble dissolved in bitter acrimony about five years after that photo.
425 Park Avenue in August 2018 (Google Street View).
The "new" 425 Park Avenue looks like a completely new building. It certainly has little in common with the old one. However, appearances can be deceiving. The core of the old building remains. The quirks of New York City zoning laws have impacted the design, requiring the new building to have the same square footage as the old building. The new building will have two restaurants, which is somewhat curious since the venerable Four Seasons and some other nearby top restaurants have found the current environment difficult and recently have gone out of business. Rather than the drab box of the former 425 Park Avenue, this one will have some originality in its exterior that harkens back to the great structures of the early 20th Century which continue to give the city character and individuality. The wheel turns, and sometimes it turns back in its original direction.
430 Park Avenue, NYC, August 2018 (Google Street View).
Also just barely visible in the 1982 photo is the building on the right. It is 430 Park Avenue, notable for its unusual green exterior. Its appearance and even its very existence have a lot to do with how zoning laws work in Manhattan. It was built in 1916 as the "Avenue Apartments" by famed architects Warren and Wetmore and drastically reconstructed in 1953, around the same time that 425 went up in the 1950s. It was renovated in 2001/2002. It is very boxy because it was grandfathered in under old zoning laws that did not require setbacks. That's why these reconstructions usually retain the inner core of old buildings when it might be cheaper and more efficient to just raze the whole thing and start over. Because the original building was built in the 1920s, the current building can tower over Park Avenue in a way that new construction cannot. It also has high ceilings due to its history as a pre-war apartment building, 12'-16'. One of the building's oddities due to its history is that it is only 60 feet deep, so it is tall and thin. We should all have that shape after 100 years! It would be easy to predict that 430 Park Avenue will soon share the fate of 425 Park, but its fairly recent remodel and maximal usage of its footprint suggests that it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The building's appearance also is famous for another reason, though.
The Saul Bass title sequence from "North By Northwest" was filmed at 430 Park Avenue. Reflected in the building is traffic on Park Avenue (courtesy MGM).
Incidentally, 430 Park Avenue may look oddly familiar to you, but perhaps you just can't place why. There may be a reason for that because 430 Park Avenue was the building used by Saul Bass for the credits of "North By Northwest" (1959). The sheer green exterior in the international style that you see today was brand new and cutting-edge when they were filming "North By Northwest." That title sequence is considered one of the best ever made. The entire opening part of the title sequence has a green background - including the MGM roaring lion part - because that is the color of 430 Park Avenue. So, to film buffs, it would be tragic to change the exterior of this iconic building, though that will happen eventually because nothing lasts forever. It is still there today, at least, looking exactly as it did in the 1950s.
417 Park Avenue, NYC, in August 2018 (Google Street View).
There are other buildings visible in the 1982 photo that are pretty much unchanged over the past 35 years. The Pan Am Building at the end of the Street is now the Met Life Building. However, it really hasn't changed much otherwise (they had only recently shut down the heliport on top of it due to a tragic accident). The white building just past 425 Park Avenue, 417 Park, was built in 1917 when Park Avenue was still almost exclusively a high-class residential area. It just toodles along, decade after decade, while these transient office buildings come and go around it. The most enduring buildings in Manhattan tend to be high-class residential ones because emptying them for reconstruction or demolition is a herculean task. It is now the last luxury residence that remains along Park Avenue from Grand Central Terminal North to 57th Street and gives the street a little character that the big boxes of the 1950s tried (and ultimately failed) to destroy. It also led the way in converting from an apartment building to a coop way back in 1946, long before that became popular. It is buildings like 417 Park that give the avenue its signature look and show that, once you do something right, there's no reason to change it.
I hope you enjoyed this entry in our "the more things change, the more they stay the same" series. Park Avenue is a prime example that the facade of New York's grand avenues may change with passing fads, but the anchors persevere. Please visit some of our other entries in this series to see how cities evolve over time!
Labels: 425 Park Avenue, 430 Park Avenue, Alfred Hitchcock, Donald Trump, East 55th Street, East 56th Street, Manhattan, North By Northwest, NYC, Pan Am Building, Park Avenue, Saul Bass, Then and Now
Then and Now: Spring and Mulberry Streets, Manhattan
Then and Now: Corner of Spring and Mulberry Streets, Manhattan Southeast corner of Spring and Mulberry Streets, Manhattan, in 1976. ...


text:
Jeffrey Ann Goudie, Contributor
The ACA, Sebelius and the Cure
12/09/2013 10:56 am ET Updated Feb 08, 2014
My daughter's relationship status has changed, which will leave her without health insurance at year's end. She came home to Kansas for Thanksgiving, on break from a teaching residency. The day before the turkey feast, she sat at my computer and logged onto HealthCare.gov
I peered over her shoulder, as did her 16-year-old brother, while she navigated the user-friendly site without a hitch. In 45 minutes she enrolled herself with a policy that was eight dollars less and comparable to the one she has shared with her ex-partner.
Good news does not reverberate like bad news in the national echo chamber. The Affordable Care Act roll-out was plagued by bugs, certainly a commonplace experience with large-scale digital launches. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, held herself accountable. As the website has improved, as evidenced by my daughter's positive experience, favorability ratings for Sebelius have also improved. According to the Nov. 27 U.S. News and World Report, a Rasmussen poll showed that 30 percent of respondents now view her favorably, up from 25 percent. Keep in mind that a quarter of respondents said they had not heard of her.
Sebelius, of course, is from my state of Kansas, where many of the almost three million residents refer to her by her first name. I met Kathleen when she was my state representative. She wore holes in her tennis shoes walking the sidewalks and ringing the doorbells of her constituents, asking about their concerns. She did this for the eight years she served in the Kansas legislature. She was a walking partner of my dear friend Emily and several of their two-mile, 6 a.m. walks, with coffee in hand, overlapped with mine. We were friendly acquaintances.
I watched her career as she was elected Kansas Insurance Commissioner. She was a shrewd and deft agency administrator. She was elected Governor, not once, but twice, in a heavily Republican state. The adjective commonly applied to Kathleen is "savvy."
Kathleen is an interesting mix of polished patrician -- her father was a congressman, then governor of Ohio -- and roll-up-the-sleeves public servant. Shortly after she was elected governor, I saw her at our neighborhood grocery store.
"Kathleen," I said, "you can't do your own grocery shopping now that you're governor!"
"I sure can," she said.
She has received grueling grillings on Capitol Hill. In her first appearance Oct. 30 before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, she was on the receiving end of this parochial put-down about her adopted state from Congressman Joe Barton of Texas: "There is a famous movie called 'The Wizard of Oz,' and in 'The Wizard of Oz,' there was a great line. Dorothy, at some point in the movie, turns to her little dog Toto and says, 'Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.' Well, Madam Secretary, while you're from Kansas, we're not in Kansas anymore."
Most Kansans would grimace at this flaunting of flaming cliché.
A month before her late father died this past August, Kathleen gave a speech at the 104th NAACP Conference. She likened the resistance to the Affordable Care Act to that faced by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Kathleen said: "My father was a Congressman from Cincinnati who voted for each of those critical civil rights laws ... The same arguments against change, the same fear and misinformation that opponents used then are the same ones opponents are spreading now."
Lots of people have been saying that the political divide in the United States is greater than it has been at any time since the Civil War. Harvard historian Jill Lepore wrote in a recent New Yorker article about the methods of measuring polarization: "Political scientists analyzing ... data ... claim that voters and legislators alike are more polarized today than they have been at any time since the Confederacy seceded."
That this divide occurs as we are being served by our first African-American president does not seem coincidental. Obstructing so-called Obamacare and criticizing its architects does not substitute for creative governing.
As for Kansas and the ACA, a recent informative speaker at Washburn University, Sheldon Weisgrau, pointed out that whether you love it or hate it, the ACA is the law. Kansas did not agree to set up a health exchange, so it joins other red states, like Texas, he said, in inviting the federal government into the state to run the insurance marketplace. There are 360,000 uninsured in Kansas, or 14 percent of the population under 65, better than the national average. Politicians who wish to use Texas as a model should look askance at the 25 percent uninsured citizens of Texas, Weisgrau warned.
I have often quipped that we do have universal health care in the U.S., it just occurs in the emergency room. We all pay for this in higher hospital and medical procedure costs. Weisgrau underscored this point, saying we haven't had health care in our country, we've had "emergency care." Emergency care is expensive, and not preventive.
When I asked the speaker how he thought Kathleen Sebelius had navigated the ACA, the audience laughed. But had she not been forced to spend so much time stumping for a law that had been passed by Congress, okayed by the Supreme Court, and ratified by the last presidential election, she might have been more on top of the roll-out.
Like many Americans without much money, I had no health insurance until I turned 31, my daughter's age. At that time one could pay one's medical bills. Now I am one year away from qualifying for Medicare, which as the speaker pointed out, is universal health care for our senior citizens.
I'm glad my daughter will have continued health insurance coverage into 2014. A professional dancer, she could be bankrupted by a broken bone. The number one reason for personal bankruptcy, as Weisgrau pointed out, is medical debt.
Let's move past the stubborn resistance to the cure of the ACA. Let's get over the thoughtless scapegoating of Kathleen Sebelius. Let the healing begin.
Affordable Care Act Politics News Health Care Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen Sebelius Obamacare


text:
INTERVIEW: UK rap/dance star Example set for Nasimi Sessions
What's On pals Hype preview Example in Dubai, Atlantis The Palm Nasimi Sessions. Read an Example interview and get ticket information.
Hype Awards…
– The winners
– PICS: Red Carpet
– PICS: Party people
When you think of rap music you inevitably think of a rich heritage of American talents. Often coming from the streets, frequently of Afro American origin and almost always frothing over with forthright views and agitated attitudes, it is a genre that rises and falls in popularity but one that never fully goes out of fashion. Recent years, however, have seen it explode into popular culture once more, not least on UK shores. Far from being a countercultural musical movement that kids get can down with, engage with and annoy their parents with, rap music in this day and age is very much part of the mainstream pop canon.
Helping to make it so is Elliot John Gleave, better known by his stage name of Example. Signed to major labels Epic and Sony Music, the London-born wordsmith first rose to prominence using just the initials E.G but has now had major worldwide and chart topping success as Example.
Now aged 32, the singer, songwriter, rapper and producer also plays keys and synthesisers. His output fuses together many different strands of music from hip-hop to house, Euro dance to drum 'n' bass, big beat to rave, trance to garage, and has never been more popular than it is now.
Example has well over a million followers, has spent years touring the globe and has sunk his fair share of champagne, and it's all off the back of No.1 singles such as Changed The Way You Kiss Me (produced by Michael Woods) and Stay Awake (produced by electronic duo Nero). It was his debut studio album Won't Go Quietly that first alerted the world to this man's talents though. That album was released in 2009 on Data Records and spawned early Top 20 singles Watch The Sun Come Up and the album's title track. A number of other hits from it followed and so did the next album not long after in 2011.
This one, Playing The Shadows, also secured Example a No.1 slot on the pop charts and charted in many European countries, as well as Australia, where it was also certified Platinum. As such, the logical next step was to try and crack American, as so many have tried before, with varying results. This meant the London man signed with Mercury and in 2014 released Live Life Living, which was partly written in LA. Fast-forward to now and Example is reportedly working on his sixth longplayer and has spent time in the studio with hot dance acts Netsky and Sigma. A release date is uncertain, however, especially as Example has taken time out recently to spend with his young son, though there are rumours that in 2016 he'll be back with a bang and a full touring live band.
Example was born in Hammersmith in London and has claimed before that the main reason he got into rap was thanks to his introduction to hip-hop and albums by Wu-Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg, the latter of which was purchased mainly because of "the cool cover art". Apparently not very good at sports at school, a young Example managed to fit in with his peers socially through rapping, and his first experience of it was through a rap battle at a house party in Shepherd's Bush in 1994. Legend has it that in that battle he "completely destroyed" his opponents and "a fight broke out so I sprinted home".
These years were also key in that they found Example hooking up with Joseph Gardner, aka Rusher, the producer with which he worked closely on releases for his own All The Chats label. One of the pair's earliest works was a concept album made in the audio booth of their university's film department. It contained the now well-known cut A Pointless Song, which was Example's first white-label vinyl release.
Before finding chart success Example also spent time working as a voiceover artist and editor for the Paramount Comedy Channel (now Comedy Central), and worked as an editor at MTV Networks. These days he is no longer behind the scenes but rather front and forward.
Nasimi Beach, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, 5pm to 3am, ladies free before 7pm, Dhs100 in advance, Dhs150 at the door. Taxi: Nasimi Beach. atlantisthepalm.com


text: export { default } from './FormattedDate';

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Black Friday Deal on Women's Boots | Only $15.50/Pair!
Home / Deals / Black Friday Deals 2018 / Black Friday Deal on Women's Boots | Only $15.50/Pair!
Black Friday Deal on Women's Boots | Only $15.50/Pair!
If you are looking for a HOT Black Friday Deal on Women's Boots, be sure to check out this Target Coupon!
Grab this Black Friday Deal on Women's Boots and pay only $31 for two pairs of boots! Print off this Target Coupon now and save $5 on any Women's Fashion Boots Purchase of $20 or more! This coupon is valid through 12/5/13, which means you can use it on the Black Friday Sales!
Starting November 28th at 8pm, you can pick up a pair of Xhilaration Women's Fashion Boots with Buckle Detail for only $18, down from $39.99! If you purchase two pairs of selected boots you will pay $36. That means you pay only $31 after the coupon is applied, or $15.50/Pair! That is like getting a pair of Fashion Boots for FREE!! Plus, be sure to check out all of the other Women's Fashion Boots that will be on sale! Go ahead and print of this coupon so that you have it when you head Black Friday Shopping!
This deal may also be available online, just use Coupon Code: TGTM5MHB when you check out! Most items ship FREE on orders of $50 or more!
For even more Black Friday Deals, be sure to check out all of the sales that are available!
4 Disney Books just $0.99 Each Shipped + FREE Calendar!


My [Springfields] aren't designed for your enjoyment.
Left Chicago at 8:15 this morning, and made it to our next Springfield, an hour away in Indiana, at about 10:15. Welcome back to Eastern time.
Pics will post later, but the Springfield Township, La Porte County Volunteer Fire Department made an excellent backdrop for our first stop with the banner of the day, and then, about 1.5 miles up the road, we spent another bit of time at the Springfield School. Exciting? No, but it is a Springfield, and it moves us one closer to 16.
GPS tells me we're 60.8 miles from our next stop — Springfield, Michigan — which will probably be another quick one. Then the long haul down to Ohio, with, time-permitting, some stops at roadside attractions on the way.
Hopefully yesterday's stories will get folks to donate and join the facebook group. If you're already on top of both, check out our tweets.
Next Next post: In Ohio, they know us!


text:
Largest Danish solar power portfolio to date: Luxcara and BeGreen ready to supply 120,000 households with green Danish electricity
Luxcara and BeGreen sign one of Europe's largest agreements for new photovoltaic electricity production.
Four new solar parks in Denmark with total capacity of up to 415 MWp.
First delivery of green electricity in 2021; final completion in 2023.
BeGreen overall responsible for construction as well as operation and maintenance.
Hamburg/Bregentved: With a total capacity of up to 415 MWp, Denmark's largest solar electricity portfolio to date will start providing green electricity to consumers and businesses in 2021 with final completion in 2023. This is the objective of an investment agreement signed between the Danish solar developer BeGreen A/S and Luxcara, one of Europe's most experienced renewable energy asset managers, headquartered in Hamburg.
The agreement comprises four solar parks being built in Denmark that will become part of a portfolio of renewable energy assets managed by Luxcara for institutional investors. BeGreen will be responsible for the construction as well as the operation and maintenance of the solar parks. The agreement is one of the largest ever in the field of photovoltaic transactions in Europe. The parties have agreed to keep the purchase price confidential.
The planned green electricity output from the four solar parks is equivalent to the annual consumption of 120,000 Danish households. The new solar parks will in total deliver savings in CO2 equivalents (CO2e) of 343,000 tons annually.
The project is the first one in Denmark for Luxcara, a German asset manager with commitments from a wide range of investors, primarily European insurance companies and pension funds.
Philip Sander, Managing Director of Luxcara states: "We are excited to kick-start this exceptional solar portfolio in Denmark without any kind of government subsidies. The electricity will be sold to an off-taker under a long-term power purchase agreement or at the Nord Pool spot market."
"It remains our clear focus to acquire high-quality renewable energy assets throughout Europe. This first venture into Denmark matches our requirements perfectly. Photovoltaic plants developed and built by BeGreen are reliable, long-term projects that enjoy the support of the local municipalities. They will contribute in the best possible way to the rapid green transition needed to stem climate change. We look forward to the cooperation with BeGreen," adds Philip Sander.
Anders Dolmer, Chairman of the Board of BeGreen: "We are delighted to engage in this partnership with Luxcara, with their impressive portfolio across Europe and outstanding track record within the renewable energy sector."
Anders Dolmer emphasizes that the benefits for the Danish electricity supply, the climate and the environment will be realized very soon.
"Speed is essential in order to reach Denmark's ambitious 2030 goal of a 70% reduction in CO2e emissions. With this historic agreement with Luxcara, the construction in cooperation with our partner Energi Innovation will continue as planned, which means that we will deliver the first green electricity in 2021; from day one 100% free of government subsidies. Our solar power parks provide green electricity that is cheaper and produced with less climate impact than electricity based on conventional sources like coal, gas or nuclear. The project is an important milestone for the integration of large-scale solar power as a cornerstone in the future Danish energy system, fully based on renewables. Solar and wind energy complement each other nicely. While the sun provides energy primarily during the day and in the summertime, when consumption is at its peak, the wind energy production is higher at night and in the wintertime," says Anders Dolmer.
BeGreen was advised by Deloitte (M&A, financial), EY (tax), Kromann Reumert (legal) and Krug & Schram (technical).
Luxcara was advised by CMS Deutschland, Reuther Rieche, Lundgrens (legal), Ramboll Energy (technical) and Marsh (insurance), amongst others.
Facts about the portfolio
The portfolio includes four solar parks located in the municipalities of Faxe (two plants), Vordingborg and Herning covering a total of 420 hectares. With an expected annual production of 414 million kWh, the solar parks will be able to cover the total electricity consumption of approx. 120,000 households and reduce the CO2e footprint by 343,000 tons annually.
In order to minimise the impact on local landscapes, BeGreen always chooses a flat land area and plants trees and bushes around its solar parks. The production of food on the land with solar parks will continue - now with organic production of lamb meat, grass (for protein extraction), and biochar.
About Luxcara
Luxcara is an independent asset manager offering institutional investors investment opportunities in the international renewable energy market. The owner-managed company, founded in 2009, acquires, structures, finances and operates renewable energy and related infrastructure projects as a long-term buy-and-hold investor. The company specializes in structuring free-market power purchase agreements.
Luxcara's portfolio includes solar and wind power plants across Europe with a total capacity of more than 3 gigawatts and an investment volume exceeding 3 billion euros. The track record makes Luxcara one of Europe's most experienced asset managers for renewable energy investments.
www.luxcara.com
About BeGreen
BeGreen develops, constructs, maintains and manages large-scale solar parks and electricity storage solutions, primarily in Denmark, Sweden and Poland. The BeGreen business strategy is to construct solar parks without any subsidies in partnership with municipalities, landowners, grid operators and investors – and to provide sustainable electricity at stable and attractive prices to consumers and companies.
BeGreen has developed and built Denmark's largest solar park (113 MWp), and a new 163 MWp solar park at former airbase Vandel in Jutland is currently under construction and will be completed in Q2 2021.
www.begreen.dk
Lars Haugwitz
GFD - Gesellschaft für Finanzkommunikation mbH
Telephone: +49 69 97 12 47 34
Email: haugwitz@gfd-finanzkommunikation.de
Media contact for BeGreen:
Paul Svinth Jensen
Kreab
Email: psjensen@kreab.com
Luxcara GmbH
contact@luxcara.com


text:
<?php

namespace Bishopm\Connexion\Http\Controllers\Web;

use App\Http\Controllers\Controller, DB;
use Bishopm\Connexion\Http\Requests\CreateReadingRequest;
use Bishopm\Connexion\Http\Requests\UpdateReadingRequest;

class ReadingsController extends Controller {

	/**
	 * Display a listing of the resource.
	 *
	 * @return Response
	 */
	public function index()
	{
        $today=date('Y-m-d');
        $readings = DB::table('readings')->where('readingdate','>=',$today)->get();;
   		return view('connexion::readings.index',compact('readings'));
	}

	public function edit($reading)
    {
        $reading=DB::table('readings')->where('id','=',$reading)->first();
        return view('connexion::readings.edit', compact('reading'));
    }

    public function create()
    {
        return view('connexion::readings.create');
    }

    public function store(CreateReadingRequest $request)
    {
        $reading = DB::table('readings')->insert(['description' => $request->input('description'), 'readings' => $request->input('readings'), 'readingdate' => $request->input('readingdate')]);
        return redirect()->route('admin.readings.index')
            ->withSuccess('New reading added');
    }

    public function update($reading, UpdateReadingRequest $request)
    {
        $reading = DB::table('readings')->where('id', $reading)->update(['description' => $request->input('description'), 'readings' => $request->input('readings'), 'readingdate' => $request->input('readingdate')]);
        return redirect()->route('admin.readings.index')->withSuccess('Reading has been updated');
    }

    public function destroy($id)
    {
        $reading=DB::table('readings')->where('id','=',$id)->delete();
        return redirect()->route('admin.readings.index')->withSuccess('Reading has been deleted');
    }

}


I say the 2s and the f1s is the largest.
That won't help. I know that f is 15 in dec, so of the left most numbers in all the examples, F is the largest, then 5, etc with 2 being the smallest.
You are correct - the F one is highest, and 2 is smallest.
Just for those who are unfamiliar with MAC addresses, they are a 48-bit number in Ethernet-type networks, though the length can vary with other technologies.
Is 9111 1111 1111 smaller than 5555 5555 5555?


Couples are taking back their weddings and doing their Big Days their own way more and more.
But, unfortunately, wedding photos haven't quite caught up yet -- we're still seeing some of the same photos cropping up over and over.
Click through the slideshow to see 10 of the most overused newlywed poses.
Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.


We make a wide range of models in 1/72 (20mm) from pre WW2 to modern day.
There is also a growing range of WW2 1/100 (15mm) and 1/56 (28mm) conversion kits.
Of which these are just a small sample.
WE CAST TO ORDER AND ONLY STOCK THOSE REALLY TOP SELLING ITMES. SOMETIMES WHEN IT GETS BUSY IT CAN TAKE 3 WEEKS BEFORE ORDERS ARE READY TO POST OFF, SO THERE MAY BE A DELAY. WE WILL ALWAYS LET YOU KNOW IF THERE IS GOING TO BE A REALLY LONG DELAY OR IF THERE ARE OTHER DELIVERY PROBLEMS. AS THESE MODELS ARE HAND MADE ANY SPEEDING UP OF THE PROCESS CAN LEAD TO QUALITY ISSUES ECT.
We have also decided to start stocking various diecast and plastic kits which we feel compliment the resin and metal models we make, especially the one we now make conversion kits for like the Armourfast and Plastic Soldier Co.
We now stock certain models from:- Armourfast, Amercon, Altaya, Plastic Soldier co, Fabbri, Italeri, ect with more to follow in 2019.
All models are our own copyright (or licensed copies), and any piracy will be acted upon accordingly.


Here's what people have asked and answered about working for and interviewing at AAA.
What advice would you give the CEO of AAA about how to improve it?
I would tell the CEO, that I would like more personalized feedback.
If you were in charge, what would you do to make AAA a better place to work?
What kinda drug test ?
Why did you leave your job at AAA?
What is the work environment and culture like at AAA?
Do they have a 401k with a match!
What is the training like and how in depth is it?
What would you suggest AAA management do to prevent others from leaving?
What is the most stressful part about working at AAA?


Let your best work speak for you. A thoughtfully produced case study gives your potential clients a chance to see your company in action and learn how they can benefit from your services.
At Raising the Bar Media, we know how to write compelling case studies that tell the story of your company's success—and help persuade potential clients to use your services and products.
Demonstrate your problem-solving ability: Case studies reveal your ability to identify issues and create targeted solutions for your clients.
Build a case for your value: When presented step-by-step, case studies give readers an inside view of why and how your service and expertise are valuable.
The power of a positive opinion: Effective case studies include testimonials and comments from your clients or customers. Satisfied clients quoted in a case study deliver a strong, positive recommendation for your company.
Case studies help your clients understand your services and your success. Raising the Bar Media creates persuasive, well-written case studies to build your brand and attract new clients.